the antiquities of the jews-1-第13节

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Lea；　by　the　favor　of　Rachel。　She　bare　then　these　sons：　Issachar；
denoting　one　born　by　hire：　and　Zabulon；　one　born　as　a　pledge　of
benevolence　towards　her；　and　a　daughter；　Dina。　After　some　time
Rachel　had　a　son；　named　Joseph；　which　signified　there　should　be
another　added　to　him。

9。　Now　Jacob　fed　the　flocks　of　Laban　his　father…in…law　all　this
time；　being　twenty　years；　after　which　he　desired　leave　of　his
father…in…law　to　take　his　wives　and　go　home；　but　when　his
father…in…law　would　not　give　him　leave；　he　contrived　to　do　it
secretly。　He　made　trial　therefore　of　the　disposition　of　his　wives
what　they　thought　of　this　journey；　…　when　they　appeared　glad；　and
approved　of　it。　Rachel　took　along　with　her　the　images　of　the
gods；　which；　according　to　their　laws；　they　used　to　worship　in
their　own　country；　and　ran　away　together　with　her　sister。　The
children　also　of　them　both；　and　the　handmaids；　and　what
possessions　they　had；　went　along　with　them。　Jacob　also　drove　away
half　the　cattle；　without　letting　Laban　know　of　it　beforehand　But
the　reason　why　Rachel　took　the　images　of　the　gods；　although　Jacob
had　taught　her　to　despise　such　worship　of　those　gods；　was　this；
That　in　case　they　were　pursued；　and　taken　by　her　father；　she
might　have　recourse　to　these　images；　in　order　obtain　his　pardon。

10。　But　Laban；　after　one　day's　time；　being　acquainted　with
Jacob's　and　his　daughters'　departure；　was　much　troubled；　and
pursued　after　them；　leading　a　band　of　men　with　him；　and　on　the
seventh　day　overtook　them；　and　found　them　resting　on　a　certain
hill；　and　then　indeed　he　did　not　meddle　with　them；　for　it　was
even…tide；　but　God　stood　by　him　in　a　dream；　and　warned　him　to
receive　his　son…in…law　and　his　daughters　in　a　peaceable　manner；
and　not　to　venture　upon　any　thing　rashly；　or　in　wrath　to　but　to
make　a　league　with　Jacob。　And　he　him；　that　if　he　despised　their
small　number；　attacked　them　in　a　hostile　manner；　he　would　assist
them。　When　Laban　had　been　thus　forewarned　by　God；　he　called　Jacob
to　him　the　next　day；　in　order　to　treat　with　him；　and　showed　him
what　dream　he　had；　in　dependence　whereupon　he　came　confidently　to
him；　and　began　to　accuse　him；　alleging　that　he　had　entertained
him　when　he　was　poor；　and　in　want　of　all　things；　and　had　given
him　plenty　of　all　things　which　he　had。　〃For；〃　said　he；　〃I　have
joined　my　daughters　to　thee　in　marriage；　and　supposed　that　thy
kindness　to　me　be　greater　than　before；　but　thou　hast　had　no
regard　to　either　thy　mother's　relations　to　me；　nor　to　the
affinity　now　newly　contracted　between　us；　nor　to　those　wives　whom
thou　hast　married；　nor　to　those　children；　of　whom　I　am　the
grandfather。　Thou　hast　treated　me　as　an　enemy；　driving　away　my
cattle；　and　by　persuading　my　daughters　to　run　away　from　their
father；　and　by　carrying　home　those　sacred　paternal　images　which
were　worshipped　by　my　forefathers；　and　have　been　honored　with　the
like　worship　which　they　paid　them　by　myself。　In　short；　thou　hast
done　this　whilst　thou　art　my　kinsman；　and　my　sister's　son；　and
the　husband　of　my　daughters；　and　was　hospiably　treated　by　me；　and
didst　eat　at　my　table。〃　When　Laban　had　said　this；　Jacob　made　his
defense　…　That　he　was　not　the　only　person　in　whom　God　had
implanted　the　love　of　his　native　country；　but　that　he　had　made　it
natural　to　all　men；　and　that　therefore　it　was　but　reasonable
that；　after　so　long　time；　he　should　go　back　to　it。　〃But　as　to　the
prey；　of　whose　driving　away　thou　accusest　me；　if　any　other　person
were　the　arbitrator；　thou　wouldst　be　found　in　the　wrong；　for
instead　of　those　thanks　I　ought　to　have　had　from　thee；　for　both
keeping　thy　cattle；　and　increasing　them；　how　is　it　that　thou　art
unjustly　angry　at　me　because　I　have　taken；　and　have　with　me；　a
small　portion　of　them？　But　then；　as　to　thy　daughters；　take
notice；　that　it　is　not　through　any　evil　practices　of　mine　that
they　follow　me　in　my　return　home；　but　from　that　just　affection
which　wives　naturally　have　to　their　husbands。　They　follow
therefore　not　so　properly　myself　as　their　own　children。〃　And　thus
far　of　his　apology　was　made；　in　order　to　clear　himself　of　having
acted　unjustly。　To　which　he　added　his　own　complaint　and
accusation　of　Laban；　saying；　〃While　I　was　thy　sister's　son；　and
thou　hadst　given　me　thy　daughters　in　marriage；　thou　hast　worn　me
out　with　thy　harsh　commands；　and　detained　me　twenty　years　under
them。　That　indeed　which　was　required　in　order　to　my　marrying　thy
daughters；　hard　as　it　was；　I　own　to　have　been　tolerable；　but　as
to　those　that　were　put　upon　me　after　those　marriages；　they　were
worse；　and　such　indeed　as　an　enemy　would　have　avoided。〃　For
certainly　Laban　had　used　Jacob　very　ill；　for　when　he　saw　that　God
was　assisting　to　Jacob　in　all　that　he　desired；　he　promised　him；
that　of　the　young　cattle　which　should　be　born；　he　should　have
sometimes　what　was　of　a　white　color；　and　sometimes　what　should　be
of　a　black　color；　but　when　those　that　came　to　Jacob's　share
proved　numerous；　he　did　not　keep　his　faith　with　him；　but　said　he
would　give　them　to　him　the　next　year；　because　of　his　envying　him
the　multitude　of　his　possessions。　He　promised　him　as　before；
because　he　thought　such　an　increase　was　not　to　be　expected；　but
when　it　appeared　to　be　fact；　he　deceived　him。

11。　But　then；　as　to　the　sacred　images；　he　bid　him　search　for
them；　and　when　Laban　accepted　of　the　offer；　Rachel；　being
informed　of　it；　put　those　images　into　that　camel's　saddle　on
which　she　rode；　and　sat　upon　it；　and　said；　that　her　natural
purgation　hindered　her　rising　up：　so　Laban　left　off　searching　any
further；　not　supposing　that　his　daughter　in　such　circumstances
would　approach　to　those　images。　So　he　made　a　league　with　Jacob；
and　bound　it　by　oaths；　that　he　would　not　bear　him　any　malice　on
account　of　what　had　happened；　and　Jacob　made　the　like　league；　and
promised　to　love　Laban's　daughters。　And　these　leagues　they
confirmed　with　oaths　also；　which　the　made　upon　certain　as　whereon
they　erected　a　pillar；　in　the　form　of　an　altar：　whence　that　hill
is　called　Gilead；　and　from　thence　they　call　that　land　the　Land　of
Gilead　at　this　day。　Now　when　they　had　feasted；　after　the　making
of　the　league；　Laban　returned　home。

CHAPTER　20。

Concerning　The　Meeting　Of　Jacob　And　Esau。

1。　Now　as　Jacob　was　proceeding　on　his　journey　to　the　land　of
Canaan；　angels　appeared　to　him；　and　suggested　to　him　good　hope　of
his　future　condition；　and　that　place　he　named　the　Camp　of　God。
And　being　desirous　of　knowing　what　his　brother's　intentions　were
to　him；　he　sent　messengers；　to　give　him　an　exact　account　of　every
thing；　as　being　afraid；　on　account　of　the　enmities　between　them。
He　charged　those　that　were　sent；　to　say　to　Esau；　〃Jacob　had
thought　it　wrong　to　live　together　with　him　while　he　was　in　anger
against　him；　and　so　had　gone　out　of　the　country；　and　that　he　now；
thinking　the　length　of　time　of　his　absence　must　have　made　up
their　differences；　was　returning；　that　he　brought　with　him　his
wives；　and　his　children；　with　what　possessions　he　had　gotten；　and
delivered　himself；　with　what　was　most　dear　to　him；　into　his
hands；　and　should　think　it　his　greatest　happiness　to　partake
together　with　his　brother　of　what　God　had　bestowed　upon　him。〃　So
these　messengers　told　him　this　message。　Upon　which　Esau　was　very
glad；　and　met　his　brother　with　four　hundred　men。　And　Jacob；　when
he　heard　that　he　was　coming　to　meet　him　with　such　a　number　of
men；　was　greatly　afraid：　however；　he　committed　his　hope　of
deliverance　to　God；　and　considered　how；　in　his　present
circumstances；　he　might　preserve　himself　and　those　that　were　with
him；　and　overcome　his　enemies　if　they　attacked　him　injuriously。
He　therefore　distributed　his　company　into　parts；　some　he　sent
before　the　rest；　and　the　others　he　ordered　to　come　close　behind；
that　so；　if　the　first　were　overpowered　when　his　brother　attacked
them；　they　might　have　those　that　followed　as　a　refuge　to　fly
unto。　And　when　he　had　put　his　company　in　this　order；　he　sent　some
of　them　to　carry　presents　to　his　brother。　The　presents　were　made
up　of　cattle；　and　a　great　number　of　four…footed　beasts；　of　many
kinds；　such　as　would　be　very　acceptable　to　those　that　received
them；　on　account　of　their　rarity。　Those　who　were　sent　went　at
certain　intervals　of　space　asunder；　that；　by　following　thick；　one
after　another；　they　might　appear　to　be　more　numerous；　that　Esau
might　remit　of　his　anger　on　account　of　these　presents；　if　he　were
still　in　a　passion。　Instructions　were　also　given　to　those　that
were　sent　to　speak　gently　to　him。

2。　When　Jacob　had　made　these　appointments　all　the　day；　and　night
came　on；　he　moved　on　with　his　company；　and；　as　they　were　gone
over　a　certain　river　called　Jabboc；　Jacob　was　left　behind；　and
meeting　with　an　angel；　he　wrestled　with　him；　the　angel　beginning
the　struggle：　but　he　prevailed　over　the　angel；　who　used　a　voice；
and　spake　to　him　in　words；　exhorting　him　to　be　pleased　with　what
had　happened　to　him；　and　not　to　suppose　that　his　victory　was　a
small　one；　but　that　he　had　overcome　a　divine　angel；　and　to　esteem
the　victory　as　a　sign　of　great　blessings　that　should　come　to　him；
and　that　his　offspring　should　never　fall；　and　that　no　man　should
be　too　hard　for　his　power。　He　also　commanded　him　to　be　called
Israel；　which　in　the　Hebrew　tongue　sign