The main objective of this article is to derive new gravitational field equations and to establish a unified theory for dark energy and dark matter. The gravitational field equations with a scalar potential $\varphi$ function are derived using the Einstein-Hilbert functional, and the scalar potential $\varphi$ is a natural outcome of the divergence-free constraint of the variational elements.Gravitation is now described by the Riemannian metric$g_{\mu\nu}$, the scalar potential $\varphi$ and their interactions, unified by the new field equations.From quantum field theoretic point of view, the vector field $\Phi_\mu=D_\mu \varphi$, the gradient of the scalar function $\varphi$, is a spin-1 massless bosonic particle field. The field equations induce a natural duality between the graviton (spin-2 massless bosonic particle) and this spin-1 massless bosonic particle. Both particles can be considered as gravitational force carriers, and as they are massless, the induced forces are long-range forces. The (nonlinear) interaction between these bosonic particle fields leads to a unified theory for dark energy and dark matter. Also, associated with the scalar potential $\varphi$ is the scalar potential energy density $\frac{c^4}{8\pi G} \Phi=\frac{c^4}{8\pi G} g^{\mu\nu}D_\mu D_\nu \varphi$, which represents a new type of energy caused by the non-uniform distribution of matter in the universe.The negative part of this potential energy density produces attraction, and the positive part produces repelling force. This potential energy density is conserved with mean zero: $\int_M \Phi dM=0$.The sum of this potential energy density$\frac{c^4}{8\pi G} \Phi$ and the coupling energy between the energy-momentum tensor $T_{\mu\nu}$ and the scalar potential field $\varphi$ gives rise to a unified theory for dark matter and dark energy:The negative part ofthis sum represents the dark matter, which produces attraction,and the positive part represents the dark energy, which drives the acceleration of expanding galaxies.In addition, the scalar curvature of space-time obeys $R=\frac{8\pi G}{c^4} T + \Phi$.Furthermore, the proposed field equations resolve a few difficulties encountered by the classical Einstein field equations.