Genesis 24
1 By now Abraham was old and well along in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.
And Abraam was old, advanced in days, and the Lord blessed Abraam in all things.
2 So Abraham instructed the chief servant of his household, who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh,
And Abraam said to his servant the elder of his house, who had rule over all his possessions, Put thy hand under my thigh,
3 and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am dwelling,
and I will adjure thee by the Lord the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou take not a wife for my son Isaac from the daughters of the Chananites, with whom I dwell, in the midst of them.
4 but will go to my country and my kindred to take a wife for my son Isaac.”
But thou shalt go instead to my country, where I was born, and to my tribe, and thou shalt take from thence a wife for my son Isaac.
5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the land from which you came?”
And the servant said to him, Shall I carry back thy son to the land whence thou camest forth, if haply the woman should not be willing to return with me to this land?
6 Abraham replied, “Make sure that you do not take my son back there.
And Abraam said to him, Take heed to thyself that thou carry not my son back thither.
7 The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me from my father’s house and my native land, who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land’—He will send His angel before you so that you can take a wife for my son from there.
The Lord the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, who took me out of my father's house, and out of the land whence I sprang, who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, I will give this land to thee and to thy seed, he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife to my son from thence.
8 And if the woman is unwilling to follow you, then you are released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there.”
And if the woman should not be willing to come with thee into this land, thou shalt be clear from my oath, only carry not my son thither again.
9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.
And the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraam, and swore to him concerning this matter.
10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all manner of good things from his master in hand. And he set out for Nahor’s hometown in Aram-naharaim.
And the servant took ten camels of his master's camels, and [he took] of all the goods of his master with him, and he arose and went into Mesopotamia to the city of Nachor.
11 As evening approached, he made the camels kneel down near the well outside the town at the time when the women went out to draw water.
And he rested his camels without the city by the well of water towards evening, when damsels go forth to draw water.
12 “O LORD, God of my master Abraham,” he prayed, “please grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraam, prosper my way before me to day, and deal mercifully with my master Abraam.
13 Here I am, standing beside the spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.
Lo! I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of them that inhabit the city come forth to draw water.
14 Now may it happen that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who responds, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels as well’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. By this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”
And it shall be, the virgin to whomsoever I shall say, Incline thy water-pot, that I may drink, and she shall say, Drink thou, and I will give thy camels drink, until they shall have done drinking—even this one thou hast prepared for thy servant Isaac, and hereby shall I know that thou hast dealt mercifully with my master Abraam.
15 Before the servant had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor.
And it came to pass before he had done speaking in his mind, that behold, Rebecca the daughter of Bathuel, the son of Melcha, the wife of Nachor, and [the same] the brother of Abraam, came forth, having a water-pot on her shoulders.
16 Now the girl was very beautiful, a virgin who had not had relations with any man. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up again.
And the virgin was very beautiful in appearance, she was a virgin, a man had not known her; and she went down to the well, and filled her water-pot, and came up.
17 So the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me have a little water from your jar.”
And the servant ran up to meet her, and said, Give me a little water to drink out of thy pitcher;
18 “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and she quickly lowered her jar to her hands and gave him a drink.
and she said, Drink, Sir; and she hasted, and let down the pitcher upon her arm, and gave him to drink, till he ceased drinking.
19 After she had given him a drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels, until they have had enough to drink.”
And she said, I will also draw water for thy camels, till they shall all have drunk.
20 And she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran back to the well to draw water, until she had drawn water for all his camels.
And she hasted, and emptied the water-pot into the trough, and ran to the well to draw again, and drew water for all the camels.
21 Meanwhile, the man watched her silently to see whether or not the LORD had made his journey a success.
And the man took great notice of her, and remained silent to know whether the Lord had made his way prosperous or not.
22 And after the camels had finished drinking, he took out a gold ring weighing a beka, and two gold bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels.
And it came to pass when all the camels ceased drinking, that the man took golden ear-rings, each of a drachm weight, and he [put] two bracelets on her hands, their weight was ten pieces of gold.
23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. “Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”
And he asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? Tell me if there is room for us to lodge with thy father.
24 She replied, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milcah bore to Nahor.”
And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bathuel the son of Melcha, whom she bore to Nachor.
25 Then she added, “We have plenty of straw and feed, as well as a place for you to spend the night.”
And she said to him, We have both straw and much provender, and a place for resting.
26 Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD,
And the man being well pleased, worshipped the Lord,
27 saying, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not withheld His kindness and faithfulness from my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.”
and said, Blessed be the Lord the God of my master Abraam, who has not suffered his righteousness to fail, nor his truth from my master, and the Lord has brought me prosperously to the house of the brother of my lord.
28 The girl ran and told her mother’s household about these things.
And the damsel ran and reported to the house of her mother according to these words.
29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he rushed out to the man at the spring.
And Rebecca had a brother whose name was Laban; and Laban ran out to meet the man, to the well.
30 As soon as he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and heard Rebekah’s words, “The man said this to me,” he went and found the man standing by the camels near the spring.
And it came to pass when he saw the ear-rings and the bracelets on the hands of his sister, and when he heard the words of Rebecca his sister, saying, Thus the man spoke to me, that he went to the man, as he stood by the camels at the well.
31 “Come, you who are blessed by the LORD,” said Laban. “Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”
And he said to him, Come in hither, thou blessed of the Lord, why standest thou without, whereas I have prepared the house and a place for the camels?
32 So the man came to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and feed were brought to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of his companions.
And the man entered into the house, and unloaded the camels, and gave the camels straw and provender, and water to wash his feet, and the feet of the men that were with him.
33 Then a meal was set before the man, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I came to say.” So Laban said, “Please speak.”
And he set before them loaves to eat; but he said, I will not eat, until I have told my errand. And he said, Speak on.
34 “I am Abraham’s servant,” he replied.
And he said, I am a servant of Abraam;
35 “The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become rich. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, camels and donkeys.
and the Lord has blessed my master greatly, and he is exalted, and he has given him sheep, and calves, and silver, and gold, servants and servant-maids, camels, and asses.
36 My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and my master has given him everything he owns.
And Sarrha my master's wife bore one son to my master after he had grown old; and he gave him whatever he had.
37 My master made me swear an oath and said, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I dwell,
And my master caused me to swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Chananites, among whom I sojourn in their land.
38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my kindred to take a wife for my son.’
But thou shalt go to the house of my father, and to my tribe, and thou shalt take thence a wife for my son.
39 Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’
And I said to my master, Haply the woman will not go with me.
40 And he told me, ‘The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you may take a wife for my son from my kindred and from my father’s house.
And he said to me, The Lord God to whom I have been acceptable in his presence, himself shall send out his angel with thee, and shall prosper thy journey, and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my tribe, and of the house of my father.
41 And when you go to my kindred, if they refuse to give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’
Then shalt thou be clear from my curse, for whensoever thou shalt have come to my tribe, and they shall not give her to thee, then shalt thou be clear from my oath.
42 So when I came to the spring today, I prayed: O LORD, God of my master Abraham, if only You would make my journey a success!
And having come this day to the well, I said, Lord God of my master Abraam, if thou prosperest my journey on which I am now going,
43 Here I am, standing beside this spring. Now if a maiden comes out to draw water and I say to her, ‘Please let me drink a little water from your jar,’
behold, I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come forth to draw water, and it shall be [that] the damsel to whom I shall say, Give me a little water to drink out of thy pitcher,
44 and she replies, ‘Drink, and I will draw water for your camels as well,’ may she be the woman the LORD has appointed for my master’s son.
and she shall say to me, Both drink thou, and I will draw water for thy camels, this [shall be] the wife whom the Lord has prepared for his own servant Isaac; and hereby shall I know that thou hast wrought mercy with my master Abraam.
45 And before I had finished praying in my heart, there was Rebekah coming out with her jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’
And it came to pass before I had done speaking in my mind, straightway Rebecca came forth, having her pitcher on her shoulders; and she went down to the well, and drew water; and I said to her, Give me to drink.
46 She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels as well.’ So I drank, and she also watered the camels.
And she hasted and let down her pitcher on her arm from her head, and said, Drink thou, and I will give thy camels drink; and I drank, and she gave the camels drink.
47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists.
And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me; and she said, I am daughter of Bathuel the son of Nachor, whom Melcha bore to him; and I put on her the ear-rings, and the bracelets on her hands.
48 Then I bowed down and worshiped the LORD; and I blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who led me on the right road to take the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son.
And being well-pleased I worshipped the Lord, and I blessed the Lord the God of my master Abraam, who has prospered me in a true way, so that I should take the daughter of my master's brother for his son.
49 Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; but if not, let me know, so that I may go elsewhere.”
If then ye [will] deal mercifully and justly with my lord, [tell me], and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.
50 Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the LORD; we have no choice in the matter.
And Laban and Bathuel answered and said, This matter has come forth from the Lord, we shall not be able to answer thee bad or good.
51 Rebekah is here before you. Take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, just as the LORD has decreed.”
Behold, Rebecca is before thee, take her and go away, and let her be wife to the son of thy master, as the Lord has said.
52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD.
And it came to pass when the servant of Abraam heard these words, he bowed himself to the Lord down to the earth.
53 Then he brought out jewels of silver and gold, and articles of clothing, and he gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious gifts to her brother and her mother.
And the servant having brought forth jewels of silver and gold and raiment, gave them to Rebecca, and gave gifts to her brother, and to her mother.
54 Then he and the men with him ate and drank and spent the night there. When they got up the next morning, he said, “Send me on my way to my master.”
And both he and the men with him ate and drank and went to sleep. And he arose in the morning and said, Send me away, that I may go to my master.
55 But her brother and mother said, “Let the girl remain with us ten days or so. After that, she may go.”
And her brethren and her mother said, Let the virgin remain with us about ten days, and after that she shall depart.
56 But he replied, “Do not delay me, since the LORD has made my journey a success. Send me on my way so that I may go to my master.”
But he said to them, Hinder me not, for the Lord has prospered my journey for me; send me away, that I may depart to my master.
57 So they said, “We will call the girl and ask her opinion.”
And they said, Let us call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth.
58 They called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” “I will go,” she replied.
And they called Rebecca, and said to her, Wilt thou go with this man? and she said, I will go.
59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men.
So they sent forth Rebecca their sister, and her goods, and the servant of Abraam, and his attendants.
60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands upon thousands. May your offspring possess the gates of their enemies.”
And they blessed Rebecca, and said to her, Thou art our sister; become thou thousands of myriads, and let thy seed possess the cities of their enemies.
61 Then Rebekah and her servant girls got ready, mounted the camels, and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.
And Rebecca rose up and her maidens, and they mounted the camels and went with the man; and the servant having taken up Rebecca, departed.
62 Now Isaac had just returned from Beer-lahai-roi, for he was living in the Negev.
And Isaac went through the wilderness to the well of the vision, and he dwelt in the land toward the south.
63 Early in the evening, Isaac went out to the field to meditate, and looking up, he saw the camels approaching.
And Isaac went forth into the plain toward evening to meditate; and having lifted up his eyes, he saw camels coming.
64 And when Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she got down from her camel
And Rebecca lifted up her eyes, and saw Isaac; and she alighted briskly from the camel,
65 and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?” “It is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.
and said to the servant, Who is that man that walks in the plain to meet us? And the servant said, This is my master; and she took her veil and covered herself.
66 Then the servant told Isaac all that he had done.
And the servant told Isaac all that he had done.
67 And Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah and took Rebekah as his wife. And Isaac loved her and was comforted after his mother’s death.
And Isaac went into the house of his mother, and took Rebecca, and she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted for Sarrha his mother.
