Genesis 24
1 By now Abraham was old and well along in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.
And Abraham was old, well stricken in years; and the Lord had blessed Abraham 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 Abraham said unto his servant, the eldest of his house, who ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, 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 make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell.
4 but will go to my country and my kindred to take a wife for my son Isaac.”
But unto my country, and to my birthplace shalt thou go, and take a wife unto my son, unto 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 unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I then bring thy son again unto the land from which thou camest?
6 Abraham replied, “Make sure that you do not take my son back there.
And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou, that thou bring not my son thither again.
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, who took me from my father's house, and from the land of my birth, and who spoke unto me, and who swore unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land: he will send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from there.
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.”
But if the woman should not be willing to follow thee, then shalt, thou be clear from this my oath: only my son thou shalt not bring 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 put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, 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 the camels of his master, and departed, with all kinds of precious things of his master in his hand; and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto 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 made the camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, at the time that the women go out 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, the God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and deal kindly with my master Abraham.
13 Here I am, standing beside the spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.
Behold, I stand by the well of water: and the daughters of the men of the city come out 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 let it come to pass that the maiden to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and to thy camels also will I give drink, be the one thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shown kindness unto my master.
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 yet finished speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nachor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.
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 maiden was of a very handsome appearance, a virgin, neither had any man known her; and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, 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 to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water 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, my lord; and she hastened, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him to drink.
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 when she had finished giving him drink, she said, Also for thy camels will I draw water, until they have finished drinking.
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 hastened, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.
21 Meanwhile, the man watched her silently to see whether or not the LORD had made his journey a success.
And the man was wondering at her; remaining silent, to discover whether the Lord had made his journey 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, as the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden earring, half a shekel in weight, and two bracelets for her hands, ten gold shekels in weight;
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 said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee; is there room in thy father's house for us to stay this night in?
24 She replied, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milcah bore to Nahor.”
And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore unto Nachor.
25 Then she added, “We have plenty of straw and feed, as well as a place for you to spend the night.”
She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender in plenty, as also room to lodge in.
26 Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD,
And the man bowed down his head, and prostrated himself before 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 he said, Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who hath not withdrawn his mercy and his truth from my master; I being on the way, which the Lord hath led me, to the house of the brethren of my master.
28 The girl ran and told her mother’s household about these things.
And the maiden ran, and told at her mother's house these things.
29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he rushed out to the man at the spring.
And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban; and Laban ran out unto the man, unto 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 this came to pass, when he saw the earring and the bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spoke the man unto me; and he came unto the man; and, behold, he was standing 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, Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; wherefore standest thou without? while I have prepared the house and room 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 came into the house, and he ungirded the camels; and he gave straw and provender for the camels, 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 there was set food before him to eat; but he said, I will not eat, until I have spoken my words. And he said, Speak on.
34 “I am Abraham’s servant,” he replied.
And he said, I am Abraham's servant.
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 hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and 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 Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master after she was become old: and he hath given unto him all that he hath.
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 made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell:
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 unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son.
39 Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’
And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow 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 unto me, The Lord, before whom I have walked will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; that thou mayest take a wife for my son from my kindred, and from my father's house.
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 oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they do not give thee one, [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 I came this day unto the well, and said, O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if thou wouldst but prosper my way on which I am 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 it shall be the young woman who cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water out of thy pitcher to drink;
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 say to me, Both drink thou, and also for thy camels will I draw: this shall be the wife whom the Lord hath destined for my master's son.
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 before I had yet finished speaking to my own heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water; and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.
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 made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and also to thy camels I will give drink; and I drank, and she made the camels drink also.
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? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nachor's son, whom Milcah bore unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon 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 I bowed down my head, and prostrated myself before the Lord; and I blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to 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.”
And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right, or to the left.
50 Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the LORD; we have no choice in the matter.
Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing hath proceeded from the Lord; we cannot speak unto 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, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be the wife of thy master's son, as the Lord hath spoken.
52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD.
And it came to pass, when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he prostrated himself to the earth unto the Lord.
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 brought forth vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; and precious things he gave 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 they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried the night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto 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 brother and her mother said, Let the maiden abide with us, a year or ten months; after that she shall go.
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.”
And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.
57 So they said, “We will call the girl and ask her opinion.”
And they said, We will call the maiden, and inquire her own decision.
58 They called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” “I will go,” she replied.
And they called Rebekah, and said unto 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.
And thereupon they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men.
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 Rebekah, and said unto her, Our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of myriads, and let thy seed possess the gate of those who hate them.
61 Then Rebekah and her servant girls got ready, mounted the camels, and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.
And Rebekah arose with her maidens, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man; and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
62 Now Isaac had just returned from Beer-lahai-roi, for he was living in the Negev.
And Isaac came from a walk to the well Lachai-roi; for he dwelt in the south country;
63 Early in the evening, Isaac went out to the field to meditate, and looking up, he saw the camels approaching.
And Isaac was gone out to meditate in the field toward evening; and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, camels were coming.
64 And when Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she got down from her camel
And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and she saw Isaac; and she alighted off 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 she said unto the servant, Who is yonder man that walketh in the field toward us? And the servant said, This is my master; therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.
66 Then the servant told Isaac all that he had done.
And the servant told Isaac all the things 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 brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
