Genesis 24
1 By now Abraham was old and well along in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.
erat autem Abraham senex dierumque multorum et Dominus in cunctis benedixerat ei
2 So Abraham instructed the chief servant of his household, who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh,
dixitque ad servum seniorem domus suae qui praeerat omnibus quae habebat pone manum tuam subter femur meum
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,
ut adiurem te per Dominum Deum caeli et terrae ut non accipias uxorem filio meo de filiabus Chananeorum inter quos habito
4 but will go to my country and my kindred to take a wife for my son Isaac.”
sed ad terram et ad cognationem meam proficiscaris et inde accipias uxorem filio meo 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?”
respondit servus si noluerit mulier venire mecum in terram hanc num reducere debeo filium tuum ad locum de quo egressus es
6 Abraham replied, “Make sure that you do not take my son back there.
dixit Abraham cave nequando reducas illuc filium meum
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.
Dominus Deus caeli qui tulit me de domo patris mei et de terra nativitatis meae qui locutus est mihi et iuravit dicens semini tuo dabo terram hanc ipse mittet angelum suum coram te et accipies inde uxorem filio meo
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.”
sin autem noluerit mulier sequi te non teneberis iuramento filium tantum meum ne reducas illuc
9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.
posuit ergo servus manum sub femore Abraham domini sui et iuravit illi super sermone hoc
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.
tulitque decem camelos de grege domini sui et abiit ex omnibus bonis eius portans secum profectusque perrexit Mesopotamiam ad urbem Nahor
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.
cumque camelos fecisset accumbere extra oppidum iuxta puteum aquae vespere eo tempore quo solent mulieres egredi ad hauriendam aquam dixit
12 “O LORD, God of my master Abraham,” he prayed, “please grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
Domine Deus domini mei Abraham occurre obsecro hodie mihi et fac misericordiam cum domino meo Abraham
13 Here I am, standing beside the spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.
ecce ego sto propter fontem aquae et filiae habitatorum huius civitatis egredientur ad hauriendam aquam
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.”
igitur puella cui ego dixero inclina hydriam tuam ut bibam et illa responderit bibe quin et camelis tuis dabo potum ipsa est quam praeparasti servo tuo Isaac et per hoc intellegam quod feceris misericordiam cum domino meo
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.
necdum intra se verba conpleverat et ecce Rebecca egrediebatur filia Bathuel filii Melchae uxoris Nahor fratris Abraham habens hydriam in scapula
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.
puella decora nimis virgoque pulcherrima et incognita viro descenderat autem ad fontem et impleverat hydriam ac revertebatur
17 So the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me have a little water from your jar.”
occurritque ei servus et ait pauxillum mihi ad sorbendum praebe aquae de hydria tua
18 “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and she quickly lowered her jar to her hands and gave him a drink.
quae respondit bibe domine mi celeriterque deposuit hydriam super ulnam suam et dedit ei potum
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.”
cumque ille bibisset adiecit quin et camelis tuis hauriam aquam donec cuncti bibant
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.
effundensque hydriam in canalibus recurrit ad puteum ut hauriret aquam et haustam omnibus camelis dedit
21 Meanwhile, the man watched her silently to see whether or not the LORD had made his journey a success.
ille autem contemplabatur eam tacitus scire volens utrum prosperum fecisset iter suum Dominus an non
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.
postquam ergo biberunt cameli protulit vir inaures aureas adpendentes siclos duos et armillas totidem pondo siclorum decem
23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. “Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”
dixitque ad eam cuius es filia indica mihi est in domo patris tui locus ad manendum
24 She replied, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milcah bore to Nahor.”
quae respondit filia Bathuelis sum filii Melchae quem peperit Nahor
25 Then she added, “We have plenty of straw and feed, as well as a place for you to spend the night.”
et addidit dicens palearum quoque et faeni plurimum est apud nos et locus spatiosus ad manendum
26 Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD,
inclinavit se homo et adoravit Dominum
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.”
dicens benedictus Dominus Deus domini mei Abraham qui non abstulit misericordiam et veritatem suam a domino meo et recto me itinere perduxit in domum fratris domini mei
28 The girl ran and told her mother’s household about these things.
cucurrit itaque puella et nuntiavit in domum matris suae omnia quae audierat
29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he rushed out to the man at the spring.
habebat autem Rebecca fratrem nomine Laban qui festinus egressus est ad hominem ubi erat fons
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.
cumque vidisset inaures et armillas in manibus sororis suae et audisset cuncta verba referentis haec locutus est mihi homo venit ad virum qui stabat iuxta camelos et propter fontem aquae
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.”
dixitque ad eum ingredere benedicte Domini cur foris stas praeparavi domum et locum camelis
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.
et introduxit eum hospitium ac destravit camelos deditque paleas et faenum et aquam ad lavandos pedes camelorum et virorum qui venerant cum eo
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.”
et adpositus est in conspectu eius panis qui ait non comedam donec loquar sermones meos respondit ei loquere
34 “I am Abraham’s servant,” he replied.
at ille servus inquit Abraham sum
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.
et Dominus benedixit domino meo valde magnificatusque est et dedit ei oves et boves argentum et aurum servos et ancillas camelos et asinos
36 My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and my master has given him everything he owns.
et peperit Sarra uxor domini mei filium domino meo in senectute sua deditque illi omnia quae habuerat
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,
et adiuravit me dominus meus dicens non accipies uxorem filio meo de filiabus Chananeorum in quorum terra habito
38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my kindred to take a wife for my son.’
sed ad domum patris mei perges et de cognatione mea accipies uxorem filio meo
39 Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’
ego vero respondi domino meo quid si noluerit venire mecum mulier
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.
Dominus ait in cuius conspectu ambulo mittet angelum suum tecum et diriget viam tuam accipiesque uxorem filio meo de cognatione mea et de domo patris mei
41 And when you go to my kindred, if they refuse to give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’
innocens eris a maledictione mea cum veneris ad propinquos meos et non dederint tibi
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!
veni ergo hodie ad fontem et dixi Domine Deus domini mei Abraham si direxisti viam meam in qua nunc ambulo
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,’
ecce sto iuxta fontem aquae et virgo quae egredietur ad hauriendam aquam audierit a me da mihi pauxillum aquae ad bibendum ex hydria tua
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.
et dixerit mihi et tu bibe et camelis tuis hauriam ipsa est mulier quam praeparavit Dominus filio domini mei
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.’
dum haec mecum tacitus volverem apparuit Rebecca veniens cum hydria quam portabat in scapula descenditque ad fontem et hausit aquam et aio ad eam da mihi paululum bibere
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.
quae festina deposuit hydriam de umero et dixit mihi et tu bibe et camelis tuis potum tribuam bibi et adaquavit camelos
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.
interrogavique eam et dixi cuius es filia quae respondit filia Bathuelis sum filii Nahor quem peperit illi Melcha suspendi itaque inaures ad ornandam faciem eius et armillas posui in manibus
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.
pronusque adoravi Dominum benedicens Domino Deo domini mei Abraham qui perduxisset me recto itinere ut sumerem filiam fratris domini mei filio eius
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.”
quam ob rem si facitis misericordiam et veritatem cum domino meo indicate mihi sin autem aliud placet et hoc dicite ut vadam ad dextram sive ad sinistram
50 Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the LORD; we have no choice in the matter.
responderunt Laban et Bathuel a Domino egressus est sermo non possumus extra placitum eius quicquam aliud tecum loqui
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.”
en Rebecca coram te est tolle eam et proficiscere et sit uxor filii domini tui sicut locutus est Dominus
52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD.
quod cum audisset puer Abraham adoravit in terra Dominum
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.
prolatisque vasis argenteis et aureis ac vestibus dedit ea Rebeccae pro munere fratribus quoque eius et matri dona obtulit
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.”
initoque convivio vescentes pariter et bibentes manserunt ibi surgens autem mane locutus est puer dimittite me ut vadam ad dominum meum
55 But her brother and mother said, “Let the girl remain with us ten days or so. After that, she may go.”
responderunt fratres eius et mater maneat puella saltem decem dies apud nos et postea proficiscetur
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.”
nolite ait me retinere quia Dominus direxit viam meam dimittite me ut pergam ad dominum meum
57 So they said, “We will call the girl and ask her opinion.”
dixerunt vocemus puellam et quaeramus ipsius voluntatem
58 They called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” “I will go,” she replied.
cumque vocata venisset sciscitati sunt vis ire cum homine isto quae ait vadam
59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men.
dimiserunt ergo eam et nutricem illius servumque Abraham et comites eius
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.”
inprecantes prospera sorori suae atque dicentes soror nostra es crescas in mille milia et possideat semen tuum portas inimicorum suorum
61 Then Rebekah and her servant girls got ready, mounted the camels, and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.
igitur Rebecca et puellae illius ascensis camelis secutae sunt virum qui festinus revertebatur ad dominum suum
62 Now Isaac had just returned from Beer-lahai-roi, for he was living in the Negev.
eo tempore Isaac deambulabat per viam quae ducit ad puteum cuius nomen est Viventis et videntis habitabat enim in terra australi
63 Early in the evening, Isaac went out to the field to meditate, and looking up, he saw the camels approaching.
et egressus fuerat ad meditandum in agro inclinata iam die cumque levasset oculos vidit camelos venientes procul
64 And when Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she got down from her camel
Rebecca quoque conspecto Isaac descendit de camelo
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.
et ait ad puerum quis est ille homo qui venit per agrum in occursum nobis dixit ei ipse est dominus meus at illa tollens cito pallium operuit se
66 Then the servant told Isaac all that he had done.
servus autem cuncta quae gesserat narravit Isaac
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.
qui introduxit eam in tabernaculum Sarrae matris suae et accepit uxorem et in tantum dilexit ut dolorem qui ex morte matris acciderat temperaret
