Genesis 24
1 Now Abraham was old and far on in years: and the Lord had given him everything in full measure.
Now Abraham was old, well advanced in days, and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.
2 And Abraham said to his chief servant, the manager of all his property, Come now, put your hand under my leg:
And Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his household, who was in charge over all that he had, "Please put your hand under my thigh,
3 And take an oath by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not get a wife for my son Isaac from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am living;
and I will make you swear by the God of heaven and earth, that you must not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living,
4 But that you will go into my country and to my relations and get a wife there for my son Isaac.
but you must go to my country and to my relatives, and get a wife for my son Isaac."
5 And the servant said, If by chance the woman will not come with me into this land, am I to take your son back again to the land from which you came?
And the servant asked him, "What if the woman isn't willing to follow me to this land? Must I then bring your son back to the land from which you came?"
6 And Abraham said, Take care that you do not let my son go back to that land.
Then Abraham told him, "Be careful that you do not take my son back there.
7 The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth, and made an oath to me, saying, To your seed I will give this land: he will send his angel before you and give you a wife for my son in that land.
Now the God of heaven, who took me from my father's household and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, 'I will give this land to your offspring' -- he will send his angel before you, and you will get a wife for my son from there.
8 And if the woman will not come with you, then you are free from this oath; only do not take my son back there.
But if the woman isn't willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath to me. Only you must not bring my son back there."
9 And the servant put his hand under Abraham's leg, and gave him his oath about this thing.
So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his oath to him concerning this matter.
10 And the servant took ten of his master's camels, and all sorts of good things of his master's, and went to Mesopotamia, to the town of Nahor.
Then the servant took ten camels from his master's camels and departed, having a variety of good things from his master at his disposal, and he set out and went to Aram Naharaim, to the city of Nahor.
11 And he made the camels take their rest outside the town by the water-spring in the evening, at the time when the women came to get water.
And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when women go out to draw water.
12 And he said, O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, let me do well in what I have undertaken this day, and give your mercy to my master Abraham.
Then he said, "God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show kindness to my master Abraham.
13 See, I am waiting here by the water-spring; and the daughters of the town are coming out to get water:
Look, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.
14 Now, may the girl to whom I say, Let down your vessel and give me a drink, and who says in answer, Here is a drink for you and let me give water to your camels: may she be the one marked out by you for your servant Isaac: so may I be certain that you have been good to my master Abraham.
Now may it happen that the young woman to whom I will say, 'Please lower your jug that I may drink,' and she answers, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink,'—her you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master."
15 And even before his words were ended, Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, who was the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her water-vessel on her arm.
And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that look, Rebekah was coming out with her jug on her shoulder—who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother.
16 She was a very beautiful girl, a virgin, who had never been touched by a man: and she went down to the spring to get water in her vessel.
Now the young woman was very beautiful in appearance, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. And she went down to the spring and filled her jug and came up.
17 And the servant came running to her and said, Give me a little water from your vessel.
Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, "Please give me a little water to drink from your jug."
18 And she said, Take a drink, my lord: and quickly letting down her vessel onto her hand, she gave him a drink.
So she said, "Drink, my lord." And she hurried and let down her jug to her hands, and gave him a drink.
19 And having done so, she said, I will get water for your camels till they have had enough.
Now when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will also draw for your camels, until they have finished drinking."
20 And after putting the water from her vessel into the animals' drinking-place, she went quickly back to the spring and got water for all the camels.
So she hurried and emptied her jug into the trough and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.
21 And the man, looking at her, said nothing, waiting to see if the Lord had given his journey a good outcome.
And the man watched her in silence so as to know whether God had made his journey successful or not.
22 And when the camels had had enough, the man took a gold nose-ring, half a shekel in weight, and two ornaments for her arms of ten shekels weight of gold;
And it happened, as the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a gold ring weighing a beka, which he put on her nose, and two bracelets for her hands weighing ten pieces of gold,
23 And said to her, Whose daughter are you? is there room in your father's house for us?
and said, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to lodge?"
24 And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, Nahor's wife.
Then she said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor."
25 And she said, We have a great store of dry grass and cattle-food, and there is room for you.
And she also said to him, "We have plenty of straw and fodder, and room to lodge."
26 And with bent head the man gave worship to the Lord;
Then the man bowed his head and worshiped God,
27 And said, Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has given a sign that he is good and true to my master, by guiding me straight to the house of my master's family.
and said, "Blessed be the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his loving kindness and his truth toward my master. As for me, he has led me on the journey to the house of my master's relatives."
28 So the girl went running and took the news of these things to her mother's house
Then the young woman ran, and told her mother's household about these words.
29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he came out quickly to the man at the water-spring.
Now Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban, and he ran out to the man at the spring.
30 And when he saw the nose-ring and the ornaments on his sister's hands, and when she gave him word of what the man had said to her, then he went out to the man who was waiting with the camels by the water-spring.
And it happened, when he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister's wrists, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, "This is what the man said to me," that he went to the man. And look, he was standing by the camels at the spring.
31 And he said to him, Come in, you on whom is the blessing of the Lord; why are you waiting outside? for I have made the house ready for you, and a place for the camels.
And he said, "Come in, you blessed of God. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house and room for the camels."
32 Then the man came into the house, and Laban took their cords off the camels and gave them dry grass and food, and he gave to him and the men who were with him water for washing their feet.
So the man went into the house and he unloaded the camels. And he gave straw and fodder for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.
33 And meat was put before him, but he said, I will not take food till I have made my business clear to you. And they said, Do so.
And he set before him food to eat, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told my message." And he said, "Say it."
34 And he said, I am Abraham's servant.
So he said, "I am Abraham's servant.
35 The Lord has given my master every blessing, and he has become great: he has given him flocks and herds and silver and gold, and men-servants and women-servants and camels and asses.
And the Lord has blessed my master greatly, so that he has become great, and he has given him sheep and cattle, and silver and gold, and male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys.
36 And when Sarah, my master's wife, was old, she gave birth to a son, to whom he has given all he has.
And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old, and to him he has given all that he has.
37 And my master made me take an oath, saying, Do not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am living;
Now my master put me under oath, saying, 'You must not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,
38 But go to my father's house and to my relations for a wife for my son.
but you must go to my father's house, and to my relatives, and get a wife for my son.'
39 And I said to my master, What if the woman will not come with me?
And I said to my master, 'What if the woman will not follow me?'
40 And he said, The Lord, whom I have ever kept before me, will send his angel with you, who will make it possible for you to get a wife for my son from my relations and my father's house;
But he said to me, 'God, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you, and make your journey successful, and you will get a wife for my son from my relatives, and of my father's house.
41 And you will be free from your oath to me when you come to my people; and if they will not give her to you, you will be free from your oath.
Then will you be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives. And if they do not give her to you, then you will be free from my oath.'
42 And I came today to the water-spring, and I said, O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if it is your purpose to give a good outcome to my journey,
So today I came to the spring, and said, 'God of my master Abraham, if now you will make my journey successful in which I go—
43 Let it come about that, while I am waiting here by the water-spring, if a girl comes to get water and I say to her, Give me a little water from your vessel, and she says,
look, I am standing by this spring of water, and may it happen that the young woman who comes out to draw, to whom I will say, "Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,"
44 Take a drink, and I will get water for your camels; let her be the woman marked out by the Lord for my master's son.
and she will say to me, "Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,"—may she be the woman who has been chosen for my master's son.'
45 And even while I was saying this to myself, Rebekah came out with her vessel on her arm; and she went down to the spring to get water; and I said to her, Give me a drink.
Before I had finished praying in my heart, look, Rebekah came out with her jug on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring, and drew. And I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.'
46 And straight away she took down her vessel from her arm, and said, Take a drink, and I will get water for your camels.
And she quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.' So I drank, and she also gave the camels water.
47 And questioning her, I said, Whose daughter are you? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor, and Milcah his wife. Then I put the ring on her nose and the ornaments on her hands.
Then I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter are you?' And she replied, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists.
48 And with bent head I gave worship and praise to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, by whom I had been guided in the right way, to get the daughter of my master's brother for his son.
Then I bowed my head and worshiped God, and blessed the God of my master Abraham, who had guided me on the right road to find the granddaughter of my master's brother for his son.
49 And now, say if you will do what is good and right for my master or not, in order that it may be clear to me what I have to do.
Now if you will show kindness and truth to my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left."
50 Then Laban and Bethuel said in answer, This is the Lord's doing: it is not for us to say Yes or No to you.
Then Laban and Bethuel answered, "The matter comes from God. We can't speak to you bad or good.
51 See, here is Rebekah: take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the Lord has said.
Look, Rebekah is before you. Take, and go, and let her become the wife of your master's son, as God has spoken."
52 And at these words, Abraham's servant went down on his face and gave praise to the Lord.
And it happened when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he bowed himself down to the ground.
53 Then he took jewels of silver and jewels of gold and fair robes and gave them to Rebekah: and he gave things of value to her mother and her brother.
Then the servant brought out articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. And he also gave valuable gifts to her brother and to her mother.
54 Then he and the men who were with him had food and drink, and took their rest there that night; and in the morning he got up, and said, Let me now go back to my master.
Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and spent the night. Then they got up in the morning, and he said, "Send me away to my master."
55 But her brother and her mother said, Let the girl be with us a week or ten days, and then she may go.
But her brother and her mother said, "Let the young woman stay with us ten days or so. After that she may go."
56 And he said, Do not keep me; the Lord has given a good outcome to my journey; let me now go back to my master.
But he said to them, "Do not delay me, seeing that he has made my journey successful. Send me away that I may go to my master."
57 And they said, We will send for the girl, and let her make the decision.
Then they said, "We will call the young woman and ask her."
58 And they sent for Rebekah and said to her, Are you ready to go with this man? And she said, I am ready.
So they called Rebekah, and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" And she replied, "I will go."
59 So they sent their sister Rebekah and her servant with Abraham's servant and his men.
So they sent away their sister Rebekah, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men.
60 And they gave Rebekah their blessing, saying, O sister, may you be the mother of thousands and ten thousands; and may your seed overcome all those who make war against them.
And they blessed Rebekah, and said to her, "Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and may your descendants possess the gate of those who hate them."
61 So Rebekah and her servant-women went with the man, seated on the camels; and so the servant took Rebekah and went on his way.
And Rebekah and her female servants got ready, and they rode on the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and went on his way.
62 Now Isaac had come through the waste land to Beer-lahai-roi; for he was living in the South.
Now Isaac had come from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the land of the Negev.
63 And when the evening was near, he went wandering out into the fields, and lifting up his eyes he saw camels coming.
And Isaac went out in the field to think in the early evening. And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and look, he saw camels approaching.
64 And when Rebekah, looking up, saw Isaac, she got down from her camel,
And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel.
65 And said to the servant, Who is that man coming to us through the field? And the servant said, It is my master: then she took her veil, covering her face with it.
And she asked the servant, "Who is the man who is walking in the field to meet us?" And the servant said, "It is my master." Then she took her veil and covered herself.
66 Then the servant gave Isaac the story of all he had done.
And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
67 And Isaac took Rebekah into his tent and she became his wife; and in his love for her, Isaac was comforted after his father's death.
Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. And he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
