Genesis 24
1 Now Abraham was old; and advanced in age: and the Lord had blessed him in all things.
Nowe Abraham was olde, and striken in yeeres, and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.
2 And he said to the elder servant of his house, who was ruler over all he had: Put thy hand under my thigh,
Therefore Abraham saide vnto his eldest seruant of his house, which had the rule ouer all that he had, Put nowe thine hand vnder my thigh,
3 That I may make thee swear by the Lord the God of heaven and earth, that thou take not a wife for my son, of the daughters of the Chanaanites, among whom I dwell:
And I will make thee sweare by ye Lord God of the heauen, and God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife vnto my sonne of the daughters of the Canaanites among who I dwel.
4 But that thou go to my own country and kindred, and take a wife from thence for my son Isaac.
But thou shalt go vnto my countrey, and to my kinred, and take a wife vnto my sone Izhak.
5 The servant answered: If the woman will not come with me into this land, must I bring thy son back again to the place, from whence thou camest out?
And the seruant saide to him, What if the woman will not come with me to this land? shall I bring thy sonne againe vnto the lande from whence thou camest?
6 And Abraham said: Beware thou never bring my son back again thither.
To whom Abraham answered, Beware that thou bring not my sonne thither againe.
7 The Lord God of heaven, who took me out of my father’s house, and out of my native country, who spoke to me, and swore to me, saying: To thy seed will I give this land: he will send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take from thence a wife for my son.
The Lord God of heauen, who tooke me from my fathers house, and from the land where I was borne, and that spake vnto me, and that sware vnto me, saying, Vnto thy seede wil I giue this land, he shall send his Angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife vnto my sonne from thence.
8 But if the woman will not follow thee, thou shalt not be bound by the oath; only bring not my son back thither again.
Neuertheles if the woman wil not follow thee, then shalt thou bee discharged of this mine othe: onely bring not my sonne thither againe.
9 The servant therefore put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his lord, and swore to him upon this word.
Then the seruant put his hand vnder the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him for this matter.
10 And he took ten camels of his master’s herd, and departed, carrying something of all his goods with him, and he set forward and went on to Mesopotamia to the city of Nachor.
So the seruant tooke ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed: (for he had all his masters goods in his hand: ) and so he arose, and went to Aram Naharaim, vnto the citie of Nahor.
11 And when he had made the camels lie down without the town near a well of water in the evening, at the time when women are wont to come out to draw water, he said:
And he made his camels to lye downe without the citie by a well of water, at euentide about the time that the women come out to draw water.
12 O Lord the God of my master Abraham, meet me today, I beseech thee, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I beseech thee, send me good speede this day, and shew mercy vnto my master Abraham.
13 Behold I stand nigh the spring of water, and the daughters of the inhabitants of this city will come out to draw water.
Lo, I stand by the well of water, whiles the mens daughters of this citie come out to drawe water.
14 Now, therefore, the maid to whom I shall say: Let down thy pitcher that I may drink: and she shall answer, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let it be the same whom thou hast provided for thy servant Isaac: and by this I shall understand, that thou hast shown kindness to my master.
Graunt therefore that ye maide, to whom I say, Bowe downe thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drinke: if she say, Drinke, and I will giue thy camels drinke also: may be she that thou hast ordeined for thy seruant Izhak: and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed mercy on my master.
15 He had not yet ended these words within himself, and behold Rebecca came out, the daughter of Bathuel, son of Melcha, wife to Nachor the brother of Abraham, having a pitcher on her shoulder:
And nowe yer he had left speaking, beholde, Rebekah came out, the daughter of Bethuel, sonne of Milcah the wife of Nahor Abrahams brother, and her pitcher vpon her shoulder.
16 An exceeding comely maid, and a most beautiful virgin, and not known to man: and she went down to the spring, and filled her pitcher and was coming back.
(And the maide was very faire to looke vpon, a virgine and vnknowen of man) and she went downe to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came vp.
17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said: Give me a little water to drink of thy pitcher.
Then the seruant ranne to meete her, and said, Let me drinke, I pray thee, a litle water of thy pitcher.
18 And she answered: Drink, my lord. And quickly she let down the pitcher upon her arm, and gave him drink.
And she said, Drinke sir: and she hasted, and let downe her pitcher vpon her hand and gaue him drinke.
19 And when he had drunk, she said: I will draw water for thy camels also, till they all drink.
And when she had giuen him drinke, she said, I will drawe water for thy camels also vntill they haue drunken inough.
20 And pouring out the pitcher into the troughs, she ran back to the well to draw water: and having drawn she gave to all the camels.
And she powred out her pitcher into the trough speedily; and ranne againe vnto the well to drawe water, and she drewe for all his camels.
21 But he musing beheld her with silence, desirous to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.
So the man wondred at her, and helde his peace, to knowe whether the Lord had made his iourney prosperous or not.
22 And after that the camels had drunk, the man took out golden earrings, weighing two sicles: and as many bracelets of ten sicles weight.
And when the camels had left drinking, the man tooke a golden abillement of halfe a shekell weight, and two bracelets for her hands, of ten shekels weight of golde:
23 And he said to her: Whose daughter art thou? tell me: is there any place in thy father’s house to lodge?
And he said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee, Is there roume in thy fathers house for vs to lodge in?
24 And she answered: I am the daughter of Bathuel, the son of Melcha, whom she bore to Nachor.
Then she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the sonne of Milcah whom she bare vnto Nahor.
25 And she said moreover to him: We have good store of both straw and hay, and a large place to lodge in.
Moreouer she said vnto him, We haue litter also and prouender ynough, and roume to lodge in.
26 The man bowed himself down, and adored the Lord,
And the man bowed himselfe and worshipped the Lord,
27 Saying: Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not taken away his mercy and truth from my master, and hath brought me the straight way into the house of my master’s brother.
And said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, which hath not withdrawen his mercie and his trueth from my master: for when I was in the way, the Lord brought me to my masters brethrens house.
28 Then the maid ran, and told in her mother’s house, all that she had heard.
And the maide ranne and tolde them of her mothers house according to these wordes.
29 And Rebecca had a brother named Laban, who went out in haste to the man, to the well.
Now Rebekah had a brother called Laban, and Laban ranne vnto the man to the well.
30 And when he had seen the earrings and bracelets in his sister’s hands, and had heard all that she related, saying: Thus and thus the man spoke to me: he came to the man who stood by the camels, and near to the spring of water,
For when he had seene the earings and the bracelets in his sisters hands, and when he heard the wordes of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus said the man vnto me, then he went to the man, and loe, he stoode by the camels at the well.
31 And said to him: Come in, thou blessed of the Lord: why standest thou without? I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.
And he saide, Come in thou blessed of the Lord: wherefore standest thou without, seeing I haue prepared the house, and roume for ye camels?
32 And he brought him in into his lodging: and he unharnessed the camels and gave straw and hay, and water to wash his feet, and the feet of the men that were come with him.
Then the man came into the house, and he vnsadled the camels, and brought litter and prouender for the camels, and water to wash his feete, and the mens feete that were with him.
33 And bread was set before him. But he said: I will not eat, till I tell my message. He answered him: Speak.
Afterward the meate was set before him: but he saide, I will not eate, vntill I haue saide my message: And he said, Speake on.
34 And he said: I am the servant of Abraham:
Then he said, I am Abrahams seruant,
35 And the Lord hath blessed my master wonderfully, and he is become great: and he hath given him sheep and oxen, silver and gold, men servants and women servants, camels and asses.
And the Lord hath blessed my master wonderfully, that he is become great: for he hath giuen him sheepe, and beeues, and siluer, and golde, and men seruants, and maide seruants, and camels, and asses.
36 And Sara my master’s wife hath borne my master a son in her old age, and he hath given him all that he had.
And Sarah my masters wife hath borne a sonne to my master, when she was olde, and vnto him hath he giuen all that he hath.
37 And my master made me swear, saying: Thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the Chanaanites, in whose land I dwell:
Now my master made me sweare, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my sonne of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell:
38 But thou shalt go to my father’s house, and shalt take a wife of my own kindred for my son:
But thou shalt go vnto my fathers house and to my kinred, and take a wife vnto my sonne.
39 But I answered my master: What if the woman will not come with me?
Then I saide vnto my master, What if the woman will not follow me?
40 The Lord, said he, in whose sight I walk, will send his angel with thee, and will direct thy way: and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my own kindred, and of my father’s house.
Who answered me, The Lord, before who I walke, will send his Angel with thee, and prosper thy iourney, and thou shalt take a wife for my sonne of my kinred and my fathers house.
41 But thou shalt be clear from my curse, when thou shalt come to my kindred, if they will not give thee one.
Then shalt thou be discharged of mine othe, when thou commest to my kinred: and if they giue thee not one, thou shalt be free from mine othe.
42 And I came today to the well of water, and said: O Lord God of my master Abraham, if thou hast prospered my way, wherein I now walk,
So I came this day to the well, and said, O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if thou nowe prosper my iourney which I goe,
43 Behold I stand by the well of water, and the virgin, that shall come out to draw water, who shall hear me say: Give me a little water to drink of thy pitcher:
Behold, I stand by the well of water: when a virgine commeth forth to drawe water, and I say to her, Giue me, I pray thee, a litle water of thy pitcher to drinke,
44 And shall say to me: Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman, whom the Lord hath prepared for my master’s son.
And she say to me, Drinke thou, and I will also drawe for thy camels, let her be ye wife, which the Lord hath prepared for my masters sonne.
45 And whilst I pondered these things secretly with myself, Rebecca appeared coming with a pitcher, which she carried on her shoulder: and she went down to the well and drew water. And I said to her: Give me a little to drink.
And before I had made an end of speaking in mine heart, beholde, Rebekah came foorth, and her pitcher on her shoulder, and she went downe vnto the well, and drewe water. Then I said vnto her, Giue me drinke, I pray thee.
46 And she speedily let down the pitcher from her shoulder, and said to me: Both drink thou, and to thy camels I will give drink. I drank, and she watered the camels.
And she made haste, and tooke downe her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drinke, and I will giue thy camels drinke also. So I dranke, and she gaue the camels drinke also.
47 And I asked her, and said: Whose daughter art thou? And she answered: I am the daughter of Bathuel, the son of Nachor, whom Melcha bore to him. So I put earrings on her to adorn her face, and I put bracelets on her hands.
Then I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she answered, The daughter of Bethuel Nahors sonne, whom Milcah bare vnto him. Then I put the abillement vpon her face, and the bracelets vpon her hands:
48 And falling down I adored the Lord, blessing the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath brought me the straight way to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son.
And I bowed downe and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, which had brought me the right way to take my masters brothers daughter vnto his sone.
49 Wherefore if you do according to mercy and truth with my master, tell me: but if it please you otherwise, tell me that also, that I may go to the right hand, or to the left.
Now therefore, if ye will deale mercifully and truely with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me that I may turne me to the right hand or to the left.
50 And Laban and Bathuel answered: The word hath proceeded from the Lord, we cannot speak any other thing to thee but his pleasure.
Then answered Laban and Bethuel, and said, This thing is proceeded of the Lord: we cannot therefore say vnto thee, neither euill nor good.
51 Behold Rebecca is before thee, take her and go thy way, and let her be the wife of thy master’s son, as the Lord hath spoken.
Beholde, Rebehak is before thee, take her and goe, that she may be thy masters sonnes wife, euen as the Lord hath said.
52 Which when Abraham’s servant heard, falling down to the ground he adored the Lord.
And when Abrahams seruant heard their wordes, he bowed himselfe toward the earth vnto the Lord.
53 And bringing forth vessels of silver and gold, and garments, he gave them to Rebecca for a present. He offered gifts also to her brothers, and to her mother.
Then the seruant tooke foorth iewels of siluer, and iewels of golde, and raiment, and gaue to Rebekah: also vnto her brother and to her mother he gaue gifts.
54 And a banquet was made, and they ate and drank together, and lodged there. And in the morning, the servant arose, and said: Let me depart, that I may go to my master.
Afterward they did eate and drinke, both he, and the men that were with him, and taried all night. and when they rose vp in the morning, he said, Let me depart vnto my master.
55 And her brother and mother answered: Let the maid stay at least ten days with us, and afterwards she shall depart.
Then her brother and her mother answered, Let the maide abide with vs, at the least ten dayes: then shall she goe.
56 Stay me not, said he, because the Lord hath prospered my way: send me away, that I may go to my master.
But he said vnto them, Hinder you me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my iourney: send me away, that I may goe to my master.
57 And they said: Let us call the maid, and ask her will.
Then they said, We will call the maide, and aske her consent.
58 And they called her, and when she was come, they asked: Wilt thou go with this man? She said: I will go.
And they called Rebekah, and saide vnto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she answered, I will go.
59 So they sent her away, and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant, and his company,
So they let Rebekah their sister goe, and her nourse, with Abrahams seruant and his men.
60 Wishing prosperity to their sister, and saying: Thou art our sister, mayst thou increase to thousands of thousands, and may thy seed possess the gates of their enemies.
And they blessed Rebekah, and sayde vnto her, Thou art our sister, growe into thousande thousands, and thy seede possesse the gate of his enemies.
61 So Rebecca and her maids, being set upon camels, followed the man: who with speed returned to his master.
Then Rebekah arose, and her maydes, and rode vpon the camels, and followed the man. and the seruant tooke Rebekah, and departed.
62 At the same time Isaac was walking along the way to the well which is called Of the living and the seeing: for he dwelt in the south country.
Nowe Izhak came from the way of Beer-lahai-roi, (for he dwelt in the South countrey)
63 And he was gone forth to meditate in the field, the day being now well spent: and when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw camels coming afar off.
And Izhak went out. to pray in the fielde toward the euening: who lift vp his eyes and looked, and behold, the camels came.
64 Rebecca also, when she saw Isaac, lighted off the camel,
Also Rebekah lift vp her eyes, and when she saw Izhak, she lighted downe from the camel.
65 And said to the servant: Who is that man who cometh towards us along the field? And he said to her: That man is my master. But she quickly took her cloak, and covered herself.
(For shee had sayde to the seruant, Who is yonder man, that commeth in the fielde to meete vs? and the seruant had said, It is my master) So she tooke a vaile, and couered her.
66 And the servant told Isaac all that he had done.
And the seruant tolde Izhak all things, that he had done.
67 Who brought her into the tent of Sara his mother, and took her to wife: and he loved her so much, that it moderated the sorrow which was occasioned by his mother’s death.
Afterward Izhak brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother, and he tooke Rebekah, and she was his wife, and he loued her: So Izhak was comforted after his mothers death.
