Genesis 24
1 Abraham by now was old, really old, and the Lord had blessed him in every possible way.
Forsothe Abraham was eld, and of many daies, and the Lord hadde blessid hym in alle thingis.
2 At that time Abraham told his oldest servant who was in charge of his whole household, “Put your hand under my thigh,
And he seide to the eldere seruaunt of his hows, that was souereyn on alle thingis that he hadde, Put thou thin hond vndur myn hipe,
3 and swear an oath by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you won't arrange for my son to marry any daughter of the these Canaanite people that I'm living among.
that Y coniure thee bi the Lord God of heuene and of erthe, that thou take not a wijf to my sone of the douytris of Chanaan, among whiche Y dwelle;
4 Instead, go to my homeland where my relatives live, and find a wife there for my son Isaac.”
but that thou go to my lond and kynrede, and therof take a wijf to my sone Ysaac.
5 “What if the woman refuses to come back with me to this country?” the servant asked. “Should I take your son back to the country you came from?”
The seruaunt aunswerde, If the womman nyle come with me in to this lond, whether Y owe lede ayen thi sone to the place, fro which thou yedist out?
6 “No, you mustn't take my son back there,” Abraham replied.
Abraham seide, Be war, lest ony tyme thou lede ayen thidur my sone;
7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, took me from my family home and my own country. He spoke to me and swore an oath to me in which he promised, ‘I will give this land to your descendants.’ He is the one who will send his angel ahead of you so that you can find a wife there for my son.
the Lord of heuene that took me fro the hows of my fadir, and fro the lond of my birthe, which spak to me, and swoor, and seide, Y schal yyue this lond to thi seed, he schal sende his aungel bifore thee, and thou schalt take fro thennus a wijf to my sone; forsothe if the womman nyle sue thee,
8 However, if the woman refuses to return here with you, then you are released from this oath. But make sure you don't take my son back there.”
thou schalt not be holdun bi the ooth; netheles lede not ayen my sone thidur.
9 The servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to do as he had been told.
Therfore the seruaunt puttide his hond vndur the hipe of Abraham, his lord, and swoor to him on this word.
10 Then the servant arranged for ten of his master's camels to carry all kinds of valuable gifts from Abraham and left for the town of Nahor in Aram-naharaim.
And he took ten camels of the floc of his lord, and yede forth, and bar with him of alle the goodis of his lord; and he yede forth, and cam to Mesopotanye, to the citee of Nachor.
11 Arriving in the evening, he had the camels kneel down by the spring that was outside the town. This was the time when women went out to fetch water.
And whanne he hadde maad the camels to reste with out the citee, bisidis the pit of watir, in the euentid, in that tyme in which wymmen ben wont to go out to drawe watir,
12 He prayed, “Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please let me be successful today, and please show your faithfulness to my master Abraham.
he seide, Lord God of my lord Abraham, Y biseche, meete with me to dai, and do mersi with my lord Abraham.
13 Look, I'm standing here beside this spring, and the young women of the town are coming to get water.
Lo! Y stonde nyy the welle of watir, and the douytris of enhabiters of this citee schulen go out to drawe watir;
14 May it happen like this. The young woman that I ask, ‘Please hold your water jar so I can have a drink,’ and she replies, ‘Please drink, and I'll give your camels water too’ —may she be the one you've chosen as a wife for your servant Isaac. This way I'll know that you've shown your faithfulness to my master.”
therfor the damysel to which Y schal seie, Bowe doun thi watir pot that Y drynke, and schal answere, Drynke thou, but also Y schal yyue drynke to thi camels, thilke it is which thou hast maad redi to thi seruaunt Ysaac; and bi this Y schal vndirstonde that thou hast do mersi with my lord Abraham.
15 He hadn't even finished praying when he saw Rebekah coming to get water, carrying her water jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milkah. Milkah was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor.
And he hadde not yit fillid the wordis with ynne hym silf, and lo! Rebecca, the douytir of Batuel, sone of Melcha, wijf of Nachor, brothir of Abraham, yede out, hauynge a watir pot in hir schuldre;
16 She was very beautiful, a virgin—no one had slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came back up.
a damysel ful comeli, and faireste virgyn, and vnknowun of man. Sotheli sche cam doun to the welle, and fillide the watir pot, and turnide ayen.
17 The servant ran over to meet her and asked, “Please let me drink a few sips of water from your jar.”
And the seruaunt mette hir, and seide, Yyue thou to me a litil of the watir of thi pot to drynke.
18 “Please drink, my lord,” she replied. She quickly lifted the jar down from her shoulder and held it for him to drink.
Which answerde, Drynke thou, my lord. And anoon sche dide doun the watir pot on hir schuldre, and yaf drynk to hym.
19 After she finished giving him a drink, she said, “Let me get water for your camels too until they've had enough.”
And whanne he hadde drunke, sche addide, But also Y schal drawe watir to thi camelis, til alle drynken.
20 She quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran back to the spring to get more water. She brought enough for all his camels.
And sche helde out the watir pot in trouyis, and ran ayen to the pit, to drawe watir, and sche yaf watir drawun to alle the camels.
21 The man observed her in silence to see if the Lord had made his journey successful or not.
Sotheli he bihelde hir priueli, and wolde wite whether the Lord hadde sped his wei, ethir nay.
22 Once the camels had finished drinking, he gave her a gold nose-ring and two heavy gold bracelets for her wrists.
Therfor after that the camels drunken, the man brouyte forth goldun eere ryngis, weiynge twei siclis, and as many bies of the arm, in the weiyte of ten siclis.
23 Then he asked her, “Whose daughter are you? Also could you tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?”
And he seide to hir, Whos douyter art thou? schewe thou to me, is ony place in the hows of thi fadir to dwelle?
24 She replied, “I'm the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah and Nahor.” Then she added, “We have plenty of straw and food for the camels,
Which answerde, Y am the douyter of Batuel, sone of Nachor, whom Melcha childide to him.
25 and yes, we have room for you to spend the night.”
And sche addide, seiynge, Also ful myche of prouendre and of hey is at vs, and a large place to dwelle.
26 The man kneeled down and bowed in worship to the Lord.
The man bowide hym silf,
27 “Thank you Lord, the God of my master Abraham,” he prayed. “You have not forgotten your commitment and faithfulness to my master. And Lord, you have led me directly to the home of my master's relatives!”
and worschipide the Lord, and seide, Blessid be the Lord God of my lord Abraham, which God took not aweie his mersy and treuthe fro my lord, and ledde me bi riyt weie in to the hous of the brother of my lord.
28 She ran to her mother's house and told her family what had happened.
And so the damesel ran, and telde in the hous of hir modir alle thingis whiche sche hadde herd.
29 Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he ran out to meet the man who had remained at the spring.
Sotheli Rebecca hadde a brothir, Laban bi name, whiche yede out hastili to the man, where he was with out forth.
30 He'd noticed the nose-ring and the bracelets she was wearing, and he'd heard his sister Rebekah explaining, “This is what the man told me.” When he arrived the man was still there, standing with his camels beside the spring.
And whanne he hadde seyn the eere ryngis and byes of the arm in the hondis of his sister, and hadde herd alle the wordis of hir tellynge, the man spak to me these thingis, he cam to the man that stood bisidis the camels, and nyy the welle of watir,
31 “Please come home with me, you who are blessed by the Lord,” said Laban. “What are you standing out here for? I've got a room at home ready for you, and a place for the camels to stay.”
and seide to him, Entre thou, the blessid of the Lord; whi stondist thou with outforth? I haue maad redi the hows, and a place to thi camels.
32 So the man went home with him. Laban unloaded the camels and gave them straw and food to eat. He also provided water for the man to wash his feet, as well as for the men who were with him.
And he brouyte hym in to the ynne, and unsadlide the camels, and yaf prouendre, and hey, and watir to waische the feet of camels, and of men that camen with hym.
33 Then Laban had food brought in. But the man told him, “I'm not going to eat until I've explained why I'm here.” “Please explain,” Laban replied.
And breed was set forth in his siyt, which seide, Y schal not ete til Y speke my wordis. He answerde to the man, Speke thou.
34 “I'm Abraham's servant,” the man began.
And the man seide, Y am the seruaunt of Abraham,
35 “The Lord has blessed my master so much, and now he is a wealthy and powerful man. The Lord has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.
and the Lord hath blessid my lord greetli, and he is maad greet; and God yaf to hym scheep, and oxun, siluer, and gold, seruauntis, and handmaides, camels, and assis.
36 His wife Sarah has had a son for my master even in her old age, and my master has given him everything he owns.
And Sare, `the wijf of my lord, childide a sone to my lord in his eelde, and he yaf alle thingis that he hadde to that sone.
37 My master made me swear an oath, saying, ‘You must not arrange for my son to marry any daughter of the Canaanite people in whose land I'm living.
And my lord chargide me greetli, and seide, Thou schalt not take to my sone a wijf of the douytris of Canaan, in whos lond Y dwelle,
38 Instead, go to my family home where my relatives live, and find a wife there for my son Isaac.’
but thou schalt go to the hous of my fadir, and of myn kynrede thou schalt take a wijf to my sone.
39 I said to my master, ‘What if the woman refuses to come back with me?’
Forsothe Y answerde to my lord, What if the womman nyle come with me?
40 He told me, ‘The Lord, in whose presence I have lived my life, will send his angel with you, and he will make your journey successful—you will find a wife for my son from my relatives, from my father's family.
He seide, The Lord in whose siyt Y go, schal sende his aungel with thee, and he schal dresse thi weie; and thou schalt take a wijf to my sone of my kynrede, and of my fadris hows.
41 You will be released from the oath you swear to me if, when you go to my family, they refuse to let her return with you.’
Thou schalt be innocent fro my curs, whanne thou comest to my kynesmen, and thei yyuen not `the womman to thee.
42 Today when I arrived at the spring, I prayed, Lord, God of my master Abraham, please let the journey I have taken be successful.
Therfor Y cam to day to the welle of watir, and Y seide, Lord God of my lord Abraham, if thou hast dressid my weie in which Y go now, lo!
43 Look, I'm standing here beside this spring. May it happen like this. If a young woman comes to get water, and I say, ‘Please give me a few sips of water to drink,’
Y stonde bisidis the welle of watir, and the maide that schal go out to drawe watir herith me, yyue thou to me a litil of water to drynke of thi pot,
44 and she says to me, ‘Please drink, and I'll get water for your camels too’ —may she be the one you've chosen as a wife for your servant Isaac.”
and seith to me, And thou drynke, and Y schal drawe watir to thi camels, thilke is the womman which the Lord hath maad redi to the sone of my lord.
45 “I hadn't even finished praying silently when I saw Rebekah coming to get water, carrying her water jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring to get water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’
While Y turnede in thouyte these thingis with me, Rebecca apperide, comynge with a pot which sche bare in the schuldre; and sche yede doun to the welle, and drowe watir. And Y seide to hir, Yyue thou a litil to me to drynke; and sche hastide,
46 She quickly lifted the jar down from her shoulder and she said, ‘Please drink, and I'll get water for your camels too.’ So I drank, and she got water for the camels.
and dide doun the pot of the schuldre, and seide to me, And thou drynke, and Y schal yyue drynke to thi camels; Y drank, and watride the camels.
47 I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘I'm the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah and Nahor.’ So I put the ring in her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists.
And Y axide hir, and seide, Whos douytir art thou? Which answerde, Y am the douytir of Batuel, sone of Nachor, whom Melcha childide to him. And so Y hangide eere ryngis to ourne hir face, and Y puttide bies of the arm in hir hondis,
48 Then I kneeled down and bowed in worship to the Lord. I thanked the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, for he led me directly to find my master's niece for his son.
and lowliche Y worschipide the Lord, and Y blessid the Lord God of my lord Abraham, which God ledde me bi riyt weie, that Y schulde take the douytir of the brothir of my lord to his sone.
49 So please tell me now, will you show commitment and faithfulness to my master? Please tell me yes or no so I can decide what to do next.”
Wherfor if ye don mercy and treuthe with `my lord, schewe ye to me; ellis if othir thing plesith, also seie ye this, that Y go to the riyt side ethir to the left side.
50 Laban and Bethuel replied, “Clearly all this is from the Lord, so we can't argue one way or the other.
Laban and Batuel answeriden, The word is gon out of the Lord; we moun not speke ony other thing with thee without his plesaunce.
51 Rebekah's here, you can take her and leave. She can become the wife of your master's son, as the Lord has decided.”
Lo! Rebecca is bifore thee; take thou hir, and go forth, and be sche wijf of the sone of thi lord, as the Lord spak.
52 As soon as Abraham's servant heard their decision, he bowed down in worship to the Lord.
And whanne the child of Abraham hadde herd this, he felde doun, and worschipide the Lord in erthe.
53 Then he unpacked silver and gold jewelry and expensive clothes and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable presents to her brother and her mother.
And whanne vessels of siluer, and of gold, and clothis weren brouyt forth, he yaf tho to Rebecca for yifte, and he yaf yiftis to hir britheren, and modir.
54 He and the men with him ate and drank, and spent the night there. When they got up in the morning, he said, “Let me leave now and go home to my master.”
And whanne a feeste was maad, thei eeten and drunken to gider, and dwelliden there. Forsothe the child roos eerli, and spak, Delyuere ye me, that Y go to my lord.
55 But her brother and her mother said, “Let her stay with us for another ten days or so. She can leave after that.”
Hir britheren and modir answerden, The damesele dwelle nameli ten daies at vs, and aftirward sche schal go forth.
56 “Please don't delay me,” he told them. “The Lord has made my journey successful, so let me leave and go back to my master.”
The child seide, Nyle ye holde me, for the Lord hath dressid my weie; delyuere ye me, that I go to my lord.
57 “Let's call Rebekah and find out what she wants to do,” they suggested.
And thei seiden, Clepe we the damysele, and axe we hir wille.
58 They called Rebekah in and asked her, “Do you want to go with this man now?” “Yes, I'll go,” she replied.
And whanne sche was clepid, and cam, thei axiden, Wolt thou go with this man?
59 So they let Laban's sister Rebekah leave with Abraham's servant and his men, together with the woman who had nursed her as a child.
And sche seide, Y schal go. Therfor they delyueriden hir, and hir nurse, and the seruaunt of Abraham, and hise felowis, and wischiden prosperitees to her sister,
60 They asked a blessing on her, saying, “Our dear sister, may you become the mother to thousands and thousands of descendants, and may they conquer their enemies.”
and seiden, Thou art oure sister, encreesse thou in to a thousand thousandis, and thi seed gete the yatis of hise enemyes.
61 Then Rebekah and her servant girls got on the camels. They followed Abraham's servant and left.
Therfor Rebecca and hir damesels stieden on the camels, and sueden the man, which turnede ayen hasteli to his lord.
62 Meanwhile Isaac, who was living in the Negev, had just come back from Beer-lahai-roi.
In that tyme Ysaac walkide bi the weie that ledith to the pit, whos name is of hym that lyueth and seeth; for he dwellide in the south lond.
63 He went out into the fields one evening to think things over. He looked into the distance and saw camels coming.
And he yede out to thenke in the feeld, for the dai was `bowid thanne; and whanne he hadde reisid the iyen, he seiy camels comynge afer.
64 Rebekah was also keeping a look out. When she saw Isaac, she got down from her camel.
And whanne Ysaac was seyn, Rebecca liyte doun of the camel,
65 She asked the servant, “Who is this walking through the fields to meet us?” “He's my master, Isaac,” he replied. So she put on her veil to cover herself.
and seide to the child, Who is that man that cometh bi the feeld in to the metyng of vs? And the child seide to hir, He is my lord. And sche took soone a mentil, and hilide hir.
66 The servant told Isaac everything he'd done.
Forsothe the seruaunt tolde to his lord Ysaac alle thingis whiche he hadde do;
67 Isaac took Rebekah into his mother Sarah's tent, and he married her. He loved her, and she brought him comfort after his grief over his mother's death.
which Ysaac ledde hir in to the tabernacle of Sare, his modir, and took hir to wijf; and so myche he louede hir, that he temperide the sorewe which bifelde of the deeth of the modir.
