Genesis 24
1 Nowe Abraham was olde, and striken in yeeres, and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.
By now Abraham was old and well along in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.
2 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,
So Abraham instructed the chief servant of his household, who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh,
3 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.
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,
4 But thou shalt go vnto my countrey, and to my kinred, and take a wife vnto my sone Izhak.
but will go to my country and my kindred to take a wife for my son Isaac.”
5 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?
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?”
6 To whom Abraham answered, Beware that thou bring not my sonne thither againe.
Abraham replied, “Make sure that you do not take my son back there.
7 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.
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.
8 Neuertheles if the woman wil not follow thee, then shalt thou bee discharged of this mine othe: onely bring not my sonne thither againe.
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.”
9 Then the seruant put his hand vnder the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him for this matter.
So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.
10 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.
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.
11 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.
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.
12 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.
“O LORD, God of my master Abraham,” he prayed, “please grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
13 Lo, I stand by the well of water, whiles the mens daughters of this citie come out to drawe water.
Here I am, standing beside the spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.
14 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.
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.”
15 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.
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.
16 (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.
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.
17 Then the seruant ranne to meete her, and said, Let me drinke, I pray thee, a litle water of thy pitcher.
So the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me have a little water from your jar.”
18 And she said, Drinke sir: and she hasted, and let downe her pitcher vpon her hand and gaue him drinke.
“Drink, my lord,” she replied, and she quickly lowered her jar to her hands and gave him a drink.
19 And when she had giuen him drinke, she said, I will drawe water for thy camels also vntill they haue drunken inough.
After she had given him a drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels, until they have had enough to drink.”
20 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.
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.
21 So the man wondred at her, and helde his peace, to knowe whether the Lord had made his iourney prosperous or not.
Meanwhile, the man watched her silently to see whether or not the LORD had made his journey a success.
22 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:
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.
23 And he said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee, Is there roume in thy fathers house for vs to lodge in?
“Whose daughter are you?” he asked. “Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”
24 Then she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the sonne of Milcah whom she bare vnto Nahor.
She replied, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milcah bore to Nahor.”
25 Moreouer she said vnto him, We haue litter also and prouender ynough, and roume to lodge in.
Then she added, “We have plenty of straw and feed, as well as a place for you to spend the night.”
26 And the man bowed himselfe and worshipped the Lord,
Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD,
27 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.
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.”
28 And the maide ranne and tolde them of her mothers house according to these wordes.
The girl ran and told her mother’s household about these things.
29 Now Rebekah had a brother called Laban, and Laban ranne vnto the man to the well.
Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he rushed out to the man at the spring.
30 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.
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.
31 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?
“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.”
32 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.
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.
33 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.
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.”
34 Then he said, I am Abrahams seruant,
“I am Abraham’s servant,” he replied.
35 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.
“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.
36 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.
My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and my master has given him everything he owns.
37 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:
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,
38 But thou shalt go vnto my fathers house and to my kinred, and take a wife vnto my sonne.
but you shall go to my father’s house and to my kindred to take a wife for my son.’
39 Then I saide vnto my master, What if the woman will not follow me?
Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’
40 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.
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.
41 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.
And when you go to my kindred, if they refuse to give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’
42 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,
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!
43 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,
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,’
44 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.
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.
45 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.
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.’
46 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.
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.
47 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:
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.
48 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.
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.
49 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.
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.”
50 Then answered Laban and Bethuel, and said, This thing is proceeded of the Lord: we cannot therefore say vnto thee, neither euill nor good.
Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the LORD; we have no choice in the matter.
51 Beholde, Rebehak is before thee, take her and goe, that she may be thy masters sonnes wife, euen as the Lord hath said.
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.”
52 And when Abrahams seruant heard their wordes, he bowed himselfe toward the earth vnto the Lord.
When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD.
53 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.
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.
54 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.
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.”
55 Then her brother and her mother answered, Let the maide abide with vs, at the least ten dayes: then shall she goe.
But her brother and mother said, “Let the girl remain with us ten days or so. After that, she may go.”
56 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.
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.”
57 Then they said, We will call the maide, and aske her consent.
So they said, “We will call the girl and ask her opinion.”
58 And they called Rebekah, and saide vnto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she answered, I will go.
They called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” “I will go,” she replied.
59 So they let Rebekah their sister goe, and her nourse, with Abrahams seruant and his men.
So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men.
60 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.
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.”
61 Then Rebekah arose, and her maydes, and rode vpon the camels, and followed the man. and the seruant tooke Rebekah, and departed.
Then Rebekah and her servant girls got ready, mounted the camels, and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.
62 Nowe Izhak came from the way of Beer-lahai-roi, (for he dwelt in the South countrey)
Now Isaac had just returned from Beer-lahai-roi, for he was living in the Negev.
63 And Izhak went out. to pray in the fielde toward the euening: who lift vp his eyes and looked, and behold, the camels came.
Early in the evening, Isaac went out to the field to meditate, and looking up, he saw the camels approaching.
64 Also Rebekah lift vp her eyes, and when she saw Izhak, she lighted downe from the camel.
And when Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she got down from her camel
65 (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.
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.
66 And the seruant tolde Izhak all things, that he had done.
Then the servant told Isaac all that he had done.
67 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.
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.
