Genesis 24
1 And Abraham was old, well stricken in years; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.
Forsothe Abraham was eld, and of many daies, and the Lord hadde blessid hym in alle thingis.
2 And Abraham said unto his servant, the eldest of his house, who ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy 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 I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell.
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 But unto my country, and to my birthplace shalt thou go, and take a wife unto my son, unto Isaac.
but that thou go to my lond and kynrede, and therof take a wijf to my sone Ysaac.
5 And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I then bring thy son again unto the land from which thou camest?
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 And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou, that thou bring not my son thither again.
Abraham seide, Be war, lest ony tyme thou lede ayen thidur my sone;
7 The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house, and from the land of my birth, and who spoke unto me, and who swore unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land: he will send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from there.
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 But if the woman should not be willing to follow thee, then shalt, thou be clear from this my oath: only my son thou shalt not bring thither again.
thou schalt not be holdun bi the ooth; netheles lede not ayen my sone thidur.
9 And the put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.
Therfore the seruaunt puttide his hond vndur the hipe of Abraham, his lord, and swoor to him on this word.
10 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed, with all kinds of precious things of his master in his hand; and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nachor.
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 And he made the camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, at the time that the women go out to draw 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 And he said, O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and deal kindly with 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 Behold, I stand by the well of water: and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water.
Lo! Y stonde nyy the welle of watir, and the douytris of enhabiters of this citee schulen go out to drawe watir;
14 And let it come to pass that the maiden to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and to thy camels also will I give drink, be the one thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shown kindness unto 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 And it came to pass, before he had yet finished speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nachor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.
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 And the maiden was of a very handsome appearance, a virgin, neither had any man known her; and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came 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 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water out of thy pitcher.
And the seruaunt mette hir, and seide, Yyue thou to me a litil of the watir of thi pot to drynke.
18 And she said, Drink, my lord; and she hastened, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave 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 And when she had finished giving him drink, she said, Also for thy camels will I draw water, until they have finished drinking.
And whanne he hadde drunke, sche addide, But also Y schal drawe watir to thi camelis, til alle drynken.
20 And she hastened, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew 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 And the man was wondering at her; remaining silent, to discover whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.
Sotheli he bihelde hir priueli, and wolde wite whether the Lord hadde sped his wei, ethir nay.
22 And it came to pass, as the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden earring, half a shekel in weight, and two bracelets for her hands, ten gold shekels in weight;
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 And he said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee; is there room in thy father's house for us to stay this night in?
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 And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore unto Nachor.
Which answerde, Y am the douyter of Batuel, sone of Nachor, whom Melcha childide to him.
25 She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender in plenty, as also room to lodge in.
And sche addide, seiynge, Also ful myche of prouendre and of hey is at vs, and a large place to dwelle.
26 And the man bowed down his head, and prostrated himself before the Lord.
The man bowide hym silf,
27 And he said, Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who hath not withdrawn his mercy and his truth from my master; I being on the way, which the Lord hath led me, to the house of the brethren of my master.
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 And the maiden ran, and told at her mother's house these things.
And so the damesel ran, and telde in the hous of hir modir alle thingis whiche sche hadde herd.
29 And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban; and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well.
Sotheli Rebecca hadde a brothir, Laban bi name, whiche yede out hastili to the man, where he was with out forth.
30 And this came to pass, when he saw the earring and the bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spoke the man unto me; and he came unto the man; and, behold, he was standing by the camels at the well.
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 And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; wherefore standest thou without? while I have prepared the house and room for the camels.
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 And the man came into the house, and he ungirded the camels; and he gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the feet of the men that 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 And there was set food before him to eat; but he said, I will not eat, until I have spoken my words. And he said, Speak on.
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 And he said, I am Abraham's servant.
And the man seide, Y am the seruaunt of Abraham,
35 And the Lord hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and camels, and asses.
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 And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master after she was become old: and he hath given unto him all that he hath.
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 And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell:
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 But thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son.
but thou schalt go to the hous of my fadir, and of myn kynrede thou schalt take a wijf to my sone.
39 And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me.
Forsothe Y answerde to my lord, What if the womman nyle come with me?
40 And he said unto me, The Lord, before whom I have walked will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; that thou mayest take a wife for my son from my kindred, and from my father's house.
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 Then shalt thou be clear from my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they do not give thee one, [then] shalt thou be clear from my oath.
Thou schalt be innocent fro my curs, whanne thou comest to my kynesmen, and thei yyuen not `the womman to thee.
42 And I came this day unto the well, and said, O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if thou wouldst but prosper my way on which I am going.
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 Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall be the young woman who cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water out of thy pitcher 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 say to me, Both drink thou, and also for thy camels will I draw: this shall be the wife whom the Lord hath destined for my master's son.
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 And before I had yet finished speaking to my own heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water; and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.
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 And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and also to thy camels I will give drink; and I drank, and she made the camels drink also.
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 And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nachor's son, whom Milcah bore unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands.
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 And I bowed down my head, and prostrated myself before the Lord; and I blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take the daughter of my master's brother 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 And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right, or to the left.
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 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing hath proceeded from the Lord; we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.
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 Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be the wife of thy master's son, as the Lord hath spoken.
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 And it came to pass, when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he prostrated himself to the earth unto the Lord.
And whanne the child of Abraham hadde herd this, he felde doun, and worschipide the Lord in erthe.
53 And the servant brought forth vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; and precious things he gave to her brother and to 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 And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried the night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto 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 And her brother and her mother said, Let the maiden abide with us, a year or ten months; after that she shall go.
Hir britheren and modir answerden, The damesele dwelle nameli ten daies at vs, and aftirward sche schal go forth.
56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go 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 And they said, We will call the maiden, and inquire her own decision.
And thei seiden, Clepe we the damysele, and axe we hir wille.
58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.
And whanne sche was clepid, and cam, thei axiden, Wolt thou go with this man?
59 And thereupon they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men.
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 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of myriads, and let thy seed possess the gate of those who hate them.
and seiden, Thou art oure sister, encreesse thou in to a thousand thousandis, and thi seed gete the yatis of hise enemyes.
61 And Rebekah arose with her maidens, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man; and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
Therfor Rebecca and hir damesels stieden on the camels, and sueden the man, which turnede ayen hasteli to his lord.
62 And Isaac came from a walk to the well Lachai-roi; for he dwelt in the south country;
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 And Isaac was gone out to meditate in the field toward evening; and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, camels were 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 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and she saw Isaac; and she alighted off the camel.
And whanne Ysaac was seyn, Rebecca liyte doun of the camel,
65 And she said unto the servant, Who is yonder man that walketh in the field toward us? And the servant said, This is my master; therefore she took a vail, and covered 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 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
Forsothe the seruaunt tolde to his lord Ysaac alle thingis whiche he hadde do;
67 And Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after 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.
