< Genesis 24 >
1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in days, and YHWH had blessed Abraham in all things.
2 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 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 you must go to my country and to my relatives, and get a wife for my son Isaac."
5 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 Then Abraham told him, "Be careful that you do not take my son back there.
7 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 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 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his oath to him concerning this matter.
10 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 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 Then he said, "God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show kindness to my master Abraham.
13 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 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 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 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 Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, "Please give me a little water to drink from your jug."
18 So she said, "Drink, my lord." And she hurried and let down her jug to her hands, and gave him a drink.
19 Now when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will also draw for your camels, until they have finished drinking."
20 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 watched her in silence so as to know whether God had made his journey successful or not.
22 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, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to lodge?"
24 Then she said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor."
25 And she also said to him, "We have plenty of straw and fodder, and room to lodge."
26 Then the man bowed his head and worshiped God,
27 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 Then the young woman ran, and told her mother's household about these words.
29 Now Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban, and he ran out to the man at the spring.
30 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, "Come in, you blessed of God. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house and room for the camels."
32 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 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 So he said, "I am Abraham's servant.
35 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 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 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 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 follow me?'
40 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 answered, "The matter comes from God. We can't speak to you bad or good.
51 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 it happened when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he bowed himself down to the ground.
53 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 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 young woman stay with us ten days or so. After that she may go."
56 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 Then they said, "We will call the young woman and ask her."
58 So they called Rebekah, and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" And she replied, "I will go."
59 So they sent away their sister Rebekah, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men.
60 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 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 from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the land of the Negev.
63 And Isaac went out to walk in the field in the early evening. And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and look, he saw camels approaching.
64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel.
65 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 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
67 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.
