Genesis 24
1 Abraham was now a very old man. Yahweh had blessed Abraham in many ways.
By now Abraham was old and well along in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.
2 One day Abraham said to the chief servant of his household, the man who was in charge of everything Abraham owned, “Put your hand between my thighs to solemnly promise you will do what I tell you.
So Abraham instructed the chief servant of his household, who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh,
3 Knowing that Yahweh God [who created] the heavens and the earth is listening, promise that you will not get a wife for my son, Isaac, from the women here in Canaan.
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 Instead, go back to my country and to my relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac from among them.”
but will go to my country and my kindred to take a wife for my son Isaac.”
5 The servant asked him, “If I find a woman among your relatives, what if she is not willing to come back with me to this land? Shall I take your son back there to the country you came from, [so he can find a wife and live there]?”
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 Abraham replied to him, “No! Be certain that you don’t take my son there!
Abraham replied, “Make sure that you do not take my son back there.
7 Yahweh God, who created the heavens, brought me here. He brought me from my father’s household, and from the land where my relatives lived. He spoke to me and made a solemn promise to me, saying, ‘I will give this land [of Canaan] to your descendants.’ He will send an angel who will go there ahead of you, and enable you to get a wife for my son [there and bring her to live here].
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 But if the woman you find will not come back with you, you are free to disregard the promise you are making. The only thing that you must not do is to take my son to live there!”
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 So the servant put his hand between Abraham’s thighs and made a solemn promise about the matter.
So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.
10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and loaded them with all kinds of goods that his master gave him to take along. Then he left to go to Aram-Naharaim, [which is in (northern Mesopotamia/Syria)]. He arrived in Nahor city.
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 It was late in the afternoon, at the time when the women go to the well to get water, when he arrived there. He made the camels kneel down near the well, which was outside the city.
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 The servant prayed, “Yahweh God whom my master Abraham worships, enable me to be successful today! Act kindly to 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 Listen to me. I am standing near a well of water, and the young women of the city are coming to get water.
Here I am, standing beside the spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.
14 I am asking you this: ‘I will say to some girl, “Please lower your jar so that I may drink some water.” If she says, “Drink some, and I will draw some water [from the well] for your camels, too,” I will know that she is the woman whom you chose to be a wife for your servant, Isaac, and I will know that you have been kind to 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 Before he finished praying, [amazingly], Rebekah arrived there, carrying a jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s younger brother Nahor.
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 She was very beautiful and still a virgin. She went down to the edge of the well, filled her jar with water, and then came back up.
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 Abraham’s servant immediately ran to meet her, and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”
So the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me have a little water from your jar.”
18 She replied, “Drink some, sir!” She lowered her jar from her shoulder to her hands and gave him a drink.
“Drink, my lord,” she replied, and she quickly lowered her jar to her hands and gave him a drink.
19 After she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will also get some water for your camels, until they have had enough to drink.”
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 She quickly emptied the water in her jar into the trough [for giving water to animals], and then ran back to the well, and kept getting water for all the 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 The servant just watched her, without saying anything. He wanted to know if Yahweh had caused his trip to be successful or not.
Meanwhile, the man watched her silently to see whether or not the LORD had made his journey a success.
22 Finally, after the camels finished drinking, the servant took out a gold nose ring that weighed (two ounces/6 grams), and two large gold bracelets for her arms, and gave them to Rebekah [and told her to put them on].
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 Then he said, “Tell me whose daughter you are. Also, tell me, is there room in your father’s house for me and my men to sleep there tonight?”
“Whose daughter are you?” he asked. “Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”
24 She replied, “My father’s name is Bethuel. He is the son of Nahor and his wife Milcah.
She replied, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milcah bore to Nahor.”
25 Yes, we have room where you all can sleep tonight, and we also have plenty of straw and grain to feed the camels.”
Then she added, “We have plenty of straw and feed, as well as a place for you to spend the night.”
26 The servant bowed and worshiped Yahweh.
Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD,
27 He said, “I thank you, Yahweh God, whom my master Abraham worships. You have continued to be kind and faithful to my master. You led me on this journey straight/directly to the house of my master’s relatives!”
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 The girl ran and told everyone in her mother’s household about what had happened.
The girl ran and told her mother’s household about these things.
29 Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban went quickly to Abraham’s servant, who was still by the well.
Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he rushed out to the man at the spring.
30 He was surprised to have seen the bracelets on his sister’s arms and the nose ring and to have heard Rebekah tell what the man had said to her. So he went out and saw the man standing near the camels, close to 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 He said to the man, “You who have been blessed by Yahweh, come with me! (Why are standing out here?/You should not keep standing out here!) [RHQ] I have prepared a room for you in the house, and a place for the camels to stay.”
“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 So the servant went to the house, and Laban’s servants unloaded the camels, and brought straw and grain for the camels, and water for him and the men with him to wash their feet.
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 They set food in front of him for him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I tell you (what I need to tell you/why I have come).” So Laban said, “Tell us!”
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 So the servant said, “I am Abraham’s servant.
“I am Abraham’s servant,” he replied.
35 Yahweh has greatly blessed my master so that he has become very rich. Yahweh has given him many sheep and cattle, a lot of gold and silver, male and female servants, camels and donkeys.
“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 My master’s wife, Sarah, bore a son for him when she was very old, and my master has given to his son everything he owns.
My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and my master has given him everything he owns.
37 My master made me solemnly promise, saying, ‘Do not get a wife for my son from the women here in Canaan.
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 Instead, go back to my father’s family, to my own clan, and get from them a wife for my son.’
but you shall go to my father’s house and to my kindred to take a wife for my son.’
39 Then I asked my master, ‘What shall I do if the woman you show me will not come back with me?’
Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’
40 He replied, ‘Yahweh, whom I have always obeyed [MTY], will send his angel with you, and he will cause your journey to be successful, with the result that you can get a wife for my son from my clan, from my father’s family.
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 But if my clan refuses to allow her to return with you, you will be freed from being cursed because of not obeying me.’
And when you go to my kindred, if they refuse to give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’
42 “When I came today to the well, I prayed, ‘Yahweh God whom my master, Abraham worships, if you are willing, please allow this journey of mine to be successful.
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 Listen to me. I am standing beside a well. A young woman may come to draw water. I will say to her, “Please, give me a little water to drink from your jar.”
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 If she says to me, “Certainly, drink some! And I will also draw some water for your camels,” that will be the woman whom you have chosen for my master’s son!’
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 Before I finished praying, [amazingly], Rebekah approached with her water jar on her shoulder. She went down to the well and got some water. I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink!’
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 She quickly lowered her jar and said, ‘Drink some! And I will draw water [from the well] for your camels, too.’ So I drank some water, and she also got water for the camels.
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, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor and his wife, Milcah.’ I had [a ring and bracelets with me, and] I put the ring in her nose and put the bracelets on her arms.
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 Then I bowed and worshiped Yahweh, and I thanked Yahweh God, the one my master Abraham worships, the one who led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother to be a wife for my master’s son.
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, if you are kind and faithful to my master, tell me that you will do what I am asking. If you will not do that, tell me that also, so I may know what to do [MTY].”
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 Laban and Bethuel answered, “It is clear that Yahweh has caused this to happen. So we two cannot say anything more.
Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the LORD; we have no choice in the matter.
51 Rebekah is here in front of you. Take her and go, and let her be a wife for your master’s son, just as Yahweh has indicated.”
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 When Abraham’s servant heard these words, he bowed down to the ground to [thank] Yahweh.
When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD.
53 Then the servant brought out silver and gold jewelry and clothes, and gave them to Rebekah. And he gave gifts to her brother Laban and to her mother.
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 Then they ate a meal together. The men who were with Abraham’s servant also slept there that night. The next morning, the servant said, “Allow me now to return to 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 But her brother and her mother replied, “Let the girl remain with us for about ten days. After that, you may take her and go.”
But her brother and mother said, “Let the girl remain with us ten days or so. After that, she may go.”
56 But he replied to them, “Yahweh has made my journey successful, so do not detain me. Let me take her back to my master now!”
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 They said, “Let’s call Rebekah and ask her what she wants to do.” [MTY]
So they said, “We will call the girl and ask her opinion.”
58 So they summoned Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man now?” She replied, “Yes, I will go.”
They called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” “I will go,” she replied.
59 So they allowed Rebekah, a woman who had taken care of her when she was very young, Abraham’s servant, and the men who had come with him. to go.
So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men.
60 Before they all left, they [asked God to] bless Rebekah, and said to her, “Our sister, we ask that Yahweh will cause you to have millions of descendants, and allow them to completely defeat [MET] all those that hate them.”
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 and her maid servants got ready and got on their camels and went with Abraham’s servant.
Then Rebekah and her servant girls got ready, mounted the camels, and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.
62 At that time, Isaac was living in the Negev desert. He had gone there from Beer-Lahai-Roi.
Now Isaac had just returned from Beer-lahai-roi, for he was living in the Negev.
63 One evening he went out into the field to meditate as he walked. He looked up and [was surprised to] see some camels coming.
Early in the evening, Isaac went out to the field to meditate, and looking up, he saw the camels approaching.
64 Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got off the camel,
And when Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she got down from her camel
65 and asked the servant, “Who is that man who is approaching?” The servant replied, “That is Isaac, my master, [the man you will be marrying].” So she took her veil and covered her face, which was the custom for a woman who was about to be married.
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 The servant told Isaac everything that had happened.
Then the servant told Isaac all that he had done.
67 Then Isaac took Rebekah into the tent that belonged to his mother, Sarah, and she became his wife. And he loved her. So Isaac was comforted about his mother’s 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.
