Genesis 24
1 Forsothe Abraham was eld, and of many daies, and the Lord hadde blessid hym in alle thingis.
Abraham was olde and stryken in dayes and the LORde had blessed him in all thinges.
2 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,
And he sayde vnto his eldest servaunte of his house which had the rule over all that he had: Put thy hande vnder my thye that
3 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;
I maye make the swere by the LORde that is God of heauen and God of the erth that thou shalt not take a wyfe vnto my sonne of the doughters of the canaanytes amonge which I dwell.
4 but that thou go to my lond and kynrede, and therof take a wijf to my sone Ysaac.
But shalt goo vnto my contre and to my kynred and there take a wyfe vnto my sonne Isaac.
5 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?
Tha sayde the seruaunte vnto him: what ad yf the woma wyll not agree to come with me vnto this lade shall I brynge thy sonne agayne vnto the lande which thou camest out of:
6 Abraham seide, Be war, lest ony tyme thou lede ayen thidur my sone;
And Abraha sayde vnto him: bewarre of that that thou brige not my sonne thither.
7 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,
The LORde God of heauen which toke me from my fathers house and from the lande where I was borne and which spake vnto me and sware vnto me saynge: vnto thy seed wyll I geue this lande he shall sende his angell before the yt thou mayst take a wife vnto my sonne from thence.
8 thou schalt not be holdun bi the ooth; netheles lede not ayen my sone thidur.
Neuerthelesse yf the woma will not agree to come with the than shalt thou be with out daunger of this ooth. But aboue all thinge brynge not my sonne thyther agayne.
9 Therfore the seruaunt puttide his hond vndur the hipe of Abraham, his lord, and swoor to him on this word.
And the seruaunte put his hand vnder the thye of Abraham and sware to him as concernynge that matter.
10 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.
And the seruaunte toke. x. camels of the camels of his master and departed and had of all maner goodes of his master with him and stode vp and went to Mesopotamia vnto the cytie of Nahor.
11 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,
And made his camels to lye doune with out the cytie by a wels syde of water at euen: aboute the tyme that women come out to drawe water
12 he seide, Lord God of my lord Abraham, Y biseche, meete with me to dai, and do mersi with my lord Abraham.
and he sayde. LORde God of my master Abraha sende me good spede this daye and shewe mercy vnto my master Abraham.
13 Lo! Y stonde nyy the welle of watir, and the douytris of enhabiters of this citee schulen go out to drawe watir;
Lo I stonde here by the well of water and the doughters of the men of this citie will come out to drawe water:
14 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.
Now the damsell to whome I saye stoupe doune thy pytcher and let me drynke. Yf she saye drynke and I will geue thy camels drynke also yt same is she that thou hast ordened for they servaunte Isaac: yee and therby shall I knowe that thou hast shewed mercy on my master.
15 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;
And it came to passe yer he had leeft spakynge that Rebecca came out the doughter of Bethuell sonne to Melcha the wife of Nahor Abrahams brother and hir pytcher apon hir shulder:
16 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.
The damsell was very fayre to loke apon and yet a mayde and vnknowen of man. And she went doune to the well and fylled hyr pytcher and came vp agayne.
17 And the seruaunt mette hir, and seide, Yyue thou to me a litil of the watir of thi pot to drynke.
Then the seruaunte ranne vnto her and sayde: let me syppe a litle water of thi pither.
18 Which answerde, Drynke thou, my lord. And anoon sche dide doun the watir pot on hir schuldre, and yaf drynk to hym.
And she sayde: drynke my lorde. And she hasted and late downe her pytcher apon hyr arme and gaue him drinke.
19 And whanne he hadde drunke, sche addide, But also Y schal drawe watir to thi camelis, til alle drynken.
And whe she had geven hym drynke she sayde: I will drawe water for thy camels also vntill they haue dronke ynough.
20 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.
And she poured out hyr pitcher in to the trough hastely and ranne agayne vnto the well to fett water: and drewe for all his camels.
21 Sotheli he bihelde hir priueli, and wolde wite whether the Lord hadde sped his wei, ethir nay.
And the felowe wondred at her. But helde his peace to wete whether the LORde had made his iourney prosperous or not.
22 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.
And as the camels had lefte drynckynge he toke an earynge of halfe a sicle weght and. ij golden bracelettes for hyr hades of. x. sycles weyght of gold
23 And he seide to hir, Whos douyter art thou? schewe thou to me, is ony place in the hows of thi fadir to dwelle?
and sayde vnto her: whose doughter art thou? tell me: ys there rowme in thy fathers house for vs to lodge in?
24 Which answerde, Y am the douyter of Batuel, sone of Nachor, whom Melcha childide to him.
And she sayde vnto him: I am the doughter of Bethuell the sonne of Milcha which she bare vnto Nahor:
25 And sche addide, seiynge, Also ful myche of prouendre and of hey is at vs, and a large place to dwelle.
and sayde moreouer vnto him: we haue litter and prauonder ynough and also rowme to lodge in.
26 The man bowide hym silf,
And the man bowed himselfe and worshipped the LORde
27 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.
and sayde: blessed be the LORde God of my master Abraham which ceasseth not to deale mercyfully and truly with my master And hath brought me the waye to my masters brothers house.
28 And so the damesel ran, and telde in the hous of hir modir alle thingis whiche sche hadde herd.
And the damsell ranne and tolde them of her mothers house these thinges.
29 Sotheli Rebecca hadde a brothir, Laban bi name, whiche yede out hastili to the man, where he was with out forth.
And Rebecca had a brother called Laban. And Laban ranne out vnto the man to the well:
30 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,
for as soone as he had sene the earynges and the bracelettes apon his sisters handes ad herde the wordes of Rebecca his sister saynge thus sayde the man vnto me than he went out vnto the man. And loo he stode yet with the camels by the well syde.
31 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.
And Laban sayde: come in thou blessed of the LORde. Wherfore stondest thou without? I haue dressed the house and made rowme for the camels.
32 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.
And than the ma came in to the house. And he vnbrydeld the camels: and brought litter and prauonder for the camels and water to weshe his fete and their fete that were with him
33 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.
and there was meate sett before him to eate. But he sayde: I will not eate vntill I haue sayde myne earede: And he sayde saye on.
34 And the man seide, Y am the seruaunt of Abraham,
And he sayde: I am Abrahas servaunte
35 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.
and the LORDE hath blessed my master out of measure that he is become greate and hath geven him shepe oxen syluer and golde menservauntes maydeservauntes camels ad asses.
36 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.
And Sara my masters wyfe bare him a sonne whe she was olde: and vnto him hath he geven all that he hath.
37 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,
And my master made me swere saynge: Thou shalt not take a wyfe to my sonne amonge the doughters of the cananytes in whose lade I dwell.
38 but thou schalt go to the hous of my fadir, and of myn kynrede thou schalt take a wijf to my sone.
But thou shalt goo vnto my fathers house and to my kynred and there take a wyfe vnto my sonne.
39 Forsothe Y answerde to my lord, What if the womman nyle come with me?
And I sayde vnto my master. What yf the wyfe will not folowe me?
40 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.
And he sayde vnto me: The LORde before whome I walke wyll sende his angell with the and prosper thy iourney that thou shalt take a wyfe for my sonne of my kynred and of my fathers house.
41 Thou schalt be innocent fro my curs, whanne thou comest to my kynesmen, and thei yyuen not `the womman to thee.
But and yf (when thou comest vnto my kynred) they will not geue the one tha shalt thou bere no perell of myne oothe.
42 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!
And I came this daye vnto the well and sayed: O LORde the God of my master Abraha yf it be so that thou makest my iourney which I go prosperous:
43 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,
beholde I stode by this well of water And when a virgyn cometh forth to drawe water and I saye to her: geue me a litle water of thi pitcher to drynke
44 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.
and she saye agayne to me: dryncke thou and I will also drawe water for thy camels: that same is the wife whom the LORde hath prepared for my masters sonne.
45 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,
And before I had made an ende of speakynge in myne harte: beholde Rebecca came forth and hir pitcher on hir shulder and she went doune vnto the well and drewe. And I sayde vnto her geue me drynke.
46 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.
And she made hast and toke doune hir pitcher from of hir ad sayd: drinke and I will geue thy camels drynke also. And I dranke and she gaue the camels drynke also.
47 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,
And I asked her saynge: whose doughter art thou? And she answered: the doughter of Bathuell Nahors sonne whome Milca bare vnto him. And I put the earynge vpon hir face and the bracelettes apon hir hondes.
48 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.
And I bowed my selfe and worshepped the LORde and blessed the LORde God of my master Abraha which had brought me the right waye to take my masters brothers doughter vnto his sonne.
49 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.
Now therfore yf ye will deall mercyfully and truly with my master tell me. And yf no tell me also: that I maye turne me to the right hande or to the left.
50 Laban and Batuel answeriden, The word is gon out of the Lord; we moun not speke ony other thing with thee without his plesaunce.
Than answered Laban and Bathuel saynge: The thinge is proceded even out of the lorde we can not therfore saye vnto the ether good or bad:
51 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.
Beholde Rebecca before thy face take her and goo and let her be thy masters sonnes wife euen as the LORde hath sayde.
52 And whanne the child of Abraham hadde herd this, he felde doun, and worschipide the Lord in erthe.
And whe Abrahams servaunte herde their wordes he bowed him selfe vnto the LORde flatt vpon the erth.
53 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.
And the servaunte toke forth iewells of syluer and iewelles of gold and rayment and gaue them to Rebecca: But vnto hir brother and to hir mother he gaue spyces.
54 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.
And then they ate and dranke both he and the men that were with him and taried all nyghte and rose vp in the mornynge. And he sayde: let me departe vnto my master.
55 Hir britheren and modir answerden, The damesele dwelle nameli ten daies at vs, and aftirward sche schal go forth.
But hir brother and hir mother sayde: let the damsell abyde with vs a while ad it be but even. x. dayes and than goo thy wayes.
56 The child seide, Nyle ye holde me, for the Lord hath dressid my weie; delyuere ye me, that I go to my lord.
And he sayde vnto them hinder me not: for the lorde hath prospered my iourney. Sende me awaye yt I maye goo vnto my master.
57 And thei seiden, Clepe we the damysele, and axe we hir wille.
And they sayde: let vs call the damsell and witt what she sayth to the matter.
58 And whanne sche was clepid, and cam, thei axiden, Wolt thou go with this man?
And they called forth Rebecca ad sayde vnto her: wilt thou goo with this ma? And she sayde: Yee.
59 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,
Than they broughte Rebecca their sister on the waye and her norse and Abrahas servaunte and the men that were wyth him.
60 and seiden, Thou art oure sister, encreesse thou in to a thousand thousandis, and thi seed gete the yatis of hise enemyes.
And they blessed Rebecca and sayde vnto her: Thou art oure sister growe in to thousande thousandes and thy seed possesse ye gates of their emnies.
61 Therfor Rebecca and hir damesels stieden on the camels, and sueden the man, which turnede ayen hasteli to his lord.
And Rebecca arose and hir damsels and satt the vp apo the camels and went their waye after the man. And ye servaunte toke Rebecca and went his waye
62 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.
And Isaac was a comige from the well of ye lyvynge and seynge for he dwelt in the south cotre
63 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.
and was gone out to walke in his meditatios before ye eue tyde. And he lyfte vp his eyes and loked and beholde ye camels were cominge.
64 And whanne Ysaac was seyn, Rebecca liyte doun of the camel,
And Rebecca lyfte vp hir eyes and whe she sawe Isaac she lyghted of the camel
65 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.
ad sayde vnto ye servaunte: what ma is this yt cometh agenst vs in the feld? And the servaute sayde: it is my master. And then she toke hir mantell ad put it aboute her.
66 Forsothe the seruaunt tolde to his lord Ysaac alle thingis whiche he hadde do;
And the servaute tolde Isaac all that he had done.
67 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.
The Isaac broughte her in to his mother Saras tente ad toke Rebecca and she became his wife and he loved her: and so was Isaac coforted over his mother.
