Genesis 24
1 And Abraham [is] old, he hath entered into days, and Jehovah hath blessed Abraham in all [things];
Abraham was now a very old man. Yahweh had blessed Abraham in many ways.
2 and Abraham saith unto his servant, the eldest of his house, who is ruling over all that he hath, 'Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh,
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.
3 and I cause thee to swear by Jehovah, God of the heavens, and God of the earth, that thou dost not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanite, in the midst of whom I am dwelling;
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.
4 but unto my land and unto my kindred dost thou go, and hast taken a wife for my son, for Isaac.'
Instead, go back to my country and to my relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac from among them.”
5 And the servant saith unto him, 'It may be the woman is not willing to come after me unto this land; do I at all cause thy son to turn back unto the land from whence thou camest out?'
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]?”
6 And Abraham saith unto him, 'Take heed to thyself, lest thou cause my son to turn back thither;
Abraham replied to him, “No! Be certain that you don’t take my son there!
7 Jehovah, God of the heavens, who hath taken me from the house of my father, and from the land of my birth, and who hath spoken to me, and who hath sworn to me, saying, To thy seed I give this land, He doth send His messenger before thee, and thou hast taken a wife for my son from thence;
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].
8 and if the woman be not willing to come after thee, then thou hast been acquitted from this mine oath: only my son thou dost not cause to turn back thither.'
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!”
9 And the servant putteth his hand under the thigh of Abraham his lord, and sweareth to him concerning this matter.
So the servant put his hand between Abraham’s thighs and made a solemn promise about the matter.
10 And the servant taketh ten camels of the camels of his lord and goeth, also of all the goods of his lord in his hand, and he riseth, and goeth unto Aram-Naharaim, unto the city of Nahor;
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.
11 and he causeth the camels to kneel at the outside of the city, at the well of water, at even-time, at the time of the coming out of the women who draw water.
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.
12 And he saith, 'Jehovah, God of my lord Abraham, cause to meet, I pray Thee, before me this day — (and do kindness with my lord Abraham;
The servant prayed, “Yahweh God whom my master Abraham worships, enable me to be successful today! Act kindly to my master, Abraham!
13 lo, I am standing by the fountain of water, and daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water;
Listen to me. I am standing near a well of water, and the young women of the city are coming to get water.
14 and it hath been, the young person unto whom I say, Incline, I pray thee, thy pitcher, and I drink, and she hath said, Drink, and I water also thy camels) — her Thou hast decided for Thy servant, for Isaac; and by it I know that Thou hast done kindness with my lord.'
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.’”
15 And it cometh to pass, before he hath finished speaking, that lo, Rebekah (who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, wife of Nahor, brother of Abraham) is coming out, and her pitcher on her shoulder,
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.
16 and the young person [is] of very good appearance, a virgin, and a man hath not known her; and she goeth down to the fountain, and filleth her pitcher, and cometh up.
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.
17 And the servant runneth to meet her, and saith, 'Let me swallow, I pray thee, a little water from thy pitcher;'
Abraham’s servant immediately ran to meet her, and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”
18 and she saith, 'Drink, my lord;' and she hasteth, and letteth down her pitcher upon her hand, and giveth him drink.
She replied, “Drink some, sir!” She lowered her jar from her shoulder to her hands and gave him a drink.
19 And she finisheth giving him drink, and saith, 'Also for thy camels I draw till they have finished drinking;'
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.”
20 and she hasteth, and emptieth her pitcher into the drinking-trough, and runneth again unto the well to draw, and draweth for all his camels.
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.
21 And the man, wondering at her, remaineth silent, to know whether Jehovah hath made his way prosperous or not.
The servant just watched her, without saying anything. He wanted to know if Yahweh had caused his trip to be successful or not.
22 And it cometh to pass when the camels have finished drinking, that the man taketh a golden ring (whose weight [is] a bekah), and two bracelets for her hands (whose weight [is] ten [bekahs] of gold),
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].
23 and saith, 'Whose daughter [art] thou? declare to me, I pray thee, is the house of thy father a place for us to lodge in?'
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?”
24 And she saith unto him, 'I [am] daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, whom she hath borne to Nahor.'
She replied, “My father’s name is Bethuel. He is the son of Nahor and his wife Milcah.
25 She saith also unto him, 'Both straw and provender [are] abundant with us, also a place to lodge in.'
Yes, we have room where you all can sleep tonight, and we also have plenty of straw and grain to feed the camels.”
26 And the man boweth, and doth obeisance to Jehovah,
The servant bowed and worshiped Yahweh.
27 and saith, 'Blessed [is] Jehovah, God of my lord Abraham, who hath not left off His kindness and His truth with my lord; — I [being] in the way, Jehovah hath led me to the house of my lord's brethren.'
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!”
28 And the young person runneth, and declareth to the house of her mother according to these words.
The girl ran and told everyone in her mother’s household about what had happened.
29 And Rebekah hath a brother, and his name [is] Laban, and Laban runneth unto the man who [is] without, unto the fountain;
Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban went quickly to Abraham’s servant, who was still by the well.
30 yea, it cometh to pass, when he seeth the ring, and the bracelets on the hands of his sister, and when he heareth the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, 'Thus hath the man spoken unto me,' that he cometh in unto the man, and lo, he is standing by the camels by the fountain.
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.
31 And he saith, 'Come in, O blessed one of Jehovah, why standest thou without, and I — I have prepared the house and place for the camels!'
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.”
32 And he bringeth in the man into the house, and looseth the camels, and giveth straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the feet of the men who [are] with him:
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.
33 and setteth before him to eat; but he saith, 'I do not eat till I have spoken my word;' and he saith, 'Speak.'
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!”
34 And he saith, 'I [am] Abraham's servant;
So the servant said, “I am Abraham’s servant.
35 and Jehovah hath blessed my lord exceedingly, and he is great; and He giveth to him flock, and herd, and silver, and gold, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and camels, and asses;
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.
36 and Sarah, my lord's wife, beareth a son to my lord, after she hath been aged, and he giveth to him all that he hath.
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.
37 'And my lord causeth me to swear, saying, Thou dost not take a wife to my son from the daughters of the Canaanite, in whose land I am dwelling.
My master made me solemnly promise, saying, ‘Do not get a wife for my son from the women here in Canaan.
38 If not — unto the house of my father thou dost go, and unto my family, and thou hast taken a wife for my son.
Instead, go back to my father’s family, to my own clan, and get from them a wife for my son.’
39 'And I say unto my lord, It may be the woman doth not come after me;
Then I asked my master, ‘What shall I do if the woman you show me will not come back with me?’
40 and he saith unto me, Jehovah, before whom I have walked habitually, doth send His messenger with thee, and hath prospered thy way, and thou hast taken a wife for my son from my family, and from the house of my father;
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.
41 then art thou acquitted from my oath, when thou comest unto my family, and if they give not [one] to thee; then thou hast been acquitted from my oath.
But if my clan refuses to allow her to return with you, you will be freed from being cursed because of not obeying me.’
42 'And I come to-day unto the fountain, and I say, Jehovah, God of my lord Abraham, if Thou art, I pray Thee, making prosperous my way in which I am going —
“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.
43 (lo, I am standing by the fountain of water), then the virgin who is coming out to draw, and I have said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee, a little water from thy pitcher,
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.”
44 and she hath said unto me, Both drink thou, and also for thy camels I draw — she is the woman whom Jehovah hath decided for my lord's son.
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!’
45 'Before I finish speaking unto my heart, then lo, Rebekah is coming out, and her pitcher on her shoulder, and she goeth down to the fountain, and draweth; and I say unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee,
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!’
46 and she hasteth and letteth down her pitcher from off her and saith, Drink, and thy camels also I water; and I drink, and the camels also she hath watered.
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.
47 'And I ask her, and say, Whose daughter [art] thou? and she saith, Daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor, whom Milcah hath borne to him, and I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands,
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.
48 and I bow, and do obeisance before Jehovah, and I bless Jehovah, God of my lord Abraham, who hath led me in the true way to receive the daughter of my lord's brother for his son.
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.
49 'And now, if ye are dealing kindly and truly with my lord, declare to me; and if not, declare to me; and I turn unto the right or unto the left.'
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].”
50 And Laban answereth — Bethuel also — and they say, 'The thing hath gone out from Jehovah; we are not able to speak unto thee bad or good;
Laban and Bethuel answered, “It is clear that Yahweh has caused this to happen. So we two cannot say anything more.
51 lo, Rebekah [is] before thee, take and go, and she is a wife to thy lord's son, as Jehovah hath spoken.'
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.”
52 And it cometh to pass, when the servant of Abraham hath heard their words, that he boweth himself towards the earth before Jehovah;
When Abraham’s servant heard these words, he bowed down to the ground to [thank] Yahweh.
53 and the servant taketh out vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and giveth to Rebekah; precious things also he hath given to her brother and to her mother.
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.
54 And they eat and drink, he and the men who [are] with him, and lodge all night; and they rise in the morning, and he saith, 'Send me to my lord;'
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.”
55 and her brother saith — her mother also — 'Let the young person abide with us a week or ten days, afterwards doth she go.'
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.”
56 And he saith unto them, 'Do not delay me, seeing Jehovah hath prospered my way; send me away, and I go to my lord;'
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!”
57 and they say, 'Let us call for the young person, and ask at her mouth;'
They said, “Let’s call Rebekah and ask her what she wants to do.” [MTY]
58 and they call for Rebekah, and say unto her, 'Dost thou go with this man?' and she saith, 'I go.'
So they summoned Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man now?” She replied, “Yes, I will go.”
59 And they send away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men;
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.
60 and they bless Rebekah, and say to her, 'Thou [art] our sister; become thou thousands of myriads, and thy seed doth possess the gate of those hating it.'
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.”
61 And Rebekah and her young women arise, and ride on the camels, and go after the man; and the servant taketh Rebekah and goeth.
Then Rebekah and her maid servants got ready and got on their camels and went with Abraham’s servant.
62 And Isaac hath come in from the entrance of the Well of the Living One, my Beholder; and he is dwelling in the land of the south,
At that time, Isaac was living in the Negev desert. He had gone there from Beer-Lahai-Roi.
63 and Isaac goeth out to meditate in the field, at the turning of the evening, and he lifteth up his eyes, and looketh, and lo, camels are coming.
One evening he went out into the field to meditate as he walked. He looked up and [was surprised to] see some camels coming.
64 And Rebekah lifteth up her eyes, and seeth Isaac, and alighteth from off the camel;
Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got off the camel,
65 and she saith unto the servant, 'Who [is] this man who is walking in the field to meet us?' and the servant saith, 'It [is] my lord;' and she taketh the veil, and covereth herself.
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.
66 And the servant recounteth to Isaac all the things that he hath done,
The servant told Isaac everything that had happened.
67 and Isaac bringeth her in unto the tent of Sarah his mother, and he taketh Rebekah, and she becometh his wife, and he loveth her, and Isaac is comforted after [the death of] his mother.
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.
