Genesis 24
1 Erat autem Abraham senex, dierumque multorum: et Dominus in cunctis benedixerat ei.
And Abraam was old, advanced in days, and the Lord blessed Abraam in all things.
2 Dixitque ad servum seniorem domus suæ, qui præerat omnibus quæ habebat: Pone manum tuam subter femur meum,
And Abraam said to his servant the elder of his house, who had rule over all his possessions, Put your hand under my thigh,
3 ut adiurem te per Dominum, Deum cæli et terræ, ut non accipias uxorem filio meo de filiabus Chananæorum, inter quos habito:
and I will adjure you by the Lord the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that you take not a wife for my son Isaac from the daughters of the Chananites, with whom I dwell, in the midst of them.
4 sed ad terram et cognationem meam proficiscaris, et inde accipias uxorem filio meo Isaac.
But you shall go instead to my country, where I was born, and to my tribe, and you shall take from thence a wife for my son Isaac.
5 Respondit servus: Si noluerit mulier venire mecum in terram hanc, numquid reducere debeo filium tuum ad locum, de quo egressus es?
And the servant said to him, Shall I carry back your son to the land whence you came forth, if haply the woman should not be willing to return with me to this land?
6 Dixitque Abraham: Cave nequando reducas filium meum illuc.
And Abraam said to him, Take heed to yourself that you carry not my son back there.
7 Dominus Deus cæli, qui tulit me de domo patris mei, et de terra nativitatis meæ, qui locutus est mihi, et iuravit mihi, dicens: Semini tuo dabo terram hanc: ipse mittet Angelum suum coram te, et accipies inde uxorem filio meo:
The Lord the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, who took me out of my father's house, and out of the land whence I sprang, who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, I will give this land to you and to your seed, he shall send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife to my son from thence.
8 sin autem mulier noluerit sequi te, non teneberis iuramento: filium meum tantum ne reducas illuc.
And if the woman should not be willing to come with you into this land, you shall be clear from my oath, only carry not my son there again.
9 Posuit ergo servus manum sub femore Abraham domini sui, et iuravit illi super sermone hoc.
And the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraam, and swore to him concerning this matter.
10 Tulitque decem camelos de grege domini sui, et abiit, ex omnibus bonis eius portans secum, profectusque perrexit in Mesopotamiam ad urbem Nachor.
And the servant took ten camels of his master's camels, and [he took] of all the goods of his master with him, and he arose and went into Mesopotamia to the city of Nachor.
11 Cumque camelos fecisset accumbere extra oppidum iuxta puteum aquæ vespere, tempore quo solent mulieres egredi ad hauriendam aquam, dixit:
And he rested his camels without the city by the well of water towards evening, when damsels go forth to draw water.
12 Domine Deus domini mei Abraham, occurre, obsecro, mihi hodie, et fac misericordiam cum domino meo Abraham.
And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraam, prosper my way before me to day, and deal mercifully with my master Abraam.
13 Ecce ego sto prope fontem aquæ, et filiæ habitatorum huius civitatis egredientur ad hauriendam aquam.
Behold! I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of them that inhabit the city come forth to draw water.
14 Igitur puella, cui ego dixero: Inclina hydriam tuam ut bibam: et illa responderit, Bibe, quin et camelis tuis dabo potum: ipsa est, quam præparasti servo tuo Isaac: et per hoc intelligam quod feceris misericordiam cum domino meo.
And it shall be, the virgin to whoever I shall say, Incline your water-pot, that I may drink, and she shall say, Drink you, and I will give your camels drink, until they shall have done drinking—even this one you have prepared for your servant Isaac, and hereby shall I know that you have dealt mercifully with my master Abraam.
15 Necdum intra se verba compleverat, et ecce Rebecca egrediebatur, filia Bathuel, filii Melchæ uxoris Nachor fratris Abraham, habens hydriam in scapula sua:
And it came to pass before he had done speaking in his mind, that behold, Rebecca the daughter of Bathuel, the son of Melcha, the wife of Nachor, and [the same] the brother of Abraam, came forth, having a water-pot on her shoulders.
16 puella decora nimis, virgoque pulcherrima, et incognita viro: descenderat autem ad fontem, et impleverat hydriam, ac revertebatur.
And the virgin was very beautiful in appearance, she was a virgin, a man had not known her; and she went down to the well, and filled her water-pot, and came up.
17 Occurritque ei servus, et ait: Pauxillum aquæ mihi ad bibendum præbe de hydria tua.
And the servant ran up to meet her, and said, Give me a little water to drink out of your pitcher;
18 Quæ respondit: Bibe domine mi. Celeriterque deposuit hydriam super ulnam suam, et dedit ei potum.
and she said, Drink, Sir; and she hasted, and let down the pitcher upon her arm, and gave him to drink, till he ceased drinking.
19 Cumque ille bibisset, adiecit: Quin et camelis tuis hauriam aquam, donec cuncti bibant.
And she said, I will also draw water for your camels, till they shall all have drunk.
20 Effundensque hydriam in canalibus, recurrit ad puteum ut hauriret aquam: et haustam omnibus camelis dedit.
And she hasted, and emptied the water-pot into the trough, and ran to the well to draw again, and drew water for all the camels.
21 Ipse autem contemplabatur eam tacitus, scire volens utrum prosperum iter suum fecisset Dominus, an non.
And the man took great notice of her, and remained silent to know whether the Lord had made his way prosperous or not.
22 Postquam autem biberunt cameli, protulit vir inaures aureas, appendentes siclos duos, et armillas totidem pondo siclorum decem.
And it came to pass when all the camels ceased drinking, that the man took golden ear-rings, each of a drachm weight, and he [put] two bracelets on her hands, their weight was ten pieces of gold.
23 Dixitque ad eam: Cuius es filia? indica mihi: est in domo patris tui locus ad manendum?
And he asked her, and said, Whose daughter are you? Tell me if there is room for us to lodge with your father.
24 Quæ respondit: Filia sum Bathuelis, filii Melchæ, quem peperit ipsi Nachor.
And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bathuel the son of Melcha, whom she bore to Nachor.
25 Et addidit, dicens: Palearum quoque et fœni plurimum est apud nos, et locus spatiosus ad manendum.
And she said to him, We have both straw and much provender, and a place for resting.
26 Inclinavit se homo, et adoravit Dominum,
And the man being well pleased, worshipped the Lord,
27 dicens: Benedictus Dominus Deus domini mei Abraham, qui non abstulit misericordiam et veritatem suam a domino meo, et recto itinere me perduxit in domum fratris domini mei.
and said, Blessed be the Lord the God of my master Abraam, who has not suffered his righteousness to fail, nor his truth from my master, and the Lord has brought me prosperously to the house of the brother of my lord.
28 Cucurrit itaque puella, et nunciavit in domum matris suæ omnia quæ audierat.
And the damsel ran and reported to the house of her mother according to these words.
29 Habebat autem Rebecca fratrem nomine Laban, qui festinus egressus est ad hominem, ubi erat fons.
And Rebecca had a brother whose name was Laban; and Laban ran out to meet the man, to the well.
30 Cumque vidisset inaures et armillas in manibus sororis suæ, et audisset cuncta verba referentis: Hæc locutus est mihi homo: venit ad virum, qui stabat iuxta camelos, et prope fontem aquæ:
And it came to pass when he saw the ear-rings and the bracelets on the hands of his sister, and when he heard the words of Rebecca his sister, saying, Thus the man spoke to me, that he went to the man, as he stood by the camels at the well.
31 dixitque ad eum: Ingredere, benedicte Domini: cur foris stas? præparavi domum, et locum camelis.
And he said to him, Come in hither, you blessed of the Lord, why stand you without, whereas I have prepared the house and a place for the camels?
32 Et introduxit eum in hospitium: ac destravit camelos, deditque paleas et fœnum, et aquam ad lavandos pedes eius, et virorum qui venerant cum eo.
And the man entered into the house, and unloaded the camels, and gave the camels straw and provender, and water to wash his feet, and the feet of the men that were with him.
33 Et appositus est in conspectu eius panis. Qui ait: Non comedam, donec loquar sermones meos. Respondit ei: Loquere.
And he set before them loaves to eat; but he said, I will not eat, until I have told my errand. And he said, Speak on.
34 At ille: Servus, inquit, Abraham sum:
And he said, I am a servant of Abraam;
35 et Dominus benedixit domino meo valde, magnificatusque est: et dedit ei oves et boves, argentum et aurum, servos et ancillas, camelos et asinos.
and the Lord has blessed my master greatly, and he is exalted, and he has given him sheep, and calves, and silver, and gold, servants and servant-maids, camels, and asses.
36 Et peperit Sara uxor domini mei filium domino meo in senectute sua, deditque illi omnia quæ habuerat.
And Sarrha my master's wife bore one son to my master after he had grown old; and he gave him whatever he had.
37 Et adiuravit me dominus meus, dicens: Non accipies uxorem filio meo de filiabus Chananæorum, in quorum terra habito:
And my master caused me to swear, saying, You shall not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Chananites, among whom I sojourn in their land.
38 sed ad domum patris mei perges, et de cognatione mea accipies uxorem filio meo:
But you shall go to the house of my father, and to my tribe, and you shall take thence a wife for my son.
39 ego vero respondi domino meo: Quid si noluerit venire mecum mulier?
And I said to my master, Haply the woman will not go with me.
40 Dominus, ait, in cuius conspectu ambulo, mittet Angelum suum tecum, et diriget viam tuam: accipiesque uxorem filio meo de cognatione mea, et de domo patris mei.
And he said to me, The Lord God to whom I have been acceptable in his presence, himself shall send out his angel with you, and shall prosper your journey, and you shall take a wife for my son of my tribe, and of the house of my father.
41 Innocens eris a maledictione mea, cum veneris ad propinquos meos, et non dederint tibi.
Then shall you be clear from my curse, for whenever you shall have come to my tribe, and they shall not give her to you, then shall you be clear from my oath.
42 Veni ergo hodie ad fontem aquæ, et dixi: Domine Deus domini mei Abraham, si direxisti viam meam, in qua nunc ambulo,
And having come this day to the well, I said, Lord God of my master Abraam, if you prosper my journey on which I am now going,
43 ecce sto iuxta fontem aquæ, et virgo, quæ egredietur ad hauriendam aquam, audierit a me: Da mihi pauxillum aquæ ad bibendum ex hydria tua:
behold, I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come forth to draw water, and it shall be [that] the damsel to whom I shall say, Give me a little water to drink out of your pitcher,
44 et dixerit mihi: Et tu bibe, et camelis tuis hauriam: ipsa est mulier quam præparavit Dominus filio domini mei.
and she shall say to me, Both drink you, and I will draw water for your camels, this [shall be] the wife whom the Lord has prepared for his own servant Isaac; and hereby shall I know that you have wrought mercy with my master Abraam.
45 Dumque hæc tacitus mecum volverem, apparuit Rebecca veniens cum hydria, quam portabat in scapula: descenditque ad fontem, et hausit aquam. Et aio ad eam: Da mihi paululum bibere.
And it came to pass before I had done speaking in my mind, straightway Rebecca came forth, having her pitcher on her shoulders; and she went down to the well, and drew water; and I said to her, Give me to drink.
46 Quæ festinans deposuit hydriam de humero, et dixit mihi: Et tu bibe, et camelis tuis tribuam potum. Bibi, et adaquavit camelos.
And she hasted and let down her pitcher on her arm from her head, and said, Drink you, and I will give your camels drink; and I drank, and she gave the camels drink.
47 Interrogavique eam, et dixi: Cuius es filia? Quæ respondit: Filia Bathuelis sum, filii Nachor, quem peperit ei Melcha. Suspendi itaque inaures ad ornandam faciem eius, et armillas posui in manibus eius.
And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter are you? tell me; and she said, I am daughter of Bathuel the son of Nachor, whom Melcha bore to him; and I put on her the ear-rings, and the bracelets on her hands.
48 Pronusque adoravi Dominum, benedicens Domino Deo domini mei Abraham, qui perduxit me recto itinere, ut sumerem filiam fratris domini mei filio eius.
And being well-pleased I worshipped the Lord, and I blessed the Lord the God of my master Abraam, who has prospered me in a true way, so that I should take the daughter of my master's brother for his son.
49 Quam ob rem si facitis misericordiam et veritatem cum domino meo, indicate mihi: sin autem aliud placet, et hoc dicite mihi, ut vadam ad dextram, sive ad sinistram.
If then you [will] deal mercifully and justly with my lord, [tell me], and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.
50 Responderuntque Laban et Bathuel: A Domino egressus est sermo: non possumus extra placitum eius quidquam aliud loqui tecum.
And Laban and Bathuel answered and said, This matter has come forth from the Lord, we shall not be able to answer you bad or good.
51 En Rebecca coram te est, tolle eam, et proficiscere, et sit uxor filii domini tui, sicut locutus est Dominus.
Behold, Rebecca is before you, take her and go away, and let her be wife to the son of your master, as the Lord has said.
52 Quod cum audisset puer Abraham, procidens adoravit in terram Dominum.
And it came to pass when the servant of Abraam heard these words, he bowed himself to the Lord down to the earth.
53 Prolatisque vasis argenteis, et aureis, ac vestibus, dedit ea Rebecca pro munere: fratribus quoque eius, et matri dona obtulit.
And the servant having brought forth jewels of silver and gold and raiment, gave them to Rebecca, and gave gifts to her brother, and to her mother.
54 Inito convivio, vescentes pariter et bibentes manserunt ibi. Surgens autem mane, locutus est puer: Dimitte me, ut vadam ad dominum meum.
And both he and the men with him ate and drank and went to sleep. And he arose in the morning and said, Send me away, that I may go to my master.
55 Responderuntque fratres eius, et mater: Maneat puella saltem decem dies apud nos, et postea proficiscetur.
And her brethren and her mother said, Let the virgin remain with us about ten days, and after that she shall depart.
56 Nolite, ait, me retinere, quia Dominus direxit viam meam: dimittite me ut pergam ad dominum meum.
But he said to them, Hinder me not, for the Lord has prospered my journey for me; send me away, that I may depart to my master.
57 Et dixerunt: Vocemus puellam, et quæramus ipsius voluntatem.
And they said, Let us call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth.
58 Cumque vocata venisset, sciscitati sunt: Vis ire cum homine isto? Quæ ait: Vadam.
And they called Rebecca, and said to her, Will you go with this man? and she said, I will go.
59 Dimiserunt ergo eam, et nutricem illius, servumque Abraham, et comites eius,
So they sent forth Rebecca their sister, and her goods, and the servant of Abraam, and his attendants.
60 imprecantes prospera sorori suæ, atque dicentes: Soror nostra es, crescas in mille millia, et possideat semen tuum portas inimicorum suorum.
And they blessed Rebecca, and said to her, You are our sister; become you thousands of myriads, and let your seed possess the cities of their enemies.
61 Igitur Rebecca, et puellæ illius, ascensis camelis, secutæ sunt virum: qui festinus revertebatur ad dominum suum:
And Rebecca rose up and her maidens, and they mounted the camels and went with the man; and the servant having taken up Rebecca, departed.
62 eo autem tempore deambulabat Isaac per viam quæ ducit ad Puteum, cuius nomen est Viventis, et videntis: habitabat enim in terra australi:
And Isaac went through the wilderness to the well of the vision, and he lived in the land toward the south.
63 et egressus fuerat ad meditandum in agro, inclinata iam die: cumque elevasset oculos, vidit camelos venientes procul.
And Isaac went forth into the plain toward evening to meditate; and having lifted up his eyes, he saw camels coming.
64 Rebecca quoque, conspecto Isaac, descendit de camelo,
And Rebecca lifted up her eyes, and saw Isaac; and she alighted briskly from the camel,
65 et ait ad puerum: Quis est ille homo qui venit per agrum in occursum nobis? Dixitque ei: Ipse est dominus meus. At illa tollens cito pallium, operuit se.
and said to the servant, Who is that man that walks in the plain to meet us? And the servant said, This is my master; and she took her veil and covered herself.
66 Servus autem cuncta, quæ gesserat, narravit Isaac.
And the servant told Isaac all that he had done.
67 Qui introduxit eam in tabernaculum Saræ matris suæ, et accepit eam uxorem: et in tantum dilexit eam, ut dolorem, qui ex morte matris eius acciderat, temperaret.
And Isaac went into the house of his mother, and took Rebecca, and she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted for Sarrha his mother.
