24
1 Abraham
was old, and well
advanced in age.
The LORD had
blessed Abraham in
all things.
2 Abraham said
to his servant,
the elder of
his house, who
ruled over all
that he had, “Please
put your hand
under my thigh.
3 I
will make you
swear by the
LORD, the God
of heaven and
the God of
the earth, that
you shall not
take a wife for
my son of
the daughters of
the Canaanites,
among whom I live.
4 But
you shall go
to my country, and
to my relatives,
and take a wife
for my son
Isaac.”
5 The
servant said to
him, “What if
the woman isn’t willing to
follow me to
this land? Must I
bring your son
again to the land
you came from?”
6 Abraham said
to him, “Beware
that you don’t
bring my son
there again.
7 The
LORD, the God
of heaven—who
took me from
my father’s house,
and from the
land of my
birth, who spoke
to me, and
who swore to
me, saying, ‘I
will give this
land to your
offspring—he will
send his angel
before you, and
you shall take
a wife for
my son from
there.
8 If
the woman isn’t willing to
follow you, then
you shall be
clear from this
oath to me.
Only you shall
not bring my
son there again.”
9 The
servant put his
hand under the
thigh of Abraham
his master, and
swore to him
concerning this
matter.
10 The
servant took ten
of his master’s
camels, and
departed, having a
variety of good
things of
his master’s with
him. He arose,
and went
to Mesopotamia, to
the city of
Nahor.
11 He
made the camels
kneel down outside
the city by
the well of water
at the time
of evening, the
time that women go
out to draw
water.
12 He said, “LORD, the God of
my master Abraham, please
give me success
today, and show
kindness to
my master Abraham.
13 Behold,
I am standing by
the spring of
water. The
daughters of
the men of the
city are coming
out to draw
water.
14 Let
it happen, that
the young lady
to whom I
will say, ‘Please
let down your
pitcher, that I
may drink,’ then
she says, ‘Drink,
and I will
also give your
camels a drink,’—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 had finished
speaking, behold,
Rebekah came out,
who was born
to Bethuel the
son of Milcah,
the wife of
Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with
her pitcher on
her shoulder.
16 The
young lady was
very beautiful to
look at, a
virgin. No man
had known her.
She went down
to the spring,
filled her pitcher,
and came up.
17 The
servant ran to
meet her, and said,
“Please give me
a drink, a
little water from
your pitcher.”
18 She said,
“Drink, my lord.”
She hurried, and
let down her
pitcher on her
hand, and gave
him a drink.
19 When
she had finished
giving him a
drink, she said, “I
will also draw
for your camels,
until they have
finished drinking.”
20 She hurried,
and emptied her
pitcher into the
trough, and ran
again to the well
to draw, and
drew for all
his camels.
21 The
man looked steadfastly
at her, remaining
silent, to know
whether the LORD
had made his
journey prosperous
or not.
22 As
the camels had
done drinking,
the man took a
golden ring of half
a shekel
weight, and two
bracelets for her
hands of ten
shekels weight of
gold,
23 and said,
“Whose daughter
are you? Please
tell me. Is
there room in
your father’s house
for us to
stay?”
24 She said to
him, “I am the
daughter of
Bethuel the son
of Milcah, whom she
bore to Nahor.”
25 She said
moreover to him,
“We have both
straw and feed
enough, and room
to lodge in.”
26 The man
bowed his head,
and worshiped the
LORD.
27 He said, “Blessed
be the LORD,
the God of
my master Abraham, who
has not forsaken
his loving kindness
and his truth
toward my master.
As for me,
the LORD has
led me on
the way to
the house of
my master’s relatives.”
28 The
young lady ran,
and told
her mother’s house
about these words.
29 Rebekah
had a brother, and
his name was
Laban. Laban ran
out to the man,
to the spring.
30 When
he saw the
ring, and the
bracelets on
his sister’s hands,
and when he
heard the words
of Rebekah
his sister, saying, “This
is what the
man said to
me,” he came
to the man.
Behold, he was
standing by the
camels at the
spring.
31 He said,
“Come in, you
blessed of the
LORD. Why do
you stand outside?
For I have
prepared the house,
and room for
the camels.”
32 The man
came into the
house, and he
unloaded the
camels. He gave
straw and feed
for the camels,
and water to
wash his feet
and the feet
of the men who
were with him.
33 Food was set
before him to eat,
but he said, “I
will not eat until
I have told
my message.”
Laban said, “Speak
on.”
34 He said, “I
am Abraham’s servant.
35 The
LORD has blessed
my master greatly.
He has become
great. The LORD
has given him
flocks and herds,
silver and gold,
male servants and
female servants,
and camels and
donkeys.
36 Sarah,
my master’s wife,
bore a son
to my master
when she was old.
He has given
all that he
has to him.
37 My
master made me
swear, saying, ‘You
shall not take
a wife for my
son from the
daughters of the
Canaanites, in
whose land I live,
38 but
you shall go
to my father’s
house, and to
my relatives, and
take a wife for
my son.’
39 I asked
my master, ‘What if the woman
will not follow
me?’
40 He said
to me, ‘The
LORD, before whom
I walk, will
send his angel
with you, and
prosper your way.
You shall take
a wife for my
son from my
relatives, and of
my father’s house.
41 Then
you will be
clear from my oath,
when you come
to my relatives.
If they don’t give
her to you,
you shall be
clear from
my oath.’
42 I
came today to
the spring,
and said, ‘The
LORD, the God
of my master Abraham,
if now you
do prosper my
way which I
go—
43 behold,
I am standing
by this spring
of water. Let
it happen, that
the maiden who
comes out to
draw, to whom
I will say, “Please
give me a
little water from
your pitcher to
drink,”
44 then
she tells me, “Drink, and I will
also draw for
your camels,”—let
her be the woman
whom the LORD has
appointed for
my master’s son.’
45 Before
I had finished
speaking in my
heart, behold,
Rebekah came out
with her pitcher
on her shoulder.
She went down
to the spring,
and drew. I
said to her, ‘Please
let me drink.’
46 She
hurried and let
down her pitcher
from her shoulder,
and said, ‘Drink,
and I will
also give your
camels a drink.’
So I drank,
and she also
gave the camels
a drink.
47 I
asked her,
and said, ‘Whose
daughter are you?’
She said, ‘The
daughter of
Bethuel, Nahor’s
son, whom Milcah
bore to him.’
I put the
ring on her nose,
and the bracelets
on her hands.
48 I
bowed my head,
and worshiped the
LORD, and blessed
the LORD, the
God of my master
Abraham, who had
led me in
the right way
to take my master’s
brother’s daughter for
his son.
49 Now
if you will
deal kindly and
truly with
my master, tell me.
If not, tell
me, that I
may turn to
the right hand,
or to the
left.”
50 Then
Laban and Bethuel
answered, “The
thing proceeds
from the LORD.
We can’t speak
to you bad
or good.
51 Behold,
Rebekah is before
you. Take her,
and go, and
let her be
your master’s son’s
wife, as the
LORD has spoken.”
52 When Abraham’s servant
heard their words,
he bowed himself
down to the earth
to the LORD.
53 The
servant brought
out jewels of
silver, and jewels
of gold, and
clothing, and gave
them to Rebekah.
He also gave
precious things to
her brother and
her mother.
54 They ate
and drank, he
and the men
who were with him,
and stayed all
night. They rose
up in the
morning, and
he said, “Send me
away to my master.”
55 Her brother
and her mother said, “Let
the young lady
stay with us
a few days,
at least ten.
After that she
will go.”
56 He said
to them, “Don’t hinder
me, since the LORD
has prospered my
way. Send me
away that I
may go to
my master.”
57 They
said, “We will
call the young
lady, and ask
her.”
58 They
called Rebekah,
and said to
her, “Will you
go with this
man?”
She said, “I
will go.”
59 They sent
away Rebekah,
their sister, with
her nurse, Abraham’s
servant, and his
men.
60 They
blessed Rebekah,
and said to her,
“Our sister, may
you be the mother
of thousands of
ten thousands, and
let your offspring
possess the gate
of those who
hate them.”
61 Rebekah
arose with her
ladies. They rode
on the camels,
and followed
the man. The
servant took
Rebekah, and went
his way.
62 Isaac came
from the way
of Beer Lahai Roi, for
he lived in
the land of the
South.
63 Isaac
went out to
meditate in the
field at the
evening. He lifted
up his eyes
and looked. Behold,
there were camels
coming.
64 Rebekah
lifted up her
eyes, and when
she saw Isaac,
she got off the
camel.
65 She said
to the servant, “Who
is the man who
is walking in
the field to
meet us?”
The servant said, “It
is my master.”
She took her
veil, and covered
herself.
66 The
servant told Isaac
all the things
that he had
done.
67 Isaac
brought her into
his mother Sarah’s tent,
and took Rebekah,
and she became
his wife. He loved
her. So Isaac
was comforted
after his mother’s death.