Genesis 24
1 Now Abraham was old and far on in years: and the Lord had given him everything in full measure.
Now Abraham was old, and well advanced in years. YHWH had blessed Abraham in all things.
2 And Abraham said to his chief servant, the manager of all his property, Come now, put your hand under my leg:
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 And take an oath by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not get a wife for my son Isaac from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am living;
I will make you swear by the God of heaven and earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.
4 But that you will go into my country and to my relations and get a wife there for my son Isaac.
But you shall go to my country, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac."
5 And the servant said, If by chance the woman will not come with me into this land, am I to take your son back again to the land from which you came?
The servant said to him, "What if the woman isn't willing to follow me to this land? Must I then bring your son back to the land from which you came?"
6 And Abraham said, Take care that you do not let my son go back to that land.
Abraham said to him, "Be careful that you do not take my son back there.
7 The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth, and made an oath to me, saying, To your seed I will give this land: he will send his angel before you and give you a wife for my son in that land.
Now 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 And if the woman will not come with you, then you are free from this oath; only do not take my son back there.
If the woman isn't willing to follow you, then you shall be free from this oath to me. Only you shall not bring my son there again."
9 And the servant put his hand under Abraham's leg, and gave him his oath about this thing.
The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.
10 And the servant took ten of his master's camels, and all sorts of good things of his master's, and went to Mesopotamia, to the town of Nahor.
The servant took ten camels, of his master's camels, and departed, having a variety of good things of his master's with him. He arose, and went to Aram Naharaim, to the city of Nahor.
11 And he made the camels take their rest outside the town by the water-spring in the evening, at the time when the women came to get water.
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 And he said, O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, let me do well in what I have undertaken this day, and give your mercy to my master Abraham.
He said, "God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
13 See, I am waiting here by the water-spring; and the daughters of the town are coming out to get water:
Look, I am standing by the spring of water. The daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.
14 Now, may the girl to whom I say, Let down your vessel and give me a drink, and who says in answer, Here is a drink for you and let me give water to your camels: may she be the one marked out by you for your servant Isaac: so may I be certain that you have been good to my master Abraham.
Let it happen, that the young woman to whom I will say, 'Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink,' and she will say, '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 And even before his words were ended, Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, who was the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her water-vessel on her arm.
It happened, before he had finished speaking, that look, 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 She was a very beautiful girl, a virgin, who had never been touched by a man: and she went down to the spring to get water in her vessel.
The young woman was very beautiful to look at, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher, and came up.
17 And the servant came running to her and said, Give me a little water from your vessel.
The servant ran to meet her, and said, "Please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher."
18 And she said, Take a drink, my lord: and quickly letting down her vessel onto her hand, she gave him a drink.
She said, "Drink, my lord." She hurried, and let down her pitcher to her hands, and gave him a drink.
19 And having done so, she said, I will get water for your camels till they have had enough.
When she had finished giving him drink, she said, "I will also draw for your camels, until they have finished drinking."
20 And after putting the water from her vessel into the animals' drinking-place, she went quickly back to the spring and got water for all the camels.
She hurried, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.
21 And the man, looking at her, said nothing, waiting to see if the Lord had given his journey a good outcome.
The man looked steadfastly at her, remaining silent, to know whether God had made his journey prosperous or not.
22 And when the camels had had enough, the man took a gold nose-ring, half a shekel in weight, and two ornaments for her arms of ten shekels weight of gold;
It happened, as the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a gold ring weighing a beka, which he put on her nose, and two bracelets for her hands weighing ten [shekels] of gold,
23 And said to her, Whose daughter are you? is there room in your father's house for us?
and said, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room in your father's house for us to lodge in?"
24 And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, Nahor's wife.
She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor."
25 And she said, We have a great store of dry grass and cattle-food, and there is room for you.
She said moreover to him, "We have plenty of straw and feed, and room to lodge in."
26 And with bent head the man gave worship to the Lord;
The man bowed his head, and worshiped God.
27 And said, Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has given a sign that he is good and true to my master, by guiding me straight to the house of my master's family.
He said, "Blessed be the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his loving kindness and his truth toward my master. As for me, he has led me on the journey to the house of my master's relatives."
28 So the girl went running and took the news of these things to her mother's house
The young woman ran, and told her mother's house about these words.
29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he came out quickly to the man at the water-spring.
Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. Laban ran out to the man, to the spring.
30 And when he saw the nose-ring and the ornaments on his sister's hands, and when she gave him word of what the man had said to her, then he went out to the man who was waiting with the camels by the water-spring.
It happened, when he saw the nose 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," that he came to the man. Look, he was standing by the camels at the spring.
31 And he said to him, Come in, you on whom is the blessing of the Lord; why are you waiting outside? for I have made the house ready for you, and a place for the camels.
He said, "Come in, you blessed of God. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels."
32 Then the man came into the house, and Laban took their cords off the camels and gave them dry grass and food, and he gave to him and the men who were with him water for washing their feet.
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 And meat was put before him, but he said, I will not take food till I have made my business clear to you. And they said, Do so.
Food was set before him to eat, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told my message." He said, "Speak on."
34 And he said, I am Abraham's servant.
He said, "I am Abraham's servant.
35 The Lord has given my master every blessing, and he has become great: he has given him flocks and herds and silver and gold, and men-servants and women-servants and camels and asses.
The Lord has blessed my master greatly. He has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, and camels and donkeys.
36 And when Sarah, my master's wife, was old, she gave birth to a son, to whom he has given all he has.
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 And my master made me take an oath, saying, Do not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am living;
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 go to my father's house and to my relations for a wife for my son.
but you shall go to my father's house, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.'
39 And I said to my master, What if the woman will not come with me?
I said to my master, 'What if the woman will not follow me?'
40 And he said, The Lord, whom I have ever kept before me, will send his angel with you, who will make it possible for you to get a wife for my son from my relations and my father's house;
He said to me, 'God, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you, and prosper your journey. You shall take a wife for my son of my relatives, and of my father's house.
41 And you will be free from your oath to me when you come to my people; and if they will not give her to you, you will be free from your oath.
Then will you be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives. If they do not give her to you, you shall be free from my oath.'
42 And I came today to the water-spring, and I said, O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if it is your purpose to give a good outcome to my journey,
I came this day to the spring, and said, 'God of my master Abraham, if now you will prosper my journey in which I go?
43 Let it come about that, while I am waiting here by the water-spring, if a girl comes to get water and I say to her, Give me a little water from your vessel, and she says,
look, I am standing by this spring of water. Let it happen, that the virgin who comes out to draw, to whom I will say, "Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,"
44 Take a drink, and I will get water for your camels; let her be the woman marked out by the Lord for my master's son.
and she will tell me, "Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,"—let her be the woman who has been appointed for my master's son.'
45 And even while I was saying this to myself, Rebekah came out with her vessel on her arm; and she went down to the spring to get water; and I said to her, Give me a drink.
Before I had done speaking in my heart, look, Rebekah came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.'
46 And straight away she took down her vessel from her arm, and said, Take a drink, and I will get water for your camels.
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 made the camels drink also.
47 And questioning her, I said, Whose daughter are you? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor, and Milcah his wife. Then I put the ring on her nose and the ornaments on her hands.
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 And with bent head I gave worship and praise to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, by whom I had been guided in the right way, to get the daughter of my master's brother for his son.
I bowed my head, and worshiped YHWH, and blessed 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 And now, say if you will do what is good and right for my master or not, in order that it may be clear to me what I have to do.
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 said in answer, This is the Lord's doing: it is not for us to say Yes or No to you.
Then Laban and Bethuel answered, "The thing proceeds from YHWH. We can't speak to you bad or good.
51 See, here is Rebekah: take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the Lord has said.
Look, Rebekah is before you. Take, and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as YHWH has spoken."
52 And at these words, Abraham's servant went down on his face and gave praise to the Lord.
It happened that when Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the ground.
53 Then he took jewels of silver and jewels of gold and fair robes and gave them to Rebekah: and he gave things of value to her mother and her brother.
The servant brought out articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and her mother.
54 Then he and the men who were with him had food and drink, and took their rest there that night; and in the morning he got up, and said, Let me now go back to my master.
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 But her brother and her mother said, Let the girl be with us a week or ten days, and then she may go.
Her brother and her mother said, "Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go."
56 And he said, Do not keep me; the Lord has given a good outcome to my journey; let me now go back to my master.
He said to them, "Do not hinder me, seeing that he has prospered my journey. Send me away that I may go to my master."
57 And they said, We will send for the girl, and let her make the decision.
They said, "We will call the young woman, and ask her."
58 And they sent for Rebekah and said to her, Are you ready to go with this man? And she said, I am ready.
They called Rebekah, and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will go."
59 So they sent their sister Rebekah and her servant with Abraham's servant and his men.
They sent away Rebekah, their sister, with her nurse, Abraham's servant, and his men.
60 And they gave Rebekah their blessing, saying, O sister, may you be the mother of thousands and ten thousands; and may your seed overcome all those who make war against them.
They blessed Rebekah, and said to her, "Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your descendants possess the gate of those who hate them."
61 So Rebekah and her servant-women went with the man, seated on the camels; and so the servant took Rebekah and went on his way.
Rebekah arose with her female servants. They rode on the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
62 Now Isaac had come through the waste land to Beer-lahai-roi; for he was living in the South.
Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he lived in the land of the Negev.
63 And when the evening was near, he went wandering out into the fields, and lifting up his eyes he saw camels coming.
Isaac went out to walk in the field at the evening. He lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, look, there were camels coming.
64 And when Rebekah, looking up, saw Isaac, she got down from her camel,
Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel.
65 And said to the servant, Who is that man coming to us through the field? And the servant said, It is my master: then she took her veil, covering her face with it.
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 Then the servant gave Isaac the story of all he had done.
The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
67 And Isaac took Rebekah into his tent and she became his wife; and in his love for her, Isaac was comforted after his father's death.
Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. He loved her. Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
