Genesis 24
1 Erat autem Abraham senex, dierumque multorum: et Dominus in cunctis benedixerat ei.
Now Abraham was old and far on in years: and the Lord had given him everything in full measure.
2 Dixitque ad servum seniorem domus suae, qui praeerat omnibus quae habebat: Pone manum tuam subter femur meum,
And Abraham said to his chief servant, the manager of all his property, Come now, put your hand under my leg:
3 ut adiurem te per Dominum, Deum caeli et terrae, ut non accipias uxorem filio meo de filiabus Chananaeorum, inter quos habito:
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;
4 sed ad terram et cognationem meam proficiscaris, et inde accipias uxorem filio meo Isaac.
But that you will go into my country and to my relations and get a wife there 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, 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?
6 Dixitque Abraham: Cave nequando reducas filium meum illuc.
And Abraham said, Take care that you do not let my son go back to that land.
7 Dominus Deus caeli, qui tulit me de domo patris mei, et de terra nativitatis meae, 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 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.
8 sin autem mulier noluerit sequi te, non teneberis iuramento: filium meum tantum ne reducas illuc.
And if the woman will not come with you, then you are free from this oath; only do not take my son back there.
9 Posuit ergo servus manum sub femore Abraham domini sui, et iuravit illi super sermone hoc.
And the servant put his hand under Abraham's leg, and gave him his oath about this thing.
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 of his master's camels, and all sorts of good things of his master's, and went to Mesopotamia, to the town of Nahor.
11 Cumque camelos fecisset accumbere extra oppidum iuxta puteum aquae vespere, tempore quo solent mulieres egredi ad hauriendam aquam, dixit:
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.
12 Domine Deus domini mei Abraham, occurre, obsecro, mihi hodie, et fac misericordiam cum domino meo Abraham.
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.
13 Ecce ego sto prope fontem aquae, et filiae habitatorum huius civitatis egredientur ad hauriendam aquam.
See, I am waiting here by the water-spring; and the daughters of the town are coming out to get 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 praeparasti servo tuo Isaac: et per hoc intelligam quod feceris misericordiam cum domino meo.
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.
15 Necdum intra se verba compleverat, et ecce Rebecca egrediebatur, filia Bathuel, filii Melchae uxoris Nachor fratris Abraham, habens hydriam in scapula sua:
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.
16 puella decora nimis, virgoque pulcherrima, et incognita viro: descenderat autem ad fontem, et impleverat hydriam, ac revertebatur.
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.
17 Occurritque ei servus, et ait: Pauxillum aquae mihi ad bibendum praebe de hydria tua.
And the servant came running to her and said, Give me a little water from your vessel.
18 Quae respondit: Bibe domine mi. celeriterque deposuit hydriam super ulnam suam, et dedit ei potum.
And she said, Take a drink, my lord: and quickly letting down her vessel onto her hand, she gave him a drink.
19 Cumque ille bibisset, adiecit: Quin et camelis tuis hauriam aquam, donec cuncti bibant.
And having done so, she said, I will get water for your camels till they have had enough.
20 Effundensque hydriam in canalibus, recurrit ad puteum ut hauriret aquam: et haustam omnibus camelis dedit.
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.
21 Ipse autem contemplabatur eam tacitus, scire volens utrum prosperum iter suum fecisset Deus, an non.
And the man, looking at her, said nothing, waiting to see if the Lord had given his journey a good outcome.
22 Postquam autem biberunt cameli, protulit vir inaures aureas, appendentes siclos duos, et armillas totidem pondo siclorum decem.
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;
23 Dixitque ad eam: Cuius es filia? indica mihi: est in domo patris tui locus ad manendum?
And said to her, Whose daughter are you? is there room in your father's house for us?
24 Quae respondit: Filia sum Bathuelis, filii Nachor, quem peperit ei Melcha.
And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, Nahor's wife.
25 Et addidit, dicens: Palearum quoque et foeni plurimum est apud nos, et locus spatiosus ad manendum.
And she said, We have a great store of dry grass and cattle-food, and there is room for you.
26 Inclinavit se homo, et adoravit Dominum,
And with bent head the man gave worship to 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, 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.
28 Cucurrit itaque puella, et nunciavit in domum matris suae omnia quae audierat.
So the girl went running and took the news of these things to her mother's house
29 Habebat autem Rebecca fratrem nomine Laban, qui festinus egressus est ad hominem, ubi erat fons.
Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he came out quickly to the man at the water-spring.
30 Cumque vidisset inaures et armillas in manibus sororis suae, et audisset cuncta verba referentis: Haec locutus est mihi homo: venit ad virum, qui stabat iuxta camelos, et prope fontem aquae:
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.
31 dixitque ad eum: Ingredere, benedicte Domini: cur foris stas? praeparavi domum, et locum camelis.
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.
32 Et introduxit eum in hospitium: ac destravit camelos, deditque paleas et foenum, et aquam ad lavandos pedes eius, et virorum qui venerant cum eo.
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.
33 Et appositus est in conspectu eius panis. Qui ait: Non comedam, donec loquar sermones meos. Respondit ei: Loquere.
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.
34 At ille: Servus, inquit, Abraham sum:
And he said, I am Abraham's servant.
35 et Dominus benedixit domino meo valde, magnificatusque est: et dedit ei oves et boves, argentum et aurum, servos et ancillas, camelos et asinos.
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.
36 Et peperit Sara uxor domini mei filium domino meo in senectute sua, deditque illi omnia quae habuerat.
And when Sarah, my master's wife, was old, she gave birth to a son, to whom he has given all he has.
37 Et adiuravit me dominus meus, dicens: Non accipies uxorem filio meo de filiabus Chananaeorum, in quorum terra habito:
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;
38 sed ad domum patris mei perges, et de cognatione mea accipies uxorem filio meo:
But go to my father's house and to my relations for a wife for my son.
39 ego vero respondi domino meo: Quid si noluerit venire mecum mulier?
And I said to my master, What if the woman will not come 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, 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;
41 Innocens eris a maledictione mea, cum veneris ad propinquos meos, et non dederit tibi.
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.
42 Veni ergo hodie ad fontem aquae, et dixi: Domine Deus domini mei Abraham, si direxisti viam meam, in qua nunc ambulo,
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,
43 ecce sto iuxta fontem aquae, et virgo, quae egredietur ad hauriendam aquam, audierit a me: Da mihi pauxillum aquae ad bibendum de hydria tua:
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,
44 et dixerit mihi: Et tu bibe, et camelis tuis hauriam: ipsa est mulier quam praeparavit Dominus filio domini mei.
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.
45 Dumque haec 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 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.
46 Quae festinans deposuit hydriam de humero, et dixit mihi: Et tu bibe, et camelis tuis tribuam potum. Bibi, et adaquavit camelos.
And straight away she took down her vessel from her arm, and said, Take a drink, and I will get water for your camels.
47 Interrogavique eam, et dixi: Cuius es filia? Quae respondit: Filia Bathuelis sum, filii Nachor, quem peperit ei Melcha. Suspendi itaque inaures ad ornandam faciem eius, et armillas posui in manibus eius.
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.
48 Pronusque adoravi Dominum, benedicens Domino Deo domini mei Abraham, qui perduxit me recto itinere, ut sumerem filiam fratris domini mei filio eius.
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.
49 Quamobrem 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.
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.
50 Responderuntque Laban et Bathuel: A Domino egressus est sermo: non possumus extra placitum eius quidquam aliud loqui tecum.
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.
51 En Rebecca coram te est, tolle eam, et proficiscere, et sit uxor filii domini tui, sicut locutus est Dominus.
See, here is Rebekah: take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the Lord has said.
52 Quod cum audisset puer Abraham, procidens adoravit in terra Dominum.
And at these words, Abraham's servant went down on his face and gave praise to the Lord.
53 Prolatisque vasis argenteis, et aureis, ac vestibus, dedit ea Rebeccae pro munere: fratribus quoque eius, et matri dona obtulit.
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.
54 Inito convivio, vescentes pariter et bibentes manserunt ibi. Surgens autem mane, locutus est puer: Dimitte me, ut vadam ad dominum meum.
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.
55 Responderuntque fratres eius, et mater: Maneat puella saltem decem dies apud nos, et postea proficiscetur.
But her brother and her mother said, Let the girl be with us a week or ten days, and then she may go.
56 Nolite, ait, me retinere, quia Dominus direxit viam meam: dimittite me ut pergam ad dominum meum.
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.
57 Et dixerunt: Vocemus puellam, et quaeramus ipsius voluntatem.
And they said, We will send for the girl, and let her make the decision.
58 Cumque vocata venisset, sciscitati sunt: Vis ire cum homine isto? Quae ait: Vadam.
And they sent for Rebekah and said to her, Are you ready to go with this man? And she said, I am ready.
59 Dimiserunt ergo eam, et nutricem illius, servumque Abraham, et comites eius,
So they sent their sister Rebekah and her servant with Abraham's servant and his men.
60 imprecantes prospera sorori suae, atque dicentes: Soror nostra es, crescas in mille millia, et possideat semen tuum portas inimicorum suorum.
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.
61 Igitur Rebecca, et puellae illius, ascensis camelis, secutae sunt virum: qui festinus revertebatur ad dominum suum:
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.
62 eo autem tempore deambulabat Isaac per viam quae ducit ad Puteum, cuius nomen est Viventis, et videntis: habitabat enim in terra australi:
Now Isaac had come through the waste land to Beer-lahai-roi; for he was living in the South.
63 et egressus fuerat ad meditandum in agro, inclinata iam die: cumque elevasset oculos, vidit camelos venientes procul.
And when the evening was near, he went wandering out into the fields, and lifting up his eyes he saw camels coming.
64 Rebecca quoque, conspecto Isaac, descendit de camelo,
And when Rebekah, looking up, saw Isaac, she got down from her 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 suum, operuit se.
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.
66 Servus autem cuncta, quae gesserat, narravit domino suo Isaac.
Then the servant gave Isaac the story of all he had done.
67 Qui introduxit eam in tabernaculum Sarae matris suae, et accepit eam uxorem: et in tantum dilexit eam, ut dolorem, qui ex morte matris eius acciderat, temperaret.
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.
