Genesis 24:1 ←
Abraham was old, and well advanced in age. Yahweh had blessed Abraham in all things.
Genesis 24:2 ←
Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please put your hand under my thigh.
Genesis 24:3 ←
I will make you swear by Yahweh, 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.
Genesis 24:4 ←
But you shall go to my country, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”
Genesis 24:5 ←
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?”
Genesis 24:6 ←
Abraham said to him, “Beware that you don’t bring my son there again.
Genesis 24:7 ←
Yahweh, 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.
Genesis 24:8 ←
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.”
Genesis 24:9 ←
The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.
Genesis 24:10 ←
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.
Genesis 24:11 ←
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.
Genesis 24:12 ←
He said, “Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
Genesis 24:13 ←
Behold, I am standing by the spring of water. The daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.
Genesis 24:14 ←
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.”
Genesis 24:15 ←
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.
Genesis 24:16 ←
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.
Genesis 24:17 ←
The servant ran to meet her, and said, “Please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher.”
Genesis 24:18 ←
She said, “Drink, my lord.” She hurried, and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him a drink.
Genesis 24:19 ←
When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will also draw for your camels, until they have finished drinking.”
Genesis 24:20 ←
She hurried, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.
Genesis 24:21 ←
The man looked steadfastly at her, remaining silent, to know whether Yahweh had made his journey prosperous or not.
Genesis 24:22 ←
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,
Genesis 24:23 ←
and said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room in your father’s house for us to stay?”
Genesis 24:24 ←
She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.”
Genesis 24:25 ←
She said moreover to him, “We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge in.”
Genesis 24:26 ←
The man bowed his head, and worshiped Yahweh.
Genesis 24:27 ←
He said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his loving kindness and his truth toward my master. As for me, Yahweh has led me on the way to the house of my master’s relatives.”
Genesis 24:28 ←
The young lady ran, and told her mother’s house about these words.
Genesis 24:29 ←
Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. Laban ran out to the man, to the spring.
Genesis 24:30 ←
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.
Genesis 24:31 ←
He said, “Come in, you blessed of Yahweh. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.”
Genesis 24:32 ←
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.
Genesis 24:33 ←
Food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told my message.” Laban said, “Speak on.”
Genesis 24:34 ←
He said, “I am Abraham’s servant.
Genesis 24:35 ←
Yahweh has blessed my master greatly. He has become great. Yahweh has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, and camels and donkeys.
Genesis 24:36 ←
Sarah, my master’s wife, bore a son to my master when she was old. He has given all that he has to him.
Genesis 24:37 ←
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,
Genesis 24:38 ←
but you shall go to my father’s house, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.’
Genesis 24:39 ←
I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not follow me?’
Genesis 24:40 ←
He said to me, ‘Yahweh, 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.
Genesis 24:41 ←
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.’
Genesis 24:42 ←
I came today to the spring, and said, ‘Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, if now you do prosper my way which I go—
Genesis 24:43 ←
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,”
Genesis 24:44 ←
then she tells me, “Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,”—let her be the woman whom Yahweh has appointed for my master’s son.’
Genesis 24:45 ←
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.’
Genesis 24:46 ←
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.
Genesis 24:47 ←
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.
Genesis 24:48 ←
I bowed my head, and worshiped Yahweh, and blessed Yahweh, 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.
Genesis 24:49 ←
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.”
Genesis 24:50 ←
Then Laban and Bethuel answered, “The thing proceeds from Yahweh. We can’t speak to you bad or good.
Genesis 24:51 ←
Behold, Rebekah is before you. Take her, and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as Yahweh has spoken.”
Genesis 24:52 ←
When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth to Yahweh.
Genesis 24:53 ←
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.
Genesis 24:54 ←
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.”
Genesis 24:55 ←
Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go.”
Genesis 24:56 ←
He said to them, “Don’t hinder me, since Yahweh has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.”
Genesis 24:57 ←
They said, “We will call the young lady, and ask her.”
Genesis 24:58 ←
They called Rebekah, and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.”
Genesis 24:59 ←
They sent away Rebekah, their sister, with her nurse, Abraham’s servant, and his men.
Genesis 24:60 ←
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.”
Genesis 24:61 ←
Rebekah arose with her ladies. They rode on the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
Genesis 24:62 ←
Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he lived in the land of the South.
Genesis 24:63 ←
Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the evening. He lifted up his eyes and looked. Behold, there were camels coming.
Genesis 24:64 ←
Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she got off the camel.
Genesis 24:65 ←
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.
Genesis 24:66 ←
The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
Genesis 24:67 ←
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.
Public Domain