Genesis 24

1Abraham was old, advanced in years, and Yahweh had blessed Abraham in all things.

2And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who ruled over all that belonged to him, “Please put your hand under my thigh.”

3and 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 from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell.

4but you shall go to my land and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.

5And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Should I then take your son back to the land from which you came?”

6Abraham said to him, “Be careful that you do not take my son back there.”

7Yahweh, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land’—he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.

8But if the woman is not willing to go after you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there.

9So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.

10Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and went, with all kinds of good things from his master in his hand. And he arose and went to Aram-naharaim, to the city of Nahor.

11And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at evening time, at the time when the women go out to draw water.

12And he said, “O Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, please grant success before me today, and show steadfast love to my master Abraham.”

13Look, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.

14And let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please lower your jar so that I may drink,’ and who says, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels’—let her be the one you have appointed for your servant, for Isaac. By her I will know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.

15And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah was coming out—she who had been born to Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother—with her jar on her shoulder.

16The young woman was very beautiful in appearance, a virgin; no man had known her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up.

17The servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar.”

18She said, “Drink, my lord,” and she quickly lowered her jar onto her hand and gave him a drink.

19When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.”

20She quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.

21The man watched her silently, to know whether Yahweh had made his journey successful or not.

22And when the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a beka, and two bracelets for her hands weighing ten shekels of gold.

23And he said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”

24She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.”

25Then she said to him, “We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and also a place to spend the night.”

26Then the man bowed down and worshiped Yahweh.

27And he said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness from my master. As for me, Yahweh has led me on the way to the house of my master’s brothers.”

28Then the young woman ran and told her mother's household about these things.

29Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban; and Laban ran out to the man, outside by the spring.

30And 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 went to the man. And behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring.

31And he said, “Come in, blessed of Yahweh. Why do you stand outside? I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.”

32So the man came into the house and unloaded the camels and gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.

33Food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have spoken my words.” And he said, “Speak.”

34And he said, “I am Abraham’s servant.”

35And Yahweh has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys.

36And Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master after her old age, and he gave him all that he had.

37And 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 am dwelling.’

38But you shall go to my father's house and to my clan, and you shall take a wife for my son.

39And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’

40And he said to me, ‘Yahweh, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and make your journey successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father’s house.’

41Then you will be free from my oath when you come to my family; and if they do not give to you, you will be free from my oath.

42Today I came to the spring and said, ‘O Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, if now you are prospering my way on which I am going—’

43Look, I am standing by the spring of water, and let it be that the young woman who comes out to draw, to whom I say, ‘Please let me drink a little water from your jar,’

44and says to me, ‘You also drink, and I will draw water for your camels as well’—let her be the woman whom Yahweh has appointed for my master’s son.

45Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. Then I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’

46She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will also give water to your camels.’ So I drank, and she also gave water to the camels.

47Then I asked her, saying, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.’ Then I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her hands.

48Then I bowed down and worshiped Yahweh, and I blessed Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who led me on the true way to take the daughter of my master's brother for his son.

49Now if you are going to show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; but if not, tell me, so that I may turn to the right or to the left.

50Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The matter has come from Yahweh; we cannot speak to you bad or good.”

51Look, Rebekah is before you. Take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, just as Yahweh has spoken.

52And when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before Yahweh.

53Then the servant brought out articles of silver and articles of gold and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave choice gifts to her brother and to her mother.

54Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.”

55But her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman stay with us a few days, or ten; after that she may go.”

56But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since Yahweh has made my journey successful. Send me away so that I may go to my master.”

57And they said, “Let us call the young woman and ask her.”

58So they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.”

59So they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant, and his men.

60And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate them.”

61Then Rebekah and her young women arose, mounted the camels, and went after the man. And the servant took Rebekah and went on his way.

62Isaac had come from Beer-lahai-roi, and he was dwelling in the land of the Negev.

63And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening, and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, camels were coming.

64Rebekah lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac, and she got down from the camel.

65And she said to the servant, “Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?” And the servant said, “He is my master.” Then she took the veil and covered herself.

66And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.

67And Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.