CHAPTER 24
So Abraham
instructed
the chief
servant
of his household,
who managed
all he owned,
“Place
your hand
under
my thigh,
and I will have you swear
by the LORD,
the God
of heaven
and the God
of earth,
that
you will not
take
a wife
for my son
from the daughters
of the Canaanites
among
whom
I
am dwelling,
The servant
asked
him,
“What if
the woman
is unwilling
to follow
me to
this
land?
Shall I then take your son back
to
the land
from
which
you came?”
The LORD,
the God
of heaven,
who
brought me
from my father’s
house
and my native
land,
who
spoke
to me
and
promised me on oath,
saying,
‘To your offspring
I will give
this
land’—
He
will send
His angel
before you
so that you can take
a wife
for my son
from there.
And if
the woman
is unwilling
to follow
you,
then you are released
from this
oath of mine.
Only
do not
take
my son
back there.”
So the servant
placed
his hand
under
his master
Abraham’s
thigh
and swore an oath
to him
concerning
this
matter.
Then the servant
took
ten
of his master’s
camels
and departed
with all manner
of good things
from his master
in hand.
And he set out
for
Nahor’s
hometown
in Mesopotamia.
As evening approached,
he made the camels
kneel down
near
the well
outside
the town,
at the time
when the women went out
to draw water.
“O LORD,
God
of my master
Abraham,”
he prayed,
“please
grant me success today,
and show
kindness
to
my master
Abraham.
Here
I am,
standing
beside
the spring,
and the daughters
of the townspeople
are coming out
to draw
water.
Now may it happen
that the girl
to
whom
I say,
‘Please
let down
your jar
that I may drink,’
and who responds,
‘Drink,
and I will water
your camels
as well’—
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."
Before
he
had finished
praying,
Rebekah
came out
with her jar
on
her shoulder.
She
was
the daughter of Bethuel
son
of Milcah,
the wife
of Abraham’s
brother
Nahor.
Now the girl
was very
beautiful,
a virgin
who had not had relations
with any man.
She went down
to the spring,
filled
her jar,
and came up again.
“Drink,
my lord,”
she replied,
and she quickly
lowered
her jar
to
her hands
and gave him a drink.
After she
had given him a drink,
she said,
“I will also
draw water
for your camels,
until
they have had enough
to drink.”
And she quickly
emptied
her jar
into
the trough
and ran
back
to
the well
to draw water,
until she had drawn water
for all
his camels.
Meanwhile, the man
watched her
silently
to see
whether
or not
the LORD
had made his journey
a success.
And
after
the camels
had finished
drinking,
he
took out
a gold
ring
weighing
a beka,
and two
gold
bracelets
for
her wrists
weighing
ten shekels.
“Whose
daughter
are you?”
he asked.
“Please
tell me,
is there
room
in your father’s
house
for us to spend the night?”
Then she added,
“We have
plenty
of straw
and
feed,
as well as
a place for you
to spend the night.”
saying,
“Blessed
be the LORD,
the God
of my master
Abraham,
who
has not
withheld
His kindness
and faithfulness
from
my master.
As for me,
the LORD
has led
me on the journey
to the house
of my master’s
kinsmen."
As soon as he saw
the ring,
and
the bracelets
on
his sister’s
wrists,
and heard
Rebekah’s
words,
“The man
said
this
to me,”
he went and found
the man
standing
by
the camels
near
the spring.
“Come,
you who are blessed
by the LORD,”
said Laban.
“Why
are you standing
out here?
I
have prepared
the house
and a place
for the camels.”
So the man
came
to the house,
and the camels
were unloaded.
Straw
and feed
were brought
to the camels,
and water
to wash
his feet
and the feet
of his companions.
Then a meal was set
before the man,
but he said,
“I will not
eat
until
I have told you
what I came to say.”
So Laban said,
“Please speak.”
“The LORD
has greatly
blessed
my master,
and he has become rich.
He has given
him
sheep
and cattle,
silver
and gold,
menservants
and maidservants,
camels
and donkeys.
My master’s
wife
Sarah
has borne
him
a son
in
her old age,
and my master has given
him
everything he owns.
My master
made me swear an oath
and said,
‘You shall not
take
a wife
for my son
from the daughters
of the Canaanites
in whose land
I
dwell,
And he told
me,
‘The LORD,
before
whom
I have walked,
will send
His angel
with you
and make your journey
a success,
so that you may take
a wife
for my son
from my kindred
and from my father’s
house.
Then,
when
you go
to
my kindred,
if
they refuse to
give her
to you,
you will be
released
from my oath.’
So when I came
to
the spring
today,
I prayed,
‘O LORD,
God
of my master
Abraham,
if only
You would
make my journey
a success!
Here
I am,
standing
beside
this spring.
Now if
a maiden
comes out
to draw water
and I say
to her,
“Please
let me drink
a little
water
from your jar,”
and she replies,
“Drink,
and I will draw water
for your camels
as well,”
may she
be the woman
the LORD
has appointed
for my master’s
son.
And before
I
had finished
praying
in
my heart,
there
was Rebekah
coming out
with her jar
on
her shoulder,
and she went down
to the spring
and drew water.
So I said
to her,
‘Please
give me a drink.’
She quickly
lowered
her jar
from her shoulder
and said,
‘Drink,
and I will water
your camels
as well.’
So I drank,
and she also
watered
the camels.
Then I asked her,
‘Whose
daughter
are you?’
She replied,
‘The daughter
of Bethuel
son
of Nahor,
whom
Milcah
bore
to him.’
So I put
the ring
on
her nose
and the bracelets
on
her wrists.
Then I bowed down
and worshiped
the LORD;
and I praised
the LORD,
the God
of my master
Abraham,
who
led
me on the right
road
to take
the granddaughter
of my master’s
brother
for his son.
Now
if
you will
show
kindness
and faithfulness
to
my master,
tell
me;
but if
not,
let me know,
so that I may go
elsewhere.”
Rebekah
is here
before you.
Take
her and go,
and let her become
the wife
of your master’s
son,
just as
the LORD
has decreed.”
Then he
brought out
jewels
of silver
and gold,
and articles of clothing,
and gave
them to Rebekah.
He also gave
precious gifts
to her brother
and her mother.
Then he
and the men
with
him ate
and drank
and spent the night there.
When they got up
the next morning,
he said,
“Send me on my way
to my master.”
But her brother
and mother
said,
“Let the girl
remain
with us
ten
days
or so.
After that,
she may go.”
But he replied,
“Do not
delay me,
since the LORD
has made my journey
a success.
Send me on my way
so that I may go
to my master.”
So they sent
their sister
Rebekah on her way,
along with her nurse
and Abraham’s
servant
and his men.
And they blessed
Rebekah
and said
to her,
“Our sister,
may you
become the mother
of thousands
upon thousands.
May your offspring
possess
the gates
of their enemies.”
Then Rebekah
and her servant girls
got ready,
mounted
the camels,
and followed
the man.
So the servant
took
Rebekah
and left.
Early in the evening
Isaac
went out
to the field
to meditate,
and looking up,
he saw
the camels
approaching.
and asked
the servant,
“Who
is that
man
in the field
coming
to meet us?”
“It
is my master,”
the servant
answered.
So she took
her veil
and covered herself.
And Isaac
brought
her into the tent
of his mother
Sarah
and took
Rebekah
as
his wife.
And Isaac
loved her
and was comforted
after
his mother’s death.