Genesis 24
1 Abraham was old, advanced in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.
2 Abraham said to his servant, the oldest in his household, who managed everything he owned, “Put your hand under my thigh.
3 I will make 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 among the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.
4 Instead, you will go to my land, to my relatives, and take a wife for my son, for Isaac.”
5 The servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not agree to follow me to this land. Should I then take your son back to the land you came from?”
6 Abraham replied to him, “Be careful not to take my son back there!
7 The LORD, the God of heaven, took me from my father’s house and from the land of my relatives. He spoke to me and swore to me, ‘I will give this land to your descendants.’ He himself will send his angel ahead of you, and you will take a wife for my son from there.
8 If the woman will not agree to follow you, you will be free from this oath of mine; only do not take my son back there.”
9 The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.
10 The servant took ten camels from among his master’s camels and set out, carrying with him the best of everything his master owned. He got up and went to Aram-Naharaim, to the city of Nahor.
11 He made the camels kneel outside the city by the well of water, in the evening, at the time when women go out to draw water.
12 He said, “LORD, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show faithful love to my master Abraham.
13 Here I am, standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.
14 May the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please lower your jar so I can drink,’ and who replies, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels,’ be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac. In this way I will know that you have shown faithful love to my master.”
15 Before he had finished speaking, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother.
16 The young woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came back up.
17 The servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me have a little water from your jar.”
18 She replied, “Drink, my lord.” She quickly lowered the jar onto her hand and gave him a drink.
19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels too, until they have finished drinking.”
20 She quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew water for all his camels.
21 The man watched her in silence, amazed, to learn whether or not the LORD had made his journey successful.
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold nose ring weighing half a shekel and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels, and gave them to her hands.
23 He asked, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”
24 She replied, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son Milcah bore to Nahor.”
25 She added, “We have plenty of straw and fodder, and there is also room to spend the night.”
26 The man bowed down and worshiped the LORD.
27 He said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not withheld his faithful love and faithfulness from my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the way to the house of my master’s relatives.”
28 The young woman ran and told these things to her mother’s household.
29 Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and Laban ran outside to the man at the spring.
30 He had seen the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister’s hands, and had heard the words of his sister Rebekah: “This is what the man said to me.” So he went to the man, who was standing by the camels near the spring.
31 He said, “Come in, you who are blessed by the LORD! Why are you standing outside? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”
32 The man went into the house, and Laban unloaded the camels. He gave straw and fodder to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men with him.
33 Food was set before him, but he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I have to say.” Laban said, “Speak.”
34 He said, “I am Abraham’s servant.
35 The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, camels and donkeys.
36 Sarah, my master’s wife, bore a son to my master in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns.
37 My master made me swear, saying, ‘Do not take a wife for my son from among the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live.
38 Instead, go to my father’s house and my family, and take a wife for my son.’
39 I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’
40 He replied to me, ‘The LORD, in whose presence I walk, will send his angel with you and make your journey successful. You will take a wife for my son from my family and from my father’s house.
41 Then you will be free from my oath when you come to my family. If they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’
42 Today I came to the spring and said, ‘LORD, God of my master Abraham, please make the journey I am taking successful.
43 Here I am, standing by the spring of water. I will say to the young woman who comes out to draw water, “Please give me a little water from your jar to drink.”
44 If she says to me, “You drink too, and I will draw water for your camels as well,” then she will be the woman the LORD has appointed for my master’s son.’
45 Before I had finished speaking to myself, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, went down to the spring, and drew water. I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’”
46 “She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels too.’ I drank, and she watered the camels as well.
47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘I am the daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.’ I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her hands.
48 I bowed down, worshiped the LORD, and praised the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right path to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son.
49 Now, if you will act with faithful love and faithfulness toward my master, tell me; and if not, tell me that too, so I can turn to the right or to the left.”
50 Laban and Bethuel replied, “This matter comes from the LORD. We cannot say anything to you, good or bad.
51 Here is Rebekah before you. Take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has spoken.”
52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD.
53 Then the servant brought out silver objects, gold objects, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He gave valuable gifts to her brother and her mother.
54 Then he and the men with him ate and drank, and spent the night there. When they got up in the morning, he said, “Send me back to my master.”
55 Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman stay with us for a few days, or ten; then she can go.”
56 But he said to them, “Do not hold me back, since the LORD has made my journey successful. Send me on my way so I can go to my master.”
57 They said, “Let’s call the young woman and ask her herself.”
58 They called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” She replied, “I will go.”
59 So they sent off Rebekah, their sister, along with her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men.
60 They blessed Rebekah, saying to her, “Our sister, may you become thousands upon thousands, and may your descendants possess the gate of those who hate them.”
61 Rebekah and her servant women got up, mounted the camels, and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and set out.
62 Isaac had come from Beer-lahai-roi, for he was living in the region of the Negev.
63 Toward evening, Isaac went out into the field to meditate. He raised his eyes and saw camels approaching.
64 Rebekah also raised her eyes and saw Isaac, so she got down from the camel.
65 She asked the servant, “Who is that man coming across the field to meet us?” The servant replied, “He is my master.” She took her veil and covered herself.
66 The servant told Isaac everything he had done.
67 Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah. He took Rebekah as his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
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