Chapter 24

And Abraham was old,¹ [and] well stricken¹ in age: and the LORD had blessed¹⁴ Abraham in all things.

And Abraham said⁴ unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled⁶ over all that he had, Put,³ I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:

And I will make thee swear⁵⁵ by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take⁴ a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:⁶

But thou shalt go⁴ unto my country, and to my kindred, and take¹ a wife unto my son Isaac.

And the servant said⁴ unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing⁴ to follow^{2 310} me unto this land: must I needs bring⁵⁵ thy son again⁵³ unto the land from whence thou camest?¹

And Abraham said⁴ unto him, Beware¹⁰ thou that thou bring not my son thither again.⁵⁵

The LORD God of heaven, which took me¹ from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake¹⁴ unto me, and that sware⁸ unto me, saying,² Unto thy seed will I give⁴ this land; he shall send⁴ his angel before thee, and thou shalt take¹ a wife unto my son from thence.

And if the woman will not be willing⁴ to follow² thee, then thou shalt be clear⁸ from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.⁵⁵

And the servant put⁴ his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware¹¹ to him concerning that matter.

And the servant took⁴ ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed;⁴ for all the goods of his master [were] in his hand: and he arose,⁴ and went⁴ to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.

And he made his camels to kneel down⁵⁵ without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, [even] the time that women go out² to draw⁶ [water].

And he said,⁴ O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed⁵⁴ this day, and shew³ kindness unto my master Abraham.

Behold, I stand¹² [here] by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out⁶ to draw² water:

And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say,⁴ Let down⁵⁴ thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink;⁴ and she shall say,¹ Drink,³ and I will give thy camels drink⁵⁵ also: [let the same be] she [that] thou hast appointed⁵² for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know⁴ that thou hast shewed¹ kindness unto my master.

And it came to pass, before he had done¹⁴ speaking,¹⁵ that, behold, Rebekah came out,⁶ who was born²⁷ to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.

And the damsel [was] very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known¹ her: and she went down⁴ to the well, and filled¹⁷ her pitcher, and came up.⁴

And the servant ran⁴ to meet² her, and said,⁴ Let me, I pray thee, drink⁵⁴ a little water of thy pitcher.

And she said,⁴ Drink,³ my lord: and she hasted,¹⁷ and let down⁵⁵ her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.⁵⁵

And when she had done¹⁷ giving him drink,⁵³ she said,⁴ I will draw⁴ [water] for thy camels also, until they have done¹⁴ drinking.²

And she hasted,¹⁷ and emptied¹⁷ her pitcher into the trough, and ran⁴ again unto the well to draw² [water], and drew⁴ for all his camels.

And the man wondering¹⁰² at her held his peace,⁵⁶ to wit² whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous⁵² or not.

And it came to pass, as the camels had done¹⁴ drinking,² that the man took⁴ a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten [shekels] weight of gold;

And said,⁴ Whose daughter [art] thou? tell⁵⁴ me, I pray thee: is there room [in] thy father's house for us to lodge in?²

And she said⁴ unto him, I [am] the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare¹ unto Nahor.

She said⁴ moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.²

And the man bowed down his head,⁴ and worshipped¹⁰¹ the LORD.

And he said,⁴ Blessed⁷ [be] the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute^{1 5973} my master of his mercy and his truth: I [being] in the way, the LORD led¹ me to the house of my master's brethren.

And the damsel ran,⁴ and told⁵⁵ [them of] her mother's house these things.

And Rebekah had a brother, and his name [was] Laban: and Laban ran⁴ out unto the man, unto the well.

And it came to pass, when he saw² the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard² the words of Rebekah his sister, saying,² Thus spake¹⁴ the man unto me; that he came⁴ unto the man; and, behold, he stood⁶ by the camels at the well.

And he said,⁴ Come in,³ thou blessed⁷ of the LORD; wherefore standest⁴ thou without? for I have prepared¹⁴ the house, and room for the camels.

And the man came⁴ into the house: and he ungirded¹⁷ his camels, and gave⁴ straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash² his feet, and the men's feet that [were] with him.

And there was set^{93 3455 4} [meat] before him to eat:² but he said,⁴ I will not eat,⁴ until I have told¹⁴ mine errand. And he said,⁴ Speak on.¹⁶

And he said,⁴ I [am] Abraham's servant.

And the LORD hath blessed¹⁴ my master greatly; and he is become great:⁴ and he hath given⁴ him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.

And Sarah my master's wife bare⁴ a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given⁴ all that he hath.

And my master made me swear,⁵⁵ saying,² Thou shalt not take⁴ a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell:⁶

But thou shalt go⁴ unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take¹ a wife unto my son.

And I said⁴ unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow^{4 310} me.

And he said⁴ unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk,⁹⁸ will send⁴ his angel with thee, and prosper⁵² thy way; and thou shalt take¹ a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house:

Then shalt thou be clear¹¹ from [this] my oath, when thou comest⁴ to my kindred; and if they give⁴ not thee [one], thou shalt be clear from my oath.

And I came⁴ this day unto the well, and said,⁴ O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper⁵⁶ my way which I go:⁶

Behold, I stand¹² by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth⁶ to draw² [water], and I say¹ to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink;⁵⁴

And she say¹ to me, Both drink³ thou, and I will also draw⁴ for thy camels: [let] the same [be] the woman whom the LORD hath appointed⁵² out for my master's son.

And before I had done¹⁷ speaking¹⁵ in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth⁶ with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down⁴ unto the well, and drew⁴ [water]: and I said⁴ unto her, Let me drink,⁵⁴ I pray thee.

And she made haste,¹⁷ and let down⁵⁵ her pitcher from her [shoulder], and said,⁴ Drink,³ and I will give thy camels drink⁵⁵ also: so I drank,⁴ and she made the camels drink⁵² also.

And I asked⁴ her, and said,⁴ Whose daughter [art] thou? And she said,⁴ The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare¹ unto him: and I put⁴ the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands.

And I bowed down my head,⁴ and worshipped¹⁰¹ the LORD, and blessed¹⁷ the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led⁵² me in the right way to take² my master's brother's daughter unto his son.

And now if ye will deal⁶ kindly and truly with my master, tell⁵⁴ me: and if not, tell⁵⁴ me; that I may turn⁴ to the right hand, or to the left.

Then Laban and Bethuel answered⁴ and said,⁴ The thing proceedeth¹ from the LORD: we cannot ^{3201 4} speak¹⁵ unto thee bad or good.

Behold, Rebekah [is] before thee, take³ [her], and go,³ and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the LORD hath spoken.¹⁴

And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard¹ their words, he worshipped¹⁰¹ the LORD, [bowing himself] to the earth.

And the servant brought forth⁵⁵ jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave⁴ [them] to Rebekah: he gave¹ also to her brother and to her mother precious things.

And they did eat⁴ and drink,⁴ he and the men that [were] with him, and tarried all night;⁴ and they rose up⁴ in the morning, and he said,⁴ Send me away¹⁶ unto my master.

And her brother and her mother said,⁴ Let the damsel abide⁴ with us [a few] days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.⁴

And he said⁴ unto them, Hinder¹⁷ me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered⁵² my way; send me away¹⁶ that I may go⁴ to my master.

And they said,⁴ We will call⁴ the damsel, and enquire⁴ at her mouth.

And they called⁴ Rebekah, and said⁴ unto her, Wilt thou go⁴ with this man? And she said,⁴ I will go.⁴

And they sent away¹⁷ Rebekah their sister, and her nurse,⁵⁶ and Abraham's servant, and his men.

And they blessed¹⁷ Rebekah, and said⁴ unto her, Thou [art] our sister, be thou³ [the mother] of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess⁴ the gate of those which hate⁶ them.

And Rebekah arose,⁴ and her damsels, and they rode⁴ upon the camels, and followed^{4 310} the man: and the servant took⁴ Rebekah, and went his way.⁴

And Isaac came¹ from the way² of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt⁶ in the south country.

And Isaac went out⁴ to meditate² in the field at the eventide:^{2 6153} and he lifted up⁴ his eyes, and saw,⁴ and, behold, the camels [were] coming.⁶

And Rebekah lifted up⁴ her eyes, and when she saw⁴ Isaac, she lighted⁴ off the camel.

For she [had] said⁴ unto the servant, What man [is] this that walketh⁶ in the field to meet² us? And the servant [had] said,⁴ It [is] my master: therefore she took⁴ a vail, and covered¹⁰¹ herself.

And the servant told¹⁷ Isaac all things that he had done.¹

And Isaac brought her⁵⁵ into his mother Sarah's tent, and took⁴ Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved⁴ her: and Isaac was comforted¹¹ after his mother's [death].