Genesis 24

1 By now Abraham was old and well along in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.

2 So Abraham instructed the chief servant of his household, who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh,

3 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,

4 but will go to my country and my kindred to take a wife for my son Isaac.”

5 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?”

6 Abraham replied, “Make sure that you do not take my son back there.

7 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.

8 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.”

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

10 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 Aram-naharaim.

11 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.

12 “O LORD, God of my master Abraham,” he prayed, “please grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.

13 Here I am, standing beside the spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.

14 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.”

15 Before the servant 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.

16 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.

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

18 “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and she quickly lowered her jar to her hands and gave him a drink.

19 After she had given him a drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels, until they have had enough to drink.”

20 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.

21 Meanwhile, the man watched her silently to see whether or not the LORD had made his journey a success.

22 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.

23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. “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 that Milcah bore to Nahor.”

25 Then she added, “We have plenty of straw and feed, as well as a place for you to spend the night.”

26 Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD,

27 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 relatives.”

28 The girl ran and told her mother’s household about these things.

29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he rushed out to the man at the spring.

30 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.

31 “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.”

32 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.

33 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.”

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

35 “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.

36 My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and my master has given him everything he owns.

37 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,

38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my kindred to take a wife for my son.’

39 Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’

40 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.

41 And when you go to my kindred, if they refuse to give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’

42 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!

43 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,’

44 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.

45 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.’

46 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.

47 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.

48 Then I bowed down and worshiped the LORD; and I blessed 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.

49 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.”

50 Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the LORD; we have no choice in the matter.

51 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.”

52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD.

53 Then he brought out jewels of silver and gold, and articles of clothing, and he gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious 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 the next morning, he said, “Send me on my way to my master.”

55 But her brother and mother said, “Let the girl remain with us ten days or so. After that, she may go.”

56 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.”

57 So they said, “We will call the girl and ask her opinion.”

58 They called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” “I will go,” she replied.

59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men.

60 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.”

61 Then Rebekah and her servant girls got ready, mounted the camels, and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

62 Now Isaac had just returned from Beer-lahai-roi, for he was living in the Negev.

63 Early in the evening, Isaac went out to the field to meditate, and looking up, he saw the camels approaching.

64 And when Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she got down from her camel

65 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.

66 Then the servant told Isaac all that he had done.

67 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.

1 ¶ And Abraham was old, [and] well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.

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

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

4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

5 And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?

6 And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.

7 The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.

8 And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.

9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.

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

11 And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, [even] the time that women go out to draw [water].

12 And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.

13 Behold, I stand [here] by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:

14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: [let the same be] she [that] thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.

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

16 And the damsel [was] very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.

18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw [water] for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.

20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw [water], and drew for all his camels.

21 And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.

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

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

24 And she said unto him, I [am] the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.

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

26 And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD.

27 And he said, Blessed [be] the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I [being] in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren.

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

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

30 And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well.

31 And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.

32 And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men's feet that [were] with him.

33 And there was set [meat] before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on.

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

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

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

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

38 But thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son.

39 And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me.

40 And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house:

41 Then shalt thou be clear from [this] my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee [one], thou shalt be clear from my oath.

42 And I came this day unto the well, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go:

43 Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw [water], and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink;

44 And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: [let] the same [be] the woman whom the LORD hath appointed out for my master's son.

45 And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew [water]: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.

46 And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her [shoulder], and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also.

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

48 And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son.

49 And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.

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

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

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

54 ¶ And they did eat and drink, he and the men that [were] with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master.

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

56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.

57 And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth.

58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.

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

60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou [art] our sister, be thou [the mother] of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.

61 And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

62 ¶ And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country.

63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels [were] coming.

64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.

65 For she [had] said unto the servant, What man [is] this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant [had] said, It [is] my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.

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

67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's [death].

1 Abraham was old and in a good state of health, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.

2 And he said unto the eldest of his servants of his house, which had the charge of all his goods, Put thy hand under my thigh.

3 And swear unto me by the LORD God of heaven and earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell;

4 But that thou go to my fatherland, and to my friendship, and take unto thee a wife for my son Isaac.

5 And the servant said, How if the woman will not follow me into this land? shall I then bring again thy son into that land whence thou camest?

6 And Abraham said unto him, Take heed lest thou bring my son thither again.

7 The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from my country, and spake unto me, and sware unto me, saying, This land will I give unto thy seed; and he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son there.

8 But if the woman will not follow thee, thou shalt be quit of this oath. Alone bring not my son thither again.

9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware unto him.

10 So the servant took ten camels of his master's camels, and went, having with him all his master's goods: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia unto the city of Nahor.

11 And he made the camels lie down without the city by a well of water in the evening, when the women went out to draw water,

12 And said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, meet me this day, and do mercy unto my master Abraham.

13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the people of this city shall come forth to draw water.

14 And if a damsel come, and I say unto her, Incline thy pitcher, and let me drink; and she shall say: Drink, and I will water thy camels also, that she may be she which thou hast given to Isaac thy servant, and that I may know by this that thou hast shewed mercy on my lord.

15 And before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah the daughter of Bethuel came out, which was the son of Milcah, which was the wife of Nahor Abraham's brother, bearing a pitcher upon her shoulder.

16 And she was a very fair damsel in appearance, and yet a virgin, and no man knew her. And she went down to the well, and filled the pitcher, and went up.

17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me drink a little water out of thy pitcher.

18 And she said, Drink, my lord. And hastening, she let down the pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

19 And when she had given him drink, she said: I will give thy camels drink also, until they be all drunken.

20 And he hasted, and poured out the pitcher into the trough, and ran to draw water at the well, and drew water for all his camels.

21 And the man marvelled at them, and held his peace, until he knew whether the LORD had given grace unto his journey, or not.

22 And when the camels had all drunk, he took a golden clasp of the weight of half a shekel, and two bracelets on their hands of the weight of ten shekels of gold,

23 And said, My daughter, to whom belongest thou? Tell me, I pray thee. Have we room to dwell in thy father's house?

24 And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bare unto Nahor.

25 And said unto him, There is plenty of straw and fodder with us, and room enough to lodge.

26 And the man bowed himself, and worshipped the LORD.

27 And said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, which hath not left his mercy and his truth in my master: for the LORD hath led me the way to my master's brother's house.

28 And the damsel ran and told all these things in her mother's house.

29 And Rebekah had a brother, whose name was Laban: and Laban ran unto the man that was without by the well.

30 And when he saw the bracelets and armlets on his sister's hands, and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus said the man unto me, he came unto the man, and, behold, he stood by the camels by the well.

31 And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD. Why standest thou without? I have cleared the house, and have made room for the camels also.

32 So he brought the man into the house, and unharnessed the camels, and gave them straw and provender and water to wash his feet, and the men that were with him,

33 And set food before him. But he said, I will not eat till I have first advertised my cause. They answered: Tell me!

34 He said: I am Abraham's servant.

35 And the LORD hath blessed my lord abundantly, and waxed great; and hath given him sheep, and oxen, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.

36 And Sarah my lord's wife bare a son unto my lord in his old age; and unto him gave he all that he had.

37 And my lord hath taken an oath of me, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell,

38 But go to my father's house, and to my family, and there take a wife for my son.

39 And I said unto my lord, How if the woman will not follow me?

40 And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and give grace unto thy journey, that thou mayest take a wife unto my son of my friendship, and of my father's house.

41 Then shalt thou be acquitted of my oath, when thou comest to my friendship: if they give thee not, thou shalt be acquitted of my oath.

42 So I came to the well this day, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, thou hast given grace unto my journey, wherefore I journeyed,

43 Behold, I stand here by the well of water. And if a virgin come forth to draw, and I say unto her, Give me a little water to drink out of thy pitcher,

44 And she shall say, Drink thou, and I will draw thy camels also, that she may be the wife which the LORD my lord hath given to his son.

45 And before I had spoken these words in mine heart, behold, Rebekah cometh forth with a pitcher upon her shoulder, and goeth down to the well, and draweth. And I said unto her, Give me to drink.

46 And she took the pitcher from her shoulder in haste, and said, Drink, and I will water thy camels also. So I drank, and she watered the camels also.

47 And I asked her, saying, Whose daughter art thou? And she answered: I am Bethuel's daughter, the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bare unto him. And I put a clasp upon her forehead, and bracelets upon her hands;

48 And I bowed myself, and worshipped the LORD, and praised the LORD God of my master Abraham, which led me in the right way to take my master's brother's son's daughter.

49 If ye then be they which will shew kindness and faithfulness unto my lord, tell me; but if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said: This is from the LORD: therefore we can speak nothing against thee, either evil or good.

51 There is Rebekah before thee; take her, and go, that she may be thy master's wife, as the LORD hath said.

52 When Abraham's servant heard these words, he bowed himself to the LORD to the ground.

53 And he brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and garments, and gave them unto Rebekah: and to her brother and to her mother he gave spices.

54 And he did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried there all night. And in the morning he arose, and said, Let me go to my lord.

55 But her brother and her mother said: Let the damsel abide with us a day or ten, and after that thou shalt depart.

56 Then said he unto them: Stop me not, for the LORD hath given grace unto my journey. Let me go, that I may go unto my lord.

57 And they said, Let us call the damsel, and ask what she saith.

58 And they called unto Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, Yea, I will go with him.

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

60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister; increase in many thousands of thousands, and let thy seed possess the gates of his enemies.

61 So Rebekah arose with her damsels, and they sat upon the camels, and went after the man. And the servant took Rebekah, and went.

62 And Isaac came from the well of the living and the seeing (for he dwelt in the land toward the south)

63 And he went out to pray in the field about even, and lifted up his eyes, and saw camels coming.

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

65 And he said unto the servant, Who is this man that cometh to meet us in the field? And the servant said, This is my lord. And she took her cloak, and covered herself.

66 And the servant told Isaac all the things which he had set forth.

675 And Isaac brought her into Sarah his mother's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and loved her. So Isaac was comforted concerning his mother.