The Call of Abram

12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household^(A) to the land^(B) I will show you.^(C)

⁴ So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot^(I) went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old^(J) when he set out from Harran.^{(K) 5} He took his wife Sarai,^(L) his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated^(M) and the people^(N) they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan,^(O) and they arrived there.

⁶ Abram traveled through the land^(P) as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh^(Q) at Shechem.^(R) At that time the Canaanites^(S) were in the land. ⁷ The Lord appeared to Abram^(T) and said, “To your offspring^[c] I will give this land.^(U)”^(V) So he built an altar there to the Lord,^(W) who had appeared to him.

⁸ From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel^(X) and pitched his tent,^(Y) with Bethel on the west and Ai^(Z) on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.^(AA)

⁹ Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.^(AB)

Abram in Egypt^(AC)

¹⁰ Now there was a famine in the land,^(AD) and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.^{(AE) 11} As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai,^(AF) “I know what a beautiful woman^(AG) you are. ¹² When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. ¹³ Say you are my sister,^(AH) so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”

¹⁴ When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that Sarai was a very beautiful woman.^{(AI) 15} And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and she was taken into his palace. ¹⁶ He treated Abram well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.^(AJ)

¹⁷ But the Lord inflicted^(AK) serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household^(AL) because of Abram’s wife Sarai. ¹⁸ So Pharaoh summoned Abram. “What have you done to me?”^(AM) he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?^{(AN) 19} Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’^(AO) so that I took her to be my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” ²⁰ Then Pharaoh gave orders about Abram to his men, and they sent him on his way, with his wife and everything he had.

Abram and Lot Separate

13 So Abram went up from Egypt^(A) to the Negev,^(B) with his wife and everything he had, and Lot^(C) went with him. ² Abram had become very wealthy^(D) in livestock^(E) and in silver and gold.

³ From the Negev^(F) he went from place to place until he came to Bethel,^(G) to the place between Bethel and Ai^(H) where his tent had been earlier ⁴ and where he had first built an altar.^(I) There Abram called on the name of the Lord.^(J)

⁵ Now Lot,^(K) who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. ⁶ But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together.^{(L) 7} And quarreling^(M) arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites^(N) and Perizzites^(O) were also living in the land^(P) at that time.

⁸ So Abram said to Lot,^(Q) “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me,^(R) or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives.^{(S) 9} Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”^(T)

¹⁰ Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain^(U) of the Jordan toward Zoar^(V) was well watered, like the garden of the Lord,^(W) like the land of Egypt.^(X) (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom^(Y) and Gomorrah.)^{(Z) 11} So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: ¹² Abram lived in the land of Canaan,^(AA) while Lot^(AB) lived among the cities of the plain^(AC) and pitched his tents near Sodom.^{(AD) 13} Now the people of Sodom^(AE) were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.^(AF)

¹⁴ The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west.^{(AG) 15} All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring^[a] forever.^{(AH) 16} I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.^{(AI) 17} Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land,^(AJ) for I am giving it to you.”^(AK)

¹⁸ So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre^(AL) at Hebron,^(AM) where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord.^(AN)

Isaac and Rebekah

24 Abraham was now very old,^(A) and the Lord had blessed^(B) him in every way.^{(C) 2} He said to the senior servant^(D) in his household, the one in charge of all that he had,^(E) “Put your hand under my thigh.^{(F) 3} I want you to swear^(G) by the Lord, the God of heaven^(H) and the God of earth,^(I) that you will not get a wife for my son^(J) from the daughters of the Canaanites,^(K) among whom I am living,^{(L) 4} but will go to my country and my own relatives^(M) and get a wife for my son Isaac.^(N)”

⁵ The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land?^(O) Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?^(P)”

⁶ “Make sure that you do not take my son back there,”^(Q) Abraham said. ⁷ “The Lord, the God of heaven,^(R) who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land^(S) and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring^[a](T) I will give this land’^(U)—he will send his angel before you^(V) so that you can get a wife for my son from there. ⁸ If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath^(W) of mine. Only do not take my son back there.”^{(X) 9} So the servant put his hand under the thigh^(Y) of his master^(Z) Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.

¹⁰ Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master’s camels^(AA) loaded with all kinds of good things^(AB) from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim^[b](AC) and made his way to the town of Nahor.^{(AD) 11} He had the camels kneel down near the well^(AE) outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.^(AF)

¹² Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham,^(AG) make me successful^(AH) today, and show kindness^(AI) to my master Abraham. ¹³ See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.^{(AJ) 14} May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink,^(AK) and I’ll water your camels too’^(AL)—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac.^(AM) By this I will know^(AN) that you have shown kindness to my master.”

¹⁵ Before he had finished praying,^(AO) Rebekah^(AP) came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel^(AQ) son of Milkah,^(AR) who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor.^{(AS) 16} The woman was very beautiful,^(AT) a virgin;^(AU) no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.

¹⁷ The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”^(AV)

¹⁸ “Drink,^(AW) my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.

¹⁹ After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels^(AX) too,^(AY) until they have had enough to drink.” ²⁰ So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels.^{(AZ) 21} Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful.^(BA)

²² When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring^(BB) weighing a beka^[c] and two gold bracelets^(BC) weighing ten shekels.^{[d] 23} Then he asked, “Whose daughter are you?^(BD) Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?^(BE)”

²⁴ She answered him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milkah bore to Nahor.^(BF)” ²⁵ And she added, “We have plenty of straw and fodder,^(BG) as well as room for you to spend the night.”

²⁶ Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord,^{(BH) 27} saying, “Praise be to the Lord,^(BI) the God of my master Abraham,^(BJ) who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness^(BK) to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey^(BL) to the house of my master’s relatives.”^(BM)

²⁸ The young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.^{(BN) 29} Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban,^(BO) and he hurried out to the man at the spring. ³⁰ As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s arms,^(BP) and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring. ³¹ “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord,”^(BQ) he said. “Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”

³² So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder^(BR) were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet.^{(BS) 33} Then food was set before him, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say.”

“Then tell us,” Laban said.

³⁴ So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant.^{(BT) 35} The Lord has blessed^(BU) my master abundantly,^(BV) and he has become wealthy.^(BW) He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.^{(BX) 36} My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age,^(BY) and he has given him everything he owns.^{(BZ) 37} And my master made me swear an oath,^(CA) and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,^{(CB) 38} but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’^(CC)

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

⁴⁰ “He replied, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked faithfully,^(CE) will send his angel with you^(CF) and make your journey a success,^(CG) so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family.^{(CH) 41} You will be released from my oath if, when you go to my clan, they refuse to give her to you—then you will be released from my oath.’^(CI)

⁴² “When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success^(CJ) to the journey on which I have come. ⁴³ See, I am standing beside this spring.^(CK) If a young woman^(CL) comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,”^{(CM) 44} and if she says to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too,” let her be the one the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’^(CN)

⁴⁵ “Before I finished praying in my heart,^(CO) Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder.^(CP) She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’^(CQ)

⁴⁶ “She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’^(CR) So I drank, and she watered the camels also.^(CS)

⁴⁷ “I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’^(CT)

“She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel^(CU) son of Nahor, whom Milkah bore to him.’^(CV)

“Then I put the ring in her nose^(CW) and the bracelets on her arms,^{(CX) 48} and I bowed down and worshiped the Lord.^(CY) I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham,^(CZ) who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son.^{(DA) 49} Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness^(DB) to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.”

⁵⁰ Laban and Bethuel^(DC) answered, “This is from the Lord;^(DD) we can say nothing to you one way or the other.^{(DE) 51} Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.^(DF)”

⁵² When Abraham’s servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord.^{(DG) 53} Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing^(DH) and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts^(DI) to her brother and to her mother. ⁵⁴ Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there.

When they got up the next morning, he said, “Send me on my way^(DJ) to my master.”

⁵⁵ But her brother and her mother replied, “Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so;^(DK) then you^[e] may go.”

⁵⁶ But he said to them, “Do not detain me, now that the Lord has granted success^(DL) to my journey. Send me on my way^(DM) so I may go to my master.”

⁵⁷ Then they said, “Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.”^{(DN) 58} So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?”

“I will go,”^(DO) she said.

⁵⁹ So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way,^(DP) along with her nurse^(DQ) and Abraham’s servant and his men. ⁶⁰ And they blessed^(DR) Rebekah and said to her,

⁶¹ Then Rebekah and her attendants^(DU) got ready and mounted the camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

⁶² Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi,^(DV) for he was living in the Negev.^{(DW) 63} He went out to the field one evening to meditate,^[f](DX) and as he looked up,^(DY) he saw camels approaching. ⁶⁴ Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel^{(DZ) 65} and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”

“He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil^(EA) and covered herself.

⁶⁶ Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. ⁶⁷ Isaac brought her into the tent^(EB) of his mother Sarah,^(EC) and he married Rebekah.^(ED) So she became his wife, and he loved her;^(EE) and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.^(EF)