Psalm 116

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

¹² Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham,^(G) make me successful^(H) today, and show kindness^(I) to my master Abraham. ¹³ See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.^{(J) 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,^(K) and I’ll water your camels too’^(L)—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac.^(M) By this I will know^(N) that you have shown kindness to my master.”

¹⁵ Before he had finished praying,^(O) Rebekah^(P) came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel^(Q) son of Milkah,^(R) who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor.^{(S) 16} The woman was very beautiful,^(T) a virgin;^(U) 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.”^(V)

¹⁸ “Drink,^(W) 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^(X) too,^(Y) 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.^{(Z) 21} Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful.^(AA)

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

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

²⁶ Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord,^{(AH) 27} saying, “Praise be to the Lord,^(AI) the God of my master Abraham,^(AJ) who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness^(AK) to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey^(AL) to the house of my master’s relatives.”^(AM)

²⁸ The young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.^{(AN) 29} Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban,^(AO) 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,^(AP) 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,”^(AQ) 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^(AR) were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet.^{(AS) 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.^{(AT) 35} The Lord has blessed^(AU) my master abundantly,^(AV) and he has become wealthy.^(AW) He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.^{(AX) 36} My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age,^(AY) and he has given him everything he owns.^{(AZ) 37} And my master made me swear an oath,^(BA) and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,^{(BB) 38} but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’^(BC)

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

⁴⁰ “He replied, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked faithfully,^(BE) will send his angel with you^(BF) and make your journey a success,^(BG) so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family.^{(BH) 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.’^(BI)

⁴² “When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success^(BJ) to the journey on which I have come. ⁴³ See, I am standing beside this spring.^(BK) If a young woman^(BL) comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,”^{(BM) 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.’^(BN)

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

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

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

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

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

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

⁵² When Abraham’s servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord.^(CG)

That Which Defiles^(A)

7 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus ² and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled,^(B) that is, unwashed. ³ (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders.^{(C) 4} When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.^[a])^(D)

⁵ So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders^(E) instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”

⁶ He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

⁸ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”^(G)

⁹ And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe^[c] your own traditions!^{(H) 10} For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’^[d](I) and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’^{[e](J) 11} But you say^(K) that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— ¹² then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. ¹³ Thus you nullify the word of God^(L) by your tradition^(M) that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”