29 Rebekah had a brother whose name was (A)Laban. Laban ran out toward the man, to the spring. 30 As soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, “Thus the man spoke to me,” he went to the man. And behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. 31 He said, “Come in, (B)O blessed of the Lord. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.” 32 So the man came to the house and unharnessed the camels, and gave (C)straw and fodder to the camels, and there was (D)water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Then food was set before him to eat. But he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I have to say.” He said, “Speak on.”

34 So he said, “I am Abraham's servant. 35 The Lord (E)has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my master's wife (F)bore a son to my master when she was old, and (G)to him he has given all that he has. 37 (H)My master made me swear, saying, ‘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 clan and take a wife for my son.’ 39 I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ 40 But he said to me, ‘The Lord, (I)before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and (J)prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father's house. 41 Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my clan. And if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’

42 “I came today to the spring and said, (K)‘O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now you (L)are prospering the way that I go, 43 behold, I am standing (M)by the spring of water. Let the virgin who comes out to draw water, to whom I shall say, “Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,” 44 (N)and who will say to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,” let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master's son.’

45 “Before I had finished (O)speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels drink also. 47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ (P)So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. 48 (Q)Then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord and blessed the Lord, (R)the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way[a] to take (S)the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son. 49 Now then, if you are going to (T)show steadfast love and faithfulness to 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 has come from the Lord; we cannot (U)speak to you bad or good. 51 Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, (V)as the Lord has spoken.”

52 When Abraham's servant heard their words, (W)he bowed himself to the earth before the Lord. 53 And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments. 54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they arose in the morning, he said, (X)“Send me away to my master.” 55 Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.” 56 But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.” 57 They said, “Let us call the young woman and ask her.” 58 And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.” 59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and (Y)her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,

“Our sister, may you (Z)become
    thousands of ten thousands,
and (AA)may your offspring possess
    the gate of those who hate him!”[b]

61 Then Rebekah and her young women arose and rode on the camels and followed the man. Thus the servant took Rebekah and went his way.

62 Now Isaac had returned from (AB)Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb. 63 And Isaac went out (AC)to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel 65 and said to the servant, “Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was (AD)comforted after his mother's (AE)death.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 24:48 Or faithfully
  2. Genesis 24:60 Or hate them

29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban,(A) 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,(B) 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,”(C) 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(D) were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet.(E) 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.(F) 35 The Lord has blessed(G) my master abundantly,(H) and he has become wealthy.(I) He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.(J) 36 My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age,(K) and he has given him everything he owns.(L) 37 And my master made me swear an oath,(M) and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,(N) 38 but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’(O)

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

40 “He replied, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked faithfully,(Q) will send his angel with you(R) and make your journey a success,(S) so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family.(T) 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.’(U)

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

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

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

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

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

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

50 Laban and Bethuel(AO) answered, “This is from the Lord;(AP) we can say nothing to you one way or the other.(AQ) 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.(AR)

52 When Abraham’s servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord.(AS) 53 Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing(AT) and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts(AU) 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(AV) to my master.”

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

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

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

“I will go,”(BA) she said.

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

“Our sister, may you increase
    to thousands upon thousands;(BE)
may your offspring possess
    the cities of their enemies.”(BF)

61 Then Rebekah and her attendants(BG) 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,(BH) for he was living in the Negev.(BI) 63 He went out to the field one evening to meditate,[b](BJ) and as he looked up,(BK) he saw camels approaching. 64 Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel(BL) 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(BM) and covered herself.

66 Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. 67 Isaac brought her into the tent(BN) of his mother Sarah,(BO) and he married Rebekah.(BP) So she became his wife, and he loved her;(BQ) and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.(BR)

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 24:55 Or she
  2. Genesis 24:63 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.