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.

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.

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