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34 The man said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The Lord has richly blessed my master, has made him a great man, and has given him flocks, cattle, silver, gold, men servants, women servants, camels, and donkeys. 36 My master’s wife Sarah gave birth to a son for my master in her old age, and he’s given him everything he owns. 37 My master made me give him my word: ‘Don’t choose a wife for my son from the Canaanite women, in whose land I’m living. 38 No, instead, go to my father’s household and to my relatives and choose a wife for my son.’ 39 I said to my master, ‘What if the woman won’t come back with me?’ 40 He said to me, ‘The Lord, whom I’ve traveled with everywhere, will send his messenger with you and make your trip successful; and you will choose a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father’s household. 41 If you go to my relatives, you will be free from your obligation to me. Even if they provide no one for you, you will be free from your obligation to me.’

42 “Today I arrived at the spring, and I said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you wish to make the trip I’m taking successful, 43 when I’m standing by the spring and the young woman who comes out to draw water and to whom I say, “Please give me a little drink of water from your jar,” 44 and she responds to me, “Drink, and I will draw water for your camels too,” may she be the woman the Lord has selected for my master’s son.’ 45 Before I finished saying this to myself, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder and went down to the spring to draw water. And I said to her, ‘Please give me something to drink.’ 46 She immediately lowered her water jar and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels something to drink too.’ So I drank and she also gave water to the camels. 47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son whom Milcah bore him.’ I put a ring in her nose and bracelets on her arms. 48 I bowed and worshipped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who led me in the right direction to choose the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son. 49 Now if you’re loyal and faithful to my master, tell me. If not, tell me so I will know where I stand either way.”

50 Laban and Bethuel both responded, “This is all the Lord’s doing. We have nothing to say about it. 51 Here is Rebekah, right in front of you. Take her and go. She will be the wife of your master’s son, just as the Lord said.” 52 When Abraham’s servant heard what they said, he bowed low before the Lord. 53 The servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. To her brother and to her mother he gave the finest gifts. 54 He and the men with him ate and drank and spent the night.

When they got up in the morning, the servant said, “See me off to my master.”

55 Her brother and mother said, “Let the young woman stay with us not more than ten days, and after that she may go.”

56 But he said to them, “Don’t delay me. The Lord has made my trip successful. See me off so that I can go to my master.”

57 They said, “Summon the young woman, and let’s ask her opinion.” 58 They called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?”

She said, “I will go.”

59 So they sent off their sister Rebekah, her nurse, Abraham’s servant, and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah, saying to her,

“May you, our sister, become
    thousands of ten thousand;
may your children possess
        their enemies’ cities.”

61 Rebekah and her young women got up, mounted the camels, and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

62 Now Isaac had come from the region of[a] Beer-lahai-roi and had settled in the arid southern plain. 63 One evening, Isaac went out to inspect the pasture,[b] and while staring he saw camels approaching. 64 Rebekah stared at Isaac. She got down from the camel 65 and said to the servant, “Who is this man walking through the pasture to meet us?”

The servant said, “He’s my master.” So she took her headscarf and covered herself. 66 The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. 67 Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah’s tent. He received Rebekah as his wife and loved her. So Isaac found comfort after his mother’s death.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 24:62 Heb uncertain; LXX through the desert of
  2. Genesis 24:63 Heb uncertain; possibly to walk around in the pasture or to meditate in the pasture

34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant.(A) 35 The Lord has blessed(B) my master abundantly,(C) and he has become wealthy.(D) He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.(E) 36 My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age,(F) and he has given him everything he owns.(G) 37 And my master made me swear an oath,(H) and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,(I) 38 but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’(J)

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

40 “He replied, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked faithfully,(L) will send his angel with you(M) and make your journey a success,(N) so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family.(O) 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.’(P)

42 “When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success(Q) to the journey on which I have come. 43 See, I am standing beside this spring.(R) If a young woman(S) comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,”(T) 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.’(U)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I will go,”(AV) she said.

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

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

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

66 Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. 67 Isaac brought her into the tent(BI) of his mother Sarah,(BJ) and he married Rebekah.(BK) So she became his wife, and he loved her;(BL) and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.(BM)

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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.