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Isaac and Rebekah

24 Now Abraham was old, advanced in age,[a] and Yahweh had blessed Abraham in everything. And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his house, who had charge of all he had, “Please put your hand under my thigh that I may make you swear by Yahweh, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose midst I am dwelling, but that you will go to my land and to my family, and take a wife for my son, for Isaac.” And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow[b] me to this land—must I then return your son to the land from whence you came?” Abraham said to him, “You must take care[c] that you do not return my son there. Yahweh, the God of heaven who took me from the house of my father and from the land of my family, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘to your offspring I will give this land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. And if the woman is not willing to follow[d] you, then you shall be released from this oath of mine—only you must not return my son there.” Then the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and he swore to him concerning this matter. 10 And the servant took ten camels from his master’s camels, and he went with all kinds of his master’s good things in his hand. And he arose and went to Aram-Naharaim, to the city of Nahor. 11 And he made the camels kneel outside the city at the well of water, at the time of evening, toward the time the women went out to draw water. 12 And he said, “O Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show loyal love to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are going out to draw water. 14 And let it be that the girl to whom I shall say, ‘Please, offer your jar that I may drink’ and who says, ‘Drink—and I will also water your camels,’ she is the one you have chosen for your servant, for Isaac. By her I will know that you have shown loyal love to my master.” 15 And it happened that before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah—who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham—came out, and her jar was on her shoulder. 16 Now the girl was very pleasing in appearance. She was a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up. 17 And the servant ran to meet her. And he said, “Please, let me drink a little of the water from your jar.” 18 And she said, “Drink, my lord.” And she quickly lowered her jar in her hand and gave him a drink. 19 When[e] she finished giving him a drink she said, “I will also draw water for your camels until they finish drinking.” 20 And she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water. And she drew water for all his camels. 21 And the man was gazing at her silently to know if Yahweh had made his journey successful or not. 22 And it happened that as the camels finished drinking the man took a gold ring of a half shekel in weight and two bracelets for her arms, ten shekels in weight, 23 and said, “Please tell me, whose daughter are you? Is there a place at the house of your father for us to spend the night?” 24 And she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 Then she said to him, “We have both straw and fodder in abundance, as well as a place to spend the night.” 26 And the man knelt down and worshiped Yahweh. 27 And he said, “Blessed be Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, who has not withheld[f] his loyal love and his faithfulness from my master. I was on the way and Yahweh led me to the house of my master’s brother.” 28 Then the girl ran and reported these things to the household of her mother.

29 Now Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. And Laban ran out to the man toward the spring. 30 And when he saw the ring and the bracelets on the arms of his sister and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, who said, “Thus the man spoke to me,” he went to the man. And behold, he was standing with the camels at the spring. 31 And he said, “Come, O blessed one of Yahweh. Why do you stand outside? Now I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.” 32 And the man came to the house and unloaded the camels. And he gave straw and fodder to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 And food was placed before him[g] to eat. And he said, “I will not eat until I have told my errand.”[h] And he said, “Speak.” 34 And he said, “I am the servant of Abraham. 35 Now Yahweh has blessed my master exceedingly, and he has become great. He has given to him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male slaves and female slaves, and camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah, the wife of my master, has borne a son to my master after her old age. And he[i] has given to him all that he has. 37 And my master made me swear, saying, ‘Do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I am living. 38 But you shall go to the house of my father, and to my family, and you shall take a wife for my son.’ 39 And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow[j] me.’ 40 And he said to me, ‘Yahweh, before whom I have walked, shall send his angel with you and will make your journey successful. And you shall take a wife for my son from my family, and from the house of my father. 41 Then you shall be released from my oath, when you come to my family. And if they will not give a woman to you, then you will be released from my oath.’ 42 Then today I came to the spring, and I said, ‘O Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, if you would please make my journey successful,[k] upon which I am going. 43 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water. Let it be that the young woman who comes out to draw water and to whom I say, “Please give me a little water to drink from your jar,” 44 let her say to me, “Drink; I will also draw water for your camels,” she is the woman whom Yahweh has appointed for the son of my master.’ 45 I had not yet finished speaking to myself[l] when, behold, Rebekah was coming out with[m] her jar on her shoulder. And she went down to the spring and drew water. And I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 46 And she hastened and let down her jar from her shoulder[n] and said, ‘Drink, and I will give a drink to your camels also.’ Then I drank and she gave a drink to the camels also. 47 Then I asked her and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.’ And I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. 48 And I knelt down and worshiped Yahweh, and I praised Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who led me on the right way, to take the daughter of the brother of my master for his son. 49 So now, if you are going to deal loyally and truly[o] with my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, so that I may turn to the right or to the left.”[p] 50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered, and they said, “The matter has gone out from Yahweh; we are not able to speak bad or good to you. 51 Here is Rebekah before you. Take her and go; let her be a wife for the son of your master as Yahweh has spoken.” 52 And it happened that when the servant of Abraham heard their words he bowed down to the ground to Yahweh. 53 And the servant brought out silver jewelry and gold jewelry, and garments, and he gave them to Rebekah. And he gave precious gifts to her brother and to her mother. 54 And he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night. And they got up in the morning, and he said, “Let me go to my master.” 55 And her brother and her mother said, “Let the girl remain with us ten days or so; after that she may go.” 56 And he said to them, “Do not delay me. Now, Yahweh has made my journey successful. Let me go. I must go to my master.” 57 And they said, “Let us call the girl and ask her opinion.”[q] 58 And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” 59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and the servant of Abraham and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “You are our sister; may you become countless thousands; and may your offspring take possession of the gate of his enemies.” 61 And Rebekah and her maidservants arose, and they mounted the camels and followed[r] the man. And the servant took Rebekah and left.

62 Now Isaac was coming from the direction of Beer-Lahai-Roi. And he was living in the land of the Negev. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field early in the evening,[s] and he lifted up his eyes and saw—behold, camels were coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac. And she got down from the camel. 65 And she said to the servant, “Who is this man walking around in the field to meet us?” And the servant said, “That is my master.” And she took her[t] veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 And Isaac brought her to the tent of Sarah his mother. And he took Rebekah, and she became his wife. And Isaac loved her and was comforted after the death of his mother.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 24:1 Literally “going in the days”
  2. Genesis 24:5 Literally “to go after”
  3. Genesis 24:6 Literally “let it be careful to you”
  4. Genesis 24:8 Literally “to go after”
  5. Genesis 24:19 Or “And”
  6. Genesis 24:27 Or “abandoned”
  7. Genesis 24:33 Literally “And it was placed before him”
  8. Genesis 24:33 Literally “I have spoken my word”
  9. Genesis 24:36 That is, Abraham
  10. Genesis 24:39 Literally “go after”
  11. Genesis 24:42 Literally “if there is you making successful my journey”
  12. Genesis 24:45 Or “to my heart”
  13. Genesis 24:45 Or “and”
  14. Genesis 24:46 Literally “from upon her”
  15. Genesis 24:49 Literally “if there is you doing loyal love and faithfulness”
  16. Genesis 24:49 An idiom for “so that I might know what to do”
  17. Genesis 24:57 Literally “her mouth”
  18. Genesis 24:61 Literally “went after”
  19. Genesis 24:63 Literally “at the turning of evening”
  20. Genesis 24:65 Or “the”

24 And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and Jehovah had blessed Abraham in all things. And Abraham said unto his servant, the elder of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: and I will make thee swear by Jehovah, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that thou wilt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: but thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac. And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest? And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again. Jehovah, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my nativity, and who spake unto me, and who sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he will send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife for my son from thence. And if the woman be not willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath; only thou shalt not bring my son thither again. And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning this matter.

10 And the servant took ten camels, of the camels of his master, and departed, [a]having all goodly things of his master’s in his hand: and he arose, and went to [b]Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. 11 And he made the camels to kneel down without the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water. 12 And he said, O Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, send me, I pray thee, good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I am standing by the fountain of water; and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water: 14 and let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast showed kindness unto my master. 15 And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. 16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the fountain, and filled her pitcher, and came up. 17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Give me to drink, I pray thee, a little water from thy pitcher. 18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. 19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. 20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw, and drew for all his camels. 21 And the man looked stedfastly on her, holding his peace, to know whether Jehovah had made his journey prosperous or not. 22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden ring of [c]half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold, 23 and said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee. Is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in? 24 And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bare unto Nahor. 25 She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in. 26 And the man bowed his head, and worshipped Jehovah. 27 And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, who hath not forsaken his lovingkindness and his truth toward my master: as for me, Jehovah hath led me in the way to the house of my master’s brethren.

28 And the damsel ran, and told her mother’s house according to these words. 29 And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the fountain. 30 And it came to pass, when he saw the ring, and the 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 was standing by the camels at the fountain. 31 And he said, Come in, thou blessed of Jehovah; 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 the camels; and he gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men that were with him. 33 And there was set food 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 Jehovah hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and men-servants and maid-servants, 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 for 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 for my son. 39 And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me. 40 And he said unto me, Jehovah, 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 my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give her not to thee, thou shalt be clear from my oath. 42 And I came this day unto the fountain, and said, O Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go: 43 behold, I am standing by the fountain of water; and let it come to pass, that the maiden that cometh forth to draw, to whom I shall say, Give me, I pray thee, a little water from thy pitcher to drink; 44 and she shall say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom Jehovah hath appointed for my master’s son. 45 And before I had done speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the fountain, and drew: 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 ring upon her nose, and the bracelets upon her hands. 48 And I bowed my head, and worshipped Jehovah, and blessed Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter for 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 Jehovah: 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 Jehovah hath spoken. 52 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth unto Jehovah. 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 Jehovah hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master. 57 And they said, We will call the damsel, and inquire 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, Our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let thy seed possess the gate of those that 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 Beer-lahai-roi; for he dwelt in the land of the South. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: 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 alighted from the camel. 65 And she said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant said, It is my master: and she took her veil, and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the 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.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 24:10 Or, for all the goods of his master were in his hand
  2. Genesis 24:10 Hebrew Aram-naharaim, that is, Aram of the two rivers.
  3. Genesis 24:22 Hebrew a beka. See Ex. 38:26.