Genesis 24:1-8

New Living Translation

A Wife for Isaac

24 Abraham was now a very old man, and the Lord had blessed him in every way. ²One day Abraham said to his oldest servant, the man in charge of his household, “Take an oath by putting your hand under my thigh. ³Swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women. ⁴Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac.”

⁵The servant asked, “But what if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to travel so far from home? Should I then take Isaac there to live among your relatives in the land you came from?”

⁶“No!” Abraham responded. “Be careful never to take my son there. ⁷For the Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my descendants.^[a] He will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a wife there for my son. ⁸If she is unwilling to come back with you, then you are free from this oath of mine. But under no circumstances are you to take my son there.”

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Footnotes

24:7 Hebrew seed; also in 24:60.

Genesis 24:1-8

New International Version

Isaac and Rebekah

24 Abraham was now very old,^(A) and the Lord had blessed^(B) him in every way.^(C) ²He said to the senior servant^(D) in his household, the one in charge of all that he had,^(E) “Put your hand under my thigh.^(F) ³I want you to swear^(G) by the Lord, the God of heaven^(H) and the God of earth,^(I) that you will not get a wife for my son^(J) from the daughters of the Canaanites,^(K) among whom I am living,^(L) ⁴but will go to my country and my own relatives^(M) and get a wife for my son Isaac.^(N)”

⁵The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land?^(O) Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?^(P)”

⁶“Make sure that you do not take my son back there,”^(Q) Abraham said. ⁷“The Lord, the God of heaven,^(R) who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land^(S) and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring^[a]^(T) I will give this land’^(U)—he will send his angel before you^(V) so that you can get a wife for my son from there. ⁸If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath^(W) of mine. Only do not take my son back there.”^(X)