Isaac and Rebekah

24 Abraham was now very old,^(A) and the Lord had blessed^(B) him in every way.^{(C) 2} He 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) 3} I 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) 4} but will go to my country and my own relatives^(M) and get a wife for my son Isaac.^(N)”

⁶ “Make sure that you do not take my son back there,”^(A) Abraham said. ⁷ “The Lord, the God of heaven,^(B) who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land^(C) and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring^[a](D) I will give this land’^(E)—he will send his angel before you^(F) so that you can get a wife for my son from there. ⁸ If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath^(G) of mine. Only do not take my son back there.”^{(H) 9} So the servant put his hand under the thigh^(I) of his master^(J) Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.

¹² Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham,^(A) make me successful^(B) today, and show kindness^(C) to my master Abraham. ¹³ See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.^{(D) 14} May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink,^(E) and I’ll water your camels too’^(F)—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac.^(G) By this I will know^(H) that you have shown kindness to my master.”

¹⁵ Before he had finished praying,^(I) Rebekah^(J) came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel^(K) son of Milkah,^(L) who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor.^(M)

²⁷ saying, “Praise be to the Lord,^(A) the God of my master Abraham,^(B) who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness^(C) to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey^(D) to the house of my master’s relatives.”^(E)

²⁸ The young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.^{(F) 29} Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban,^(G) 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,^(H) 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.

⁴⁸ and I bowed down and worshiped the Lord.^(A) I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham,^(B) who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son.^{(C) 49} Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness^(D) to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.”

⁵⁰ Laban and Bethuel^(E) answered, “This is from the Lord;^(F) we can say nothing to you one way or the other.^(G)

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

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

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

“I will go,”^(E) she said.

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

⁶¹ Then Rebekah and her attendants^(K) 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,^(L) for he was living in the Negev.^{(M) 63} He went out to the field one evening to meditate,^[b](N) and as he looked up,^(O) he saw camels approaching. ⁶⁴ Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel^{(P) 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^(Q) and covered herself.

⁶⁶ Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. ⁶⁷ Isaac brought her into the tent^(R) of his mother Sarah,^(S) and he married Rebekah.^(T) So she became his wife, and he loved her;^(U) and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.^(V)