Genesis 24:28-49

New King James Version

²⁸ So the young woman ran and told her mother’s household these things.

²⁹ Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was ^(A)Laban, and Laban ran out to the man by the well. ³⁰ So it came to pass, when he saw the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, “Thus the man spoke to me,” that he went to the man. And there he stood by the camels at the well. ³¹ And he said, “Come in, ^(B)O blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.”

³² Then the man came to the house. And he unloaded the camels, and ^(C)provided straw and feed for the camels, and water to ^(D)wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. ³³ Food was set before him to eat, but he said, ^(E)“I will not eat until I have told about my errand.”

And he said, “Speak on.”

³⁴ So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. ³⁵ The Lord ^(F)has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. ³⁶ And Sarah my master’s wife ^(G)bore a son to my master when she was old; and ^(H)to him he has given all that he has. ³⁷ Now my master ^(I)made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell; ^38 (J)but you shall go to my father’s house and to my family, and take a wife for my son.’ ^39 (K)And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ ^40 (L)But he said to me, ‘The Lord, ^(M)before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and ^[a]prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father’s house. ^41 (N)You will be clear from this oath when you arrive among my family; for if they will not give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’

⁴² “And this day I came to the well and said, ^(O)‘O Lord God of my master Abraham, if You will now prosper the way in which I go, ^43 (P)behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin comes out to draw water, and I say to her, “Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,” ⁴⁴ and she says to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,”—let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’

^45 (Q)“But before I had finished ^(R)speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah, coming out with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the well and drew water. And I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ ⁴⁶ And she made haste and let her pitcher down from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels a drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels a drink also. ⁴⁷ Then I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. ^48 (S)And I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the way of truth to ^(T)take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son. ⁴⁹ Now if you will ^(U)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.”