Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Lord Exalts the Humble.

¹¹ He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of the evening when women go out to draw water. ¹² And he said, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show lovingkindness (faithfulness) to my master Abraham. ¹³ Behold, I stand here at the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; ¹⁴ now let it be that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please, let down your jar so that I may [have a] drink,’ and she replies, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels water to drink’—may she be the one whom You have selected [as a wife] for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown lovingkindness (faithfulness) to my master.”

Rebekah Is Chosen

¹⁵ Before Eliezer had finished speaking (praying), Rebekah came out with her [water] jar on her shoulder. Rebekah was the daughter of Bethuel the ^[a]son of Milcah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. ¹⁶ The girl was very beautiful, a virgin and unmarried; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. ¹⁷ Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar.” ¹⁸ And she said, “Drink, my lord”; and she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink. ¹⁹ When she had given Eliezer a drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels until they have finished drinking.” ²⁰ So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran again to the well and drew water for all his camels. ²¹ Meanwhile, the man stood gazing at Rebekah in [reverent] silence, [waiting] to know if the Lord had made his trip successful or not.

²² When the camels had finished drinking, Eliezer took a gold ring weighing a half-shekel and two bracelets for her hands weighing ten shekels in gold, ²³ and said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge?” ²⁴ And she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah’s son, whom she bore to [her husband] Nahor.” ²⁵ Again she said to him, “We have plenty of both straw and feed, and also room to lodge.” ²⁶ The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord. ²⁷ He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not denied His lovingkindness and His truth to my master. As for me, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brothers.”

⁹ A widow is to be put on the list [to receive regular assistance] only if she is over sixty years of age, [having been] the wife of one man, ¹⁰ and has a reputation for good deeds; [she is eligible] if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the feet of the saints (God’s people), if she has assisted the distressed, and has devoted herself to doing good in every way. ¹¹ But refuse [to enroll the] younger widows, for when they feel their natural desires in disregard of Christ, they wish to marry again, ¹² and so they incur condemnation for having set aside their ^[a]previous pledge. ¹³ Now at the same time, they also learn to be idle as they go from house to house; and not only idle, but also gossips and ^[b]busybodies [meddlers in things that do not concern them], talking about things they should not mention. ¹⁴ So I want younger widows to get married, have children, manage their households, and not give opponents of the faith any occasion for slander. ¹⁵ Some [widows] have already turned away [from the faith] to follow Satan. ¹⁶ If any believing woman has [dependent] widows [in her household], ^[c]she must assist them [according to her ability]; and the church must not be burdened [with them], so that it may assist those who are truly widows [those who are all alone and are dependent].