Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹¹ Toward evening, when the women go out to draw water, he had the camels kneel down outside the city by the well. ¹² He said, “Adonai, God of my master Avraham, please let me succeed today; and show your grace to my master Avraham. ¹³ Here I am, standing by the spring, as the daughters of the townsfolk come out to draw water. ¹⁴ I will say to one of the girls, ‘Please lower your jug, so that I can drink.’ If she answers, ‘Yes, drink; and I will water your camels as well,’ then let her be the one you intend for your servant Yitz’chak. This is how I will know that you have shown grace to my master.”

¹⁵ Before he had finished speaking, Rivkah the daughter of B’tu’el son of Milkah the wife of Nachor Avraham’s brother, came out with her jug on her shoulder. ¹⁶ The girl was very beautiful, a virgin, never having had sexual relations with any man. She went down to the spring, filled her jug and came up. ¹⁷ The servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a sip of water from your jug to drink.” ¹⁸ “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and immediately lowered her jug onto her arm and let him drink. ¹⁹ When she was through letting him drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels until they have drunk their fill.” ²⁰ She quickly emptied her jug into the trough, then ran again to the well to draw water, and kept on drawing water for all his camels. ²¹ The man gazed at her in silence, waiting to find out whether Adonai had made his trip successful or not.

²² When the camels were done drinking, the man took a gold nose-ring weighing one-fifth of an ounce and two gold bracelets weighing four ounces ²³ and asked, “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please. Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?” ²⁴ She answered, “I am the daughter of B’tu’el the son Milkah bore to Nachor,” ²⁵ adding, “We have plenty of straw and fodder, and room for staying overnight.” ²⁶ The man bowed his head and prostrated himself before Adonai. (iv) ²⁷ Then he said, “Blessed be Adonai, God of my master Avraham, who has not abandoned his faithful love for my master; because Adonai has guided me to the house of my master’s kinsmen.”

⁹ Let a widow be enrolled on the list of widows only if she is more than sixty years old, was faithful to her husband, ¹⁰ and is known for her good deeds — as one who has reared her children well, showed hospitality, washed the feet of God’s people, helped those in trouble, and engaged in all kinds of good work.

¹¹ But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when they begin to feel natural passions that alienate them from the Messiah, they want to get married. ¹² This brings them under condemnation for having set aside the trust they had at first. ¹³ Besides that, they learn to be idle, going around from house to house; and not only idle, but gossips and busybodies, saying things they shouldn’t. ¹⁴ Therefore, I would rather the young widows get married, have children and take charge of their homes, so as to give the opposition no occasion for slandering us. ¹⁵ For already some have turned astray to follow the Adversary.

¹⁶ If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, she should provide relief for them — the congregation shouldn’t be burdened, so that it may help the widows who are really in need.