THE BOOK OF GENESIS

 

Genesis Chapter 24

1 ¶ And Abraham was old, and well advanced in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.

2 And Abraham said to the oldest servant of his household, who was in charge of everything that he had, Put, I pray you, your hand under my thigh:

3 And I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live:

4 But you will go to my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.

5 And the servant said to him, Suppose the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land: must I then take your son back to the land from where you came?

6 And Abraham said to him, Make sure that you do not take my son back there.

7 The LORD God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, To your seed will I give this land; he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.

8 And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath: only do not take my son back there.

9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning that matter.

10 ¶ And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.

11 And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water.

12 And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray you, send me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.

13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:

14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I will say, Let down your pitcher, I pray you, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give your camels drink also: let her be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac; and thereby I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.

15 And it came to pass, before he had finished speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder.

16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, whom no man had known: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray you, drink a little water from your pitcher.

18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.

20 And she hurried, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.

21 And the man silently watched her, to see whether the LORD had made his journey successful or not.

22 And it came to pass, as the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;

23 And said, Whose daughter are you? tell me, I pray you: is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge in?

24 And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare to Nahor.

25 She also said to him, We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge in.

26 And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD.

27 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who has not withheld his mercy and truth from my master: The LORD led me in the way to the house of my master’s brethren.

28 And the damsel ran, and told those of her mother’s house these things.

29 ¶ And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out to the man, at the well.

30 When he saw the earring and bracelets on his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus the man spoke to me; he went to the man; and, behold, he was standing by the camels at the well.

31 And he said, Come in, O blessed of the LORD; why do you stand without? for I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.

32 And the man came into the house: and Laban unloaded his camels, and gave him straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the feet of the men who were with him.

33 Then food was set before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on.

34 And he said, I am Abraham’s servant.

35 And the LORD has blessed my master greatly; and he has become great: and he has given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and donkeys.

36 And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old: and he has given to him all that he has.

37 And my master 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 But you shall go to my father’s house, and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son.

39 And I said to my master, Suppose the woman will not follow me.

40 And he said to me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you, and prosper your way; and you will take a wife for my son from my kindred, and from my father’s house:

41 Then you will be free from this oath, when you come to my kindred; and if they do not give you one, you will be free from my oath.

42 And I came this day to the well, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if you now prosper the way which I go:

43 Behold, I am standing by a well of water; let it come to pass, that the virgin who comes out to draw water, to whom I say, Give me, I pray you, a little water from your pitcher to drink;

44 And she says to me, You drink, and I will draw water for your camels also: let the same be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master’s son.

45 And before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the well, and drew water: and I said to her, Let me drink, I pray you.

46 And she hurried, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give your camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also.

47 And I asked her, Whose daughter are you? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bare to him: and I put the earring on her face, and the bracelets on her hands.

48 And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter to his son.

49 And now if you will 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.

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, This thing is from the LORD: we cannot speak for or against it.

51 Behold, Rebekah is before you, take her, and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as the LORD has spoken.

52 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth.

53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother.

54 ¶ And they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and spent the night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away to my master.

55 And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel remain with us a few days, at least ten; after that she shall go.

56 And he said to them, Do not hinder me, seeing the LORD has prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.

57 And they said, We will call the damsel, and ask her personally.

58 And they called Rebekah, and said to her, Will you go with this man? And she said, I will go.

59 And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant, and his men.

60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said to her, You are our sister, be the mother of thousands of millions, and let your seed possess the gate of those who hate them.

61 And Rebekah and her maids arose, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

62 ¶ Now Isaac was returning from the well Lahairoi; for he was staying in the south country.

63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, the camels coming.

64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she slid down from the camel.

65 For she had asked the servant, What man is that who is walking in the field to meet us? And the servant said, It is my master: therefore she took a veil, and covered herself.

66 And the servant told Isaac everything that he had done.

67 And Isaac brought Rebekah to his mother Sarah’s tent, and took her to be his wife; and he loved her: so Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.