Genesis 24

1Abraham was now very old. The LORD had blessed Abraham in every way.

2Abraham said to his oldest servant, who was in charge of everything Abraham owned: Put your hand under my thigh.

3I want you to swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and earth. Swear that you will not choose a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites. I live among them.

4Instead, go to my own country and my own relatives. Choose a wife for my son Isaac there.

5The servant said to Abraham: Maybe the woman will not want to follow me to this land. Should I take your son back to the land you came from?

6Abraham said to him: Be careful. Do not take my son back there.

7The LORD, the God of heaven, took me from my father's house. He took me from the land where I was born. He spoke to me and swore: I will give this land to your descendants. The LORD will send His angel ahead of you. You will get a wife for my son from there.

8If the woman will not follow you, then you are free from this oath. But do not take my son back there.

9So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore to him about this.

10The servant took 10 of his master's camels and all kinds of good gifts from his master. He set out for Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.

11He made the camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water. It was evening, the time when women come out to draw water.

12He prayed: LORD, God of my master Abraham, please give me success today. Show kindness to my master Abraham.

13Look, I am standing here by the well. The daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.

14Let it happen like this. I will say to a young woman: Please lower your jar so I can drink. Suppose she says: Drink, and I will give your camels water too. Let her be the one You have chosen for Your servant Isaac. Then I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.

15Before the servant finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah and Nahor, Abraham's brother.

16The young woman was very beautiful. She had never slept with a man. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up.

17The servant ran to meet her and said: Please let me drink a little water from your jar.

18She said: Drink, sir. She quickly lowered her jar into her hands and gave him a drink.

19When she had given him a drink, she said: I will also draw water for your camels until they have had enough.

20She quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran back to the well to draw more. She drew water for all his camels.

21The man watched her quietly. He wanted to know whether the LORD had made his journey a success or not.

22When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold ring that weighed half a shekel. He also took 2 gold bracelets that weighed 10 shekels.

23He asked: Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room in your father's house for us to stay the night?

24She said: I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah and Nahor.

25She also said: We have plenty of straw and feed. We also have room for you to stay.

26The man bowed his head and worshiped the LORD.

27He said: Praise the LORD, the God of my master Abraham. He has not stopped showing kindness and faithfulness to my master. The LORD led me on the way to the house of my master's relatives.

28The young woman ran and told her mother's household about these things.

29Rebekah had a brother named Laban. Laban ran out to the man at the spring.

30Laban had seen the ring and the bracelets on his sister's arms. He had heard his sister Rebekah say: This is what the man told me. So Laban went to the man standing by the camels at the spring.

31Laban said: Come in, you who are blessed by the LORD. Why are you standing outside? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.

32So the man came into the house. Laban unloaded the camels and gave them straw and feed. Laban brought water to wash the man's feet and the feet of the men with him.

33Food was set before the man. But he said: I will not eat until I have told you why I came. Laban said: Tell us.

34The servant said: I am Abraham's servant.

35The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become rich. The LORD has given him sheep, oxen, silver, gold, male and female servants, camels and donkeys.

36Sarah, my master's wife, had a son for my master when she was old. My master has given him everything he owns.

37My master made me swear. He said: Do not choose a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live.

38Go to my father's house and to my own family. Choose a wife for my son there.

39I said to my master: Maybe the woman will not follow me.

40He said to me: The LORD, whom I walk with, will send His angel with you and make your journey a success. You will get a wife for my son from my own family and my father's house.

41Then you will be free from my oath. If you go to my family and they refuse to give her to you, you will also be free from my oath.

42Today I came to the spring and prayed: LORD, God of my master Abraham, please make my journey a success.

43Look, I am standing by the spring. When a young woman comes out to draw water, I will say: Please give me a little water from your jar.

44If she says: Drink, and I will draw water for your camels too, let her be the woman the LORD has chosen for my master's son.

45I had not finished praying in my heart when Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her: Please give me a drink.

46She quickly lowered her jar and said: Drink, and I will give your camels water too. So I drank, and she gave the camels water too.

47I asked her: Whose daughter are you? She said: I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor and Milcah. Then I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms.

48I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD. I praised the LORD, the God of my master Abraham. He led me on the right road. I came to get the granddaughter of my master's brother for his son.

49Now tell me if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master. If not, tell me, so that I can know what to do.

50Laban and Bethuel answered: This is from the LORD. We cannot say yes or no to you.

51Rebekah is here. Take her and go. Let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has said.

52When Abraham's servant heard this, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD.

53The servant brought out silver and gold jewelry and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive gifts to her brother and her mother.

54Then the servant and the men with him ate and drank and stayed the night. When they got up in the morning, the servant said: Send me back to my master.

55Rebekah's brother and mother said: Let the young woman stay with us for 10 days or so. Then she can go.

56But the servant said to them: Do not delay me. The LORD has made my journey a success. Send me on my way so I can go to my master.

57They said: Let us call the young woman and ask her.

58They called Rebekah and asked her: Will you go with this man? She said: I will go.

59So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way with her nurse. Abraham's servant and his men went with her.

60They blessed Rebekah and said: Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands upon thousands. May your descendants take the cities of their enemies.

61Then Rebekah and her young women got up, rode on the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

62Isaac had come from the well Beer Lahai Roi. He was living in the Negev.

63One evening Isaac went out to the field to think. He looked up and saw camels coming.

64Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel.

65She asked the servant: Who is that man walking in the field to meet us? The servant said: He is my master. So Rebekah took her veil and covered herself.

66The servant told Isaac everything he had done.

67Isaac brought Rebekah into the tent of his mother Sarah. He married Rebekah, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.