1 And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had
blessed Abraham in all things.
2 And
Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he
had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:
3 And
I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the
earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the
Canaanites, among whom I dwell:
4 But
thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son
Isaac.
5 And
the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow
me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence
thou camest?
6 And
Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.
7 The
LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of
my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy
seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt
take a wife unto my son from thence.
8 And
if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from
this my oath: only bring not my son thither again.
9 And
the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware 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, unto the city of Nahor.
11 And
he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the
time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.
12 And
he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this
day, and shew kindness unto 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 shall say, Let down thy pitcher,
I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy
camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant
Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.
15 And
it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out,
who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother,
with her pitcher upon her shoulder.
16 And
the damsel was very
fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: 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 thee, drink a little
water of thy 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
thy camels also, until they have done drinking.
20 And
she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the
well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.
21 And
the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his
journey prosperous or not.
22 And
it came to pass, as the camels had done 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 art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there
room in thy
father's house for us to lodge in?
24 And
she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of
Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.
25 She
said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender 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
hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in
the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren.
28 And
the damsel ran, and told them of her mother's house these things.
29 And
Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man,
unto the well.
30 And
it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands,
and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man
unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the
well.
31 And
he said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore standest thou without?
for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.
32 And
the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and
provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men's feet that were with
him.
33 And
there was set meat 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 hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath
given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and
maidservants, and camels, and asses.
36 And
Sarah my master's wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him
hath he given all that he hath.
37 And
my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters
of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell:
38 But
thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto
my son.
39 And
I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me.
40 And
he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee,
and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and
of my father's house:
41 Then
shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my
kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my
oath.
42 And
I came this day unto the well, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if
now thou do prosper my way which I go:
43 Behold,
I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin
cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I
pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink;
44 And
she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the
same be the
woman whom the LORD hath appointed out for my master's son.
45 And
before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her
pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.
46 And
she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels
drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also.
47 And
I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of
Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her
face, and the bracelets upon her hands.
48 And
I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my
master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's
daughter unto his son.
49 And
now if ye 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, The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we
cannot speak unto thee bad or good.
51 Behold,
Rebekah is before
thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as
the LORD hath 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 gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.
54 And
they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and
they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away unto my master.
55 And
her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days,
at the least ten; after that she shall go.
56 And
he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send
me away that I may go to my master.
57 And
they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth.
58 And
they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou 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 unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of
thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate
them.
61 And
Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the
man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
62 And
Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south
country.
63 And
Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his
eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.
64 And
Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
65 For
she had said
unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet
us? And the servant had said, It is my
master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.
66 And
the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.
67 And
Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she
became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
