Abraham’s Charge to His Servant
1. And Abraham was old, advanced in days;
and Jehovah had blessed Abraham in all things.
2. And Abraham said to his servant,
the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had,
“Put, I pray you, your hand under my thigh,
3. and I will make you swear by Jehovah, the God of heaven and the God of the earth,
that you shall not take a wife for my son
from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I dwell;
4. but you shall go to my country and to my kindred,
and take a wife for my son Isaac.”
5. And the servant said to him,
“Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land;
must I then bring your son back to the land from which you came?”
6. And Abraham said to him,
“Beware that you do not bring my son there again.
7. Jehovah, the God of heaven,
who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth,
and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying,
‘To your seed I will 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 will not be willing to follow you,
then you shall be free from this my oath;
only do not bring my son there again.”
9. And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master,
and swore to him concerning that matter.
The Servant’s Journey to Nahor’s City
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 the 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 Jehovah, God of my master Abraham,
please grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
13. Behold, I stand here by the spring of water,
and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.
14. And let it be that the maiden to whom I shall say,
‘Please let down your pitcher, 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 by this I shall know that You have shown kindness to my master.”
Rebekah Appears
15. And before he had finished speaking,
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 maiden was very fair to look upon, a virgin,
neither had any man known her;
and she went down to the spring, and filled her pitcher, and came up.
17. And the servant ran to meet her, and said,
“Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.”
18. And she said,
“Drink, my lord.”
And she quickly let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.
19. And when she had finished giving him drink, she said,
“I will draw water for your camels also,
until they have finished drinking.”
20. And she quickly 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, gazing at her, held his peace,
to know whether Jehovah had made his journey prosperous or not.
The Servant Gives Gifts
22. And it came to pass, as the camels had finished drinking,
that the man took a golden ring 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 son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.”
25. She said moreover to him,
“We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge in.”
26. And the man bowed down his head and worshiped Jehovah.
27. And he said,
“Blessed be Jehovah, God of my master Abraham,
who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master;
as for me, being on the way, Jehovah has led me to the house of my master’s brothers.”
Rebekah Brings Him Home
28. And the maiden ran, and told her mother’s house these things.
29. And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban;
and Laban ran out to the man, to the spring.
30. And it came to pass, when he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s hands,
and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying,
“Thus spoke the man to me,”
that he came to the man; and behold, he stood by the camels at the spring.
31. And he said,
“Come in, blessed of Jehovah; why do you stand outside?
For I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”
32. And the man came into the house,
and he ungirded the camels,
and gave straw and feed for the camels,
and water to wash his feet and the men’s feet who were with him.
33. And food was set before him to eat;
but he said, “I will not eat until I have told my errand.”
And he said, “Speak on.”
The Servant Recounts His Mission
34. And he said,
“I am Abraham’s servant.
35.
And Jehovah has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great;
and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold,
male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys.
36. And Sarah, my master’s wife, bore a son to my master when she was old;
and to him he has given 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,
‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’
40. And he said to me,
‘Jehovah, before whom I walk,
will send His angel with you and prosper your way;
and you shall take a wife for my son from my kindred, and from my father’s house.
41. Then you shall be free from my oath when you come to my kindred;
and if they will not give her to you, you shall be free from my oath.’
42. And I came this day to the spring, and said,
‘O Jehovah, God of my master Abraham,
if now You will prosper my way which I go —
43. behold, I stand by the spring of water;
and let it come to pass, that the maiden who comes forth to draw water,
to whom I shall say, “Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,”
44. and she shall say to me, “Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,” —
let her be the woman whom Jehovah has appointed for my master’s son.’
45. And before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth
with her pitcher on her shoulder;
and she went down to the spring and drew water,
and I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’
46. And she quickly let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said,
‘Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.’
So I drank, and she also gave the camels drink.
47. And I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’
And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.’
And I put the ring upon her nose, and the bracelets upon her hands.
48. And I bowed down my head, and worshiped Jehovah,
and blessed Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham,
who had led me in the right way
to take the daughter of my master’s brother for 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.”
Rebekah Is Given to Isaac
50. Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said,
“The thing proceeds from Jehovah;
we cannot speak to you bad or good.
51. Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her, and go,
and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as Jehovah has spoken.”
52. And it came to pass, when Abraham’s servant heard their words,
he bowed himself to the earth before Jehovah.
53. And the servant brought forth jewels of silver and jewels of gold and clothing,
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 they stayed all 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 maiden stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she shall go.”
56. And he said to them,
“Do not delay me, seeing Jehovah has prospered my way;
send me away that I may go to my master.”
57. And they said, “We will call the maiden, and ask her mouth.”
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; may you become
thousands of ten thousands,
and may your seed possess the gate of those who hate them.”
Rebekah Meets Isaac
61. And Rebekah arose, and her maidens,
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 Beer-lahai-roi;
for he dwelt in the Negev.
63. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at 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 to the servant,
“Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?”
And the servant said, “It is my master.”
And she took her veil, and covered herself.
66. And the servant told Isaac all the 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.
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