Genesis 24

Abraham Sends His Servant to Find a Wife for Isaac.

9 min read

1 And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.
2 And Abraham said to his oldest servant of his house, that ruled over all 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 shall not take a wife to my son of 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 to my son Isaac.
5 And the servant said to him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land: must I needs bring your son again to the land from where you came?
6 And Abraham said to him, Beware you that you 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 spoke to me, and that swore to me, saying, To your seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife to my son from there.
8 And if the woman will not be willing to follow you, then you shall 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 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 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 you, send me good speed 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 shall 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 the same be she that you have appointed for your servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that you have showed kindness to 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 on her shoulder.
16 And the damsel was very fair to look on, 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 you, drink a little water of your pitcher.
18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hurried, and let down her pitcher on 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 done 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 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 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 bore to Nahor.
25 She said moreover to 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 has 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 brothers.
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 to the man, to the well.
30 And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and 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 well.
31 And he said, Come in, you blessed of the LORD; why stand you 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 my 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 is become great: and he has given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.
36 And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old: and to him has he given all that he has.
37 And my master made me swear, saying, You shall not take a wife to my son of 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 to my son.
39 And I said to my master, Peradventure 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 shall take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father’s house:
41 Then shall you be clear from this my oath, when you come to my kindred; and if they give not you one, you shall be clear from my oath.
42 And I came this day to the well, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now you 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 comes forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray you, a little water of your pitcher to drink;
44 And she say to me, Both drink you, and I will also draw for your camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD has appointed out for my master’s son.
45 And before I had done speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth 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 made haste, 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, and said, Whose daughter are you? And she said, the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore 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, which 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, The thing proceeds from the LORD: we cannot speak to you bad or good.
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 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 to 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 to them, Hinder me not, 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 inquire at 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, be you the mother of thousands of millions, and let your seed possess the gate of those which hate them. ¶
61 And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode on 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 dwelled 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 to the servant, What man is this that walks in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a veil, 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.
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