Genesis 24:11-61 - Abraham's Servant Finds A Wife For Isaac

¹¹ and he causeth the camels to kneel at the outside of the city, at the well of water, at even-time, at the time of the coming out of the women who draw water.

¹² And he saith, 'Jehovah, God of my lord Abraham, cause to meet, I pray Thee, before me this day -- (and do kindness with my lord Abraham; ¹³ lo, I am standing by the fountain of water, and daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; ¹⁴ and it hath been, the young person unto whom I say, Incline, I pray thee, thy pitcher, and I drink, and she hath said, Drink, and I water also thy camels) -- her Thou hast decided for Thy servant, for Isaac; and by it I know that Thou hast done kindness with my lord.' ¹⁵ And it cometh to pass, before he hath finished speaking, that lo, Rebekah (who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, wife of Nahor, brother of Abraham) is coming out, and her pitcher on her shoulder, ¹⁶ and the young person is of very good appearance, a virgin, and a man hath not known her; and she goeth down to the fountain, and filleth her pitcher, and cometh up. ¹⁷ And the servant runneth to meet her, and saith, 'Let me swallow, I pray thee, a little water from thy pitcher;'

¹⁸ and she saith, 'Drink, my lord;' and she hasteth, and letteth down her pitcher upon her hand, and giveth him drink. ¹⁹ And she finisheth giving him drink, and saith, 'Also for thy camels I draw till they have finished drinking;' ²⁰ and she hasteth, and emptieth her pitcher into the drinking-trough, and runneth again unto the well to draw, and draweth for all his camels. ²¹ And the man, wondering at her, remaineth silent, to know whether Jehovah hath made his way prosperous or not.

²² And it cometh to pass when the camels have finished drinking, that the man taketh a golden ring (whose weight is a bekah), and two bracelets for her hands (whose weight is ten bekahs of gold), ²³ and saith, 'Whose daughter art thou? declare to me, I pray thee, is the house of thy father a place for us to lodge in?'

²⁴ And she saith unto him, 'I am daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, whom she hath borne to Nahor.' ²⁵ She saith also unto him, 'Both straw and provender are abundant with us, also a place to lodge in.'

²⁶ And the man boweth, and doth obeisance to Jehovah, ²⁷ and saith, 'Blessed is Jehovah, God of my lord Abraham, who hath not left off His kindness and His truth with my lord; -- I being in the way, Jehovah hath led me to the house of my lord's brethren.'

²⁸ And the young person runneth, and declareth to the house of her mother according to these words. ²⁹ And Rebekah hath a brother, and his name is Laban, and Laban runneth unto the man who is without, unto the fountain; ³⁰ yea, it cometh to pass, when he seeth the ring, and the bracelets on the hands of his sister, and when he heareth the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, 'Thus hath the man spoken unto me,' that he cometh in unto the man, and lo, he is standing by the camels by the fountain.

³¹ And he saith, 'Come in, O blessed one of Jehovah, why standest thou without, and I -- I have prepared the house and place for the camels!' ³² And he bringeth in the man into the house, and looseth the camels, and giveth straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the feet of the men who are with him:

³³ and setteth before him to eat; but he saith, 'I do not eat till I have spoken my word;' and he saith, 'Speak.'

³⁴ And he saith, 'I am Abraham's servant; ³⁵ and Jehovah hath blessed my lord exceedingly, and he is great; and He giveth to him flock, and herd, and silver, and gold, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and camels, and asses; ³⁶ and Sarah, my lord's wife, beareth a son to my lord, after she hath been aged, and he giveth to him all that he hath. ³⁷ 'And my lord causeth me to swear, saying, Thou dost not take a wife to my son from the daughters of the Canaanite, in whose land I am dwelling. ³⁸ If not -- unto the house of my father thou dost go, and unto my family, and thou hast taken a wife for my son. ³⁹ 'And I say unto my lord, It may be the woman doth not come after me; ⁴⁰ and he saith unto me, Jehovah, before whom I have walked habitually, doth send His messenger with thee, and hath prospered thy way, and thou hast taken a wife for my son from my family, and from the house of my father; ⁴¹ then art thou acquitted from my oath, when thou comest unto my family, and if they give not one to thee; then thou hast been acquitted from my oath.

⁴² And I come to-day unto the fountain, and I say, Jehovah, God of my lord Abraham, if Thou art, I pray Thee, making prosperous my way in which I am going -- ⁴³ (lo, I am standing by the fountain of water), then the virgin who is coming out to draw, and I have said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee, a little water from thy pitcher, ⁴⁴ and she hath said unto me, Both drink thou, and also for thy camels I draw -- she is the woman whom Jehovah hath decided for my lord's son.

⁴⁵ 'Before I finish speaking unto my heart, then lo, Rebekah is coming out, and her pitcher on her shoulder, and she goeth down to the fountain, and draweth; and I say unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee, ⁴⁶ and she hasteth and letteth down her pitcher from off her and saith, Drink, and thy camels also I water; and I drink, and the camels also she hath watered. ⁴⁷ And I ask her, and say, Whose daughter art thou? and she saith, Daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor, whom Milcah hath borne to him, and I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands, ⁴⁸ and I bow, and do obeisance before Jehovah, and I bless Jehovah, God of my lord Abraham, who hath led me in the true way to receive the daughter of my lord's brother for his son. ⁴⁹ 'And now, if ye are dealing kindly and truly with my lord, declare to me; and if not, declare to me; and I turn unto the right or unto the left.'

⁵⁰ And Laban answereth -- Bethuel also -- and they say, 'The thing hath gone out from Jehovah; we are not able to speak unto thee bad or good; ⁵¹ lo, Rebekah is before thee, take and go, and she is a wife to thy lord's son, as Jehovah hath spoken.'

⁵² And it cometh to pass, when the servant of Abraham hath heard their words, that he boweth himself towards the earth before Jehovah; ⁵³ and the servant taketh out vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and giveth to Rebekah; precious things also he hath given to her brother and to her mother. ⁵⁴ And they eat and drink, he and the men who are with him, and lodge all night; and they rise in the morning, and he saith, 'Send me to my lord;'

⁵⁵ and her brother saith -- her mother also -- 'Let the young person abide with us a week or ten days, afterwards doth she go.'

⁵⁶ And he saith unto them, 'Do not delay me, seeing Jehovah hath prospered my way; send me away, and I go to my lord;'

⁵⁷ and they say, 'Let us call for the young person, and ask at her mouth;'

⁵⁸ and they call for Rebekah, and say unto her, 'Dost thou go with this man?' and she saith, 'I go.' ⁵⁹ And they send away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men;

⁶⁰ and they bless Rebekah, and say to her, 'Thou art our sister; become thou thousands of myriads, and thy seed doth possess the gate of those hating it.'

⁶¹ And Rebekah and her young women arise, and ride on the camels, and go after the man; and the servant taketh Rebekah and goeth.