Behold, I am standing by the spring of water. The daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.

Let it happen, that the young lady to whom I will say, 'Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink,' and she will say, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink,'?let her be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master."

It happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder.

The young lady was very beautiful to look at, a virgin, neither had any man known her. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher, and came up.

The servant ran to meet her, and said, "Please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher."

When she had done giving him drink, she said, "I will also draw for your camels, until they have done drinking."

It happened, as the camels had done 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,

and said, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room in your father's house for us to lodge in?"

She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor."

She said moreover to him, "We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in."

He said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his loving kindness and his truth toward my master. As for me, the LORD has led me in the way to the house of my master's relatives."

Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. Laban ran out to the man, to the spring.

He said, "Come in, you blessed of the LORD. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels."

The man came into the house, and he unloaded the camels. He gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.

Food was set before him to eat, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told my message." He said, "Speak on."

He said, "I am Abraham's servant.

Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master when she was old. He has given all that he has to him.

My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,

but you shall go to my father's house, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.'

I said to my master, 'What if the woman will not follow me?'

He said to me, 'The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you, and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son of my relatives, and of my father's house.

Then will you be clear from my oath, when you come to my relatives. If they do not give her to you, you shall be clear from my oath.'

I came this day to the spring, and said, 'The LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now you do prosper my way which I go?

behold, I am standing by this spring of water. Let it happen, that the maiden who comes forth to draw, to whom I will say, "Give me, I pray you, a little water from your pitcher to drink,"

and she will tell me, "Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,"?let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son.'

Before I had done speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, 'Please let me drink.'

She hurried and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.' So I drank, and she made the camels drink also.

I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands.

I bowed my head, and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter for his son.

Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. If not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left."

Then Laban and Bethuel answered, "The thing proceeds from the LORD. We can't speak to you bad or good.

Behold, Rebekah is before you. Take her, and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the LORD has spoken."

They ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed all night. They rose up in the morning, and he said, "Send me away to my master."

Her brother and her mother said, "Let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go."

He said to them, "Do not hinder me, seeing the LORD has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master."

They said, "We will call the young lady, and ask her."

They called Rebekah, and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will go."

They sent away Rebekah, their sister, with her nurse, Abraham's servant, and his men.

They blessed Rebekah, and said to her, "Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your seed possess the gate of those who hate them."

Rebekah arose with her ladies. They rode on the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he lived in the land of the Negev.

She said to the servant, "Who is the man who is walking in the field to meet us?" The servant said, "It is my master." She took her veil, and covered herself.

but to the sons of Abraham's concubines, Abraham gave gifts. He sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, to the east country.

Abraham gave up the spirit, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people.

They lived from Havilah to Shur that is before Egypt, as you go toward Assyria. He lived opposite all his relatives.

The children struggled together within her. She said, "If it be so, why do I live?" She went to inquire of the LORD.

The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau.

The boys grew. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents.

Esau said to Jacob, "Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am famished." Therefore his name was called Edom.

Esau said, "Behold, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?"

Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils. He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright.

There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, to Gerar.

The LORD appeared to him, and said, "Do not go down into Egypt. Live in the land I will tell you about.

Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you. For to you, and to your seed, I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.

I will multiply your seed as the stars of the sky, and will give to your seed all these lands. In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed,

It happened, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was caressing Rebekah, his wife.

Abimelech called Isaac, and said, "Behold, surely she is your wife. Why did you say, 'She is my sister?'" Isaac said to him, "Because I said, 'Lest I die because of her.'"

Abimelech said, "What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us."

Abimelech commanded all the people, saying, "He who touches this man or his wife will surely be put to death."

He had possessions of flocks, possessions of herds, and a great household. The Philistines envied him.

Abimelech said to Isaac, "Go from us, for you are much mightier than we."

Isaac's servants dug in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.

He left that place, and dug another well. They did not argue over that one. He called it Rehoboth. He said, "For now the LORD has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land."

The LORD appeared to him the same night, and said, "I am the God of Abraham your father. Do not be afraid, for I am with you, and will bless you, and multiply your seed for my servant Abraham's sake."

He built an altar there, and called on the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there. There Isaac's servants dug a well.

Isaac said to them, "Why have you come to me, since you hate me, and have sent me away from you?"

They said, "We saw plainly that the LORD was with you. We said, 'Let there now be an oath between us, even between us and you, and let us make a covenant with you,

that you will do us no harm, as we have not touched you, and as we have done to you nothing but good, and have sent you away in peace.' You are now the blessed of the LORD."

He made them a feast, and they ate and drank.

They rose up some time in the morning, and swore one to another. Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

It happened the same day, that Isaac's servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had dug, and said to him, "We have found water."

It happened, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said to him, "My son?" He said to him, "Here I am."

He said, "See now, I am old. I do not know the day of my death.

Make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat, and that my soul may bless you before I die."

Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, "Behold, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying,

'Bring me venison, and make me savory food, that I may eat, and bless you before the LORD before my death.'

Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command you.

Go now to the flock, and get me from there two good kids of the goats. I will make them savory food for your father, such as he loves.

You shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death."

Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, "Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.

What if my father touches me? I will seem to him as a deceiver, and I would bring a curse on myself, and not a blessing."

He came to his father, and said, "My father?" He said, "Here I am. Who are you, my son?"

Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau your firstborn. I have done what you asked me to do. Please arise, sit and eat of my venison, that your soul may bless me."

Isaac said to his son, "How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?" He said, "Because the LORD your God gave me success."

Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not."

He said, "Are you really my son Esau?" He said, "I am."

He said, "Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless you." He brought it near to him, and he ate. He brought him wine, and he drank.

He came near, and kissed him. He smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him, and said, "Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD has blessed.

God give you of the dew of the sky, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and new wine.

Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers. Let your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you. Blessed be everyone who blesses you."

Isaac his father said to him, "Who are you?" He said, "I am your son, your firstborn, Esau."

Isaac trembled violently, and said, "Who, then, is he who has taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before you came, and have blessed him? Yes, he will be blessed."

He said, "Your brother came with deceit, and has taken away your blessing."

He said, "Isn't he rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright. See, now he has taken away my blessing." He said, "Haven't you reserved a blessing for me?"

Isaac answered Esau, "Behold, I have made him your lord, and all his brothers have I given to him for servants. With grain and new wine have I sustained him. What then will I do for you, my son?"

Esau said to his father, "Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, my father." Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.

By your sword will you live, and you will serve your brother. It will happen, when you will break loose, that you shall shake his yoke from off your neck."

Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him. Esau said in his heart, "The days of mourning for my father are at hand. Then I will kill my brother Jacob."

The words of Esau, her elder son, were told to Rebekah. She sent and called Jacob, her younger son, and said to him, "Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you.

Stay with him a few days, until your brother's fury turns away;