1Now Abrahamwas old,advancedin age;and the LORDhad blessedAbrahamin everyway.2Abrahamsaidto his servant,the oldestof his household,who hadchargeof allthat he owned, "Pleaseplaceyour handundermy thigh,3and I will make you swearby the LORD,the Godof heavenand the Godof earth,that you shall not takea wifefor my sonfrom the daughtersof the Canaanites,amongwhomI live,4but you will goto my countryand to my relatives,and takea wifefor my sonIsaac."5The servantsaidto him, "Supposethe womanis not willingto followme to thisland;should I takeyour sonbackto the landfrom whereyou came?"6Then Abrahamsaidto him, "Bewarethat you do not takemy sonbackthere!7"The LORD,the Godof heaven,whotookme from my father'shouseand from the landof my birth,and whospoketo me and whosworeto me, saying,To your descendantsI will givethisland,'He will sendHis angelbeforeyou, and you will takea wifefor my sonfrom there.8"But ifthe womanis not willingto followyou, then you will be freefrom thismy oath;onlydo not takemy sonbackthere."9So the servantplacedhis handunderthe thighof Abrahamhis master,and sworeto him concerningthismatter.
10Then the servanttooktencamelsfrom the camelsof his master,and setout with a varietyof goodthingsof his master'sin his hand;and he aroseand wentto Mesopotamia,to the cityof Nahor.11He made the camelskneeldownoutsidethe cityby the wellof waterat eveningtime,the timewhen women goout to drawwater.12He said,"O LORD,the Godof my masterAbraham,pleasegrantme successtoday,and showlovingkindnessto my masterAbraham.13"Behold,I am standingby the spring,and the daughtersof the menof the cityare comingout to drawwater;14now may it be that the girlto whomI say,'Pleaseletdownyour jarso that I may drink,'and who answers,'Drink,and I will wateryour camelsalso--[may] she [be the one] whom You have appointedfor Your servantIsaac;and by this I will knowthat You have shownlovingkindnessto my master."
15Beforehe had finishedspeaking,behold,Rebekahwhowas bornto Bethuelthe sonof Milcah,the wifeof Abraham'sbrotherNahor,cameout with her jaron her shoulder.16The girlwas verybeautiful,a virgin,and nomanhad hadrelationswith her; and she wentdownto the springand filledher jarand cameup.17Then the servantranto meether, and said,"Pleaselet me drinka littlewaterfrom your jar."18She said,"Drink,my lord";and she quicklyloweredher jarto her hand,and gavehim a drink.19Now when she had finishedgivinghim a drink,she said,"I will drawalsofor your camelsuntilthey have finisheddrinking."20So she quicklyemptiedher jarinto the trough,and ranbackto the wellto draw,and she drewfor allhis camels.21Meanwhile, the manwas gazingat her in silence,to knowwhether the LORDhad madehis journeysuccessfulornot.
22Whenthe camelshad finisheddrinking,the mantooka goldringweighinga half-shekeland twobraceletsfor her wristsweighingtenshekels in gold,23and said,"Whosedaughterare you? Pleasetellme, is thereroomfor us to lodgein your father'shouse?"24She saidto him, "I am the daughterof Bethuel,the sonof Milcah,whomshe boreto Nahor."25Again she saidto him, "We have plentyof bothstrawand feed,and roomto lodgein."26Then the manbowedlowand worshipedthe LORD.27He said,"Blessedbe the LORD,the Godof my masterAbraham,whohas not forsakenHis lovingkindnessand His truthtowardmy master;as for me, the LORDhas guidedme in the wayto the houseof my master'sbrothers."
28Then the girlranand toldher mother'shouseholdabout thesethings.29Now Rebekahhad a brotherwhose namewas Laban;and Labanranoutsideto the manat the spring.30When he sawthe ringand the braceletson his sister'swrists,and when he heardthe wordsof Rebekahhis sister,saying,"Thisis whatthe mansaidto me," he wentto the man;and behold,he was standingby the camelsat the spring.31And he said,"Comein, blessedof the LORD!Whydo you standoutsidesince I have preparedthe house,and a placefor the camels?"32So the manenteredthe house.Then Laban unloadedthe camels,and he gavestrawand feedto the camels,and waterto washhis feetand the feetof the menwhowere with him.33But when [food] was setbeforehim to eat,he said,"I will not eatuntilI have toldmy business."And he said,"Speakon."34So he said,"I am Abraham'sservant.35"The LORDhas greatlyblessedmy master,so that he has becomerich;and He has givenhim flocksand herds,and silverand gold,and servantsand maids,and camelsand donkeys.36"Now Sarahmy master'swifeborea sonto my masterin her oldage,and he has givenhim allthat he has.37"My mastermade me swear,saying,'You shall not takea wifefor my sonfrom the daughtersof the Canaanites,in whoselandI live;38but you shall goto my father'shouseand to my relatives,and takea wifefor my son.'39"I saidto my master,'Supposethe womandoes not followme.'40"He saidto me, 'The LORD,beforewhomI have walked,will sendHis angelwith you to make your journeysuccessful,and you will takea wifefor my sonfrom my relativesand from my father'shouse;41thenyou will be freefrom my oath,whenyou cometo my relatives;and ifthey do not giveher to you, you will be freefrom my oath.'
42"So I cametodayto the spring,and said,'O LORD,the Godof my masterAbraham,ifnowYou will make my journeyon whichI gosuccessful;43behold,I am standingby the spring,and may it be that the maidenwho comesout to draw,and to whom I say,"Pleaselet me drinka littlewaterfrom your jar";44and she will sayto me, "You drink,and I will drawfor your camelsalso";let her be the womanwhomthe LORDhas appointedfor my master'sson.'
45"BeforeI had finishedspeakingin my heart,behold,Rebekahcameout with her jaron her shoulder,and wentdownto the springand drew,and I saidto her, 'Pleaselet me drink.'46"She quicklyloweredher jarfrom her [shoulder], and said,Drink,and I will wateryour camelsalso;so I drank,and she wateredthe camelsalso.47"Then I askedher, and said,'Whosedaughterare you?' And she said,'The daughterof Bethuel,Nahor'sson,whomMilcahboreto him'; and I putthe ringon her nose,and the braceletson her wrists.48"And I bowedlowand worshipedthe LORD,and blessedthe LORD,the Godof my masterAbraham,whohad guidedme in the rightwayto takethe daughterof my master'skinsmanfor his son.49"So nowifyou are goingto dealkindlyand trulywith my master,tellme; and ifnot, let me know,that I may turnto the righthandorthe left."
50Then Labanand Bethuelreplied,"The mattercomesfrom the LORD;[so] we cannotspeakto you badorgood.51"Hereis Rebekahbeforeyou, take[her] and go,and let her be the wifeof your master'sson,as the LORDhas spoken."
52WhenAbraham'sservantheardtheir words,he bowedhimself to the groundbefore the LORD.53The servantbroughtout articlesof silverand articlesof gold,and garments,and gavethem to Rebekah;he also gavepreciousthingsto her brotherand to her mother.54Then he and the menwhowere with him ateand drankand spentthe night.When they arosein the morning,he said,"Sendme awayto my master."55But her brotherand her mothersaid,"Let the girlstaywith us [a few] days,sayten;afterwardshe may go."56He saidto them, "Do not delayme, since the LORDhas prosperedmy way.Sendme awaythat I may goto my master."57And they said,"We will callthe girland consulther wishes."58Then they calledRebekahand saidto her, "Will you gowith thisman?"And she said,"I will go."59Thus they sentawaytheir sisterRebekahand her nursewith Abraham'sservantand his men.
60They blessedRebekahand saidto her, "May you, our sister,Becomethousandsof tenthousands,And may your descendantspossessThe gateof those who hatethem."
61Then Rebekaharosewith her maids,and they mountedthe camelsand followedthe man.So the servanttookRebekahand departed.
62Now Isaachad comefrom goingto Beer-lahai-roi;for he was livingin the Negev.63Isaacwentout to meditatein the fieldtowardevening;and he liftedup his eyesand looked,and behold,camelswere coming.64Rebekahliftedup her eyes,and when she sawIsaacshe dismountedfrom the camel.65She saidto the servant,"Whois that manwalkingin the fieldto meetus?" And the servantsaid,"He is my master."Then she tookher veiland coveredherself.66The servanttoldIsaacallthe thingsthat he had done.67Then Isaacbroughther into his motherSarah'stent,and he tookRebekah,and she becamehis wife,and he lovedher; thus Isaacwas comfortedafterhis mother'sdeath.
