Genesis 24:1-20 ▼

1 And Abraham was old & stricken in dayes, and the Lorde had blessed Abraham in all thinges.

2 And Abraham saide vnto his eldest seruaut of his house, whiche had the rule ouer all that he had: put thy hande vnder my thigh:

3 And I wyll make thee sweare by the Lorde God of heauen, and God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wyfe vnto my sonne of the daughters of the Chanaanites, amongest which I dwel:

4 But thou shalt go vnto my countrey, and to my kinred, and take a wife vnto my sonne Isahac.

5 But the seruaunt sayd vnto hym: peraduenture the woman wyll not agree to come with me vnto this lande, shall I bryng thy sonne againe vnto the land whiche thou cammest out of?

6 To whom Abraham aunswered: beware that thou bring not my sonne thyther agayne.

7 The Lorde God of heauen whiche toke me from my fathers house, & from the land of my kinred, and which spake vnto me, and that sware vnto me, saying, vnto thy seede wyll I geue this lande: he shall sende his angell before thee, and thou shalt take a wyfe vnto my sonne from thence.

8 Neuerthelesse, if the woman wyl not folowe thee, then shalt thou be cleare from this my othe: onlye bring not my sonne thyther agayne.

9 And the seruaunt put his hand vnder the thigh of Abraham his maister, and sware to hym as concernyng yt matter.

10 And the seruaunt toke ten Camelles of the Camelles of his maister, & departed (& had of al maner of goods of his maister with him) and so he arose & went to Mesopotamia, vnto ye citie of Nachor.

11 And made his Camelles to lye downe without the citie by a welles side of water at euen, about the time that women come out to drawe water.

12 And he saide: Lord God of my maister Abraham, I pray thee sende me good speede this day, and shewe mercy vnto my maister Abraham.

13 Lo, I stande here by the well of water, and the daughters of the me of this citie come out to drawe water:

14 Nowe let the damsel to whom I say, stoupe downe thy pitcher I pray thee, that I may drinke: If she say also, drinke, and I wyll geue thy Camelles drinke also: let the same be she that thou hast ordeyned for thy seruaunt Isahac, and thereby shall I knowe that thou hast shewed mercy on my maister.

15 And it came to passe yer he had lefte speakyng, beholde, Rebecca came out, the daughter of Bethuel, sonne to Milcha, the wyfe of Nachor Abrahams brother, and her pytcher vpon her shoulder:

16 The damsel was very fayre to looke vpon, and yet a mayde, and vnknowen of man: and she went downe to the wel, and filled her pitcher, and came vp.

17 And the seruaunt runnyng to meete her, sayde: let me I pray thee drinke a litle water of thy pitcher.

18 And she sayd: drinke my Lorde. And she hasted, and let downe her pytcher vpon her arme, and gaue him drinke.

19 And when she had geuen him drinke, she sayde: I wyll drawe water for thy Camelles also, vntyl they haue dronke ynough.

20 And she poured out her pytcher into the trough hastyly, and ranne agayne vnto the well to draw water and drew for all his Camelles.