Genesis 24:1-33 ▼

1 Now Abraham had grown old, was well advanced in age, and the LORD had blessed Abraham in every way.

2 So Abraham instructed his servant, who was the oldest member of his household and in charge of everything he owned, |Make this solemn oath to me

3 as a promise to the LORD, the God of heaven and earth, that you won't acquire a wife for my son from the Canaanite women among whom I'm living.

4 Instead, you are to go to my country and to my family and acquire a wife for my son Isaac.|

5 |What if the woman doesn't want to come back with me to this land?| the servant asked. |Shouldn't I have your son go to the land from which you came?|

6 |Make sure not to take my son there,| Abraham replied.

7 |The LORD God of heaven, who brought me from my father's house and from my family's land, who spoke to me and promised me 'I will give this land to your descendants,' will send his angel ahead of you, and you are to acquire a wife for my son from there.

8 If the woman isn't willing to follow you, then you'll be free from this oath to me. Just don't take my son back there!|

9 So the servant made a solemn oath to his master Abraham regarding this matter.

10 Then Abraham's servant took ten camels from his master's herd of camels and left on his journey with all kinds of gifts from his master's inventory. Eventually, he traveled as far as Aram-naharaim, Nahor's home town.

11 As evening approached, he had the camels kneel outside the town at the water well, right about the time when women customarily went out to draw water.

12 That's when he prayed, |LORD God of my master Abraham, help me to succeed today. Please show your gracious love to my master Abraham.

13 I've stationed myself here by the spring as the women of the town come to draw water.

14 May it be that the young woman to whom I ask, 'Please, lower your jug so that I may drink,' responds, 'Have a drink, and I'll water your camels as well.' May she be the one whom you have chosen for your servant Isaac. This is how I'll know that you have shown your gracious love to my master.|

15 Before he had finished speaking, Rebekah appeared. She was a daughter of Milcah's son Bethuel. (Milcah was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor.) She approached the well, carrying a jug on her shoulder.

16 The woman was very beautiful, young, and had not had sexual relations with a man. Going down to the spring, she filled her jug and turned for home.

17 Then Abraham's servant ran to meet her and asked her, |Please, let me have a sip of water from your jug.|

18 |Drink, sir!| she replied as she quickly lowered her jug on her arm to offer him a drink.

19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she also said, |I'll also draw water for your camels until they've had enough to drink.|

20 She quickly emptied her jug into the trough and ran to the well to draw again until she had drawn enough water for all ten of the servant's camels.

21 The man stared at her in silence, waiting to see whether or not the LORD had made his journey successful.

22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a half shekel and two bracelets for her wrists, weighing 10 shekels and presented them to her.

23 He asked her, |Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?|

24 |I am the daughter of Bethuel,| she answered. |He's the son of Milcah and Nahor.

25 And yes,| she continued, |we have plenty of straw and feed, as well as a place to spend the night.|

26 At this, the man bowed down and worshipped the LORD.

27 |Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hasn't held back his gracious love and faithfulness from my master! The LORD has led me to the house of my master's relatives!|

28 The young woman then ran ahead and informed her mother's household what had happened.

29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, who ran out to the man and met him at the spring.

30 And so it was, as soon as he saw the nose ring and bracelets on his sister's wrists, and as soon as he heard what his sister Rebekah was saying about what the man had spoken to her, he went out to the man who was still standing by the camels at the spring!

31 |Come on,| Laban said. |The LORD has blessed you! So why are you standing out here when I've prepared some space in the house and a place for the camels?|

32 So the servant went to the house and unbridled the camels. They provided straw and feed for the camels and water for washing his feet and those of the men with him.

33 But when they had prepared a meal and set it in front of him, he said, |I'm not eating until I've spoken.| |Speak up!| Laban exclaimed.