Genesis 24:1-49 ▼

1 By now Abraham (father of many) was old and well along in years, and the LORD {YHWH} had blessed him in every way.

2 So Abraham (father of many) instructed the chief servant of his household, who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh,

3 and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God {YHWH Elohe} of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites (merchants) among whom I am dwelling,

4 but will go to my country and my kindred to take a wife for my son Isaac (he laughs).”

5 The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the land from which you came?”

6 Abraham (father of many) replied, “Make sure that you do not take my son back there.

7 The LORD, the God {YHWH Elohe} of heaven, who brought me from my father’s house and my native land, who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land’—He will send His angel before you so that you can take a wife for my son from there.

8 And if the woman is unwilling to follow you, then you are released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there.”

9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham (father of many) and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.

10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all manner of good things from his master in hand. And he set out for Nahor’s (snorting) hometown in Aram-naharaim (Aram of the two rivers).

11 As evening approached, he made the camels kneel down near the well outside the town at the time when the women went out to draw water.

12 “O LORD, God {YHWH Elohe} of my master Abraham (father of many),” he prayed, “please grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.

13 Here I am, standing beside the spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.

14 Now may it happen that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who responds, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels as well’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac (he laughs). By this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”

15 Before the servant had finished praying, Rebekah (ensnarer) came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel (dweller in God) son of Milcah (queen), the wife of Abraham’s (father of many) brother Nahor (snorting).

16 Now the girl was very beautiful, a virgin who had not had relations with any man. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up again.

17 So the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me have a little water from your jar.”

18 “Drink, my lord,” she replied, and she quickly lowered her jar to her hands and gave him a drink.

19 After she had given him a drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels, until they have had enough to drink.”

20 And she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran back to the well to draw water, until she had drawn water for all his camels.

21 Meanwhile, the man watched her silently to see whether or not the LORD {YHWH} had made his journey a success.

22 And after the camels had finished drinking, he took out a gold ring weighing a beka <0.2 oz / 5.7 g>, and two gold bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels <4 oz / 114 g>.

23 “Whose daughter are you?” he asked. “Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”

24 She replied, “I am the daughter of Bethuel (dweller in God), the son that Milcah (queen) bore to Nahor (snorting).”

25 Then she added, “We have plenty of straw and feed, as well as a place for you to spend the night.”

26 Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD {YHWH},

27 saying, “Blessed be the LORD, the God {YHWH Elohe} of my master Abraham (father of many), who has not withheld His kindness and faithfulness from my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.”

28 The girl ran and told her mother’s household about these things.

29 Now Rebekah (ensnarer) had a brother named Laban (white), and he rushed out to the man at the spring.

30 As soon as he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and heard Rebekah’s (ensnarer) words, “The man said this to me,” he went and found the man standing by the camels near the spring.

31 “Come, you who are blessed by the LORD {YHWH},” said Laban. “Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”

32 So the man came to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and feed were brought to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of his companions.

33 Then a meal was set before the man, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I came to say.” So Laban said, “Please speak.”

34 “I am Abraham’s (father of many) servant,” he replied.

35 “The LORD {YHWH} has greatly blessed my master, and he has become rich. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, camels and donkeys.

36 My master’s wife Sarah (princess) has borne him a son in her old age, and my master has given him everything he owns.

37 My master made me swear an oath and said, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites (merchants) in whose land I dwell,

38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my kindred to take a wife for my son.’

39 Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’

40 And he told me, ‘The LORD {YHWH}, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you may take a wife for my son from my kindred and from my father’s house.

41 And when you go to my kindred, if they refuse to give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’

42 So when I came to the spring today, I prayed: O LORD, God {YHWH Elohe} of my master Abraham (father of many), if only You would make my journey a success!

43 Here I am, standing beside this spring. Now if a maiden comes out to draw water and I say to her, ‘Please let me drink a little water from your jar,’

44 and she replies, ‘Drink, and I will draw water for your camels as well,’ may she be the woman the LORD {YHWH} has appointed for my master’s son.

45 And before I had finished praying in my heart, there was Rebekah (ensnarer) coming out with her jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’

46 She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels as well.’ So I drank, and she also watered the camels.

47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘The daughter of Bethuel (dweller in God) son of Nahor (snorting), whom Milcah (queen) bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists.

48 Then I bowed down and worshiped the LORD {YHWH}; and I blessed the LORD, the God {Elohe} of my master Abraham (father of many), who led me on the right road to take the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son.

49 Now if you⁺ will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; but if not, let me know, so that I may go elsewhere.”