Genesis 24:33-49 ▼

33 and sets before him to eat; but he says, “I do not eat until I have spoken my word”; and he says, “Speak.”

34 And he says, “I [am] Abraham’s servant;

35 and YHWH has blessed my lord exceedingly, and he is great; and He gives to him flock, and herd, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and donkeys;

36 and Sarah, my lord’s wife, bears a son to my lord, after she has been aged, and he gives to him all that he has.

37 And my lord causes me to swear, saying, You do not take a wife to my son from the daughters of the Canaanite, in whose land I am dwelling.

38 If not—to the house of my father you go, and to my family, and you have taken a wife for my son.

39 And I say to my lord, It may be the woman does not come after me;

40 and he says to me, YHWH, before whom I have habitually walked, sends His messenger with you, and has prospered your way, and you have taken a wife for my son from my family, and from the house of my father;

41 then you are acquitted from my oath, when you come to my family; and if they do not give [one] to you, then you have been acquitted from my oath.

42 And I come to the fountain today, and I say, YHWH, God of my lord Abraham, now if You are making prosperous my way in which I am going—

43 (behold, I am standing by the fountain of water), then the virgin is coming out to draw, and I have said to her, Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher,

44 and she has said to me, Both drink, and I also draw for your camels—she is the woman whom YHWH has decided for my lord’s son.

45 Before I finish speaking to my heart, then behold, Rebekah is coming out, and her pitcher [is] on her shoulder, and she goes down to the fountain and draws; and I say to her, Please let me drink,

46 and she hurries and lets down her pitcher from off her and says, Drink, and I also water your camels; and I drink, and she has also watered the camels.

47 And I ask her, and say, Whose daughter [are] you? And she says, Daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor, whom Milcah has borne to him, and I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands,

48 and I bow, and pay respect before YHWH, and I bless YHWH, God of my lord Abraham, who has led me in the true way to receive the daughter of my lord’s brother for his son.

49 And now, if you are dealing kindly and truly with my lord, declare to me; and if not, declare to me; and I turn to the right or to the left.”