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The First Book of Moses, Called
Genesis
CHAPTER 24.
Now Abraham was old, and well advanced in age: and the LORD
had blessed Abraham in all things.
2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that
ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under
my thigh:
3 And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and
the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my
son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:
4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take
a wife unto my son Isaac.
5 And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not
be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy
son again unto the land from whence thou camest?
6 And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my
son thither again.
7 The LORD God of heaven, which took me from my father's house,
and from the land in which I was born, and which spake unto me, and
that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this
land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take
a wife unto my son from thence.
8 And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou
shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son
thither again.
9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his
master, and sware to him concerning that matter.
10 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master,
and departed; taking many goodly things of his master in his
hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of
Nahor.
11 And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a
well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that
women go out to draw water.
12 And he said O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send
me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master
Abraham.
13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters
of the men of the city come out to draw water:
14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say,
Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she
shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let
the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant
Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness
unto my master.
15 And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that,
behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of
Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher
upon her shoulder.
16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither
had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and
filled her pitcher, and came up.
17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray
thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.
18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her
pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.
19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw
water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.
20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and
ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his
camels.
21 And the man looking steadfastly at her held his peace, to wit whether
the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.
22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the
man took a golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two
bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;
23 And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is
there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in?
24 And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of
Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.
25 She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender
enough, and room to lodge in.
26 And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD.
27 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who
hath not left destitute my master of his lovingkkindness and his faithfulness:
And as for myself, the LORD led me to the house of my
master's brethren.
28 And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother's house these
things.
29 And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban
ran out unto the man, unto the well.
30 And it came to pass, when he saw the ring and bracelets
upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of
Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that
he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at
the well.
31 And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore
standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room
for the camels.
32 And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels,
and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash
his feet, and the men's feet that were with him.
33 And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will
not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on.
34 And he said, I am Abraham's servant.
35 And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become
great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver,
and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and
asses.
36 And Sarah my master's wife bare a son to my master when she
was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath.
37 And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a
wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose
land I dwell:
38 But thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred,
and take a wife unto my son.
39 And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not
follow me.
40 And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send
his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take
a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house:
41 Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest
to my kindred; and if they give her not to thee, thou shalt be
clear from my oath.
42 And I came this day unto the well, and said, O LORD God of my
master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go:
43 Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to
pass, that when the damsel cometh forth to draw water, and I
say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy
pitcher to drink;
44 And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for
thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath
appointed for my master's son.
45 And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah
came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down
unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me
drink, I pray thee.
46 And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her
shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink
also: so I drank, and she gave the camels drink also.
47 And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she
said, the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare
unto him: and I put the ring upon her nose, and the
bracelets upon her hands.
48 And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed
the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the
right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son.
49 And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell
me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or
to the left.
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth
from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.
51 Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her
be thy master's son's wife, as the LORD hath spoken.
52 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their
words, he bowed himself to the earth before the LORD.
53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of
gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to
her brother and to her mother precious things.
54 And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him,
and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he
said, Send me away unto my master.
55 But her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with
us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.
56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath
prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.
57 And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her
mouth.
58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with
this man? And she said, I will go.
59 And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and
Abraham's servant, and his men.
60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our
sister, be thou the mother of thousands upon thousands, and let
thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.
61 And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the
camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah,
and went his way.
62 And Isaac came from the way of the well Beer-lahai-roi; for he dwelt
in the south country.
63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide:
and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels
were coming.
64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she
lighted off the camel.
65 And she said unto the servant, What man is this that
walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant said, It
is my master: therefore she took her vail, and covered herself.
66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.
67 And Isaac brought her into his tent, and took
Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac
was comforted after his mother's death.
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