“1 And Abraham was old, [and] well stricken 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 of my kindred, 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; for all the goods of his master [were] 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 wondering 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 earring 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 mercy and
his truth: I [being] in the way, 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
earring 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 not thee [one], 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
virgin 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 out 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 made
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 earring upon her face, 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 worshipped the LORD, [bowing himself] to
the earth. 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 And 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 of millions, 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 Lahairoi; 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 For she [had] said unto the
servant, What man [is] this that walketh in the field to meet us? And
the servant [had] said, It [is] my master: therefore she took a vail,
and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all things that he
had done. 67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and
took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was
comforted after his mother’s [death].” (Ge 24:1-67 AV)
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