Genesis 24

A Bride for Isaac

1Now 1Abraham was old, advanced in age; and the Lord had 2blessed Abraham in every way. 2Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had 3charge of all that he owned, “4Please place your hand under my thigh, 3and I will make you swear by the Lord, 5the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you 6shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of 7the Canaanites, among whom I live, 4but you will go to 8my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” 5The servant said to him, “Suppose the woman is not willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?” 6Then Abraham said to him, “9Beware that you do not take my son back there! 710The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, ‘11To your 12descendants I will give this land,’ He will send 13His angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there. 8But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will 14be free from this my oath; 15only do not take my son back there.” 9So the servant 16placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

10Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and set out with a variety of 17good things of his master’s in his hand; and he arose and went to 18Mesopotamia, to 19the city of Nahor. 11He made the camels kneel down outside the city by 20the well of water at evening time, 21the time when women go out to draw water. 12He said, “22O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please 2324grant me success today, and show lovingkindness to my master Abraham. 13Behold, 25I am standing by the 26spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; 14now may it be that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar so that I may drink,’ and 27who answers, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’--may she be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown lovingkindness to my master.”

Rebekah Is Chosen

1528Before he had finished speaking, behold, 29Rebekah who was born to Bethuel the son of 30Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder. 16The girl was 31very beautiful, a virgin, and no man had 32had relations with her; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. 17Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, “33Please let me drink a little water from your jar.” 1834She said, “Drink, my lord”; and she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink. 19Now when she had finished giving him a drink, 35she said, “I will draw also for your camels until they have finished drinking.” 20So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels. 2136Meanwhile, the man was gazing at her 37in silence, to know whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not.

22When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a 38gold ring weighing a half-shekel and two bracelets for her 39wrists weighing ten shekels in gold, 23and said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room for us to lodge in your father’s house?” 24She said to him, “40I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25Again she said to him, “We have plenty of both straw and feed, and room to lodge in.” 26Then the man 41bowed low and worshiped the Lord. 27He said, “42Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken 43His lovingkindness and His truth toward my master; as for me, 44the Lord has guided me in the way to the house of my master’s brothers.”

28Then 45the girl ran and told her mother’s household about these things. 29Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was 46Laban; and Laban ran outside to the man at the spring. 30When he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s 47wrists, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, “48This is what the man said to me,” he went to the man; and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. 31And he said, “49Come in, 50blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside since 51I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels?” 32So the man entered the house. Then 5253Laban unloaded the camels, and he gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33But when food was set before him to eat, he said, “I will not eat until I have told my business.” And he said, “Speak on.” 34So he said, “I am 54Abraham’s servant. 35The Lord has greatly 55blessed my master, so that he has become 56rich; and He has given him 57flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and maids, and camels and donkeys. 36Now 58Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master 59in her old age, and 60he has given him all that he has. 3761My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I 62live; 38but you shall go to my father’s house and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.’ 3963I said to my master, ‘Suppose the woman does not follow me.’ 40He said to me, ‘64The Lord, before whom I have 65walked, will send 66His angel with you to make your journey successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father’s house; 4167then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’

42“So 68I came today to the spring, and said, ‘O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now You will make my journey on which I go 69successful; 43behold, 70I am standing by the 71spring, and may it be that the maiden who comes out to draw, and to whom I say, “72Please let me drink a little water from your jar”; 44and she will say to me, “You drink, and I will draw for your camels also”; let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’

45“Before I had finished 73speaking in my heart, behold, 74Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew, and 75I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder, and said, ‘76Drink, and I will water your camels also’; so I drank, and she watered the camels also. 4777Then I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him’; and I put the 78ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her 79wrists. 48And I 80bowed low and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, 81who had guided me in the right way to take the daughter of my master’s 82kinsman for his son. 49So now if you are going to 8384deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, let me know, that I may turn to the right hand or the left.”

50Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “85The matter comes from the Lord; 86so we cannot speak to you bad or good. 51Here is Rebekah before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.”

52When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he 87bowed himself to the ground 88before the Lord. 53The servant brought out 89articles of silver and articles of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. 54Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night. When they arose in the morning, he said, “90Send me away to my master.” 55But her brother and her mother said, “91Let the girl stay with us a few days, say ten; afterward she may go.” 56He said to them, “Do not delay me, since 92the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.” 57And they said, “We will call the girl and 93consult her wishes.” 58Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” 59Thus they sent away their sister Rebekah and 94her nurse with Abraham’s servant and his men. 60They blessed Rebekah and said to her, “May you, our sister, 95Become thousands of ten thousands, And may 96your 97descendants possess The gate of those who hate them.” 61Then Rebekah arose with her maids, and they mounted the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed.

Isaac Marries Rebekah

62Now Isaac had come from going to 98Beer-lahai-roi; for he 99was living in 100the 101Negev. 63Isaac went out 102to 103meditate in the field toward evening; and 104he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, camels were coming. 64Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from the camel. 65She said to the servant, “Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?” And the servant said, “He is my master.” Then she took her 105veil and covered herself. 66The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and 106he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and 107he loved her; thus Isaac was comforted after 108his mother’s death.