Genesis 24:1-27

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.”

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.”