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 was in 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 ahead of 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 of this oath of mine; 15only do not take my son back there.” 9So the servant 16placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham, and swore to him concerning this matter.

10Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and went out with a variety of 17good things of his master’s in his hand; so he set out and went to 18Mesopotamia, to 19the city of Nahor. 11He made the camels kneel down outside the city by 20the well of water 21when it was evening, 22the time when women go out to draw water. 12And he said, “23Lord, God of my master Abraham, please 2425grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13Behold, 26I am standing by the 27spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; 14now may it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar so that I may drink,’ and 28who 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 kindness to my master.”

Rebekah Is Chosen

15And it came about, 29before he had finished speaking, that behold, 30Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of 31Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder. 16The young woman was 32very beautiful, a virgin; no man had 33had relations with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up. 17Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, “34Please let me drink a little water from your jar.” 18And 35she said, “Drink, my lord”; then she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink. 19Now when she had finished giving him a drink, 36she said, “I will also draw water 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. 2137Meanwhile, the man was taking a close look at her 38in silence, to find out whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not.

22When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a 39gold ring weighing a 40half-shekel, and two bracelets for her 41wrists weighing ten shekels in gold, 23and he said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room for us to stay overnight at your father’s house?” 24She said to him, “42I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah’s son, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25Again she said to him, “We have plenty of both straw and feed, and room to stay overnight.” 26Then the man 43bowed low and worshiped the Lord. 27And he said, “44Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned 45His kindness and His trustworthiness toward my master; as for me, 46the Lord has guided me in the way to the house of my master’s brothers.”

28Then 47the young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things. 29Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was 48Laban; and Laban ran outside to the man at the spring. 30When he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s 49wrists, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, “50This 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, “51Come in, 52blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside, since 53I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels?” 32So the man entered the house. Then 5455Laban 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 stated my business.” And he said, “Speak on.” 34So he said, “I am 56Abraham’s servant. 35The Lord has greatly 57blessed my master, so that he has become 58rich; and He has given him 59flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and slave women, and camels and donkeys. 36Now 60my master’s wife Sarah bore a son to my master 61in her old age, and 62he has given him all that he has. 3763My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; 38but you shall go to my father’s house and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.’ 39Then 64I said to my master, ‘Suppose the woman does not follow me.’ 40And he said to me, ‘65The Lord, before whom I have 66walked, will send 67His 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; 4168then 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 69I came today to the spring, and said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if now You will make my journey on which I have been going 70successful; 43behold, 71I am standing by the 72spring, and may it be that the 73young unmarried woman who comes out to draw water, and to whom I say, “74Please let me drink a little water from your jar”; 44and she says 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 75speaking in my heart, behold, 76Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew water, and 77I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder, and said, ‘78Drink, and I will water your camels also’; so I drank, and she watered the camels also. 4779Then 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 80ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her 81wrists. 48And I 82bowed low and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, 83who had guided me in the right way to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son. 49So now if you are going to 8485deal kindly and truthfully with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me now, so that I may turn to the right or the left.”

50Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “86The matter has come from the Lord; 87so 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 88bowed himself to the ground 89before the Lord. 53And the servant brought out 90articles 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 got up in the morning, he said, “91Send me away to my master.” 55But her brother and her mother said, “92Let the young woman stay with us a few days, say ten; afterward she may go.” 56However, he said to them, “Do not delay me, since 93the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away so that I may go to my master.” 57And they said, “We will call the young woman and 94ask her.” 58Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” 59So they sent away their sister Rebekah and 95her nurse with Abraham’s servant and his men. 60And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “May you, our sister, 96Become thousands of ten thousands, And may 97your 98descendants possess The gate of those who hate them.” 61Then Rebekah got up with her female attendants, and they mounted the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed.

Isaac Marries Rebekah

62Now Isaac had come back from 99a journey to 100Beer-lahai-roi; for he was living in 101the 102Negev. 63Isaac went out 103to 104meditate in the field toward evening; and 105he raised his eyes and looked, and behold, camels were coming. 64Rebekah raised 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 106veil 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 107he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and 108he loved her; so Isaac was comforted after 109his mother’s death.