Genesis 24:4-48

4On the contrary, to my land and to my relatives you must go and get a wife for my son Isaac.

5But the servant said to him, “Suppose the woman were unwilling to follow after me to this land? Should I then have your son go back to the land you came from?

6Abraham said to him, “See to it that you don’t return my son there.

7Adonai, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from my native land and who spoke to me and made a pledge to me saying, ‘To your seed I will give this land’—He will send His angel before you and you will take a wife for my son from there.

8If the woman is not willing to follow after you, then you will be free from this oath of mine. Nevertheless, you must not return my son there.”

9So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and he made a pledge to him concerning this matter.

10Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and left with all the best of his master’s things in his hand. Then he arose and went to Aram-Naharaim, to Nahor’s city.

11Then he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at evening time, the time for the going out to draw water.

12“Adonai, the God of Abraham my master,” he said, “please make something happen before me today, and show loyalty to Abraham my master.

13Look, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are going out to draw water.

14Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please tip your jar so that I may drink,’ and she will say, ‘Drink—and I’ll also water your camels’—let her be the one You have appointed for your servant Isaac. So by this I’ll know that You have shown graciousness to my master.”

15Now before he had finished speaking, behold there was Rebekah (who was born to Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother) going out with her jar on her shoulder.

16Now the young woman was very good looking, a girl of marriageable age, and she was a virgin. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up.

17Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me sip a little water from your jar.”

18So she said, “Drink, my lord,” and she quickly lowered her jar onto her hand and gave him a drink.

19Now when she finished giving him a drink, she said, “I’ll also draw water for your camels until they’ve finished drinking.”

20So she quickly poured out her jug into the trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew water for all his camels,

21while the man continued to pay close attention to her, keeping silent in order to know whether or not Adonai had made his way successful.

22Now after the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a nose ring of gold weighing a half-shekel and two bracelets on her hands weighing ten shekels of gold.

23“Whose daughter are you?” he said. “Please tell me. Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”

24She said to him, “I’m the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.”

25She also said to him, “There’s both straw and plenty of feed with us, as well as room to spend the night.”

26Then the man bowed down and worshipped Adonai,

27and he said, “Blessed be Adonai, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His loyalty and His truth toward my master. As for me, Adonai has guided me in the way to the house of my master’s brothers.”

28Then the young woman ran and told her mother’s house these things.

29Now Rebekah had a brother and his name was Laban, and Laban ran outside to the man at the spring.

30As soon as he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister saying, “Thus the man said to me,” he went to the man. There he was, standing by the camels at the spring.

31So he said, “Come in, blessed of Adonai. Why are you standing outside when I’ve tidied up the house and there is room for the camels?”

32So the man came to the house and he unloaded the camels. Straw and feed were given to the camels and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.

33Food was placed before him to eat, but he said, “I won’t eat until I’ve stated my business.” So he said, “Speak.”

34“I am Abraham’s servant,” he said.

35Adonai has blessed my master very much so that he has become great, and He has given to him flocks of sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male slaves and female slaves, camels and donkeys.

36Now Sarah, my master’s wife, gave birth to a son for my master after she was old, and He gave him everything he owns.

37Then my master made me take an oath, saying, ‘You must not take a wife for my son from among the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I’m dwelling.’

38Instead you must go to my father’s house and to my family, and take a wife for my son.’

39But I said to my master, ‘Suppose the woman won’t come back with me?’

40So he said to me, ‘Adonai, before whom I’ve walked continually, will send His angel with you, and He will make your way successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my family and from my father’s household.

41Then you’ll be free from my oath—if you come to my family and if they don’t give her to you—then you’ll be free from my oath.’

42So I came today to the spring and I said, ‘Adonai, the God of Abraham my master, if You are really going to make my way upon which I am walking successful,

43look, I’m standing by the spring of water. So let it be that the unmarried girl who is going out to draw water, to whom I’ll say, “Please give me a little water to drink from your jug,”

44and she’ll say to me, “You drink, and I’ll also draw water for your camels”—let her be the woman whom Adonai appoints for my master’s son!’

45I had not yet finished speaking to my heart, and behold there was Rebekah going out—her jug was on her shoulder and she went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’

46And she quickly lowered her jug off of her and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll also water your camels.’ So I drank, and she also watered the camels.

47Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ Then I placed the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her hands.

48I bowed down and worshipped Adonai and blessed Adonai, the God of my master Abraham, who guided me on the true way to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son.