1Now Abraham was old, advanced in days, and Yahweh had blessed Abraham in everything.
2And Abraham said to his servant, the eldest of his household, who ruled over all that he had, “Please put your hand under my thigh,
3and I will make you swear by Yahweh, God of heaven and God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell,
4but you shall go to my land and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son, for Isaac.”
5And the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to come after me to this land. Shall I indeed bring your son back to the land from which you came out?”
6And Abraham said to him, “Take care that you do not bring my son back there.
7Yahweh, God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, ‘To your seed I will give this land’—he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.
8But if the woman is not willing to come after you, then you will be clear from this oath of mine; only you must not bring my son back there.”
9So the servant put 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 went, with all the good things of his master in his hand; and he arose and went to Aram-naharaim, to the city of Nahor.
11And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at evening time, the time when the women who draw water go out.
12And he said, “Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show loyal love to my master Abraham.
13Here I am, standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.
14Let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please tip your jar so that I may drink,’ and who says, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels’—her you have appointed for your servant, for Isaac; and by this I will know that you have shown loyal love to my master.”
15And it happened, before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah was coming out—she who had been born to Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother—with her jar on her shoulder.
16And the young woman was very beautiful in appearance, a virgin, and no man had known her. She went down to the spring, 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.”
18And she said, “Drink, my lord,” and she quickly lowered her jar onto her hand and gave him a drink.
19When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels until they have finished drinking.”
20And she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels.
21And the man was gazing at her in silence, to know whether Yahweh had made his journey successful or not.
22And it happened, when the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a gold nose-ring weighing a beka, and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels,
23and said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge?”
24And she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.”
25And she said to him, “We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and also room to lodge.”
26Then the man bowed low and worshiped Yahweh,
27and he said, “Blessed be Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his loyal love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, Yahweh has led me on the way to the house of my master’s kinsmen.”
28And the young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.
29Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man, to the spring.
30And it happened, when he saw the nose-ring and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, “Thus the man spoke to me,” that he came to the man, and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring.
31And he said, “Come, O blessed of Yahweh! Why do you stand outside, when I have cleared the house and a place for the camels?”
32So the man came into the house, and he unloaded the camels and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.
33And food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have spoken my words.” And he said, “Speak.”
34And he said, “I am Abraham’s servant.
35Yahweh has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and he has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, camels and donkeys.
36And Sarah, my master’s wife, bore a son to my master after her old age, and he has given him all that he has.
37And my master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell,
38but you shall go to my father’s house and to my clan, and take a wife for my son.’
39And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’
40And he said to me, ‘Yahweh, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and will make your way successful, so that you take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father’s house.
41Then you will be released from my oath, when you come to my clan; and if they do not give her to you, then you will be free from my oath.’
42So I came today to the spring and said, ‘Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, if you would now make successful the way on which I am going—
43here I am, standing by the spring of water; let it be that the young woman who comes out to draw water, to whom I say, “Please give me a little water to drink from your jar,”
44and she says to me, “You drink, and for your camels I will also draw”—she is the woman whom Yahweh has appointed for my master’s son.’
45Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water; and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’
46And she quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels.’ So I drank, and she watered the camels also.
47Then I asked her and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.’ And I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists.
48And I bowed down and worshiped Yahweh, and I blessed Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the true way to take the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son.
49And now, if you will deal loyally and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right or to the left.”
50Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The matter has come from Yahweh; we cannot speak to you bad or good.
51Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be a wife for your master’s son, as Yahweh has spoken.”
52And it happened that when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before Yahweh.
53And the servant brought out objects of silver and objects of gold and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; and he gave precious gifts to her brother and to her mother.
54And they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and they spent the night. And they arose in the morning, and he said, “Send me away to my master.”
55And her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with us some days, at least ten; afterward you may go.”
56But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since Yahweh has made my way successful; send me away that I may go to my master.”
57And they said, “Let us call the young woman and ask her mouth.”
58So they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.”
59So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men.
60And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your seed possess the gate of those who hate them.”
61Then Rebekah and her young women rose and mounted the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and went.
62Now Isaac had come from the way of Beer-lahai-roi, for he was dwelling in the land of the Negev.
63And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, camels were coming.
64Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and she saw Isaac, and she got down 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.” So she took the veil and covered herself.
66And the servant recounted to Isaac all the things that he had done.
67Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. And Isaac was comforted after his mother.
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