Genesis 24

1 Abraham was old, well along in years, and the LORD had blessed Abraham in everything. 2 Abraham said to his slave, the elder of his household, who was in charge of everything he owned, "Please put your hand under my thigh, 3 and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of the skies and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living. 4 Instead, go to my own land and my own people, and take a wife for my son Isaac." 5 The slave said to him, "What if the woman is not willing to follow me to this land? Should I then take your son back to the land you came from?" 6 Abraham said to him, "Be careful not to take my son back there. 7 The LORD, the God of the skies, who took me from my father's house and from the land where I was born, who spoke to me and swore to me, 'I will give this land to your offspring'—he will send his messenger ahead of you, and you will take a wife for my son from there. 8 If the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there."

9 So the slave put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore to him about this matter. 10 Then the slave took ten of his master's camels and set out, with all his master's goods in his hand. He got up and went to Aram-naharaim, to the city of Nahor. 11 He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water. It was evening, the time when the women come out to draw water. 12 He prayed, "O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, please make it happen for me today, and show loyalty to my master Abraham. 13 Here I am, standing by the spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Let it be this way: I will say to a girl, 'Please lower your jar so that I may drink,' and if she says, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink,' she is the one you have decided on for your servant Isaac. By her I will know that you have shown loyalty to my master." 15 Before he had finished speaking, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She had been born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother. 16 The girl was very good-looking, a virgin; no man had slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came back up.

17 The slave ran to meet her and said, "Please let me gulp down a little water from your jar." 18 "Drink, my lord," she said. She quickly lowered her jar onto her hand and gave him a drink. 19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw water for your camels too, until they have finished drinking." 20 She quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran back to the well to draw more, and she drew water for all his camels. 21 The man stared at her without a word, waiting to learn whether or not the LORD had made his journey succeed. 22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten gold shekels. 23 He said, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?" 24 She answered, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son whom Milcah bore to Nahor."

25 She added, "We have plenty of straw and feed, and room for you to spend the night." 26 Then the man bowed his head and bowed low before the LORD. 27 He said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not stopped being loyal and true to my master! As for me, the LORD has led me on the way to the house of my master's relatives." 28 The girl ran and told her mother's household about these things. 29 Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and Laban ran out to the man at the spring. 30 As soon as he had seen the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister's wrists, and had heard his sister Rebekah say, "This is what the man said to me," he went to the man. There he was, standing by the camels at the spring. 31 He said, "Come in, you whom the LORD has blessed! Why are you standing outside? I have made the house ready, and there is a place for the camels." 32 So the man came into the house. He unloaded the camels and gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.

33 Food was set before him to eat, but he said, "I will not eat until I have said what I have to say." And he said, "Speak." 34 He said, "I am Abraham's slave. 35 The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, slaves and maids, camels and donkeys. 36 Sarah, my master's wife, bore my master a son when she was old, and he has given him everything he owns. 37 My master made me swear an oath. He said, 'You must not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live. 38 No, you must go to my father's house and to my own clan, and take a wife for my son.' 39 I said to my master, 'What if the woman will not follow me?' 40 He said to me, 'The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send his messenger with you and make your journey succeed. You will take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father's house.

41 Then you will be free from my curse, once you have gone to my clan. And if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my curse.' 42 Today I came to the spring, and I said, 'O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if you are really making the journey I am on succeed, 43 here I am, standing by the spring. Let it be this way: the young woman who comes out to draw water, when I say to her, "Please give me a little water from your jar to drink," 44 and she says to me, "Drink, and I will draw water for your camels too"—she is the woman the LORD has decided on for my master's son.' 45 Before I had finished speaking in my heart, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.' 46 She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, 'Drink, and I will give your camels a drink too.' So I drank, and she gave the camels a drink too. 47 I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48 Then I bowed my head and bowed low before the LORD. I blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on a true way to take the daughter of my master's relative for his son.

49 Now, if you will show loyalty and truth to my master, tell me. If not, tell me, so that I may turn to the right or to the left." 50 Laban and Bethuel answered, "This matter comes from the LORD. We cannot say anything to you, bad or good. 51 Here is Rebekah in front of you. Take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has said." 52 When Abraham's slave heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD. 53 Then the slave brought out silver and gold jewelry and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave costly gifts to her brother and her mother. 54 He and the men with him ate and drank and spent the night. When they got up in the morning, he said, "Send me back to my master." 55 But her brother and her mother said, "Let the girl stay with us some days, or ten. After that she may go." 56 He said to them, "Do not hold me back, now that the LORD has made my journey succeed. Send me away so that I may go to my master."

57 They said, "Let us call the girl and ask her what she says." 58 So they called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will go." 59 So they sent off their sister Rebekah and her nurse, with Abraham's slave and his men. 60 They blessed Rebekah and said to her, "Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your offspring take the gate of those who hate him." 61 Then Rebekah and her young women got up, rode on the camels, and followed the man. So the slave took Rebekah and went. 62 Now Isaac had come back from going to Beer-lahai-roi. He was living in the land of the Negev. 63 Isaac went out to muse in the field as evening came on. He looked up and saw camels coming. 64 Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, and she fell from the camel.

65 She said to the slave, "Who is that man over there, walking in the field to meet us?" The slave said, "He is my master." So she took her veil and covered herself. 66 The slave told Isaac everything he had done. 67 Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah. He took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother.