Genesis

Genesis 24 ©

1 Abraham sweareth his servant to seek a wife for Isaac. 10 The servant's journey; 12 his prayer and sign. 15 Rebekah meeteth him and fulfilleth his sign. 22 She receiveth jewels, sheweth her kindred, and inviteth him home; he blesseth God. 29 Laban entertaineth him. 34 The servant telleth his errand, and asketh for Rebekah. 50 Laban and Bethuel approve of his proposal, and on his desiring to be gone, Rebekah consenteth to go with him. 62 Isaac meeteth her on her way, and bringing her home, marrieth her.

1

AND Abraham was aold, and 1well *stricken in age: and the LORD had bblessed Abraham in all things.

2

And Abraham said unto his celdest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:

3

And I will make thee dswear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, ethat thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:

4

fBut thou shalt go gunto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

5

And the servant said unto him, h*Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?

6

And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.

7

¶The LORD God of heaven, which itook me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he jshall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.

8

And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be kclear from this my oath: only bring not my son lthither again.

9

And the servant mput his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.

m v.2.
10

¶And the servant took ten ncamels of the camels of his master, and departed; 2for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the ocity of Nahor.

11

And he made his camels to pkneel down *without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time 3that women go out to draw water.

12

And he said, O LORD qGod of my master Abraham, I pray thee, rsend me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.

13

Behold, sI stand here by the well of water; and tthe daughters of the men of the city ucome out to draw water:

14

And vlet it come to pass, that the *damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.

15

¶And it came to pass, wbefore he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of xMilcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her ypitcher upon her shoulder.

16

And the *damsel was 4very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man zknown her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

17

And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little awater of thy pitcher.

18

And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

19

And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.

20

And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.

21

And the man bwondering at her held his peace, *to wit whether cthe LORD had made his journey dprosperous or not.

c v.12.
d v.40,42,56.
22

And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a 5golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;

23

And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in?

24

And she said unto him, I am the edaughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.

25

She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and *provender enough, and room to lodge in.

26

And the man fbowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD.

27

And he said, gBlessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of hhis mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's ibrethren.

28

And the *damsel ran, and told them of her mother's jhouse these things.

29

¶And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was kLaban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well.

30

And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well.

31

And he said, Come in, thou lblessed of the LORD; wherefore standest thou *without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.

32

¶And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and mgave straw and *provender for the camels, and water nto wash his feet, and the men's feet that were with him.

33

And there was set *meat before him to eat: but he said, oI will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on.

34

And he said, I am Abraham's servant.

35

And the LORD hath pblessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.

36

And Sarah my master's wife qbare a son to my master when she was old: and runto him hath he given all that he hath.

37

And my master made me swear, saying, sThou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell:

s v.3-9.
38

tBut thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son.

t v.4.
39

uAnd I said unto my master, *Peradventure the woman will not follow me.

u v.5.
40

vAnd he said unto me, The LORD, wbefore whom I walk, will xsend his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house:

v v.7.
41

Then shalt thou be yclear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.

42

And I came this day unto the well, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now thou do zprosper my way which I go:

43

aBehold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink;

a v.13,14.
44

And she say to me, bBoth drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath appointed out for my master's son.

45

And before I had done speaking cin mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water : and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.

46

And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also.

47

And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets dupon her hands.

48

And eI bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had fled me in the right way to take gmy master's brother's daughter unto his son.

e v.26,52.
49

And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the hright hand, or to the left.

50

Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the LORD: we cannot speak unto thee ibad or good.

51

Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the LORD hath jspoken.

52

And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words, khe worshipped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth.

53

And the servant brought forth 6jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and *raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and to her mother lprecious things.

54

And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, mSend me away unto my master.

55

And her brother and her mother said, Let the *damsel abide with us 7a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.

56

And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.

57

And they said, We will call the *damsel, and enquire at her mouth.

58

And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.

59

And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, nand Abraham's servant, and his men.

60

And they oblessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, pbe thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess qthe gate of those which hate them.

61

¶And Rebekah arose, and her *damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

62

And Isaac came from the way of the rwell Lahai-roi; for he dwelt in the south country.

63

And Isaac went out 8to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.

64

And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, sshe lighted off the camel.

65

For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore tshe took a vail, and covered herself.

66

And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.

67

And Isaac brought her uinto his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac vwas comforted after his mother's wdeath.