24 Abraham was now getting very old, and Yahweh had blessed him in every way. 2 Then Abraham said to his oldest slave of his household who was in charge of everything that belonged to him, “Please put your hand under my thigh, 3 and I want you to vow by Yahweh, the God of the heavens and the God of the earth, that you won’t select a wife for my son Yitshak from any of the Canaanite women in this area where we’re living. 4 Rather, you should go back to my country and to my relatives, and find a wife for him there.”

5 “Suppose the woman isn’t willing to come back with me to this place?” the slave asked. “Should I take your son back to the country that you came from?”

6 “Make sure that you don’t take my son back there,” Abraham answered. 7 “Yahweh, the God of the heavens, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my relatives, and who spoke to me and who promised me, saying, ‘I’ll give this land to your descendants,’ he’ll send his messenger ahead of you, and you’ll be guaranteed to bring back a wife for my son from there. 8 If it turned out that the woman isn’t willing to come back with you, then you’re released from this vow to me. But still in that case, don’t take my son back there!” 9 Then the slave put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and promised his that he’d follow those instructions..

10 Then the slave took ten of his master’s camels and loaded them with all kinds of good things from his master, and with his own slaves, he travelled to the city of Nahor in the Aram Naharaim region. 11 Then on that first evening, he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well. It was the time that women come out to fetch water, 12 and he prayed, “Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, please cause it to happen right in front of me today that you show kindness toward my master Abraham. 13 See, I’m standing by this well, and the young women from the city will be coming out here to fetch water. 14 Let it be that if I say to a young woman, ‘Please let me have a drink from your water jar,’ and she says, ‘Sure, and I’ll also get more for your camels,’ let her be the one you have appointed for your slave Yitshak. And by finding her, I’ll know that you’ve shown kindness toward my master.”

15 Now before he’d even finished speaking, then wow, Rebekah arrived with her empty water jar on her shoulder. (She was Bethuel’s daughter—Bethuel being the son of Abraham’s brother Nahor and his wife Milcah.) 16 The young woman was very beautiful and a virgin who hadn’t slept with a man. She went down to the well and filled her jar and came back up. 17 The slave ran to meet her and said, “Can I have a small drink of water from your jar.”

18 “Drink, my master,” she said and quickly lowered her jar to her hands and gave him a drink, 19 and after she’d finished giving him a drink, she said, “I’ll also get water for your camels until they have finished drinking.” 20 Then she hurried and emptied her jar into the trough and ran back to the well to draw more water, and she drew enough water for all his camels 21 while Abraham’s slave watched her silently to determine whether Yahweh had made his journey successful or not.

22 Then when the camels had finished drinking, the slave took out an expensive gold nose ring and two solid gold bracelets for her arms. 23 “Tell me, whose daughter are you?” he asked her. “Is there room at your father’s house for us to stay?”

24 “I’m Bethuel’s daughter. He’s the son of Nahor and Milcah,” she answered. 25 “We’ve got plenty of both straw and fodder for the camels, and there’s also a room where you could stay.”

26 Then the slave bowed down and worshipped Yahweh 27 and said, “Praised be Yahweh, my master Abraham’s God, who hasn’t relented from his kindness and faithfulness toward my master. As for me, Yahweh has led me on the road to the home of my master’s relatives.”

28 Then the young woman ran home and told her mother’s household what had happened. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Lavan (Laban), and he ran out to the man at the well. 30 He had seen the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and when he’d heard his sister Rebekah’s words saying, “This is what the man said to me,” then he went to the man, and indeed, he was there standing by the camels at the spring 31 and he invited him, “Come, you who’re blessed by Yahweh. Why are you standing out here? I’ve already prepared the house and a place for the camels.”

32 So Abraham’s slave went to the house. Then he unloaded the camels and gave them straw and fodder, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.[fn] 33 Then food was set out for them to eat, but Abraham’s slave said, “I won’t eat until I have said what I have to say.”

“Speak then,” Lavan responded.

34 “I’m one of Abraham’s slaves,” he said, 35 and Yahweh has blessed my master a lot, so that he has become wealthy. Yahweh has given him cattle, sheep and goats, silver and gold, male and female slaves, and camels and donkeys. 36 And my master’s wife Sarah gave birth to a son for my master despite her old age, and my master has given him everything that he owns. 37 My master made me promise, saying, ‘You mustn’t get a wife for my son from Canaanite women whose land I am living in, 38 but rather you must go to my father’s house and to my clan, and find a wife for my son there.’ 39 Then I asked my master, ‘Suppose the woman refuses to come with me?’ 40 And he replied, ‘The God Yahweh that I obey, he’ll send his messenger with you and make your journey succeed, so that you’ll find a wife for my son from my clan, and from my father’s house. 41 Then you’ll be free of your promise: When you go to my clan, and if they won’t allow her to return with you, then you’ll be clear from this promise.’

42 “Then today I came to the well, and I said, ‘Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, if it’s what you want, make my journey succeed that I have come on. 43 Listen, I’m standing by this well, so let it be that the young woman who comes out to fetch water and I say to her, “Please give me a little water to drink from your jar,” 44 and she replies to me, “Sure, drink, and I will also get water for your camels,” let her be the wife that Yahweh has chosen for the my master’s son.’ 45 Before I’d finished speaking in my heart, then wow, Rebekah was coming out with her jar on her shoulder. And she went down to the well and drew water, and I asked her, ‘Can I have a drink.’ 46 So she hurried and lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll also water your camels.’ So I drank and she also watered the camels. 47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, a son of Nahor and his wife Milcah.’ Then I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. 48 Then I bowed down and worshipped and praised my master Abraham’s God Yahweh, who led me on the right way to find the daughter of my master’s brother for his son. 49 And now if you all want to show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me. But if not, tell me, so that I can decide what to do next.”

50 Then Lavan and Bethuel answered, “This matter has come from Yahweh, so we’re not able to tell you bad or good. 51 But listen, Rebekah’s right here. Take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as Yahweh has indicated.” 52 Now when Abraham’s slave heard their reply, he bowed down to the ground before Yahweh. 53 Then he brought out silver and gold jewelry, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. And he gave valuable things to her brother and her mother.

54 Then Abraham’s slave and the men with him ate and drank and stayed there overnight. Then in the morning they got up, and he said, “Let me leave now and return back to my master.”

55 But Rebekah’s brother and her mother said, “Let the girl stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she can go.”

56 “Don’t detain me,” he told them, “since Yahweh has made my journey successful. Send me off so that I can return to my master.”

57 “Let’s call for the young woman and find out what she wants to do.” they responded. 58 So they called for Rebekah and asked her, “Are you prepared to leave now with this man?”

“Yes, I’ll go.” she answered.

59 So they got ready to send off their sister Rebekah with Abraham’s slave and his men, along with her childhood nurse. 60 They prayed a blessed for Rebekah, saying

“Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands,

and may your descendants defeat all of their enemies.”

61 Then Rebekah got up with her maids, and they mounted the camels and went with the man. So the slave took Rebekah and left.

62 Meanwhile Yitshak was living in the Negev region, and had just returned from visiting Be’er-Lahai-Roi. 63 Late on afternoon, he went out to a field to meditate, and when he looked up, he saw some camels approaching. 64 Rebekah also looked up and saw Yitshak, and dismounted from her camel, 65 asking the slave, “Who’s that man in the field who is coming to meet us?”

“He’s my master,” the slave replied, so she took the veil and covered herself.

66 Then the slave reported everything that he’d done to Yitshak. 67 Then Yitshak brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother, and he took Rebekah as his wife. And Yitshak loved her and he was comforted after his mother’s death.