Abraham Gets a Wife for Isaac

24:1-67

24 Now Abraham was old, advanced in days, and Yahweh had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 Then Abraham said to his oldest servant of his house, who was in charge of everything that belonged to him, “Please put your hand under my thigh, 3 and I will have you swear by Yahweh, the God of the heavens and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites whom I am living among, 4 but you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son, for Isaac.”

5 Then the servant said to him, “Suppose the woman is not willing to come with me to this land? Should I take your son back to the country that you came from?” 6 Then Abraham said to him, “Be sure that you do not take my son back there. 7 Yahweh, the God of the heavens, who took me from the house of my father and from the land of my relatives and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there. 8 But if the woman is not willing to come with you, then you are clear from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there!”

9 Then the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter. 10 Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master and left, and all kinds of good things from his master were in his hand, and he got up and went to Aram Naharaim, to the city of Nahor. 11 Then he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at evening time, at the time the women who draw water come out.

12 Then he said, “Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, please cause it to happen before me today that you show kindness toward my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I am standing by this spring of water, and the daughters of the people of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 And let it be that the young woman whom I say to her, ‘Please let down your jar so that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink and I will also water your camels,’ let her be the one you have appointed for your servant, for Isaac. And by her I will know that you have shown kindness toward my master.”

15 Then it happened before he had finished speaking, then behold, Rebekah was coming out, who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham. And her water jar was on her shoulder. 16 And the young woman was a very beautiful-looking virgin, and a man had not known her. And she went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up.

17 Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar.” 18 And she said, “Drink, my lord.” Then she hurried and lowered her jar to her hands and gave him a drink. 19 And after she finished giving him a drink, then she said, “I will also draw 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 water, and she drew water for all his camels. 21 And the man watched her silently to know whether Yahweh had made his journey succeed or not.

22 Then it happened, when the camels had finished drinking, then the man took out a gold nose ring, its weight a beka, and two gold bracelets for her arms, their weight ten shekels. 23 And he said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there a place at the house of your father for us to lodge?” 24 Then she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore for Nahor.” 25 Then she said to him, “Plenty of both straw and fodder are with us. There is also a place to lodge.” 26 Then the man bowed down and prostrated himself before Yahweh, 27 and said, “Praised be Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, Yahweh has led me on the road to the home of the relatives of my master!”

28 Then the young woman ran and announced to the household of her mother about those things. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban, and Laban ran to the man outside at the spring. 30 And it was when he had seen the nose ring and the bracelets on the arms of his sister, and when he had heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, “This is what the man said to me,” then he went to the man, and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. 31 Then he said, “Come, blessed of Yahweh. Why are you standing out here? For I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”

32 So the man went to the house. Then 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. 33 Then food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have spoken my words.” So he said, “Speak.”

34 Then he said, “I am a servant of Abraham. 35 And Yahweh has greatly blessed my master, so that he has become great. And he has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and men slaves and women slaves, and camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah, the wife of my master, bore a son for my master after her old age, and he has given to him everything that belongs to him. 37 And my master made me swear, saying, ‘You must not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites whose land I am living in, 38 but rather you must go to the house of my father, and to my clan, and take a wife for my son.’ 39 Then I said to my master, ‘Suppose the woman will not come with me?’ 40 And he said to me, ‘Yahweh, whom I walk before, will send his angel with you and make your journey succeed, so that you will take a wife for my son from my clan, and from the house of my father. 41 Then you will be clear from my oath: When you go to my clan, and if they will not give her to you, then you will be clear from my oath.’

42 “Then today I came to the spring, and I said, ‘Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, if it is your will, please make my journey succeed that I have come on. 43 Behold, I am standing by this spring of water. And let it be that the young woman who comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please give me a little water to drink from your jar,” 44 and she says to me, “Both you drink and I will also draw water for your camels,” let her be the wife whom Yahweh has chosen for the son of my master.’

45 “Before I had finished speaking in my heart, then behold, Rebekah was coming out and her jar was on her shoulder. And she went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 46 And she hurried and lowered her jar from her and said, ‘Drink and I will also water your camels.’ So I drank, and she also watered the camels. 47 Then I asked her and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, a son of Nahor whom Milcah bore for him.’ Then I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. 48 And I bowed down and prostrated myself before Yahweh, and I praised Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who led me on the right way to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son. 49 And now if it is your will to show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me. But if not, tell me, so that I will turn to the right or to the left.”

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing has come from Yahweh; we are not able to tell you bad or good. 51 Behold, Rebekah is before you. Take her and go, and let her be the wife of the son of your master, as Yahweh has spoken.” 52 Then it happened, when the servant of Abraham heard their words, then he bowed down to the ground before Yahweh. 53 Then the servant brought out jewelry of silver and jewelry of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. And he gave valuable things to her brother and to her mother.

54 Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and lodged. Then in the morning they got up, and he said, “Send me to my master.” 55 But her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go.” 56 But he said to them, “Do not detain me, since Yahweh has made my journey succeed. Send me off so that I will go to my master.” 57 Then they said, “Let’s call for the young woman and ask her mouth.”

58 So they called for Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” 59 Then they sent off Rebekah their sister and her nurse and the servant of Abraham and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,

“Our sister, may you become

thousands of myriads,

and may your offspring possess

the gates of those hating them!” 61 Then Rebekah got up and her maids, and they mounted the camels and went with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

62 Meanwhile Isaac came from going to Beer Lahai Roi, and he was living in the land of the Negev. 63 And Isaac went to meditate in the field as it was turning toward evening, and he lifted his eyes and saw that, behold, camels were coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted her eyes and saw Isaac. Then she dismounted from the camel, 65 and she said to the servant, “Who is that man in the field who is coming to meet us?” And the servant said, “He is my master.” So she took the veil and covered herself.

66 Then the servant reported to Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother, and he took Rebekah, and she became a wife to him. And Isaac loved her, and he was comforted after his mother.