Genesis 24
A Servant Sent to Fetch the Bride
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The Oath of the Servant
24:1Now Abraham was old, advanced in years; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.
24:2Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his household who managed all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh.”
24:3“I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son Isaac from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I live.”
24:4“Go instead to my land, where I was born, and to my tribe, and take a wife for my son Isaac from there.”
24:5And the servant said to him: “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land; must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?”
24:6Abraham said to him, “Be careful not to take my son back there.”
24:7“The Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, who took me from my father’s house and the land where I was born, who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To you and your seed I will give this land,’ will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son Isaac from there.”
24:8“If the woman is unwilling to come with you to this land, you will be free from this oath. Only do not take my son back there.”
24:9So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham, his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.
The Servant’s Journey
24:10The servant took ten of his master’s camels, with some of all his master’s good things. He set out for Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.
24:11And he made the camels lie down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water.
24:12He said, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, grant me success today and show mercy to my master Abraham.”
24:13“Behold, I stand here by the spring of water, and the daughters of the inhabitants of the city are coming out to draw water.”
24:14“Let the virgin to whom I say, ‘Lower your water jar so I may drink,’ and who says, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels until they stop drinking,’ be the one You have prepared for Your servant Isaac. By this I will know that You have shown mercy to my master Abraham.”
Rebekah at the Well
24:15And it came to pass, before he had finished speaking in his mind, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, having her water-jar upon her shoulder.
24:16Now the young woman was exceedingly beautiful of face, a virgin whom no man had known; and she went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up.
24:17And the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar.”
24:18She said, “Drink, my lord.” She quickly lowered her jar onto her arm and gave him a drink.
24:19When he had stopped drinking, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels, until they have all drunk.”
24:20And she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.
24:21And the man gazed at her in silence, watching to know whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not.
24:22When all the camels had finished drinking, the man took gold earrings, each weighing a drachma, and two bracelets for her hands weighing ten gold pieces.
24:23and he said, “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please: is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge?”
24:24And she said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.”
24:25She also said to him, “We have plenty of both straw and feed, and room to lodge.”
24:26The man was pleased and worshiped the Lord, saying,
24:27“Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His righteousness and truth toward my master. The Lord has guided me to the house of my master’s brother.”
The Servant’s Invitation
24:28So the young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.
24:29Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and Laban ran out to the man at the spring.
24:30As soon as he saw the earrings 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,” he went to the man, and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring.
24:31And he said to him, “Come in; blessed be the Lord! Why do you stand outside? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”
24:32The man entered the house. The camels were unloaded and given straw and feed, and water was provided for his feet and the feet of the men with him.
24:33Bread was set before them to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have spoken about my business.” They said, “Speak.”
24:34So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant.”
24:35“The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has been exalted. He has given him sheep and calves, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and donkeys.”
24:36“Sarah, my master’s wife, bore my master one son after he had grown old, and he has given him everything he had.”
24:37“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;’”
24:38“‘but you shall go to my father’s house and to my clan, and take a wife for my son from there.’”
24:39“And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’”
24:40“He said to me, ‘The Lord, whom I have pleased, will send His angel with you and prosper your journey. You shall take a wife for my son from my tribe and my father’s house.’”
24:41“‘Then you will be free from my curse: when you go to my tribe and they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’”
24:42“Today I came to the spring and said, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if You will now prosper the journey on which I go,’”
24:43“‘Here I stand by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city will come out to draw water. Let the virgin to whom I say, “Give me a little water from your jar,”’”
24:44“‘and who says, “Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,” be the woman whom the Lord has prepared for His own servant Isaac. By this I will know that You have shown mercy to my master Abraham.’”
24:45“Before I had finished speaking in my mind, Rebekah immediately came out with her water-jar on her shoulder; and she went down to the spring and drew water. And I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’”
24:46“She quickly lowered her jar and said, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels.’ I drank, and she watered my camels.”
24:47“I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘I am the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ I put the earrings on her and the bracelets around her hands.”
24:48“I was pleased and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had guided me on the way of truth to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son.”
24:49“If, then, you will show mercy and righteousness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may turn to the right or to the left.”
The Family’s Blessing
24:50Laban and Bethuel answered, “This command has come from the Lord. We cannot oppose you by setting evil against good.”
24:51“Rebekah is before you. Take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.”
24:52And it came to pass, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, that he worshiped the Lord, bowing down to the earth.
24:53The servant brought out silver and gold articles and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave gifts to her brother and mother.
24:54He and the men with him ate and drank and slept there. Rising in the morning, he said, “Send me away so I may go to my master.”
24:55Her brothers and mother said, “Let the virgin stay with us about ten days; afterward she may go.”
24:56And he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master.”
24:57They said, “Let us call the young woman and ask her herself.”
24:58Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.”
24:59They sent away their sister Rebekah with her belongings, Abraham’s servant, and the men with him.
24:60They blessed their sister Rebekah and said, “You are our sister. May you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your seed inherit the cities of their adversaries.”
24:61Then Rebekah and her servant women arose, mounted the camels, and went with the man. The servant took Rebekah and departed.
Isaac and Rebekah Meet
24:62Isaac was traveling through the wilderness near the Well of the Vision; he was living in the land toward the south.
24:63And Isaac went out into the field toward evening to meditate; and he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, camels were coming.
24:64And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she leaped down from the camel.
24:65For she had said to the servant, “Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?” And the servant had said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself.
24:66And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
24:67Isaac entered his mother’s house and took Rebekah. She became his wife, and he loved her. Isaac was comforted concerning Sarah his mother.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.