24:1 As Abraham became older
Yahweh blessed him in every way.
24:2 Then Abraham told a senior follower
who was in charge of his assets:
Please lay your hand on my side.
24:3 Now swear by Yahweh
the God of heaven
and the God of earth
that you will not match my son
with daughters of the Canaanites
among whom I live.
24:4 Rather, go to my people
and my own relatives
to find a wife for my son Isaac.
24:5 His follower replied to him:
Suppose the woman is unwilling
to come back with me here?
Should I return your son
to the land you came from?
24:6 Then Abraham answered him:
Be sure not to take my son there.
24:7 Yahweh the God of heaven
who sent me from my father’s house
and my native land
Who spoke to me and promised me:
Your followers will inherit a world
guided to by His messenger.
So you shall find a wife for my son.
24:8 Should the woman be unwilling
to return with you
you will be released
from my request.
Just don’t take my son there.
24:9 Then the follower placed his hand
at the side of his teacher Abraham
and made a promise regarding this matter.
24:10 Thus the follower set off
taking ten of his teacher’s camels
loaded with many goods from his teacher.
He left for Aram Naharayim
and journied into the
24:11 He had the camels kneel down
outside the village by a water spring
at a time of the evening when the women
go out to draw water.
24:12 He prayed:
Yahweh, God of my teacher Abraham
make me successful on this day
and please show favor
to my teacher Abraham.
24:13 Now I stand beside this spring
and the daughters of the village
come out to draw water.
24:14 May it come to pass
that the maiden to whom I say:
Please take down your vessel
so I may have a drink, will say:
Drink and I’ll water your camels.
This will be the one
You have chosen for Your servant Isaac.
This will let me know
You show favor to my teacher.
24:15 Before he finished his prayer
Rebekah emerged with a jar on her shoulder.
Born of Bethuel son of Milcah
the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor.
24:16 The maiden was beautiful
nor had any man ever been with her.
She walked down to the spring
filled her jar and returned.
24:17 The follower hurried
to meet her and said:
Please give me a little water
from your vessel.
24:18 She replied:
Drink my sir
lowering the jar to her hands
giving him a drink.
24:19 After giving him a drink she said:
I'll draw water for your camels too
until they have drank enough.
24:20 She immediately emptied the jar
into the trough and ran back to the well
to draw more water
to deliver enough for his camels.
24:21 As the man watched in silence
he wondered if Yahweh
had made his journey successful.
24:22 Once the camels finished drinking
the man took out a gold ring
weighing a half shekel
and two gold bracelets
weighing ten shekels.
24:23 Then he asked her:
Whose daughter are you?
Please tell me, is there room
in your father's house
for us to spend the night?
24:24 She replied to him:
I am the daughter of Bethuel –
the son Milkah bore to Nahor.
24:25 She also said:
We have both straw and fodder
and room for you to sleep over.
24:26 Then the man bowed down
and worshiped Yahweh
24:27 He prayed:
Praise be to Yahweh
the God of my teacher Abraham
Who has not withheld His truth
and mercy from my teacher.
For myself, Yahweh led me
on this journey to the place
of my teacher’s family.
24:28 The maiden ran to tell
her mother's family about this.
24:29 Now Rebekah had a brother
whose name was Laban.
Laban hurried out
to the man at the spring.
24:30 Once he saw the ring and bracelets
on his sister’s hands
and heard Rebekah explaining
what the man said to her
he went to the man
and found him there
standing with his camels
near the spring.
24:31 He said to him:
Come, you blessed by Yahweh.
Why do you stand outside?
I have prepared the house
and boarding for the camels.
24:32 So the man went to their house
and untied his camels.
The camels were fed straw and fodder
and water to wash the feet
of the young men with him.
24:33 Food was provided but he said:
I will not eat until I tell you why I am here.
The reply came: So tell us.
24:34 Said the man:
I am a follower of Abraham.
24:35 Yahweh blessed my teacher greatly
and he has become perfect.
He has provided him with flocks and herds
and given him maids and servants
and camels and donkeys.
24:36 So Sarah the wife of my teacher
bore a son to my teacher in her later years.
He has since given him everything he owns.
24:37 Thus my teacher promised me:
You must not match my son
with a Canaanite wife
as this is the land that I live.
24:38 Instead go to my father's family
and to my own family
and find a wife for my son.
24:39 So I asked my teacher:
What if she won’t return with me?
24:40 He replied:
I have followed Yahweh faithfully.
He will send His angel with you
and make your journey a success
so you can find a wife for my son
from my own clan and father's family.
24:41 You are released from this promise
if they refuse to give her to you.
Then you will be released from this promise.
24:42 When I arrived at the spring
today I prayed:
Yahweh, God of my teacher Abraham
please grant me success to this journey.
24:43 I am standing beside the spring.
If a maiden comes to draw water
and I say let me drink a little water
from your vessel
24:44 should she say drink
and I’ll water your camels.
This will be the one
You have chosen for my teacher’s son.
24:45 Then before I finished my prayer
Rebekah came with her jar on her shoulder.
She went to the spring and drew water
and I said:
Please give me a drink.
24:46 She immediately lowered
the jar off her shoulder.
Then she said:
Drink and I’ll water your camels.
Then I drank and she watered the camels.
24:47 I asked her:
Whose daughter are you?
She said:
I am the daughter of Bethuel –
the son Milkah bore to Nahor.
Then I put the ring on her
and the bracelets on her arms.
24:48 Then I bowed down
and worshiped Yahweh.
I praised Yahweh
God of my teacher Abraham
who led me to the right path
to find the granddaughter
of my teacher's brother for his son.
24:49 Now if you are kind
And truly with my teacher
let me know to I know
which way I should turn.
24:50 Laban and Bethuel replied:
This is from Yahweh so we can’t
suggest one way or the other.
24:51 Rebekah is here before you.
Bring her with you
and let her become the wife
of your teacher's son
just as Yahweh directed.
24:52 Abraham's follower heard them
and bowed down before Yahweh.
24:53 Then the follower brought forth
gold and silver jewelry and clothing
and gave them to Rebekah.
He also gave precious gifts
to her brother and mother.
24:54 Then they and the men ate
drank and stayed up all night.
Then they rose up in the morning
and he said:
Bid me farewell my sir.
24:55 But her brother and mother said:
Let the maiden stay with us
for at least 10 days.
Then after that she can go.
24:56 But he replied to them:
Please don’t detain me
now that Yahweh has given
my journey success.
Send me off to my teacher.
24:57 Then they replied:
Let's bring in the housemaid
And let’s ask her.
24:58 They summoned Rebekah and asked:
Will you go with this man?
She replied: I will go.
24:59 So they sent off their sister Rebekah
Accompanied by her nurse
and Abraham's follower with his men.
24:60 And they blessed Rebekah saying:
You are our sister.
May your children
be many and overwhelm
the castles of those who hate.
24:61 Then Rebekah rose up
and her attendants mounted the camels
and followed the man home.
Thus the follower brought Rebekah
and traveled on his way.
24:62 Now Isaac had arrived
from the spring of Lahairoi
and was dwelling in
24:63 He went out to a meadow
in the evening to pray.
Then he looked up
and saw camels coming.
24:64 Rebekah also looked up.
When she saw Isaac
she jumped off from her camel.
24:65 She asked the follower:
Who is the man in the meadow
walking over to meet us?
The follower replied:
He is my teacher.
So she covered herself with her veil.
24:66 Then the follower told Isaac
everything that had happened.
24:67 Isaac brought her inside
his mother Sarah’s tent
and she became his wife.
Thus Isaac was comforted
after the death of his mother.
