Old Testament · Law

Genesis chapter 24

Abraham was , well along in years, and .Abraham said to his , the oldest member of his household who managed everything he owned, “.”“I want you to by Yahweh, the God of the sky and the God of the land, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the , the people I’m living among.”“Instead, go to , to , and find a wife for my son Isaac.”The servant asked him, “What if the woman isn’t willing to come back with me to this land? Should I take your son back to the land you came from?”Abraham told him, “Make sure you never take my son back there.”“Yahweh, the God of the sky, who took me from my father’s household and from my homeland, who spoke to me and who to me saying, ‘I will give this land to your descendants’ — he will send his ahead of you so that you can find a wife for my son from there.”“If the woman isn’t willing to come back with you, then you’re released from this oath. But whatever you do, don’t take my son back there.”So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore an oath to him about all of this.Then the servant took ten of his master’s and left, carrying all kinds of expensive gifts from his master. He traveled to , to the city where Nahor lived.He made the camels kneel down outside the city by . It was evening, the time when women come out to draw water.He prayed, “Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, please make this work out for me today, and show your to my master Abraham.”“I’m standing here by the spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.”“Let it happen like this: when I say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your jar so I can have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’ — let her be the one you’ve for your servant Isaac. That’s how I’ll know you’ve shown to my master.”Before he had even finished praying, came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor.The young woman was very beautiful, a who had never been with a man. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came back up.The servant ran to meet her and said, “Please, could I have a little water from your jar?”“Of course, sir, drink,” she said, and she quickly lowered her jar to her hands and gave him a drink.After she finished giving him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they’ve had enough.”She quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and kept drawing for all his camels.The man watched her silently, waiting to find out whether Yahweh had made his journey successful or not.When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold weighing about a quarter-ounce and two gold bracelets weighing about four ounces,and asked, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me — is there room at your father’s house for us to spend the night?”She answered, “I’m the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milcah bore to Nahor.”Then she added, “We have plenty of straw and feed, and room for you to spend the night.”The man and worshiped Yahweh,saying, “I want to give thanks to Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who has not held back his and from my master. Yahweh led me straight to the house of my master’s relatives.”The young woman ran and told her about all of this.Now Rebekah had a brother named , and Laban ran out to the man at the spring.As soon as he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and heard Rebekah tell what the man had said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels at the spring.“Come in, you who are ,” he said. “Why are you standing out here? I’ve prepared the house and made room for the camels.”So the man came to the house, and Laban unloaded the camels. He provided straw and feed for the camels and water for him and his men to wash their feet.Food was set before him, but he said, “I won’t eat until I’ve said what I need to say.” Laban said, “Go ahead.”So he began: “I am Abraham’s servant.”“Yahweh has given my master tremendous good things, and he’s become wealthy. He’s given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.”“Sarah, my master’s wife, bore him a son in her old age, and my master has given everything he owns to him.”“My master made me swear an oath, saying, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live.’”“Instead, go to my father’s family, to my , and find a wife for my son.”“I said to my master, ‘What if the woman won’t come back with me?’”“He told me, ‘Yahweh, the one I’ve , will send his angel with you and make your journey successful. You must find a wife for my son from my clan, from my father’s family.’”“You will be released from my oath when you reach my clan. If they refuse to give her to you, then you’re released from my oath.”“When I came to the spring today, I prayed, ‘Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, if you’re willing, please make this journey successful for me.’”“‘I’m standing here by the spring. When a young woman comes out to draw water and I say to her, Please give me a little water from your jar to drink —‘”“‘— and she tells me, Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too — let her be the woman Yahweh has chosen for my master’s son.’”“Before I even finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’”“She quickly lowered her jar and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’ So I drank, and she watered the camels as well.”“I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.’ Then I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms.”“I bowed down and worshiped Yahweh. I gave thanks to Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to find the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son.”“Now then, if you’re going to show to my master, tell me. If not, tell me that too, so I can decide what to do next.”Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is clearly from Yahweh. We have nothing to say for or against it.”“Here is Rebekah. Take her and go. Let her become the wife of your master’s son, just as Yahweh has directed.”When Abraham’s servant heard their answer, he bowed down to the ground before Yahweh.Then the servant brought out silver and gold jewelry and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and her mother.Then he and the men with him ate and drank and spent the night. When they got up the next morning, he said, “Send me back to my master.”But her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman stay with us for ten days or so. After that, she can go.”But he said to them, “Don’t delay me. Yahweh has made my journey successful — send me on my way so I can go back to my master.”They said, “Let’s call the young woman and ask her what she wants.”So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “.”So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her and Abraham’s servant and his men.They Rebekah, saying to her, “Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands upon thousands. May your descendants of their enemies.”Then Rebekah and her got ready, mounted the camels, and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.Now Isaac had come from the direction of , since he was living in the region.Isaac had gone out to the field toward evening to , and when he looked up, he saw camels approaching.Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her cameland asked the servant, “Who is that man walking through the field toward us?” The servant said, “That’s my master.” So she took her and covered herself.The servant told Isaac everything he had done.Isaac brought her into , and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he her. So Isaac was after his mother’s death.