| NET Bible | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, and the LORD had blessed him in everything. | 1Now Abraham was old, advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in every way. |
| 2Abraham said to his servant, the senior one in his household who was in charge of everything he had, "Put your hand under my thigh | 2Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he owned, "Please place your hand under my thigh, |
| 3so that I may make you solemnly promise by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living. | 3and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live, |
| 4You must go instead to my country and to my relatives to find a wife for my son Isaac." | 4but you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac." |
| 5The servant asked him, "What if the woman is not willing to come back with me to this land? Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?" | 5The servant said to him, "Suppose the woman is not willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?" |
| 6"Be careful never to take my son back there!" Abraham told him. | 6Then Abraham said to him, "Beware that you do not take my son back there! |
| 7"The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and the land of my relatives, promised me with a solemn oath, 'To your descendants I will give this land.' He will send his angel before you so that you may find a wife for my son from there. | 7"The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, 'To your descendants I will give this land,' He will send His angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there. |
| 8But if the woman is not willing to come back with you, you will be free from this oath of mine. But you must not take my son back there!" | 8"But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this my oath; only do not take my son back there." |
| 9So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn promise he would carry out his wishes. | 9So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter. |
| 10Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed with all kinds of gifts from his master at his disposal. He journeyed to the region of Aram Naharaim and the city of Nahor. | 10Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and set out with a variety of good things of his master's in his hand; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. |
| 11He made the camels kneel down by the well outside the city. It was evening, the time when the women would go out to draw water. | 11He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. |
| 12He prayed, "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, guide me today. Be faithful to my master Abraham. | 12He said, "O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show lovingkindness to my master Abraham. |
| 13Here I am, standing by the spring, and the daughters of the people who live in the town are coming out to draw water. | 13"Behold, I am standing by the spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; |
| 14I will say to a young woman, 'Please lower your jar so I may drink.' May the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac reply, 'Drink, and I'll give your camels water too.' In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master." | 14now may it be that the girl to whom I say, 'Please let down your jar so that I may drink,' and who answers, 'Drink, and I will water your camels also '-- may she be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown lovingkindness to my master." |
| 15Before he had finished praying, there came Rebekah with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah (Milcah was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor). | 15Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder. |
| 16Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up. | 16The girl was very beautiful, a virgin, and no man had had relations with her; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. |
| 17Abraham's servant ran to meet her and said, "Please give me a sip of water from your jug." | 17Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar." |
| 18"Drink, my lord," she replied, and quickly lowering her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink. | 18She said, "Drink, my lord"; and she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink. |
| 19When she had done so, she said, "I'll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want." | 19Now when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw also for your camels until they have finished drinking." |
| 20She quickly emptied her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw more water until she had drawn enough for all his camels. | 20So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels. |
| 21Silently the man watched her with interest to determine if the LORD had made his journey successful or not. | 21Meanwhile, the man was gazing at her in silence, to know whether the LORD had made his journey successful or not. |
| 22After the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels and gave them to her. | 22When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half-shekel and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels in gold, |
| 23"Whose daughter are you?" he asked. "Tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?" | 23and said, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room for us to lodge in your father's house?" |
| 24She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom Milcah bore to Nahor. | 24She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor." |
| 25We have plenty of straw and feed," she added, "and room for you to spend the night." | 25Again she said to him, "We have plenty of both straw and feed, and room to lodge in." |
| 26The man bowed his head and worshiped the LORD, | 26Then the man bowed low and worshiped the LORD. |
| 27saying "Praised be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his faithful love for my master! The LORD has led me to the house of my master's relatives!" | 27He said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His lovingkindness and His truth toward my master; as for me, the LORD has guided me in the way to the house of my master's brothers." |
| 28The young woman ran and told her mother's household all about these things. | 28Then the girl ran and told her mother's household about these things. |
| 29(Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban.) Laban rushed out to meet the man at the spring. | 29Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban; and Laban ran outside to the man at the spring. |
| 30When he saw the bracelets on his sister's wrists and the nose ring and heard his sister Rebekah say, "This is what the man said to me," he went out to meet the man. There he was, standing by the camels near the spring. | 30When he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's wrists, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, "This is what the man said to me," he went to the man; and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. |
| 31Laban said to him, "Come, you who are blessed by the LORD! Why are you standing out here when I have prepared the house and a place for the camels?" | 31And he said, "Come in, blessed of the LORD! Why do you stand outside since I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels?" |
| 32So Abraham's servant went to the house and unloaded the camels. Straw and feed were given to the camels, and water was provided so that he and the men who were with him could wash their feet. | 32So the man entered the house. Then Laban unloaded the camels, and he gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. |
| 33When food was served, he said, "I will not eat until I have said what I want to say." "Tell us," Laban said. | 33But when food was set before him to eat, he said, "I will not eat until I have told my business." And he said, "Speak on." |
| 34"I am the servant of Abraham," he began. | 34So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. |
| 35"The LORD has richly blessed my master and he has become very wealthy. The Lord has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. | 35"The LORD has greatly blessed my master, so that he has become rich; and He has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and maids, and camels and donkeys. |
| 36My master's wife Sarah bore a son to him when she was old, and my master has given him everything he owns. | 36"Now Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master in her old age, and he has given him all that he has. |
| 37My master made me swear an oath. He said, 'You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, | 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 live; |
| 38but you must go to the family of my father and to my relatives to find a wife for my son.' | 38but you shall go to my father's house and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.' |
| 39But I said to my master, 'What if the woman does not want to go with me?' | 39"I said to my master, 'Suppose the woman does not follow me.' |
| 40He answered, 'The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you. He will make your journey a success and you will find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father's family. | 40"He said to me, 'The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you to make your journey successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father's house; |
| 41You will be free from your oath if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from your oath.' | 41then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.' |
| 42When I came to the spring today, I prayed, 'O LORD, God of my master Abraham, if you have decided to make my journey successful, may events unfold as follows: | 42"So I came today to the spring, and said, 'O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now You will make my journey on which I go successful; |
| 43Here I am, standing by the spring. When the young woman goes out to draw water, I'll say, "Give me a little water to drink from your jug." | 43behold, I am standing by the spring, and may it be that the maiden who comes out to draw, and to whom I say, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar"; |
| 44Then she will reply to me, "Drink, and I'll draw water for your camels too." May that woman be the one whom the LORD has chosen for my master's son.' | 44and she will say to me, "You drink, and I will draw for your camels also"; let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son.' |
| 45"Before I finished praying in my heart, along came Rebekah with her water jug on her shoulder! She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.' | 45"Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew, and I said to her, 'Please let me drink.' |
| 46She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, 'Drink, and I'll give your camels water too.' So I drank, and she also gave the camels water. | 46"She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will water your camels also'; so I drank, and she watered the camels also. |
| 47Then I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' She replied, 'The daughter of Bethuel the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to Nahor.' I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. | 47"Then I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter are you?' And she said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him'; and I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists. |
| 48Then I bowed down and worshiped the LORD. I praised the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right path to find the granddaughter of my master's brother for his son. | 48"And I bowed low and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had guided me in the right way to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son. |
| 49Now, if you will show faithful love to my master, tell me. But if not, tell me as well, so that I may go on my way." | 49"So now if you are going to deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, let me know, that I may turn to the right hand or the left." |
| 50Then Laban and Bethuel replied, "This is the LORD's doing. Our wishes are of no concern. | 50Then Laban and Bethuel replied, "The matter comes from the LORD; so we cannot speak to you bad or good. |
| 51Rebekah stands here before you. Take her and go so that she may become the wife of your master's son, just as the LORD has decided." | 51"Here is Rebekah before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has spoken." |
| 52When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD. | 52When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the ground before the LORD. |
| 53Then he brought out gold, silver jewelry, and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and to her mother. | 53The servant brought out articles of silver and articles of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. |
| 54After this, he and the men who were with him ate a meal and stayed there overnight. When they got up in the morning, he said, "Let me leave now so I can return to my master." | 54Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night. When they arose in the morning, he said, "Send me away to my master." |
| 55But Rebekah's brother and her mother replied, "Let the girl stay with us a few more days, perhaps ten. Then she can go." | 55But her brother and her mother said, "Let the girl stay with us a few days, say ten; afterward she may go." |
| 56But he said to them, "Don't detain me--the LORD has granted me success on my journey. Let me leave now so I may return to my master." | 56He said to them, "Do not delay me, since the LORD has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master." |
| 57Then they said, "We'll call the girl and find out what she wants to do." | 57And they said, "We will call the girl and consult her wishes." |
| 58So they called Rebekah and asked her, "Do you want to go with this man?" She replied, "I want to go." | 58Then they called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" And she said, "I will go." |
| 59So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, accompanied by her female attendant, with Abraham's servant and his men. | 59Thus they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse with Abraham's servant and his men. |
| 60They blessed Rebekah with these words: "Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands! May your descendants possess the strongholds of their enemies." | 60They blessed Rebekah and said to her, "May you, our sister, Become thousands of ten thousands, And may your descendants possess The gate of those who hate them." |
| 61Then Rebekah and her female servants mounted the camels and rode away with the man. So Abraham's servant took Rebekah and left. | 61Then Rebekah arose with her maids, and they mounted the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed. |
| 62Now Isaac came from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. | 62Now Isaac had come from going to Beer-lahai-roi; for he was living in the Negev. |
| 63He went out to relax in the field in the early evening. Then he looked up and saw that there were camels approaching. | 63Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening; and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, camels were coming. |
| 64Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel | 64Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from the camel. |
| 65and asked Abraham's servant, "Who is that man walking in the field toward us?" "That is my master," the servant replied. So she took her veil and covered herself. | 65She said to the servant, "Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?" And the servant said, "He is my master." Then she took her veil and covered herself. |
| 66The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. | 66The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. |
| 67Then Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah's tent. He took her as his wife and loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. | 67Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; thus Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. |
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