16 August 2022 draft-bible
1 And Abraham was old, well on in age, and Yahweh had blessed Abraham in everything. 2 And Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, Please, put your hand under my thigh, 3 and I will make you swear by Yahweh, the god of the sky and the god of the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell. 4 But you shall go to my country, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.
5 And the servant said to him, Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I bring your son back to the land you came from?
6 And Abraham said to him, Beware that you do not bring my son back there. 7 Yahweh, the god of the sky—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 seed I will give this land—he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.
8 And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from this oath to me. Only you shall not bring my son back there.
9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter. 10 And the servant took ten camels of his master’s camels, and went, having all manner of good things of his master’s in his hand; and he arose and went to Aram Naharaim, to the city of Nahor. 11 And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water. 12 And he said, Yahweh, god of my master Abraham, please give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 Here I am, standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 And let it be, that the young woman to whom I will say, Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink; then she says, Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink—let her be the one that you have appointed for your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.
15 Then before he had finished speaking, there came Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder. 16 And the young woman was very beautiful to look upon, a virgin, and no man had known her. And she went down to the spring, and filled her pitcher, and came up. 17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher.
18 And she said, Drink, my lord. And she hurried, and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him a drink. 19 And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, I will also draw for your camels, until they have finished drinking. 20 And she hurried, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.
21 And the man looked steadfastly at her, remaining silent, to know whether Yahweh had made his journey successful or not. 22 And when the camels had finished drinking, the man took a golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten [shekels weight of] gold, 23 and said, Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please. Is there room in your father’s house for us to stay?
24 And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor. 25 And she said to him, We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge in.
26 And the man bowed his head, and worshipped Yahweh. 27 And he said, Blessed be Yahweh, the god of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his kindness and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, Yahweh has led me on the way to the house of my master’s relatives.
28 And the young woman ran, and told her mother’s house about these things. 29 And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. And Laban ran to the man, to the spring. 30 And when he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, This is what the man said to me, he came to the man. And there he was, standing by the camels at the spring. 31 And he said, Come in, blessed of Yahweh. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.
32 And the man came into the house, and he unloaded the camels. And he gave straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 And there was food set before him to eat, but he said, I will not eat until I have told my message.
And he said, Speak on.
34 And he said, I am Abraham’s servant. 35 And Yahweh has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and he has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and male and female slaves, and camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah, my master’s wife, bore a son to my master when she was old; and he has given him all that he has. 37 And 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, 38 but you shall go to my father’s house, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son. 39 And I said to my master, Perhaps the woman will not follow me. 40 And he said to me, Yahweh, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you, and prosper your way. And you shall take a wife for my son from my relatives, and from my father’s house. 41 Then you will be clear from my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you shall be clear from my oath. 42 And I came today to the spring, and said, O Yahweh, god of my master Abraham, if now you prosper my way which I go—43 here I am, standing by this spring of water. And let it be, that the maiden who comes out to draw, to whom I will say, Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink, 44 and she says to me, Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,--let her be the woman whom Yahweh has appointed for my master’s son. 45 And before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the spring, and drew. And I said to her, Please let me drink. 46 And she hurried and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink. So I drank, and she also gave the camels a drink. 47 And 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 hands. 48 And I bowed my head, and worshipped Yahweh, and blessed Yahweh, the god of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter for his son. 49 And now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right, or to the left.
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceeds from Yahweh: we cannot speak to you bad or good. 51 Here: Rebekah is before you. Take her and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as Yahweh has spoken.
52 Now when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth to Yahweh. 53 And the servant brought out silver jewelry, and gold jewelry, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah; and he gave precious things to her brother and her mother. 54 And they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed all night. And they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away to my master.
55 And 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 And he said to them, Do not hinder me, seeing Yahweh has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.
57 And they said, We will call the young woman, and ask her herself.
58 And they called Rebekah, and said to her, Will you go with this man?
And she said, I will go.
59 And they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said to her, Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your seed possess the gate of those who hate them.
61 And Rebekah arose, and her young women, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man. And the servant took Rebekah, and went his way. 62 And Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he lived in the land of the Negev. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at evening; and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she alighted from the camel.
65 And she said to the servant, Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?
And the servant said, It is my master. And she took [her] veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant recounted to Isaac all the things that he had done.
67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her. And Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
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