10 Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to (A)Mesopotamia[a] 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 when (B)women go out to draw water. 12 And he said, “O Lord, (C)God of my master Abraham, (D)please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, (E)I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. (F)By this[b] I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.”

15 Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of (G)Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder. 16 The young woman (H)was very attractive in appearance, a maiden[c] whom no man had known. She went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. 17 Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water to drink from your jar.” 18 She said, “Drink, my lord.” And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink. 19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels. 21 The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not.

22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel,[d] and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels, 23 and said, “Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?” 24 She said to him, (I)“I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 She added, “We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night.” 26 (J)The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord 27 and said, “Blessed be the Lord, (K)the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken (L)his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord (M)has led me in the way to the house of my master's kinsmen.” 28 Then the young woman ran and told her mother's household about these things.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 24:10 Hebrew Aram-naharaim
  2. Genesis 24:14 Or By her
  3. Genesis 24:16 Or a woman of marriageable age
  4. Genesis 24:22 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams

10 Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master’s camels(A) loaded with all kinds of good things(B) from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim[a](C) and made his way to the town of Nahor.(D) 11 He had the camels kneel down near the well(E) outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.(F)

12 Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham,(G) make me successful(H) today, and show kindness(I) to my master Abraham. 13 See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.(J) 14 May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink,(K) and I’ll water your camels too’(L)—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac.(M) By this I will know(N) that you have shown kindness to my master.”

15 Before he had finished praying,(O) Rebekah(P) came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel(Q) son of Milkah,(R) who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor.(S) 16 The woman was very beautiful,(T) a virgin;(U) no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.

17 The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”(V)

18 “Drink,(W) my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.

19 After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels(X) too,(Y) until they have had enough to drink.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels.(Z) 21 Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful.(AA)

22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring(AB) weighing a beka[b] and two gold bracelets(AC) weighing ten shekels.[c] 23 Then he asked, “Whose daughter are you?(AD) Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?(AE)

24 She answered him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milkah bore to Nahor.(AF) 25 And she added, “We have plenty of straw and fodder,(AG) as well as room for you to spend the night.”

26 Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord,(AH) 27 saying, “Praise be to the Lord,(AI) the God of my master Abraham,(AJ) who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness(AK) to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey(AL) to the house of my master’s relatives.”(AM)

28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.(AN)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 24:10 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
  2. Genesis 24:22 That is, about 1/5 ounce or about 5.7 grams
  3. Genesis 24:22 That is, about 4 ounces or about 115 grams

10 And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.

11 And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.

12 And he said O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.

13 Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:

14 And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.

15 And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.

16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.

18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.

20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.

21 And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.

22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;

23 And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in?

24 And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.

25 She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.

26 And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the Lord.

27 And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren.

28 And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother's house these things.

Read full chapter