Previous     Next       Play // Stop Sound    

          DASV: Genesis 24    

1 Now Abraham was old, well on in years, and the LORD
had blessed Abraham in all things.
2 Abraham said to his servant, the oldest in his house who
had charge over all he had, "Put your hand under my thigh.
3 I want you to swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the
God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son of
the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.
4 But go instead to my country and to my relatives and find a
wife for my son Isaac."

5 Then the servant said to him, "What if the woman is not willing
to follow me back to this land. Should I bring your son back to
the land from which you came?"
6 Abraham replied to him, "Be careful never to bring my son
back there.
7 For the LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my
father's house, and from the land of my birth, spoke swearing
to me, '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.
8 But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you are
freed from this my oath. Only do not bring my son back there again."

9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master,
and swore to him concerning this matter.
10 Then the servant took ten of his master's camels, and left with
all kinds of gifts from his master in his hand. He arose and set
out for the city of Nahor in Aram-Naharaim.
11 He made the camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water
as evening was near, at the time when women go out to draw water.

12 So he prayed, "O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, please
grant me success today, and show faithful love to my master Abraham.
13 Here I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of
the people of the city are coming out to draw water.
14 Let it be that the woman to whom I say, 'Let down your jug,
that I may drink.' May she reply, 'Drink, and I will give your
camels water also.' Let her be the one you have chosen for your
servant Isaac. This is how I will know that you have shown faithful
love to my master."

15 Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jug
upon her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah,
who was the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother.
16 And the young woman was very beautiful, a virgin, who had never
slept with a man. She went down to the spring, and filled her jug,
and came up.
17 Then the servant hurried to meet her, and said, "Please,
give me a drink of water from your jug."

18 She replied, "Drink, my lord." Then she quickly lowered her jug
to 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 too, until they have had enough."
20 So she quickly emptied her jug into the trough, and ran back
to the well to draw water, and drew it for all his camels.

21 The man silently watched her to determine whether the LORD
had prospered his journey or not.
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold
nose-ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her
wrists weighing ten shekels of gold,
23 and said, "Whose daughter are you? Please, tell me. Is there
room for us to stay in your father's house?"

24 She answered, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son that Milcah
bore to Nahor."
25 She added, "We have enough straw and feed and a room for you
to spend the night."
26 Then the man bowed his head, and worshipped the LORD.
27 He said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham,
who has not forsaken his loyal love and faithfulness to my master.
As for me, the LORD has led me straight to the house of my master's
relatives."

28 The young woman ran, and told her mother's household about
these things.
29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban; and Laban ran out to meet
the man, at the spring.
30 As soon as he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister's arms,
and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying,
"This is what the man said to me," he approached the man,
who was standing by the camels near the spring.
31 He said, "Come in, O blessed of the LORD. Why are you standing
outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels."

32 So the man went into the house, and Laban unloaded the camels.
He gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet
and the feet of the men traveling with him.
33 Food was served for him to eat. But he said, "I will not eat,
until I have said what I need to say." Laban replied, "Tell us."
34 So he said, "I am Abraham's servant.
35 The LORD has blessed my master greatly and he has become
very wealthy. And he has given him flocks and herds, silver
and gold, male and female servants and camels and donkeys.
36 Sarah, my master's wife, bore my master a son when she
was old. And to him he has given all that he has.
37 Now my master made me swear, saying, 'You must not take
a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites,
in whose land I dwell.
38 But you must go to my father's house, and to my relatives,
and find a wife for my son.'
39 Then I said to my master, 'What if the woman will not come
back with me.'
40 He said to me, 'The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his
angel with you, and make your journey successful. You will
find a wife for my son from among my relatives and from my
father's house.
41 When you come to my relatives, if they will not give her
to you, then you are free from my oath.'
42 So I came this day to the spring, and said, 'O LORD, the
God of my master Abraham, if you are making my journey successful,
43 here I am standing by the spring of water then let it be
that when the young woman comes to draw water, and I will say to her,
"Please, give me a little water from your jug to drink."
44 Then she will say to me, "Drink, both you, and I will also draw
water for your camels." May this be the woman whom the LORD has
chosen for my master's son.'
45 Before I had finished speaking in my heart, here came Rebekah
with her jug on her shoulder. And she went down to the spring,
and drew water. And I said to her, 'Please, give me a drink.'
46 And she quickly let down her jug from her shoulder, and said,
'Drink, and I will give your camels a drink too.' So I drank,
and she watered the camels too.
47 And I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' And she replied,
'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore him.'
So I put the ring in her nose, and the bracelets on her arms.
48 Then I bowed my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed
the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who led me in the right
way to take my master's brother's granddaughter for his son.
49 Now if you will show loyal love and faithfulness to my master,
tell me; and if not, tell me; so that I will know whether to go
to the left or right."

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered, "The thing has come from
the LORD. We cannot speak to you anything either bad or good.
51 Look, Rebekah is before your, take her, and go, and let her be
your master's son's wife, as the LORD has spoken."
52 When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed down to the
ground before the LORD.
53 And the servant brought out jewels of silver and gold,
and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave her brother
and her mother precious gifts.

54 Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank,
and he stayed the night. When they got up in the morning,
he said, "Send me back to my master."
55 But her brother and mother said, "Let the girl stay with us a while,
at the least ten days and after that she may go."
56 But he requested, "Do not delay me seeing the LORD has made
my journey successful. Let me leave that I may go to my master."
57 Then they replied, "We will call the girl, and ask her."
58 So they called Rebekah, and asked her, "Will you go with
this man?" And she answered, "I will go."

59 So they sent off Rebekah their sister and her nurse,
along with Abraham's servant and his men.
60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said to her, "Our sister,
may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands,
and let your offspring possess the gate of their enemies."

61 Then Rebekah got up and her servant girls, and they rode
on the camels, and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah,
and went his way.
62 Now Isaac came from the way of Beer-lahai-roi, for he lived
in the Negev.
63 Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening.
And as he lifted up his eyes he looked and saw there were camels
approaching.
64 When Rebekah lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac,
she dismounted the camel.
65 Then 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 Then the servant told Isaac everything he had done.
67 So Isaac brought her to his mother Sarah's tent, married Rebekah,
and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was
comforted after his mother's death.

 Previous     Next       Play // Stop Sound