24Abraham was now a very old man, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.H85H2204H935H3117H3068H1288H852One day Abraham said to his oldest servant, the man in charge of his household, "Take an oath by putting your hand under my thigh.H85H559H2205H5650H1004H4910H7760H3027H34093Swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women.H7650H3068H430H8064H430H776H3947H802H1121H1323H3669H7130H34274Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac."H3212H776H4138H3947H802H1121H33275The servant asked, "But what if I can't find a young woman who is willing to travel so far from home? Should I then take Isaac there to live among your relatives in the land you came from?"H5650H559H802H14H3212H310H776H7725H1121H7725H776H33186"No!" Abraham responded. "Be careful never to take my son there.H85H559H8104H7725H6435H1121H77257For the LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my descendants. He will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a wife there for my son.H3068H430H8064H3947H1H1004H776H4138H1696H7650H559H2233H5414H776H7971H4397H6440H3947H802H11218If she is unwilling to come back with you, then you are free from this oath of mine. But under no circumstances are you to take my son there."H802H14H3212H310H5352H7621H7725H1121H77259So the servant took an oath by putting his hand under the thigh of his master, Abraham. He swore to follow Abraham's instructions.H5650H7760H3027H3409H85H113H7650H5921H2088H169710Then he loaded ten of Abraham's camels with all kinds of expensive gifts from his master, and he traveled to distant Aram-naharaim. There he went to the town where Abraham's brother Nahor had settled.H5650H3947H6235H1581H1581H113H3212H2898H113H3027H6965H3212H763H5892H515211He made the camels kneel beside a well just outside the town. It was evening, and the women were coming out to draw water.H1288H1581H1288H2351H5892H413H875H4325H6256H6153H6256H3318H757912"O LORD, God of my master, Abraham," he prayed. "Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham.H559H3068H430H113H85H6440H7136H3117H6213H2617H5973H113H8513See, I am standing here beside this spring, and the young women of the town are coming out to draw water.H5324H5869H4325H1323H582H5892H3318H7579H432514This is my request. I will ask one of them, 'Please give me a drink from your jug.' If she says, 'Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!'—let her be the one you have selected as Isaac's wife. This is how I will know that you have shown unfailing love to my master."H5291H559H5186H3537H8354H559H8354H8248H1581H8248H3198H5650H3327H3045H6213H2617H11315Before he had finished praying, he saw a young woman named Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham's brother Nahor and his wife, Milcah.H3615H1696H7259H3318H834H3205H1328H1121H4435H802H5152H85H251H3537H792616Rebekah was very beautiful and old enough to be married, but she was still a virgin. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came up again.H5291H3966H2896H4758H1330H376H3045H3381H5869H4390H3537H592717Running over to her, the servant said, "Please give me a little drink of water from your jug."H5650H7323H7125H559H1572H4592H4325H353718"Yes, my lord," she answered, "have a drink." And she quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and gave him a drink.H559H8354H113H4116H3381H3537H3027H824819When she had given him a drink, she said, "I'll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough to drink."H3615H8248H559H7579H1581H3615H835420So she quickly emptied her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw water for all his camels.H4116H6168H3537H8268H7323H875H7579H7579H158121The servant watched her in silence, wondering whether or not the LORD had given him success in his mission.H376H7583H2790H3045H3068H6743H1870H6743H51822Then at last, when the camels had finished drinking, he took out a gold ring for her nose and two large gold bracelets for her wrists.H1581H3615H8354H376H3947H2091H5141H1235H4948H8147H6781H3027H6235H4948H209123"Whose daughter are you?" he asked. "And please tell me, would your father have any room to put us up for the night?"H559H4310H1323H859H5046H3426H4725H1H1004H388524"I am the daughter of Bethuel," she replied. "My grandparents are Nahor and Milcah.H559H1323H1328H1121H4435H3205H515225Yes, we have plenty of straw and feed for the camels, and we have room for guests."H559H1571H8401H4554H7227H1571H4725H388526The man bowed low and worshiped the LORD.H376H6915H7812H306827"Praise the LORD, the God of my master, Abraham," he said. "The LORD has shown unfailing love and faithfulness to my master, for he has led me straight to my master's relatives."H559H1288H3068H430H113H85H5800H5973H113H2617H571H1870H3068H5148H1004H113H25128The young woman ran home to tell her family everything that had happened.H5291H7323H5046H517H1004H169729Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, who ran out to meet the man at the spring.H7259H251H8034H3837H3837H7323H2351H376H586930He had seen the nose-ring and the bracelets on his sister's wrists, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man had said. So he rushed out to the spring, where the man was still standing beside his camels.H7200H5141H6781H269H3027H8085H1697H7259H269H559H3541H1696H376H935H376H5975H5921H1581H586931Laban said to him, "Come and stay with us, you who are blessed by the LORD! Why are you standing here outside the town when I have a room all ready for you and a place prepared for the camels?"H559H935H1288H3068H5975H2351H6437H1004H4725H158132So the man went home with Laban, and Laban unloaded the camels, gave him straw for their bedding, fed them, and provided water for the man and the camel drivers to wash their feet.H376H935H1004H6605H1581H5414H8401H4554H1581H4325H7364H7272H582H727233Then food was served. But Abraham's servant said, "I don't want to eat until I have told you why I have come." "All right," Laban said, "tell us."H7760H3455H6440H398H559H398H1696H1697H559H169634"I am Abraham's servant," he explained.H559H85H565035"And the LORD has greatly blessed my master; he has become a wealthy man. The LORD has given him flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, a fortune in silver and gold, and many male and female servants and camels and donkeys.H3068H1288H113H3966H1431H5414H6629H1241H3701H2091H5650H8198H1581H254336"When Sarah, my master's wife, was very old, she gave birth to my master's son, and my master has given him everything he owns.H8283H113H802H3205H1121H113H310H2209H541437And my master made me take an oath. He said, 'Do not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women.H113H7650H559H3947H802H1121H1323H3669H776H342738Go instead to my father's house, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son.'H518H3212H1H1004H4940H3947H802H112139"But I said to my master, 'What if I can't find a young woman who is willing to go back with me?'H559H113H802H3212H31040He responded, 'The LORD, in whose presence I have lived, will send his angel with you and will make your mission successful. Yes, you must find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father's family.H559H3068H6440H1980H7971H4397H6743H1870H3947H802H1121H4940H1H100441Then you will have fulfilled your obligation. But if you go to my relatives and they refuse to let her go with you, you will be free from my oath.'H5352H423H935H4940H5414H5355H42342"So today when I came to the spring, I prayed this prayer: 'O LORD, God of my master, Abraham, please give me success on this mission.H935H3117H5869H559H3068H430H113H85H3426H6743H1870H198043See, I am standing here beside this spring. This is my request. When a young woman comes to draw water, I will say to her, "Please give me a little drink of water from your jug."H5324H5869H4325H5959H3318H7579H559H8248H4592H4325H3537H824844If she says, "Yes, have a drink, and I will draw water for your camels, too," let her be the one you have selected to be the wife of my master's son.'H559H8354H7579H1581H802H3068H3198H113H112145"Before I had finished praying in my heart, I saw Rebekah coming out 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.'H3615H1696H3820H7259H3318H3537H7926H3381H5869H7579H559H824846She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, 'Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!' So I drank, and then she watered the camels.H4116H3381H3537H559H8354H8248H1581H8248H8354H8248H1581H824847"Then I asked, 'Whose daughter are you?' She replied, 'I am the daughter of Bethuel, and my grandparents are Nahor and Milcah.' So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists.H7592H559H1323H559H1323H1328H5152H1121H4435H3205H7760H5141H639H6781H302748"Then I bowed low and worshiped the LORD. I praised the LORD, the God of my master, Abraham, because he had led me straight to my master's niece to be his son's wife.H6915H7812H3068H1288H3068H430H113H85H5148H571H1870H3947H113H251H1323H112149So tell me—will you or won't you show unfailing love and faithfulness to my master? Please tell me yes or no, and then I'll know what to do next."H3426H6213H2617H571H113H5046H5046H6437H3225H176H804050Then Laban and Bethuel replied, "The LORD has obviously brought you here, so there is nothing we can say.H3837H1328H6030H559H1697H3318H3068H3201H1696H7451H176H289651Here is Rebekah; take her and go. Yes, let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has directed."H7259H6440H3947H3212H113H1121H802H3068H169652When Abraham's servant heard their answer, he bowed down to the ground and worshiped the LORD.H85H5650H8085H1697H7812H3068H77653Then he brought out silver and gold jewelry and clothing and presented them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive presents to her brother and mother.H5650H3318H3627H3701H3627H2091H899H5414H7259H5414H251H517H403054Then they ate their meal, and the servant and the men with him stayed there overnight. But early the next morning, Abraham's servant said, "Send me back to my master."H398H8354H582H3885H6965H1242H559H7971H11355"But we want Rebekah to stay with us at least ten days," her brother and mother said. "Then she can go."H251H517H559H5291H3427H3117H176H6218H310H321256But he said, "Don't delay me. The LORD has made my mission successful; now send me back so I can return to my master."H559H309H3068H6743H1870H7971H3212H11357"Well," they said, "we'll call Rebekah and ask her what she thinks."H559H7121H5291H7592H631058So they called Rebekah. "Are you willing to go with this man?" they asked her. And she replied, "Yes, I will go."H7121H7259H559H3212H376H559H321259So they said good-bye to Rebekah and sent her away with Abraham's servant and his men. The woman who had been Rebekah's childhood nurse went along with her.H7971H7259H269H3243H85H5650H58260They gave her this blessing as she parted: "Our sister, may you become the mother of many millions! May your descendants be strong and conquer the cities of their enemies."H1288H7259H559H859H269H1961H505H7233H2233H3423H8179H813061Then Rebekah and her servant girls mounted the camels and followed the man. So Abraham's servant took Rebekah and went on his way.H7259H6965H5291H7392H1581H3212H310H376H5650H3947H7259H321262Meanwhile, Isaac, whose home was in the Negev, had returned from Beer-lahai-roi.H3327H935H935H883H3427H5045H77663One evening as he was walking and meditating in the fields, he looked up and saw the camels coming.H3327H3318H7742H7704H6437H6153H5375H5869H7200H1581H93564When Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she quickly dismounted from her camel.H7259H5375H5869H7200H3327H5307H5921H158165"Who is that man walking through the fields to meet us?" she asked the servant. And he replied, "It is my master." So Rebekah covered her face with her veil.H559H5650H4310H376H1976H1980H7704H7125H5650H559H113H3947H6809H368066Then the servant told Isaac everything he had done.H5650H5608H3327H1697H621367And Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah's tent, and she became his wife. He loved her deeply, and she was a special comfort to him after the death of his mother.H3327H935H517H8283H168H3947H7259H802H157H3327H5162H310H517
Dublin, OH
. He will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a wife there for my son.H3068
