24Now Abraham had grown old, was well advanced in age, and the Lord had blessed Abraham in every way.H85H2204H935H3117H3068H1288H852So Abraham instructed his servant, who was the oldest member of his household and in charge of everything he owned, "Make this solemn oath to meH85H559H2205H5650H1004H4910H7760H3027H34093as a promise by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you won't acquire a wife for my son from the Canaanite women among whom I'm living.H7650H3068H430H8064H430H776H3947H802H1121H1323H3669H7130H34274Instead, you are to go to my country and to my family and acquire a wife for my son Isaac."H3212H776H4138H3947H802H1121H33275"What if the woman doesn't want to come back with me to this land?" the servant asked. "Shouldn't I have your son go to the land from which you came?"H5650H559H802H14H3212H310H776H7725H1121H7725H776H33186"Make sure not to take my son there," Abraham replied in response.H85H559H8104H7725H6435H1121H77257The Lord God of heaven, who brought me from my father's house and from my family's land, who spoke to me and promised me 'I will give this land to your descendants,' will send his angel ahead of you, and you are to acquire a wife for my son from there.H3068H430H8064H3947H1H1004H776H4138H1696H7650H559H2233H5414H776H7971H4397H6440H3947H802H11218If the woman isn't willing to follow you, then you'll be free from this oath to me. Just don't take my son back there!"H802H14H3212H310H5352H7621H7725H1121H77259So the servant made a solemn oath to his master Abraham regarding this matter.7H5650H7760H3027H3409H85H113H7650H5921H2088H169710Then Abraham's servant took ten camels from his master's herd of camels and left on his journey with all kinds of gifts from his master's inventory. Eventually, he traveled as far as Aram-Naharayim, Nahor's home town.H5650H3947H6235H1581H1581H113H3212H2898H113H3027H6965H3212H763H5892H515211As evening approached, he had the camels kneel outside the town at the water well, right about the time when women customarily went out to draw water.H1288H1581H1288H2351H5892H413H875H4325H6256H6153H6256H3318H757912That's when he prayed, "Lord God of my master Abraham, help me to succeed today. Please show your gracious love to my master Abraham.H559H3068H430H113H85H6440H7136H3117H6213H2617H5973H113H8513I've stationed myself here by the spring as the women of the town come to draw water.H5324H5869H4325H1323H582H5892H3318H7579H432514May it be that the young woman to whom I ask, 'Please, lower your jug so that I may drink,' responds, 'Have a drink, and I'll water your camels as well.' May she be the one whom you have appointed f or your servant Isaac. This is how I'll know that you have shown your gracious love to my master."H5291H559H5186H3537H8354H559H8354H8248H1581H8248H3198H5650H3327H3045H6213H2617H11315Before he had finished speaking, Rebekah appeared. She was daughter of Melkah's son Bethuel, the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor. She approached the well, carrying a jug on her shoulder.H3615H1696H7259H3318H834H3205H1328H1121H4435H802H5152H85H251H3537H792616The woman was very beautiful, young, and had not had intimate relations with a man. Going down to the spring, she filled her jug and returned.H5291H3966H2896H4758H1330H376H3045H3381H5869H4390H3537H592717Then the servant ran to meet her and asked her, "Please, let me have a sip of water from your jug."H5650H7323H7125H559H1572H4592H4325H353718"Drink, sir!" she replied as she quickly lowered her jug on her arm to offer him a drink.H559H8354H113H4116H3381H3537H3027H824819When she had finished giving him a drink, she also said, "I'll also draw water for your camels until they've had enough to drink."H3615H8248H559H7579H1581H3615H835420She quickly emptied her jug into the trough and ran to the well to draw again until she had drawn enough water for all ten of his camels.H4116H6168H3537H8268H7323H875H7579H7579H158121The man stared at her in silence, waiting to see whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful.H376H7583H2790H3045H3068H6743H1870H6743H51822When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a half shekel and two bracelets for her wrists, weighing 10 shekels and presented them to her.H1581H3615H8354H376H3947H2091H5141H1235H4948H8147H6781H3027H6235H4948H209123"Whose daughter are you?" he asked. "Please tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?"H559H4310H1323H859H5046H3426H4725H1H1004H388524"I am the daughter of Bethuel," she answered. He's Milcah's and Nahor's son."H559H1323H1328H1121H4435H3205H515225And she continued, "Yes, we have plenty of straw and feed, as well as a place to spend the night."H559H1571H8401H4554H7227H1571H4725H388526At this, the man bowed down and worshipped the Lord.H376H6915H7812H306827"Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hasn't held back his gracious love and faithfulness from my master! The Lord has led me to the house of my master's relatives!"H559H1288H3068H430H113H85H5800H5973H113H2617H571H1870H3068H5148H1004H113H25128The girl then ran ahead and informed her mother's household what had happened.H5291H7323H5046H517H1004H169729Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, who ran out to the man and met him at the spring.H7259H251H8034H3837H3837H7323H2351H376H586930And so it was, as soon as he saw the nose ring and bracelets on his sister's wrists, and as soon as he heard what his sister Rebekah was saying about what the man had spoken to her, he went out to the man who was still standing by the camels at the spring!H7200H5141H6781H269H3027H8085H1697H7259H269H559H3541H1696H376H935H376H5975H5921H1581H586931"Come on," he said. "The Lord has blessed you! So why are you standing out here when I've prepared some space in the house and a place for the camels?"H559H935H1288H3068H5975H2351H6437H1004H4725H158132So the servant went to the house and unbridled the camels. They provided straw and feed for the camels and water for washing his feet and those of the men with him.H376H935H1004H6605H1581H5414H8401H4554H1581H4325H7364H7272H582H727233But when they had prepared a meal and set it in front of him, he said, "I'm not eating until I've spoken." "Speak up!" Laban cried. 01Gn 24:34"I'm Abraham's servant," he said.H7760H3455H6440H398H559H398H1696H1697H559H169635"The Lord has greatly blessed my master, so that he has become wealthy. He has provided him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, camels and donkeys.H3068H1288H113H3966H1431H5414H6629H1241H3701H2091H5650H8198H1581H254336My master's wife Sarah gave birth to my master's son in her old age, and he has given him everything that belongs to him.H8283H113H802H3205H1121H113H310H2209H541437My master made me swear this oath: 'You are not to select a wife for my son from among the daughters of the Canaanites in this land where I live.H113H7650H559H3947H802H1121H1323H3669H776H342738Instead, you are to go to my father's household, to my relatives, and chose a wife for my son there.'H518H3212H1H1004H4940H3947H802H112139"So I asked my master, 'What if the woman won't come back with me?'H559H113H802H3212H31040"Abraham told me, 'The Lord, in whose presence I walk, will send his angel with you to make your journey successful. So you are to choose a wife for my son from my family, from my father's household.H559H3068H6440H1980H7971H4397H6743H1870H3947H802H1121H4940H1H100441Only then will you be released from my oath. However, when you come to my family, if they don't give her to you, you'll be released from my oath.'H5352H423H935H4940H5414H5355H42342"So today I arrived at the spring and prayed, 'Lord God of my master Abraham, if you wish to make the journey that I have traveled successful,H935H3117H5869H559H3068H430H113H85H3426H6743H1870H198043here I am standing by the water spring. May it be that the young woman who comes out to draw water, from whom I request a little water from her jug to drink,H5324H5869H4325H5959H3318H7579H559H8248H4592H4325H3537H824844if she tells me to drink and also draws for the camels, may she be the woman that the Lord has chosen for my master's son.43H559H8354H7579H1581H802H3068H3198H113H112145"Before I had finished praying, along came Rebekah with her jug on her shoulder! She went to the spring and drew some water. I asked her to please let me have a drink.H3615H1696H3820H7259H3318H3537H7926H3381H5869H7579H559H824846She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and told me, 'Have a drink while I also water your camels.' So I drank, and she also gave my camels water to drink.45H4116H3381H3537H559H8354H8248H1581H8248H8354H8248H1581H824847"That's when I asked, 'Whose daughter are you?' "She replied, 'I'm the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' "So I gave her a ring for her nose and bracelets for her wrists.H7592H559H1323H559H1323H1328H5152H1121H4435H3205H7760H5141H639H6781H302748I bowed down and worshipped the Lord, and I praised the Lord God of my master Abraham, who led me on the true way to request the daughter of my master's brother for his son.H6915H7812H3068H1288H3068H430H113H85H5148H571H1870H3947H113H251H1323H112149So now, if you wish to show gracious love and truth toward my master, tell me so. But if not, tell me, so that I may go elsewhere."H3426H6213H2617H571H113H5046H5046H6437H3225H176H804050"Since this has come from the Lord," Laban and Bethuel both replied, "we cannot speak one way or another.H3837H1328H6030H559H1697H3318H3068H3201H1696H7451H176H289651So here's Rebekah - she's right in front of you. Take her and go, so she can become a wife for your master's son, just as the Lord has decreed."H7259H6440H3947H3212H113H1121H802H3068H169652When Abraham's servant heard what they had said, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord.H85H5650H8085H1697H7812H3068H77653Then the servant brought out some silver and gold items, along with some clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave gifts to her brother and to her mother.H5650H3318H3627H3701H3627H2091H899H5414H7259H5414H251H517H403054He and the men with him ate and drank, and then they spent the night. When they got up the next morning, the servant requested, "Send me off to my master."H398H8354H582H3885H6965H1242H559H7971H11355But her brother and mother said, "Let the young lady stay with us a few days - at least ten - and after that she may go."H251H517H559H5291H3427H3117H176H6218H310H321256"Please don't delay me," the servant answered them. "The Lord has made my journey successful. Send me off so I can return to my master."H559H309H3068H6743H1870H7971H3212H11357But they said, "We'll call the young lady and see what she has to say about this."H559H7121H5291H7592H631058So they called Rebekah and asked her, "Do you want to go with this man?" "I will go," she replied.H7121H7259H559H3212H376H559H321259So they sent off their sister Rebekah, along with her personal assistant, Abraham's servant, and his men.H7971H7259H269H3243H85H5650H58260As they were leaving, they all blessed Rebekah, saying, "Our sister, may you become the mother of tens of millions! May your descendants take over the city gates of those who hate them."H1288H7259H559H859H269H1961H505H7233H2233H3423H8179H813061Then Rebekah and her young servant women got up, mounted their camels, and followed Abraham's servant, who took Rebekah and went on his way.H7259H6965H5291H7392H1581H3212H310H376H5650H3947H7259H321262Later on, as Isaac was returning one evening from Beer-lahai-roi (he had been living in the Negev region),H3327H935H935H883H3427H5045H77663went out walking in a field. He looked up, and all of a sudden there were some camels coming.H3327H3318H7742H7704H6437H6153H5375H5869H7200H1581H93564Rebekah looked up, and when she saw Isaac she quickly dismounted from the camelH7259H5375H5869H7200H3327H5307H5921H158165and asked the servant, "Who is that man coming in the field to meet us?" "That's my master," the servant told her. So she reached for a veil and covered herself.H559H5650H4310H376H1976H1980H7704H7125H5650H559H113H3947H6809H368066Then the servant informed Isaac about everything he had done.H5650H5608H3327H1697H621367Later, Isaac brought Rebekah into the tent that had belonged to his mother Sarah and married her. Isaac loved her, and that's how he was comforted following the loss of his mother.H3327H935H517H8283H168H3947H7259H802H157H3327H5162H310H517