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And
Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and
the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.
02 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant
of his house, that ruled over all that he had,
Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:
03 And I will make thee swear by the Lord,
the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that
thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the
daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:
04 But thou shalt go unto my country, and
to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.
05 And the servant said unto him,
Peradventure the woman will not be willing to
follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy
son again unto the land from whence thou camest?
06 And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou
that thou bring not my son thither again.
07 The Lord God of heaven, which took me
from my father's house, and from the land of my
kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware
unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this
land; he shall send his angel before thee, and
thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.
08 And if the woman will not be willing to
follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this
my oath: only bring not my son thither again.
09 And the servant put his hand under the
thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him
concerning that matter.
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.
29 And Rebekah had a brother, and his name
was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto
the well.
30 And it came to pass, when he saw the
earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands,
and when he heard the words of Rebekah his
sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that
he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by
the camels at the well.
31 And he said, Come in, thou blessed of
the Lord; wherefore standest thou without? for I
have prepared the house, and room for the camels.
32 And the man came into the house: and he
ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender
for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and
the men's feet that were with him.
33 And there was set meat before him to
eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have
told mine errand. And he said, Speak on.
34 And he said, I am Abraham's servant.
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35 And the Lord hath blessed my master
greatly; and he is become great: and he hath
given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and
gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and
camels, and asses.
36 And Sarah my master's wife bare a son to
my master when she was old: and unto him hath he
given all that he hath.
37 And my master made me swear, saying,
Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the
daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I
dwell:
38 But thou shalt go unto my father's
house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my
son.
39 And I said unto my master, Peradventure
the woman will not follow me.
40 And he said unto me, The Lord, before
whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and
prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for
my son of my kindred, and of my father's house:
41 Then shalt thou be clear from this my
oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they
give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my
oath.
42 And I came this day unto the well, and
said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, if now
thou do prosper my way which I go:
43 Behold, I stand by the well of water;
and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin
cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her,
Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy
pitcher to drink;
44 And she say to me, Both drink thou, and
I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be
the woman whom the Lord hath appointed out for my
master's son.
45 And before I had done speaking in mine
heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her
pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto
the well, and drew water: and I said unto her,
Let me drink, I pray thee.
46 And she made haste, and let down her
pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I
will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and
she made the camels drink also.
47 And I asked her, and said, Whose
daughter art thou? And she said, the daughter of
Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him:
and I put the earring upon her face, and the
bracelets upon her hands.
48 And I bowed down my head, and worshipped
the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master
Abraham, which had led me in the right way to
take my master's brother's daughter unto his son.
49 And now if ye will deal kindly and truly
with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me;
that I may turn to the right hand, or to the
left.
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and
said, The thing proceedeth from the Lord: we
cannot speak unto thee bad or good.
51 Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take
her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's
wife, as the Lord hath spoken.
52 And it came to pass, that, when
Abraham's servant heard their words, he
worshipped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth.
53 And the servant brought forth jewels of
silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave
them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother and
to her mother precious things.
54 And they did eat and drink, he and the
men that were with him, and tarried all night;
and they rose up in the morning, and he said,
Send me away unto my master.
55 And her brother and her mother said, Let
the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least
ten; after that she shall go.
56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not,
seeing the Lord hath prospered my way; send me
away that I may go to my master.
57 And they said, We will call the damsel,
and enquire at her mouth.
58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto
her, Wilt thou 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 unto
her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of
thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess
the gate of those which hate them.
61 And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, 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 the well
Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country.
63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the
field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes,
and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.
64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when
she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.
65 For she had said unto the servant, What
man is this that walketh in the field to meet us?
And the servant had said, It is my master:
therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.
66 And the servant told Isaac all 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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