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1 ¶And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had
blessed Abraham in all things. 2 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: 3 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: 4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to
my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. 5 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? 6 And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou
that thou bring not my son thither again. 7 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. 8 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. 9 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. 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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