Chapter 24
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Abraham was old, advanced in years, and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.
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And Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, the one ruling over all that he had, "Put your hand under my thighs now."
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I will make you swear by the LORD, God of the heavens and God of the earth, that you shall not take a woman for my son from the daughters of the Canaanite, in whose midst I am dwelling.
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for to my land and to my birthplace you shall go and you shall take a woman for my son Isaac.
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The servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman will not be willing to go with me to this land. Shall I return your son to the land from which you came?"
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And he said to him, "Abraham, guard yourself—lest you return my son there."
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The LORD God of heaven who took me from the house of my father and from the land of my birthplace and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, "To your seed I will give this land"—he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.
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And if the woman is not willing to go with you, then you will be clear from my oath; only you shall not bring back my son there.
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The servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.
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And the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master and he went, and all the good of his master in his hand, and he arose and he went to Aram of Rivers to the city of Nahor.
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And he made the camels kneel outside the city at the well of water at the time of evening, at the time the women go out to draw water.
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And he said, "LORD, God of my lord Abraham, please grant success before me today and show steadfast love to my lord Abraham."
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Look, I am standing by the spring of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.
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And it will be, the young woman who says to him, "Please tilt your jar that I may drink," and she says, "Drink, and I will also water your camels"—you have shown to your servant Isaac, and by her I will know that you have done kindness with my master.
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And it was—he before he had finished speaking, and behold, Rebekah came out, who had been born to Bethuel son of Milcah wife of Nahor brother of Abraham, and her jar upon her shoulder.
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And the maiden was very beautiful in appearance, a virgin, and no man had known her. And she went down to the spring, filled her jar, and went up.
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And the servant ran to meet her and said, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar."
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And she said, "Drink, my lord." She hurried and lowered her jar onto her hand and gave him drink.
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She finished giving him drink and said, "I will also draw water for your camels until they have finished drinking."
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She hurried and emptied her jar into the watering trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew water for all his camels.
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And the man gazed at her silently, to know whether the LORD had made his way successful or not.
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And it was when the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring—a beqa its weight—and two bracelets for her hands, ten gold its weight.
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And he said, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to lodge?"
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And she said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor."
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And she said to him, "We have both straw and plenty of fodder, and room to lodge."
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And the man bowed low and prostrated himself to the LORD.
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And he said, "Blessed be the LORD, God of my lord Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my lord. I came in the way—the LORD has led me to the house of my lord's brother."
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And the girl ran and told her mother's household these things.
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Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran outside to the man at the spring.
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And it was, when he saw the nose-ring and the bracelets on his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, “Thus the man spoke to me,” that he came to the man. And behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring.
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And he said, "Come in, you who are blessed by the LORD. Why do you stand outside? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels."
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And the man came to the house and unladed the camels and gave straw and provender to the camels and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.
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And it was set before him to eat, and he said, "No, I will not eat until I have spoken my words." And he said, "Speak."
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He said, "I am Abraham's servant."
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And the LORD blessed my lord greatly and made him great and gave him sheep and cattle and silver and gold and servants and maidservants and camels and donkeys.
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And Sarah, the wife of my lord, bore a son to my lord after her old age, and he gave him all that he had.
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And my master made me swear, saying, "You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell."
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"If not, you shall go to the house of my father and to my clan and take a wife for my son."
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He said to my lord, "The woman will not go with me."
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And he said to me, "The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and make your way successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father's house."
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then you will be cleared from my oath if you come to my clan/family, and if they do not give you to me, then you will be innocent from my oath.
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And I came today to the spring and said, "Lord GOD of my lord Abraham, if now you will prosper the way on which I am going."
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Behold, I am standing by the spring of water, and the unmarried young woman who comes out to draw—it will be she to whom I say, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar."
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and she says to me, "You drink too, and I will also draw water for your camels." She is the woman whom the LORD has prepared for the son of my master.
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Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the well, drew water, and I said to her, "Please give me a drink."
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And she hurried and lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, "Drink, and I will also water your camels." And she watered the camels too.
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And I asked her, and she said, "Daughter of whom are you?" And she said, "Daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him." And I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her hands.
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And I bowed and prostrated myself to the LORD and blessed the LORD God of my lord Abraham who led me on the way of truth to take the daughter of my lord's brother for his son.
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And now, if you are doing steadfast love and truth with my lord, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right or to the left.
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And Laban and Bethuel answered and said, "The word has gone out from the LORD; we cannot speak to you evil or good."
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Look—Rebekah is before you. Take her and go, and she will be a wife for the son of your lord just as the LORD has spoken.
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When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground to the LORD.
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And the servant brought out silver vessels and gold vessels and garments and gave them to Rebekah, and he gave gifts to her brother and to her mother.
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They ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and they spent the night. Then they arose in the morning, and he said, "Send me away to my lord."
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And her brother and her mother said, "The girl will stay with us a few days or ten; after that, you go."
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And he said to them, "Do not delay me, since the LORD has made my way successful. Send me away, that I may go to my master."
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And they said, "Let us call the boy and ask her what she says."
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And they called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" And she said, "I will go."
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So they sent off their sister Rebekah, her nurse, Abraham's servant, and his men.
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And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, "Our sister, may the LORD multiply you to thousands of ten thousands, and may your seed possess the gate of those who hate him."
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And Rebekah arose, and her servant-girls, and they rode on the camels and followed the man. And the servant took Rebekah and went his way.
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Isaac had come from the well of the living one who sees, and he was dwelling in the land of the Negev.
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And Isaac went out to stroll in the field toward evening. And he lifted his eyes and looked, and there were camels coming.
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And Rebekah lifted her eyes and saw Isaac, and she fell from the camel.
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And she said to the servant, "Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?" And the servant said, "He is my master." So she took her veil and covered herself.
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And the servant told Isaac all the words that he had done.
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And Isaac came to the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. And he loved her, and Isaac was comforted after his mother.