Genesis 24

The Servant's Prayer for Guidance Genesis 24:10–21

¹⁰Verse 10. The servant took ten camels, of his master’s camels, and departed, having a variety of good things of his master’s with him. He arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. ¹¹Verse 11. He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water. ¹²Verse 12. He said, “Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. ¹³Verse 13. Behold, I am standing by the spring of water. The daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.

¹⁴Verse 14. Let it happen, that the young lady to whom I will say, ‘Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink,’ and she will say, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink,’—let her be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.” ¹⁵Verse 15. Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder. ¹⁶Verse 16. The young lady was very beautiful to look at, a virgin. No man had known her. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher, and came up.

¹⁷Verse 17. The servant ran to meet her, and said, “Please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher.” ¹⁸Verse 18. She said, “Drink, my lord.” She hurried, and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him a drink. ¹⁹Verse 19. When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will also draw for your camels, until they have finished drinking.” ²⁰Verse 20. She hurried, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels. ²¹Verse 21. The man looked steadfastly at her, remaining silent, to know whether Yahweh had made his journey prosperous or not.

Rebekah's Kindness and Hospitality Genesis 24:22–27

²²Verse 22. As the camels had done drinking, the man took a golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold, ²³Verse 23. and said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room in your father’s house for us to stay?” ²⁴Verse 24. She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.” ²⁵Verse 25. She said moreover to him, “We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge in.” ²⁶Verse 26. The man bowed his head, and worshiped Yahweh. ²⁷Verse 27. He said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his loving kindness and his truth toward my master. As for me, Yahweh has led me on the way to the house of my master’s relatives.”

The Servant's Proposal to Rebekah's Family Genesis 24:28–53

²⁸Verse 28. The young lady ran, and told her mother’s house about these words. ²⁹Verse 29. Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. Laban ran out to the man, to the spring. ³⁰Verse 30. When he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, “This is what the man said to me,” he came to the man. Behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. ³¹Verse 31. He said, “Come in, you blessed of Yahweh. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.”

³²Verse 32. The man came into the house, and he unloaded the camels. He gave straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. ³³Verse 33. Food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told my message.” He said, “Speak on.” ³⁴Verse 34. He said, “I am Abraham’s servant. ³⁵Verse 35. Yahweh has blessed my master greatly. He has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, and camels and donkeys. ³⁶Verse 36. Sarah, my master’s wife, bore a son to my master when she was old. He has given all that he has to him.

³⁷Verse 37. 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 live, ³⁸Verse 38. but you shall go to my father’s house, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.’ ³⁹Verse 39. I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not follow me?’ ⁴⁰Verse 40. He said to me, ‘Yahweh, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you, and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my relatives, and of my father’s house. ⁴¹Verse 41. Then will you be clear from my oath, when you come to my relatives. If they don’t give her to you, you shall be clear from my oath.’

⁴²Verse 42. I came today to the spring, and said, ‘Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, if now you do prosper my way which I go— ⁴³Verse 43. behold, I am standing by this spring of water. Let it happen, that the maiden who comes out to draw, to whom I will say, “Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,” ⁴⁴Verse 44. and she will tell me, “Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,”—let her be the woman whom Yahweh has appointed for my master’s son.’ ⁴⁵Verse 45. Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’

⁴⁶Verse 46. She hurried and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels a drink. ⁴⁷Verse 47. I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands. ⁴⁸Verse 48. I bowed my head, and worshiped Yahweh, and blessed Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter for his son.

⁴⁹Verse 49. Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. If not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.” ⁵⁰Verse 50. Then Laban and Bethuel answered, “The thing proceeds from Yahweh. We can’t speak to you bad or good. ⁵¹Verse 51. Behold, Rebekah is before you. Take her, and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as Yahweh has spoken.” ⁵²Verse 52. When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth to Yahweh. ⁵³Verse 53. The servant brought out jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and her mother.

Rebekah's Decision and Departure Genesis 24:54–61

⁵⁴Verse 54. They ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed all night. They rose up in the morning, and he said, “Send me away to my master.” ⁵⁵Verse 55. Her brother and her mother said, “Let the young lady stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go.” ⁵⁶Verse 56. He said to them, “Don’t hinder me, since Yahweh has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.” ⁵⁷Verse 57. They said, “We will call the young lady, and ask her.” ⁵⁸Verse 58. They called Rebekah, and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.”

⁵⁹Verse 59. They sent away Rebekah, their sister, with her nurse, Abraham’s servant, and his men. ⁶⁰Verse 60. They blessed Rebekah, and said to her, “Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your offspring possess the gate of those who hate them.” ⁶¹Verse 61. Rebekah arose with her ladies. They rode on the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

Isaac and Rebekah United Genesis 24:62–67

⁶²Verse 62. Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he lived in the land of the South. ⁶³Verse 63. Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the evening. He lifted up his eyes and looked. Behold, there were camels coming. ⁶⁴Verse 64. Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she got off the camel. ⁶⁵Verse 65. She said to the servant, “Who is the man who is walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” She took her veil, and covered herself. ⁶⁶Verse 66. The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. ⁶⁷Verse 67. Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. He loved her. Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.