24:1 As Abraham became older
Yahweh
blessed him in every way.
24:2 Then Abraham told a senior follower
who
was in charge of his assets:
Please
lay your hand on my side.
24:3 Now swear by Yahweh
the
God of heaven
and
the God of earth
that
you will not match my son
with
daughters of the Canaanites
among
whom I live.
24:4 Rather, go to my people
and
my own relatives
to
find a wife for my son Isaac.
24:5 His follower replied to him:
Suppose
the woman is unwilling
to
come back with me here?
Should
I return your son
to
the land you came from?
24:6 Then Abraham answered him:
Be
sure not to take my son there.
24:7 Yahweh the God of heaven
who
sent me from my father’s house
and
my native land
Who
spoke to me and promised me:
Your
followers will inherit a world
guided
to by His messenger.
So
you shall find a wife for my son.
24:8 Should the woman be unwilling
to
return with you
you
will be released
from
my request.
Just
don’t take my son there.
24:9 Then the follower placed his hand
at
the side of his teacher Abraham
and
made a promise regarding this matter.
24:10 Thus the follower set off
taking
ten of his teacher’s camels
loaded
with many goods from his teacher.
He
left for Aram Naharayim
and
journied into the
24:11 He had the camels kneel down
outside
the village by a water spring
at
a time of the evening when the women
go
out to draw water.
24:12 He prayed:
Yahweh,
God of my teacher Abraham
make
me successful on this day
and
please show favor
to
my teacher Abraham.
24:13 Now I stand beside this spring
and
the daughters of the village
come
out to draw water.
24:14 May it come to pass
that
the maiden to whom I say:
Please
take down your vessel
so
I may have a drink, will say:
Drink
and I’ll water your camels.
This
will be the one
You
have chosen for Your servant Isaac.
This
will let me know
You
show favor to my teacher.
24:15 Before he finished his prayer
Rebekah
emerged with a jar on her shoulder.
Born
of Bethuel son of Milcah
the
wife of Abraham's brother Nahor.
24:16 The maiden was beautiful
nor
had any man ever been with her.
She
walked down to the spring
filled
her jar and returned.
24:17 The follower hurried
to
meet her and said:
Please
give me a little water
from
your vessel.
24:18 She replied:
Drink
my sir
lowering
the jar to her hands
giving
him a drink.
24:19 After giving him a drink she said:
I'll
draw water for your camels too
until
they have drank enough.
24:20 She immediately emptied the jar
into
the trough and ran back to the well
to
draw more water
to
deliver enough for his camels.
24:21 As the man watched in silence
he
wondered if Yahweh
had
made his journey successful.
24:22 Once the camels finished drinking
the
man took out a gold ring
weighing
a half shekel
and
two gold bracelets
weighing
ten shekels.
24:23 Then he asked her:
Whose
daughter are you?
Please
tell me, is there room
in
your father's house
for
us to spend the night?
24:24 She replied to him:
I
am the daughter of Bethuel –
the
son Milkah bore to Nahor.
24:25 She also said:
We
have both straw and fodder
and
room for you to sleep over.
24:26 Then the man bowed down
and
worshiped Yahweh
24:27 He prayed:
Praise
be to Yahweh
the
God of my teacher Abraham
Who
has not withheld His truth
and
mercy from my teacher.
For
myself, Yahweh led me
on
this journey to the place
of
my teacher’s family.
24:28 The maiden ran to tell
her
mother's family about this.
24:29 Now Rebekah had a brother
whose
name was Laban.
Laban
hurried out
to
the man at the spring.
24:30 Once he saw the ring and bracelets
on
his sister’s hands
and
heard Rebekah explaining
what
the man said to her
he
went to the man
and
found him there
standing
with his camels
near
the spring.
24:31 He said to him:
Come,
you blessed by Yahweh.
Why
do you stand outside?
I
have prepared the house
and
boarding for the camels.
24:32 So the man went to their house
and
untied his camels.
The
camels were fed straw and fodder
and
water to wash the feet
of
the young men with him.
24:33 Food was provided but he said:
I
will not eat until I tell you why I am here.
The
reply came: So tell us.
24:34 Said the man:
I
am a follower of Abraham.
24:35 Yahweh blessed my teacher greatly
and
he has become perfect.
He
has provided him with flocks and herds
and
given him maids and servants
and
camels and donkeys.
24:36 So Sarah the wife of my teacher
bore
a son to my teacher in her later years.
He
has since given him everything he owns.
24:37 Thus my teacher promised me:
You
must not match my son
with
a Canaanite wife
as
this is the land that I live.
24:38 Instead go to my father's family
and
to my own family
and
find a wife for my son.
24:39 So I asked my teacher:
What
if she won’t return with me?
24:40 He replied:
I
have followed Yahweh faithfully.
He
will send His angel with you
and
make your journey a success
so
you can find a wife for my son
from
my own clan and father's family.
24:41 You are released from this promise
if
they refuse to give her to you.
Then
you will be released from this promise.
24:42 When I arrived at the spring
today
I prayed:
Yahweh,
God of my teacher Abraham
please
grant me success to this journey.
24:43 I am standing beside the spring.
If
a maiden comes to draw water
and
I say let me drink a little water
from
your vessel
24:44 should she say drink
and
I’ll water your camels.
This
will be the one
You
have chosen for my teacher’s son.
24:45 Then before I finished my prayer
Rebekah
came with her jar on her shoulder.
She
went to the spring and drew water
and
I said:
Please
give me a drink.
24:46 She immediately lowered
the
jar off her shoulder.
Then
she said:
Drink
and I’ll water your camels.
Then
I drank and she watered the camels.
24:47 I asked her:
Whose
daughter are you?
She
said:
I
am the daughter of Bethuel –
the
son Milkah bore to Nahor.
Then
I put the ring on her
and
the bracelets on her arms.
24:48 Then I bowed down
and
worshiped Yahweh.
I
praised Yahweh
God
of my teacher Abraham
who
led me to the right path
to
find the granddaughter
of
my teacher's brother for his son.
24:49 Now if you are kind
And
truly with my teacher
let
me know to I know
which
way I should turn.
24:50 Laban and Bethuel replied:
This
is from Yahweh so we can’t
suggest
one way or the other.
24:51 Rebekah is here before you.
Bring
her with you
and
let her become the wife
of
your teacher's son
just
as Yahweh directed.
24:52 Abraham's follower heard them
and
bowed down before Yahweh.
24:53 Then the follower brought forth
gold
and silver jewelry and clothing
and
gave them to Rebekah.
He
also gave precious gifts
to
her brother and mother.
24:54 Then they and the men ate
drank
and stayed up all night.
Then
they rose up in the morning
and
he said:
Bid
me farewell my sir.
24:55 But her brother and mother said:
Let
the maiden stay with us
for
at least 10 days.
Then
after that she can go.
24:56 But he replied to them:
Please
don’t detain me
now
that Yahweh has given
my
journey success.
Send
me off to my teacher.
24:57 Then they replied:
Let's
bring in the housemaid
And
let’s ask her.
24:58 They summoned Rebekah and asked:
Will
you go with this man?
She
replied: I will go.
24:59 So they sent off their sister Rebekah
Accompanied
by her nurse
and
Abraham's follower with his men.
24:60 And they blessed Rebekah saying:
You
are our sister.
May
your children
be
many and overwhelm
the
castles of those who hate.
24:61 Then Rebekah rose up
and
her attendants mounted the camels
and
followed the man home.
Thus
the follower brought Rebekah
and
traveled on his way.
24:62 Now Isaac had arrived
from
the spring of Lahairoi
and
was dwelling in
24:63 He went out to a meadow
in
the evening to pray.
Then
he looked up
and
saw camels coming.
24:64 Rebekah also looked up.
When
she saw Isaac
she
jumped off from her camel.
24:65 She asked the follower:
Who
is the man in the meadow
walking
over to meet us?
The
follower replied:
He
is my teacher.
So
she covered herself with her veil.
24:66 Then the follower told Isaac
everything
that had happened.
24:67 Isaac brought her inside
his
mother Sarah’s tent
and
she became his wife.
Thus
Isaac was comforted
after the death of his mother.
