Genesis 24

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 By now Abraham was an old man, well on in years, and Yahweh had blessed Abraham in every way.	1 Now Abraham was old and of many days. And the Lord had blessed him in all things.
2 Abraham said to the senior servant in his household, the steward of al his property, 'Place your handunder my thigh:	2 And he said to the elder servant of his house, who was in charge of all that he had: “Place your hand under my thigh,
3 I am going to make you swear by Yahweh, God of heaven and God of earth, that you wil not choosea wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I live	3 so that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.
4 but wil go to my native land and my own kinsfolk to choose a wife for my son Isaac.'	4 But that you will proceed to my land and kindred, and from there take a wife for my son Isaac.”
5 The servant asked him, 'What if the girl does not want to fol ow me to this country? Should I then takeyour son back to the country from which you come?'	5 The servant responded, “If the woman is not willing to come with me into this land, must I lead your son back to the place from which you departed?”
6 Abraham replied, 'On no account are you to take my son back there.	6 And Abraham said: “Beware that you never lead my son back to that place.
7 Yahweh, God of heaven and God of earth, who took me from my father's home, and from the land ofmy kinsfolk, and who promised me on oath, "I shal give this country to your descendants"-he will now send hisangel ahead of you, so that you can get a wife for my son from there.	7 The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my nativity, who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ himself will send his Angel before you, and you will take from there a wife for my son.
8 If then the girl refuses to follow you, you will be quit of this oath to me. Only do not take my son backthere.'	8 But if the woman is not willing to follow you, you will not be held by the oath. Only do not lead my son back to that place.”
9 And the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham, and swore to him that hewould do it.	9 Therefore, the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham, his lord, and he swore to him on his word.
10 The servant took ten of his master's camels and, carrying all kinds of gifts from his master, set out forthe city of Nahor in Aram Naharaim.	10 And he took ten camels from his lord’s herd, and he went forth, carrying with him things from all of his goods. And he set out, and continued on, to the city of Nahor, in Mesopotamia.
11 In the evening, at the time when women come out to draw water, he made the camels kneel outsidethe town near the wel .	11 And when he had made the camels lie down outside of the town, near a well of water, in the evening, at the time when women are accustomed to go out to draw water, he said:
12 And he said, 'Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, give me success today and show faithful love tomy master Abraham.	12 “O Lord, the God of my lord Abraham, meet with me today, I beg you, and show mercy to my lord Abraham.
13 While I stand by the spring as the young women from the town come out to draw water,	13 Behold, I stand near the fountain of water, and the daughters of the inhabitants of this city will go forth to draw water.
14 I shal say to one of the girls, "Please lower your pitcher and let me drink." And if she answers,"Drink, and I shal water your camels too," let her be the one you have decreed for your servant Isaac; by this Ishall know you have shown faithful love to my master.'	14 Therefore, the girl to whom I will say, ‘Tip your pitcher, so that I may drink,’ and she will respond, ‘Drink. In fact, I will give your camels a drink also,’ the same one is she whom you have prepared for your servant Isaac. And by this, I will understand that you have shown mercy to my lord.”
15 He had not finished speaking when out came Rebekah -- who was the daughter of Bethuel son ofMilcah, the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor -- with a pitcher on her shoulder.	15 But he had not yet completed these words within himself, when, behold, Rebekah went out, the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham, having a pitcher on her shoulder.
16 The girl was very beautiful, and a virgin; no man had touched her. She went down to the spring, fil edher pitcher and came up again.	16 She was an exceedingly elegant girl, and a most beautiful virgin, and unknown by man. And she descended to the spring, and she filled her pitcher, and then was returning.
17 Running towards her, the servant said, 'Please give me a sip of water from your pitcher.'	17 And the servant ran to meet her, and he said, “Provide me with a little water to drink from your pitcher.”
18 She replied, 'Drink, my lord,' and quickly lowered her pitcher on her arm and gave him a drink.	18 And she responded, “Drink, my lord.” And she quickly brought down the pitcher on her arm, and she gave him a drink.
19 When she had finished letting him drink, she said, 'I shall draw water for your camels, too, until theyhave had enough.'	19 And after he drank, she added, “In fact, I will draw water for your camels also, until they all drink.”
20 She quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran to the wel again to draw, and drew for althe camels.	20 And pouring out the pitcher into the troughs, she ran back to the well to draw water; and having drawn, she gave it to all the camels.
21 Al the while, the man stood watching her, not daring to speak, wondering whether Yahweh hadmade his journey successful or not.	21 But he was contemplating her silently, wanting to know whether the Lord had caused his journey to prosper or not
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing half a shekel, and put itthrough her nose, and put two bracelets weighing ten gold shekels on her arms,	22 Then, after the camels drank, the man took out gold earrings, weighing two shekels, and the same number of bracelets, ten shekels in weight.
23 and said, 'Whose daughter are you? Please tel me. Is there room at your father's house for us tospend the night?'	23 And he said to her: “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, is there any place in your father’s house to lodge?”
24 She replied, 'I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son whom Milcah bore to Nahor.'	24 She responded, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, to whom she gave birth for Nahor.”
25 And she went on, 'We have plenty of straw and fodder, and room to spend the night.'	25 And she continued, saying, “There is very much straw and hay with us, and a spacious place to stay.”
26 Then the man bowed down and worshipped Yahweh	26 The man bowed himself down, and he adored the Lord,
27 saying, 'Blessed be Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, for not withholding his faithful love frommy master. Yahweh has led me straight to the house of my master's brother.'	27 saying, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my lord Abraham, who has not taken away his mercy and truth from my lord, and who has led me on a direct journey to the house of the brother of my lord.”
28 The girl ran to her mother's house to tel what had happened.	28 And so the girl ran, and she reported all that she had heard in the house of her mother.
29 Now Rebekah had a brother cal ed Laban, and Laban ran out to the man at the spring.	29 Now Rebekah had a brother, named Laban, who went out quickly to the man, where the spring was.
30 As soon as he had seen the ring and the bracelets his sister was wearing, and had heard his sisterRebekah saying, 'This is what the man said to me,' he went to the man and found him stil standing by hiscamels at the spring.	30 And when he had seen the earrings and bracelets in his sister’s hands, and he had heard all the words being repeated, “This is what the man spoke to me,” he came to the man who stood by the camels and near the spring of water,
31 He said to him, 'Come in, blessed of Yahweh, why stay out here when I have cleared the house andmade room for the camels?'	31 and he said to him: “Enter, O blessed of the Lord. Why do you stand outside? I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.”
32 The man went to the house, and Laban unloaded the camels. He provided straw and fodder for thecamels and water for him and his companions to wash their feet.	32 And he brought him into his guest quarters. And he unharnessed the camels, and he distributed straw and hay, and water to wash his feet and that of the men who arrived with him.
33 They offered him food, but he said, 'I wil eat nothing before I have said what I have to say.' Labansaid, 'Speak.'	33 And bread was set out in his sight. But he said, “I will not eat, until I have spoken my words.” He answered him, “Speak.”
34 He said, 'I am Abraham's servant.	34 Then he said: “I am the servant of Abraham.
35 Yahweh has loaded my master with blessings, and Abraham is now very rich. He has given himflocks and herds, silver and gold, men and women slaves, camels and donkeys.	35 And the Lord has blessed my lord greatly, and he has become great. And he has given him sheep and oxen, silver and gold, men servants and women servants, camels and donkeys.
36 Sarah, my master's wife, bore my master a son in his old age, and he has made over al his propertyto him.	36 And Sarah, the wife of my lord, has given birth to a son for my lord in her old age, and he has given him all that he had.
37 My master made me take this oath, "You are not to choose a wife for my son from the daughters ofthe Canaanites in whose country I live.	37 And my lord made me swear, saying: ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell.
38 Instead, you are to go to my father's home and to my own kinsfolk to choose a wife for my son."	38 But you shall travel to my father’s house, and you shall take a wife of my own kindred for my son.’
39 I said to my master, "Suppose the girl wil not agree to come with me?"	39 But truly, I answered my lord, ‘What if the woman is not willing to come with me?’
40 and his reply was, "Yahweh, in whose presence I have walked, will send his angel with you andmake your journey successful, for you to choose a wife for my son from my own kinsfolk, from my father's house.	40 ‘The Lord,’ he said, ‘in whose sight I walk, will send his Angel with you, and he will direct your way. And you shall take a wife for my son from my own kindred and from my father’s house.
41 Then you wil be quit of my curse: if you go to my family and they refuse you, you will be quit of mycurse."	41 But you will be innocent of my curse, if, when you will arrive at my close relatives, they will not grant this to you.’
42 Arriving today at the spring I said, "Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, please grant a successfuloutcome to the course I propose to take.	42 And so, today I arrived at the well of water, and I said: ‘O Lord, the God of my lord Abraham, if you have directed my way, in which I now walk,
43 While I stand by the spring, if a girl comes out to draw water and I say to her, 'Please give me a littlewater to drink from your pitcher,'	43 behold, I stand next to the well of water, and the virgin, who will go forth to draw water, will hear from me, “Give me a little water to drink from your pitcher.”
44 if she replies, 'Drink by all means, and I shall draw water for your camels too,' let her be the girlwhom Yahweh has decreed for my master's son."	44 And she will say to me, “You drink, and I will also draw for your camels.” Let the same be the woman, whom the Lord has prepared for the son of my lord.’
45 I was stil saying this in my mind when Rebekah came out, her pitcher on her shoulder. She camedown to the spring and drew water. I said to her, "Please give me a drink."	45 And while I thought over these things silently within myself, Rebekah appeared, arriving with a pitcher, which she carried on her shoulder. And she descended to the spring and drew water. And I said to her, ‘Give me a little to drink.’
46 Quickly she lowered her pitcher saying, "Drink, and I shal water your camels too."	46 And she quickly let down the pitcher from her arm, and said to me, ‘You drink, and to your camels I will also distribute drinking water.’ I drank, and she watered the camels.
47 I asked her, "Whose daughter are you?" She replied, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, whom Milcahbore to Nahor." Then I put this ring through her nose and these bracelets on her arms.	47 And I questioned her, saying, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she responded, ‘I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.’ And so, I hung the earrings on her, to adorn her face, and I put the bracelets on her hands.
48 I bowed down and worshipped Yahweh, and I blessed Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, whohad led me by a direct path to choose the daughter of my master's brother for his son.	48 And falling prostrate, I adored the Lord, blessing the Lord, the God of my lord Abraham, who has led me along the straight path so as to take the daughter of my lord’s brother to his son.
49 Now tel me whether you are prepared to show constant and faithful love to my master; if not, say so,and I shall know what to do.'	49 For this reason, if you would act according to mercy and truth with my lord, tell me so. But if it pleases you otherwise, say that to me also, so that I may go either to the right, or to the left.”
50 Laban and Bethuel replied, 'This is from Yahweh; it is not for us to say yes or no to you.	50 And Laban and Bethuel responded: “A word has proceeded from the Lord. We are not able to speak anything else to you, beyond what pleases him.
51 Rebekah is there before you. Take her and go; and let her become the wife of your master's son, asYahweh has decreed.'	51 Lo, Rebekah is in your sight. Take her and continue on, and let her be the wife of the son of your lord, just as the Lord has spoken.”
52 On hearing this, Abraham's servant bowed to the ground before Yahweh.	52 When Abraham’s servant had heard this, falling down to the ground, he adored the Lord.
53 He brought out silver and gold ornaments and clothes which he gave to Rebekah; he also gave richpresents to her brother and to her mother.	53 And bringing forth vessels of silver and gold, as well as garments, he gave them to Rebekah as a tribute. Likewise, he offered gifts to her brothers and her mother.
54 They ate and drank, he and his companions, and spent the night there. Next morning when theywere up, he said, 'Let me go back to my master.'	54 And a banquet began, and they feasted and drank together, and they lodged there. And rising up in the morning, the servant said, “Release me, so that I may go to my lord.”
55 Rebekah's brother and mother replied, 'Let the girl stay with us for ten days or so; then she can go.'	55 And her brothers and mother responded, “Let the girl remain for at least ten days with us, and after that, she will continue on.”
56 But he replied, 'Do not delay me, since Yahweh has made my journey successful; let me leave andgo back to my master.'	56 “Do not be willing,” he said, “to delay me, for the Lord has directed my way. Release me, so that I may journey to my lord.”
57 They replied, 'Let us cal the girl and find out what she has to say.'	57 And they said, “Let us call the girl, and ask her will.”
58 They cal ed Rebekah and asked her, 'Wil you go with this man?' She replied, 'I will.'	58 And when, having been called, she arrived, they wanted to know, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.”
59 Accordingly they let their sister Rebekah go, with her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men.	59 Therefore, they released her and her nurse, and the servant of Abraham and his companions,
60 They blessed Rebekah and said to her: Sister of ours, from you may there spring thousands andtens of thousands! May your descendants gain possession of the gates of their enemies!	60 wishing prosperity for their sister, by saying: “You are our sister. May you increase to thousands of thousands. And may your offspring possess the gates of their enemies.”
61 And forthwith, Rebekah and her maids mounted the camels, and fol owed the man. The servant tookRebekah and departed.	61 And so, Rebekah and her maids, riding upon camels, followed the man, who quickly returned to his lord.
62 Isaac meanwhile had come back from the wel of Lahai Roi and was living in the Negeb.	62 Then, at the same time, Isaac was walking along the way that leads to the well, whose name is: ‘of the One who lives and who sees.’ For he dwelt in the southern land.
63 While Isaac was out walking towards evening in the fields, he looked up and saw camelsapproaching.	63 And he had gone out to meditate in the field, as daylight was now declining. And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw camels advancing from afar.
64 And Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac. She jumped down from her camel,	64 Likewise, Rebekah, having seen Isaac, descended from the camel.
65 and asked the servant, 'Who is that man walking through the fields towards us?' The servant replied,'That is my master.' So she took her veil and covered herself up.	65 And she said to the servant, “Who is that man who advances to meet us through the field?” And he said to her, “That is my lord.” And so, quickly taking up her cloak, she covered herself.
66 The servant told Isaac the whole story.	66 Then the servant explained to Isaac all that he had done.
67 Then Isaac took her into his tent. He married Rebekah and made her his wife. And in his love for her,Isaac was consoled for the loss of his mother.	67 And he led her into the tent of Sarah his mother, and he accepted her as wife. And he loved her so very much, that it tempered the sorrow which befell him at his mother’s death.