1Abraham was old and well advanced in years. Yahweh had blessed Abraham in every way.
2Abraham said to his oldest servant, who managed everything he owned, “Please put your hand under my thigh.
3I want you to swear by Yahweh, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not choose a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.
4Instead, you must go to my country and my relatives to find a wife for my son Isaac.”
5The servant asked him, “What if the woman isn’t willing to come with me to this land? Should I take your son back to the land you came from?”
6Abraham told him, “Do not take my son back there!
7Yahweh, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘I will give this land to your descendants’—He will send His angel ahead of you, and you will find a wife for my son there.
8If the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath to me. But do not take my son back there again.”
9The servant put his hand under Abraham his master's thigh and promised him that he would do as he was asked.
10The servant took ten of his master’s camels and left. He had many of his master’s valuable things with him. He traveled to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.
11In the evening, when women would come out to get water, he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the water well.
12He said, “Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, please make my trip successful today and show kindness to my master Abraham.
13Look, I am standing by this spring of water. The daughters of the men from the city are coming out to draw water.
14Let it happen that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please lower your pitcher so I can drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels water to drink,’ let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this, I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”
15Before he had finished speaking, Rebekah came out. She was the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, who was the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother. She had her water pitcher on her shoulder.
16The young woman was very beautiful to look at and was a virgin; no man had ever been with her. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher, and came back up.
17The servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water to drink from your pitcher.”
18She said, “Drink, sir.” She quickly lowered her pitcher to her hand and gave him a drink.
19After she finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels until they have finished drinking.”
20She quickly emptied her pitcher into the watering trough, then ran back to the well to draw more water, and she drew water for all his camels.
21The man stared at her silently, wanting to know if Yahweh had made his journey successful or not.
22When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing half a shekel and two gold bracelets for her wrists, weighing ten shekels.
23He asked, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room in your father’s house for us to stay tonight?”
24She answered him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she gave birth to for Nahor.”
25She also told him, “We have plenty of straw and feed, and also room for you to stay.”
26The man bowed his head and worshiped Yahweh.
27He said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who has not stopped showing his kindness and truth to my master. As for me, Yahweh has led me directly to the home of my master’s relatives.”
28The young woman ran and told her mother's household about all these things.
29Rebekah had a brother named Laban. Laban ran out to meet the man at the spring.
30When Laban saw the ring and bracelets on his sister's hands, and heard Rebekah explain what the man had told her, he went to the man. The man was still standing by his camels at the spring.
31Laban said, "Come in, you who are blessed by Yahweh. Why are you standing outside? I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels."
32So the man came into the house, and Laban unloaded the camels. He gave straw and food to the camels, and water for the man and his companions to wash their feet.
33Food was served to the man, but he said, "I will not eat until I have explained my mission." Laban replied, "Go ahead, speak."
34He said, "I am Abraham's servant.
35Yahweh has greatly blessed my master, and he has become very wealthy. He has given him flocks of sheep and herds of cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.
36Sarah, my master's wife, gave birth to a son for my master when she was old. My master has given everything he owns to this son.
37My master made me promise with an oath, saying, 'You must not choose a wife for my son from the women of Canaan, in whose land I live.
38Instead, you must go to my father's house, to my relatives, and choose a wife for my son.'
39I asked my master, 'What if the woman will not come with me?'
40He told me, 'Yahweh, whom I serve, will send his angel with you and make your journey successful. You are to get a wife for my son from my relatives, from my father's family.
41Then you will be released from your oath, when you go to my relatives. But if they refuse to give her to you, you will also be released from my oath.'
42Today I came to the spring and said, 'Yahweh, God of my master Abraham, if you would please make my journey successful —
43I am standing by this spring. Let it happen that when a young woman comes out to draw water, and I say to her, "Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,"'
44and she replies, 'Drink, and I will also draw water for your camels,' — let her be the woman Yahweh has chosen for my master's son.'
45Before I had finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, 'Please let me drink.'
46She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels water.' So I drank, and she also gave the camels water.
47Then I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' She replied, 'I am the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists.
48I bowed my head and worshiped Yahweh, and blessed Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who had guided me on the right path to take my master's brother's daughter for his son.
49If you intend to treat my master with kindness and honesty, tell me. If not, tell me, so I know whether to pursue other options.
50Then Laban and Bethuel answered, "This matter comes from Yahweh. We cannot say anything good or bad to you about it.
51Look, Rebekah is right here. Take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, just as Yahweh has said."
52When Abraham’s servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before Yahweh.
53The servant brought out silver jewelry, gold jewelry, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable things to her brother and her mother.
54They ate and drank, both he and the men who were with him. They stayed the whole night. In the morning, he got up and said, "Send me back to my master."
55Her brother and her mother said, "Let the young woman stay with us for a few days, at least ten. After that, she can go."
56He said to them, "Don't delay me, since Yahweh has made my journey successful. Send me away so I can go to my master."
57They said, "We will call the young woman and ask her."
58They called Rebekah and asked her, "Will you go with this man?" She replied, "I will go."
59So they sent Rebekah, their sister, away with her nurse, Abraham's servant, and his men.
60They blessed Rebekah and said to her, "Our sister, may you become the ancestor of millions, and may your descendants conquer their enemies."
61Rebekah and her female servants got up. They rode on the camels and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah and went on his way.
62Isaac was coming from the area of Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the land of the South.
63Isaac had gone out into the field to meditate in the evening. He looked up and saw camels approaching.
64Rebekah looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she got down from her camel.
65She asked the servant, "Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?" The servant replied, "That is my master." So she took her veil and covered herself.
66The servant told Isaac everything he had done.
67Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. He loved her, and Isaac found comfort after his mother's death.