Genesis 24
24
Isaac and Rebekah
1Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. # Ge 12:2; 13:2 2So Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who was in charge over all that he had, # Ge 39:4–6 “Please, place your hand under my thigh, # Ge 47:29 3and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, # Ge 14:22 that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live. # Ge 26:34–35 4But you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” # Ge 28:2
5Then the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?”
6Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there. 7The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father’s family and from the land of my relatives, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give this land,’ # Ge 13:15; 15:18 He shall send His angel before you and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8If the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from my oath. # Jos 2:17–20 Only do not take my son back there.” 9So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.
10Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, for all the goods of his master were in his hand. And he arose and went to the city of Nahor in Aram Naharaim. # Ge 11:31 11He made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water in the evening when the women came out to draw water. # Ex 2:16; 1Sa 9:11
12Then he said, “O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please let me have success this day and show kindness to my master Abraham. # Ge 24:27; 26:24 13Behold, I am standing by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. # Ge 24:43 14Let it be that the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please lower your pitcher, that I may drink,’ and she shall say, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels water also’—let her be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. Then I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.” # Jdg 6:17, 37
15Before he had finished speaking, # Ge 24:45 behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milkah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, # Ge 11:29 came out with a pitcher on her shoulder. 16The young woman was very beautiful to look at, # Ge 26:7 a virgin, and no man had ever been with her. She went down to the well and filled her pitcher and came up.
17Then the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.” # Jn 4:7
18So she said, “Drink, my lord.” Then she quickly let down her pitcher to her hand and gave him a drink.
19When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” 20Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough and ran to the well to draw water and drew for all his camels. 21The man, gazing at her, remained silent, trying to discern whether the Lord had made his journey a success or not. # Ge 24:12
22When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold nose ring # Ex 32:2–3 of half a shekel weight # 24:22 About 1/5 ounce, or 5.7 grams. and two bracelets for her wrists of ten shekels weight # 24:22 About 4 ounces, or 115 grams. in gold, 23and said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge?”
24She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milkah, whom she bore to Nahor.” # Ge 22:23; 24:15 25Again she said to him, “We have both straw and provision enough, and room in which to lodge.”
26Then the man bowed down his head and worshipped the Lord. # Ge 24:48, 52 27And he said, “Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, # Ge 24:12, 48 who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. # Ge 32:10 As for me, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s relatives.”
28So the young woman ran and told her mother’s household of these things. 29Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, # Ge 29:5 and Laban ran out to the man at the well. 30When he saw the nose ring and bracelets on his sister’s hands, and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, “Thus the man spoke to me,” he went to the man. And behold, he was standing by the camels at the well. 31And he said, “Come in, blessed of the Lord. # Ge 26:29; Ru 3:10 Why do you stand outside? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”
32So the man came to the house. Then he unloaded his camels and gave straw and provision to the camels and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. # Ge 43:24; Jdg 19:21 33He then set food before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told about my errand.”
And he said, “Speak on.”
34So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become wealthy. He has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. # Ge 13:2; 24:1 36Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old, # Ge 21:1–7 and he has given to him all that he has. # Ge 25:5 37My master made me swear, saying, ‘You must not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live. 38But you shall go to my father’s house, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.’ # Ge 24:4
39“So I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’
40“Then he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I walk, # Ge 17:1 will send His angel with you and prosper your way, and you will take a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father’s house. # Ge 24:7 41You will be free from my oath, when you come to my family, if they will not give her to you; then you will be released from my oath.’ # Ge 24:8
42“And today I came to the well and said, ‘O Lord, God of my master Abraham, if You will now prosper the way in which I go, # Ne 1:11 43behold, I am standing by the well of water, and let it be that when the virgin comes forth to draw water, and I say to her, “Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,” # Ge 24:13–14 44and she says to me, “Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,” let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’
45“Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the well and drew water. Then I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’
46“She then quickly let down her pitcher from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels a drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels a drink also.
47“Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’
“And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milkah bore for him.’
“So I put the nose ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48And I bowed down my head and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, # Ge 24:26–27, 52 who had led me in the right way to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son. 49And now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, # Ge 47:29; Jos 2:14 tell me; and if not, tell me, so that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”
50Then Laban and Bethuel answered, “This thing comes from the Lord; we cannot speak to you bad or good. # Ge 31:24, 29 51Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.”
52When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he worshipped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth. # Ge 24:26, 48 53Then the servant brought out jewels of silver and gold, and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. # Ex 3:22; 11:2 54Then they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed all night.
The next morning they arose, and he said, “Send me away to my master.” # Ge 24:56, 59
55But her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go.”
56So he said to them, “Do not delay me, seeing the Lord has given me success. Let me go that I may go to my master.”
57They said, “We will call the girl and ask her.” 58Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?”
And she said, “I will go.”
59So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, # Ge 35:8 and Abraham’s servant and his men. 60They blessed Rebekah and said to her,
“May you, our sister, become the mother
of thousands of ten thousands; # Ge 17:16
and may your descendants possess
the gate of those who hate them.” # Ge 22:17
61Then Rebekah and her maids arose and they rode on the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and went his way.
62Now Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, # Ge 16:14; 25:11 for he lived in the Negev. 63And Isaac went out in the evening to meditate in the field; # Ps 1:2; 119:15 and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there were camels coming. 64And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from her camel 65and said to the servant, “Who is this man walking in the field to meet us?”
The servant said, “It is my master.” Therefore she took a veil and covered herself.
66Then the servant told Isaac all the things he had done. 67So Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death. # Ge 37:35; 38:12
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Genesis 24: MEV
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The Holy Bible, Modern English Version
Copyright © 2024, 2017, 2014 by United Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. All rights reserved.
Genesis 24
24
Isaac and Rebekah
1Abraham was now an old man. God had blessed Abraham in every way.
2-4Abraham spoke to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of everything he had, “Put your hand under my thigh and swear by God—God of Heaven, God of Earth—that you will not get a wife for my son from among the young women of the Canaanites here, but will go to the land of my birth and get a wife for my son Isaac.”
5The servant answered, “But what if the woman refuses to leave home and come with me? Do I then take your son back to your home country?”
6-8Abraham said, “Oh no. Never. By no means are you to take my son back there. God, the God of Heaven, took me from the home of my father and from the country of my birth and spoke to me in solemn promise, ‘I’m giving this land to your descendants.’ This God will send his angel ahead of you to get a wife for my son. And if the woman won’t come, you are free from this oath you’ve sworn to me. But under no circumstances are you to take my son back there.”
9So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn oath.
10-14The servant took ten of his master’s camels and, loaded with gifts from his master, traveled to Aram Naharaim and the city of Nahor. Outside the city, he made the camels kneel at a well. It was evening, the time when the women came to draw water. He prayed, “O God, God of my master Abraham, make things go smoothly this day; treat my master Abraham well! As I stand here by the spring while the young women of the town come out to get water, let the girl to whom I say, ‘Lower your jug and give me a drink,’ and who answers, ‘Drink, and let me also water your camels’—let her be the woman you have picked out for your servant Isaac. Then I’ll know that you’re working graciously behind the scenes for my master.”
15-17It so happened that the words were barely out of his mouth when Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel whose mother was Milcah the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with a water jug on her shoulder. The girl was stunningly beautiful, a pure virgin. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up. The servant ran to meet her and said, “Please, can I have a sip of water from your jug?”
18-21She said, “Certainly, drink!” And she held the jug so that he could drink. When he had satisfied his thirst she said, “I’ll get water for your camels, too, until they’ve drunk their fill.” She promptly emptied her jug into the trough and ran back to the well to fill it, and she kept at it until she had watered all the camels.
The man watched, silent. Was this God’s answer? Had God made his trip a success or not?
22-23When the camels had finished drinking, the man brought out gifts, a gold nose ring weighing a little over a quarter of an ounce and two arm bracelets weighing about four ounces, and gave them to her. He asked her, “Tell me about your family? Whose daughter are you? Is there room in your father’s house for us to stay the night?”
24-25She said, “I’m the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah and Nahor. And there’s plenty of room in our house for you to stay—and lots of straw and feed besides.”
26-27At this the man bowed in worship before God and prayed, “Blessed be God, God of my master Abraham: How generous and true you’ve been to my master; you’ve held nothing back. You led me right to the door of my master’s brother!”
28And the girl was off and running, telling everyone in her mother’s house what had happened.
29-31Rebekah had a brother named Laban. Laban ran outside to the man at the spring. He had seen the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister and had heard her say, “The man said this and this and this to me.” So he went to the man and there he was, still standing with his camels at the spring. Laban welcomed him: “Come on in, blessed of God! Why are you standing out here? I’ve got the house ready for you; and there’s also a place for your camels.”
32-33So the man went into the house. The camels were unloaded and given straw and feed. Water was brought to bathe the feet of the man and the men with him. Then Laban brought out food. But the man said, “I won’t eat until I tell my story.”
Laban said, “Go ahead; tell us.”
34-41The servant said, “I’m the servant of Abraham. God has blessed my master—he’s a great man; God has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, servants and maidservants, camels and donkeys. And then to top it off, Sarah, my master’s wife, gave him a son in her old age and he has passed everything on to his son. My master made me promise, ‘Don’t get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I live. No, go to my father’s home, back to my family, and get a wife for my son there.’ I said to my master, ‘But what if the woman won’t come with me?’ He said, ‘God before whom I’ve walked faithfully will send his angel with you and he’ll make things work out so that you’ll bring back a wife for my son from my family, from the house of my father. Then you’ll be free from the oath. If you go to my family and they won’t give her to you, you will also be free from the oath.’
42-44“Well, when I came this very day to the spring, I prayed, ‘God, God of my master Abraham, make things turn out well in this task I’ve been given. I’m standing at this well. When a young woman comes here to draw water and I say to her, Please, give me a sip of water from your jug, and she says, Not only will I give you a drink, I’ll also water your camels—let that woman be the wife God has picked out for my master’s son.’
45-48“I had barely finished offering this prayer, when Rebekah arrived, her jug on her shoulder. She went to the spring and drew water and I said, ‘Please, can I have a drink?’ She didn’t hesitate. She held out her jug and said, ‘Drink; and when you’re finished I’ll also water your camels.’ I drank, and she watered the camels. I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel whose parents were Nahor and Milcah.’ I gave her a ring for her nose, bracelets for her arms, and bowed in worship to God. I praised God, the God of my master Abraham who had led me straight to the door of my master’s family to get a wife for his son.
49“Now, tell me what you are going to do. If you plan to respond with a generous yes, tell me. But if not, tell me plainly so I can figure out what to do next.”
50-51Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is undeniably from God. We have no say in the matter, either yes or no. Rebekah is yours: Take her and go; let her be the wife of your master’s son, as God has made plain.”
52-54When Abraham’s servant heard their decision, he bowed in worship before God. Then he brought out gifts of silver and gold and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive gifts to her brother and mother. He and his men had supper and spent the night. But first thing in the morning they were up. He said, “Send me back to my master.”
55Her brother and mother said, “Let the girl stay a while, say another ten days, and then go.”
56He said, “Oh, don’t make me wait! God has worked everything out so well—send me off to my master.”
57They said, “We’ll call the girl; we’ll ask her.”
They called Rebekah and asked her, “Do you want to go with this man?”
58She said, “I’m ready to go.”
59-60So they sent them off, their sister Rebekah with her nurse, and Abraham’s servant with his men. And they blessed Rebekah saying,
You’re our sister—live bountifully!
And your children, triumphantly!
61Rebekah and her young maids mounted the camels and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah and set off for home.
62-65Isaac was living in the Negev. He had just come back from a visit to Beer Lahai Roi. In the evening he went out into the field; while meditating he looked up and saw camels coming. When Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she got down from her camel and asked the servant, “Who is that man out in the field coming toward us?”
“That is my master.”
She took her veil and covered herself.
66-67After the servant told Isaac the whole story of the trip, Isaac took Rebekah into the tent of his mother Sarah. He married Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her. So Isaac found comfort after his mother’s death.
* * *
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.