Genesis 24:34-67

The servant said, “I am Abraham’s servant. The LORD has greatly blessed my master in everything. My master has become a great man. The Lord has given him many flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. He has much silver and gold and many servants. He has many camels and donkeys. Sarah was my master’s wife. When she was very old, she gave birth to a son, and my master has given everything he owns to that son. My master forced me to make a promise to him. He said to me, ‘You must not allow my son to marry a girl from Canaan. We live among these people, but I don’t want him to marry one of the Canaanite girls. So you must promise to go to my father’s country. Go to my family and choose a wife for my son.’ I said to my master, ‘Maybe the woman will not come back to this place with me.’ But my master said to me, ‘I serve the LORD, and he will send his angel with you and help you. You will find a wife for my son among my people there. But if you go to my father’s country, and they refuse to give you a wife for my son, you will be free from this promise.’ “Today I came to this well and said, ‘LORD, God of my master Abraham, please make my trip successful. I will stand by this well and wait for a young woman to come to get water. Then I will say, “Please give me water from your jar to drink.” The right woman will answer in a special way. She will say, “Drink this water, and I will also get water for your camels.” That way I will know that she is the one the LORD has chosen for my master’s son.’ “Before I finished praying, Rebekah came out to the well to get water. She had her water jar on her shoulder as she went to get water from the well. I asked her to give me some water. She quickly lowered the jar from her shoulder and poured me some water. Then she said, ‘Drink this, and I’ll get some water for your camels.’ So I drank the water, and she gave water to my camels. Then I asked her, ‘Who is your father?’ She answered, ‘My father is Bethuel the son of Milcah and Nahor.’ Then I gave her the ring and bracelets for her arms. I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD. I praised the . I praised the LORD, the God of my master Abraham. I thanked him for leading me straight to the granddaughter of my master’s brother. Now, tell me, will you be kind and loyal to my master and give him your daughter? Or will you refuse to give her to him? Tell me so that I will know what I should do.” Then Laban and Bethuel answered, “We see that this is from the LORD, so there is nothing we can say to change it. Here is Rebekah. Take her and go. Let her marry your master’s son. This is what the LORD wants.” When Abraham’s servant heard this, he bowed to the ground before the LORD. Then he gave Rebekah the gifts he brought. He gave her beautiful clothes and gold and silver jewelry. He also gave expensive gifts to her mother and brother. Then he and his men had something to eat and drink, and they spent the night there. Early the next morning they got up and the servant said, “Now we must go back to my master.” Rebekah’s mother and her brother said, “Let Rebekah stay with us for a short time. Let her stay with us ten days. After that she can go.” But the servant said to them, “Don’t make me wait. The LORD has made my trip successful. Now let me go back to my master.” Rebekah’s brother and mother said, “We will call Rebekah and ask her what she wants to do.” They called her and asked her, “Do you want to go with this man now?” Rebekah said, “Yes, I will go.” So they allowed Rebekah to go with Abraham’s servant and his men. Her nurse also went with them. While Rebekah was leaving they said to her, “Our sister, may you be the mother of millions of people, and may your descendants defeat their enemies and take their cities.” Then Rebekah and her nurse got on the camels and followed the servant and his men. So the servant took Rebekah and left. Isaac had left Beer Lahai Roi and was now living in the Negev. One evening he went out to the field to think. He looked up and saw the camels coming from far away. Rebekah also looked and saw Isaac. Then she jumped down from the camel. She said to the servant, “Who is that young man walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “That is my master’s son.” So Rebekah covered her face with her veil. The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. Then Isaac brought the girl into his mother’s tent. Rebekah became his wife that day. Isaac loved her very much. So he was comforted after his mother’s death.