Genesis 24

1 Now Abraham was old and of many days. And the Lord had blessed him in all things.

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 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 that you will proceed to my land and kindred, and from there take a wife for my son Isaac."

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 And Abraham said: "Beware that you never lead my son back to that place.

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 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 Therefore, the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham, his lord, and he swore to him on his word.

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 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 "O Lord, the God of my lord Abraham, meet with me today, I beg you, and show mercy to my lord Abraham.

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 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 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 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 And the servant ran to meet her, and he said, "Provide me with a little water to drink from your pitcher."

18 And she responded, "Drink, my lord." And she quickly brought down the pitcher on her arm, and she gave him a drink.

19 And after he drank, she added, "In fact, I will draw water for your camels also, until they all drink."

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 But he was contemplating her silently, wanting to know whether the Lord had caused his journey to prosper or not

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 he said to her: "Whose daughter are you? Tell me, is there any place in your father's house to lodge?"

24 She responded, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, to whom she gave birth for Nahor."

25 And she continued, saying, "There is very much straw and hay with us, and a spacious place to stay."

26 The man bowed himself down, and he adored the Lord,

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 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, named Laban, who went out quickly to the man, where the spring was.

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 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 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 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 Then he said: "I am the servant of Abraham.

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 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 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 But you shall travel to my father's house, and you shall take a wife of my own kindred for my son.'

39 But truly, I answered my lord, 'What if the woman is not willing to come with me?'

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 When Abraham's servant had heard this, falling down to the ground, he adored the Lord.

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 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 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 "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 And they said, "Let us call the girl, and ask her 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 Therefore, they released her and her nurse, and the servant of Abraham and his companions,

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 so, Rebekah and her maids, riding upon camels, followed the man, who quickly returned to his lord.

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 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 Likewise, Rebekah, having seen Isaac, descended from the camel.

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 Then the servant explained to Isaac all that he had done.

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.

Learn More About Catholic Public Domain Version

Genesis 24

CHAPTER 24

1Forsooth Abraham was eld [or old], and of many days, and the Lord had blessed him in all things.

2And he said to the elder servant of his house, that was sovereign on all things that he had, Put thou thine hand under mine hip,

3that I conjure or adjure thee by the Lord God of heaven and of earth, that thou take not a wife to my son of the daughters of Canaan, among which I dwell;

4but that thou go to my land and kindred, and thereof take a wife to my son Isaac.

5The servant answered, If the woman will not come with me into this land, whether I owe to lead again thy son to the place, from which thou wentest out?

6Abraham said, Beware, lest any time thou lead again thither my son;

7the Lord God of heaven that took me from the house of my father, and from the land of my birth, which spake to me, and swore, and said, I shall give this land to thy seed, he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take from thence a wife to my son;

8forsooth if the woman will not follow thee, thou shalt not be holden by the oath; nevertheless lead not again my son thither.

9Therefore the servant putted his hand under the hip of Abraham, his lord, and swore to him on this word.

10And he took ten camels of the flock of his lord, and went forth, and bare with him of all the goods of his lord; and he went forth, and came to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.

11And when he had made the camels to rest without the city, beside a pit or well of water, in the eventide, in that time in which women be wont to go out to draw water,

12he said, Lord God of my lord Abraham, I beseech, meet with me today, and do mercy with my lord Abraham.

13Lo! I stand nigh the well of water, and the daughters of the dwellers of this city shall go out to draw water;

14therefore the damsel to which I shall say, Bow down thy water pot that I drink, and [she] shall answer, Drink thou, but also I shall give drink to thy camels, that it is which thou hast made ready to thy servant Isaac; and by this I shall understand that thou hast done mercy to my lord Abraham.

15And he had not yet [full-]filled the words within himself, and lo! Rebecca, the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, wife of Nahor, brother of Abraham, went out, having a water pot in her shoulder;

16a damsel full comely/full shapely, and fairest virgin, and unknown of man. Soothly she came down to the well, and filled the water pot, and turned again.

17And the servant met her, and said, Give thou to me a little of the water of thy pot to drink.

18Which answered, Drink thou, my lord. And anon she did down the water pot on her shoulder, and gave drink to him.

19And when he had drunk, she said, But also I shall draw water to thy camels, till all have drunk.

20And she poured out the water pot in[to] troughs, and ran again to the pit, to draw water, and she gave water drawn to all the camels.

21Soothly he beheld her privily, and would wit whether the Lord had sped his way, or nay.

22Therefore after that the camels had drunk, the man brought forth golden earrings, weighing two shekels, and as many bands of the arm, in the weight of ten shekels.

23And he said to her, Whose daughter art thou? show thou to me, is [there] any place in the house of thy father to dwell in?

24Which answered, I am the daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor, whom Milcah childed to him.

25And she added, saying, Also full much of provender and of hay is at us, and a large place to dwell in.

26The man bowed himself, and worshipped the Lord,

27and said, Blessed be the Lord God of my lord Abraham, which took not away his mercy and truth from my lord, and led me by the right way, into the house of the brother of my lord.

28And so the damsel ran, and told in the house of her mother all things which she had heard.

29Soothly Rebecca had a brother, Laban by name, which went out hastily to the man, where he was withoutforth.

30And when he had seen the earrings, and bands of the arm in the hands of his sister, and had heard all the words of her, telling, The man spake to me these things, he came to the man that stood beside the camels, and nigh the well of water,

31and said to him, Enter thou, the blessed of the Lord; why standest thou withoutforth? I have made ready the house, and a place to thy camels.

32And he brought him into the inn, and unsaddled the camels, and gave provender, and hay, and water to wash the feet of the camels, and of men that came with him.

33And bread was set forth in his sight, the which said, I shall not eat till I speak my words. He answered to the man, Speak thou.

34And the man said, I am the servant of Abraham,

35and the Lord hath blessed my lord greatly, and he is made great; and God gave to him sheep, and oxen, silver, and gold, servants, and handmaids, and camels, and asses.

36And Sarah, my lord’s wife, childed a son to my lord in his eld age, and Abraham, my lord, hath given all things that he had to that son.

37And my lord charged me greatly, and said, Thou shalt not take to my son a wife of the daughters of Canaan, in whose land I dwell,

38but thou shalt go to the house of my father, and of my kindred thou shalt take a wife to my son.

39Forsooth I answered to my lord, What if the woman will not come with me?

40He said, The Lord, in whose sight I go, shall send his angel with thee, and shall dress thy way; and thou shalt take a wife to my son of my kindred, and of my father’s house.

41Thou shalt be innocent from my curse, when thou comest to my kins-men, and they give not her to thee.

42Therefore I came today to the well of water, and said, Lord God of my lord Abraham, if thou hast dressed my way in which I go now,

43lo! I stand beside the well of water, and the maid[en] that shall go out to draw water, heareth me say to her, Give thou to me a little of water to drink of thy pot,

44and she say to me, And thou drink, and I shall draw water to thy camels, that is the woman which the Lord hath made ready to the son of my lord.

45While I turned in thought these things with me, Rebecca appeared, coming with a pot which she bare in her shoulder; and she went down to the well, and drew water. And I said to her, Give thou a little to me to drink;

46and she hasted, and did down the pot off the shoulder, and said to me, And thou drink, and I shall give drink to thy camels; I drank, and she watered the camels.

47And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? Which answered, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor, whom Milcah childed to him. And so I hanged earrings to adorn her face, and I put bands of the arm in her hands,

48and low-like I worshipped the Lord, and I blessed the Lord God of my lord Abraham, which God led me by the right way, that I should take the daughter of the brother of my lord to his son.

49Wherefore if ye do mercy and truth with my lord, show ye to me; else if other thing pleaseth, also say ye this, that I go to the right side or to the left side.

50Laban and Bethuel answered, The word is gone out of the Lord; we may not speak any other thing with thee without his pleasance [or pleasing].

51Lo! Rebecca is before thee; take thou her, and go forth, and be she [the] wife of the son of thy lord, as the Lord spake.

52And when the servant of Abraham had heard this, he felled down, and worshipped the Lord in earth.

53And when vessels of silver, and of gold, and clothes were brought forth, he gave those to Rebecca for a gift, and he gave gifts to her brethren, and mother.

54And when a feast was made, they ate and drank together, and dwelled there. Forsooth the servant rose early, and said, Deliver ye me, that I go to my lord.

55Her brethren and mother answered, The damsel dwell namely ten days at us, and afterward she shall go forth.

56The servant said, Do not ye hold me, for the Lord hath dressed my way; deliver ye me, that I go to my lord.

57And they said, Call we the damsel, and ask we her will.

58And when she was called, and came, they asked her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I shall go.

59Therefore they delivered her, and her nurse, and the servant of Abraham, and his fellows,

60and wished prosperities to their sister, and said, Thou art our sister, increase thou into a thousand thousands, and thy seed wield the gates of his enemies.

61Therefore Rebecca and her damsels ascended [or went up] on the camels, and pursued [or followed] the man, which turned again hastily to his lord.

62In that time Isaac walked by the way that leadeth to the pit or well, whose name is of him that liveth and seeth; for he dwelled in the south land.

63And he went out to think in the field, for the day was bowed [down] then; and when he had raised [up] his eyes, he saw camels coming from afar.

64And when Isaac was seen, Rebecca lighted down off the camel,

65and said to the servant, Who is that man that cometh by the field into the meeting of us? And the servant said to her, It is my lord. And she took soon a mantle, and covered herself.

66Forsooth the servant told to his lord Isaac all things which he had done;

67Isaac led her into the tabernacle of Sarah, his mother, and took her to wife; and so much he loved her, that he assuaged the sorrow which befell to him of the death of his mother.

Learn More About Wycliffe's Bible with Modern Spelling