| International Standard Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Now Abraham had grown old, was well advanced in age, and the LORD had blessed Abraham in every way. | 1Now Abraham was old, advanced in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in every way. |
| 2So Abraham instructed his servant, who was the oldest member of his household and in charge of everything he owned, "Make this solemn oath to me | 2Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he owned, "Please place your hand under my thigh, |
| 3as a promise to the LORD, the God of heaven and earth, that you won't acquire a wife for my son from the Canaanite women among whom I'm living. | 3and I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live, |
| 4Instead, you are to go to my country and to my family and acquire a wife for my son Isaac." | 4but you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac." |
| 5"What if the woman doesn't want to come back with me to this land?" the servant asked. "Shouldn't I have your son go to the land from which you came?" | 5The servant said to him, "Suppose the woman is not willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?" |
| 6"Make sure not to take my son there," Abraham replied. | 6Then Abraham said to him, "Beware that you do not take my son back there! |
| 7"The LORD God of heaven, who brought me from my father's house and from my family's land, who spoke to me and promised me 'I will give this land to your descendants,' will send his angel ahead of you, and you are to acquire a wife for my son from there. | 7"The LORD, 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 who swore to me, saying, 'To your descendants I will give this land,' He will send His angel before you, and you will take a wife for my son from there. |
| 8If the woman isn't willing to follow you, then you'll be free from this oath to me. Just don't take my son back there!" | 8"But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this my oath; only do not take my son back there." |
| 9So the servant made a solemn oath to his master Abraham regarding this matter. | 9So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter. |
| 10Then Abraham's servant took ten camels from his master's herd of camels and left on his journey with all kinds of gifts from his master's inventory. Eventually, he traveled as far as Aram-naharaim, Nahor's home town. | 10Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and set out with a variety of good things of his master's in his hand; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. |
| 11As evening approached, he had the camels kneel outside the town at the water well, right about the time when women customarily went out to draw water. | 11He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. |
| 12That's when he prayed, "LORD God of my master Abraham, help me to succeed today. Please show your gracious love to my master Abraham. | 12He said, "O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show lovingkindness to my master Abraham. |
| 13I've stationed myself here by the spring as the women of the town come to draw water. | 13"Behold, I am standing by the spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; |
| 14May it be that the young woman to whom I ask, 'Please, lower your jug so that I may drink,' responds, 'Have a drink, and I'll water your camels as well.' May she be the one whom you have chosen for your servant Isaac. This is how I'll know that you have shown your gracious love to my master." | 14now may it be that the girl to whom I say, 'Please let down your jar so that I may drink,' and who answers, 'Drink, and I will water your camels also '-- may she be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown lovingkindness to my master." |
| 15Before he had finished speaking, Rebekah appeared. She was a daughter of Milcah's son Bethuel. (Milcah was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor.) She approached the well, carrying a jug on her shoulder. | 15Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder. |
| 16The woman was very beautiful, young, and had not had sexual relations with a man. Going down to the spring, she filled her jug and turned for home. | 16The girl was very beautiful, a virgin, and no man had had relations with her; and she went down to the spring and filled her jar and came up. |
| 17Then Abraham's servant ran to meet her and asked her, "Please, let me have a sip of water from your jug." | 17Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar." |
| 18"Drink, sir!" she replied as she quickly lowered her jug on her arm to offer him a drink. | 18She said, "Drink, my lord"; and she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink. |
| 19When she had finished giving him a drink, she also said, "I'll also draw water for your camels until they've had enough to drink." | 19Now when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw also for your camels until they have finished drinking." |
| 20She quickly emptied her jug into the trough and ran to the well to draw again until she had drawn enough water for all ten of the servant's camels. | 20So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels. |
| 21The man stared at her in silence, waiting to see whether or not the LORD had made his journey successful. | 21Meanwhile, the man was gazing at her in silence, to know whether the LORD had made his journey successful or not. |
| 22When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a half shekel and two bracelets for her wrists, weighing 10 shekels and presented them to her. | 22When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half-shekel and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels in gold, |
| 23He asked her, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?" | 23and said, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room for us to lodge in your father's house?" |
| 24"I am the daughter of Bethuel," she answered. "He's the son of Milcah and Nahor. | 24She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor." |
| 25And yes," she continued, "we have plenty of straw and feed, as well as a place to spend the night." | 25Again she said to him, "We have plenty of both straw and feed, and room to lodge in." |
| 26At this, the man bowed down and worshipped the LORD. | 26Then the man bowed low and worshiped the LORD. |
| 27"Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hasn't held back his gracious love and faithfulness from my master! The LORD has led me to the house of my master's relatives!" | 27He said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His lovingkindness and His truth toward my master; as for me, the LORD has guided me in the way to the house of my master's brothers." |
| 28The young woman then ran ahead and informed her mother's household what had happened. | 28Then the girl ran and told her mother's household about these things. |
| 29Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, who ran out to the man and met him at the spring. | 29Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban; and Laban ran outside to the man at the spring. |
| 30And so it was, as soon as he saw the nose ring and bracelets on his sister's wrists, and as soon as he heard what his sister Rebekah was saying about what the man had spoken to her, he went out to the man who was still standing by the camels at the spring! | 30When he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister's wrists, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, "This is what the man said to me," he went to the man; and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. |
| 31"Come on," Laban said. "The LORD has blessed you! So why are you standing out here when I've prepared some space in the house and a place for the camels?" | 31And he said, "Come in, blessed of the LORD! Why do you stand outside since I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels?" |
| 32So the servant went to the house and unbridled the camels. They provided straw and feed for the camels and water for washing his feet and those of the men with him. | 32So the man entered the house. Then Laban unloaded the camels, and he gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. |
| 33But when they had prepared a meal and set it in front of him, he said, "I'm not eating until I've spoken." "Speak up!" Laban exclaimed. | 33But when food was set before him to eat, he said, "I will not eat until I have told my business." And he said, "Speak on." |
| 34"I'm Abraham's servant," he said. | 34So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. |
| 35"The LORD has greatly blessed my master, so that he has become wealthy. He has provided him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, camels and donkeys. | 35"The LORD has greatly blessed my master, so that he has become rich; and He has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and maids, and camels and donkeys. |
| 36My master's wife Sarah gave birth to my master's son in her old age, and Abraham has given him everything that belongs to him. | 36"Now Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master in her old age, and he has given him all that he has. |
| 37My master made me swear this oath: 'You are not to select a wife for my son from among the daughters of the Canaanites in this land where I live. | 37"My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; |
| 38Instead, you are to go to my father's household, to my relatives, and choose a wife for my son there.' | 38but you shall go to my father's house and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.' |
| 39"So I asked my master, 'What if the woman won't come back with me?' | 39"I said to my master, 'Suppose the woman does not follow me.' |
| 40"Abraham told me, 'The LORD, who is with me wherever I go, will send his angel with you to make your journey successful. So you are to choose a wife for my son from my family, from my father's household. | 40"He said to me, 'The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you to make your journey successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father's house; |
| 41Only then will you be released from fulfilling my oath. However, when you come to my family, if they don't give her to you, you'll be released from fulfilling my oath.' | 41then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.' |
| 42"So today I arrived at the spring and prayed, 'LORD God of my master Abraham, if you wish to make the journey that I have traveled successful, | 42"So I came today to the spring, and said, 'O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now You will make my journey on which I go successful; |
| 43here I am standing by the spring. May it be that the young woman who comes out to draw water, from whom I request a little water from her jug to drink, | 43behold, I am standing by the spring, and may it be that the maiden who comes out to draw, and to whom I say, "Please let me drink a little water from your jar"; |
| 44if she tells me to drink and also draws water for the camels, may she be the woman that the LORD has chosen for my master's son.' | 44and she will say to me, "You drink, and I will draw for your camels also"; let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son.' |
| 45"Before I had finished praying, along came Rebekah with her jug on her shoulder! She went to the spring and drew some water. I asked her to please let me have a drink. | 45"Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew, and I said to her, 'Please let me drink.' |
| 46She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and told me, 'Have a drink while I also water your camels.' So I drank, and she also gave my camels water to drink. | 46"She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will water your camels also'; so I drank, and she watered the camels also. |
| 47"That's when I asked, 'Whose daughter are you?' "She replied, 'I'm the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore for him.' "So I gave her a ring for her nose and bracelets for her wrists. | 47"Then I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter are you?' And she said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him'; and I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists. |
| 48I bowed down and worshipped the LORD, and I praised the LORD God of my master Abraham, who led me on the true way to request the daughter of my master's brother for his son. | 48"And I bowed low and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had guided me in the right way to take the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son. |
| 49So now, if you wish to show gracious love and truth toward my master, tell me so. But if not, tell me, so that I may go elsewhere." | 49"So now if you are going to deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, let me know, that I may turn to the right hand or the left." |
| 50"Since this has come from the LORD," Laban and Bethuel both replied, "we cannot speak one way or another. | 50Then Laban and Bethuel replied, "The matter comes from the LORD; so we cannot speak to you bad or good. |
| 51So here's Rebekah—she's right in front of you. Take her and go, so she can become a wife for your master's son, just as the LORD has decreed." | 51"Here is Rebekah 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 what they had said, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD. | 52When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the ground before the LORD. |
| 53Then the servant brought out some silver and gold items, along with some clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave gifts to her brother and to her mother. | 53The servant brought out articles of silver and articles of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. |
| 54He and the men with him ate and drank, and then they spent the night. When they got up the next morning, the servant requested, "Send me off to my master." | 54Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night. When they arose in the morning, he said, "Send me away to my master." |
| 55But her brother and mother said, "Let the young lady stay with us a few days—at least ten—and after that she may go." | 55But her brother and her mother said, "Let the girl stay with us a few days, say ten; afterward she may go." |
| 56"Please don't delay me," the servant answered them. "The LORD has made my journey successful. Send me off so I can return to my master." | 56He said to them, "Do not delay me, since the LORD has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master." |
| 57But they said, "We'll call the young lady and see what she has to say about this." | 57And they said, "We will call the girl and consult her wishes." |
| 58So they called Rebekah and asked her, "Do you want to go with this man?" "I will go," she replied. | 58Then they called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" And she said, "I will go." |
| 59So they sent off their sister Rebekah, along with her personal assistant, Abraham's servant, and his men. | 59Thus they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse with Abraham's servant and his men. |
| 60As they were leaving, they all blessed Rebekah by saying, "Our sister, may you become the mother of tens of millions! May your descendants take over the city gates of those who hate them." | 60They blessed Rebekah and said to her, "May you, our sister, Become thousands of ten thousands, And may your descendants possess The gate of those who hate them." |
| 61Then Rebekah and her young servant women got up, mounted their camels, and followed Abraham's servant, who took Rebekah and went on his way. | 61Then Rebekah arose with her maids, and they mounted the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed. |
| 62Later on, as Isaac was returning one evening from Beer-lahai-roi (he had been living in the Negev ), | 62Now Isaac had come from going to Beer-lahai-roi; for he was living in the Negev. |
| 63Isaac went out walking in a field. He looked up, and all of a sudden there were some camels coming. | 63Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening; and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, camels were coming. |
| 64Rebekah looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she quickly dismounted from her camel | 64Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from the camel. |
| 65and asked the servant, "Who is that man coming in the field to meet us?" "That's my master," the servant told her. So she reached for a veil and covered herself. | 65She said to the servant, "Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?" And the servant said, "He is my master." Then she took her veil and covered herself. |
| 66Then the servant informed Isaac about everything he had done. | 66The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. |
| 67Later, Isaac brought Rebekah into the tent that had belonged to his mother Sarah and married her. Isaac loved her, and that's how he was comforted following the loss of his mother. | 67Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; thus Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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