| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years, and the LORD had blessed him in everything. | 1Abraham was now a very old man, and the LORD had blessed him in every way. |
| 2Abraham said to his servant, the senior one in his household who was in charge of everything he had, "Put your hand under my thigh | 2One day Abraham said to his oldest servant, the man in charge of his household, “Take an oath by putting your hand under my thigh. |
| 3so that I may make you solemnly promise by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth: You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living. | 3Swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women. |
| 4You must go instead to my country and to my relatives to find a wife for my son Isaac." | 4Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac.” |
| 5The servant asked him, "What if the woman is not willing to come back with me to this land? Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?" | 5The servant asked, “But what if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to travel so far from home? Should I then take Isaac there to live among your relatives in the land you came from?” |
| 6"Be careful never to take my son back there!" Abraham told him. | 6“No!” Abraham responded. “Be careful never to take my son there. |
| 7"The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and the land of my relatives, promised me with a solemn oath, 'To your descendants I will give this land.' He will send his angel before you so that you may find a wife for my son from there. | 7For the LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my descendants. He will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a wife there for my son. |
| 8But if the woman is not willing to come back with you, you will be free from this oath of mine. But you must not take my son back there!" | 8If she is unwilling to come back with you, then you are free from this oath of mine. But under no circumstances are you to take my son there.” |
| 9So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn promise he would carry out his wishes. | 9So the servant took an oath by putting his hand under the thigh of his master, Abraham. He swore to follow Abraham’s instructions. |
| 10Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed with all kinds of gifts from his master at his disposal. He journeyed to the region of Aram Naharaim and the city of Nahor. | 10Then he loaded ten of Abraham’s camels with all kinds of expensive gifts from his master, and he traveled to distant Aram-naharaim. There he went to the town where Abraham’s brother Nahor had settled. |
| 11He made the camels kneel down by the well outside the city. It was evening, the time when the women would go out to draw water. | 11He made the camels kneel beside a well just outside the town. It was evening, and the women were coming out to draw water. |
| 12He prayed, "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, guide me today. Be faithful to my master Abraham. | 12“O LORD, God of my master, Abraham,” he prayed. “Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham. |
| 13Here I am, standing by the spring, and the daughters of the people who live in the town are coming out to draw water. | 13See, I am standing here beside this spring, and the young women of the town are coming out to draw water. |
| 14I will say to a young woman, 'Please lower your jar so I may drink.' May the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac reply, 'Drink, and I'll give your camels water too.' In this way I will know that you have been faithful to my master." | 14This is my request. I will ask one of them, ‘Please give me a drink from your jug.’ If she says, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’—let her be the one you have selected as Isaac’s wife. This is how I will know that you have shown unfailing love to my master.” |
| 15Before he had finished praying, there came Rebekah with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah (Milcah was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor). | 15Before he had finished praying, he saw a young woman named Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham’s brother Nahor and his wife, Milcah. |
| 16Now the young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin; no man had ever had sexual relations with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up. | 16Rebekah was very beautiful and old enough to be married, but she was still a virgin. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came up again. |
| 17Abraham's servant ran to meet her and said, "Please give me a sip of water from your jug." | 17Running over to her, the servant said, “Please give me a little drink of water from your jug.” |
| 18"Drink, my lord," she replied, and quickly lowering her jug to her hands, she gave him a drink. | 18“Yes, my lord,” she answered, “have a drink.” And she quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and gave him a drink. |
| 19When she had done so, she said, "I'll draw water for your camels too, until they have drunk as much as they want." | 19When she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough to drink.” |
| 20She quickly emptied her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw more water until she had drawn enough for all his camels. | 20So she quickly emptied her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw water for all his camels. |
| 21Silently the man watched her with interest to determine if the LORD had made his journey successful or not. | 21The servant watched her in silence, wondering whether or not the LORD had given him success in his mission. |
| 22After the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels and gave them to her. | 22Then at last, when the camels had finished drinking, he took out a gold ring for her nose and two large gold bracelets for her wrists. |
| 23"Whose daughter are you?" he asked. "Tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?" | 23“Whose daughter are you?” he asked. “And please tell me, would your father have any room to put us up for the night?” |
| 24She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom Milcah bore to Nahor. | 24“I am the daughter of Bethuel,” she replied. “My grandparents are Nahor and Milcah. |
| 25We have plenty of straw and feed," she added, "and room for you to spend the night." | 25Yes, we have plenty of straw and feed for the camels, and we have room for guests.” |
| 26The man bowed his head and worshiped the LORD, | 26The man bowed low and worshiped the LORD. |
| 27saying "Praised be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his faithful love for my master! The LORD has led me to the house of my master's relatives!" | 27“Praise the LORD, the God of my master, Abraham,” he said. “The LORD has shown unfailing love and faithfulness to my master, for he has led me straight to my master’s relatives.” |
| 28The young woman ran and told her mother's household all about these things. | 28The young woman ran home to tell her family everything that had happened. |
| 29(Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban.) Laban rushed out to meet the man at the spring. | 29Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, who ran out to meet the man at the spring. |
| 30When he saw the bracelets on his sister's wrists and the nose ring and heard his sister Rebekah say, "This is what the man said to me," he went out to meet the man. There he was, standing by the camels near the spring. | 30He had seen the nose-ring and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man had said. So he rushed out to the spring, where the man was still standing beside his camels. |
| 31Laban said to him, "Come, you who are blessed by the LORD! Why are you standing out here when I have prepared the house and a place for the camels?" | 31Laban said to him, “Come and stay with us, you who are blessed by the LORD! Why are you standing here outside the town when I have a room all ready for you and a place prepared for the camels?” |
| 32So Abraham's servant went to the house and unloaded the camels. Straw and feed were given to the camels, and water was provided so that he and the men who were with him could wash their feet. | 32So the man went home with Laban, and Laban unloaded the camels, gave him straw for their bedding, fed them, and provided water for the man and the camel drivers to wash their feet. |
| 33When food was served, he said, "I will not eat until I have said what I want to say." "Tell us," Laban said. | 33Then food was served. But Abraham’s servant said, “I don’t want to eat until I have told you why I have come.” “All right,” Laban said, “tell us.” |
| 34"I am the servant of Abraham," he began. | 34“I am Abraham’s servant,” he explained. |
| 35"The LORD has richly blessed my master and he has become very wealthy. The Lord has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. | 35“And the LORD has greatly blessed my master; he has become a wealthy man. The LORD has given him flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, a fortune in silver and gold, and many male and female servants and camels and donkeys. |
| 36My master's wife Sarah bore a son to him when she was old, and my master has given him everything he owns. | 36“When Sarah, my master’s wife, was very old, she gave birth to my master’s son, and my master has given him everything he owns. |
| 37My master made me swear an oath. He said, 'You must not acquire a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, | 37And my master made me take an oath. He said, ‘Do not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women. |
| 38but you must go to the family of my father and to my relatives to find a wife for my son.' | 38Go instead to my father’s house, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son.’ |
| 39But I said to my master, 'What if the woman does not want to go with me?' | 39“But I said to my master, ‘What if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to go back with me?’ |
| 40He answered, 'The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you. He will make your journey a success and you will find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father's family. | 40He responded, ‘The LORD, in whose presence I have lived, will send his angel with you and will make your mission successful. Yes, you must find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father’s family. |
| 41You will be free from your oath if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from your oath.' | 41Then you will have fulfilled your obligation. But if you go to my relatives and they refuse to let her go with you, you will be free from my oath.’ |
| 42When I came to the spring today, I prayed, 'O LORD, God of my master Abraham, if you have decided to make my journey successful, may events unfold as follows: | 42“So today when I came to the spring, I prayed this prayer: ‘O LORD, God of my master, Abraham, please give me success on this mission. |
| 43Here I am, standing by the spring. When the young woman goes out to draw water, I'll say, "Give me a little water to drink from your jug." | 43See, I am standing here beside this spring. This is my request. When a young woman comes to draw water, I will say to her, “Please give me a little drink of water from your jug.” |
| 44Then she will reply to me, "Drink, and I'll draw water for your camels too." May that woman be the one whom the LORD has chosen for my master's son.' | 44If she says, “Yes, have a drink, and I will draw water for your camels, too,” let her be the one you have selected to be the wife of my master’s son.’ |
| 45"Before I finished praying in my heart, along came Rebekah with her water jug on her shoulder! She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.' | 45“Before I had finished praying in my heart, I saw Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ |
| 46She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, 'Drink, and I'll give your camels water too.' So I drank, and she also gave the camels water. | 46She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’ So I drank, and then she watered the camels. |
| 47Then I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' She replied, 'The daughter of Bethuel the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to Nahor.' I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. | 47“Then I asked, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘I am the daughter of Bethuel, and my grandparents are Nahor and Milcah.’ So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists. |
| 48Then I bowed down and worshiped the LORD. I praised the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right path to find the granddaughter of my master's brother for his son. | 48“Then I bowed low and worshiped the LORD. I praised the LORD, the God of my master, Abraham, because he had led me straight to my master’s niece to be his son’s wife. |
| 49Now, if you will show faithful love to my master, tell me. But if not, tell me as well, so that I may go on my way." | 49So tell me—will you or won’t you show unfailing love and faithfulness to my master? Please tell me yes or no, and then I’ll know what to do next.” |
| 50Then Laban and Bethuel replied, "This is the LORD's doing. Our wishes are of no concern. | 50Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “The LORD has obviously brought you here, so there is nothing we can say. |
| 51Rebekah stands here before you. Take her and go so that she may become the wife of your master's son, just as the LORD has decided." | 51Here is Rebekah; take her and go. Yes, let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has directed.” |
| 52When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD. | 52When Abraham’s servant heard their answer, he bowed down to the ground and worshiped the LORD. |
| 53Then he brought out gold, silver jewelry, and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable gifts to her brother and to her mother. | 53Then he brought out silver and gold jewelry and clothing and presented them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive presents to her brother and mother. |
| 54After this, he and the men who were with him ate a meal and stayed there overnight. When they got up in the morning, he said, "Let me leave now so I can return to my master." | 54Then they ate their meal, and the servant and the men with him stayed there overnight. But early the next morning, Abraham’s servant said, “Send me back to my master.” |
| 55But Rebekah's brother and her mother replied, "Let the girl stay with us a few more days, perhaps ten. Then she can go." | 55“But we want Rebekah to stay with us at least ten days,” her brother and mother said. “Then she can go.” |
| 56But he said to them, "Don't detain me--the LORD has granted me success on my journey. Let me leave now so I may return to my master." | 56But he said, “Don’t delay me. The LORD has made my mission successful; now send me back so I can return to my master.” |
| 57Then they said, "We'll call the girl and find out what she wants to do." | 57“Well,” they said, “we’ll call Rebekah and ask her what she thinks.” |
| 58So they called Rebekah and asked her, "Do you want to go with this man?" She replied, "I want to go." | 58So they called Rebekah. “Are you willing to go with this man?” they asked her. And she replied, “Yes, I will go.” |
| 59So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, accompanied by her female attendant, with Abraham's servant and his men. | 59So they said good-bye to Rebekah and sent her away with Abraham’s servant and his men. The woman who had been Rebekah’s childhood nurse went along with her. |
| 60They blessed Rebekah with these words: "Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands! May your descendants possess the strongholds of their enemies." | 60They gave her this blessing as she parted: “Our sister, may you become the mother of many millions! May your descendants be strong and conquer the cities of their enemies.” |
| 61Then Rebekah and her female servants mounted the camels and rode away with the man. So Abraham's servant took Rebekah and left. | 61Then Rebekah and her servant girls mounted the camels and followed the man. So Abraham’s servant took Rebekah and went on his way. |
| 62Now Isaac came from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. | 62Meanwhile, Isaac, whose home was in the Negev, had returned from Beer-lahai-roi. |
| 63He went out to relax in the field in the early evening. Then he looked up and saw that there were camels approaching. | 63One evening as he was walking and meditating in the fields, he looked up and saw the camels coming. |
| 64Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel | 64When Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she quickly dismounted from her camel. |
| 65and asked Abraham's servant, "Who is that man walking in the field toward us?" "That is my master," the servant replied. So she took her veil and covered herself. | 65“Who is that man walking through the fields to meet us?” she asked the servant. And he replied, “It is my master.” So Rebekah covered her face with her veil. |
| 66The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. | 66Then the servant told Isaac everything he had done. |
| 67Then Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah's tent. He took her as his wife and loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death. | 67And Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah’s tent, and she became his wife. He loved her deeply, and she was a special comfort to him after the death of his mother. |
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