| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Abraham was now a very old man, and the LORD had blessed him in every way. | 1By now Abraham was old and well along in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way. |
| 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. | 2So Abraham instructed the chief servant of his household, who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh, |
| 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. | 3and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am dwelling, |
| 4Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac.” | 4but will go to my country and my kindred to take a wife for my son Isaac.” |
| 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?” | 5The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” |
| 6“No!” Abraham responded. “Be careful never to take my son there. | 6Abraham replied, “Make sure that you do not take my son back 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. | 7The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me from my father’s house and my native land, who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land’—He will send His angel before you so that you can take a wife for my son from 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.” | 8And if the woman is unwilling to follow you, then you are released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there.” |
| 9So the servant took an oath by putting his hand under the thigh of his master, Abraham. He swore to follow Abraham’s instructions. | 9So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter. |
| 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. | 10Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all manner of good things from his master in hand. And he set out for Nahor’s hometown in Aram-naharaim. |
| 11He made the camels kneel beside a well just outside the town. It was evening, and the women were coming out to draw water. | 11As evening approached, he made the camels kneel down near the well outside the town at the time when the women went out to draw water. |
| 12“O LORD, God of my master, Abraham,” he prayed. “Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham. | 12“O LORD, God of my master Abraham,” he prayed, “please grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. |
| 13See, I am standing here beside this spring, and the young women of the town are coming out to draw water. | 13Here I am, standing beside the spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. |
| 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.” | 14Now may it happen that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who responds, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels as well’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. By this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.” |
| 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. | 15Before the servant had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. |
| 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. | 16Now the girl was very beautiful, a virgin who had not had relations with any man. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up again. |
| 17Running over to her, the servant said, “Please give me a little drink of water from your jug.” | 17So the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me have a little water from your jar.” |
| 18“Yes, my lord,” she answered, “have a drink.” And she quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and gave him a drink. | 18“Drink, my lord,” she replied, and she quickly lowered her jar to her hands and gave him a drink. |
| 19When she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough to drink.” | 19After she had given him a drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels, until they have had enough to drink.” |
| 20So she quickly emptied her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw water for all his camels. | 20And she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran back to the well to draw water, until she had drawn water for all his camels. |
| 21The servant watched her in silence, wondering whether or not the LORD had given him success in his mission. | 21Meanwhile, the man watched her silently to see whether or not the LORD had made his journey a success. |
| 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. | 22And after the camels had finished drinking, he took out a gold ring weighing a beka, and two gold bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels. |
| 23“Whose daughter are you?” he asked. “And please tell me, would your father have any room to put us up for the night?” | 23“Whose daughter are you?” he asked. “Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?” |
| 24“I am the daughter of Bethuel,” she replied. “My grandparents are Nahor and Milcah. | 24She replied, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milcah bore to Nahor.” |
| 25Yes, we have plenty of straw and feed for the camels, and we have room for guests.” | 25Then she added, “We have plenty of straw and feed, as well as a place for you to spend the night.” |
| 26The man bowed low and worshiped the LORD. | 26Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD, |
| 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.” | 27saying, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not withheld His kindness and faithfulness from my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.” |
| 28The young woman ran home to tell her family everything that had happened. | 28The girl ran and told her mother’s household about these things. |
| 29Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, who ran out to meet the man at the spring. | 29Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he rushed out to the man at 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. | 30As soon as he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and heard Rebekah’s words, “The man said this to me,” he went and found the man standing by the camels near the spring. |
| 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?” | 31“Come, you who are blessed by the LORD,” said Laban. “Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.” |
| 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. | 32So the man came to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and feed were brought to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of his companions. |
| 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.” | 33Then a meal was set before the man, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I came to say.” So Laban said, “Please speak.” |
| 34“I am Abraham’s servant,” he explained. | 34“I am Abraham’s servant,” he replied. |
| 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. | 35“The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become rich. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, camels and donkeys. |
| 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. | 36My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and my master has given him everything he owns. |
| 37And my master made me take an oath. He said, ‘Do not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women. | 37My master made me swear an oath and said, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I dwell, |
| 38Go instead to my father’s house, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son.’ | 38but you shall go to my father’s house and to my kindred to take a wife for my son.’ |
| 39“But I said to my master, ‘What if I can’t find a young woman who is willing to go back with me?’ | 39Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’ |
| 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. | 40And he told me, ‘The LORD, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you may take a wife for my son from my kindred and from my father’s house. |
| 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.’ | 41And when you go to my kindred, if they refuse to give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’ |
| 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. | 42So when I came to the spring today, I prayed: O LORD, God of my master Abraham, if only You would make my journey a success! |
| 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.” | 43Here I am, standing beside this spring. Now if a maiden comes out to draw water and I say to her, ‘Please let me drink a little water from your jar,’ |
| 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.’ | 44and she replies, ‘Drink, and I will draw water for your camels as well,’ may she be the woman the LORD has appointed for my master’s son. |
| 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.’ | 45And before I had finished praying in my heart, there was Rebekah coming out with her jar on her shoulder, and 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, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!’ So I drank, and then she watered the camels. | 46She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels as well.’ So I drank, and she also watered the camels. |
| 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. | 47Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. |
| 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. | 48Then I bowed down and worshiped the LORD; and I blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who led me on the right road to take the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son. |
| 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.” | 49Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; but if not, let me know, so that I may go elsewhere.” |
| 50Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “The LORD has obviously brought you here, so there is nothing we can say. | 50Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the LORD; we have no choice in the matter. |
| 51Here is Rebekah; take her and go. Yes, let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has directed.” | 51Rebekah is here before you. Take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, just as the LORD has decreed.” |
| 52When Abraham’s servant heard their answer, he bowed down to the ground and worshiped the LORD. | 52When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the LORD. |
| 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. | 53Then he brought out jewels of silver and gold, and articles of clothing, and he gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious gifts to her brother and her mother. |
| 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.” | 54Then he and the men with him ate and drank and spent the night there. When they got up the next morning, he said, “Send me on my way to my master.” |
| 55“But we want Rebekah to stay with us at least ten days,” her brother and mother said. “Then she can go.” | 55But her brother and mother said, “Let the girl remain with us ten days or so. After that, she may go.” |
| 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.” | 56But he replied, “Do not delay me, since the LORD has made my journey a success. Send me on my way so that I may go to my master.” |
| 57“Well,” they said, “we’ll call Rebekah and ask her what she thinks.” | 57So they said, “We will call the girl and ask her opinion.” |
| 58So they called Rebekah. “Are you willing to go with this man?” they asked her. And she replied, “Yes, I will go.” | 58They called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” “I will go,” she replied. |
| 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. | 59So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men. |
| 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.” | 60And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands upon thousands. May your offspring possess the gates of their enemies.” |
| 61Then Rebekah and her servant girls mounted the camels and followed the man. So Abraham’s servant took Rebekah and went on his way. | 61Then Rebekah and her servant girls got ready, mounted the camels, and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left. |
| 62Meanwhile, Isaac, whose home was in the Negev, had returned from Beer-lahai-roi. | 62Now Isaac had just returned from Beer-lahai-roi, for he was living in the Negev. |
| 63One evening as he was walking and meditating in the fields, he looked up and saw the camels coming. | 63Early in the evening, Isaac went out to the field to meditate, and looking up, he saw the camels approaching. |
| 64When Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she quickly dismounted from her camel. | 64And when Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she got down from her camel |
| 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. | 65and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?” “It is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself. |
| 66Then the servant told Isaac everything he had done. | 66Then the servant told Isaac all that he had done. |
| 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. | 67And Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah and took Rebekah as his wife. And Isaac loved her and was comforted after his mother’s death. |
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