¶ And Abraham was old¹, and well stricken in age²: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.

And Abraham said unto his eldest³ servant of his house, that ruled⁴ over all that he had, Put⁵, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:

And I will make thee swear⁶ by the⁷ LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that⁸ thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:

But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred⁹, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.

And the servant said unto him, Peradventure¹⁰ the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?

¹¹And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.

The LORD¹² God of heaven, which took¹³ me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake¹⁴ unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel¹⁵ before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence.

And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear¹⁶ from this my oath: only¹⁷ bring not my son thither again.

¹⁸And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.

¶ And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for¹⁹ all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia²⁰, unto the city²¹ of Nahor.

And he made his camels to kneel²² down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water²³.

And he said, O LORD²⁴ God of my master Abraham, I pray²⁵ thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.

Behold, I stand²⁶ here by the well of water; and the daughters²⁷ of the men of the city come out to draw water:

And let²⁸ it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that²⁹ thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby³⁰ shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.

And it came to pass, before³¹ he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah³² came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah³³, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher³⁴ upon her shoulder.

And the damsel was very fair to look upon³⁵, a virgin, neither had any man known³⁶ her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let³⁷ me, I pray thee, drink a little water of³⁸ thy pitcher.

³⁹And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

⁴⁰And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.

¶ And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.

And the man wondering at⁴¹ her held his peace, to wit⁴² whether the LORD⁴³ had made his journey prosperous or not.

And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took⁴⁴ a golden earring⁴⁵ of half⁴⁶ a shekel weight, and two bracelets⁴⁷ for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;

And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in?

⁴⁸And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.

⁴⁹She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.

⁵⁰And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD.

And he said, Blessed⁵¹ be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his⁵² mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD⁵³ led me to the house of my⁵⁴ master's brethren.

And the damsel ran, and told them of⁵⁵ her mother's⁵⁶ house these things.

¶⁵⁷And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well.

¶ And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spake the man unto me; that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well.

And he said, Come in, thou⁵⁸ blessed of the LORD; wherefore standest thou without? for I⁵⁹ have prepared the house, and room for the camels.

And the man came into the house: and he ungirded⁶⁰ his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash⁶¹ his feet, and the men's feet that were with him.

⁶²And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told mine errand. And he said, Speak on.

⁶³And he said, I am Abraham's servant.

And the LORD⁶⁴ hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks⁶⁵, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.

And Sarah⁶⁶ my master's wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto⁶⁷ him hath he given all that he hath.

And my⁶⁸ master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites⁶⁹, in whose land I dwell:

But⁷⁰ thou shalt go unto my father's⁷¹ house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son.

⁷²And I said unto my master, Peradventure⁷³ the woman will not follow me.

¶ And he⁷⁴ said unto me, The LORD, before⁷⁵ whom I walk, will⁷⁶ send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house:

⁷⁷Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.

And I came this day unto the well, and said, O LORD⁷⁸ God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper⁷⁹ my way which I go:

⁸⁰Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink;

And she say to me, Both⁸¹ drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman⁸² whom the LORD hath appointed⁸³ out for my master's son.

And before⁸⁴ I had done speaking⁸⁵ in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.

And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also.

And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put⁸⁶ the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands.

And I bowed⁸⁷ down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me⁸⁸ in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son.

And now if⁸⁹ ye will deal kindly and truly⁹⁰ with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I⁹¹ may turn to the right hand, or to the left.

¶ Then Laban⁹² and Bethuel answered and said, The thing⁹³ proceedeth from the LORD: we⁹⁴ cannot speak unto thee bad or good.

Behold, Rebekah⁹⁵ is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the LORD hath⁹⁶ spoken.

And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words, he worshipped⁹⁷ the LORD, bowing himself to the earth.

And the servant brought forth jewels⁹⁸ of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother⁹⁹ and to her mother precious¹⁰⁰ things.

¶ And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me¹⁰¹ away unto my master.

And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days¹⁰², at the least ten; after that she shall go.

And he said unto them, Hinder¹⁰³ me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered¹⁰⁴ my way; send me away that I may go to my master.

And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth.

¹⁰⁵And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.

And they sent away Rebekah their¹⁰⁶ sister, and her nurse¹⁰⁷, and Abraham's servant, and his men.

¶ And they¹⁰⁸ blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother¹⁰⁹ of thousands¹¹⁰ of millions, and let thy seed¹¹¹ possess the gate of those which hate them.

And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode¹¹² upon the camels, and followed¹¹³ the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

¶ And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi¹¹⁴; for he dwelt in the south¹¹⁵ country.

And Isaac went out to meditate¹¹⁶ in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.

And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted¹¹⁷ off the camel.

For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail¹¹⁸, and covered herself.

¹¹⁹And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.

And Isaac brought her into his mother¹²⁰ Sarah's tent¹²¹, and took¹²² Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted¹²³ after his mother's death.