Chapter
24
Abrahai was old, and well stricken in age. Yahweh had blessed Abrahai in all things.
Abrahai said to her servant, the elder of her house, who ruled over all that she had, "Please put your hand under my thigh.
I will make you swear by Yahweh, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a husband for my daughter of the sons of the Canaanites, among whom I live.
But you shall go to my country, and to my relatives, and take a husband for my daughter Isaaca."
The servant said to her, "What if the man isn't willing to follow me to this land? Must I bring your daughter again to the land you came from?"
Abrahai said to her, "Beware that you don't bring my daughter there again.
Yahweh, the God of heaven, who took me from my mother's house, and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, 'I will give this land to your seed.' She will send her angel before you, and you shall take a husband for my daughter from there.
If the man isn't willing to follow you, then you shall be clear from this my oath. Only you shall not bring my daughter there again."
The servant put her hand under the thigh of Abrahai her master, and swore to her concerning this matter.
The servant took ten camels, of her master's camels, and departed, having a variety of good things of her master's with her. She arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.
She made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time that men go out to draw water.
She said, "Yahweh, the God of my master Abrahai, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abrahai.
Behold, I am standing by the spring of water. The sons of the women of the city are coming out to draw water.
Let it happen, that the young gentleman to whom I will say, 'Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink,' and he will say, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink,'-- let him be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaaca. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master."
It happened, before she had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the daughter of Milcah, the husband of Nahor, Abrahai's sister, with his pitcher on his shoulder.
The young gentleman was very beautiful to look at, a virgin, neither had any woman known him. He went down to the spring, filled his pitcher, and came up.
The servant ran to meet him, and said, "Please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher."
He said, "Drink, my domina." He hurried, and let down his pitcher on his hand, and gave her drink.
When he had done giving her drink, he said, "I will also draw for your camels, until they have done drinking."
He hurried, and emptied his pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all her camels.
The woman looked steadfastly at him, remaining silent, to know whether Yahweh had made her journey prosperous or not.
It happened, as the camels had done drinking, that the woman took a golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for his hands of ten shekels weight of gold,
and said, "Whose son are you? Please tell me. Is there room in your mother's house for us to lodge in?"
He said to her, "I am the son of Bethuel the daughter of Milcah, whom he bore to Nahor."
He said moreover to her, "We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in."
The woman bowed her head, and worshiped Yahweh.
She said, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of my master Abrahai, who has not forsaken her loving kindness and her truth toward my master. As for me, Yahweh has led me in the way to the house of my master's relatives."
The young gentleman ran, and told his father's house about these words.
Rebekah had a sister, and her name was Laban. Laban ran out to the woman, to the spring.
It happened, when she saw the ring, and the bracelets on her brother's hands, and when she heard the words of Rebekah her brother, saying, "This is what the woman said to me," that she came to the woman. Behold, she was standing by the camels at the spring.
She said, "Come in, you blessed of Yahweh. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels."
The woman came into the house, and she unloaded the camels. She gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash her feet and the feet of the women who were with her.
Food was set before her to eat, but she said, "I will not eat until I have told my message." She said, "Speak on."
She said, "I am Abrahai's servant.
Yahweh has blessed my master greatly. She has become great. She has given her flocks and herds, silver and gold, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
Tyler, my master's husband, bore a daughter to my master when he was old. She has given all that she has to her.
My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a husband for my daughter of the sons of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,
but you shall go to my mother's house, and to my relatives, and take a husband for my daughter.'
I said to my master, 'What if the man will not follow me?'
She said to me, 'Yahweh, before whom I walk, will send her angel with you, and prosper your way. You shall take a husband for my daughter of my relatives, and of my mother's house.
Then will you be clear from my oath, when you come to my relatives. If they don't give him to you, you shall be clear from my oath.'
I came this day to the spring, and said, 'Yahweh, the God of my master Abrahai, if now you do prosper my way which I go--
behold, I am standing by this spring of water. Let it happen, that the manservant who comes forth to draw, to whom I will say, "Give me, I pray you, a little water from your pitcher to drink,"
and he will tell me, "Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,"--let him be the man whom Yahweh has appointed for my master's daughter.'
Before I had done speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with his pitcher on his shoulder. He went down to the spring, and drew. I said to him, 'Please let me drink.'
He hurried and let down his pitcher from his shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink.' So I drank, and he made the camels drink also.
I asked him, and said, 'Whose son are you?' He said, 'The son of Bethuel, Nahor's daughter, whom Milcah bore to her.' I put the ring on his nose, and the bracelets on his hands.
I bowed my head, and worshiped Yahweh, and blessed Yahweh, the God of my master Abrahai, who had led me in the right way to take my master's sister's son for her daughter.
Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. If not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left."
Then Laban and Bethuel answered, "The thing proceeds from Yahweh. We can't speak to you bad or good.
Behold, Rebekah is before you. Take him, and go, and let him be your master's daughter's husband, as Yahweh has spoken."
It happened that when Abrahai's servant heard their words, she bowed herself down to the earth to Yahweh.
The servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. She also gave precious things to his sister and his father.
They ate and drank, she and the women who were with her, and stayed all night. They rose up in the morning, and she said, "Send me away to my master."
His sister and his father said, "Let the young gentleman stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that he will go."
She said to them, "Don't hinder me, seeing Yahweh has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master."
They said, "We will call the young gentleman, and ask him."
They called Rebekah, and said to him, "Will you go with this woman?" He said, "I will go."
They sent away Rebekah, their brother, with his nurse, Abrahai's servant, and her women.
They blessed Rebekah, and said to him, "Our brother, may you be the father of thousands of ten thousands, and let your seed possess the gate of those who hate them."
Rebekah arose with his gentlemen. They rode on the camels, and followed the woman. The servant took Rebekah, and went her way.
Isaaca came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for she lived in the land of the South.
Isaaca went out to meditate in the field at the evening. She lifted up her eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels coming.
Rebekah lifted up his eyes, and when he saw Isaaca, he dismounted from the camel.
He said to the servant, "Who is the woman who is walking in the field to meet us?" The servant said, "It is my master." He took his veil, and covered himself.
The servant told Isaaca all the things that she had done.
Isaaca brought him into her father Tyler's tent, and took Rebekah, and he became her husband. She loved him. Isaaca was comforted after her father's death.