(KJV) Genesis 24¹

<< Genesis 23

Genesis 25 >>

⥃A Wife for Isaac

[1] And Abraham was old², [and] well stricken in age³: and the Lord had blessed⁴ Abraham in all things. [2] And Abraham said unto his eldest⁵ servant of his house, that ruled⁶ over all that he had, Put⁷, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: [3] And I will make thee swear⁸ by the⁹ Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that¹⁰ thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: [4] But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred¹¹, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. [5] And the servant said unto him, Peradventure¹² 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? [6] And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.¹³

[7] [¶]The Lord¹⁴ God of heaven, which took¹⁵ me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake¹⁶ unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel¹⁷ before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence. [8] And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear¹⁸ from this my oath: only¹⁹ bring not my son thither again. [9] And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.²⁰

[10] And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for²¹ all the²² goods of his master [were] in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia²³, unto the city²⁴ of Nahor. [11] And he made his camels to kneel²⁵ down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, [even] the time that women go out to draw [water²⁶]. [12] And he said, O Lord²⁷ God of my master Abraham, I pray²⁸ thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. [13] Behold, I stand²⁹ [here] by the well of water; and the daughters³⁰ of the men of the city come out to draw water: [14] And let³¹ 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 [that³²] thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby³³ shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.

⥃Rebekah Is Chosen

[15] [¶]And it came to pass, before³⁴ he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah³⁵ came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah³⁶, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher³⁷ upon her shoulder. [16] And the damsel [was] very fair to look upon³⁸, a virgin, neither had any man known³⁹ her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. [17] And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let⁴⁰ me, I pray thee, drink a little water of⁴¹ thy pitcher. [18] And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.⁴² [19] And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw [water] for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.⁴³ [20] 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. [21] And the man wondering at⁴⁴ her held his peace, to wit⁴⁵ whether the Lord⁴⁶ had made his journey prosperous or not. [22] And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took⁴⁷ a golden earring⁴⁸ of half⁴⁹ a shekel weight, and two bracelets⁵⁰ for her hands of ten [shekels] weight of gold; [23] And said, Whose daughter [art] thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room [in] thy father’s house for us to lodge in? [24] And she said unto him, I [am] the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor.⁵¹ [25] She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.⁵² [26] And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the Lord.⁵³ [27] And he said, Blessed⁵⁴ [be] the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his⁵⁵ mercy and his truth: I [being] in the way, the Lord⁵⁶ led me to the house of my⁵⁷ master’s brethren. [28] And the damsel ran, and told [them of⁵⁸] her mother’s⁵⁹ house these things.

[29] And Rebekah had a brother, and his name [was] Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well.⁶⁰ [30] 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. [31] And he said, Come in, thou⁶¹ blessed of the Lord; wherefore standest thou without? for I⁶² have prepared the house, and room for the camels.

[32] [¶]And the man came into the house: and he ungirded⁶³ his camels, and gave straw⁶⁴ and provender for the camels, and water to wash⁶⁵ his feet, and the men’s feet that [were] with him. [33] And 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.⁶⁶ [34] And he said, I [am] Abraham’s servant.⁶⁷ [35] And the Lord⁶⁸ hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks⁶⁹, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses. [36] And Sarah⁷⁰ my master’s wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto⁷¹ him hath he given all that he hath. [37] And my⁷² master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites⁷³, in whose land I dwell: [38] But⁷⁴ thou shalt go unto my father’s⁷⁵ house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son. [39] And I said unto my master, Peradventure⁷⁶ the woman will not follow me.⁷⁷ [40] And he⁷⁸ said unto me, The Lord, before⁷⁹ whom I walk, will⁸⁰ 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: [41] Then 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.⁸¹ [42] And I came this day unto the well, and said, O Lord⁸² God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper⁸³ my way which I go: [43] Behold, 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;⁸⁴ [44] And she say to me, Both⁸⁵ drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: [let] the same [be] the woman⁸⁶ whom the Lord hath appointed⁸⁷ out for my master’s son. [45] And before⁸⁸ I had done speaking⁸⁹ 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. [46] 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. [47] 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 put⁹⁰ the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands. [48] And I bowed⁹¹ down my head, and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, which had led me⁹² in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter unto his son. [49] And now if⁹³ ye will deal kindly and truly⁹⁴ with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I⁹⁵ may turn to the right hand, or to the left. [50] Then Laban⁹⁶ and Bethuel answered and said, The thing⁹⁷ proceedeth from the Lord: we⁹⁸ cannot speak unto thee bad or good. [51] Behold, Rebekah⁹⁹ [is] before thee, take [her], and go, and let her be thy master’s son’s wife, as the Lord hath¹⁰⁰ spoken. [52] And it came to pass, that, when Abraham’s servant heard their words, he worshipped¹⁰¹ the Lord, [bowing himself] to the earth. [53] And the servant brought forth jewels¹⁰² of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave [them] to Rebekah: he gave also to her brother¹⁰³ and to her mother precious¹⁰⁴ things. [54] 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 me¹⁰⁵ away unto my master. [55] And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us [a few] days¹⁰⁶, at the least ten; after that she shall go. [56] And he said unto them, Hinder¹⁰⁷ me not, seeing the Lord hath prospered¹⁰⁸ my way; send me away that I may go to my master. [57] And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth. [58] And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.¹⁰⁹ [59] And they sent away Rebekah their¹¹⁰ sister, and her nurse¹¹¹, and Abraham’s servant, and his men. [60] And they¹¹² blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou [art] our sister, be thou [the mother¹¹³] of thousands¹¹⁴ of millions, and let thy seed¹¹⁵ possess the gate of those which hate them.

[61] [¶]And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode¹¹⁶ upon the camels, and followed¹¹⁷ the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

⥃Isaac Marries Rebekah

[62] And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahai–roi¹¹⁸; for he dwelt in the south¹¹⁹ country. [63] And Isaac went out to meditate¹²⁰ in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels [were] coming. [64] And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted¹²¹ off the camel. [65] 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 vail¹²², and covered herself. [66] And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.¹²³ [67] And Isaac brought her into his mother¹²⁴ Sarah’s tent¹²⁵, and took¹²⁶ Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted¹²⁷ after his mother’s [death].

<< Genesis 23

Genesis 25 >>