Study Desk

Now, Abraham, was old, far gone in days, - and, Yahweh, had blessed Abraham, in all things.

So Abraham said unto his servant, elder of his house, ruler of all that he had, - Place, I pray thee thy hand under my thigh;

that I may put thee on oath, by Yahweh God of the heavens and God of the earth - That thou wilt not take a wife for my son, from among the daughters of the Canaanites in the midst of whom, I, am dwelling:

but unto my own land and unto my own kindred, wilt go, - So shalt thou take a wife for my son - for Isaac.

And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman may not be willing to follow me into this land, - May I take back thy son, into the land from whence thou earnest?

And Abraham said unto him, - Beware that thou do not take back my son thither!

Yahweh, God of the heavens, and God of the earth, who took me out of the house of my father, and out of the land of my kindred, and, who spake to me, and who sware to me, saying, To thy seed, will I give this land, he, will send his messenger before thee, so shalt then take a wife for my son from thence.

But if unwilling be the woman to follow thee, then shalt thou be clear from this mine oath, - Only my son, shalt thou not take back thither

So the servant placed his hand, under the thigh of Abraham, his lord, - and sware to him, over this thing.

Then took the servant ten camels, from among the camels of his lord, and went his way, - all the goods of his master being in his hand, - so be mounted, and went his way unto Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.

And he made the camels kneel down outside the city, against the well of water, - at the time of evening, at the time of the coming forth of the women that drew water,

Then he said, O Yahweh, God of my lord Abraham! I pray thee cause it to fall out before me today, that thou deal in lovingkindness with my lord Abraham.

Here am, I, stationed by the fountain of water, - and, the daughters of the men of the city, are coming forth to draw water:

so it shall come to pass that the young woman unto whom I shall say. Let down pray. thy pitcher that I may drink, and she shall say, Drink, and to thy camels also, will I give to drink, that, her! hast thou appointed for thy servant for Isaac, And, hereby, shall I get to know, that thou hast dealt in lovingkindness with my lord!

And it came to pass, ere yet, he, had done speaking, that lo! Rebekah, was coming forth who had been born to Bethuel son of Milcah, wife of Nahor, brother of Abraham, - with her pitcher upon her shoulder,

Now the young woman! was of very pleasing appearance, a virgin whom, no man, had known, - and she went down unto the fountain, and filled her pitcher and came up.

And the servant ran to meet her, - and said, I pray thee let me drink a little water out of thy pitcher.

And she said, Drink my lord, - And she hastened and lowered her pitcher on her hand and let him drink.

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

So she hastened and emptied her pitcher into the drinking-trough, and ran again unto the well, to draw, - and she drew for all his camels.

Now the man, was eagerly watching her, - keeping silence to see - whether Yahweh had prospered his way., or not.

And it came to pass when the camels had done drinking, that the man took a ring of gold, half a shekel its weight, - and two bracelets for her hands, ten of gold their weight;

and said Whose daughter art, thou? I pray thee, tell me. Is there in the house of thy father a place for us to tarry the night?

And she said unto him, Daughter of Bethuel, am, I, - Bethuel son of Milcah whom she bare to Nahor.

And she said unto him, Both straw and fodder in plenty, have we, - also a place to tarry the night.

Then the man bowed his head, and bent himself down unto Yahweh;

and said, Blessed be Yahweh. God of my lord Abraham, who hath not withdrawn his lovingkindness and his faithfulness, from my lord, - I - being in the way, Yahweh led me unto the house of the brethren of my lord!

And the young woman ran, and told the household of her mother, - according to these words.

Now, Rebekah, had a brother, whose name, was Laban, - so Laban ran unto the man outside, unto the fountain.

And it came to pass, when he saw the ring, and the bracelets on the hands of his sister, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister saying, Thus, did the man speak unto me, that he came unto the man, and lo! he was standing by the camels near the fountain;

and he said, Come in. thou blessed of Yahweh, - Wherefore shouldst thou stand outside, when I have made ready the house and a place for the camels?

So the man came in towards the house, and ungirded the camels, - and there was given him straw and fodder for the camels, and water for bathing his own feet and the feet of the men who were with him;

and food was set before him to eat, But he said, I cannot eat, until I have spoken my words. And he said - Speak!

Then said he, - Servant of Abraham, am I.

Now, Yahweh, having blessed my lord exceedingly, and made him great, - and given him flocks and herds and silver and gold, and men-servants and maid-servants, and camels, and asses,

then did Sarah wife of my lord, bear a son to my lord, after she had become old, - so he gave to him all that he had;

And my lord put me on oath saying, - Thou shalt not take a wife for my son, of the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land, I, am dwelling;

but, unto the house of my father, shalt thou go, and unto my family, - and take a wife for my son.

So I said unto my lord, - Peradventure the woman will not follow me.

And he said unto me, - Yahweh, before whom I have walked to and fro, will send his messenger with thee, so shall he prosper thy way, and thou shalt take a wife for my son out of my kindred and out of the house of my father.

Then, shalt thou clear thyself from mine oath, for thou shalt go in unto my kindred, - and, if they will not grant her unto thee, then shalt thou be clear from mine oath.

So I came in to-day, unto the fountain, - and I said O Yahweh God of my lord Abraham! if, I pray thee thou art prospering my way whereon am going,

here, am I stationed by the fountain of water, - so then it shall come to pass that, the maiden that is coming forth to draw, and I shall say unto her Let me drink. I pray thee a little water out of thy pitcher;

and she shall say unto me Both, thou, drink, and for thy camels also, will I draw, the same, shall be the woman whom Yahweh hath appointed for the son of my lord.

Ere yet, I, could make an end of speaking unto mine own heart, lo! then Rebekah, coming forth, with her pitcher on her shoulder, and she went down to the fountain, and drew, - and I said unto her Let me drink I pray thee!

So she hastened and lowered her pitcher from off her, and said. Drink! and to thy camels also, will I give to drink, - So I drank and the camels also, she let drink.

Then I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said Daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom, Milcah, bare to him, - Then put I the ring upon her nose, and the bracelets upon her hands;

and bowed my head and bent myself down unto Yahweh, - and I blessed Yahweh God of my lord Abraham, who had led me in a way of faithfulness, to take the daughter of the brother of my lord for his son.

Now, therefore, if ye are dealing in lovingkindness and faithfulness with my lord, tell me, - and, if not, tell me, that I may turn unto the right hand or unto the left.

Then answered Laban and Bethuel and said, from Yahweh, hath come forth the word, - we cannot speak unto thee ill or well.

Go! Rebekah, is before thee, Take her and go thy way, - And let her become wife unto the son of thy lord, as Yahweh hath spoken.

And it came to pass when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he bowed himself down towards the earth unto Yahweh.

Then the servant brought forth jewels of silver and jewels of gold and raiment, and gave unto Rebekah, - and precious things, gave he to her brother and to her mother.

And they did eat and drink he, and the men who were with him, and they tarried the night, - and when they arose in the morning, he said Let me go unto my lord!

Then said her brother and her mother, Let the young woman remain with us some days or rather ten, - After that, she shall go.

And he said unto them, Do not hinder me, when, Yahweh, hath prospered my journey, - Let me go, that I may take my journey unto my lord!

Then said they, We must call the young woman and ask at her mouth.

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

So they let go Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men.

And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, Our sister! become thou, thousands of ten thousands, - And let thy seed take possession of the gate of them that hate them!

Then mounted Rebekah and her young woman and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man, - so the servant took Rebekah. and went his way.

Now, Isaac, had come in at the entrance, of Beer-lahai-roi, - for, he, was dwelling in the land of the South:

and Isaac came forth to meditate in the field at the approach of evening, - so he lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo! camels, coming in.

And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and saw Isaac, - so she alighted with haste from off the camel;

and said unto the servant, Who is this man that is walking in the field to meet us? And the servant said, That, is my lord. So she took the veil and covered herself.

And the servant recounted to Isaac, - all the things which he had done.

And Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother; thus he took Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her, - and Isaac consoled himself, for the loss of his mother.