Genesis

Wedding of Isaac

Abraham was now old and well advanced in years. The Lord had blessed him in every way.

Abraham said to his senior servant, who was his steward:

“Put your hand under my thigh

 and you will swear to me by the Lord, God of heaven and earth, that you will not choose a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom we live;

 rather it is to my country and my kinsfolk that you will go to choose a wife for my son, Isaac.”

The servant said to him:

“Perhaps the woman will not want to follow me to this country. In that case, should I take your son to the country you came from?”

Abraham said to him;

“In no way will you take my son back.

 For the Lord, God of heaven and earth, who took me from my father’s house and the land of my birth, spoke to me and swore to me that he would give this country to my descendants. He will send his angel before you, so that you may find a wife for my son.

 But if the woman is unwilling to follow you, you will be free of this oath. In any case, you are not to take my son down there.”

 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham, his master, and swore to him that he would do it.

The servant took ten of his master’s camels and set out, bringing with him the finest of what his master owned. He traveled toward Aram Naharaim, heading for the town of Nahor.

He then made the camels kneel outside the town, near the well, in the evening when the women come to draw water.

The steward then prayed:

“Lord, God of my master Abraham, be with me and show your loving kindness to Abraham, my master.

 See, I am standing at the spring while the city girls are coming to draw water.

 Now, I will ask them like this: ‘Please tilt your pitcher so that I may drink.’ Now, the first girl who says: ‘Drink and I will water your camels as well’; let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. In this way, I shall know you have shown kindness to my master.”

 He had not finished praying when Rebekah came out. She was the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, and wife of Abraham’s brother, Nahor. She carried a pitcher on her shoulder.

 The girl was very beautiful and a virgin, for no man had lain with her. She went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came back up.

The servant ran to meet her and said:

“Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher.”

She replied:

“Drink, my lord!” and immediately lowered her pitcher to her hand, letting him drink.

When she had finished letting him drink, she said:

“I am going to water your camels as well until they have had enough.”

 She hurried to empty her pitcher into the trough and then ran again to draw water for all his camels,

 while the man watched in silence to find out whether the Lord was making his journey successful or not.

 So when the camels finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing half a shekel and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels for her arms.

He then asked:

“Whose daughter are you? Please tell me! Is there room in your father’s house where we can spend the night?”

She replied:

“I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son Milcah bore to Nahor.”

She continued,

“We have plenty of straw, fodder, and room for you to spend the night.”

 Then the man knelt and worshiped the Lord

saying:

“Blessed be the Lord, God of my master Abraham, who has not stopped showing kindness and faithfulness to my master. The Lord has guided me to the house of my master’s brother.”

 The girl ran to her mother’s house and related everything.

 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban and Laban ran out to the man, near the spring.

 As soon as he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and as soon as he heard his sister Rebekah saying, “This is what the man said to me…,” he approached Abraham’s steward who was standing near the camels by the spring.

He said to him:

“Come in, you who are blessed by the Lord. Why do you stay outside? I have prepared the house, and there is room for your camels.”

 So the man entered the house and unloaded the camels. Straw and fodder were given to the camels, and water was to wash the feet of the man and of those who were with him.

Then they gave him food, but he said:

“I won’t eat until I have said what I have to say!”

Laban said, “Speak!”

Then he said:

“I am the servant of Abraham. The Lord has greatly blessed my master and he has become very rich.

 The Lord has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, camels and donkeys.

 Now Sarah, my master’s wife, bore him a son in her old age;

 so my master has given him all he owns and made me swear an oath saying: ‘You will not choose a wife for my son from the daughters of these Canaanites in whose country I live;

 rather you will go to my father’s house, to my kinsfolk and there you will choose a wife for my son.’

 I then said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not agree to come with me!’

 His reply was: ‘The Lord, in whose presence I have walked, will send his angel with you and make your journey successful. You will choose a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s house.

This is what you have to do to be released from your oath. Whether they refuse you or not, you will be free of the oath.’

 So upon arriving at the spring, I prayed, ‘Lord, God of my master, Abraham, if you wish my journey to be successful, let it happen like this:

 As I stand by the spring, a girl will come to draw water, and I will say to her: Let me drink a little from your pitcher.

 If she answers me: Yes, drink, and I will draw water for your camels as well, let it be that she is the wife the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’ I was still thinking this over,

 when Rebekah came out with a pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, ‘Please, let me drink!’

 She immediately lowered the pitcher and said, ‘Drink! I will water your camels as well!’ I drank and she watered the camels.

 I questioned her saying, ‘Who is your father?’ And she said, ‘I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor and Milcah.’ I then put this ring through her nostril and bracelets on her arms.

 Then I knelt in worship and blessed the Lord, God of my master, Abraham, who had led me to choose the daughter of my master’s brother for his son.

 Now let me know whether you intend to show kindness and faithfulness to my master; if not, tell me, and I shall know which way to turn.”

Laban and Bethuel replied:

“This is God’s doing. It is not for us to decide either way.

 Here is Rebekah; take her and go. Let her become the wife of your master’s son as the Lord has directed.”

 When Abraham’s servant heard this answer, he bowed to the ground before the Lord.

 He then took the gold and silver jewelry along with the clothes and gave them to Rebekah. He also presented her brother and mother costly gifts.

They ate and drank, and he and his companions spent the night there. When they got up the next morning, the servant said:

“Let me return to my master.”

Rebekah’s mother and brother replied:

“Let the girl remain with us for a few days, about ten. After that, she may go.”

He said:

“Do not delay me; since the Lord has made my journey successful, let me leave and return to my master.”

They then said:

“Call the girl and ask her about it.”

They called and questioned Rebekah:

“Do you want to leave with this man?”

She said:

“I will go.”

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

They blessed Rebekah with these words:

“Sister of ours,

may you multiply to thousands upon thousands,

may your descendants take possession

of the cities of their enemies.”

 Then Rebekah and her maids got ready, mounted the camels, and followed Abraham’s servant. He then departed with Rebekah.

 Now Isaac had come from the well of Beer-lahai-roi, as he was living in the Negeb.

 As Isaac went out in the early evening to meditate in the field, he looked up and saw camels approaching.

 Rebekah also looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she got down from her camel

and said to the servant:

“Who is this man in the field coming to meet us?”

He replied:

“It is my master!”

She then covered her face with her veil.

 The servant related to Isaac everything he had done

 and Isaac brought Rebekah into the tent of Sarah, his mother. He made her his wife, and he loved her, and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.