The Holy Ivri Heritage Bible

1Avraham was old, advanced in days, and Yahuah had blessed him in all things. 2Avraham said to his servant, the elder of his house who ruled over all he had: “Put your hand under my thigh, 3And I will make you swear by Yahuah, Elohim of the shamayim and Elohim of the aretz, that you will not take a wife for my son Yitzchak from the daughters of the Kena’anim among whom I dwell. 4But you shall go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Yitzchak.” 5The servant said: “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Shall I then take your son back to the land from which you came?” 6Avraham said: “Beware that you do not take my son back there. 7Yahuah, Elohim of the shamayim, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your seed I will give this land,’ He will send His malakh before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8If the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be released from this oath; only do not take my son back there.” 9The servant put his hand under the thigh of Avraham his master and swore concerning this matter. 10The servant took ten camels of his master and departed, taking all kinds of good things of his master’s hand. He went to Aram-Naharaim, to the city of Nahor. 11He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at evening time, when the daughters of the men of the city came out to draw water. 12He prayed: “Yahuah, Elohim of my master Avraham, please prosper my way today, and show chesed [covenant kindness] to my master Avraham. 13Behold, I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw. 14Let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels drink’ — let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Yitzchak. By this I will know You have shown kindness to my master.” 15Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rivkah [Rebekah], daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, wife of Nahor (Avraham’s brother), came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. 16The young woman was very beautiful, a virgin whom no man had known. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher, and came up. 17The servant ran to meet her and said: “Please give me a little water from your pitcher.” 18She said: “Drink, my lord.” She quickly let down her pitcher and gave him drink. 19When he had finished, she said: “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.” 20She quickly emptied her pitcher into the trough, ran again to the well, and drew for all his camels. 21The man gazed at her in silence, wondering whether Yahuah had prospered his journey. 22When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels of gold. 23He asked: “Whose daughter are you? Is there room in your father’s house for us to lodge?” 24She said: “I am the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25She added: “We have plenty of straw and fodder, and room to lodge.” 26The man bowed his head and worshipped Yahuah, 27Saying: “Blessed be Yahuah, Elohim of my master Avraham, who has not forsaken His chesed [mercy] and emet [truth/faithfulness] toward my master. Yahuah has led me to the house of my master’s relatives.” 28The young woman ran and told her mother’s household. 29Rivkah had a brother named Lavan [Laban]. Lavan ran out to the man at the spring. 30When he saw the ring and bracelets on his sister’s hands, and heard her words, he went to the man, who was standing by the camels. 31He said: “Come in, blessed of Yahuah. Why do you stand outside? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.” 32The man entered, and they unloaded the camels, gave them straw and fodder, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men with him. 33Food was set before him, but he said: “I will not eat until I have told my errand.” They said: “Speak.” 34He said: “I am Avraham’s servant. 35Yahuah has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great. He has given him flocks, herds, silver, gold, servants, camels, and donkeys. 36Sarah, my master’s wife, bore a son to him in his old age, and he has given him all he has. 37My master made me swear, saying: ‘Do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Kena’anim, among whom I dwell. 38But go to my father’s house and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son.’ 39I said: ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ 40He said: ‘Yahuah, before whom I walk, will send His malakh with you and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my kindred, from my father’s house.’ 41Then you will be released from my oath if they refuse to give her to you.” 42He recounted his prayer at the well and how Rivkah fulfilled the sign. 43“Behold, I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw. 44Let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher,’ and she says to me, ‘Drink, and I will also draw for your camels’ — let her be the one whom Yahuah has appointed for my master’s son. 45Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rivkah [Rebekah] came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the well and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46She quickly let down her pitcher from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will also give your camels drink.’ So I drank, and she also gave the camels drink. 47I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘I am the daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milkah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48I bowed my head and worshipped Yahuah, and blessed Yahuah, Elohim of my master Avraham, who had led me in the right way to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son. 49Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left. 50Lavan and Bethuel answered: “This thing comes from Yahuah. We cannot speak to you bad or good. 51Behold, Rivkah is before you. Take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as Yahuah has spoken.” 52When Avraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed to the ground before Yahuah. 53He brought out silver, gold, and begadim [garments], and gave them to Rivkah. He also gave precious gifts to her brother and her mother. 54They ate and drank, and stayed the night. In the morning he said: “Send me away to my master.” 55Her brother and mother said: “Let the young woman stay with us ten days; after that she may go.” 56He said: “Do not delay me, since Yahuah has prospered my way. Send me away to my master.” 57They said: “Let us call the young woman and ask her.” 58They called Rivkah and said: “Will you go with this man?” She said: “I will go.” 59They sent away Rivkah their sister, her nurse, Avraham’s servant, and his men. 60They blessed Rivkah: “Our sister, may you become thousands of myriads, and may your zera [seed/descendants] possess the gates of their enemies.” 61Rivkah and her maids arose, mounted the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rivkah and went his way. 62Yitzchak had come from Beer-Lachai-Ro’i, for he dwelt in the Negev. 63Yitzchak went out into the field toward evening to suach [meditate/pour out prayer]. He lifted up his eyes and saw camels coming. 64Rivkah lifted up her eyes, saw Yitzchak, and dismounted from the camel. 65She said to the servant: “Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said: “It is my master.” She took her veil and covered herself. 66The servant told Yitzchak all the things he had done. 67Yitzchak brought Rivkah into his mother Sarah’s tent. She became his wife, and he loved her. Yitzchak was comforted after his mother’s death.