1. Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.
2. So Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who was in charge over all that he had, “Please, place your hand under my thigh,
3. and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.
4. But you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”
5. Then the servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?”
6. Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there.
7. The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father’s family and from the land of my relatives, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give this land,’ He shall send His angel before you and you shall take a wife for my son from there.
8. If the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from my oath. Only do not take my son back there.”
9. So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.
10. Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, for all the goods of his master were in his hand. And he arose and went to the city of Nahor in Aram Naharaim.
11. He made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water in the evening when the women came out to draw water.
12. Then he said, “O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please let me have success this day and show kindness to my master Abraham.
13. See, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.
14. Let it be that the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please lower your pitcher, that I may drink,’ and she shall say, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels water also’—let her be the one that You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. Then I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”
15. Before he had finished speaking, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milkah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with a pitcher on her shoulder.