Old Testament

New Testament

Genesis 24:2-15 The Scriptures 1998 (ISR98)

2. And Aḇraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please, put your hand under my thigh,

3. so that I make you swear by יהוה, the Elohim of the heavens and the Elohim of the earth, that you do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Kena‛anites, among whom I dwell,

4. but to go to my land and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Yitsḥaq.”

5. And the servant said to him, “What if the woman refuses to follow me to this land? Do I then take your son back to the land from which you came?”

6. And Aḇraham said to him, “Beware lest you take my son back there!

7. “יהוה, Elohim of the heavens, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my relatives, and who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, ‘To your seed I give this land,’ He sends His messenger before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.

8. “And if the woman refuses to follow you, then you shall be released from this oath; only, do not take my son back there.”

9. Then the servant put his hand under the thigh of Aḇraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

10. And the servant took ten of his master’s camels and left, for all his master’s good gifts were in his hand. And he arose and went to Aram Naharayim, to the city of Naḥor.

11. And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a fountain of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water.

12. And he said, “יהוה, Elohim of my master Aḇraham, please cause her to meet before me this day, and show kindness to my master Aḇraham.

13. “See, I am standing here by the fountain of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.

14. “Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar to let me drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and let me water your camels too,’ let her be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Yitsḥaq. And let me know by this that You have shown kindness to my master.”

15. And it came to be, before he had ended speaking, that see, Riḇqah, who was born to Bethu’ĕl, son of Milkah, the wife of Naḥor, Aḇraham’s brother, came out with her jar on her shoulder.

Read complete chapter Genesis 24