Genesis 24 · Parashat Chayei Sara

And Avraham was old, advanced in age: and the Lord had blessed Avraham in all things.

And Avraham said to the eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:

and I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Kena῾ani, among whom I dwell;

but thou shalt go to my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife to my son Yiżĥaq.

And the servant said to him, Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land: must I needs bring thy son back to the land from where thou didst come?

And Avraham said to him, Beware lest thou bring my son back there.

The Lord God of heaven, Who took me from my father’s house, and from the land of my kindred, and Who spoke to me, and swore to me, saying, To thy seed will I give this land; He shall send His angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife for my son from there.

And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son back there.

And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Avraham his master, and swore to him concerning that matter.

And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Aram-naharayim, to the city of Naĥor.

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

And he said, O Lord God of my master Avraham, I pray Thee, send me good speed this day, and show kindness to my master Avraham.

Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:

and let it come to pass, that the girl to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let her be she that Thou hast appointed for Thy servant Yiżĥaq; and thereby shall I know that Thou hast shown kindness to my master.

And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rivqa came out, who was born to Betu᾽el, son of Milka, the wife of Naĥor, Avraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.

And the girl was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

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

And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hastened, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

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

And she hastened, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.

And the man wondering at her held his peace, to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.

And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;

and said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in?

And she said to him, I am the daughter of Betu᾽el the son of Milka, whom she bore to Naĥor.

And she said to him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.

And the man bowed down his head, and prostrated himself to the Lord.

And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Avraham, Who has not left my master destitute of His love and His truth: as for me, the Lord has guided me in the way to the house of my master’s brethren.

And the girl ran, and told them of her mother’s house these things.

And Rivqa had a brother, and his name was Lavan: and Lavan ran out to the man, to the well.

And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister’s hands, and when he heard the words of Rivqa his sister, saying, Thus spoke the man to me; that he came to the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well.

And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; why dost thou stand outside? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.

And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men’s feet that were with him.

And there was set food before him to eat: but he said, I will not eat, until I have told my errand. And he said, Speak on.

And he said, I am Avraham’s servant.

And the Lord has blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and He has given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.

And Sara my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old: and to him he has given all that he has.

And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Kena῾ani, in whose land I dwell:

but thou shalt go to my father’s house, and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son.

And I said to my master, Perhaps the woman will not follow me.

And he said to me, The Lord, before Whom I walk, will send His angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father’s house:

then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they grant it not to thee, thou shalt be clear of my oath.

And I came this day to the well, and said, O Lord God of my master Avraham, if now Thou do prosper my way which I go:

behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that the maid who comes forth to draw, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water from thy pitcher to drink;

and she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: she shall be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.

And before I had done speaking in my heart, behold, Rivqa came out with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the well, and drew water: and I said to her, Let me drink, I pray thee.

And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels to drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also.

And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Betu᾽el, Naĥor’s son, whom Milka bore to him: and I put the ring upon her nose, and the bracelets upon her hands.

And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Avraham, Who had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter for his son.

And now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; so that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.

Then Lavan and Betu᾽el answered and said, The thing comes from the Lord: we cannot speak to thee bad or good.

Behold, Rivqa is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master’s son’s wife, as the Lord has spoken.

And it came to pass, that, when Avraham’s servant heard their words, he prostrated himself to the earth before the Lord.

And the servant brought out jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rivqa: he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.

And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away to my master.

And her brother and her mother said, Let the girl stay with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.

And he said to them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord has prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.

And they said, We will call the girl, and inquire at her mouth.

And they called Rivqa, and said to her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.

And they sent away Rivqa their sister, and her nurse, and Avraham’s servant, and his men.

And they blessed Rivqa, and said to her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.

And Rivqa, and her maids arose, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rivqa, and went his way.

And Yiżĥaq came from the way of Be᾽er-laĥay-ro᾽i; for he dwelt in the land of the Negev.

And Yiżĥaq went out to meditate in the field at the evening time: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, camels were coming.

And Rivqa lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Yiżĥaq, she descended from the camel.

And she said to the servant, What man is this that walks in the field to meet us? And the servant said, It is my master: therefore she took her veil, and covered herself.

And the servant told Yiżĥaq all the things that he had done.

And Yiżĥaq brought her into his mother Sara’s tent, and took Rivqa, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Yiżĥaq was comforted after his mother’s death.