Abraham: The Covenant

and if the woman be not willing to come after thee, then thou hast been acquitted from this mine oath: only my son thou dost not cause to turn back thither.'

And the servant putteth his hand under the thigh of Abraham his lord, and sweareth to him concerning this matter.

And the servant taketh ten camels of the camels of his lord and goeth, also of all the goods of his lord in his hand, and he riseth, and goeth unto Aram-Naharaim, unto the city of Nahor;

and he causeth the camels to kneel at the outside of the city, at the well of water, at even-time, at the time of the coming out of the women who draw water.

And he saith, `Jehovah, God of my lord Abraham, cause to meet, I pray Thee, before me this day--(and do kindness with my lord Abraham;

lo, I am standing by the fountain of water, and daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water;

and it hath been, the young person unto whom I say, Incline, I pray thee, thy pitcher, and I drink, and she hath said, Drink, and I water also thy camels) --her Thou hast decided for Thy servant, for Isaac; and by it I know that Thou hast done kindness with my lord.'

And it cometh to pass, before he hath finished speaking, that lo, Rebekah (who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, wife of Nahor, brother of Abraham) is coming out, and her pitcher on her shoulder,

and the young person is of very good appearance, a virgin, and a man hath not known her; and she goeth down to the fountain, and filleth her pitcher, and cometh up.

And the servant runneth to meet her, and saith, `Let me swallow, I pray thee, a little water from thy pitcher;'

and she saith, `Drink, my lord;' and she hasteth, and letteth down her pitcher upon her hand, and giveth him drink.

And she finisheth giving him drink, and saith, `Also for thy camels I draw till they have finished drinking;'

and she hasteth, and emptieth her pitcher into the drinking-trough, and runneth again unto the well to draw, and draweth for all his camels.

And the man, wondering at her, remaineth silent, to know whether Jehovah hath made his way prosperous or not.

And it cometh to pass when the camels have finished drinking, that the man taketh a golden ring (whose weight is a bekah), and two bracelets for her hands (whose weight is ten bekahs of gold),

and saith, `Whose daughter art thou? declare to me, I pray thee, is the house of thy father a place for us to lodge in?'

And she saith unto him, `I am daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, whom she hath borne to Nahor.'

She saith also unto him, `Both straw and provender are abundant with us, also a place to lodge in.'

And the man boweth, and doth obeisance to Jehovah,

and saith, `Blessed is Jehovah, God of my lord Abraham, who hath not left off His kindness and His truth with my lord; --I being in the way, Jehovah hath led me to the house of my lord's brethren.'

And the young person runneth, and declareth to the house of her mother according to these words.

And Rebekah hath a brother, and his name is Laban, and Laban runneth unto the man who is without, unto the fountain;

yea, it cometh to pass, when he seeth the ring, and the bracelets on the hands of his sister, and when he heareth the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, `Thus hath the man spoken unto me,' that he cometh in unto the man, and lo, he is standing by the camels by the fountain.

And he saith, `Come in, O blessed one of Jehovah, why standest thou without, and I--I have prepared the house and place for the camels!'

And he bringeth in the man into the house, and looseth the camels, and giveth straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the feet of the men who are with him: