Abraham: The Covenant

and setteth before him to eat; but he saith, `I do not eat till I have spoken my word;' and he saith, `Speak.'

And he saith, `I am Abraham's servant;

and Jehovah hath blessed my lord exceedingly, and he is great; and He giveth to him flock, and herd, and silver, and gold, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and camels, and asses;

and Sarah, my lord's wife, beareth a son to my lord, after she hath been aged, and he giveth to him all that he hath.

`And my lord causeth me to swear, saying, Thou dost not take a wife to my son from the daughters of the Canaanite, in whose land I am dwelling.

If not--unto the house of my father thou dost go, and unto my family, and thou hast taken a wife for my son.

`And I say unto my lord, It may be the woman doth not come after me;

and he saith unto me, Jehovah, before whom I have walked habitually, doth send His messenger with thee, and hath prospered thy way, and thou hast taken a wife for my son from my family, and from the house of my father;

then art thou acquitted from my oath, when thou comest unto my family, and if they give not one to thee; then thou hast been acquitted from my oath.

`And I come to-day unto the fountain, and I say, Jehovah, God of my lord Abraham, if Thou art, I pray Thee, making prosperous my way in which I am going--

(lo, I am standing by the fountain of water), then the virgin who is coming out to draw, and I have said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee, a little water from thy pitcher,

and she hath said unto me, Both drink thou, and also for thy camels I draw--she is the woman whom Jehovah hath decided for my lord's son.

`Before I finish speaking unto my heart, then lo, Rebekah is coming out, and her pitcher on her shoulder, and she goeth down to the fountain, and draweth; and I say unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee,

and she hasteth and letteth down her pitcher from off her and saith, Drink, and thy camels also I water; and I drink, and the camels also she hath watered.

`And I ask her, and say, Whose daughter art thou? and she saith, Daughter of Bethuel, son of Nahor, whom Milcah hath borne to him, and I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands,

and I bow, and do obeisance before Jehovah, and I bless Jehovah, God of my lord Abraham, who hath led me in the true way to receive the daughter of my lord's brother for his son.

`And now, if ye are dealing kindly and truly with my lord, declare to me; and if not, declare to me; and I turn unto the right or unto the left.'

And Laban answereth--Bethuel also--and they say, `The thing hath gone out from Jehovah; we are not able to speak unto thee bad or good;

lo, Rebekah is before thee, take and go, and she is a wife to thy lord's son, as Jehovah hath spoken.'

And it cometh to pass, when the servant of Abraham hath heard their words, that he boweth himself towards the earth before Jehovah;

and the servant taketh out vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and giveth to Rebekah; precious things also he hath given to her brother and to her mother.

And they eat and drink, he and the men who are with him, and lodge all night; and they rise in the morning, and he saith, `Send me to my lord;'

and her brother saith--her mother also--`Let the young person abide with us a week or ten days, afterwards doth she go.'

And he saith unto them, `Do not delay me, seeing Jehovah hath prospered my way; send me away, and I go to my lord;'

and they say, `Let us call for the young person, and ask at her mouth;'