Holman Christian Standard Bible CSB
New International Version NIV
1 Abraham was now old, getting on in years, and the Lord had blessed him in everything.
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Abraham was now very old, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.
2 Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his household who managed all he owned, "Place your hand under my thigh,
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He said to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh.
3 and I will have you swear by the Lord, God of heaven and God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I live,
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I want you to swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living,
4 but will go to my land and my family to take a wife for my son Isaac."
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but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.”
5 The servant said to him, "Suppose the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land? Should I have your son go back to the land you came from?"
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The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?”
6 Abraham answered him, "Make sure that you don't take my son back there.
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“Make sure that you do not take my son back there,” Abraham said.
7 The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from my native land, who spoke to me and swore to me, 'I will give this land to your offspring'-He will send His angel before you, and you can take a wife for my son from there.
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“The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land’—he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there.
8 If the woman is unwilling to follow you, then you are free from this oath to me, but don't let my son go back there."
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If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there.”
9 So the servant placed his hand under his master Abraham's thigh and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.
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So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.
10 The servant took 10 of his master's camels and departed with all kinds of his master's goods in hand. Then he set out for the town of Nahor, Aram-naharaim.
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Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master’s camels loaded with all kinds of good things from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim and made his way to the town of Nahor.
11 He made the camels kneel beside a well of water outside the town at evening. [This was] the time when the women went out to draw water.
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He had the camels kneel down near the well outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.
12 "Lord, God of my master Abraham," he prayed, "grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
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Then he prayed, “LORD, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.
13 I am standing here at the spring where the daughters of the men of the town are coming out to draw water.
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See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.
14 Let the girl to whom I say, 'Please lower your water jug so that I may drink,' and who responds, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels also'-let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. By this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master."
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May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”
15 Before he had finished speaking, there was Rebekah-daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor-coming with a jug on her shoulder.
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Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor.
16 Now the girl was very beautiful, a young woman who had not known a man intimately. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came up.
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The woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.
17 Then the servant ran to meet her and said, "Please let me have a little water from your jug."
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The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”
18 She replied, "Drink, my lord." She quickly lowered her jug to her hand and gave him a drink.
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“Drink, my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.
19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I'll also draw water for your camels until they have had enough to drink."
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After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have had enough to drink.”
20 She quickly emptied her jug into the trough and hurried to the well again to draw water. She drew water for all his camels
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So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels.
21 while the man silently watched her to see whether or not the Lord had made his journey a success.
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Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the LORD had made his journey successful.
Holman Christian Standard Bible ® Copyright © 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.