The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 Now Abraham was old and far on in years: and the Lord had given him everything in full measure.
1
Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in everything he did.
2 And Abraham said to his chief servant, the manager of all his property, Come now, put your hand under my leg:
2
He said to his oldest servant, who was in charge of all that he had, "Place your hand between my thighs and make a vow.
3 And take an oath by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not get a wife for my son Isaac from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am living;
3
I want you to make a vow in the name of the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not choose a wife for my son from the people here in Canaan.
4 But that you will go into my country and to my relations and get a wife there for my son Isaac.
4
You must go back to the country where I was born and get a wife for my son Isaac from among my relatives."
5 And the servant said, If by chance the woman will not come with me into this land, am I to take your son back again to the land from which you came?
5
But the servant asked, "What if the young woman will not leave home to come with me to this land? Shall I send your son back to the land you came from?"
6 And Abraham said, Take care that you do not let my son go back to that land.
6
Abraham answered, "Make sure that you don't send my son back there!
7 The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth, and made an oath to me, saying, To your seed I will give this land: he will send his angel before you and give you a wife for my son in that land.
7
The Lord, the God of heaven, brought me from the home of my father and from the land of my relatives, and he solemnly promised me that he would give this land to my descendants. He will send his angel before you, so that you can get a wife there for my son.
8 And if the woman will not come with you, then you are free from this oath; only do not take my son back there.
8
If the young woman is not willing to come with you, you will be free from this promise. But you must not under any circumstances take my son back there."
9 And the servant put his hand under Abraham's leg, and gave him his oath about this thing.
9
So the servant put his hand between the thighs of Abraham, his master, and made a vow to do what Abraham had asked.
10 And the servant took ten of his master's camels, and all sorts of good things of his master's, and went to Mesopotamia, to the town of Nahor.
10
The servant, who was in charge of Abraham's property, took ten of his master's camels and went to the city where Nahor had lived in northern Mesopotamia.
11 And he made the camels take their rest outside the town by the water-spring in the evening, at the time when the women came to get water.
11
When he arrived, he made the camels kneel down at the well outside the city. It was late afternoon, the time when women came out to get water.
12 And he said, O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, let me do well in what I have undertaken this day, and give your mercy to my master Abraham.
12
He prayed, "Lord, God of my master Abraham, give me success today and keep your promise to my master.
13 See, I am waiting here by the water-spring; and the daughters of the town are coming out to get water:
13
Here I am at the well where the young women of the city will be coming to get water.
14 Now, may the girl to whom I say, Let down your vessel and give me a drink, and who says in answer, Here is a drink for you and let me give water to your camels: may she be the one marked out by you for your servant Isaac: so may I be certain that you have been good to my master Abraham.
14
I will say to one of them, "Please, lower your jar and let me have a drink.' If she says, "Drink, and I will also bring water for your camels,' may she be the one that you have chosen for your servant Isaac. If this happens, I will know that you have kept your promise to my master."
15 And even before his words were ended, Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, who was the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her water-vessel on her arm.
15
Before he had finished praying, Rebecca arrived with a water jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham's brother Nahor and his wife Milcah.
16 She was a very beautiful girl, a virgin, who had never been touched by a man: and she went down to the spring to get water in her vessel.
16
She was a very beautiful young woman and still a virgin. She went down to the well, filled her jar, and came back.
17 And the servant came running to her and said, Give me a little water from your vessel.
17
The servant ran to meet her and said, "Please give me a drink of water from your jar."
18 And she said, Take a drink, my lord: and quickly letting down her vessel onto her hand, she gave him a drink.
18
She said, "Drink, sir," and quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and held it while he drank.
19 And having done so, she said, I will get water for your camels till they have had enough.
19
When he had finished, she said, "I will also bring water for your camels and let them have all they want."
20 And after putting the water from her vessel into the animals' drinking-place, she went quickly back to the spring and got water for all the camels.
20
She quickly emptied her jar into the animals' drinking trough and ran to the well to get more water, until she had watered all his camels.
21 And the man, looking at her, said nothing, waiting to see if the Lord had given his journey a good outcome.
21
The man kept watching her in silence, to see if the Lord had given him success.
22 And when the camels had had enough, the man took a gold nose-ring, half a shekel in weight, and two ornaments for her arms of ten shekels weight of gold;
22
When she had finished, the man took an expensive gold ring and put it in her nose and put two large gold bracelets on her arms.
23 And said to her, Whose daughter are you? is there room in your father's house for us?
23
He said, "Please tell me who your father is. Is there room in his house for my men and me to spend the night?"
24 And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, Nahor's wife.
24
"My father is Bethuel son of Nahor and Milcah," she answered.
25 And she said, We have a great store of dry grass and cattle-food, and there is room for you.
25
"There is plenty of straw and fodder at our house, and there is a place for you to stay."
26 And with bent head the man gave worship to the Lord;
26
Then the man knelt down and worshiped the Lord.
27 And said, Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has given a sign that he is good and true to my master, by guiding me straight to the house of my master's family.
27
He said, "Praise the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has faithfully kept his promise to my master. The Lord has led me straight to my master's relatives."
28 So the girl went running and took the news of these things to her mother's house
28
The young woman ran to her mother's house and told the whole story.
29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he came out quickly to the man at the water-spring.
29
Now Rebecca had a brother named Laban, and he ran outside to go to the well where Abraham's servant was.
30 And when he saw the nose-ring and the ornaments on his sister's hands, and when she gave him word of what the man had said to her, then he went out to the man who was waiting with the camels by the water-spring.
30
Laban had seen the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister's arms and had heard her say what the man had told her. He went to Abraham's servant, who was standing by his camels at the well,
31 And he said to him, Come in, you on whom is the blessing of the Lord; why are you waiting outside? for I have made the house ready for you, and a place for the camels.
31
and said, "Come home with me. You are a man whom the Lord has blessed. Why are you standing out here? I have a room ready for you in my house, and there is a place for your camels."
32 Then the man came into the house, and Laban took their cords off the camels and gave them dry grass and food, and he gave to him and the men who were with him water for washing their feet.
32
So the man went into the house, and Laban unloaded the camels and gave them straw and fodder. Then he brought water for Abraham's servant and his men to wash their feet.
33 And meat was put before him, but he said, I will not take food till I have made my business clear to you. And they said, Do so.
33
When food was brought, the man said, "I will not eat until I have said what I have to say." Laban said, "Go on and speak."
34 And he said, I am Abraham's servant.
34
"I am the servant of Abraham," he began.
35 The Lord has given my master every blessing, and he has become great: he has given him flocks and herds and silver and gold, and men-servants and women-servants and camels and asses.
35
"The Lord has greatly blessed my master and made him a rich man. He has given him flocks of sheep and goats, cattle, silver, gold, male and female slaves, camels, and donkeys.
36 And when Sarah, my master's wife, was old, she gave birth to a son, to whom he has given all he has.
36
Sarah, my master's wife, bore him a son when she was old, and my master has given everything he owns to him.
37 And my master made me take an oath, saying, Do not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am living;
37
My master made me promise with a vow to obey his command. He said, "Do not choose a wife for my son from the young women in the land of Canaan.
38 But go to my father's house and to my relations for a wife for my son.
38
Instead, go to my father's people, to my relatives, and choose a wife for him.'
39 And I said to my master, What if the woman will not come with me?
39
And I asked my master, "What if she will not come with me?'
40 And he said, The Lord, whom I have ever kept before me, will send his angel with you, who will make it possible for you to get a wife for my son from my relations and my father's house;
40
He answered, "The Lord, whom I have always obeyed, will send his angel with you and give you success. You will get for my son a wife from my own people, from my father's family.
41 And you will be free from your oath to me when you come to my people; and if they will not give her to you, you will be free from your oath.
41
There is only one way for you to be free from your vow: if you go to my relatives and they refuse you, then you will be free.'
42 And I came today to the water-spring, and I said, O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if it is your purpose to give a good outcome to my journey,
42
"When I came to the well today, I prayed, "Lord, God of my master Abraham, please give me success in what I am doing.
43 Let it come about that, while I am waiting here by the water-spring, if a girl comes to get water and I say to her, Give me a little water from your vessel, and she says,
43
Here I am at the well. When a young woman comes out to get water, I will ask her to give me a drink of water from her jar.
44 Take a drink, and I will get water for your camels; let her be the woman marked out by the Lord for my master's son.
44
If she agrees and also offers to bring water for my camels, may she be the one that you have chosen as the wife for my master's son.'
45 And even while I was saying this to myself, Rebekah came out with her vessel on her arm; and she went down to the spring to get water; and I said to her, Give me a drink.
45
Before I had finished my silent prayer, Rebecca came with a water jar on her shoulder and went down to the well to get water. I said to her, "Please give me a drink.'
46 And straight away she took down her vessel from her arm, and said, Take a drink, and I will get water for your camels.
46
She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, "Drink, and I will also water your camels.' So I drank, and she watered the camels.
47 And questioning her, I said, Whose daughter are you? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor, and Milcah his wife. Then I put the ring on her nose and the ornaments on her hands.
47
I asked her, "Who is your father?' And she answered, "My father is Bethuel son of Nahor and Milcah.' Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms.
48 And with bent head I gave worship and praise to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, by whom I had been guided in the right way, to get the daughter of my master's brother for his son.
48
I knelt down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me straight to my master's relative, where I found his daughter for my master's son.
49 And now, say if you will do what is good and right for my master or not, in order that it may be clear to me what I have to do.
49
Now, if you intend to fulfill your responsibility toward my master and treat him fairly, please tell me; if not, say so, and I will decide what to do."
50 Then Laban and Bethuel said in answer, This is the Lord's doing: it is not for us to say Yes or No to you.
50
Laban and Bethuel answered, "Since this matter comes from the Lord, it is not for us to make a decision.
51 See, here is Rebekah: take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the Lord has said.
51
Here is Rebecca; take her and go. Let her become the wife of your master's son, as the Lord himself has said."
52 And at these words, Abraham's servant went down on his face and gave praise to the Lord.
52
When the servant of Abraham heard this, he bowed down and worshiped the Lord.
53 Then he took jewels of silver and jewels of gold and fair robes and gave them to Rebekah: and he gave things of value to her mother and her brother.
53
Then he brought out clothing and silver and gold jewelry, and gave them to Rebecca. He also gave expensive gifts to her brother and to her mother.
54 Then he and the men who were with him had food and drink, and took their rest there that night; and in the morning he got up, and said, Let me now go back to my master.
54
Then Abraham's servant and the men with him ate and drank, and spent the night there. When they got up in the morning, he said, "Let me go back to my master."
55 But her brother and her mother said, Let the girl be with us a week or ten days, and then she may go.
55
But Rebecca's brother and her mother said, "Let her stay with us a week or ten days, and then she may go."
56 And he said, Do not keep me; the Lord has given a good outcome to my journey; let me now go back to my master.
56
But he said, "Don't make us stay. The Lord has made my journey a success; let me go back to my master."
57 And they said, We will send for the girl, and let her make the decision.
57
They answered, "Let's call her and find out what she has to say."
58 And they sent for Rebekah and said to her, Are you ready to go with this man? And she said, I am ready.
58
So they called Rebecca and asked, "Do you want to go with this man?" "Yes," she answered.
59 So they sent their sister Rebekah and her servant with Abraham's servant and his men.
59
So they let Rebecca and her old family servant go with Abraham's servant and his men.
60 And they gave Rebekah their blessing, saying, O sister, may you be the mother of thousands and ten thousands; and may your seed overcome all those who make war against them.
60
And they gave Rebecca their blessing in these words: "May you, sister, become the mother of millions! May your descendants conquer the cities of their enemies!"
61 So Rebekah and her servant-women went with the man, seated on the camels; and so the servant took Rebekah and went on his way.
61
Then Rebecca and her young women got ready and mounted the camels to go with Abraham's servant, and they all started out.
62 Now Isaac had come through the waste land to Beer-lahai-roi; for he was living in the South.
62
Isaac had come into the wilderness of "The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me" and was staying in the southern part of Canaan.
63 And when the evening was near, he went wandering out into the fields, and lifting up his eyes he saw camels coming.
63
He went out in the early evening to take a walk in the fields and saw camels coming.
64 And when Rebekah, looking up, saw Isaac, she got down from her camel,
64
When Rebecca saw Isaac, she got down from her camel
65 And said to the servant, Who is that man coming to us through the field? And the servant said, It is my master: then she took her veil, covering her face with it.
65
and asked Abraham's servant, "Who is that man walking toward us in the field?" "He is my master," the servant answered. So she took her scarf and covered her face.
66 Then the servant gave Isaac the story of all he had done.
66
The servant told Isaac everything he had done.
67 And Isaac took Rebekah into his tent and she became his wife; and in his love for her, Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
67
Then Isaac brought Rebecca into the tent that his mother Sarah had lived in, and she became his wife. Isaac loved Rebecca, and so he was comforted for the loss of his mother.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.