Parallel Bible results for "genesis 24"

Genesis 24

Common English Bible CEB

1 As the days went by and Abraham became older, the LORD blessed Abraham in every way.

2 Abraham said to the oldest servant of his household, who was in charge of everything he owned, "Put your hand under my thigh.

3 By the LORD, God of heaven and earth, give me your word that you won't choose a wife for my son from the Canaanite women among whom I live.

4 Go to my land and my family and find a wife for my son Isaac there."

5 The servant said to him, "What if the woman doesn't agree to come back with me to this land? Shouldn't I take your son back to the land you left?"

6 Abraham said to him, "Be sure you don't take my son back there.

7 The LORD, God of heaven—who took me from my father's household and from my family's land, who spoke with me and who gave me his word, saying, ‘I will give this land to your descendants'—he will send his messenger in front of you, and you will find a wife for my son there.

8 If the woman won't agree to come back with you, you will be free from this obligation to me. Only don't take my son back there."

9 So the servant put his hand under his master Abraham's thigh and gave him his word about this mission.

10 The servant took ten of his master's camels and all of his master's best provisions, set out, and traveled to Nahor's city in Aram-naharaim.

11 He had the camels kneel down outside the city at the well in the evening, when women come out to draw water.

12 He said, "LORD, God of my master Abraham, make something good happen for me today and be loyal to my master Abraham.

13 I will stand here by the spring while the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water.

14 When I say to a young woman, ‘Hand me your water jar so I can drink,' and she says to me, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels water too,' may she be the one you've selected for your servant Isaac. In this way I will know that you've been loyal to my master."

15 Even before he finished speaking, Rebekah—daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother—was coming out with a water jar on her shoulder.

16 The young woman was very beautiful, old enough to be married, and hadn't known a man intimately. She went down to the spring, filled her water jar, and came back up.

17 The servant ran to meet her and said, "Give me a little sip of water from your jar."

18 She said, "Drink, sir." Then she quickly lowered the water jar with her hands and gave him some water to drink.

19 When she finished giving him a drink, she said, "I'll draw some water for your camels too, till they've had enough to drink."

20 She emptied her water jar quickly into the watering trough, ran to the well again to draw water, and drew water for all of the camels.

21 The man stood gazing at her, wondering silently if the LORD had made his trip successful or not.

22 As soon as the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold ring, weighing a half shekel, and two gold bracelets for her arms, weighing ten shekels.

23 He said, "Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?"

24 She responded, "I'm the daughter of Bethuel, who is the son of Milcah and Nahor."

25 She continued, "We have plenty of straw and feed for the camels, and a place to spend the night."

26 The man bowed down and praised the LORD:

27 "Bless the LORD, God of my master Abraham, who hasn't given up his loyalty and his faithfulness to my master. The LORD has shown me the way to the household of my master's brother."

28 The young woman ran and told her mother's household everything that had happened.

29 Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and Laban ran to the man outside by the spring.

30 When he had seen the ring and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and when he had heard his sister Rebekah say, "This is what the man said to me," he went to the man, who was still standing by the spring with his camels.

31 Laban said, "Come in, favored one of the LORD! Why are you standing outside? I've prepared the house and a place for the camels."

32 So the man entered the house. Then Laban unbridled the camels, provided straw and feed for them and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men with him,

33 and set out a meal for him. But the man said, "I won't eat until I've said something." Laban replied, "Say it."

34 The man said, "I am Abraham's servant."

35 The LORD has richly blessed my master, has made him a great man, and has given him flocks, cattle, silver, gold, men servants, women servants, camels, and donkeys.

36 My master's wife Sarah gave birth to a son for my master in her old age, and he's given him everything he owns.

37 My master made me give him my word: ‘Don't choose a wife for my son from the Canaanite women, in whose land I'm living.

38 No, instead, go to my father's household and to my relatives and choose a wife for my son.'

39 I said to my master, ‘What if the woman won't come back with me?'

40 He said to me, ‘The LORD, whom I've traveled with everywhere, will send his messenger with you and make your trip successful; and you will choose a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father's household.

41 If you go to my relatives, you will be free from your obligation to me. Even if they provide no one for you, you will be free from your obligation to me.'

42 "Today I arrived at the spring, and I said, ‘LORD, God of my master Abraham, if you wish to make the trip I'm taking successful,

43 when I'm standing by the spring and the young woman who comes out to draw water and to whom I say, 'Please give me a little drink of water from your jar,'

44 and she responds to me, 'Drink, and I will draw water for your camels too,' may she be the woman the LORD has selected for my master's son.'

45 Before I finished saying this to myself, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder and went down to the spring to draw water. And I said to her, ‘Please give me something to drink.'

46 She immediately lowered her water jar and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels something to drink too.' So I drank and she also gave water to the camels.

47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?' And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son whom Milcah bore him.' I put a ring in her nose and bracelets on her arms.

48 I bowed and worshipped the LORD and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who led me in the right direction to choose the granddaughter of my master's brother for his son.

49 Now if you're loyal and faithful to my master, tell me. If not, tell me so I will know where I stand either way."

50 Laban and Bethuel both responded, "This is all the LORD's doing. We have nothing to say about it.

51 Here is Rebekah, right in front of you. Take her and go. She will be the wife of your master's son, just as the LORD said."

52 When Abraham's servant heard what they said, he bowed low before the LORD.

53 The servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. To her brother and to her mother he gave the finest gifts.

54 He and the men with him ate and drank and spent the night. When they got up in the morning, the servant said, "See me off to my master."

55 Her brother and mother said, "Let the young woman stay with us not more than ten days, and after that she may go."

56 But he said to them, "Don't delay me. The LORD has made my trip successful. See me off so that I can go to my master."

57 They said, "Summon the young woman, and let's ask her opinion."

58 They called Rebekah and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will go."

59 So they sent off their sister Rebekah, her nurse, Abraham's servant, and his men.

60 And they blessed Rebekah, saying to her, "May you, our sister, become thousands of ten thousand; may your children possess their enemies' cities."

61 Rebekah and her young women got up, mounted the camels, and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

62 Now Isaac had come from the region of Beer-lahai-roi and had settled in the arid southern plain.

63 One evening, Isaac went out to inspect the pasture, and while staring he saw camels approaching.

64 Rebekah stared at Isaac. She got down from the camel

65 and said to the servant, "Who is this man walking through the pasture to meet us?" The servant said, "He's my master." So she took her headscarf and covered herself.

66 The servant told Isaac everything that had happened.

67 Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah's tent. He received Rebekah as his wife and loved her. So Isaac found comfort after his mother's death.

The Message Bible MSG

1 Abraham was now an old man. God had blessed Abraham in every way.

2 Abraham spoke to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of everything he had, "Put your hand under my thigh

3 and swear by God - God of Heaven, God of Earth - that you will not get a wife for my son from among the young women of the Canaanites here,

4 but will go to the land of my birth and get a wife for my son Isaac."

5 The servant answered, "But what if the woman refuses to leave home and come with me? Do I then take your son back to your home country?"

6 Abraham said, "Oh no. Never. By no means are you to take my son back there.

7 God, the God of Heaven, took me from the home of my father and from the country of my birth and spoke to me in solemn promise, 'I'm giving this land to your descendants.' This God will send his angel ahead of you to get a wife for my son.

8 And if the woman won't come, you are free from this oath you've sworn to me. But under no circumstances are you to take my son back there."

9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and gave his solemn oath.

10 The servant took ten of his master's camels and, loaded with gifts from his master, traveled to Aram Naharaim and the city of Nahor.

11 Outside the city, he made the camels kneel at a well. It was evening, the time when the women came to draw water.

12 He prayed, "O God, God of my master Abraham, make things go smoothly this day; treat my master Abraham well!

13 As I stand here by the spring while the young women of the town come out to get water,

14 let the girl to whom I say, 'Lower your jug and give me a drink,' and who answers, 'Drink, and let me also water your camels' - let her be the woman you have picked out for your servant Isaac. Then I'll know that you're working graciously behind the scenes for my master."

15 It so happened that the words were barely out of his mouth when Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel whose mother was Milcah the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with a water jug on her shoulder.

16 The girl was stunningly beautiful, a pure virgin. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came back up.

17 The servant ran to meet her and said, "Please, can I have a sip of water from your jug?"

18 She said, "Certainly, drink!" And she held the jug so that he could drink.

19 When he had satisfied his thirst she said, "I'll get water for your camels, too, until they've drunk their fill."

20 She promptly emptied her jug into the trough and ran back to the well to fill it, and she kept at it until she had watered all the camels.

21 The man watched, silent. Was this God's answer? Had God made his trip a success or not?

22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man brought out gifts, a gold nose ring weighing a little over a quarter of an ounce and two arm bracelets weighing about four ounces, and gave them to her.

23 He asked her, "Tell me about your family? Whose daughter are you? Is there room in your father's house for us to stay the night?"

24 She said, "I'm the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah and Nahor.

25 And there's plenty of room in our house for you to stay - and lots of straw and feed besides."

26 At this the man bowed in worship before God

27 and prayed, "Blessed be God, God of my master Abraham: How generous and true you've been to my master; you've held nothing back. You led me right to the door of my master's brother!"

28 And the girl was off and running, telling everyone in her mother's house what had happened.

29 Rebekah had a brother named Laban. Laban ran outside to the man at the spring.

30 He had seen the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister and had heard her say, "The man said this and this and this to me." So he went to the man and there he was, still standing with his camels at the spring.

31 Laban welcomed him: "Come on in, blessed of God! Why are you standing out here? I've got the house ready for you; and there's also a place for your camels."

32 So the man went into the house. The camels were unloaded and given straw and feed. Water was brought to bathe the feet of the man and the men with him.

33 Then Laban brought out food. But the man said, "I won't eat until I tell my story." Laban said, "Go ahead; tell us."

34 The servant said, "I'm the servant of Abraham.

35 God has blessed my master - he's a great man; God has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, servants and maidservants, camels and donkeys.

36 And then to top it off, Sarah, my master's wife, gave him a son in her old age and he has passed everything on to his son.

37 My master made me promise, 'Don't get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I live.

38 No, go to my father's home, back to my family, and get a wife for my son there.'

39 I said to my master, 'But what if the woman won't come with me?'

40 He said, 'God before whom I've walked faithfully will send his angel with you and he'll make things work out so that you'll bring back a wife for my son from my family, from the house of my father.

41 Then you'll be free from the oath. If you go to my family and they won't give her to you, you will also be free from the oath.'

42 "Well, when I came this very day to the spring, I prayed, 'God, God of my master Abraham, make things turn out well in this task I've been given.

43 I'm standing at this well. When a young woman comes here to draw water and I say to her, Please, give me a sip of water from your jug,

44 and she says, Not only will I give you a drink, I'll also water your camels - let that woman be the wife God has picked out for my master's son.'

45 "I had barely finished offering this prayer, when Rebekah arrived, her jug on her shoulder. She went to the spring and drew water and I said, 'Please, can I have a drink?'

46 She didn't hesitate. She held out her jug and said, 'Drink; and when you're finished I'll also water your camels.' I drank, and she watered the camels.

47 I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel whose parents were Nahor and Milcah.' I gave her a ring for her nose, bracelets for her arms,

48 and bowed in worship to God. I praised God, the God of my master Abraham who had led me straight to the door of my master's family to get a wife for his son.

49 "Now, tell me what you are going to do. If you plan to respond with a generous yes, tell me. But if not, tell me plainly so I can figure out what to do next."

50 Laban and Bethuel answered, "This is totally from God. We have no say in the matter, either yes or no.

51 Rebekah is yours: Take her and go; let her be the wife of your master's son, as God has made plain."

52 When Abraham's servant heard their decision, he bowed in worship before God.

53 Then he brought out gifts of silver and gold and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive gifts to her brother and mother.

54 He and his men had supper and spent the night. But first thing in the morning they were up. He said, "Send me back to my master."

55 Her brother and mother said, "Let the girl stay a while, say another ten days, and then go."

56 He said, "Oh, don't make me wait! God has worked everything out so well - send me off to my master."

57 They said, "We'll call the girl; we'll ask her."

58 They called Rebekah and asked her, "Do you want to go with this man?" She said, "I'm ready to go."

59 So they sent them off, their sister Rebekah with her nurse, and Abraham's servant with his men.

60 And they blessed Rebekah saying, You're our sister - live bountifully! And your children, triumphantly!

61 Rebekah and her young maids mounted the camels and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah and set off for home.

62 Isaac was living in the Negev. He had just come back from a visit to Beer Lahai Roi.

63 In the evening he went out into the field; while meditating he looked up and saw camels coming.

64 When Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she got down from her camel

65 and asked the servant, "Who is that man out in the field coming toward us?" "That is my master." She took her veil and covered herself.

66 After the servant told Isaac the whole story of the trip,

67 Isaac took Rebekah into the tent of his mother Sarah. He married Rebekah and she became his wife and he loved her. So Isaac found comfort after his mother's death.