New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.
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Now Abraham was old and far on in years: and the Lord had given him everything in full measure.
2 Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his house, who had charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh
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And Abraham said to his chief servant, the manager of all his property, Come now, put your hand under my leg:
3 and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live,
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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;
4 but will go to my country and to my kindred and get a wife for my son Isaac."
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But that you will go into my country and to my relations and get a wife there for my son Isaac.
5 The servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land; must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?"
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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?
6 Abraham said to him, "See to it that you do not take my son back there.
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And Abraham said, Take care that you do not let my son go back to that land.
7 The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and swore to me, "To your offspring I will give this land,' he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.
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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.
8 But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there."
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And if the woman will not come with you, then you are free from this oath; only do not take my son back there.
9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.
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And the servant put his hand under Abraham's leg, and gave him his oath about this thing.
10 Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, taking all kinds of choice gifts from his master; and he set out and went to Aram-naharaim, to the city of Nahor.
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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.
11 He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water; it was toward evening, the time when women go out to draw water.
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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.
12 And he said, "O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham.
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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.
13 I am standing here by the spring of water, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.
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See, I am waiting here by the water-spring; and the daughters of the town are coming out to get water:
14 Let the girl to whom I shall say, "Please offer your jar that I may drink,' and who shall say, "Drink, and I will water your camels'—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master."
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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.
15 Before he had finished speaking, there was Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, coming out with her water jar on her shoulder.
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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.
16 The girl was very fair to look upon, a virgin, whom no man had known. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up.
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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.
17 Then the servant ran to meet her and said, "Please let me sip a little water from your jar."
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And the servant came running to her and said, Give me a little water from your vessel.
18 "Drink, my lord," she said, and quickly lowered her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink.
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And she said, Take a drink, my lord: and quickly letting down her vessel onto her hand, she gave him a drink.
19 When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, "I will draw for your camels also, until they have finished drinking."
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And having done so, she said, I will get water for your camels till they have had enough.
20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels.
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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.
21 The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful.
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And the man, looking at her, said nothing, waiting to see if the Lord had given his journey a good outcome.
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold nose-ring weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels,
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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;
23 and said, "Tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?"
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And said to her, Whose daughter are you? is there room in your father's house for us?
24 She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor."
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And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, Nahor's wife.
25 She added, "We have plenty of straw and fodder and a place to spend the night."
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And she said, We have a great store of dry grass and cattle-food, and there is room for you.
26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord
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And with bent head the man gave worship to the Lord;
27 and said, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the way to the house of my master's kin."
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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.
28 Then the girl ran and told her mother's household about these things.
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So the girl went running and took the news of these things to her mother's house
29 Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban; and Laban ran out to the man, to the spring.
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Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he came out quickly to the man at the water-spring.
30 As soon as he had seen the nose-ring, and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, "Thus the man spoke to me," he went to the man; and there he was, standing by the camels at the spring.
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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.
31 He said, "Come in, O blessed of the Lord. Why do you stand outside when I have prepared the house and a place for the camels?"
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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.
32 So the man came into the house; and Laban unloaded the camels, and gave him straw and fodder for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.
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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.
33 Then food was set before him to eat; but he said, "I will not eat until I have told my errand." He said, "Speak on."
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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.
34 So he said, "I am Abraham's servant.
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And he said, I am Abraham's servant.
35 The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become wealthy; he has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and donkeys.
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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.
36 And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and he has given him all that he has.
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And when Sarah, my master's wife, was old, she gave birth to a son, to whom he has given all he has.
37 My master made me swear, saying, "You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live;
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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;
38 but you shall go to my father's house, to my kindred, and get a wife for my son.'
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But go to my father's house and to my relations for a wife for my son.
39 I said to my master, "Perhaps the woman will not follow me.'
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And I said to my master, What if the woman will not come with me?
40 But he said to me, "The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you and make your way successful. You shall get a wife for my son from my kindred, from my father's house.
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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;
41 Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my kindred; even if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.'
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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.
42 "I came today to the spring, and said, "O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now you will only make successful the way I am going!
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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,
43 I am standing here by the spring of water; let the young woman who comes out to draw, to whom I shall say, "Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,"
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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,
44 and who will say to me, "Drink, and I will draw for your camels also"—let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master's son.'
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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.
45 "Before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah coming out with her water jar on her shoulder; and she went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, "Please let me drink.'
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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.
46 She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder, and said, "Drink, and I will also water your camels.' So I drank, and she also watered the camels.
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And straight away she took down her vessel from her arm, and said, Take a drink, and I will get water for your camels.
47 Then I asked her, "Whose daughter are you?' She said, "The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her arms.
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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.
48 Then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to obtain the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son.
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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.
49 Now then, if you will deal loyally and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so that I may turn either to the right hand or to the left."
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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.
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered, "The thing comes from the Lord; we cannot speak to you anything bad or good.
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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.
51 Look, Rebekah is before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, as the Lord has spoken."
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See, here is Rebekah: take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as the Lord has said.
52 When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the ground before the Lord.
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And at these words, Abraham's servant went down on his face and gave praise to the Lord.
53 And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments.
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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.
54 Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank, and they spent the night there. When they rose in the morning, he said, "Send me back to my master."
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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.
55 Her brother and her mother said, "Let the girl remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go."
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But her brother and her mother said, Let the girl be with us a week or ten days, and then she may go.
56 But he said to them, "Do not delay me, since the Lord has made my journey successful; let me go that I may go to my master."
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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.
57 They said, "We will call the girl, and ask her."
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And they said, We will send for the girl, and let her make the decision.
58 And they called Rebekah, and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will."
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And they sent for Rebekah and said to her, Are you ready to go with this man? And she said, I am ready.
59 So they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse along with Abraham's servant and his men.
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So they sent their sister Rebekah and her servant with Abraham's servant and his men.
60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, "May you, our sister, become thousands of myriads; may your offspring gain possession of the gates of their foes."
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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.
61 Then Rebekah and her maids rose up, mounted the camels, and followed the man; thus the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
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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.
62 Now Isaac had come from Beer-lahai-roi, and was settled in the Negeb.
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Now Isaac had come through the waste land to Beer-lahai-roi; for he was living in the South.
63 Isaac went out in the evening to walk in the field; and looking up, he saw camels coming.
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And when the evening was near, he went wandering out into the fields, and lifting up his eyes he saw camels coming.
64 And Rebekah looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she slipped quickly from the camel,
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And when Rebekah, looking up, saw Isaac, she got down from her camel,
65 and said to the servant, "Who is the man over there, walking in the field to meet us?" The servant said, "It is my master." So she took her veil and covered herself.
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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.
66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
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Then the servant gave Isaac the story of all he had done.
67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent. He took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
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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.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.