Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

Abraham was old and well advanced in age, and the Lord had blessed him in all things. Abraham said to his eldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh and make me swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from among the daughters of the Canaanites, with whom I reside.

I want you to go to my country and to my relatives and take a wife for my son Isaac. The servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land; must I then bring your son back to the place from which you came?" Abraham said to him, "Beware that you do not bring my son there again.

The Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my ancestors, spoke to me and swore an oath, saying, "I will give this land to your offspring; he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. If the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from my oath; only do not bring my son back there.

The servant placed his hand under Abraham's thigh and swore an oath to him concerning that matter. The servant took ten camels of his master's camels and departed, carrying all the goods of his master in his hand, to go to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.

He made his camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time when women went out to draw water. And he said, "O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray you, send me good speed today and show kindness to my master Abraham." Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water.

And let it come to pass that when I say to the young woman, "Please give me a drink from your pitcher," she will reply, "Drink, and I will also give your camels water." And it came to pass, before he had finished speaking, that Rebekah emerged, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, Nahor's wife and Abraham's brother, carrying her pitcher on her shoulder.

She was a maiden of great beauty, untouched by any man, who went down to the well and filled her pitcher before returning. The servant ran to meet her and said, "Let me drink a little water from your pitcher." And she said, "Drink, my lord," and with haste she lowered her pitcher onto her hand to give him drink.

When she had finished giving him water, she said, "I will also draw water for your camels until they have finished drinking." And she hastened to empty her pitcher into the trough and then ran back to the well to draw water for all his camels. The man was silent, wondering whether the Lord had made his journey successful.

As the camels had finished drinking, the man took a golden earring weighing half a shekel and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels for her hands. And he said, "Whose daughter are you? Tell me, I pray you; is there room in your father's house for us to lodge in?" She said, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.

She said to him, "We have both straw and fodder enough, and room to lodge in." The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord. Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who has not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren.

The damsel ran and told them of her mother's house these things. Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban; he ran out to the man at the well. When he saw the earring and bracelets on his sister's hands, and heard Rebekah's words saying that was what the man had spoken to her, he came to the man who stood by the camels at the well.

Come in, you who are blessed by the Lord; why do you stand outside? I have prepared the house and space for the camels. The man entered the house, removed his camels' loads, and provided them with straw and feed, water to wash their feet, and refreshment for himself and his companions.

And there was food set before him to eat, but he said, "I will not eat until I have told my message." And he said, "Speak on." And he said, "I am Abraham's servant. The Lord has greatly blessed my master, making him wealthy in flocks and herds, and giving him silver and gold, men and women servants, camels, and donkeys.

And Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master when she was old, and he has given him all that he possesses. And my master made me swear, saying, "You must not take a wife for my son from among the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I reside.

You shall go to my father's house and take a wife from among my relatives for my son." I said to my master, "Perhaps the woman will not follow me." The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you and prosper your way; you will take a wife for my son from among my relatives and from my father's household.

Then you will be acquitted of my oath when you come to my relatives, and if they do not give you one, you will be acquitted of my oath. And I came to the well today and said, "O Lord God of my master Abraham, if you now prosper my way as I go.

I stand by the well of water, and it will happen that when the young woman comes out to draw water, I will say to her, "Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink." And she said to me, "Both of us will drink, and I will also draw water for your camels; let it be the one whom the Lord has appointed out for my master's son.

And before I had finished speaking, Rebekah came out with her pitcher on her shoulder and went down to the well, where she drew water; then I said to her, "Let me drink, please." And she quickly lowered her pitcher from her shoulder and said, "Drink, I will also give your camels water to drink.

And I asked her, "Whose daughter are you?" and she said, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him," and I put the earring on her face and the bracelets on her hands. And I bowed down my head, worshiping the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, who had guided me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son.

And now, if you will deal kindly and honestly with my master, tell me; but if not, let me know that I may turn to the right or to the left." Laban and Bethuel answered, saying, "The decision comes from the Lord; we cannot speak either good or evil to you.

Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, that she may be your master's son's wife, as the Lord has spoken. When Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground in worship before the Lord.

The servant brought forth jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and fine clothing, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and mother. They ate and drank, stayed all night, rose early in the morning, and he said, "Send me back to my master."

Her brother and her mother said, "Let the young woman stay with us for a few days, at least ten; after that she shall go." And he said to them, "Do not hinder me, since the Lord has prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.

They said, "We will call the young woman and ask her about it." They called Rebekah and asked her, "Will you go with this man?" She replied, "I will go." And they sent away Rebekah their sister, along with her nurse and Abraham's servant and his men.

They blessed Rebekah, saying, "You are our sister; may you be the mother of thousands of millions, and let your descendants possess the gates of those who hate them." Rebekah and her attendants got up and rode on the camels, following the servant who took Rebekah with him.

Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi, for he dwelt in the south country. Isaac went out to meditate in the field at eventide, lifted up his eyes and saw the camels coming. Rebekah lifted her eyes and saw Isaac, then she dismounted from the camel.

She had said to the servant, "What man is this walking in the field to meet us?" The servant replied, "It is my master," and she took a veil and covered herself. The servant told Isaac all things that he had done.

Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah's tent, took her as his wife, and loved her. He was comforted.