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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>Genesis 24 NIV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/genesis/24.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/genesis/24-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NIV</a> > Genesis 24</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../genesis/23.htm" title="Genesis 23">◄</a> Genesis 24 <a href="../genesis/25.htm" title="Genesis 25">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New International Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/niv/esv/genesis/24.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><p class="sectionhead">Isaac and Rebekah</p><p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Abraham was now very old, and the <span class="name">Lord</span> had blessed him in every way. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>He said to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>I want you to swear by the <span class="name">Lord</span>, 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, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>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?”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>“Make sure that you do not take my son back there,” Abraham said. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>“The <span class="name">Lord</span>, 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 <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or seed">a</a></sup></span> I will give this land’—he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>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.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>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 <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="That is, Northwest Mesopotamia">b</a></sup></span> and made his way to the town of Nahor. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>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.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>Then he prayed, “<span class="name">Lord</span>, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>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.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>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. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>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.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>“Drink, my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have had enough to drink.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>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. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the <span class="name">Lord</span> had made his journey successful.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="That is, about 1/5 ounce or about 5.7 grams">c</a></sup></span> and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels. <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="That is, about 4 ounces or about 115 grams">d</a></sup></span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>Then he asked, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>She answered him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milkah bore to Nahor.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>And she added, “We have plenty of straw and fodder, as well as room for you to spend the night.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>Then the man bowed down and worshiped the <span class="name">Lord</span>, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>saying, “Praise be to the <span class="name">Lord</span>, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the <span class="name">Lord</span> has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>The young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he hurried out to the man at the spring. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-30.htm"><b>30</b></a></span>As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-31.htm"><b>31</b></a></span>“Come, you who are blessed by the <span class="name">Lord</span>,” he said. “Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-32.htm"><b>32</b></a></span>So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-33.htm"><b>33</b></a></span>Then food was set before him, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say.”</p><p class="reg">“Then tell us,” Laban said.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-34.htm"><b>34</b></a></span>So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-35.htm"><b>35</b></a></span>The <span class="name">Lord</span> has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-36.htm"><b>36</b></a></span>My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-37.htm"><b>37</b></a></span>And my master made me swear an oath, and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-38.htm"><b>38</b></a></span>but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-39.htm"><b>39</b></a></span>“Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-40.htm"><b>40</b></a></span>“He replied, ‘The <span class="name">Lord</span>, before whom I have walked faithfully, will send his angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-41.htm"><b>41</b></a></span>You will be released from my oath if, when you go to my clan, they refuse to give her to you—then you will be released from my oath.’</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-42.htm"><b>42</b></a></span>“When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘<span class="name">Lord</span>, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-43.htm"><b>43</b></a></span>See, I am standing beside this spring. If a young woman comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-44.htm"><b>44</b></a></span>and if she says to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too,” let her be the one the <span class="name">Lord</span> has chosen for my master’s son.’</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-45.htm"><b>45</b></a></span>“Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-46.htm"><b>46</b></a></span>“She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’ So I drank, and she watered the camels also.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-47.htm"><b>47</b></a></span>“I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’</p><p class="reg">“She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milkah bore to him.’</p><p class="reg">“Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms, <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-48.htm"><b>48</b></a></span>and I bowed down and worshiped the <span class="name">Lord</span>. I praised the <span class="name">Lord</span>, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-49.htm"><b>49</b></a></span>Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-50.htm"><b>50</b></a></span>Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the <span class="name">Lord</span>; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-51.htm"><b>51</b></a></span>Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the <span class="name">Lord</span> has directed.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-52.htm"><b>52</b></a></span>When Abraham’s servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the <span class="name">Lord</span>. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-53.htm"><b>53</b></a></span>Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-54.htm"><b>54</b></a></span>Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there.</p><p class="reg">When they got up the next morning, he said, “Send me on my way to my master.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-55.htm"><b>55</b></a></span>But her brother and her mother replied, “Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so; then you <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or she">e</a></sup></span> may go.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-56.htm"><b>56</b></a></span>But he said to them, “Do not detain me, now that the <span class="name">Lord</span> has granted success to my journey. Send me on my way so I may go to my master.”</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-57.htm"><b>57</b></a></span>Then they said, “Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-58.htm"><b>58</b></a></span>So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?”</p><p class="reg">“I will go,” she said.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-59.htm"><b>59</b></a></span>So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-60.htm"><b>60</b></a></span>And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,</p><div class="stanza"><p class="line1">“Our sister, may you increase</p><p class="line2">to thousands upon thousands;</p><p class="line1">may your offspring possess</p><p class="line2">the cities of their enemies.”</p></div> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-61.htm"><b>61</b></a></span>Then Rebekah and her attendants got ready and mounted the camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-62.htm"><b>62</b></a></span>Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-63.htm"><b>63</b></a></span>He went out to the field one evening to meditate, <span class="nivfootnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.">f</a></sup></span> and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-64.htm"><b>64</b></a></span>Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-65.htm"><b>65</b></a></span>and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”</p><p class="reg">“He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.</p> <p class="reg"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-66.htm"><b>66</b></a></span>Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/genesis/24-67.htm"><b>67</b></a></span>Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.</p><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><A name="footnotes"></a><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">a</span> <span class="fnverse">7</span> <span class="footnotebot">Or <i>seed</i></span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">b</span> <span class="fnverse">10</span> <span class="footnotebot">That is, Northwest Mesopotamia</span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">c</span> <span class="fnverse">22</span> <span class="footnotebot">That is, about 1/5 ounce or about 5.7 grams</span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">d</span> <span class="fnverse">22</span> <span class="footnotebot">That is, about 4 ounces or about 115 grams</span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">e</span> <span class="fnverse">55</span> <span class="footnotebot">Or <i>she</i></span><br><span class="nivfootnotesbot">f</span> <span class="fnverse">63</span> <span class="footnotebot">The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.</span><br><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center"><p class="ntext"><a href="http://niv.scripturetext.com/version.htm">New International Version</a> (NIV)</p><p class="ntext2">Holy Bible, New International Version&reg, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by <a href="http://biblica.com">Biblica, Inc.</a>® Used by permission. 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