Genesis 24:1-16

Now, YAHWEH had wonderfully blessed Abraham in every way, and he became a very old man, well advanced in years. One day, Abraham called for his trusted head servant, who was in charge of all that he had, and said “Please, put your hand here under my thigh, and I will make you swear by YAHWEH, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not acquire a wife for my son among the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am living. Promise me you will go instead to my relatives in my native land and find a wife among them for my son Isaac.” The servant asked him, “Suppose the woman is not willing to come back with me to this land. Should I then take your son back to your native land?” “Absolutely not,” Abraham answered, “make sure that you do not take my son back there. For YAHWEH, the God of heaven, took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth. He spoke to me and solemnly promised that he would give this land to my descendants. I know he will send his angel before you so that you can find a wife for my son from there. And if for any reason the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you are released from this oath that you swear to me. But no matter what, do not take my son back there!” So, the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to carry out his wishes. So the servant took ten of his master’s camels, loaded them with all sorts of gifts, some of the best things his master owned, and journeyed toward the distant land of Mesopotamia until he got to the village where Abraham’s brother Nahor had lived. He had his camels kneel by a well outside the village. It was evening, the time when the women came out to draw water. He prayed: “YAHWEH, God of my master Abraham, let my journey here be a success and show your gracious love to my master Abraham. I am standing here by this well, and the young women of the village are coming out to draw water. Give me a sign. I will say to one of the girls, ‘Please, lower your jar and give me a drink.’ And if she is the right one, the girl whom you have chosen to be a wife for your servant Isaac, then let her say to me, ‘Drink, and I will also draw water for your camels.’ By this sign I will know that you have shown your gracious love to my master.” Suddenly, before he had finished praying, there was Rebekah approaching the well with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel and the granddaughter of Milcah and Abraham’s brother Nahor. The young woman was strikingly beautiful, unmarried, and still a virgin. She walked down to the well, filled her jar, and came back up.