Genesis 24:1-16

Abraham was now very old, and the LORD had blessed him in every way. Abraham said to his oldest servant, who was in charge of everything he owned, “Put your hand under my leg. Make a promise to me before the LORD, the God of heaven and earth. Don’t get a wife for my son from the Canaanite girls who live around here. Instead, go back to my country, to the land of my relatives, and get a wife for my son Isaac.” The servant said to him, “What if this woman does not want to return with me to this land? Then, should I take your son with me back to your homeland?” Abraham said to him, “No! Don’t take my son back there. The LORD, the God of heaven, brought me from the home of my father and the land of my relatives. And he promised me, “I will give this land to your descendants.’ The LORD will send his angel before you to help you get a wife for my son there. If the girl won’t come back with you, you will be free from this promise. But you must not take my son back there.” So the servant put his hand under his master’s leg and made a promise to Abraham about this. The servant took ten of Abraham’s camels and left, carrying with him many different kinds of beautiful gifts. He went to Northwest Mesopotamia to Nahor’s city. In the evening, when the women come out to get water, he made the camels kneel down at the well outside the city. The servant said, “LORD, God of my master Abraham, allow me to find a wife for his son today. Please show this kindness to my master Abraham. Here I am, standing by the spring, and the girls from the city are coming out to get water. I will say to one of them, ‘Please put your jar down so I can drink.’ Then let her say, ‘Drink, and I will also give water to your camels.’ If that happens, I will know she is the right one for your servant Isaac and that you have shown kindness to my master.” Before the servant had finished praying, Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, came out of the city. (Bethuel was the son of Milcah and Nahor, Abraham’s brother.) Rebekah was carrying her water jar on her shoulder. She was very pretty, a virgin; she had never had sexual relations with a man. She went down to the spring and filled her jar, then came back up.