Genesis 24 in the early church

By now Abraham was old and well along in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.

So Abraham instructed the chief servant of his household, who managed all he owned, “Place your hand under my thigh,

and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am dwelling,

but will go to my country and my kindred to take a wife for my son Isaac.”

The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to follow me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the land from which you came?”

The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me from my father’s house and my native land, who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land’—He will send His angel before you so that you can take a wife for my son from there.

Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed with all manner of good things from his master in hand. And he set out for Nahor’s hometown in Aram-naharaim.

“O LORD, God of my master Abraham,” he prayed, “please grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.

Here I am, standing beside the spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.

Now may it happen that the girl to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who responds, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels as well’—let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. By this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”

Before the servant had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor.

Now the girl was very beautiful, a virgin who had not had relations with any man. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up again.

So the servant ran to meet her and said, “Please let me have a little water from your jar.”

“Drink, my lord,” she replied, and she quickly lowered her jar to her hands and gave him a drink.

After she had given him a drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels, until they have had enough to drink.”

And she quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran back to the well to draw water, until she had drawn water for all his camels.

Meanwhile, the man watched her silently to see whether or not the LORD had made his journey a success.

And after the camels had finished drinking, he took out a gold ring weighing a beka, and two gold bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels.

“Whose daughter are you?” he asked. “Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”

She replied, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milcah bore to Nahor.”

Then she added, “We have plenty of straw and feed, as well as a place for you to spend the night.”

So the man came to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and feed were brought to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of his companions.

Then a meal was set before the man, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I came to say.” So Laban said, “Please speak.”

“I am Abraham’s servant,” he replied.

“The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become rich. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, camels and donkeys.

My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and my master has given him everything he owns.

My master made me swear an oath and said, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I dwell,

but you shall go to my father’s house and to my kindred to take a wife for my son.’

So when I came to the spring today, I prayed: O LORD, God of my master Abraham, if only You would make my journey a success!

Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the LORD; we have no choice in the matter.

Rebekah is here before you. Take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, just as the LORD has decreed.”

But her brother and mother said, “Let the girl remain with us ten days or so. After that, she may go.”

They called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?” “I will go,” she replied.

Then Rebekah and her servant girls got ready, mounted the camels, and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

Now Isaac had just returned from Beer-lahai-roi, for he was living in the Negev.

Early in the evening, Isaac went out to the field to meditate, and looking up, he saw the camels approaching.

And when Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she got down from her camel

and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?” “It is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.

And Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah and took Rebekah as his wife. And Isaac loved her and was comforted after his mother’s death.