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And Abraham said unto him: "Beware then that thou bring not my son thither again. The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which 20 spake unto me, and sware unto me, saying, 'Unto thy seed will I give this land,' he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence. And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear 25 from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again." And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.

And the servant took ten camels of the camels 30 of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. And he made his camels kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the 35 time that women go out to draw water. And he said: "O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day and show kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of 40 the city come out to draw water: and let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, 'Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink'; and she shall say, 'Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also'; let the same be she that thou hast

appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I 45 know that thou hast showed kindness unto my master."

And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah1 came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abra-50 ham's brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder. And the damsel was very fair to look upon, and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her, and said, "Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy 55 pitcher."

And she said, "Drink, my lord"; and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. And when she had done giving him drink, she said, "I will draw water for thy camels 60 also, until they have done drinking." And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit 2 whether the Lord had made 65 his journey prosperous or not.

And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel3 weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; and said, "Whose daughter 70

1 See note on "The Rill from the Town Pump," page 182.

2 To wit, to find out.

* Shekel of gold, about one quarter ounce troy.

art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in?"

And she said unto him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor." 75 She said moreover unto him, "We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.”

And the man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord. And he said, "Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute 80 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." And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother's house these things.

And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was 85 Laban; and Laban ran out to the man, unto the well. And it came to pass, when he saw the earring, and the bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, "Thus spoke the man unto me," that he came unto the man; 90 and, behold, he stood by the camels at the well. And he said, "Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels."

And the man came unto the house; and he un95 girded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men's feet that were with him. And there was set meat before him to eat: but he said, "I will not eat, until I have told mine errand."

And he said, "Speak on."

100

And the

And he said: "I am Abraham's servant. Lord hath blessed my master greatly, and he is become great; and He hath given him flocks and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses. And Sarah 105 my master's wife bare a son to my master when she was old; and unto him hath he given all he hath. And my master made me swear, saying, 'Thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell: but thou shalt 110 go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son.' And I said unto my master, 'Peradventure the woman will not follow me.' And he said unto me, 'The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper 115 thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house; then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.'

120

“And I came this day unto the well, and said, ‘O Lord God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go: behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say 125 unto her, "Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink," and she say unto me, "Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels": let the

same be the woman whom the Lord hath appointed 130 for my master's son.' And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, ‘Let me drink, I pray thee.' And she made 135 haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also': so I drank, and she made the camels drink also. And I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter art thou?' And she said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, 140 Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him'; and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands. And I bowed down my head and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham which had led me into the right 145 way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his And now, if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left."

son.

Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said: 150 "The thing proceedeth from the Lord: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good. Behold, Rebekah is before thee; take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the Lord hath spoken. And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant 155 heard their words, he worshiped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth. And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment,

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