Genesis 24
Abraham sweareth his servant.
Genesis 24:1 Abraham was old and stryken in dayes, & the Lorde had blessed him in all thynges. Genesis 24:2 And he sayd vnto his eldest seruaunte of hys house whyche had the rule ouer al that he had Put thy hand vnder my they Genesis 24:3 that I may make the swere by þe Lord that is God of heauen & God of þe erth, that þu shalt not take a wyfe vnto my sonne, of the daughters of the Canaanytes, among whych I dwel. Genesis 24:4 But shalt go vnto my contre and to my kynred, and there take a wyfe vnto my sonne Isaac. Genesis 24:5 Than sayd the seruaunte vnto him: what & yf the woman wyl not agree to come wyth me vnto thys lande, shal I brynge thy sonne agayn vnto the lande which thou camest out of? Genesis 24:6 And Abraham sayde vnto him: beware of that, that thou bryng not my sonne thyther.
Genesis 24:7 The Lorde God of heauen whyche toke me from my fathers house and from the lande where I was borne, & whych spake vnto me and sware vnto me sayinge: vnto thy seed wyl I geue thys lande, he shal sende hys angell before the that thou mayste take a wyfe vnto my sonne from thence. Genesis 24:8 Neuerthelesse yf the woman wyl not agree to come wyth the than shalt thou be with out daunger of thys ooth. But aboue all thinge brynge not my sonne thyther agayne. Genesis 24:9 And the seruaunt put his hand vnder the thye of Abraham & sware to hym as concernyng that matter.
The servant's journey.
Genesis 24:10 And the seruaunt toke .x. camels of the camels of his mayster & departed, & had of all maner goodes of his master with him, & stode vp & went to Mesopotamia, vnto the cytie of Nahor. Genesis 24:11 And made his camels to lye doune wythout the cytie by a wels syde of water, at euen: about the tyme þt women come out to drawe water,
His prayer.
Genesis 24:12 and he sayde. Lord God of my master Abraham, sende me good spede thys daye, and shewe mercye vnto my master Abraham. Genesis 24:13 Lo I stonde here by the well of water and the doughters of the men of thys cytie wyll come out to draw water:
His sign.
Genesis 24:14 Nowe the damsell to whome I saye, stoupe doune thy pytcher, and let me drinck. If she saye: Dryncke, and I wyll geue thy camels dryncke also, the same is she that thou hast ordened for thy seruaunte Isaac: yea and therby shall I knowe that thou hast shewed mercy on my master.
Rebekah meeteth him,
Genesis 24:15 And it came to passe yer he had left speakynge, that Rebecca cam out, the daughter of Bethuell, sonne to Milca the wyfe of Nahor Abrahams brother, and her pytcher vpon her shoulder: Genesis 24:16 The damsel was very fayre to loke vpon, and yet a mayd and vnknowen of man. And she went doune to the well and fylled her pytcher and came vp agayne. Genesis 24:17 Then the seruaunte ranne vnto her and sayde: let me suppe a lytle water of thy pytcher.
fulfilleth his sign,
Genesis 24:18 And she sayd: dryncke my Lorde. And she hasted and late doune her pytcher vpon her arme & gaue him drincke. Genesis 24:19 And when she had geuen him drincke, she sayde: I wyll drawe water for thy camels also, vntyll they haue dronck ynough. Genesis 24:20 And she poured out her pitcher in to the tough hastely, & runne agayn vnto the well, to fet water: and drewe for all hys camels. Genesis 24:21 And the felowe wondred at her. But helde hys peace, to wete whether the Lorde had made hys iourney prosperous or not.
receiveth jewels,
Genesis 24:22 And as the camels had left drincking, he toke a golden earing of half a sicle weyght, & two bracelettes for her handes, of .x. sycles weyght of gold,
sheweth her kindred,
Genesis 24:23 and sayde vnto her: Whose doughter art thou? tell me: is there rowme in thy fathers house for vs to lodge in? Genesis 24:24 And she sayd vnto him: I am þe doughter of Bathuel the sonne of Milcha whyche she bare vnto Nahor:
and inviteth him home.
Genesis 24:25 and sayde moreouer vnto hym: we haue litter and prauonder ynough, and also roume to lodge in.
The servant blesseth God.
Genesis 24:26 And the man bowed him self, & worship shypped the Lord, Genesis 24:27 & sayd: blessed be the lorde God of my master Abraham whych ceasseth not to deale mercyfully & truly wyth my master, & hath brought me the waye to my masters brothers house. Genesis 24:28 And the damsel ranne & tolde them of her mothers house these thynges.
Laban entertaineth him.
Genesis 24:29 And Rebecca had a brother called Laban. And Laban ranne out vnto the man, to the wel: Genesis 24:30 for as sonne as he had sene the earinges and the bracelettes vpon hys systers handes, and hearde the wordes of Rebecca hys syster sayinge thus sayde the man vnto me, then he wente out vnto the man. And loo, he stode yet wyth the camels by the wel syde. Genesis 24:31 And Laban sayd come in thou blessed of the Lord. Wherefore standest thou wythout? I haue dressed the house, & made rowme for þe camels.
Genesis 24:32 And then the man came into þe house: & he vnbrideled the camels: & brought litter & prauender for the camels, & water to washe hys fete & their fete that were wt hym, Genesis 24:33 & ther was meate sette before hym to eate. But he sayed: I wyll not eate, vntyll I haue sayed myne earande. And he sayd: saye on.
The servant sheweth his message.
Genesis 24:34 And he sayed: I am Abrahams seruant, Genesis 24:35 and the Lorde hath blessed my master out of measure, þt he is become greate, & hath geuen hym shepe oxen, siluer & golde, men seruantes maydeseruantes, camels and asses. Genesis 24:36 And Sara my masters wife bare him a sonne, when she was olde: & vnto hym hath he geuen al þt he hath. Genesis 24:37 And my master made me swere saying: thou shalt not take a wife to my sonne amonge the doughters of the Cananites in whose lande I dwell. Genesis 24:38 But thou shalt go vnto my fathers house: & to my kynred, and ther take a wyfe vnto my sonne. Genesis 24:39 And I said vnto my master: what if the wyfe wyll not folow me? Genesis 24:40 And he sayed vnto me: The Lorde before whome I walke wyll send hys angell wyth the, and prospere thy iorney that thou shalte take a wife for my sonne, of my kinred, & of my fathers house. Genesis 24:41 But & if (when thou commest vnto my kynred) they wyl not giue the one, then shalt thou bear no peryll of myne oth. Genesis 24:42 And I came this day vnto the wel & said: O Lorde, the God of my master Abraham, if it be so that thou makest my iorney which I go, prosperous: Genesis 24:43 beholde I stand by thys wel of water, and when a virgin commeth forth to drawe water, & I say to hyr: geue me a lyttle water of thy pytcher to dryncke, Genesis 24:44 and she say agayne to me: dryncke thou, and I wyll also draw water for thy camels: that same is the wyfe whom the Lord hath prepared for my maisters sonne. Genesis 24:45 And before I had made an ende of speakinge in myne herte: beholde Rebecca came forth, & hir pitcher on hir shoulder, & she went downe vnto the wel & drew. And I sayd vnto hir: giue me drincke. Genesis 24:46 And she made hast, & toke downe hir pytcher from of hyr & sayed: drincke, & I wyll giue thy camels drinke also. Genesis 24:47 And I dranke, & she gaue þe camels drynke also. And I asked hyr saying: whose daughter art thou? And she answered: the doughter of Bathuel Nahors sonne, whom Milca bare vnto him. And I put þe earing vpon hir face & the bracelets vpon hir handes. Genesis 24:48 And I bowed my selfe. & worshypped the Lorde, & blessed the Lorde God of my master Abraham which had brought me the ryght waye, to take my masters brothers doughter vnto hys sonne. Genesis 24:49 Now therfore if ye wyll deale mercifully and truly wyth my master, tel me, and if not tell me also: that I maye turne me to the, right hand or to the lyft,
Laban and Bethuel approve it.
Genesis 24:50 Then answered Laban & Bethuel saying: The thing is proceaded euen out of the Lord, we can not therfore say vnto the, either good or bad: Genesis 24:51 behold Rebecca before thy face, take hyr & go, and let hyr be thy maisters sonnes wyfe, euen as the Lord hath sayed. Genesis 24:52 And when Abrahams seruaunt hearde theyr wordes, he bowed him selfe vnto the Lorde, flatte vpon the earth. Genesis 24:53 And the seruaunt toke forthe iewels of siluer, & iewels of golde, & rayment, & gaue them to Rebecca: but vnto hyr brother, & to hir mother he gaue spyces. Genesis 24:54 And then they ate and dranke both he & the men that were wt him, and taried al nyght and rose vp in the mornyng. And he sayed: let me depart vnto my master. Genesis 24:55 But hir brother and hir mother sayed: let the damsel abyde with vs a whyle, & it be but euen ten dayes, and then go the wayes. Genesis 24:56 And he sayed vnto them: hinder me not for the Lord hath prospered my iorney. Sende me awaye that I may go vnto my master. Genesis 24:57 And they sayd: let vs call the damsell, & witt what she saith to the matter.
Rebekah consenteth to go.
Genesis 24:58 And they called forth Rebecca, and said vnto hyr: wilte thou go wyth this man? And she sayed: yea. Genesis 24:59 So they let Rebecca theyr syster go wyth hir nurse & Abrahams seruaunte, & the men that were wyth him. Genesis 24:60 And they blessed Rebecca, & sayd vnto hyr: Thou art oure syster growe into thousande thousandes, and thy seed possesse the gates of theyr enemies.
Genesis 24:61 And Rebecca arose & hir damsels, & sat them vp vpon the camels, & went theyr way after the man. And þe seruaunt toke Rebecca, & went his way.
Isaac meeteth her.
Genesis 24:62 And Isaac was a commynge from the wel of the lyuynge & seynge, for he dwelt in the south contrey, Genesis 24:63 & was gone out to walke in his meditations before the euen tide. And he lift vp his eyes & loked, and beholde the camels were comming. Genesis 24:64 And Rebecca lyft vp hir eyes & when she sawe Isaac, she lighted of the camel, Genesis 24:65 & sayd vnto the seruaunt: what man is this that cometh against vs in the feld? And the seruaunt sayd: it is my master. And then she toke hyr mantil, & put it about hyr. Genesis 24:66 And the seruaunt tolde Isaac all that he had done. Genesis 24:67 Then Isaac broughte hir into hys mother Saras tente, and toke Rebecca, and she became hys wyfe. & he loued hir: & so was Isaac comforted ouer hys mother.
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