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Yitzhak and Rebeka
24 |
1 ABRAHAM had grown old, days had passed by
Our Lord had helped Abraham in everything
2 Abraham told the top servant of his house
who was in charge of everything he owned:
3 Put your hand under my thigh
I command you to swear to me
by the God of the sky
and the God of the land
that you will not marry my son to a woman
of the Canaanites among whom I reside
4 but to the house where I was born you will go
to find a wife for my son Yitzhak
5 the servant said to him: Maybe the woman won't wish
to follow me to this land
if so should I take your son
back to where you came from?
6 Abraham said to him: On no account take my son back there
7 for Our Lord God of the sky
who led me away from my father's house
and out of the country of my family
spoke to me and swore:
"To your children will I give this land"
he will send his angel ahead of you
but find a wife for my son over there
8 if the woman doesn't want to follow you
you will be freed from your vow
I only ask you that my son
you shouldn't take back over there
9 the servant placed his hand
under Abraham's thigh
and swore to his master
that he would do what they had said
10 the servant took ten of his master's camels
and went with all his master's goods
he set out and reached Aram-Naharaim
the town where Nahor lived
11 he put upon their knees
the camels on the edge of town
by the well at evening
when the women came out to draw water
12 he said: Our Lord God of my master Abraham
please help me
on this day do him a favour
and help my master Abraham
13 I am standing
here by the well
and the daughters of the inhabitants
are coming out to draw water
14 let the girl to whom I say:
Tilt your pitcher that I may drink
who says: Drink sir
and I'll also water your camels
be the one you have chosen
for your servant Yitzhak
and thereby I will know
that you have helped my master
15 when he was still speaking
out came Rebeka the daughter of Betuel
the son of Milka the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor
with her pitcher on her shoulder
16 she was very pretty
and had not known any man
she went down to the well
to fill her pitcher and came back up
17 the servant ran over
to the girl and said:
Please tilt your pitcher
so I can drink a little water
18 she said: Drink sir, and hurried
to lower the pitcher to let him drink
19 and when he finished, said: And for the camels
let me also draw for them to drink
20 she hurriedly poured the pitcher into the trough
then ran back again
to the well to draw water
and fetched some for all the camels
21 the man stood watching
without saying a word
wondering whether
Our Lord had helped him or not
22 when the camels finished drinking
taking a gold ring weighing a beka
and two gold bracelets on his arms
which weighed ten shekels
23 he said: Whose daughter are you?
please tell me
is there room in your father's house
for us to spend the night?
24 she replied: I am the daughter of Betuel
son of Milka daughter of Nahor
25 and told him: We have straw and fodder
and also room to spend the night
26 the man bowed low
and knelt before Our Lord
27 he said: Praised be Our Lord
the God of my master Abraham
for he hasn't forgotten my master
and remained loyal to him
and Our Lord has put me on the road
to my master's brothers' house!
28 the girl ran off
to tell them in her mother's house
the whole story
of what had happened
29 now Rebeka had
a brother named Lavan
and Lavan ran to the man
standing there by the well
30 having seen the ring and the bracelets
on his sister's arms
and heard Rebeka's story, saying:
This is what the man told me...
he went over to the man
standing next to the camels
by the well
31 and said:
Listen, blessed one of Our Lord
why are you waiting outside?
I have already got the house ready
and a place for the camels
32 the man came to the house and untied the camels
he gave them straw and fodder
water to wash his feet
and the feet of the men with him
33 he brought him a meal
he said: I will not eat yet
he said: I will not eat yet
first I'm going to speak
he said: Speak on!
34 he said: I am Abraham's servant
35 Our Lord has blessed my master, he has made him great
he has given him sheep and cattle
silver and gold, servants, camels and donkeys
36 my master's wife Sara
gave him a son
when she was already old
and he has given him all he has
37 my master ordered me and made me swear
he said: Do not marry my son
to one of the Canaanites
among whom I live
38 but to my father's house you must go
find a wife for my son from my family
39 I said to my master:
Maybe the woman won't wish to follow me
40 he told me: Our Lord
in whose way I have walked
will send his angel
will send his angel
with you to help you
and you will find
a wife for my son
among my family
in my father's house
41 only will you be pardoned of what I have ordered you to do
if you come to my family
and they don't let you do so
in that case you are pardoned
42 I came to the well today and said:
Our Lord God of Abraham my master
please bring to a good end
the road upon which I am walking
43 here I am by the well
let the girl who comes out to draw water
to whom I say: Please give me
a little water from your pitcher
44 and she says to me: Go ahead and drink
and I'll draw water for the camels too
be the wife Our Lord has chosen
for my master's son
45 before I finished thinking that
Rebeka came out with her pitcher on her shoulder
went down to draw from the well
and I asked her for water
46 she hurried to lower
her pitcher from her shoulder
she said: Drink, and I will water your camels too
I drank, and she also gave water to the camels
47 I asked her: Whose daughter are you?
she said: I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Nahor to whom Milka gave birth
I put the ring on her nose
and the bracelets on her arms
48 I bowed down and knelt to Our Lord
I praised Our Lord the God of my father Abraham
who led me the right way
to find my master's brother's daughter for his son!
49 so now if you will do well
by my master, tell me so
and if not, tell me no
and I will be on my way
50 Lavan and Betuel answered, and they said:
from Our Lord did this come
we are unable to say of this
either no or yes
51 here you have Rebeka
take her and go then
let her marry your master's son
since Our Lord has spoken so
52 when Abraham's servant
heard their wordshe knelt on the ground
in front of Our Lord
53 the servant brought out articles
of silver and of gold
and clothes for Rebeka
and more things for her brother and mother
54 they ate and drank
both he and the men who had come with him
they stayed the night and got up in the morning
he said: Now let me go to my master
55 said her brother and her mother:
Let the girl remain with us
a few days, maybe ten
then go on your way
56 he said to them: Do not hold me up
for Our Lord has helped me along the way
allow me to go
to my master
57 they said: Let us call the girl and ask her
58 they called Rebeka and said to her:
Will you go with this man?
she said: Yes I will
59 they said goodbye to their sister Rebeka
her nurse
Abraham's servant
and his men
60 they blessed Rebeka
they said to her: Sister
may you become many
and may your children become
masters of their enemies
61 Rebeka and her maids arose
they got on the camels
they accompanied the man
the servant led Rebeka
and they were gone
62 Yitzhak was coming along
from Beer-Lahai-Roi
for he was residing
in the southern land
63 as he was out for a walk
in the field that afternoon
he looked up
and saw camels coming
64 Rebeka looked
saw Yitzhak
got down off her camel
and said to the servant:
65 Who is that in the field
coming our way?
said the servant: That is my master
she took her veil and covered herself
66 the servant told Yitzhak
the whole story
Yitzhak brought her into his mother's dwelling
and was married to Rebeka
67 she became his wife
and Yitzhak loved her
and found happiness
after Yitzhak's mother's passing
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