Common English Bible

Genesis 24:12-30 Common English Bible (CEB)

12. He said, "Lord, God of my master Abraham, make something good happen for me today and be loyal to my master Abraham.

13. I will stand here by the spring while the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water.

14. When I say to a young woman, ‘Hand me your water jar so I can drink,’ and she says to me, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels water too,’ may she be the one you’ve selected for your servant Isaac. In this way I will know that you’ve been loyal to my master."

15. Even before he finished speaking, Rebekah—daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother—was coming out with a water jar on her shoulder.

16. The young woman was very beautiful, old enough to be married, and hadn’t known a man intimately. She went down to the spring, filled her water jar, and came back up.

17. The servant ran to meet her and said, "Give me a little sip of water from your jar."

18. She said, "Drink, sir." Then she quickly lowered the water jar with her hands and gave him some water to drink.

19. When she finished giving him a drink, she said, "I’ll draw some water for your camels too, till they’ve had enough to drink."

20. She emptied her water jar quickly into the watering trough, ran to the well again to draw water, and drew water for all of the camels.

21. The man stood gazing at her, wondering silently if the Lord had made his trip successful or not.

22. As soon as the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold ring, weighing a half shekel, and two gold bracelets for her arms, weighing ten shekels.

23. He said, "Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?"

24. She responded, "I’m the daughter of Bethuel, who is the son of Milcah and Nahor."

25. She continued, "We have plenty of straw and feed for the camels, and a place to spend the night."

26. The man bowed down and praised the Lord:

27. "Bless the Lord, God of my master Abraham, who hasn’t given up his loyalty and his faithfulness to my master. The Lord has shown me the way to the household of my master’s brother."

28. The young woman ran and told her mother’s household everything that had happened.

29. Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and Laban ran to the man outside by the spring.

30. When he had seen the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and when he had heard his sister Rebekah say, "This is what the man said to me," he went to the man, who was still standing by the spring with his camels.