New International Reader's Version

Genesis 24:12-31 New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

12. Then he prayed, "Lord, you are the God of my master Abraham. Give me success today. Be kind to my master Abraham.

13. I'm standing beside this spring. The daughters of the people who live in the town are coming out here to get water.

14. "I will speak to a young woman. I'll say, 'Please lower your jar so I can have a drink.' Suppose she says, 'Have a drink of water. And I'll get some for your camels too.' Then let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. That's how I'll know you have been kind to my master."

15. Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out. She had a jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah. Milcah was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor.

16. The young woman was very beautiful. She was a virgin. No man had made love to her. She went down to the spring. She filled her jar and came up again.

17. The servant hurried to meet her. He said, "Please give me a little water from your jar."

18. "Have a drink, sir," she said. She quickly lowered the jar to her hands. And she gave him a drink.

19. After she had given him a drink, she said, "I'll get water for your camels too. I'll keep doing it until they finish drinking."

20. So she quickly emptied her jar into the stone tub. Then she ran back to the well to get more water. She got enough for all of his camels.

21. The man didn't say a word. He watched her closely. He wanted to learn whether the Lord had given him success on the journey he had made.

22. The camels finished drinking. Then the man took out a gold nose ring. It weighed a fifth of an ounce. He also took out two gold bracelets. They weighed four ounces.

23. Then he asked, "Whose daughter are you? And please tell me something else. Is there room in your father's house for us? Can we spend the night there?"

24. She answered, "I'm the daughter of Bethuel. He's the son Milcah had by Nahor."

25. She continued, "We have plenty of straw and feed for your camels. We also have room for you to spend the night."

26. Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord.

27. He said, "I praise the Lord, the God of my master Abraham. He hasn't stopped being kind and faithful to my master. The Lord has led me on this journey. He has brought me to the house of my master's relatives."

28. The young woman ran home. She told her mother's family what had happened.

29. Rebekah had a brother named Laban. He hurried out to the spring to meet the man.

30. Laban had seen the nose ring. He had seen the bracelets on his sister's arms. And he had heard Rebekah tell what the man had said to her. So he went out to the man. He found him standing by the camels near the spring.

31. "The Lord has given you his blessing," he said. "So come. Why are you standing out here? I've prepared my house for you. I also have a place for the camels."