2. The best servant in his house was in charge of everything he had. Abraham said to him, "Put your hand under my thigh.
3. The Lord is the God of heaven and the God of earth. I want you to make a promise with an oath in his name. "I'm living among the people of Canaan. But I want you to promise me that you won't get a wife for my son from their daughters.
4. Instead, promise me that you will go to my country and to my own relatives. Get a wife for my son Isaac from there."
5. The servant asked him, "What if the woman doesn't want to come back with me to this land? Then should I take your son back to the country you came from?"
6. "Make sure you don't take my son back there," Abraham said.
7. "The Lord, the God of heaven, took me away from my father's family. He brought me out of my own land. And he made me a promise with an oath. He said, 'I will give this land to your family after you.' The Lord will send his angel ahead of you. So you will be able to get a wife for my son from there.
8. "The woman may not want to come back with you. If she doesn't, you will be free from your oath. But don't take my son back there."
9. So the servant put his hand under Abraham's thigh. He promised with an oath to do what his master wanted.
10. The servant took ten of his master's camels and left. He took with him all kinds of good things from his master. He started out for Aram Naharaim. He made his way to the town of Nahor.
11. He stopped near the well outside the town. There he made the camels get down on their knees. It was almost evening. It was the time when women go out to get water.
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.