Page:The Holy Bible Vol 1 (Thomson).djvu/47

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Ch. XXIV.
GENESIS

and I will draw water for thy camels; Let her be the wife whom the Lord hath provided for his servant Isaak; and by this I shall know that thou hast dealt mercifully with my master Abraham. And before I had finished this my address in thought, straightway Rebekka came with the pitcher on her shoulder and went down to the well and drew water, and I said to her, Let me drink. Upon which she speedily let down the pitcher on her arm, and said, Drink thou, and I will water thy camels. So I drank. And when she had watered the camels, I asked her saying, Whose daughter art thou? Tell me. And she said, I am the daughter of Bathuel the son of Nachor, whom Melcha bore to him. Then I put the ear rings on her and the bracelets on her hands, and being well pleased, I worshipped the Lord and blessed the Lord the God of my master Abraham, who had prospered me in the right way to take the daughter of my master's brother for his son. Now therefore, if you deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. If not, tell me; that I may turn either to the right or left. In reply to which, Laban and Bathuel said, This matter hath proceeded from the Lord. We cannot gainsay thee, be it good or bad. Behold Rebekka is before thee. Take her and go and let her be the wife of thy master's son, as the Lord hath spoken. And when Abraham's servant heard these words, he worshipped the Lord on the ground. Then the servant brought out jewels of silver and gold and raiment and gave them to Rebekka, and made presents to her brother and to her mother. And when he and the men who were with him had eaten and drank, they went to rest. And he arose early next morning and said. Dismiss me that I may return to my master. But her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel stay with us about ten days and then she shall go. And he said to them. Do not detain me, seeing the Lord hath prospered my journey as far as it respecteth me. Send me away that I may go back to my master. Whereupon they said. Let us call our child and ask what she saith. So they called Rebekka and said to her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. Then they sent away their sister Rebekka and what belonged to her, and the servant of Abraham and his attendants. And they blessed Rebekka and said to her, Thou art our sister. Mayest thou become thou-