Daily Bread

¹⁰ Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master’s camels^(A) loaded with all kinds of good things^(B) from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim^[a](C) and made his way to the town of Nahor.^{(D) 11} He had the camels kneel down near the well^(E) outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.^(F)

¹² Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham,^(G) make me successful^(H) today, and show kindness^(I) to my master Abraham. ¹³ See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.^{(J) 14} May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink,^(K) and I’ll water your camels too’^(L)—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac.^(M) By this I will know^(N) that you have shown kindness to my master.”

¹⁵ Before he had finished praying,^(O) Rebekah^(P) came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel^(Q) son of Milkah,^(R) who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor.^{(S) 16} The woman was very beautiful,^(T) a virgin;^(U) no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.

¹⁷ The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”^(V)

¹⁸ “Drink,^(W) my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.

¹⁹ After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels^(X) too,^(Y) until they have had enough to drink.” ²⁰ So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels.^{(Z) 21} Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful.^(AA)

²² When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring^(AB) weighing a beka^[b] and two gold bracelets^(AC) weighing ten shekels.^{[c] 23} Then he asked, “Whose daughter are you?^(AD) Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?^(AE)”

²⁴ She answered him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milkah bore to Nahor.^(AF)” ²⁵ And she added, “We have plenty of straw and fodder,^(AG) as well as room for you to spend the night.”

²⁶ Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord,^{(AH) 27} saying, “Praise be to the Lord,^(AI) the God of my master Abraham,^(AJ) who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness^(AK) to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey^(AL) to the house of my master’s relatives.”^(AM)