A Wife for Isaac
1 Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in everything he did. 2 He said to his oldest servant, who was in charge of all that he had, “Place your hand between my thighs and make a vow. 3 I want you to make a vow in the name of the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not choose a wife for my son from the people here in Canaan. 4 You must go back to the country where I was born and get a wife for my son Isaac from among my relatives.”
5 But the servant asked, “What if the young woman will not leave home to come with me to this land? Shall I send your son back to the land you came from?”
6 Abraham answered, “Make sure that you don't send my son back there! 7 The Lord, the God of heaven, brought me from the home of my father and from the land of my relatives, and he solemnly promised me that he would give this land to my descendants. He will send his angel before you, so that you can get a wife there for my son. 8 If the young woman is not willing to come with you, you will be free from this promise. But you must not under any circumstances take my son back there.” 9 So the servant put his hand between the thighs of Abraham, his master, and made a vow to do what Abraham had asked.
10 The servant, who was in charge of Abraham's property, took ten of his master's camels and went to the city where Nahor had lived in northern Mesopotamia. 11 When he arrived, he made the camels kneel down at the well outside the city. It was late afternoon, the time when women came out to get water. 12 He prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, give me success today and keep your promise to my master. 13 Here I am at the well where the young women of the city will be coming to get water. 14 I will say to one of them, ‘Please, lower your jar and let me have a drink.’ If she says, ‘Drink, and I will also bring water for your camels,’ may she be the one that you have chosen for your servant Isaac. If this happens, I will know that you have kept your promise to my master.”
15 Before he had finished praying, Rebecca arrived with a water jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham's brother Nahor and his wife Milcah. 16 She was a very beautiful young woman and still a virgin. She went down to the well, filled her jar, and came back. 17 The servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a drink of water from your jar.”
18 She said, “Drink, sir,” and quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and held it while he drank. 19 When he had finished, she said, “I will also bring water for your camels and let them have all they want.” 20 She quickly emptied her jar into the animals' drinking trough and ran to the well to get more water, until she had watered all his camels. 21 The man kept watching her in silence, to see if the Lord had given him success.
22 When she had finished, the man took an expensive gold ring and put it in her nose and put two large gold bracelets on her arms. 23 He said, “Please tell me who your father is. Is there room in his house for my men and me to spend the night?”
24 “My father is Bethuel son of Nahor and Milcah,” she answered. 25 “There is plenty of straw and fodder at our house, and there is a place for you to stay.”
26 Then the man knelt down and worshiped the Lord. 27 He said, “Praise the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has faithfully kept his promise to my master. The Lord has led me straight to my master's relatives.”
28 The young woman ran to her mother's house and told the whole story. 29 Now Rebecca had a brother named Laban, and he ran outside to go to the well where Abraham's servant was. 30 Laban had seen the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister's arms and had heard her say what the man had told her. He went to Abraham's servant, who was standing by his camels at the well, 31 and said, “Come home with me. You are a man whom the Lord has blessed. Why are you standing out here? I have a room ready for you in my house, and there is a place for your camels.”
32 So the man went into the house, and Laban unloaded the camels and gave them straw and fodder. Then he brought water for Abraham's servant and his men to wash their feet. 33 When food was brought, the man said, “I will not eat until I have said what I have to say.”
Laban said, “Go on and speak.”
34 “I am the servant of Abraham,” he began. 35 “The Lord has greatly blessed my master and made him a rich man. He has given him flocks of sheep and goats, cattle, silver, gold, male and female slaves, camels, and donkeys. 36 Sarah, my master's wife, bore him a son when she was old, and my master has given everything he owns to him. 37 My master made me promise with a vow to obey his command. He said, ‘Do not choose a wife for my son from the young women in the land of Canaan. 38 Instead, go to my father's people, to my relatives, and choose a wife for him.’ 39 And I asked my master, ‘What if she will not come with me?’ 40 He answered, ‘The Lord, whom I have always obeyed, will send his angel with you and give you success. You will get for my son a wife from my own people, from my father's family. 41 There is only one way for you to be free from your vow: if you go to my relatives and they refuse you, then you will be free.’
42 “When I came to the well today, I prayed, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, please give me success in what I am doing. 43 Here I am at the well. When a young woman comes out to get water, I will ask her to give me a drink of water from her jar. 44 If she agrees and also offers to bring water for my camels, may she be the one that you have chosen as the wife for my master's son.’ 45 Before I had finished my silent prayer, Rebecca came with a water jar on her shoulder and went down to the well to get water. I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 46 She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels.’ So I drank, and she watered the camels. 47 I asked her, ‘Who is your father?’ And she answered, ‘My father is Bethuel son of Nahor and Milcah.’ Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms. 48 I knelt down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me straight to my master's relative, where I found his daughter for my master's son. 49 Now, if you intend to fulfill your responsibility toward my master and treat him fairly, please tell me; if not, say so, and I will decide what to do.”
50 Laban and Bethuel answered, “Since this matter comes from the Lord, it is not for us to make a decision. 51 Here is Rebecca; take her and go. Let her become the wife of your master's son, as the Lord himself has said.” 52 When the servant of Abraham heard this, he bowed down and worshiped the Lord. 53 Then he brought out clothing and silver and gold jewelry, and gave them to Rebecca. He also gave expensive gifts to her brother and to her mother.
54 Then Abraham's servant and the men with him ate and drank, and spent the night there. When they got up in the morning, he said, “Let me go back to my master.”
55 But Rebecca's brother and her mother said, “Let her stay with us a week or ten days, and then she may go.”
56 But he said, “Don't make us stay. The Lord has made my journey a success; let me go back to my master.”
57 They answered, “Let's call her and find out what she has to say.” 58 So they called Rebecca and asked, “Do you want to go with this man?”
“Yes,” she answered.
59 So they let Rebecca and her old family servant go with Abraham's servant and his men. 60 And they gave Rebecca their blessing in these words:
“May you, sister, become the mother of millions!
May your descendants conquer the cities of their enemies!”
61 Then Rebecca and her young women got ready and mounted the camels to go with Abraham's servant, and they all started out.
62 Isaac had come into the wilderness of “The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me” and was staying in the southern part of Canaan. 63 He went out in the early evening to take a walk in the fields and saw camels coming. 64 When Rebecca saw Isaac, she got down from her camel 65 and asked Abraham's servant, “Who is that man walking toward us in the field?”
“He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her scarf and covered her face.
66 The servant told Isaac everything he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought Rebecca into the tent that his mother Sarah had lived in, and she became his wife. Isaac loved Rebecca, and so he was comforted for the loss of his mother.
Rebeka ma kavarekerwa Isak
1 Abraham wa kurupire tjinene, nu Muhona we mu sera ondaya moviṋa avihe. 2 Nu Abraham wa tja komukarere we omunene, ngwa ri omutjevere wouini we auhe: “Twa eke roye kehi yevango randje! 3 Ami me vanga u ndji yanene ku Muhona, Ndjambi weyuru nehi kutja ko nakutoororera omuzandu wandje omukazendu movasuko vOvakanaan, ami mu mba tura. 4 Ove yaruka kehi randje u kavarekere omuzandu wandje Isak omukazendu mokati komuhoko vandje.”
5 Nungwari ingwi omukarere wa pura a tja: “Ingwi omukazendu tje hi nokuvanga okuya puna ami kehi ndi, omuzandu woye hi yarure kehi ku wa za?”
6 Nu Abraham we mu zira nai: “Ngoo roro! O yarura omuzandu wandje koṋa ngo! 7 Muhona, Ndjambi weyuru, we ndji isa mo mondjuwo ya tate na mehi rongwatero yandje. Eye we ndji yanena oruyano na tja: ‘Ehi ndi me ri yandja kozondekurona zandje!’ Nu eye ma hindi omuengeri we komurungu woye, nove mo sora okukaetera omuzandu wandje omukazendu koṋa ngo. 8 Nungwari omukazendu tje hi nokuvanga okuya puna ove, ove tjandje wa kutuka koruyano ndu wa tjita ku ami. Nove ngoo yarura omuzandu wandje koṋa ngo.” 9 Omukarere arire tja twa eke kehi yevango ra Abraham, omuhona we, ne mu yanene okutjita ihi eye tja ningire ku ye.
10 Nomukarere wa toora ozongamero omurongo mozongamero zomuhona we, noviyandjewa ovingi ovinanḓengu vyomuhona we, ne rirongere, narire tja i kotjihuro tja Nahor kOmesopotamie. 11 Neye tja kavaza wa heruka kongamero pondjombo ndja ri pendje yotjihuro tjandje ongurova, oruveze ovakazendu ndu ve pita okukateka omeva. 12 Neye wa kumba a tja: “Muhona, Ndjambi wa Abraham, omuhona wandje, ndji ṋingaparisa ndino u raise ondjingonekero komuhona wandje Abraham. 13 Tara, owami ngwi pondjombo ovasuko vovature votjihuro pu mave ya okuteka omeva. 14 Nu ngape kare kutja ami tji me tja nai komusuko umwe: ‘Arikana, herura ehoro roye mbi nwe mo omeva,’ neye a tja: ‘Nwaa, nu ami me hire ozongamero zoye wina,’ nga rire ngwi ngu wa toororera omukarere woye Isak. Nu tji pa tjitwa nai, ami me tjiwa kutja ove wa raisa ondjingonekero komuhona wandje.”
15 Eye ngunda e hiya mana okukumba, Rebeka wa rauka, nehoro romeva kotjiṱuve tje. Rebeka wa ri omusuko wa Betuel, ngwa ri omuzandu wa Milka, omukazendu wa Nahor, omuangu wa Abraham. 16 Nomusuko ngo wa ri omuwa tjinene, nu wa ri omukazona ngu hiya hakaena nomurumendu. Neye wa punda mondjombo ne urisa ehoro re, narire tja rondo. 17 Ingwi omukarere wa tupuka okuhakaena na ye na tja: “Arikana, ndji pao mbi nwe mehoro roye!”
18 Nomusuko wa zira a tja: “Nwaa, muhona wandje”, na hakahana okuherura ehoro kotjiṱuve ne ri ṱiza meke, omukarere ngunda ama nu. 19 Neye tja mana okunwa, omusuko wa tja: “Ami me tekere ozongamero zoye wina kutja ze nwe nu ze kowe.” 20 Nomusuko wa tirira omeva tjimanga metemba mu mu nwina ovinamuinyo na tupuka rukwao kondjombo okukateka omeva, nga tja hire inḓa ozongamero azehe. 21 Nu ingwi omukarere we mu tarera uriri kumwi okumuna kutja Muhona we mu ṋingaparisa.
22 Nomusuko tja mana okuhira ozongamero, omukarere arire tja toora ongoho ongoldo ne i twa meyuru re, nu a twa ozongoho mbari ozonene pomaoko we. 23 Nu ingwi omukarere we mu pura a tja: “Oove omusuko wauṋe? Arikana, ndji raera. Pe noruveze mondjuwo yaiho ku ami novandu vandje okuyekurara mo?”
24 Nomusuko we mu zira a tja: “Owami omusuko wa Betuel, omuzandu wa Nahor na Milka. 25 Ku nomahozu omengi novikurya koyetu, nu pe noruveze ku eṋe wina okurara.”
26 Nu ingwi omurumendu arire tje riwisa kozongoro ne rikotamene ku Muhona, 27 a tja: “Nga tangwe Muhona, Ndjambi womuhona wandje Abraham, ngwa ṱiza ondjingonekero nouṱakame we komuhona wandje. Muhona we ndji hongorera osemba kondjuwo yomuhoko womuhona wandje.”
28 Ingwi omusuko wa tupuka kondjuwo yaina na kaserekarera ehungi arihe. 29 Nu Rebeka wa ri nomuṱena ngwa rukirwe Laban. Nu Laban wa pita pendje na tupuka komurumendu ngwi ngwa ri pondjombo. 30 Neye tja munu indji ongoho yomeyuru nozongoho zopomaoko womuṱena, nokumuzuva tji me mu serekarerere imbi omurumendu mbye mu raere, arire tja i komurumendu ngo, ngunda a kurama pozongamero ze pondjombo. 31 Laban arire tja tja: “Indjo, hita, oove omurumendu ngu wa serwa ondaya i Muhona! Nu mo kuramene tjike pendje, ami ngunda ambe ku ṱunine ondjuwo, noruveze kozongamero zoye?”
32 Ingwi omurumendu wa hita mondjuwo; nu Laban wa kutura ozongamero ne zepe omahozu novikurya. Tjazumba a kaetera omukarere wa Abraham novandu ve omeva kutja ve rikohe ozombaze.
33 Novikurya tji vya etwa, ingwi omurumendu arire tja tja: “Ami himee tenge okurya nga tji mba hungire omambo wandje.”
Nu Laban wa tja: “Hungira!”
34 Eye wa uta nai: “Owami omukarere wa Abraham. 35 Muhona wa sera omuhona wandje ondaya tjinene, ne mu tjiti omurumendu omunene tjinene. Eye we mu pa otupanda twozonyanda nozongombe, nosilveri nongoldo, novakarere ovarumendu novakazendu, nozongamero nousino. 36 Sara, omukazendu womuhona wandje, we mu pandukira omuzandu moukurukaze we. Nomuhona wandje wa yandja oviṋa ngamwa avihe mbye na vyo komuzandu ngwi. 37 Nomuhona wandje Abraham we ndji yanisa a tja: ‘Ngoo kapahera omuzandu wandje omusuko mOvakanaan mu mba tura. 38 Nungwari twende kondjuwo ya tate na kovazamumwe vandje okukapahera omuzandu wandje omukazendu koṋa ngo.’ 39 Nami e tja nai komuhona wandje: ‘Ngahino omukazendu ke nokuvanga okuyenda puna ami.’ 40 Neye wa zira a tja: ‘Muhona ku mba kara nonḓuviro ma hindi omuengeri puna ove ngu me ku pe ouṋingandu mondjira yoye. Nove mo kamunina omuzandu wandje omukazendu movandu vomuhoko wa tate. 41 Nove tji wa tjiti nai, mo kuturwa koruyano ndu wa tjita ku ami. Nu tji wa i kovazamumwe vandje nave ku rurupara ingwi omusuko, ove wina mo kuturwa koruyano ndu wa tjita ku ami.’
42 “Nami tji mbe ya pondjombo, otji mba kumbu ne tja: ‘Muhona, Ndjambi womuhona wandje Abraham, arikana ndji pa ouṋingandu mondjira yandje. 43 Tara, owami ngwi pondjombo. Nu tji pe ya omusuko okuteka omeva, ami me tja nai ku ye: “Arikana, ndji pa okunwa mehoro roye,” 44 neye tja ziri na tja: “Nwaa, nu ami me hire ozongamero zoye wina,” nungwari nga rire ngwi Muhona ngwa toororera omuzandu womuhona wandje a rire omukazendu we.’ 45 Nu ngunda ambi hiya mana ongumbiro yandje momutima, Rebeka arire tje ya nehoro romeva kotjiṱuve, na pundu mondjombo okuteka. Nami arire tji mba tja ku ye: ‘Arikana, ndji pao, mbi nwe ko!’ 46 Nu mokamanga eye wa herura ehoro kotjiṱuve na tja: ‘Nwaa, nozongamero zoye wina me ze hire.’ Ami otji mba nwa, neye wa hira inḓa ozongamero wina. 47 Nami mbe mu pura e tja: ‘Oove omusuko wauṋe?’ Nomusuko wa zira a tja: ‘Owami omusuko wa Betuel, omuzandu wa Nahor na Milka.’ Ami otji mba twa mo ongoho meyuru re nozongoho pomaoko we. 48 Ami mbe rikotamena ne tanga Muhona, Ndjambi womuhona wandje Abraham, ngwe ndji hongorera nai osemba. Eye we ndji eta pomuangu womuhona wandje, pu mba vaza omusuko we, ngu mba varekera omuzandu womuhona wandje. 49 Nambano tji mamu vanga okuraisira omuhona wandje ondjingonekero nouṱakame, arikana, ndji raereye. Nu tje he ri nao, ndji raereye wina; kokutja ami mbi ripure kutja me tjiti vi.”
50 OoLaban na Betuel va zira ave tja: “Otjiṋa hi tjinga atja zu ku Muhona, otjo katjetu okutjizikamisa. 51 Rebeka eye ngo, toora u tware a karire omukazendu womuzandu womuhona woye otja Muhona omuini pa heya.” 52 Nu ingwi omukarere wa Abraham tja zuva omambo wawo nga, arire tje rikotamene komurungu wa Muhona. 53 Tjazumba wa eta ovihuze ovisilveri novingoldo nozombanda wina, na wondo Rebeka. Eye wa yandja oviyandjewa ovinanḓengu komuṱena na ku ina wina.
54 Nomukarere novarumendu mba ri puna ye va rya nave nu nave rara mbo. Nowo tji va penduka omuhuka omunene, omukarere wa tja: “Ndji eseye, mbi yaruke komuhona wandje.”
55 Nungwari omuṱena na ina ya Rebeka va tja nai: “Mu esa omusuko a kare puna eṱe omayuva tjiva poo omurongo; tjazumba mu yende.”
56 Nungwari ingwi omukarere wa zira a tja: “Amu ndji wombisa. Muhona we ndji ṋingaparisa mouyenda wandje!”
57 Nowo va zira nai: “Ngatu isane ingwi omusuko tu pure kutja eye omuini ma tja vi.” 58 Nowo otji va isana Rebeka nave mu pura ave tja: “Mo vanga okuyenda puna omurumendu ngwi?”
Neye wa zira a tja: “Ii, me vanga okuyenda puna ye.”
59 Komuhingo mbwi owo arire tji va isa omuatje wawo Rebeka nomuṱakamise we, ve yende puna omukarere wa Abraham novarumendu mba ri puna ye. 60 Nowo va sera Rebeka ondaya nomambo nga:
“Ove, muatje wetu, karire ina yomayovi omengi;
ozondekurona zoye ngaze huure ovihuro vyovanavita na zo!”
61 Nu Rebeka novakarere ve ovasuko ve rirongera nave kavire kozongamero, nave kongorere omurumendu ngwi. Nu ingwi omukarere we mu toora, nave i.
62 Nu Isak wa za mokuti kwondjombo ya Lahai-Roi, okutja “Ondjombo yomaturiro wOmunamuinyo ngu ma munu ami”, neye wa katura mehi rokomukuma wokeyuva kokumuho kwa Kanaan. 63 Nu Isak wa pita pendje komuihi okukaryanga mokuti, nokurizemburuka momutima we; neye wa munu inḓa ozongamero nḓu maze yende. 64 Nu Rebeka wina wa muna Isak, na heruka kongamero ye,Ongamero 65 na pura komukarere a tja: “Omurumendu ngo ngu ri mokuti nu ngu me tu tjakanene, ouṋe?”
Nomukarere wa zira a tja: “Eye onguri omuhona wandje.” Rebeka arire tja toora ewiwiri ne rikutjire komurungu.
66 Nu ingwi omukarere wa raera Isak oviṋa avihe mbya tjita. 67 Isak wa eta Rebeka mondanda yaina Sara, ne mu isa po omukazendu we. Nu Isak wa suvera Rebeka tjinene. Komuhingo mbwi Isak otja huhumiṋwa kombunda yonḓiro yaina.
