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.
Isaki ge tara-e ra ôabahe
1 Abrahammi ge kaise kaira tsî kurigu ǃnâ ge ǂgâ hâ i tsîb ge ǃKhūba ǁîba mâ xū-i dīb ka-i hoa-i ǃnâ gere ǀkhae. 2 Ob ge ǁîba ǁîb oms di ǂam ǃgāb, ǁîb di hoaraga xūna gere mûǂamma ǂgai tsî ge mîba: “Sa ǃomma ti ǂnamis ǃnâ ǂgā 3 îts ǃKhūb, ǀhommi tsî ǃhūbaib di Elob ǀons ǃnâ nū, ti ôabats Kanaanǃhūb di khoede xu tara-e ūba tide, 4 xawets nî ti ǃnaeǃhūb ǁga ǃgû tsî ti khoena xu hâ tara-e ti ôab Isaka ūba ǃkhaisa.”
5 Ob ge ǂam ǃgāba Abrahamma ge dî: “Os ga ǁîba ta ga hōba tarasa nē ǃhūb ǁga sao tesa māsenxa tama io mâtis? O ta kha sa ôaba sats ge hāxū ǃhūbǀî nî sî-oa?”
6 Ob ge Abrahamma ge ǃeream: “ǀGui ǀgau-i tsîn aits ge ti ôaba ǁnāǀî sî-oa tide! 7 ǃKhūb, ǀhommi di Elob, tita ti îb ommi tsî ǁgûsi ǃhūba xu ǂgaeǂguiǂui tsî nū-i ǀkha ‘Nē ǃhūba ta ge sa suriba nî mā’ ti ge mîmâibab ge ǁîb di ǀhomǃgāba sa aiǃâ nî sî, ti ôabats nî ǁnāpa sī tara-e hōba ǁkhāse. 8 Xawes ga khoesa satsa saosa māsenxa tama i, ots ge ti nūsa xu a ǃnorasa; xawets ge ti ôaba ǁnāpa oasī-ū tide.” 9 Ob ge ǃgāba ǁîb ǀhonkhoeb, Abrahammi di ǂnamis ǃnâ ǃommi âba ǂgā tsî Abrahammi xab go ǂganhe khamib nî dī ǃkhaisa ge nū.
10 Ob ge ǂam ǃgāb Abrahammi diba disi ǃnaina ǀhonkhoeb ǃnaina xu ū tsî ǃgâi xūn ǁîb ǀhonkhoeb din tsîn xa ū tsî Mesopotamiab di ǀapasǀkhāb, Nahori ǃās ǁga ge ǃgû. 11 ǁNāpab ge sī, ob ge ǃās ǃauga hâ tsaus tawa ǃnaina ge ǃhonǁgoa kai. Nēb ge ge ǃuiǁae i, ǁîb ai di tarekhoede tsaus ǁga ra ǁgamaǃgûǂoaxaba. 12 Ob ge ǁîba ge ǀgore: “Ti ǀhonkhoeb, Abrahammi di Elotse, nētsē ǃgâiǃgâ kai te, î ti ǀhonkhoebats ūba hâ ǀnamma ǁgau re. 13 Tita ge nē tsaus, ǁîs tawa di ǃās di ǂkham tarekhoede nî hā ǁgamas tawa mâ. 14 O-i ge ǁnāti ga ī, îs ǁnā ǂkham khoes ǁîsa ta ga ‘Toxopa sa ǁgamxapasa xu ǁgam-e au te re’ ti mîba tsî ga ‘Ū re îts ā, tsî ǃnain âts tsîna ta ge nî ǂnâba’ ti ǃeream tesa sats xa sa ǃgāb, Isaka ǁhûiǂuibahe hâ tara i. ǁNās ga ī, o ta ge ti ǀhonkhoeb ǀkhats ge dī mîmâisats ge ǃkhōǀgaipe ǃkhaisa nî ǂan.”
15 Noxopab ǀgoretoas tsîna hî tama hîas ge Rebekas, Milkas ge Nahori, Abrahammi di ǃgâsaba ǁoraba ǀgôab, Betueli di ôasa ǃhōs âs ai ǁgamxapasa tani hâse ge ǂoaxa.Rebekas ge Abrahammi ǃgāb ǀkha tsaus tawa ge ǀhao 16 ǁÎs ge ge kaise îsa ǂkham oaxae i, tātsēs tsîna ge noxopa aorekhoe-i ǀkha sorosise ǁgoe tama hâ isa. Tsîs ge ǁîsa tsaus ǁga ǁgôa tsî xapas âsa ǁgam-i ǀkha ǀoaǀoa tsî ge ǂoaxa. 17 Ob ge ǃgāba ǁîsa ǃkhoeǃoa tsî “Toxopa sa ǁgamxapasa xu ǁgam-i xa au te re” ti ge mî.
18 Os ge “Ā re, ǃgôahesatse” ti mî tsî ǃhaese ǁgamxapasa ǃommi âs ai mâi tsî ge ā kai bi. 19 ǁÎb ge ātoa os ge “Sa ǃnain tsîna ta ge hoan nî ākhanus kōse nî ǁhōba” ti ge mî. 20 Tsîs ge ǃhaese xapasa āǃnâǃoreb ǃnâ ǀkhaiǀkhaiǃnâ tsî hoa ǃnaina nî āsise tsaus ǁga ǁgam-e ge ôa-oa. 21 Ob ge khoeba ǃnōsasib âb ǃnâ ǁîsa gere kō, ǃKhūb go ǃgâiǃgâ kai bi ǃkhaisab nî mûse.
22 ǃNainas ge āsitoa ob ge ǁîba ǃgomǀgausa râisa ǂguis ǃaroma tsî ǀgam ǃhuniǀuri ǃganura ǁîs ǃomǃarora ǃaroma ge ūǂui. 23 Tsîb ge “Toxopa tarib ôas a ǃkhaisa mîba te re? Tsî ǁîb di omsa ǂâu hâ hâǃkhai-e tita tsî tita ǀkha hâgu ǃaroma ūhâ, ǃoes ǃaroma?” ti ge dî.
24 Os ge “Tita ge Nahori tsî Milkas hâra ôab, Betueli di ôata. 25 Sida oms tawab ge ǂâu hâ ǃhoroǀgâb tsî ǃûxūn tsîna hâ. ǁKhāti i ge ǂâu hâ hâǃkhai-e hâ” ti ge ǃeream bi.
26 Ob ge khoeba ǃhon tsî ǃKhūba ǀgoreǀî 27 tsî ge mî: “ǀKhaeheb ge hâ ǃKhūb, ti ǀhonkhoeb Abrahammi di Elob, ǂgomǂgomsase ti ǀhonkhoeb ǀkhab ge dī mîmâisa go ǃkhōǀgaipeba. ǃKhūb ge tita ǂhanuse ti ǀhonkhoeb di ǀaokhoen ǁga go sî.”
28 Nē ǂkham khoes ge ǃkhoe-oa tsî ǁîs îs di omarisa nē ī go xūna sī ge ǁgamba. 29 Rebekas ge Laban ti ǀon hâ ǃgâsaba ge ūhâ i, tsîb ge ǁîba Abrahammi di ǃgāb ge hâ i tsaus ǁga ge ǃkhoe. 30 Labanni ge râis ǂguis ai hâs tsî ǃganura Rebekas di ǃomǃarora ai hâra mû tsî ǃgâsasa xu tarenab goro nē khoeba mîba si ǃkhaisa ge ǁnâu. Tsîb ge Abrahammi di ǃgāb, tsaus tawab ge ǃnain ǀkha mûmâb tawa sī 31 tsî ge mî: “Hā re tita ǀkha. Sats ge ǃKhūb xa ǀkhaehe hâ. Tare-i ǃaromats ǃauga mâ? Tita ge ǃnā-omsa ti oms ǃnâ go ǂhomiba tsi, ǁkhāti sa ǃnain ǃaromas tsîna i ge ǃkhai-e hâ.”
32 Ob ge oms ǁga ǃgû tsî ǃnaina ge ǁhûǃao tsîb ge Labanna ǃnaoxūna ǃnaina xu ūǁnâ tsî ǁîna ǃhoroǀgâb tsî ǃûxūn tsîna ge mā. Tsîb ge Abrahammi di ǃgāb tsî ǁîb ǀkha ge hâ igu tsîga ǁānǂai gu nîse ǁgam-e ge mā. 33 ǂÛ-i ge hā-ūhe ob ge “Tita ge nēpa ta go hāba ǃaromasa ta mî tama hîa ǂû tide” ti ge mî.
Ob ge Labanna “O ǃhoa re” ti ge mîba bi.
34 Ob ge ǁîba ge ǃhoatsoatsoa: “Tita ge Abrahammi di ǃgāta. 35 ǃKhūb ge kaise ti ǀhonkhoeba ge ǀkhae, ǃkhūǁî kaib ges kōse. ǁÎb ge ǁîba gūn tsî pirin, goman, ǀhai tsî ǃhuniǀurib, aore tsî tare khobon, ǃnain tsî dâukina ge mā. 36 Tsî ti ǀhonkhoeb taras, Saras ge ǁîs kairasib ǃnâ ǀgôaba ge ǁoraba bi tsîb ge ti ǀhonkhoeba hoaraga xūn ǁîb dina nē ǀgôaba ge mā. 37 Ob ge ti ǀhonkhoeba nū kai te tsî ge mî: ‘Ti ôabats ge Kanaanǃhūb, ǁîb ǃnâ ta ǁan hâb di khoede xu tara-e ūba tide, 38 xawets ge ti îb di ǀaokhoen tsî ti ǂhunuma ǃhaos ǁga ǃgû tsî ti ôaba ǁnāpa sī tara-e nî ūba.’
39 “O ta ge ti ǀhonkhoeba ge dî: ‘Os ga ǁîba ta ga hōba tarasa nē ǃhūb ǁga sao tesa māsenxa tama io mâtis?’
40 “Ob ge ǁîba ‘ǃKhūb, ǁîb aiǃâ ta tita gere ǃgûb ge ǁîb di ǀhomǃgāba nî sî, sats ǀkha ǃgû tsîb sa ǃgûsa nî ǃgâiǃgâ kai tsîts ti ôaba ti ǂhunuma ǃhaos tsî ǀaokhoena xu tara-e nî hōbase. 41 Xawets ga ti ǃhaos tawa sī tsîn ga ǁîna ǁîsa satsa māsa ǂkhā, ots ge ti nūsa xu a ǃnorasa’ ti ge ǃeream te.
42 “Tsî nētsē ta go tsaus tawa ǀkhī, o ta ge go ǀgore: ‘ǃKhūtse, ti ǀhonkhoeb, Abrahammi di Elotse, toxopa nē ǃgûs hîa ta go nēpa hās ǃnâ ǃgâiǃgâ kai te re. 43 Tita ge nē tsaus tawa mâ xuige as ǂkham khoes, ǁgamaǃgûhās ka o ta ga “Toxopa ǁgam-e au te re” ti mî 44 o ga tita ǃoa “Ā re, tsî sa ǃnain tsîna ta ge nî ǁhōba” ti ǃeream tesa ǁnā khoe i re, ǁîsab ǃKhūba ti ǀhonkhoeb ôaba ǁhûiǂuiba hâsa.’ 45 Tsî ǂgaob âtab ǃnâ ta ǀgoretoas tsîna hî tama hîas ge Rebekasa ǃhōs âs ai ǁgamxapasa tani hâse go ǂoaxa. ǁÎs ge tsaus ǁga ǁgôa tsî xapas âsa ǁgam-i ǀkha go ǀoaǀoa. O ta ge ǁîs ǃoa ‘Toxopa ǁgam-e au te re’ ti go mî.
46 “Os ge kaise ǃhaese ǁgamxapasa ǃhōsa xu ūǁnâ tsî ‘Ā re, tsî sa ǃnain tsîna ta ge nî āsi’ ti go mî. O ta ge go ā tsîs ge ǃnain tsîna go āsi.
47 “Tita ge ǁîsa ‘Tarib ôasa?’ ti go dî.
“Os ge ‘Nahori tsî Milkas hâra ôab, Betueli di ôata ge’ ti go ǃeream te.
“O ta ge râisa ǂguis ai tsî ǃganura ǃomǃarora ai ǂnûi si 48 tsî ǃhon tsî ǃKhūba go ǀgoreǀî. Tsî ta ge ǃKhūb, ti ǀhonkhoeb, Abrahammi di Elob, tita ǂhanu daob ai go ǂgaeǂgui tsî ta ti ǀhonkhoeb ǃgâsab di ǁnurisasa ǁîb ôaba taras ase nî hōbase go hui teba go koa. 49 O nēsisa ǁnâi mîba te re ti ǀhonkhoeb ǃoagu du ūhâ ǃereamsa dīǀoaǀoa tsî du ǁîba ǃgâise nî dī-ū ǃkhaisa. ǁNāti tamas ka io ǁkhāti mîba te î ta tare-e ta nî dīsa mîǁgui ǁkhā.”
50 O kha ge Labanni tsî Betueli tsîkha ge ǃeream: “ǃKhūba xun nē xūna hâ, xui-ao i ge sida nî mî xū-i xare-e a ǀkhai 51 xuige ǃKhūb go mî khami Rebekasa sa ǀhonkhoeb ôab di taras ase ū, îts ǃgû re.”
52 Nēsab ge ǁnâu, ob ge Abrahammi di ǃgāba ais âb ra ǃhūba tsâǀkhāse ǃKhūb aiǃâ ge ǃhon. 53 Tsîb ge saran tsî ǃhuni- tsî ǀhaiǀuri-anixūn tsîna ūǂui tsî Rebekasa ge mā. ǁKhātib ge ǀgapiǀgau ǂganǀgauba ūhâ ǀkhaexūna ǁîs di ǃgâsab tsî îs tsîra ge mā.
54 Tsî gu ge Abrahammi di ǃgāb tsî ǁîb ǀkha ge hâ igu tsîga ǂû tsî ā tsî ǁnā tsuxuba ǁnāpa ge ǁom. Tsî ǁgoaga gu ge ǂkhai ob ge ǁîba “A ta ti ǀhonkhoeb ǃoa oa re” ti ge mî.
55 O ra ge Rebekas di ǃgâsab tsî îs tsîra “As toxopa aibe disi tsēdi xawede sida ǀkha hâ re, os kom ǁnās khaoǃgâ a ǃgû ǁkhāo” ti ge ǂgan.
56 Ob ge Abrahammi ǃgāba “Tā toxopa ǃKhūb go ǃgûs âtas ǃnâ ǃgâiǃgâ kai te xuige ǃkhōmâi te, î ta ti ǀhonkhoeb ǁga oa re” ti ge mî.
57 “A da ǁnâi ǀgôasa ǂgai tsî ǁnâu re mâtis ra ǁîsa ǂâi ǃkhaisa” ti mî tsî ra ge 58 Rebekasa ǂgai tsî “Nē khoeb ǀkhas ra ǃgû ǂgao?” ti ge dî.
Os ge ǁîsa “Ā, ǃgû ǂgao ta ra” ti ge ǃeream.
59 On ge ǁîna Rebekas, ǁîn ǃgâsasa ǁîsa ge kaikai taras ǀkha ge ǃgû kai, Abrahammi di ǃgāb tsî ǁîb ǀkha ge hâ i khoegu tsîn ǀkha. 60 Tsîn ge ǁîna sao ra mîdi ǀkha Rebekasa ge ǀkhae:
“Sida di ǃgâsase, miliunn di î kai re!
Ab sa suriba ǁîn khākhoen di ǃāde ūbasen re!”
61 O di ge Rebekas tsî ǁîs di ǃgādi tsîna ǃnain ai ǃgapi hâse Abrahammi ǃgāb ǀkha ge ǃgû.
62 Isaki hîa ge ǃkhawagasǀkhāb ai ǁan hâ ib ge “ǁNā-Ûitsamab-hîa-ra-Mû-teb-di-Tsausa” xu ge ǃgoaxa i. 63 ǁÎb ge ǀgui ǃoe ǀgore nîse ǃgaroǃhūb ǁga ge ǃgû. Tsî kōkhâib ge, ob ge ǃnaina ge mûǃgoaxa. 64 Os ge Rebekasa Isakas ge mû, o ǃnaiba xu ǁgôa 65 tsî Abrahammi di ǃgāba “Mâ khoeba kha ǁnā ǃgarob ǃnâ sada ǁga ǃgoaxaba?” ti ge dî.
ǁÎb ge “Ti ǀhonkhoeb ge” ti ge ǃeream si, os ge Rebekasa ais âsa ǃkhaib ǀkha ge ǃgū-ai.
66 Tsîb ge ǃgāba Isaka hoaraga xūn hîab ge dīna ge mîba. 67 Tsîb ge Isaka Rebekasa ǁîb îs, Saras di ge i tentoms ǃnâ hâ kai tsî ǁîs ǀkha ge ǃgame. ǁÎb ge kaise Rebekasa ge ǀnam i tsî ǁgûs di ǁōb khaoǃgâ ǁnā ǀgaus ai ge ǁkhaeǂgaohe.
