The One Year Chronological Study Bible - Flipbook - Page 37
page 33
JANUARY 7
I saw Rebekah coming out with her water jug
on her shoulder. She went down to the spring
and drew water. So I said to her, ‘Please give me
a drink.’ 46 She quickly lowered her jug from her
shoulder and said, ‘Yes, have a drink, and I will
water your camels, too!’ So I drank, and then she
watered the camels.
47 “Then I asked, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She
replied, ‘I am the daughter of Bethuel, and my
grandparents are Nahor and Milcah.’ So I put the
ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists.
48 “Then I bowed low and worshiped the Lord.
I praised the Lord, the God of my master, Abraham, because he had led me straight to my master’s niece to be his son’s wife. 49 So tell me—will
you or won’t you show unfailing love and faithfulness to my master? Please tell me yes or no,
and then I’ll know what to do next.”
50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “The Lord
has obviously brought you here, so there is
nothing we can say. 51 Here is Rebekah; take her
and go. Yes, let her be the wife of your master’s
son, as the Lord has directed.”
52 When Abraham’s servant heard their answer, he bowed down to the ground and worshiped the Lord. 53 Then he brought out silver
and gold jewelry and clothing and presented
them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive presents to her brother and mother. 54 Then they ate
their meal, and the servant and the men with
him stayed there overnight.
But early the next morning, Abraham’s servant said, “Send me back to my master.”
55 “But we want Rebekah to stay with us at
least ten days,” her brother and mother said.
“Then she can go.”
56 But he said, “Don’t delay me. The Lord has
made my mission successful; now send me back
so I can return to my master.”
57 “Well,” they said, “we’ll call Rebekah and
ask her what she thinks.” 58 So they called Rebekah. “Are you willing to go with this man?”
they asked her.
And she replied, “Yes, I will go.”
59 So they said good-bye to Rebekah and sent
her away with Abraham’s servant and his men.
The woman who had been Rebekah’s childhood
nurse went along with her. 60 They gave her this
blessing as she parted:
END & NEW
BEGINNING
MISSIONS
CHURCH
“Our sister, may you become
the mother of many millions!
May your descendants be strong
and conquer the cities of their enemies.”
GOSPEL
SILENT
RETURN
CAPTIVITY
28 The young woman ran home to tell her family everything that had happened. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, who ran out
to meet the man at the spring. 30 He had seen the
nose-ring and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists,
and had heard Rebekah tell what the man had
said. So he rushed out to the spring, where the
man was still standing beside his camels. 31 Laban
said to him, “Come and stay with us, you who are
blessed by the Lord! Why are you standing here
outside the town when I have a room all ready for
you and a place prepared for the camels?”
32 So the man went home with Laban, and Laban unloaded the camels, gave him straw for
their bedding, fed them, and provided water
for the man and the camel drivers to wash their
feet. 33 Then food was served. But Abraham’s servant said, “I don’t want to eat until I have told
you why I have come.”
“All right,” Laban said, “tell us.”
34 “I am Abraham’s servant,” he explained.
35 “And the Lord has greatly blessed my master; he
has become a wealthy man. The Lord has given
him flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle,
a fortune in silver and gold, and many male and
female servants and camels and donkeys.
36 “When Sarah, my master’s wife, was very old,
she gave birth to my master’s son, and my master has given him everything he owns. 37And my
master made me take an oath. He said, ‘Do not
allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women. 38 Go instead to my father’s house, to
my relatives, and find a wife there for my son.’
39 “But I said to my master, ‘What if I can’t find
a young woman who is willing to go back with
me?’ 40 He responded, ‘The Lord, in whose presence I have lived, will send his angel with you
and will make your mission successful. Yes, you
must find a wife for my son from among my
relatives, from my father’s family. 41 Then you
will have fulfilled your obligation. But if you go
to my relatives and they refuse to let her go with
you, you will be free from my oath.’
42 “So today when I came to the spring, I prayed
this prayer: ‘O Lord, God of my master, Abraham, please give me success on this mission.
43 See, I am standing here beside this spring. This
is my request. When a young woman comes to
draw water, I will say to her, “Please give me a
little drink of water from your jug.” 44 If she says,
“Yes, have a drink, and I will draw water for your
camels, too,” let her be the one you have selected
to be the wife of my master’s son.’
45 “Before I had finished praying in my heart,
•