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is, in Hebron, in the land of Canaan; and Abraham cried out in grief and wept for Sarah. 3After he got up from embracing his deceased wife, he spoke with the Hittites: 4"I am an immigrant and a temporary resident with you. Give me some property for a burial plot among you so that I can bury my deceased wife near me."
5The Hittites responded to Abraham, 6"Listen to us, sir. You are an eminent man of God among us. Bury your dead in one of our own select burial sites. None of us will keep our own burial plots from you to bury your dead."
7Abraham rose, bowed to the local citizens the Hittites, 8and spoke with them: "If you yourselves allow me to bury my dead near me, listen to me and ask Ephron, Zohar's son,9to give me his own cave in Machpelah at the edge of his field. Let him give it to me for the full price, to be witnessed by you, as my own burial property."
10Now Ephron was a native Hittite. So Ephron the Hittite responded to Abraham publicly in order that the Hittites and everyone at his city's gate could hear: 11"No, sir. Listen, I will give you the field, and I will give you the cave in it. In front of my people's witnesses, I will give it to you. Bury your dead!"
12Abraham bowed before the local citizens 13and spoke to Ephron publicly in the presence of the local citizens: "If only you would accept my offer. I will give you the price of the field. Take it from me so that I can bury my dead there."
14Ephron responded to Abraham, 15"Sir, what is four hundred shekels of silver between me and you for the land so that you can bury your dead?"16Abraham accepted Ephron's offer and weighed out for Ephron the silver he requested publicly before the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver at the current rate of exchange.
17So the field of Ephron in Machpelah near Mamre--the field and the cave in it, and all the trees within the field's boundaries--was officially transferred 18to Abraham as his property in the presence of the Hittites and of everyone at his city's gate. 19After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, that is, Hebron, in the land of Canaan. 20The field and the cave in it were officially transferred from the Hittites to Abraham as his burial property.
Isaac marries Rebekah
Genesis 24As the days went by and Abraham became older, the LORD blessed Abraham in every way. 2Abraham said to the oldest servant of his household, who was in charge of everything he owned, "Put your hand under my thigh. 3By the LORD, God of heaven and earth, give me your word that you won't choose a wife for my son from the Canaanite women among whom I live. 4Go to my land and my family and find a wife for my son Isaac there."
5The servant said to him, "What if the woman doesn't agree to come back with me to this land? Shouldn't I take your son back to the land you left?"
6Abraham said to him, "Be sure you don't take my son back there. 7The LORD, God of heaven--who took me from my father's household and from my family's land, who spoke with me and who gave me his word, saying, 'I will give this land to your descendants'--he will send his messenger in front of you, and you will find a wife for my son there. 8If the woman won't agree to come back with you, you will be free from this obligation to me. Only don't take my son back there."9So the servant put his hand under his master Abraham's thigh and gave him his word about this mission.
10The servant took ten of his master's camels and all of his master's best provisions, set out, and traveled to Nahor's city in Aram-naharaim. 11He had the camels kneel down outside the city at the well in the evening, when women come out to draw water. 12He said, "LORD, God of my master Abraham, make something good happen for me today and be loyal to my master Abraham. 13I will stand here by the spring while the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water. 14When I say to a young woman, 'Hand me your water jar so I can drink,' and she says to me, 'Drink, and I will give your camels water too,' may she be the one you've selected for your servant Isaac. In this way I will know that you've been loyal to my master."15Even before he finished speaking, Rebekah--daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother--was coming out with a water jar on her shoulder. 16The young woman was very beautiful, old enough to be married, and hadn't known a man intimately. She went down to the spring, filled her water jar, and came back up.
17The servant ran to meet her and said, "Give me a little sip of water from your jar."
18She said, "Drink, sir." Then she quickly lowered the water jar with her hands and gave him some water to drink. 19When she finished giving him a drink, she said, "I'll draw some water for your camels too, till they've had enough to drink."20She emptied her water jar quickly into the watering trough, ran to the well again to draw water, and drew water for all of the camels. 21The man stood gazing at her, wondering silently if the LORD had made his trip successful or not.
22As soon as the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold ring, weighing a half shekel,u and two gold bracelets for her arms, weighing ten shekels. 23He said, "Please tell me whose daughter you are. Is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?"
24She responded, "I'm the daughter of Bethuel, who is the son of Milcah and Nahor."25She continued, "We have plenty of straw and feed for the camels, and a place to spend the night."
26The man bowed down and praised the LORD: 27"Bless the LORD, God of my master Abraham, who hasn't given up his loyalty and his faithfulness to my master. The LORD has shown me the way to the household of my master's brother."
28The young woman ran and told her mother's household everything that had happened. 29Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and Laban ran to the man outside by the spring. 30When he had seen the ring and the bracelets on his sister's arms, and when he had heard his sister Rebekah say, "This is what the man said to me," he went to the man, who was still standing by the spring with his camels. 31Laban said, "Come in, favored one of the LORD! Why are you standing outside? I've prepared the house and a place for the camels."32So the man entered the house. Then Laban unbridled the camels, provided straw and feed for them and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men with him, 33and set out a meal for him.
But the man said, "I won't eat until I've said something."
Laban replied, "Say it."
34The man said, "I am Abraham's servant. 35The LORD has richly blessed my master, has made him a great man, and has given him flocks, cattle, silver, gold, men servants, women servants, camels, and donkeys. 36My master's wife Sarah gave birth to a son for my master in her old age, and he's given him everything he owns. 37My master made me give him my word: 'Don't choose a wife for my son from the Canaanite women, in whose land I'm living. 38No, instead, go to my father's household and to my relatives and choose a wife for my son.' 39I said to my master, 'What if the woman won't come back with me?' 40He said to me, 'The LORD, whom I've traveled with everywhere, will send his messenger with you and make your trip successful; and you will choose a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father's household. 41If you go to my relatives, you will be free from your obligation to me. Even if they provide no one for you, you will be free from your obligation to me.'
42"Today I arrived at the spring, and I said, 'LORD, God of my master Abraham, if you wish to make the trip I'm taking successful,43when I'm standing by the spring and the young woman who comes out to draw water and to whom I say, "Please give
