Beresheet, starting at chapter 22
{22:1} It happened after these things, that God tested Avraham, and
said to him, "Avraham!"
He said, "Here I am."
{22:2} He said, "Now take your son, your only son, whom you love,
even Yitzchak, and go into the land of Moriyah. Offer him there for a
burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of."
{22:3} Avraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his donkey,
and took two of his young men with him, and Yitzchak his son. He split
the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of
which God had told him. {22:4} On the third day Avraham lifted up his
eyes, and saw the place far off. {22:5} Avraham said to his young men,
"Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go yonder. We will
worship, and come back to you. {22:6} Avraham took the wood of the
burnt offering and laid it on Yitzchak his son. He took in his hand
the fire and the knife. They both went together. {22:7} Yitzchak spoke
to Avraham his father, and said, "My father?"
He said, "Here I am, my son."
He said, "Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a
burnt offering?"
{22:8} Avraham said, "God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt
offering, my son." So they both went together. {22:9} They came to the
place which God had told him of. Avraham built the altar there, and
laid the wood in order, bound Yitzchak his son, and laid him on the
altar, on the wood. {22:10} Avraham stretched forth his hand, and took
the knife to kill his son.
{22:11} The angel of the LORD called to him out of the sky, and
said, "Avraham, Avraham!"
He said, "Here I am."
{22:12} He said, "Don't lay your hand on the boy, neither do
anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not
withheld your son, your only son, from me."
{22:13} Avraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that behind
him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Avraham went and
took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his
son. {22:14} Avraham called the name of that place Yahweh-Jireh. As it
is said to this day, "In the LORD's mountain it will be provided.
{22:15} The angel of the LORD called to Avraham a second time out of
the sky, {22:16} and said, "I have sworn by myself, says the LORD,
because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your
only son, {22:17} that in blessing I will bless you, and in
multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and
as the sand which is on the seashore. Your seed will possess the gate
of his enemies. {22:18} In your seed will all the nations of the
[1>]eretz[<1] be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."
{22:19} So Avraham returned to his young men, and they rose up and
went together to Be'er-Sheva. Avraham lived at Be'er-Sheva.
{22:20} It happened after these things, that it was told Avraham,
saying, "Behold, Milkah, she also has borne children to your brother
Nachor: {22:21} `Utz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemu'el the
father of Aram, {22:22} Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Yidlaf, and Betu'el."
{22:23} Betu'el became the father of Rivka. These eight Milkah bore to
Nachor, Avraham's brother. {22:24} His concubine, whose name was
Re'umah, also bare Tebah, Gacham, Tachash, and Ma`akhah.
{23:1} Sarah lived one hundred twenty-seven years. These were the
years of Sarah's life. {23:2} Sarah died in Kiryat-Arba (the same is
Hevron), in the land of Kana`an. Avraham came to mourn for Sarah, and
to weep for her. {23:3} Avraham rose up from before his dead, and
spoke to the children of Het, saying, {23:4} "I am a stranger and a
sojourner with you. Give me a possession of a burying-place with you,
that I may bury my dead out of my sight."
{23:5} The children of Het answered Avraham, saying to him, {23:6}
"Hear us, my lord. You are a prince of God among us. In the choice of
our tombs bury your dead. None of us will withhold from you his tomb,
but that you may bury your dead."
{23:7} Avraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land,
even to the children of Het. {23:8} He talked with them, saying, "If
it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me,
and entreat for me to `Efron the son of Tzochar, {23:9} that he may
give me the cave of Makhpelah, which he has, which is in the end of
his field. For the full price let him give it to me in the midst of
you for a possession of a burying-place."
{23:10} Now `Efron was sitting in the midst of the children of Het.
`Efron the Hittite answered Avraham in the hearing of the children of
Het, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying, {23:11}
"No, my lord, hear me. I give you the field, and I give you the cave
that is in it. In the presence of the children of my people I give it
to you. Bury your dead."
{23:12} Avraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.
{23:13} He spoke to `Efron in the audience of the people of the land,
saying, "But if you will, please hear me. I will give the price of the
field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there."
{23:14} `Efron answered Avraham, saying to him, {23:15} "My lord,
listen to me. What is a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of
silver between me and you? Therefore bury your dead."
{23:16} Avraham listened to `Efron. Avraham weighed to `Efron the
silver which he had named in the audience of the children of Het, four
hundred shekels of silver, according to the current merchants'
standard.
{23:17} So the field of `Efron, which was in Makhpelah, which was
before Mamre, the field, the cave which was therein, and all the trees
that were in the field, that were in all the border of it round about,
were made sure {23:18} to Avraham for a possession in the presence of
the children of Het, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
{23:19} After this, Avraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the
field of Makhpelah before Mamre (the same is Hevron), in the land of
Kana`an. {23:20} The field, and the cave that is therein, were made
sure to Avraham for a possession of a burying place by the children of
Het.
{24:1} Avraham was old, and well stricken in age. The LORD had
blessed Avraham in all things. {24:2} Avraham said to his servant, the
elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Please put your
hand under my thigh. {24:3} I will make you swear by the LORD, the God
of heaven and the God of the [1>]eretz[<1], that you shall not take a
wife for my son of the daughters of the Kana`anim, among whom I live.
{24:4} But you shall go to my country, and to my relatives, and take a
wife for my son Yitzchak."
{24:5} The servant said to him, "What if the woman isn't willing to
follow me to this land? Must I bring your son again to the land you
came from?"
{24:6} Avraham said to him, "Beware that you don't bring my son
there again. {24:7} The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my
father's house, and from the land of my birth, who spoke to me, and
who swore to me, saying, 'To your descendants I will give this land.'
He will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my
son from there. {24:8} If the woman isn't willing to follow you, then
you shall be clear from this my oath. Only you shall not bring my son
there again."
{24:9} The servant put his hand under the thigh of Avraham his
master, and swore to him concerning this matter. {24:10} The servant
took ten camels, of his master's camels, and departed, having all
goodly things of his master's in his hand. He arose, and went to
Aram-Naharayim, to the city of Nachor. {24:11} He made the camels
kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of
evening, the time that women go out to draw water. {24:12} He said,
"The LORD, the God of my master Avraham, please give me success this
day, and show kindness to my master Avraham. {24:13} Behold, I am
standing by the spring of water. The daughters of the men of the city
are coming out to draw water. {24:14} Let it happen, that the young
lady to whom I will say, 'Please let down your pitcher, that I may
drink.' She will say, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a
drink.' Let the same be she who you have appointed for your servant
Yitzchak. Thereby will I know that you have shown kindness to my
master."
{24:15} It happened, before he had done speaking, that behold, Rivka
came out, who was born to Betu'el the son of Milkah, the wife of
Nachor, Avraham's brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder. {24:16}
The young lady was very beautiful to look at, a virgin, neither had
any man known her. She went down to the spring, filled her pitcher,
and came up. {24:17} The servant ran to meet her, and said, "Please
give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher."
{24:18} She said, "Drink, my lord." She hurried, and let down her
pitcher on her hand, and gave him drink. {24:19} When she had done
giving him drink, she said, "I will also draw for your camels, until
they have done drinking." {24:20} She hurried, and emptied her pitcher
into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all
his camels.
{24:21} The man looked steadfastly at her, holding his shalom, to
know whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not. {24:22}
It happened, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a
golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands
of ten shekels weight of gold, {24:23} and said, "Whose daughter are
you? Please tell me. Is there room in your father's house for us to
lodge in?"
{24:24} She said to him, "I am the daughter of Betu'el the son of
Milkah, whom she bore to Nachor." {24:25} She said moreover to him,
"We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in."
{24:26} The man bowed his head, and worshiped the LORD. {24:27} He
said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Avraham, who has not
forsaken his lovingkindness and his truth toward my master. As for me,
the LORD has led me in the way to the house of my master's relatives."
{24:28} The young lady ran, and told her mother's house about these
words. {24:29} Rivka had a brother, and his name was Lavan. Lavan ran
out to the man, to the spring. {24:30} It happened, when he saw the
ring, and the bracelets on his sister's hands, and when he heard the
words of Rivka his sister, saying, "This is what the man said to me,"
that he came to the man. Behold, he was standing by the camels at the
spring. {24:31} He said, "Come in, you blessed of the LORD. Why do you
stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels."
{24:32} The man came into the house, and he unloaded the camels. He
gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet
and the feet of the men who were with him. {24:33} Food was set before
him to eat. But he said, "I will not eat until I have told my message."
He said, "Speak on."
{24:34} He said, "I am Avraham's servant. {24:35} The LORD has
blessed my master greatly. He has become great. He has given him
flocks and herds, silver and gold, men-servants and maid-servants, and
camels and donkeys. {24:36} Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my
master when she was old. He has given all that he has to him. {24:37}
My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son
of the daughters of the Kana`anim, in whose land I live, {24:38} but
you shall go to my father's house, and to my relatives, and take a
wife for my son.' {24:39} I said to my master, 'What if the woman will
not follow me?' {24:40} He said to me, 'The LORD, before whom I walk,
will send his angel with you, and prosper your way. You shall take a
wife for my son of my relatives, and of my father's house. {24:41}
Then will you be clear from my oath, when you come to my relatives. If
they don't give her to you, you shall be clear from my oath.' {24:42}
I came this day to the spring, and said, 'The LORD, the God of my
master Avraham, if now you do prosper my way which I go. {24:43}
Behold, I am standing by the spring of water. Let it happen, that the
[2>]almah[<2] who comes forth to draw, to whom I will say, Give me, I
pray you, a little water from your pitcher to drink. {24:44} She will
tell me, "Drink, and I will also draw for your camels." Let the same
be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son.' {24:45}
Before I had done speaking in my heart, behold, Rivka came forth with
her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the spring, and drew. I
said to her, 'Please let me drink.' {24:46} She hurried and let down
her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will also give
your camels a drink.' So I drank, and she made the camels drink also.
{24:47} I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said,
'The daughter of Betu'el, Nachor's son, whom Milkah bare to him.' I
put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands. {24:48} I
bowed my head, and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD, the God
of my master Avraham, who had led me in the right way to take my
master's brother's daughter for his son. {24:49} Now if you will deal
kindly and truly with my master, tell me. If not, tell me. That I may
turn to the right hand, or to the left."
{24:50} Then Lavan and Betu'el answered, "The thing proceeds from
the LORD. We can't speak to you bad or good. {24:51} Behold, Rivka is
before you, take her, and go, and let her be your master's son's wife,
as the LORD has spoken."
{24:52} It happened that when Avraham's servant heard their words,
he bowed himself down to the [3>]eretz[<3] to the LORD. {24:53} The
servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and
clothing, and gave them to Rivka. He gave also to her brother and to
her mother precious things. {24:54} They ate and drank, he and the men
who were with him, and stayed all night. They rose up in the morning,
and he said, "Send me away to my master."
{24:55} Her brother and her mother said, "Let the young lady stay
with us a few days, at least ten. After that she will go."
{24:56} He said to them, "Don't hinder me, seeing the LORD has
prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master."
{24:57} They said, "We will call the young lady, and ask her."
{24:58} They called Rivka, and said to her, "Will you go with this
man?"
She said, "I will go."
{24:59} They sent away Rivka, their sister, with her nurse,
Avraham's servant, and his men. {24:60} They blessed Rivka, and said
to her, "Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten
thousands, and let your seed possess the gate of those who hate them."
{24:61} Rivka arose with her ladies. They rode on the camels, and
followed the man. The servant took Rivka, and went his way. {24:62}
Yitzchak came from the way of Be'er-Lachai-Ro'i. For he lived in the
land of the South. {24:63} Yitzchak went out to meditate in the field
at the evening. He lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there
were camels coming. {24:64} Rivka lifted up her eyes, and when she saw
Yitzchak, she dismounted from the camel. {24:65} She said to the
servant, "Who is the man who is walking in the field to meet us?"
The servant said, "It is my master."
She took her veil, and covered herself. {24:66} The servant told
Yitzchak all the things that he had done. {24:67} Yitzchak brought her
into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rivka, and she became his wife.
He loved her. Yitzchak was comforted after his mother's death.
________________________________________________________________________
Footnotes:
[1] {22:18} earth
[1] {24:3} earth
[2] {24:43} virgin or young maiden
[3] {24:52} earth
________________________________________________________________________
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