Erat autem Abraham senex, dierumque multorum: et Dominus in cunctis benedixerat ei.

Abraham was old now, and his life was near its end; and still, in all his doings, the Lord had blessed him.

Now Abraham was old; and advanced in age: and the Lord had blessed him in all things.

Dixitque ad servum seniorem domus suæ, qui præerat omnibus quæ habebat: Pone manum tuam subter femur meum,

So now he called the oldest servant in his house, one who had charge of all his possessions, and said to him, Put thy hand here under my thigh,

And he said to the elder servant of his house, who was ruler over all he had: Put thy hand under my thigh,

ut adjurem te per Dominum Deum cæli et terræ, ut non accipias uxorem filio meo de filiabus Chananæorum, inter quos habito:

and let me take an oath of thee. Swear to me by the Lord God of heaven and earth that when thou findest a wife for my son, it shall not be some daughter of these Chanaanites, among whom I dwell;

That I may make thee swear by the Lord the God of heaven and earth, that thou take not a wife for my son, of the daughters of the Chanaanites, among whom I dwell:

sed ad terram et cognationem meam proficiscaris et inde accipias uxorem filio meo Isaac.

that thou wilt make thy way to my own country and my own kindred, and find a wife for my son Isaac there.

But that thou go to my own country and kindred, and take a wife from thence for my son Isaac.

Respondit servus: Si noluerit mulier venire mecum in terram hanc, numquid reducere debeo filium tuum ad locum, de quo egressus es?

What then, said the servant, if the woman of my choice refuses to come back to this land with me? Must I then take thy son back instead to the place that was once thy home?

The servant answered: If the woman will not come with me into this land, must I bring thy son back again to the place, from whence thou camest out?

Dixitque Abraham: Cave nequando reducas filium meum illuc.

Beware of that, Abraham said; never take this son of mine back there.

And Abraham said: Beware thou never bring my son back again thither.

Dominus Deus cæli, qui tulit me de domo patris mei, et de terra nativitatis meæ, qui locutus est mihi, et juravit mihi, dicens: Semini tuo dabo terram hanc: ipse mittet angelum suum coram te, et accipies inde uxorem filio meo:

It was the Lord God of heaven that called me away from my father’s house and from the land of my birth; and he has spoken with me, swearing to make over this land to my posterity. His angel will go before thee, enabling thee to find a wife for my son there.

The Lord God of heaven, who took me out of my father’s house, and out of my native country, who spoke to me, and swore to me, saying: To thy seed will I give this land: he will send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take from thence a wife for my son.

sin autem mulier noluerit sequi te, non teneberis juramento: filium meum tantum ne reducas illuc.

If the woman will not accompany thee, then thou art quit of this oath of thine, but never must thou take my son back there instead.

But if the woman will not follow thee, thou shalt not be bound by the oath; only bring not my son back thither again.

Posuit ergo servus manum sub femore Abraham domini sui, et juravit illi super sermone hoc.

So, putting his hand under his master Abraham’s thigh, the servant pledged himself to fulfil this errand.

The servant therefore put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his lord, and swore to him upon his word.

Tulitque decem camelos de grege domini sui, et abiit, ex omnibus bonis ejus portans secum, profectusque perrexit in Mesopotamiam ad urbem Nachor.

He brought out ten of the camels in his master’s herd, and took part of all his master’s treasure with him; thus he set out, and made his way to the city where Nachor dwelt, in Mesopotamia.

And he took ten camels of his master’s herd, and departed, carrying something of all his goods with him, and he set forward and went on to Mesopotamia to the city of Nachor.

Cumque camelos fecisset accumbere extra oppidum juxta puteum aquæ vespere, tempore quo solent mulieres egredi ad hauriendam aquam, dixit:

He was resting his camels by a well close to the town, just at the time of evening when women go out to draw water, and he prayed thus:

And when he had made the camels lie down without the town near a well of water in the evening, at the time when women are wont to come out to draw water, he said:

Domine Deus domini mei Abraham, occurre, obsecro, mihi hodie, et fac misericordiam cum domino meo Abraham.

O Lord, who art the God of my master Abraham, speed my errand to-day, and shew kindness to my master Abraham.

O Lord the God of my master Abraham, meet me to day, I beseech thee, and shew kindness to my master Abraham.

Ecce ego sto prope fontem aquæ, et filiæ habitatorum hujus civitatis egredientur ad hauriendam aquam.

I have taken up my post by this well, and the daughters of the citizens will be coming out to draw water.

Behold I stand nigh the spring of water, and the daughters of the inhabitants of this city will come out to draw water.

Igitur puella, cui ego dixero: Inclina hydriam tuam ut bibam: et illa responderit: Bibe, quin et camelis tuis dabo potum: ipsa est quam præparasti servo tuo Isaac: et per hoc intelligam quod feceris misericordiam cum domino meo.

It may be that one of them, when I ask her to let down her pitcher and give me drink, will say, Here is drink for thee, and I will water thy camels as well. Let this be the bride thou hast chosen for thy servant Isaac; if it proves so, I shall know that thou art shewing kindness to my master.

Now, therefore, the maid to whom I shall say: Let down thy pitcher that I may drink: and she shall answer, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let it be the same whom thou hast provided for thy servant Isaac: and by this I shall understand, that thou hast shewn kindness to my master.

Necdum intra se verba compleverat, et ecce Rebecca egrediebatur, filia Bathuel, filii Melchæ uxoris Nachor fratris Abraham, habens hydriam in scapula sua:

Before he had finished praying thus in his heart, Rebecca, the daughter of Bathuel, came out with a pitcher on her shoulder. (Bathuel was one of the sons of Melcha, who married Abraham’s brother Nachor.)

He had not yet ended these words within himself, and behold Rebecca came out, the daughter of Bathuel, son of Melcha, wife to Nachor the brother of Abraham, having a pitcher on her shoulder:

puella decora nimis, virgoque pulcherrima, et incognita viro: descenderat autem ad fontem, et impleverat hydriam, ac revertebatur.

A maiden most beautiful, fair of face, and a virgin that had no knowledge of man; and now she had gone down to the well, and filled the pitcher, and was on her way back,

An exceeding comely maid, and a most beautiful virgin, and not known to man: and she went down to the spring, and filled her pitcher and was coming back.

Occurritque ei servus, et ait: Pauxillum aquæ mihi ad bibendum præbe de hydria tua.

when the servant went to meet her. Give me a drop of water to drink, he said, from that pitcher of thine.

And the servant ran to meet her, and said: Give me a little water to drink of thy pitcher.

Quæ respondit: Bibe, domine mi: celeriterque deposuit hydriam super ulnam suam, et dedit ei potum.

Drink, sir, she answered, and quickly let down the pitcher on to her arm, to give him drink.

And she answered: Drink, my lord. And quickly she let down the pitcher upon her arm, and gave him drink.

Cumque ille bibisset, adjecit: Quin et camelis tuis hauriam aquam, donec cuncti bibant.

Then she added, when he had finished drinking, Now I will draw water for thy camels, too, till they have had their fill.

And when he had drunk, she said: I will draw water for thy camels also, till they all drink.

Effundensque hydriam in canalibus, recurrit ad puteum ut hauriret aquam: et haustam omnibus camelis dedit.

And with that she emptied her pitcher into the troughs, and ran back to the well to draw water again, and gave what she drew for all his camels to drink.

And pouring out the pitcher into the troughs, she ran back to the well to draw water: and having drawn she gave to all the camels.

Ipse autem contemplabatur eam tacitus, scire volens utrum prosperum iter suum fecisset Dominus, an non.

He, meanwhile, watched her in silence, wondering whether God had sped his errand or no.

But he musing beheld her with silence, desirous to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not.

Postquam autem biberunt cameli, protulit vir inaures aureas, appendentes siclos duos, et armillas totidem pondo siclorum decem.

Then, when the camels had drunk, he took out two golden ear-rings, that weighed ten pennyweights, and two bracelets, weighing five ounces;

And after that the camels had drunk, the man took out golden earrings, weighing two sicles: and as many bracelets of ten sicles weight.

Dixitque ad eam: Cujus es filia? indica mihi, est in domo patris tui locus ad manendum?

and he said, Tell me, who is thy father? And can thy father’s house give us lodging for the night?

And he said to her: Whose daughter art thou? tell me: is there any place in thy father’s house to lodge?

Quæ respondit: Filia sum Bathuelis, filii Melchæ, quem peperit ipsi Nachor.

Bathuel is my father, she answered, the son of Nachor by Melcha;

And she answered: I am the daughter of Bathuel, the son of Melcha, whom she bore to Nachor.

Et addidit, dicens: Palearum quoque et fœni plurimum est apud nos, et locus spatiosus ad manendum.

and she added, We have no lack of straw or of hay, and it is a roomy house to lodge in.

And she said moreover to him: We have good store of both straw and hay, and a large place to lodge in.

Inclinavit se homo, et adoravit Dominum,

At this the servant bowed low and praised God;

The man bowed himself down, and adored the Lord,

dicens: Benedictus Dominus Deus domini mei Abraham, qui non abstulit misericordiam et veritatem suam a domino meo, et recto itinere me perduxit in domum fratris domini mei.

Blessed be the Lord, he said, the God of my master Abraham, still so merciful, still keeping his word to this master of mine, and guiding me straight to his brother’s house!

Saying: Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not taken away his mercy and truth from my master, and hath brought me the straight way into the house of my master’s brother.

Cucurrit itaque puella, et nuntiavit in domum matris suæ omnia quæ audierat.

So the girl ran back home, and told her mother all that had been said to her.

Then the maid ran, and told in her mother’s house, all that she had heard.

Habebat autem Rebecca fratrem nomine Laban, qui festinus egressus est ad hominem, ubi erat fons.

She had a brother called Laban; and he hastened out to meet the servant at the well.

And Rebecca had a brother named Laban, who went out in haste to the man, to the well.

Cumque vidisset inaures et armillas in manibus sororis suæ, et audisset cuncta verba referentis: Hæc locutus est mihi homo: venit ad virum qui stabat juxta camelos, et prope fontem aquæ:

Full of the sight of those ear-rings, and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and of the words she had reported, he went to look for the man, and found him still standing by the camels, close to the well.

And when he had seen the earrings and bracelets in his sister’s hands, and had heard all that she related, saying: Thus and thus the man spoke to me: he came to the man who stood by the camels, and near to the spring of water,

dixitque ad eum: Ingredere, benedicte Domini: cur foris stas? præparavi domum, et locum camelis.

Come in, he said; why dost thou stand without, so high in the Lord’s favour as thou art? I have made the house ready, and found stabling for the camels.

And said to him: Come in, thou blessed of the Lord: why standest thou without? I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.

Et introduxit eum in hospitium: ac destravit camelos, deditque paleas et fœnum, et aquam ad lavandos pedes ejus, et virorum qui venerant cum eo.

So he brought the servant home, and unharnessed the camels for him, and brought straw and hay for them; water, too, so that the servant and his companions could wash their feet.

And he brought him in into his lodging: and he unharnessed the camels and gave straw and hay, and water to wash his feet, and the feet of the men that were come with him.

Et appositus est in conspectu ejus panis. Qui ait: Non comedam, donec loquar sermones meos. Respondit ei: Loquere.

Then they put food before him, but he said, I cannot eat until I have delivered my message. So Laban gave him leave to speak,

And bread was set before him. But he said: I will not eat, till I tell my message. He answered him: Speak.

At ille: Servus, inquit, Abraham sum:

and he said, I am one of the servants of Abraham.

And he said: I am the servant of Abraham:

et Dominus benedixit domino meo valde, magnificatusque est: et dedit ei oves et boves, argentum et aurum, servos et ancillas, camelos et asinos.

The Lord has blessed my master abundantly and made him great, giving him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, men-servants and maid-servants, camels and asses.

And the Lord hath blessed my master wonderfully, and he is become great: and he hath given him sheep and oxen, silver and gold, menservants and womenservants, camels and asses.

Et peperit Sara uxor domini mei filium domino meo in senectute sua, deditque illi omnia quæ habuerat.

And now Sara, my master’s wife, has borne him a son in her old age, the heir of all his property.

And Sara my master’s wife hath borne my master a son in her old age, and he hath given him all that he had.

Et adjuravit me dominus meus, dicens: Non accipies uxorem filio meo de filiabus Chananæorum, in quorum terra habito:

So my master took an oath of me to do his bidding; When thou findest a wife for my son, he said, it shall not be some daughter of these Chanaanites, among whom I dwell;

And my master made me swear, saying: Thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the Chanaanites, in whose land I dwell:

sed ad domum patris mei perges, et de cognatione mea accipies uxorem filio meo.

thou must make thy way to my father’s house, and find a wife for my son among my own kindred.

But thou shalt go to my father’s house, and shalt take a wife of my own kindred for my son:

Ego vero respondi domino meo: Quid si noluerit venire mecum mulier?

What then, I answered, if the woman of my choice refuses to come back with me?

But I answered my master: What if the woman will not come with me?

Dominus, ait, in cujus conspectu ambulo, mittet angelum suum tecum, et diriget viam tuam: accipiesque uxorem filio meo de cognatione mea, et de domo patris mei.

And he said, The Lord, in whose sight I live and move, will send his angel with thee, to guide thee on thy journey and enable thee to find a wife for my son among my own kindred, my own father’s household.

The Lord, said he, in whose sight I walk, will send his angel with thee, and will direct thy way: and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my own kindred, and of my father’s house.

Innocens eris a maledictione mea, cum veneris ad propinquos meos, et non dederint tibi.

And if, when thou reachest them, these kinsmen of mine will not give her up to thee, no curse of mine shall light upon thee.

But thou shalt be clear from my curse, when thou shalt come to my kindred, if they will not give thee one.

Veni ergo hodie ad fontem aquæ, et dixi: Domine Deus domini mei Abraham, si direxisti viam meam, in qua nunc ambulo,

So I found myself, to-day, at the well; and my prayer was, O Lord, who art the God of my master Abraham, wilt thou speed this present errand of mine?

And I came to day to the well of water, and said: O Lord God of my master Abraham, if thou hast prospered my way, wherein I now walk,

ecce sto juxta fontem aquæ, et virgo, quæ egredietur ad hauriendam aquam, audierit a me: Da mihi pauxillum aquæ ad bibendum ex hydria tua:

I have taken up my post by this well; it may be that some maiden, when I ask her to let me drink a drop of water from her pitcher,

Behold I stand by the well of water, and the virgin, that shall come out to draw water, who shall hear me say: Give me a little water to drink of thy pitcher:

et dixerit mihi: Et tu bibe, et camelis tuis hauriam: ipsa est mulier, quam præparavit Dominus filio domini mei.

will say, Here is drink for thee, and I will draw water for thy camels as well. Let this be the bride the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.

And shall say to me: Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman, whom the Lord hath prepared for my master’s son.

Dumque hæc tacitus mecum volverem, apparuit Rebecca veniens cum hydria, quam portabat in scapula: descenditque ad fontem, et hausit aquam. Et aio ad eam: Da mihi paululum bibere.

I was still praying thus in the silence of my own heart, when I saw Rebecca coming down to the well with a pitcher on her shoulder, and drawing water there; and I asked her for a drop of water to drink.

And whilst I pondered these things secretly with myself, Rebecca appeared coming with a pitcher, which she carried on her shoulder: and she went down to the well and drew water. And I said to her: Give me a little to drink.

Quæ festinans deposuit hydriam de humero, et dixit mihi: Et tu bibe, et camelis tuis tribuam potum. Bibi, et adaquavit camelos.

And she, without waiting, let down the pitcher from her shoulder; Do thou drink, she said, and I will water thy camels as well. So I drank, and she gave the camels their drink.

And she speedily let down the pitcher from her shoulder, and said to me: Both drink thou, and to thy camels I will give drink. I drank, and she watered the camels.

Interrogavique eam, et dixi: Cujus es filia? Quæ respondit: Filia Bathuelis sum, filii Nachor, quem peperit ei Melcha. Suspendi itaque inaures ad ornandam faciem ejus, et armillas posui in manibus ejus.

Then, when I questioned her, asking who her father was, she said, Bathuel is my father, the son of Nachor by Melcha. And with that I hung these ear-rings upon her, to deck her face, and put these bracelets on her arms;

And I asked her, and said: Whose daughter art thou? And she answered: I am the daughter of Bathuel, the son of Nachor, whom Melcha bore to him. So I put earrings on her to adorn her face, and I put bracelets on her hands.

Pronusque adoravi Dominum, benedicens Domino Deo domini mei Abraham, qui perduxit me recto itinere, ut sumerem filiam fratris domini mei filio ejus.

and I fell down to worship the Lord, blessing him, the God of my master Abraham, for guiding me where my master’s niece waited for my master’s son.

And falling down I adored the Lord, blessing the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath brought me the straight way to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son.

Quam ob rem si facitis misericordiam et veritatem cum domino meo, indicate mihi: sin autem aliud placet, et hoc dicite mihi, ut vadam ad dextram, sive ad sinistram.

And now, if you are ready to shew love and loyalty to my master, tell me your mind; if you have other thoughts, tell me your mind none the less, so that I may know where my course lies, to right or to left.

Wherefore if you do according to mercy and truth with my master, tell me: but if it please you otherwise, tell me that also, that I may go to the right hand, or to the left.

Responderuntque Laban et Bathuel: A Domino egressus est sermo: non possumus extra placitum ejus quidquam aliud loqui tecum.

Laban and Bathuel had but one answer; This comes from the Lord; when his will is made known, it is not for us to say Yes or No.

And Laban and Bathuel answered: The word hath proceeded from the Lord, we cannot speak any other thing to thee but his pleasure.

En Rebecca coram te est, tolle eam, et proficiscere, et sit uxor filii domini tui, sicut locutus est Dominus.

Rebecca stands before thee, take her and go on thy way; she must wed thy master’s son at the Lord’s bidding.

Behold Rebecca is before thee, take her and go thy way, and let her be the wife of thy master’s son, as the Lord hath spoken.

Quod cum audisset puer Abraham, procidens adoravit in terram Dominum.

Upon hearing this, Abraham’s servant bowed down to earth and gave the Lord worship;

Which when Abraham’s servant heard, falling down to the ground he adored the Lord.

Prolatisque vasis argenteis, et aureis, ac vestibus, dedit ea Rebeccæ pro munere: fratribus quoque ejus et matri dona obtulit.

then he took out cups of silver and gold, and garments, too, as a present for Rebecca, and gave precious gifts to her brethren and her mother besides.

And bringing forth vessels of silver and gold, and garments, he gave them to Rebecca for a present. He offered gifts also to her brothers, and to her mother.

Inito convivio, vescentes pariter et bibentes manserunt ibi. Surgens autem mane, locutus est puer: Dimitte me, ut vadam ad dominum meum.

So the feasting began, and they ate and drank and passed the night there; but when morning came, the servant rose up and said, Now give me leave to go back to my master.

And a banquet was made, and they ate and drank together, and lodged there. And in the morning, the servant arose, and said: Let me depart, that I may go to my master.

Responderuntque fratres ejus et mater: Maneat puella saltem decem dies apud nos, et postea proficiscetur.

And when her mother and her brethren would have kept her with them for ten days, at least, before her departure, he begged them,

And her brother and mother answered: Let the maid stay at least ten days with us, and afterwards she shall depart.

Nolite, ait, me retinere, quia Dominus direxit viam meam: dimittite me ut pergam ad dominum meum.

Do not detain me, now that the Lord has sped my errand so well, let me go back to my master at once.

Stay me not, said he, because the Lord hath prospered my way: send me away, that I may go to my master.

Et dixerunt: Vocemus puellam, et quæramus ipsius voluntatem.

Then they said, Let us send for the maiden herself, and find out what her will is.

And they said: Let us call the maid, and ask her will.

Cumque vocata venisset, sciscitati sunt: Vis ire cum homine isto? Quæ ait: Vadam.

So they fetched her, and when she came in, they asked, Art thou ready to go with this man? And she told them, I am ready.

And they called her, and when she was come, they asked: Wilt thou go with this man? She said: I will go.

Dimiserunt ergo eam, et nutricem illius, servumque Abraham, et comites ejus,

So they let her go, and her nurse with her, and Abraham’s servant, and his companions,

So they sent her away, and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant, and his company,

imprecantes prospera sorori suæ, atque dicentes: Soror nostra es, crescas in mille millia, et possideat semen tuum portas inimicorum suorum.

wishing their sister good fortune as she went: Sister of ours, may thousands of thousands spring from thee, and may thy posterity storm the gates of their enemies.

Wishing prosperity to their sister, and saying: Thou art our sister, mayst thou increase to thousands of thousands, and may thy seed possess the gates of their enemies.

Igitur Rebecca et puellæ illius, ascensis camelis, secutæ sunt virum: qui festinus revertebatur ad dominum suum.

So Rebecca and her maids mounted their camels and followed the servant, who went back to his master with all speed.

So Rebecca and her maids, being set upon camels, followed the man: who with speed returned to his master.

Eo autem tempore deambulabat Isaac per viam quæ ducit ad puteum, cujus nomen est Viventis et videntis: habitabat enim in terra australi:

At this time, Isaac, who now lived in the South country, used to walk along a certain road, leading to the well called, God lives and looks on me.

At the same time Isaac was walking along the way to the well which is called Of the living and the seeing: for he dwelt in the south country.

et egressus fuerat ad meditandum in agro, inclinata jam die: cumque elevasset oculos, vidit camelos venientes procul.

And one evening he had gone out of doors, to meditate there, when suddenly, looking up, he saw camels coming towards him from a distance.

And he was gone forth to meditate in the field, the day being now well spent: and when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw camels coming afar off.

Rebecca quoque, conspecto Isaac, descendit de camelo,

As for Rebecca, when she saw Isaac, she alighted from her camel,

Rebecca also, when she saw Isaac, lighted off the camel,

et ait ad puerum: Quis est ille homo qui venit per agrum in occursum nobis? Dixitque ei: Ipse est dominus meus. At illa tollens cito pallium, operuit se.

and asked the servant, Who is this coming towards us across the fields? When he said, It is my master, she quickly took up her veil, and veiled herself.

And said to the servant: Who is that man who cometh towards us along the field? And he said to her: That man is my master. But she quickly took her cloak, and covered herself.

Servus autem cuncta, quæ gesserat, narravit Isaac.

And now the servant told Isaac of all that he had done,

And the servant told Isaac all that he had done.

Qui introduxit eam in tabernaculum Saræ matris suæ, et accepit eam uxorem: et in tantum dilexit eam, ut dolorem, qui ex morte matris ejus acciderat, temperaret.

and Isaac led her to the tent which had been his mother Sara’s, and made her his wife, and found comfort over the loss of his mother in his love for her.

Who brought her into the tent of Sara his mother, and took her to wife: and he loved her so much, that it moderated the sorrow which was occasioned by his mother’s death.