Genesis

Chayei Sarah 23:1 - 25:18

Sarah was 127 years old and she died in Kiriat Arba, which is in Hebron in Canaan. Abraham mourned for 30 days. And he stood up ('yuqum')  from before ('penei') his dead wife and spoke to the sons of Heth saying, 'a foreigner ('ger') and visitor I am among you. Give me burial property ('keber') that I may bury my dead out of my sight ('melipanei')'. And the sons of Heth reply, 'hear us, my lord ('adonai'), a mighty ('elohim') prince ('nasi') you are. Bury your dead among the choicest of our burial places. None of us will withhold his burial place from you'. 

Abraham stands up and bows himself to the people of the land saying, 'hear me and meet with Ephron son of Zoar, that he may give me the Cave of Machpelah, which is at the end of this field, at the full price'. Ephron is sitting amongst them and says in the presence of the sons and all who entered at the gate of his city, 'no my lord, I will give you the field and the cave that is in it'. Abraham bows down in the presence of the people and said to Ephron in their hearing, 'hear me, I will give you money ('keseph') for the field'.

Ephron says, 'the field is worth 400 shekels, what is that between me and you that you could bury your dead?'. Abraham listens ('yishama') to Ephron and weighs out 400 shekels of silver, according to the standard ('abar') of merchants ('socher'). The field was deeded over ('yaqum') to Abraham and he buries Sarah there. 

Abraham is advanced in age and Y-hova had blessed him in all things. Abraham says to his oldest and chief servant ('avdo'), 'put your hand under my thigh and swear ('ashbiacha') by Y-hova, G-d of heaven and G-d of earth that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites who I am dwelling amongst ('berkirbo'). But to my country and my family you shall go and take a wife for Isaac. 

The servant says, 'perhaps she will not be willing to follow ('lalechet') me. Should I then take your son back to the land you came from?'. Abraham says, 'beware you do not take him back there. Y-hova G-d of heaven took me from the house of my father and from the land of my family and swore to me saying, 'to your descendants I give this land', He will send His angel ('malako') before you ('lepanecha') and you shall take a wife for my son. And if she is not willing to follow you, then you will be released ('nikita') from this oath ('shibuati'). The servant puts his hand under Abraham's thigh and swears to him in this matter ('dabar').

The servant takes ten camels and leaves with goods in his hand. He arises and goes to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. He makes the camels kneel beside a well outside the city in the evening; the time that the women went out to draw water. And he says, 'Y-hova, G-d of my master Abraham, please give me success and show kindness to Abraham. Behold, I stand by the well and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Let it come to pass that the girl to whom I say, "please let down your pitcher so that I may drink" and she says, "drink and I will also water your camels", let her be the one you have appointed ('hocachta'). And by this I will know you have shown kindness to my master'.

And it came to pass that before he had finished speaking, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham, with her jar on her shoulder. The young woman was beautiful ('tobat') to behold and a virgin. She went to the well and filled her jar ('cadah') and came up. The servant ran towards her and said, 'please let me drink a little water from your jar'. She says, 'drink my lord' and quickly lets down her jar to her hand. When she had finished giving him a drink she said, 'also for your camels I will draw water until they have finished drinking'. She quickly empties the jar into the trough and runs back to the well to draw water for the all camels. 

The man gazes ('mishtaeh') at her and remains silent ('maharish'), so as to know whether Y-hova made his journey prosperous or not. When the camels finish drinking, he takes a gold ring and two gold bracelets (weighing several shekels) and says, 'whose daughter are you? Is there room for us to lodge ('loon') in the house of your father?'. She says she is the daughter of Bethuel, son of Mlicah, born to Nahor. We have enough straw and feed and room to lodge. The man bows his head and worships Y-hova. And he says, 'blessed be Y-hova, G-d of my master Abraham who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth towards my master. Y-hova led me to the house of the brother of my master'. 

The woman ran and told the house of her mother. Rebekah had a brother called Laban and Laban runs out to meet the man by the well. And it came to pass that when he saw the ring and bracelets on his sister and heard her words he went to the man and says, 'come in, blessed of Y-hova. I have prepared the house and a place for the camels'. The man comes into the house and unloads the camels and provides them with straw and feed and water to wash the feet of the men who were with him. 

Then a meal is set before him to eat but he says, 'I will not eat until I have declared ('dibarti') my errand ('debaray')'. And he says, 'speak'. So he says, 'I am the servant of Abraham, Y-hova has blessed my master greatly with possessions and Sarah bore him a son when she was old. He made me swear that I would not take a Canaanite wife for him but rather, I would go to his family and take a wife. And I said, "perhaps she will not follow me?" and Y=hova who I walk before ('halachti') said to me He will send his angel with me and my way will prosper ('hitzliyach')'. 

The servant then explains the test he had suggested to Y-hova with the girl drawing water for the camels and that it had come to pass. He goes on to say, 'now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me either way that I may turn to either the right or the left'.

Laban says that the matter has come from Y-hova and that he is not able to speak either good or bad, 'behold Rebekah is before you, take her and let her be the wife of the son of your master'. When the servant hears these words, he bows to Y-hova and brings out jewels and clothing and gives them to Rebekah as well as precious things to her brother and mother. 

He and the men who were with him eat and drink and spend the night there. They arose in the morning and he says, 'send me away to my master' but her brother and mother say, 'let the girl stay with us at least 10 days; after that she may go'. The servant says, 'do not hinder me because Y-hova has prospered my way so that I may go to my master'. So they say they will call Rebekah to inquire ('nishala') at her mouth. 

They call Rebekah and ask her if she will go and she says, 'I will go' ('elech'). So they sent her with her nurse ('nichta') and the servant and his men. And they bles her and say to her, 'our sister, you may become the mother of thousands and your descendants may possess the gates of their enemies'. Rebekah and her servant girls arise and ride on camels and follow the man. 

Isaac comes in from going to Beer Lahai Roi for he dwelt in the Negev. He goes out in the evening to meditate in the field and he lifts up his eyes and looks and behold, the camels were coming. Rebekah lifts her eyes and when she sees Isaac she comes down from her camel, for she had asked the servant, 'who is this man walking in the field to meet us?'. The servant says, 'it is my master' so she takes a veil ('tsaiph') and covers herself. 

The servant tells Isaac all the things he had done and brings her to Isaac, the tent of Sarah his mother. He takes Rebekah and she becomes his wife. He loves her and is comforted after his mother's death.

Abraham takes another wife, Keturah. She bears him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah.

Abraham leaves everything he owns to Isaac but gives gifts to the sons of his concubines and send them away from Isaac while he is still alive to the land of the east.

Abraham lives 175 years and breathes his last breath and dies at a ripe old age and content and is gathered to his people. Isaac and Ishmael bury him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre with his wife Sarah. After Abraham's death, El-him blesses his son Isaac, who dwells near Beer Lahai Roi.

These are the generations of Abraham's son Ishmael, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's maidservant, bore to him. These are the names of the sons of Ishmael according to their generations, Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah.

These were the sons of Ishmael, and these were their names by their towns and settlements, twelve princes of their tribes. Ishmael lived a total of 137 years. Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people.

Ishmael's descendants settled from Havilah to Shur, which is near the border of Egypt as you go toward Assyria. Against the face of all his brothers he died.