Isak Ware Rebeka
1Na Abraham anyini a ne mfeɛ kɔ ɛkan yie. Awurade hyiraa no akwan ahodoɔ nyinaa so. 2Ɛda koro bi, Abraham ka kyerɛɛ ne ɔsomfoɔ panin a ɔhwɛ nʼagyapadeɛ nyinaa so sɛ, “Fa wo nsa ka me srɛ ase. 3Mepɛ sɛ woka Awurade a ɔyɛ ɔsoro ne asase Onyankopɔn ntam sɛ, worenware Kanaanfoɔ a me ne wɔn te yi babaa biara mma me babarima Isak. 4Na mmom, wobɛkɔ me ɔman mu, mʼabusuafoɔ nkyɛn, akɔware ɔbaa abrɛ no.”
5Ɔsomfoɔ no bisaa Abraham sɛ, “Me wura, na sɛ ɛba sɛ ɔbaa no ampene so sɛ ɔne me bɛba ɔman yi mu a, na mereyɛ no ɛdeɛn? Memfa wo babarima no nkɔ wo ɔman no mu anaa?”
6Abraham kaa sɛ, “Hwɛ yie na woamfa me babarima no ankɔ hɔ da. 7Awurade, ɔsoro Onyankopɔn a ɔde me firi mʼagya fie ne mʼasase so baa ha, na ɔkaa ntam hyɛɛ me bɔ sɛ, ‘Mede saa asase yi bɛma wʼasefoɔ no.’ Ɔno ara na ɔbɛsoma ne ɔbɔfoɔ adi wʼanim akɔ sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, wobɛnya ɔyere afiri hɔ ama me babarima no. 8Sɛ ɛba sɛ, ɔbaa no ampene sɛ ɔne wo bɛba a, wo ntam a wokaeɛ no nkyekyere wo. Ɛnsɛ sɛ wode me babarima no kɔ hɔ.” 9Enti, ɔsomfoɔ no de ne nsa kaa ne wura Abraham srɛ ase, kaa saa asɛm yi ho ntam.
10Afei, ɔsomfoɔ no faa ne wura nyoma no mu edu kɔeɛ. Ɔrebɛkɔ no, ɔgyee ne wura Abraham nkyɛn nnepa ahodoɔ bebree kaa ho. Ɔde nʼani kyerɛɛ Mesopotamia, kɔduruu Nahor kuro mu. 11Ɔduruu Nahor kurotia no, ɔmaa nyoma no butubutuu abura bi a ɛwɔ hɔ ho. Na onwunu adwo a ɛyɛ ɛberɛ a mmaa bɛto nsuo wɔ abura no mu.
12Na ɔsomfoɔ no bɔɔ mpaeɛ sɛ, “Ao, Awurade, me wura Abraham Onyankopɔn, hunu me wura Abraham mmɔbɔ, na boa me, na mʼakwantuo yi nsi yie. 13Hwɛ, megyina abura yi so, na kuro yi mu mmabaawa rebɛto nsuo. 14Ma ɛmmra mu sɛ, ababaawa biara a mɛka akyerɛ no sɛ, ‘Mesrɛ wo, soɛ na ma me wo sukuruwa no mu nsuo no bi nnom no,’ sɛ ɔka sɛ, ‘Nom bi, na mɛma wo yoma no nso bi anom’ a, ɔnyɛ ababaawa a woapa no ama wʼakoa Isak. Ɛnam yei so bɛma mahunu sɛ, woahunu me wura mmɔbɔ.”
15Ɔgu so rebɔ mpaeɛ no na Rebeka baeɛ a ne sukuruwa si nʼabati so. Saa Rebeka no yɛ Betuel ba. Betuel no nso yɛ Abraham nuabarima Nahor ne ne yere Milka babarima. 16Na Rebeka no yɛ ɔbaabunu a ne ho yɛ fɛ yie. Na ɔbarima biara mfaa ne ho nkaa no da. Ɔsiane kɔɔ abura no so, kɔhyɛɛ ne sukuruwa no nsuo ma, sane baeɛ.
17Ɔsomfoɔ no de ahoɔherɛ kɔhyiaa Rebeka, ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Mesrɛ wo, hwie wo sukuruwa no mu nsuo no kakra ma mennom.”
18Ntɛm ara, ɔsoɛɛ ne sukuruwa no kaa sɛ, “Me wura, gye bi nom.”
19Rebeka maa ɔsomfoɔ no nsuo no bi nom wieeɛ no, ɔkaa sɛ, “Mɛsane akɔtwe nsuo no bi abrɛ wo nyoma no nyinaa nso anom.” 20Enti, Rebeka de ahoɔherɛ hwiee ne nsuo no guu anomeeɛ bi mu, sane kɔtwee nsuo a ɛbɛso nyoma no nyinaa nom de baeɛ. 21Ɔsomfoɔ no hwɛɛ Rebeka komm, karii no pɛɛ sɛ ɔhunu sɛ Awurade ama nʼakwantuo no asi no yie anaa.
22Nyoma no nom nsuo no wieeɛ no, ɔsomfoɔ no yii sikakɔkɔɔ hwenemukawa a emu duru kari gram nsia ne sikakɔkɔɔ nkapo mmienu a ɛno nso mu duru yɛ gram ɔha dunan. 23Afei, ɔbisaa sɛ, “Hwan ba ne wo? Mesrɛ wo, yɛbɛnya daberɛ wɔ wo agya fie ama adeɛ akye anaa?”
24Rebeka buaa no sɛ, “Betuel babaa ne me. Me nananom ne Milka ne Nahor.” 25Ɔka kaa ho sɛ, “Yɛwɔ ɛserɛ ne mmoa aduane bebree ne baabi a, mo nso, mobɛda.”
26Afei, ɔsomfoɔ no buu nkotodwe, sɔree Awurade Onyankopɔn sɛ, 27“Nhyira nka Awurade, me wura Abraham Onyankopɔn, sɛ ɔnnyaee nokorɛdie ne ayamyɛ a ɔyɛ ma me wura no. Me deɛ, Awurade adi mʼanim wɔ mʼakwantuo yi mu, de me abɛduru me wura abusuafoɔ fie.”
28Rebeka tuu mmirika kɔkaa nsɛm a asisie no nyinaa kyerɛɛ ne maame fiefoɔ. 29Na Rebeka wɔ nuabarima bi a ne din de Laban. Laban tee asɛm no, ɔde ahoɔherɛ kɔɔ ɔbarima no nkyɛn wɔ abura no so. 30Laban hunuu hwenemukawa no ne nkapo a ɛgu ne nuabaa no nsa no, na ɔtee asɛm a ɔbarima no ka kyerɛɛ Rebeka no, ɔkɔɔ ɔbarima no nkyɛn kɔhunuu sɛ ɔgyina nyoma no ho wɔ asubura no so. 31Laban ka kyerɛɛ ɔsomfoɔ no sɛ, “Bra, wo a Awurade ahyira wo.” Ɔbisaa ɔsomfoɔ no sɛ, “Adɛn enti na wogyina kurotia ha? Masiesie wo daberɛ ne baabi a nyoma no nso bɛda.”
32Enti, ɔsomfoɔ no kɔɔ efie hɔ maa Laban yiyii nneɛma a ɛsoso nyoma no. Wɔmaa nyoma no ɛserɛ ne aduane, afei Laban maa ɔsomfoɔ no ne nnipa a wɔka ne ho no nsuo de hohoroo wɔn nan ho. 33Yei akyiri no, ɔtoo wɔn ɛpono. Nanso, ɔsomfoɔ no kaa sɛ, “Merempɛ sɛ mɛdidi, gye sɛ mabɔ mʼamanneɛ.”
Laban kaa sɛ, “Bɔ wʼamanneɛ ɛ.”
34Enti, ɔsomfoɔ no bɔɔ nʼamanneɛ sɛ, “Meyɛ Abraham ɔsomfoɔ. 35Awurade ahyira me wura bebree, ama wayɛ ɔdefoɔ. Wama no nnwan ne anantwie, dwetɛ ne sikakɔkɔɔ, nkoa ne mfenaa ne nyoma ne mfunumu. 36Bio, me wura yere Sara awo ɔbabarima ama no wɔ ne mmerewaberɛ mu; Awurade na ɔde deɛ ɔwɔ nyinaa ama no. 37Me wura maa mekaa ntam sɛ, ‘Worenware Kanaanfoɔ a me ne wɔn te yi babaa biara mma me babarima Isak. 38Na mmom, wobɛkɔ me ɔman mu, mʼabusuafoɔ nkyɛn, akɔware ɔbaa wɔ hɔ abrɛ me babarima Isak.’
39“Na mebisaa me wura sɛ, ‘Na sɛ ɛba sɛ, ɔbaa no ampene so sɛ ɔne me bɛba ɔman yi mu a, na mereyɛ no ɛdeɛn?’
40“Me wura Abraham buaa sɛ, ‘Awurade a manante nʼanim no bɛsoma ne ɔbɔfoɔ, adi wʼanim, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, wʼakwantuo no bɛsi yie, na woanya ɔyere ama me babarima afiri mʼabusua mu a ɛyɛ mʼagya fie no mu. 41Afei, sɛ ɛba sɛ, woba mʼabusua mu, na sɛ wɔamfa ɔbaa no amma wo a, wo ntam a wokaeɛ no renkyekyere wo.’
42“Mebaa asubura no so ɛnnɛ no, mesrɛɛ sɛ, ‘Ao, Awurade, me wura Abraham Onyankopɔn, sɛ ɛyɛ wo pɛ a, ma akwantuo yi nsi me yie! 43Hwɛ, megyina abura yi so. Sɛ ababaawa bi bɛto nsuo wɔ ha, na meka kyerɛ no sɛ, “Mesrɛ wo, soɛ na ma me wo sukuruwa no mu nsuo no kakra nnom” no, 44na sɛ ɔka sɛ, “Nom bi, na mɛma wo nyoma no nso bi anom” a, ɔnyɛ ababaawa a Awurade apa no ama me wura Abraham babarima Isak no.’
45“Ansa na mɛwie mʼakoma mu mpaeɛbɔ no, Rebeka puee a sukuruwa si ne batiri so. Rebeka kɔɔ abura no so, kɔtoo nsuo, na meka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, ‘Mesrɛ wo, ma me nsuo no bi nnom.’
46“Ntɛm ara, ɔsoɛɛ ne sukuruwa no kaa sɛ, ‘Me wura, gye bi nom na mɛsane atwe nsuo no bi abrɛ wo nyoma no nyinaa nso anom.’ Enti, menom nsuo no bi, na ɔmaa nyoma no nyinaa nso bi nomeeɛ.
47“Mebisaa no sɛ, ‘Hwan ba ne wo?’
“Rebeka buaa sɛ, ‘Betuel ba ne me. Me nananom ne Milka ne Nahor.’
“Ɛhɔ ara na mede hwenemukawa no hyɛɛ ne hwenemu, ɛnna mede nkapo no nso guu ne nsa. 48Afei, mebɔɔ me mu ase sɔree Awurade. Mekamfoo Awurade a ɔyɛ me wura, Abraham Onyankopɔn, a wadi mʼanim de me afa ɛkwan pa so, ama manya me wura nuabarima nana aware ama ne babarima no. 49Afei, sɛ wobɛyɛ me wura adɔeɛ adi no nokorɛ a, ka kyerɛ me. Sɛ ɛnte saa nso a, ka kyerɛ me, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, mɛhunu ɛkwan ko a mɛfa so.”
50Laban ne Betuel buaa sɛ, “Saa asɛm yi firi Awurade enti, yɛnni ho asɛm biara. 51Rebeka ni. Momfa no nkɔ, na ɔnkɔware mo wura no babarima no, sɛdeɛ Awurade ahyɛ no.”
52Ɛberɛ a Abraham ɔsomfoɔ no tee deɛ wɔkaeɛ no, ɔbuu nkotodwe wɔ Awurade anim. 53Afei, ɔsomfoɔ no yii sikakɔkɔɔ ne dwetɛ nnwinneɛ ne ntadeɛ maa Rebeka. Ɔsane de nneɛma a ɛsom bo yie yɛɛ Rebeka nuabarima ne ne maame ayɛ. 54Afei, ɔsomfoɔ no ne nnipa a wɔka ne ho no didi nomeeɛ, na wɔda maa adeɛ kyeeɛ.
Adeɛ kyee anɔpa a wɔsɔreeɛ no, ɔsomfoɔ no kaa sɛ, “Monnya me ɛkwan, na mensane nkɔ me wura nkyɛn.”
55Nanso, Rebeka nuabarima no ne ne maame buaa ɔsomfoɔ no sɛ, “Ma ababaawa no ntena yɛn nkyɛn bɛyɛ sɛ dadu bi, na ɛno akyiri, wode no akɔ.”
56Akoa no buaa wɔn sɛ, “Awurade ahyira mʼakwantuo yi so ama me yi deɛ, mesrɛ mo, monnnye me nka ha. Monnya me ɛkwan, na mensane nkɔ me wura nkyɛn.”
57Afei, wɔsii gyinaeɛ sɛ, “Momma yɛmfrɛ ababaawa no, na yɛmmisa nʼadwene.” 58Enti, wɔfrɛɛ Rebeka bisaa no sɛ, “Wopɛ sɛ wo ne saa ɔbarima yi kɔ anaa?”
Rebeka buaa sɛ, “Aane, mɛkɔ!”
59Enti, wɔgyaa Rebeka ne ɔbaa a ɔgyegyee no ne nkwadaaberɛm ne Abraham ɔsomfoɔ no ne ne nkurɔfoɔ ɛkwan. 60Wɔhyiraa Rebeka sɛ,
“Onuabaa, Awurade nka wo ho,
na wʼase nnɔ mpempem!
Awurade mma wʼasefoɔ no
nni wɔn atamfoɔ nyinaa so nkonim.”
61Afei, Rebeka ne ne mmaawa siesiee wɔn ho, tenatenaa wɔn nyoma so ne Abraham ɔsomfoɔ no kɔeɛ. Yei ne ɛkwan a Abraham ɔsomfoɔ no faa so de Rebeka kɔeɛ.
62Saa ɛberɛ no, na Isak a na anka ɔte Negeb no firi hɔ abɛtena Beer-Lahai-Roi. 63Ɛda koro anwummerɛ bi a Isak kɔtuu mpase srɛ so refa adwene no, ɔtoo nʼani hunuu sɛ nyoma sa so reba. 64Rebeka nso too nʼani, na ɔhunuu Isak. Rebeka si firii ne yoma no so, 65bisaa Abraham ɔsomfoɔ no sɛ, “Ɔbarima bɛn na ɔnam ɛserɛ yi so rebɛhyia yɛn yi?”
Ɔsomfoɔ no buaa sɛ, “Ɔyɛ me wura babarima.” Enti, Rebeka yii ne nkatanimu de kataa nʼanim.
66Abraham ɔsomfoɔ no bɔɔ Isak nsɛm a asisie no nyinaa ho amaneɛ. 67Isak de Rebeka kɔɔ ne maame Sara ntomadan mu. Na ɔwaree no, ma ɔbɛyɛɛ ne yere. Na ɔdɔ no yie. Yei maa Isak werɛ kyekyereeɛ wɔ ne maame Sara wuo akyiri.
Isaac and Rebekah
1Abraham was now very old, and the Lord had blessed him in every way. 2He said to the senior servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, ‘Put your hand under my thigh. 3I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 4but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.’
5The servant asked him, ‘What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?’
6‘Make sure that you do not take my son back there,’ Abraham said. 7‘The Lord, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, “To your offspring24:7 Or seed I will give this land” – he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there. 8If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there.’ 9So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.
10Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master’s camels loaded with all kinds of good things from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim24:10 That is, North-west Mesopotamia and made his way to the town of Nahor. 11He made the camels kneel down near the well outside the town; it was towards evening, the time the women go out to draw water.
12Then he prayed, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. 14May it be that when I say to a young woman, “Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,” and she says, “Drink, and I’ll water your camels too” – let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.’
15Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. 16The woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.
17The servant hurried to meet her and said, ‘Please give me a little water from your jar.’
18‘Drink, my lord,’ she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.
19After she had given him a drink, she said, ‘I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have had enough to drink.’ 20So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels. 21Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful.
22When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka24:22 That is, about 5.7 grams and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels.24:22 That is, about 115 grams 23Then he asked, ‘Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?’
24She answered him, ‘I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milkah bore to Nahor.’ 25And she added, ‘We have plenty of straw and fodder, as well as room for you to spend the night.’
26Then the man bowed down and worshipped the Lord, 27saying, ‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.’
28The young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things. 29Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he hurried out to the man at the spring. 30As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring. 31‘Come, you who are blessed by the Lord,’ he said. ‘Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.’
32So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet. 33Then food was set before him, but he said, ‘I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say.’
‘Then tell us,’ Laban said.
34So he said, ‘I am Abraham’s servant. 35The Lord has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 36My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns. 37And my master made me swear an oath, and said, “You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, 38but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.”
39‘Then I asked my master, “What if the woman will not come back with me?”
40‘He replied, “The Lord, before whom I have walked faithfully, will send his angel with you and make your journey a success, so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family. 41You will be released from my oath if, when you go to my clan, they refuse to give her to you – then you will be released from my oath.”
42‘When I came to the spring today, I said, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come. 43See, I am standing beside this spring. If a young woman comes out to draw water and I say to her, ‘Please let me drink a little water from your jar,’ 44and if she says to me, ‘Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too,’ let her be the one the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.”
45‘Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, “Please give me a drink.”
46‘She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, “Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.” So I drank, and she watered the camels also.
47‘I asked her, “Whose daughter are you?”
‘She said, “The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milkah bore to him.”
‘Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms, 48and I bowed down and worshipped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son. 49Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.’
50Laban and Bethuel answered, ‘This is from the Lord; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. 51Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.’
52When Abraham’s servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. 53Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewellery and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts to her brother and to her mother. 54Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there.
When they got up the next morning, he said, ‘Send me on my way to my master.’
55But her brother and her mother replied, ‘Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so; then you24:55 Or she may go.’
56But he said to them, ‘Do not detain me, now that the Lord has granted success to my journey. Send me on my way so I may go to my master.’
57Then they said, ‘Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.’ 58So they called Rebekah and asked her, ‘Will you go with this man?’
‘I will go,’ she said.
59So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men. 60And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,
‘Our sister, may you increase
to thousands upon thousands;
may your offspring possess
the cities of their enemies.’
61Then Rebekah and her attendants got ready and mounted the camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.
62Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. 63He went out to the field one evening to meditate,24:63 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain. and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. 64Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 65and asked the servant, ‘Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?’
‘He is my master,’ the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.
66Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. 67Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
