¹ And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:

² Say to the children of Israel: These are the animals which you are to eat of all the living things of the earth.

³ Whatsoever hath the hoof divided, and cheweth the cud among the beasts, you shall eat.

⁴ But whatsoever cheweth indeed the cud, and hath a hoof, but divideth it not, as the camel, and others, that you shall not eat, but shall reckon it among the unclean.

⁵ The cherogrillus which cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof, is unclean.

⁶ The hare also: for that too cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof.

⁷ And the swine, which, though it divideth the hoof, cheweth not the cud.

⁸ The flesh of these you shall not eat, nor shall you touch their carcasses, because they are unclean to you.

⁹ These are the things that breed in the waters, and which it is lawful to eat. All that hath fins, and scales, as well in the sea, as in the rivers, and the pools, you shall eat.

¹⁰ But whatsoever hath not fins and scales, of those things that move and live in the waters, shall be an abomination to you,

¹¹ And detestable : their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall avoid.

¹² All that have not fins and scales, in the waters, shall be unclean.

¹³ Of birds these are they which you must not eat, and which are to be avoided by you: The eagle, and the griffon, and the osprey,

¹⁴ And the kite, and the vulture, according to their kind,

¹⁵ And all that is of the raven kind, according to their likeness.

¹⁶ The ostrich, and the owl, and the larus, and the hawk according to its kind.

¹⁷ The screech owl, and the cormorant, and the ibis,

¹⁸ And the swan, and the bittern, and the porphyrion,

¹⁹ The heron, and the charadrion according to its kind, the houp also, and the bat.

²⁰ Of things that fly, whatsoever goeth upon four feet, shall be abominable to you.

²¹ But whatsoever walketh upon four feet, but hath the legs behind longer, wherewith it hoppeth upon the earth,

²² That you shall eat, as the bruchus in its kind, the attacus, and ophiomachus, and the locust, every one according to their kind.

²³ But of dying things whatsoever hath four feet only, shall be an abomination to you:

²⁴ And whosoever shall touch the carcasses of them, shall be defiled, and shall be unclean until the evening:

²⁵ And if it be necessary that he carry any of these things when they are dead, he shall wash his clothes, and shall be unclean until the sun set.

²⁶ Every beast that hath a hoof, but divideth it not, nor cheweth the cud, shall be unclean: and he that toucheth it, shall be defiled.

²⁷ That which walketh upon hands of all animals which go on all four, shall be unclean: he that shall touch their carcasses shall be defiled until evening.

²⁸ And he that shall carry such carcasses, shall wash his clothes, and shall be unclean until evening: because all these things are unclean to you.

²⁹ These also shall be reckoned among unclean things, of all that move upon the earth, the weasel, and the mouse, and the crocodile, every one according to their kind:

³⁰ The shrew, and the chameleon, and the stello, and the lizard, and the mole:

³¹ 31All these are unclean. He that toucheth their carcasses shall be unclean until the evening.

³² And upon what thing soever any of their carcasses shall fall, it shall be defiled, whether it be a vessel of wood, or a garment, or skins or haircloths; or any thing in which work is done, they shall be dipped in water, and shall be unclean until the evening, and so afterwards shall be clean.

³³ But an earthen vessel, into which any of these shall fall, shall be defiled, and therefore is to be broken.

³⁴ Any meat which you eat, if water from such a vessel be poured upon it, shall be unclean; and every liquor that is drunk out of any such vessel, shall be unclean.

³⁵ And upon whatsoever thing any of these dead beasts shall fall, it shall be unclean: whether it be oven, or pots with feet, they shall be destroyed, and shall be unclean.

³⁶ But fountains and cisterns, and all gatherings together of waters shall be clean. He that toucheth their carcasses shall be defiled.

³⁷ If it fall upon seed corn, it shall not defile it.

³⁸ But if any man pour water upon the seed, and afterwards it be touched by the carcasses, it shall be forthwith defiled.

³⁹ If any beast die, of which it is lawful for you to eat, he that toucheth the carcass thereof, shall be unclean until the evening:

⁴⁰ And he that eateth or carrieth any thing thereof, shall wash his clothes, and shall be unclean until the evening.

⁴¹ 41All that creepeth upon the earth shall be abominable, neither shall it be taken for meat.

⁴² Whatsoever goeth upon the breast on four feet, or hath many feet, or traileth on the earth, you shall not eat, because it is abominable.

⁴³ Do not defile your souls, nor touch aught thereof, lest you be unclean,

⁴⁴ For I am the Lord your God: be holy because I am holy. Defile not your souls by any creeping thing, that moveth upon the earth.

⁴⁵ For I am the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that I might be your God.

⁴⁶ You shall be holy, because I am holy. This is the law of beasts and fowls, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and creepeth on the earth:

⁴⁷ That you may know the differences of the clean, and unclean, and know what you ought to eat, and what to refuse.

¹ Abraham was old, and well stricken in age. Yahweh had blessed Abraham in all things.

² Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Please put your hand under my thigh.

³ I will make you swear by Yahweh, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live.

⁴ But you shall go to my country, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac."

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?"

⁶ Abraham said to him, "Beware that you don't bring my son there again.

⁷ Yahweh, 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, 'I will give this land to your seed.' He will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.

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."

⁹ The servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

¹⁰ The servant took ten camels, of his master's camels, and departed, having a variety of good things of his master's with him. He arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor.

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.

¹² He said, "Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.

¹³ Behold, I am standing by the spring of water. The daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.

¹⁴ Let it happen, that the young lady to whom I will say, 'Please let down your pitcher, that I may drink,' and she will say, 'drink, and I will also give your camels a drink,'--let her be the one you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master."

¹⁵ It happened, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder.

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.

¹⁷ The servant ran to meet her, and said, "Please give me a drink, a little water from your pitcher."

¹⁸ She said, "Drink, my lord." She hurried, and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him Drink.

¹⁹ When she had done giving him drink, she said, "I will also draw for your camels, until they have done drinking."

²⁰ She hurried, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.

²¹ The man looked steadfastly at her, remaining silent, to know whether Yahweh had made his journey prosperous or not.

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,

²³ and said, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me. Is there room in your father's house for us to lodge in?"

²⁴ She said to him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor."

²⁵ She said moreover to him, "We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in."

²⁶ The man bowed his head, and worshiped Yahweh.

²⁷ He said, "Blessed be Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his loving kindness and his truth toward my master. As for me, Yahweh has led me in the way to the house of my master's relatives."

²⁸ The young lady ran, and told her mother's house about these words.

²⁹ Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. Laban ran out to the man, to the spring.

³⁰ It happened, when he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah 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.

³¹ He said, "Come in, you blessed of Yahweh. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels."

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.

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."

³⁴ He said, "I am Abraham's servant.

³⁵ Yahweh has blessed my master greatly. He has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, and camels and donkeys.

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.

³⁷ My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,

³⁸ but you shall go to my father's house, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.'

³⁹ I asked my master, 'What if the woman will not follow me?'

⁴⁰ He said to me, 'Yahweh, 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.

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.'

⁴² I came this day to the spring, and said, 'Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, if now you do prosper my way which I go--

⁴³ behold, I am standing by this spring of water. Let it happen, that the maiden who comes forth to draw, to whom I will say, "Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,"

⁴⁴ and she will tell me, "Drink, and I will also draw for your camels,"--let her be the woman whom Yahweh has appointed for my master's son.'

⁴⁵ Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder. She went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, 'Please let me drink.'

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 also gave the camels a Drink.

⁴⁷ I asked her, and said, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands.

⁴⁸ I bowed my head, and worshiped Yahweh, and blessed Yahweh, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter for his son.

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."

⁵⁰ Then Laban and Bethuel answered, "The thing proceeds from Yahweh. We can't speak to you bad or good.

⁵¹ Behold, Rebekah is before you. Take her, and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as Yahweh has spoken."

⁵² It happened that when Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth to Yahweh.

⁵³ The servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and her mother.

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."

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."

⁵⁶ He said to them, "Don't hinder me, since Yahweh has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master."

⁵⁷ They said, "We will call the young lady, and ask her."

⁵⁸ They called Rebekah, and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will go."

⁵⁹ They sent away Rebekah, their sister, with her nurse, Abraham's servant, and his men.

⁶⁰ They blessed Rebekah, 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."

⁶¹ Rebekah arose with her ladies. They rode on the camels, and followed the man. The servant took Rebekah, and went his way.

⁶² Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he lived in the land of the South.

⁶³ Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the evening. He lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels coming.

⁶⁴ Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel.

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.

⁶⁶ The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.

⁶⁷ Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife. He loved her. Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.