Rebekah for di Well

Evening for one well. Ten camels wey dey thirsty kneel down for dust. One traveller wey don tire dey pray quietly. And before e even finish im prayer, one young woman waka comot from di town with water pot for her shoulder.

Abraham don old now, and Sarah don die. Isaac, di son of di promise, don grow but e never marry. So Abraham call di servant wey e trust pass, di one wey dey in charge of everything wey e get, and e make am swear serious oath. No take wife for my son from di Canaanites wey dey around us. Go back to my homeland, to my own people, and find wife for Isaac there. Wetin if she no gree come? di servant ask. Then dis oath no go hold you again, Abraham talk. But di Lord, di God of heaven, go send im angel go before you.

Di servant load ten of Abraham camels with gifts and e start di long road go north and east, to di town of Nahor for di land between di rivers. E reach for evening, di time wey di women of di town dey come out to fetch water. E make di camels kneel near di well, and e pray. Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me succeed today. See me here near di spring. Make e be like dis: di girl wey I go tell, Abeg bring down your pot make I drink, and she go answer, Drink, and I go give your camels water too, make she be di one wey you don choose for Isaac.

Before e finish to talk, Rebekah come out, with her pot for her shoulder. She be di granddaughter of Nahor, Abraham own brother, but di servant never know dat one yet. She go down to di spring, fill her pot and come back up. Di servant hurry go meet her. Abeg, give me small water from your pot. Drink, my lord, she talk, and she quick bring di pot down for am. And when e don finish, she talk, I go fetch water for your camels too, until dem finish to drink. Ten camels. Think how much water dat one be. She pour her pot inside di trough and run go back to di well, again and again, until every camel don drink reach. And di man just dey look her, e no talk anything, e dey wonder whether di Lord don make im journey succeed.

When di camels don finish, e bring out one gold ring and two gold bracelets. Whose daughter you be? Space dey for your papa house make we sleep tonight? I be di daughter of Bethuel, di son of Nahor, she talk. We get plenty straw and food for animals, and space for you to stay. And di servant bow im head and worship right there. Blessed be di Lord, di God of my master Abraham, wey never stop to show kindness and faithfulness to my master. Di Lord don lead me straight go di house of my master people.

Rebekah run go house with di news. Her brother Laban see di gold and e hurry come out. Come inside, you wey di Lord don bless! But di servant no gree chop until e don talk im mission. E tell dem everything: di oath, di journey, di prayer, di girl for di well. Laban and Bethuel answer, Dis one na from di Lord. Rebekah dey here. Take her, and make she be di wife of your master son. Di next morning di family ask for ten more days with her. Di servant ask make dem leave immediately. So dem call Rebekah and ask her. You go go with dis man? And she talk, I go go.

Far for di south, one evening, Isaac go out for di field to think and pray. E look up and see camels dey come. Rebekah look up too, she see am, and she come down from her camel. Who be dat man wey dey waka come meet us? Na my master, di servant talk. So she cover herself with her veil. Di servant tell Isaac everything wey happen. Isaac carry Rebekah enter di tent of im mama Sarah, and she become im wife. And Genesis just talk say, e love her, and e get comfort after im mama death.

Wells na di meeting places of di ancient world, and to fetch water na mostly di work of women and girls, wey dem dey do for di cool of evening, just as Genesis talk. Di Bible come back to dis kind of scene more than one time. Jacob meet Rachel for one well. Moses meet di woman wey e go marry for one well for Midian. Di literary scholar Robert Alter call am type scene, one pattern wey readers go recognise. But di version of Rebekah get one twist. Na she dey act. She run, she fetch, she decide. And camel wey dey thirsty fit drink plenty water, so to give ten of dem water by hand na hours of hard work wey come from generous heart.

Rebekah for di Well. You go find her story for Genesis chapter twenty-four. One servant pray and trust God to lead am. One young woman show kindness wey pass wetin anybody ask from her, and then she talk, I go go. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Where you fit go pass wetin dem ask from you dis week, just to show kindness?