Verse 2

A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and will share in the inheritance among the brothers.

Other Translations

Referenced Verses

  • Prov 10:5 : 5 The one who gathers during summer is a prudent son, but the one who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.
  • Prov 19:26 : 26 Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother is a child who brings shame and disgrace.
  • Eccl 4:13 : 13 Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning.
  • Gen 24:4-9 : 4 Instead, go to my country and my kindred to choose a wife for my son Isaac. 5 The servant said to him, "What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Should I then take your son back to the land you came from?" 6 Abraham said to him, "Make sure that you do not take my son back there. 7 The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's household and my native land, who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, 'To your descendants I will give this land,' will send His angel before you so that you can find a wife for my son there. 8 If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. But do not take my son back there." 9 So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter. 10 The servant took ten camels from his master’s herds and set out, taking with him all kinds of good gifts from his master. He went to Aram Naharaim, to the city of Nahor. 11 He had the camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. 12 Then he prayed, "Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show kindness to my master Abraham." 13 "See, I am standing here by the spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. 14 May it be that when I say to a young woman, 'Please let down your jar so that I may 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." 15 Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, who was the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother. 16 The young 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. 17 The 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. 19 After she had given him a drink, she said, "I'll draw water for your camels too, until they have had enough to drink." 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels. 21 Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to see whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not. 22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a half shekel, and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels, and gave them to her. 23 Then he asked, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?" 24 She answered him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor." 25 She also said, "We have plenty of straw and fodder, as well as a place for you to spend the night." 26 Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord. 27 He said, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his steadfast love and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives." 28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and Laban ran out to the man at the spring. 30 As soon as he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and heard Rebekah tell what the man had said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels at the spring. 31 He said, "Come, you who are blessed by the Lord! Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels." 32 So the man went into the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder were given to the camels, and water was provided to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 Then food was set before him, but he said, "I will not eat until I have said what I need to say." Laban said, "Speak up." 34 So he said, "I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. 36 Sarah, my master’s wife, bore him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns. 37 My master made me swear an oath, saying, 'You must not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I live. 38 Instead, you must go to my father's household and to my family to take a wife for my son.' 39 Then I said to my master, 'What if the woman does not come back with me?' 40 He answered me, 'The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you and make your journey successful, so that you can take a wife for my son from my family and my father's household. 41 'You will be released from my oath if you go to my family and they refuse to give her to you. Then you will be free from my oath.' 42 So today I came to the spring and prayed, 'Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you are making my journey successful, 43 see, I am standing beside this spring. If a young woman comes out to draw water and I say to her, "Please give me a little water from your jar to drink," 44 and she says to me, "Drink, and I will draw water for your camels too," let her be the one the Lord has chosen for my master's son.' 45 Before I had finished speaking to myself, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring, 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 will water your camels also.' So I drank, and she also watered the camels. 47 Then I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bore to him.' So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms. 48 Then I bowed down and worshiped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who led me on the right path to take the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son. 49 Now if you are willing to show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me. If not, tell me, so that I may turn to the right or to the left. 50 Laban and Bethuel answered, 'This matter comes from the Lord; we cannot say good or bad to you.' 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go. Let her become the wife of your master's son, as the Lord has spoken. 52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord. 53 Then he brought out gold and silver jewelry and clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave costly gifts to her brother and her mother. 54 Then he and the men 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.' 55 But her brother and her mother said, 'Let the young woman stay with us ten days or so; then you may go.' 56 But he said to them, 'Do not delay me. The Lord has given success to my journey. Send me on my way so that I may go to my master.' 57 Then they said, 'Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.' 58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, 'Will you go with this man?' She replied, 'I will go.' 59 So they sent away their sister Rebekah, along with her nurse, Abraham's servant, and his men. 60 They blessed Rebekah and said to her, "Our sister, may you become thousands upon thousands. May your offspring possess the gate of their enemies." 61 Then Rebekah and her young women got up, mounted the camels, and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed. 62 Now Isaac had come from Beer-lahai-roi, for he was living in the Negev. 63 He went out to meditate in the field toward evening. As he looked up, he saw camels approaching. 64 Rebekah also looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she got down from the camel. 65 She said to the servant, 'Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?' The servant replied, 'He is my master.' So she took her veil and covered herself. 66 Then the servant recounted to Isaac everything he had done. 67 Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. She became his wife, and he loved her. Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
  • Prov 29:15 : 15 The rod of correction and discipline impart wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.
  • Prov 11:29 : 29 Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind, and the fool will be a servant to the wise of heart.
  • Prov 14:35 : 35 A king delights in a wise servant, but his anger falls on a disgraceful one.