Abramsaid,"O LordGOD,whatwill You giveme, since I amchildless,and the heirof my houseis Eliezerof Damascus?"
He dividedhis forces againstthem by night,he and his servants,and defeatedthem, and pursuedthem as faras Hobah,whichis northof Damascus.
Afterthesethingsthe wordof the LORDcameto Abramin a vision,saying,"Do not fear,Abram,I am a shieldto you; Your rewardshall be verygreat."
And Abramsaid,"SinceYou have givennooffspringto me, onebornin my houseis my heir."
Then the servanttooktencamelsfrom the camelsof his master,and setout with a varietyof goodthingsof his master'sin his hand;and he aroseand wentto Mesopotamia,to the cityof Nahor.
Abrahamsaidto his servant,the oldestof his household,who hadchargeof allthat he owned, "Pleaseplaceyour handundermy thigh,
Isaacprayedto the LORDon behalfof his wife,becauseshe was barren;and the LORDansweredhim and Rebekahhis wifeconceived.
"Thereis noone greaterin thishousethanI, and he has withheldnothingfrom me exceptyou, becauseyou are his wife.Howthen could I dothisgreateviland sinagainst God?"
So they camenearto Joseph'shousesteward,and spoketo him at the entranceof the house,
Then he commandedhis housesteward,saying,"Fillthe men'ssackswith food,as muchas they cancarry,and puteachman'smoneyin the mouthof his sack.
Behold,childrenare a giftof the LORD,The fruitof the wombis a reward.
Hopedeferredmakesthe heartsick,But desirefulfilledis a treeof life.
A servantwho actswiselywill ruleover a sonwho actsshamefully,And will sharein the inheritanceamongbrothers.
The oracleconcerning Damascus."Behold,Damascusis about to be removedfrom being a cityAnd will becomea fallenruin.
To them I will givein My houseand within My wallsa memorial,And a namebetterthanthat of sonsand daughters;I will givethem an everlastingnamewhichwill not be cutoff.
Concerning Damascus."Hamathand Arpadare putto shame,For they have heardbadnews;They are disheartened.There is anxietyby the sea,It cannotbe calmed.
"But He gavehim noinheritancein it, not evena footof ground,and [yet], even when he had nochild,He promisedthat HE WOULD GIVEIT TO HIM AS A POSSESSION,AND TO HIS DESCENDANTSAFTERHIM.
The servantin chargeof the reapersreplied,"She is the youngMoabitewomanwho returnedwith Naomifrom the landof Moab.
She madea vowand said,"O LORDof hosts,ifYou will indeedlookon the afflictionof Your maidservantand rememberme, and not forgetYour maidservant,but will giveYour maidservanta son,then I will givehim to the LORDallthe daysof his life,and a razorshall nevercomeon his head."
