24:6 “Be careful 1 never to take my son back there!” Abraham told him. 2 24:7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and the land of my relatives, 3 promised me with a solemn oath, 4 ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ He will send his angel 5 before you so that you may find 6 a wife for my son from there. 24:8 But if the woman is not willing to come back with you, 7 you will be free 8 from this oath of mine. But you must not take my son back there!”
1 tn Heb “guard yourself.”
2 tn The introductory clause “And Abraham said to him” has been moved to the end of the opening sentence of direct discourse in the translation for stylistic reasons.
3 tn Or “the land of my birth.”
4 tn Heb “and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying.”
5 tn Or “his messenger.”
6 tn Heb “before you and you will take.”
7 tn Heb “ to go after you.”
8 sn You will be free. If the prospective bride was not willing to accompany the servant back to Canaan, the servant would be released from his oath to Abraham.