Genesis 28

So Isaac summoned Jacob, blessed him and told him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman.

{Instead} you must go right away to {the region of} Paddan Aram, to the home of your mother’s father, Bethuel, and marry one of your uncle Laban’s daughters. \*

I pray that God, {who is} all-powerful, will bless you and give you many children and increase {the number of} your descendants, so that you become {the ancestor of} a community of peoples.

I {also} pray that he will bless you and your descendants the same way that he blessed Abraham, so that you will own this land where you have been living as a foreigner, {the same land} which God gave to him.” \*

Then Isaac sent Jacob {on his way}, so Jacob started traveling to Laban{’s house which was} in {the region of} Paddan Aram. {Laban was} the son of Bethuel the Aramean and {also} the brother of Rebekah, {who was} Jacob and Esau’s mother. \*

Now Esau had seen Isaac bless Jacob and send him to {the region of} Paddan Aram to marry a woman from there. As Isaac was blessing him, {Esau heard} him tell Jacob not to marry a Canaanite woman.

{Esau also saw that} Jacob obeyed their father and mother and started traveling to Paddan Aram. \*

That is when Esau realized that his father Isaac did not approve of {his sons marrying} Canaanite women.

So in addition to the {two} wives he already had, Esau went to {the family of} Abraham’s son Ishmael and married Ishmael’s daughter Mahalath, whose brother was Nebaioth. \*

{After} Jacob left from {his family’s home} {in the city of} Beersheba, he started traveling to {the city of} Haran.

{That evening} he reached a {good} place {to sleep}, so he stopped there {for the night} because the sun had set. He chose {one} of the stones that was there and used it as a pillow. Then he lay down and went to sleep. \*

While he was dreaming, he saw a stairway. The bottom of the stairway was on the ground and its top reached up to heaven, and he saw God’s angels going up and coming down on the stairway.

And there standing at the top {of the stairway} was God, and he said {to Jacob}, “I {am} God, the God whom your ancestors Abraham and Isaac serve. I will give you and your descendants this land that you are lying on. \*

They will be {as numerous} as the dust {specks} on the ground, so that they live throughout this land in every direction. Because of you and your descendants, I will bless all the families in the world.

Remember that I {will always be} with you. I will protect you wherever you go, and I will lead you back to this land. In fact, I will never leave you and I will do everything that I have promised you {that I will do}.” \*

Suddenly Jacob woke up from his dream and exclaimed {to himself}, “God definitely lives in this place, but I did not know {it} {before now}!”

He was afraid, so he {also} exclaimed, “This is a terrifying place! This can only be God’s house! It {must be} the entrance to heaven!” \*

Early the next morning Jacob got up, took the stone that he had used as a pillow and set it up {on its end} to mark the place {where God had appeared to him}. Then he poured {some} {olive} oil on top of the stone {to dedicate the place to God}.

He named that place Bethel, {which means “house of God.”} Previously the name of that town had been Luz. \*

Then Jacob made a vow {to God} and said, “God, if {you} will stay with me and protect me as I travel on this journey and if you provide me food to eat and clothes to wear,

so that I return safely to my father’s home, then God, {you} will be the God whom I serve.

This stone that I have set up will be your house and mark the place {that you appeared to me}, and I will give back to you a tenth of everything that you give to me.” \*