Genesis 28
1 Isaac called Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him, "You must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.
Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. “Don't marry a Canaanite woman,” he ordered him.
2 Arise, go to Paddan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother's father. Take a wife from there from the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother.
“Leave right away and go to Paddan-aram, to the home of Bethuel, your mother's father. Find yourself a wife there—a daughter of Laban, your mother's brother.
3 May El Shaddai bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a company of peoples,
God Almighty bless you and may your descendants be so numerous that you become the ancestor of many nations.
4 and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you, and to your descendants with you, that you may inherit the land where you travel, which God gave to Abraham."
May he grant you and your descendants the same blessing he gave to Abraham, so that you may take over the land where you now live as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.”
5 Isaac sent Jacob away. He went to Paddan Aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramean, Rebekah's brother, Jacob's and Esau's mother.
So Isaac sent Jacob on his way. He traveled to Paddan-aram, to Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramean. Laban was the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.
6 Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan Aram, to take him a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he gave him a command, saying, "You must not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan,"
Esau found out that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan-aram to find a wife there, and that when he blessed him he ordered him, “Don't marry a Canaanite woman.”
7 and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and left for Paddan Aram.
He also discovered that Jacob had done what his father and mother told him and had left for Paddan-aram.
8 Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan did not please Isaac, his father.
This made Esau realize how much his father disliked Canaanite women.
9 Esau went to Ishmael, and took, besides the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife.
So he went to Ishmael's family and married an additional wife—Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth.
10 Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.
In the meantime Jacob had set off from Beersheba on his way to Haran.
11 He came to a certain place, and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place to sleep.
He arrived after sunset at a particular place and stopped there for the night. He picked up a stone, put it under his head, lay down and went to sleep.
12 And he dreamed. And look, a stairway was set upon the earth, and its top reached to heaven. And look, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
He dreamed he saw a stairway that started on earth, and the top reached all the way into heaven. He saw God's angels going up and down on it.
13 And God stood above it, and said, "I am the God of Abraham your grandfather, and the God of Isaac. The land on which you are lying I will give to you and to your descendants.
Then he saw the Lord standing over him, who said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham, and the God of Isaac. I'm giving you and your descendants the land you're lying on.
14 Your descendants will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. And through you and through your descendants will all the families of the earth be blessed.
Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth, and will spread out west and east, and north and south. Everyone on earth will be blessed by your descendants.
15 And look, I am with you, and will watch over you wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you, until I have done that which I have spoken of to you."
Listen! I am with you and will take care of you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this country. I won't leave you because I'm going to do what I've promised you.”
16 Then Jacob woke up from his sleep, and said, "Surely God is in this place, and I did not know it."
When Jacob woke up he said to himself, “The Lord is right here, in this place, and I didn't realize it!”
17 He was afraid, and said, "How awesome is this place. This is none other than God's house, and this is the gate of heaven."
He became frightened and said, “This is a scary place! It must be the house of God and the entrance to heaven.”
18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up as a standing-stone, and poured oil on top of it.
When Jacob got up in the morning he took the stone he'd put under his head and set it upright as a stone pillar and poured some olive oil on it.
19 He called the name of that place Bethel, though previously the city was named Luz.
He named the place “Bethel,” (previously it was called Luz).
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and will watch over me on this journey I am taking, and will give me food to eat, and clothing to put on,
Jacob also made a solemn promise, saying, “God, if you will be with me, and take care of me on my journey, and give me food to eat and clothes to wear
21 so that I return to my father's house safely, then he will be my God,
so I can return safely to my father's home, then you Lord will be my God.
22 and this stone, which I have set up as a standing-stone, will be God's house. Of all that you will give me I will surely give the tenth to you."
This stone pillar that I've set up will be the house of God, and I will give you one tenth of all you give me.”
