< Genesis 28 >
1 Isaac [Laughter] called Jacob [Supplanter], blessed him, and enjoined him, “You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan [Humbled].
2 Arise, go to Paddan Aram [Elevated], to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father. Take a wife from there from the daughters of Laban [White], your mother’s brother.
3 May El Shaddai [God Almighty] bless you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you may be a company of peoples,
4 and give you the blessing of Abraham [Father of a multitude], to you, and to your offspring with you, that you may inherit the land where you travel, which God gave to Abraham [Father of a multitude].”
5 Isaac [Laughter] sent Jacob [Supplanter] away. He went to Paddan Aram [Elevated] to Laban [White], son of Bethuel the Syrian, Rebekah [Securely bound]’s brother, Jacob [Supplanter]’s and Esau [Hairy]’s mother.
6 Now Esau [Hairy] saw that Isaac [Laughter] had blessed Jacob [Supplanter] and sent him away to Paddan Aram [Elevated], to take him a wife from there, and as he blessed him, Issac [Laughter] enjoined these words to Esau [Hairy], saying, “You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan [Humbled],”
7 and that Jacob [Supplanter] sh'ma ·heard obeyed· his father and his mother, and was gone to Paddan Aram [Elevated].
8 Esau [Hairy] saw that the daughters of Canaan [Humbled] didn’t please Isaac [Laughter], his father.
9 Esau [Hairy] went to Ishmael [Pays attention God], and took, besides the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael [Pays attention God], Abraham [Father of a multitude]’s son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife.
10 Jacob [Supplanter] went out from Be'er-Sheva [Well of Seven, Well of an Oath], and went toward Haran [Mountaineer].
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.
12 He dreamed. Behold, a stairway set upon the earth, and its top reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
13 Behold, Adonai stood above it, and said, “I am Adonai, the God of Abraham [Father of a multitude] your father, and the God of Isaac [Laughter]. The land whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your offspring.
14 Your offspring will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your offspring will all the families of the earth be blessed.
15 Behold, I am with you, and will keep 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.”
16 Jacob [Supplanter] awakened out of his sleep, and he said, “Surely Adonai is in this place, and I didn’t know it.”
17 He was afraid, and said, “How dreadful is this place! This is none other than God’s house, and this is the gate of heaven.”
18 Jacob [Supplanter] rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil on its top.
19 He called the name of that place Beth-el [House of God], but the name of the city was Luz at the first.
20 Jacob [Supplanter] vowed a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to put on,
21 so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, and Adonai will be my God,
22 then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, will be God’s house. Of all that you will give me I will surely give a tenth to you.”
