1 S o Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and commanded him, You shall not marry one of the women of Canaan.

So Isaac called Jacob and prayed that good would come to him. He said to him, “Do not marry one of the daughters of Canaan.

2 A rise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take from there as a wife one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother.

Get ready, and go to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel in Paddan-aram. Take a wife for yourself from the daughters of your mother’s brother Laban.

3 M ay God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you until you become a group of peoples.

May the All-powerful God bring good to you and give you many children until you become many nations.

4 M ay He give the blessing Abraham to you and your descendants with you, that you may inherit the land He gave to Abraham, in which you are a sojourner.

May He give you and your children after you the same gift that He gave Abraham. May He give you the land that He gave Abraham, the land where you are now a stranger.”

5 T hus Isaac sent Jacob away. He went to Padan-aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob and Esau’s mother.

Then Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob and Esau’s mother.

6 N ow Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him to Padan-aram to take him a wife from there, and that as he blessed him, he gave him a charge, saying, You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan;

Now Esau saw that Isaac had prayed for good to come to Jacob and that he had sent him away to Paddan-aram to find a wife. Esau knew that his father had prayed for good to come to Jacob and said, “Do not marry one of the daughters of Canaan,”

7 A nd that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Padan-aram.

and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan-aram.

8 A lso Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan did not please Isaac his father.

Esau knew that the daughters of Canaan did not please his father Isaac.

9 S o Esau went to Ishmael and took to be his wife, to the wives he had, Mahalath daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth.

So Esau went to Ishmael, and married Mahalath the daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, the sister of Nebaioth. He added her to the wives he already had. Jacob’s Dream

10 A nd Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran.

Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran.

11 A nd he came to a certain place and stayed there overnight, because the sun was set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down there to sleep.

He came to a certain place and stayed the night there, because the sun had gone down. He took one of the stones there and put it under his head for a pillow.

12 A nd he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!

And he had a dream. He saw steps going up from the earth to heaven. He saw the angels of God going up and down these steps.

13 A nd behold, the Lord stood over and beside him and said, I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; I will give to you and to your descendants the land on which you are lying.

And he saw the Lord standing above them. He said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham, and the God of Isaac. I will give to you and your children after you the land where you are lying.

14 A nd your offspring shall be as the dust or sand of the ground, and you shall spread abroad to the west and the east and the north and the south; and by you and your Offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed and bless themselves.

They will be like the dust of the earth. You will spread out to the west and the east and the north and the south. Good will come to all the families of the earth because of you and your children.

15 A nd behold, I am with you and will keep (watch over you with care, take notice of) you wherever you may go, and I will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done all of which I have told you.

See, I am with you. I will care for you everywhere you go. And I will bring you again to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done all the things I promised you.”

16 A nd Jacob awoke from his sleep and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it.

Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “For sure the Lord is in this place and I did not know it.”

17 H e was afraid and said, How to be feared and reverenced is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gateway to heaven!

He was afraid and said, “This place is so different! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

18 A nd Jacob rose early in the morning and took the stone he had put under his head, and he set it up for a pillar (a monument to the vision in his dream), and he poured oil on its top.

So Jacob got up early in the morning. He took the stone he had used as a pillow, and set it up as a pillar. He poured oil on the top of it.

19 A nd he named that place Bethel; but the name of that city was Luz at first.

He gave that place the name Bethel. Its name had been Luz before.

20 T hen Jacob made a vow, saying, If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me food to eat and clothing to wear,

Then Jacob made a promise. He said, “If God will be with me and take care of me as I go, and if He will give me food to eat and clothes to wear,

21 S o that I may come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God;

so that I return in peace to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God.

22 A nd this stone which I have set up as a pillar (monument) shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will give the tenth to You.

I have set up this stone as a pillar to be God’s house. And I will give You a tenth part of all You give to me.”