Genesis 28

1Isaac called Jacob, blessed him, commanded him, and said to him, "Do not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan."

2Rise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother's father, and take a wife for yourself from there from the daughters of Laban your mother's brother.

3May God Almighty bless you, make you fruitful, and multiply you, that you become an assembly of peoples.

4May he grant you the blessing of Abraham, to you and your offspring with you, that you may inherit the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham.

5Isaac sent Jacob to Paddan-aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, brother of Rebekah, mother of Jacob and Esau.

6Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to take a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he commanded him, saying, "You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan."

7Jacob heeded his father and mother and went to Paddan-aram.

8Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan were evil in the eyes of his father Isaac.

9Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, sister of Nebaioth, as a wife for himself besides his wives.

10Jacob left Beersheba on his way to Haran.

11He came to a place and spent the night there because the sun had set. He took some stones from the place, put them under his head, and lay down in that place.

12He dreamed, and there was a ladder set on the earth, its top reaching to the heavens—and there God's angels were ascending and descending on it.

13Behold, Yahweh stood above it and said, "I am Yahweh, God of Abraham your father, and God of Isaac; the land where you lie I will give to you and to your offspring."

14Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and east and north and south, and all the families of the earth will be blessed in you and your offspring.

15See, I am with you and will guard you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land, for I will not abandon you until I have done what I have spoken to you.

16Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely Yahweh is in this place, and I did not know."

17He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is only God's house, and this is the gate of heaven."

18Jacob rose early in the morning, took the stone that he had placed at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on its top.

19He called the name of that place Bethel, but Luz was the name of the city originally.

20Jacob vowed a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will guard me on this path I'm traveling, and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear,"

21and I return to my father's house in peace, then Yahweh will be my God.

22This stone, which I have set as a pillar, will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will surely tithe a tenth to you.