Genesis 28
28
1Isaac called Jacob, greeted him, and said to him, “Don't marry a Canaanite woman. 2Go instead to Mesopotamia, to the home of your grandfather Bethuel, and marry one of the young women there, one of your uncle Laban's daughters. 3May Almighty God bless your marriage and give you many children, so that you will become the father of many nations! 4#Gen 17.4–8May he bless you and your descendants as he blessed Abraham, and may you take possession of this land, in which you have lived and which God gave to Abraham!” 5Isaac sent Jacob away to Mesopotamia, to Laban, who was the son of Bethuel the Aramean and the brother of Rebecca, the mother of Jacob and Esau.
Esau Takes Another Wife
6Esau learnt that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Mesopotamia to find a wife. He also learnt that when Isaac blessed him, he commanded him not to marry a Canaanite woman. 7He found out that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Mesopotamia. 8Esau then understood that his father Isaac did not approve of Canaanite women. 9So he went to Ishmael son of Abraham and married his daughter Mahalath, who was the sister of Nebaioth.
Jacob's Dream at Bethel
10Jacob left Beersheba and started towards Haran. 11At sunset he came to a holy place#28.11 a holy place; or a place. and camped there. He lay down to sleep, resting his head on a stone. 12#Jn 1.51He dreamt that he saw a stairway reaching from earth to heaven, with angels going up and coming down on it. 13#Gen 13.14–15And there was the LORD standing beside him.#28.13 beside him; or on it. “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham and Isaac,” he said. “I will give to you and to your descendants this land on which you are lying. 14#Gen 12.3; 22.18They will be as numerous as the specks of dust on the earth. They will extend their territory in all directions, and through you and your descendants I will bless all the nations.#28.14 through you… nations; or all the nations will ask me to bless them as I have blessed you and your descendants. 15Remember, I will be with you and protect you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done all that I have promised you.”
16Jacob woke up and said, “The LORD is here! He is in this place, and I didn't know it!” 17He was afraid and said, “What a terrifying place this is! It must be the house of God; it must be the gate that opens into heaven.”
18Jacob got up early next morning, took the stone that was under his head, and set it up as a memorial. Then he poured olive oil on it to dedicate it to God. 19He named the place Bethel.#28.19 Bethel: This name in Hebrew means “house of God”. (The town there was once known as Luz.) 20Then Jacob made a vow to the LORD: “If you will be with me and protect me on the journey I am making and give me food and clothing, 21and if I return safely to my father's home, then you will be my God. 22This memorial stone which I have set up will be the place where you are worshipped, and I will give you a tenth of everything you give me.”
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Genesis 28: GNBDC
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
Genesis 28
28
Jacob Sent to Laban
1Then Isaac called Jacob #ver. 6 and blessed him and directed him, #[See ch. 27:46 above]“You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. 2#Hos. 12:12 Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of #ch. 22:23Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. 3#See ch. 17:1God Almighty#28:3 Hebrew El Shaddai bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. 4May he give #See ch. 12:2, 3 the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of #ch. 17:8; 36:7; 37:1the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!” 5Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.
Esau Marries an Ishmaelite
6Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women,” 7and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and gone to Paddan-aram. 8So when Esau saw #ch. 24:3; 26:35that the Canaanite women did not please Isaac his father, 9Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, #[ch. 36:3] Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of #ch. 25:13; 36:3Nebaioth.
Jacob’s Dream
10Jacob left #ch. 21:31; 26:33 Beersheba and went toward #[Acts 7:2]Haran. 11And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. 12And he #[Num. 12:6; Job 33:15, 16] dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder#28:12 Or a flight of steps set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, #[John 1:51]the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! 13And behold, #[ch. 35:1; 48:3] the Lord stood above it#28:13 Or beside him and said, #ch. 26:24 “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. #ch. 35:12; See ch. 13:14-16The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. 14Your offspring shall be like #See ch. 13:16 the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and #See ch. 12:3your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15Behold, #ch. 26:24; 31:3 I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and #ch. 35:6 will bring you back to this land. For I will #1 Kgs. 8:57not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is #Ex. 3:5; Josh. 5:15in this place, and I did not know it.” 17And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
18So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up #ch. 31:13, 45; 35:14; [1 Sam. 7:12; 2 Sam. 18:18] for a pillar #[Lev. 8:10, 11; Num. 7:1]and poured oil on the top of it. 19He called the name of that place #ch. 35:7; Judg. 1:23, 26Bethel,#28:19 Bethel means the house of God but the name of the city was Luz at the first. 20Then Jacob #ch. 31:13made 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 wear, 21#[Judg. 11:31; 2 Sam. 15:7-9] so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, #Deut. 26:17then the Lord shall be my God, 22and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, #ch. 35:7, 14 shall be God’s house. And #ch. 14:20; Lev. 27:30-33of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.”
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