1 Isaac called Jacob, blessed him, and told him: »Do not marry a Canaanite.

2 »Go to Mesopotamia instead, to the home of your grandfather Bethuel. Marry one of the young women there, one of your uncle Laban’s daughters.

3 »Almighty God will bless your marriage and give you many children. You will become the father of many nations!

4 »He will bless you and your descendants as he blessed Abraham. You may take possession of this land, in which you have lived and which God gave to Abraham!«

5 Isaac then sent Jacob to stay with Rebekah’s brother Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean.

6 Esau found out that his father Isaac had blessed Jacob and had warned him not to marry any of the Canaanite women. He also learned that Jacob had been sent to find a wife in northern Syria.

7 Jacob did as his father and mother said. He went to Paddan-aram.

8 It was clear to Esau that his father despised the local Canaanite women.

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

10 Jacob left Beer-sheba and traveled toward Haran.

11 As soon as the sun went down he stopped for the night. He took one of the stones from that place, put it under his head, and lay down there.

12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway set up on the earth with its top reaching up to heaven. He saw the angels of God going up and coming down on it.

13 Jehovah was standing above the stairway. He proclaimed: »I am Jehovah, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give the land on which you are lying to you and your descendants.

14 »Your descendants will be like the dust on the earth. You will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. Every family on earth will be blessed through you and through your descendants.

15 »Remember, I am with you. I will watch over you wherever you go. I will also bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I do what I have promised you.«

16 Jacob woke up from his sleep and said: »Truly, Jehovah is in this place, and I did not know it!«

17 He was filled with reverence. He said: »This is an awesome place! Certainly, this is the house of God and the gateway to the heavens!«

18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had under his head. He set it up as a marker and poured oil on top of it.

19 He named that place Bethel House of God. Previously, the name of the city was Luz.

20 Jacob made a vow. He said: »If God will be with me and will watch over me on my trip and give me food to eat and clothes to wear,

21 »and if I return safely to my father’s home, then Jehovah will be my God.

22 »This stone I placed as a marker will be the house of God. I will certainly give you a tenth of everything you give me.«