Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

Isaac called Jacob and blessed him. "You must not marry a Canaanite woman," he instructed. "Arise, go to Paddan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother's father, and take a wife from there among the daughters of Laban your mother's brother."

God Almighty bless you, Isaac prayed, and make you fruitful, multiplying you. Isaac said this twice, emphasizing God's promise.

Isaac sent Jacob away to Paddan Aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, Rebekah's brother and mother of Jacob and Esau. When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-Aram, to take a wife from there, he gave him a charge, saying, "You must not marry one of the daughters of Canaan."

Jacob obeyed his father and mother, and went to Paddan Aram. Esau noticed that the daughters of Canaan did not please Isaac his father, so he went to Ishmael and took Mahalath, Abraham's grandson and the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife in addition to his existing wives.

Jacob left Beersheba and headed toward Haran. As the sun began to set, he came to a certain place and tarried there all night, taking some stones from that place as pillows and lying down to sleep.

In his dream, Jacob saw a ladder standing on the earth, its top reaching heaven. Angels of God were ascending and descending on it. The Lord stood above Jacob, saying, "I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; I will give you this land and to your descendants."

Your descendants, the Lord said, will be like the dust of the earth, spreading out to the west, east, north, and south; in you and your descendants all the families of the earth will be blessed. And I am with you, the Lord continued, and will keep you in all places where you go, bringing you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done everything that I have spoken to you about.

Jacob woke up from his sleep, saying, "Surely the Lord is present in this place. I was unaware of it." He was afraid and said, "How awe-inspiring is this place! It is none other than the house of God, and it is the gate to heaven."

The next morning, Jacob rose early, took the stone he had used as a pillow, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. He named that place Bethel, but its original name was Luz.

Jacob vowed a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and keep me on this path, giving me bread to eat and clothes to wear, then I will surely give a tenth of all that you give me back to you."