Genesis 28 - International Standard Version (ISV)

Isaac Sends Jacob to Paddan-aram

28 Later, Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, instructing him, “Don’t marry a wife from the local Canaanite women. 2 Instead, get up, travel to Paddan-aram,[a] and visit the household of Bethuel, your mother’s father. Marry one of Laban’s daughters, since he’s your mother’s brother. 3 May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful so that your descendants[b] become a whole group of people. 4 May he give you and your descendants the blessings that he gave Abraham. May you possess the land where you have lived[c] that God gave to Abraham.”

5 So Isaac sent Jacob off toward Paddan-aram[d] to visit Bethuel’s son Laban, the Aramean[e] and brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

Esau Marries a Canaanite Woman

6 Esau noticed that after Isaac had blessed Jacob as he was sending him off to Paddan-aram[f] to marry a wife from there, he had instructed Jacob,[g] “Don’t marry a Canaanite woman.” 7 After Jacob had obeyed his father and mother’s instructions to set out for Paddan-aram,[h] 8 Esau realized[i] that Canaan women didn’t please his father Isaac, 9 so he went to Abraham’s son Ishmael and married Ishmael’s daughter Mahalath, who was the sister of Nebaioth.

God Visits Jacob in a Dream

10 Meanwhile, Jacob had left[j] Beer-sheba and was on his way to Haran. 11 He reached a certain place and spent the night there, because the sun was setting. He found a stone there, used it for a pillow,[k] and slept there for the night, 12 when he had a dream! He saw a raised highway that had been built with its ending point on earth and its beginning point in heaven. God’s angels were ascending and descending on it. 13 And there was the Lord, standing above it and telling Jacob, “I am the Lord God of your grandfather Abraham. I’m Isaac’s God, too. I’m giving you and your descendants the ground on which you’re sleeping. 14 Your descendants are going to become like the dust of the earth and spread out to the west, east, north, and south. All the families of the earth[l] will be blessed through you and your descendants. 15 Now pay attention! I’m here with you, and I’m going to be watching over you wherever you go. I’m going to bring you back to this land, because I won’t ever leave you until I’ve accomplished what I’ve promised about you.”

Jacob Worships God in Bethel

16 Then Jacob woke up during the night[m] and told himself,[n] “Surely, the Lord is in this place and I never knew it!” 17 In mounting terror, he cried out, “How scary this place is! This is nothing less than God’s house and the gateway to heaven!” 18 When Jacob got up early the next morning, he took the stone that he had used for his pillow,[o] set it up as a pillar, drenched it with oil, 19 and named[p] the place Beth-el, although previously[q] the city had been named Luz.

20 Then he made this solemn vow:[r] “If God remains with me, watches over me throughout this journey that I’m taking, gives me food to eat and clothes to wear, 21 and returns me safely to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God, 22 this stone that I’ve erected in the form of a pillar will be God’s house, and I’ll give you a tenth of everything that you give to me.”

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 28:2 Paddan-aram was located in northwest Mesopotamia
  2. Genesis 28:3 Lit. that you
  3. Genesis 28:4 Lit. land of your journeying
  4. Genesis 28:5 Paddan-aram was located in northwest Mesopotamia
  5. Genesis 28:5 In later centuries this region would be called Syria
  6. Genesis 28:6 Paddan-aram was located in northwest Mesopotamia
  7. Genesis 28:6 Lit. him
  8. Genesis 28:7 Paddan-aram was located in northwest Mesopotamia
  9. Genesis 28:8 Lit. saw
  10. Genesis 28:10 Lit. went out from
  11. Genesis 28:11 Lit. for his head.
  12. Genesis 28:14 Or land
  13. Genesis 28:16 Lit. woke from his sleep
  14. Genesis 28:16 The Heb. lacks to himself
  15. Genesis 28:18 Lit. for his head
  16. Genesis 28:19 Lit. called the name of
  17. Genesis 28:19 Lit. at the first
  18. Genesis 28:20 Lit. vowed a vow

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Genesis 28 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

28 And Isaac calleth unto Jacob, and blesseth him, and commandeth him, and saith to him, `Thou dost not take a wife of the daughters of Caanan; 2 rise, go to Padan-Aram, to the house of Bethuel, thy mother's father, and take for thyself from thence a wife, of the daughters of Laban, thy mother's bro...
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Genesis 28 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

28 And so Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and commanded to him, and said, Do not thou take a wife of the kin of Canaan; 2 but go thou, and walk forth into Mesopotamia of Syria, to the house of Bethuel, [the] father of thy mother, and take to thee from thence a wife of the daughters of Laban, th...
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Genesis 28 - World English Bible (WEB)

28 Isaac called Jacob, blessed him, and commanded him, “You shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. 2 Arise, go to Paddan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father. Take a wife from there from the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 3 May God Almighty bless you, and make ...
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Genesis 28 - The Voice (VOICE)

28 Isaac called Jacob to him, blessed him again, and instructed him.Isaac: You are not to marry one of the Canaanite women. 2 Get up and pack your things, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel (your mother’s father), and find a wife there among Laban’s daughters. (Laban is your mother’s brother...
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Genesis 28 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Jacob Sent to Laban28 So Isaac called for Jacob, blessed him, commanded him and said to him, “Don’t take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. 2 Get up, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and take for yourself a wife from there, from the daughters of Laban, your mother...
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Genesis 28 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

28 1 Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, “You shall not marry one of the Canaanite women. 2 Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethu′el your mother’s father; and take as wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. 3 God Almighty[a] bless you an...
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Genesis 28 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

28 1 Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, “You shall not marry one of the Canaanite women. 2 Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethu′el your mother’s father; and take as wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. 3 God Almighty[a] bless you an...
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Genesis 28 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

28 Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, ‘You shall not marry one of the Canaanite women. 2 Go at once to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father; and take as wife from there one of the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 3 May God Almighty[a] bless you...
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Genesis 28 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

28 Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and charged him, “You shall not marry one of the Canaanite women.(A)2 Go at once to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and take as wife from there one of the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.(B)3 May God Almighty[a] bless yo...
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Genesis 28 - New Living Translation (NLT)

28 So Isaac called for Jacob, blessed him, and said, “You must not marry any of these Canaanite women. 2 Instead, go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your grandfather Bethuel, and marry one of your uncle Laban’s daughters. 3 May God Almighty[a] bless you and give you many children. And may yo...
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Genesis 28 - New Life Version (NLV)

28 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 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 May the All-...
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Genesis 28 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Jacob Sent to His Uncle Laban28 Then Isaac called Jacob and (A)blessed him, and [a]charged him, and said to him: (B)“You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. 2 (C)Arise, go to (D)Padan Aram, to the house of (E)Bethuel your mother’s father; and take yourself a wife from there of the d...
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Genesis 28 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

28 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him: ‘Do not marry a Canaanite woman. 2 Go at once to Paddan Aram,[a] to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 3 May God Almighty[b] bless ...
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Genesis 28 - New International Version (NIV)

28 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed(A) him. Then he commanded him: “Do not marry a Canaanite woman.(B) 2 Go at once to Paddan Aram,[a](C) to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel.(D) Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.(E) 3 May God Almig...
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Genesis 28 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

28 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him, “Don’t get married to a Canaanite woman. 2 Go at once to Paddan Aram. Go to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel. Find a wife for yourself there. Take her from among the daughters of your mother’s brother Laban. 3 May the Mi...
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Genesis 28 - New English Translation (NET)

28 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman![a] 2 Leave immediately[b] for Paddan Aram! Go to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and find yourself a wife there, among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 3 May the So...
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