Genesis 28:10-22
New American Standard Bible
Jacob’s Dream
10 Then Jacob departed from (A)Beersheba and went toward (B)Haran. 11 And he [a]happened upon a [b](C)particular place and spent the night there, because the sun had set; and he took one of the stones of the place and made it a support for his head, and lay down in that place. 12 And (D)he had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, (E)the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 Then behold, (F)the Lord was standing [c]above it and said, “I am the Lord, (G)the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give (H)to you and to (I)your [d]descendants. 14 Your [e]descendants will also be like (J)the dust of the earth, and you will [f]spread out (K)to the west and to the east, and to the north and to the south; and (L)in you and in your [g]descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 Behold, (M)I am with you and (N)will keep you wherever you go, and (O)will bring you back to this land; for (P)I will not leave you until I have done what I have [h]promised you.” 16 Then Jacob (Q)awoke from his sleep and said, “(R)The Lord is certainly in this place, and I did not know it!” 17 And he was afraid and said, “(S)How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”
18 So Jacob got up early in the morning, and took (T)the stone that he had placed as a support for his head, and set it up as a memorial stone, and poured oil on its top. 19 Then he named that place [i](U)Bethel; but [j]previously the name of the city had been (V)Luz. 20 Jacob also (W)made a vow, saying, “(X)If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I [k]take, and give me [l](Y)food to eat and garments to wear, 21 and (Z)I return to my father’s house in [m]safety, (AA)then the Lord will be my God. 22 And this stone, which I have set up as a memorial stone, (AB)will be God’s house, and (AC)of everything that You give me I will assuredly give a tenth to You.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 28:11 Lit lighted on
- Genesis 28:11 Lit the place
- Genesis 28:13 Or beside him
- Genesis 28:13 Lit seed
- Genesis 28:14 Lit seed
- Genesis 28:14 Lit break through
- Genesis 28:14 Lit seed
- Genesis 28:15 Lit spoken to
- Genesis 28:19 I.e., the house of God
- Genesis 28:19 Lit at the first
- Genesis 28:20 Lit go
- Genesis 28:20 Lit bread
- Genesis 28:21 Lit peace
Genesis 28:10-22
The Message
10-12 Jacob left Beersheba and went to Haran. He came to a certain place and camped for the night since the sun had set. He took one of the stones there, set it under his head and lay down to sleep. And he dreamed: A stairway was set on the ground and it reached all the way to the sky; angels of God were going up and going down on it.
13-15 Then God was right before him, saying, “I am God, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. I’m giving the ground on which you are sleeping to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will be as the dust of the Earth; they’ll stretch from west to east and from north to south. All the families of the Earth will bless themselves in you and your descendants. Yes. I’ll stay with you, I’ll protect you wherever you go, and I’ll bring you back to this very ground. I’ll stick with you until I’ve done everything I promised you.”
16-17 Jacob woke up from his sleep. He said, “God is in this place—truly. And I didn’t even know it!” He was terrified. He whispered in awe, “Incredible. Wonderful. Holy. This is God’s House. This is the Gate of Heaven.”
18-19 Jacob was up first thing in the morning. He took the stone he had used for his pillow and stood it up as a memorial pillar and poured oil over it. He christened the place Bethel (God’s House). The name of the town had been Luz until then.
20-22 Jacob vowed a vow: “If God stands by me and protects me on this journey on which I’m setting out, keeps me in food and clothing, and brings me back in one piece to my father’s house, this God will be my God. This stone that I have set up as a memorial pillar will mark this as a place where God lives. And everything you give me, I’ll return a tenth to you.”
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Genesis 28:10-22
King James Version
10 And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.
11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
13 And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.
17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
18 And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.
19 And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.
20 And Jacob vowed 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 raiment to put on,
21 So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God:
22 And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.
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Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson