Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

¹⁰ Jacob left Beersheba^(A) and set out for Harran.^{(B) 11} When he reached a certain place,^(C) he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head^(D) and lay down to sleep. ¹² He had a dream^(E) in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.^{(F) 13} There above it^[a] stood the Lord,^(G) and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.^(H) I will give you and your descendants the land^(I) on which you are lying.^(J)

¹⁶ When Jacob awoke from his sleep,^(A) he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” ¹⁷ He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place!^(B) This is none other than the house of God;^(C) this is the gate of heaven.”

²¹ Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless.^(A) The Lord answered his prayer,^(B) and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. ²² The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.^(C)

²³ The Lord said to her,

²⁴ When the time came for her to give birth,^(F) there were twin boys in her womb.^{(G) 25} The first to come out was red,^(H) and his whole body was like a hairy garment;^(I) so they named him Esau.^{[a](J) 26} After this, his brother came out,^(K) with his hand grasping Esau’s heel;^(L) so he was named Jacob.^[b](M) Isaac was sixty years old^(N) when Rebekah gave birth to them.