28:1
וַיִּקְרָ֥א יִצְחָ֛ק אֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב
Now Isaac called Jacob
וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֹת֑וֹ
And he blessed him;
וַיְצַוֵּ֙הוּ֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ
Then he commanded him, and said to him:
לֹֽא־תִקַּ֥ח אִשָּׁ֖ה מִבְּנ֥וֹת כְּנָֽעַן׃
“You must not take a wife
from the daughters of Canaan;”
28:2
ק֥וּם לֵךְ֙ פַּדֶּ֣נָֽה אֲרָ֔ם
“Arise and go to Padan Aram,
בֵּ֥יתָה בְתוּאֵ֖ל אֲבִ֣י אִמֶּ֑ךָ
To the house of Bethuel, your Mother’s father;
וְקַח־לְךָ֤ מִשָּׁם֙ אִשָּׁ֔ה
And take for yourself a wife from there,
מִבְּנ֥וֹת לָבָ֖ן אֲחִ֥י אִמֶּֽךָ׃
From the daughters of Laban, your Mother’s brother.”
28:3
וְאֵ֤ל שַׁדַּי֙ יְבָרֵ֣ךְ אֹֽתְךָ֔
“And El Shaddai (The Sufficient-Omnipotent One)
He will bless you,
וְיַפְרְךָ֖ וְיַרְבֶּ֑ךָ
And He will make you fruitful,
and He will multiply you,
וְהָיִ֖יתָ לִקְהַ֥ל עַמִּֽים׃
And so you shall become a congregation of peoples;”
28:4
וְיִֽתֶּן־לְךָ֙ אֶת־בִּרְכַּ֣ת אַבְרָהָ֔ם
“And He will give you the Blessing of Abraham,—
לְךָ֖ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ֣ אִתָּ֑ךְ
to you, and to your Seed along with you;
לְרִשְׁתְּךָ֙ אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ מְגֻרֶ֔יךָ
in order that you inherit the land of your sojournings,
אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥ן אֱלֹהִ֖ים לְאַבְרָהָֽם׃
that God has given to Abraham.”
28:5
וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יִצְחָק֙ אֶֽת־יַעֲקֹ֔ב
And Isaac sent Jacob,
וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ פַּדֶּ֣נָֽה אֲרָ֑ם
and he went to Padan Aram,
אֶל־לָבָ֤ן בֶּן־בְּתוּאֵל֙ הָֽאֲרַמִּ֔י
to Laban the son of Bethuel the Aramaean,
אֲחִ֣י רִבְקָ֔ה אֵ֥ם יַעֲקֹ֖ב וְעֵשָֽׂו׃
the brother of Rebecca,
the mother of Jacob and Esau.
28:6
וַיַּ֣רְא עֵשָׂ֗ו
Now Esau took note,
כִּֽי־בֵרַ֣ךְ יִצְחָק֮ אֶֽת־יַעֲקֹב֒
that Isaac had blessed Jacob,
וְשִׁלַּ֤ח אֹתוֹ֙ פַּדֶּ֣נָֽה אֲרָ֔ם
and sent him to Padan Aram,
לָקַֽחַת־ל֥וֹ מִשָּׁ֖ם אִשָּׁ֑ה
to take for himself a wife from there;
בְּבָרֲכ֣וֹ אֹת֔וֹ וַיְצַ֤ו עָלָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר
and that when blessing him,
he also commanded over him, saying:
לֹֽא־תִקַּ֥ח אִשָּׁ֖ה מִבְּנ֥וֹת כְּנָֽעַן׃
“You must not take a wife, from among the daughters of Canaan!”
28:7
וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע יַעֲקֹ֔ב אֶל־אָבִ֖יו וְאֶל־אִמּ֑וֹ
And Jacob heeded his father and his mother,
וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ פַּדֶּֽנָֽה אֲרָֽם׃
and went to Padan Aram.
28:8
וַיַּ֣רְא עֵשָׂ֔ו כִּ֥י רָע֖וֹת בְּנ֣וֹת כְּנָ֑עַן
Now Esau took note
that the daughters of Canaan were displeasing,
בְּעֵינֵ֖י יִצְחָ֥ק אָבִֽיו׃
In the eyes of Isaac his father;
28:9
וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ עֵשָׂ֖ו אֶל־יִשְׁמָעֵ֑אל
And Esau went to Ishmael,
וַיִּקַּ֡ח אֶֽת־מָחֲלַ֣ת ׀
and took Machalath (musical)
בַּת־יִשְׁמָעֵ֨אל בֶּן־אַבְרָהָ֜ם
the daughter of Ishmael the son of Abraham,
אֲח֧וֹת נְבָי֛וֹת עַל־נָשָׁ֖יו
the sister of Nevayot (firstborn of Ishmael)
in addition to his wives,
ל֥וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃ ס
to himself for a wife.
28:10
וַיֵּצֵ֥א יַעֲקֹ֖ב מִבְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע
Now Jacob moved away from Be’er Sheva,
וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ חָרָֽנָה׃
and went towards Haran;
28:11
וַיִּפְגַּ֨ע בַּמָּק֜וֹם וַיָּ֤לֶן שָׁם֙ כִּי־בָ֣א הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ
And he reached a certain place,
and spent the night there because the sun had set.
וַיִּקַּח֙ מֵאַבְנֵ֣י הַמָּק֔וֹם וַיָּ֖שֶׂם מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֑יו
And he took some of the stone of that place,
and he set up his head-support;
וַיִּשְׁכַּ֖ב בַּמָּק֥וֹם הַהֽוּא׃
then he laid down in that place.
28:12
וֽ͏ַיַּחֲלֹ֗ם וְהִנֵּ֤ה סֻלָּם֙ מֻצָּ֣ב אַ֔רְצָה
Then he dreamed, and behold – a stairway
having been positioned earthwards,
וְרֹאשׁ֖וֹ מַגִּ֣יעַ הַשָּׁמָ֑יְמָה
Together with the top of it reaching heavenwards!
וְהִנֵּה֙ מַלְאֲכֵ֣י אֱלֹהִ֔ים
And behold – The Angels of God
עֹלִ֥ים וְיֹרְדִ֖ים בּֽוֹ׃
are ascending and descending upon it!
28:13
וְהִנֵּ֨ה יְהוָ֜ה נִצָּ֣ב עָלָיו֮ וַיֹּאמַר֒
Now behold — the LORD is in charge over it,
and He said:
אֲנִ֣י יְהוָ֗ה
“I Am Jehovah,
אֱלֹהֵי֙ אַבְרָהָ֣ם אָבִ֔יךָ וֵאלֹהֵ֖י יִצְחָ֑ק
The God of Abraham your grandfather,
and the God of Isaac:
הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אַתָּה֙ שֹׁכֵ֣ב עָלֶ֔יהָ
The land, that which you lie upon,
לְךָ֥ אֶתְּנֶ֖נָּה וּלְזַרְעֶֽךָ׃
To you will I give it, and to your Seed;”
28:14
וְהָיָ֤ה זַרְעֲךָ֙ כַּעֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֔רֶץ
“And your Seed shall be as the dust of the earth,
וּפָרַצְתָּ֛ יָ֥מָּה וָקֵ֖דְמָה וְצָפֹ֣נָה וָנֶ֑גְבָּה
And you shall break forth
westwards and eastwards,
northwards and southwards;
וְנִבְרֲכ֥וּ בְךָ֛ כָּל־מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הָאֲדָמָ֖ה
And all the clans of Earth
shall bless themselves through you, —
וּבְזַרְעֶֽךָ׃
and by your Seed.”
28:15
וְהִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י עִמָּ֗ךְ
“And behold I Am with you,
וּשְׁמַרְתִּ֙יךָ֙ בְּכֹ֣ל אֲשֶׁר־תֵּלֵ֔ךְ
And I will protect you everywhere you go,
וַהֲשִׁ֣בֹתִ֔יךָ אֶל־הָאֲדָמָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
But I will bring you back to this land;
כִּ֚י לֹ֣א אֽ͏ֶעֱזָבְךָ֔
Indeed, I shall not release you,
עַ֚ד אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִם־עָשִׂ֔יתִי
Until that I have accomplished
אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי לָֽךְ׃
What I have spoken to you!”
28:16
וַיִּיקַ֣ץ יַעֲקֹב֮ מִשְּׁנָתוֹ֒ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep,
and he said:
אָכֵן֙ יֵ֣שׁ יְהוָ֔ה בַּמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה
“Surely the Lord is in this place!
וְאָנֹכִ֖י לֹ֥א יָדָֽעְתִּי׃
And I, I did not know!”
28:17
וַיִּירָא֙ וַיֹּאמַ֔ר
And he was afraid and he said:
מַה־נּוֹרָ֖א הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה
“How awesome this place is!
אֵ֣ין זֶ֗ה כִּ֚י אִם־בֵּ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֔ים
This is none other but the House of God,
וְזֶ֖ה שַׁ֥עַר הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
And this the very Gate of Heaven!”
28:18
וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם יַעֲקֹ֜ב בַּבֹּ֗קֶר
And Jacob arose early in the morning,
וַיִּקַּ֤ח אֶת־הָאֶ֙בֶן֙ אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֣ם מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֔יו
And he took the stone of his head-support
that was there,
וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֹתָ֖הּ מַצֵּבָ֑ה
And he set it up as a pillar
וַיִּצֹ֥ק שֶׁ֖מֶן עַל־רֹאשָֽׁהּ׃
And he poured oil on top of it.
28:19
וַיִּקְרָ֛א אֶת־שֵֽׁם־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא בֵּֽית־אֵ֑ל
And he named that place Beth-El (The House of God);
וְאוּלָ֛ם ל֥וּז שֵׁם־הָעִ֖יר לָרִאשֹׁנָֽה׃
But Luz (almond tree)
was the name of the town, initially.
28:20
וַיִּדַּ֥ר יַעֲקֹ֖ב נֶ֣דֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר
And Jacob made a vow— saying:
אִם־יִהְיֶ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֜ים עִמָּדִ֗י
“If God will be with me personally,
וּשְׁמָרַ֙נִי֙ בַּדֶּ֤רֶךְ הַזֶּה֙
and will keep me on this path,—
אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָנֹכִ֣י הוֹלֵ֔ךְ
that which I am travelling,
וְנָֽתַן־לִ֥י לֶ֛חֶם לֶאֱכֹ֖ל וּבֶ֥גֶד לִלְבֹּֽשׁ׃
and will give me bread to eat,
and clothing to wear;”
28:21
וְשַׁבְתִּ֥י בְשָׁל֖וֹם אֶל־בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑י
“And I return in peace
to my father’s house;
וְהָיָ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה לִ֖י לֵאלֹהִֽים׃
Then shall the LORD be God for me;”
28:22
וְהָאֶ֣בֶן הַזֹּ֗את אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֙מְתִּי֙ מַצֵּבָ֔ה
“And this stone which I set up as a pillar,
יִהְיֶ֖ה בֵּ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֑ים
It will designate the House of God;
וְכֹל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּתֶּן־לִ֔י
And everything that you shall give me,
עַשֵּׂ֖ר אֲעַשְּׂרֶ֥נּוּ לָֽךְ׃
I shall surely tithe it to you.”
…
Website translation into English by E.G. Van Gent
The Hebrew Masoretic Text is Unicode/XML version 1.3 Leningrad Codex,
Build 26.4 from tanach.us
Dramatized Modern Hebrew Audio Version, Genesis 28
Copyright to Hebrew Audio of Old Testament
℗ 2014 Bible Society in Israel and Hosanna
Distributed by and Available from The Bible Society In Israel
This Hebrew Dramatized Audio was produced with the assistance of
Faith Comes By Hearing, an international organization publishing
Audio Bibles in more than 1600 languages.
