Fuga di Giacobbe in Mesopotamia; visione della scala
1Allora Isacco chiamò Giacobbe, lo benedisse e gli diede quest’ordine: «Non prendere moglie tra le donne di Canaan.2Parti, va’ a Paddan-Aram, alla casa di Betuel, padre di tua madre, e prendi moglie là, tra le figlie di Labano, fratello di tua madre.3Il Dio onnipotente ti benedica, ti renda fecondo e ti moltiplichi, in modo che tu diventi un’assemblea di popoli,4e ti dia la benedizione di Abraamo: a te e alla tua discendenza con te, perché tu possieda il paese dove sei andato peregrinando, che Dio donò ad Abraamo».5Isacco fece partire Giacobbe, il quale andò a Paddan-Aram da Labano, figlio di Betuel, l’Arameo, fratello di Rebecca, madre di Giacobbe e di Esaù.6Esaù vide che Isacco aveva benedetto Giacobbe e l’aveva mandato a Paddan-Aram perché vi prendesse moglie e che, benedicendolo, gli aveva dato quest’ordine: «Non prendere moglie tra le donne di Canaan»,7e che Giacobbe aveva ubbidito a suo padre e a sua madre ed era andato a Paddan-Aram.8Esaù comprese che le donne di Canaan non erano gradite a suo padre Isacco.9Allora andò da Ismaele, e prese per moglie, oltre quelle che aveva già, Maalat, figlia d’Ismaele, figlio di Abraamo, sorella di Nebaiot.10Giacobbe partì da Beer-Sceba e andò verso Caran.11Giunse ad un certo luogo e vi passò la notte, perché il sole era già tramontato. Prese una delle pietre del luogo, se la mise per capezzale e lì si coricò.12Fece un sogno: una scala poggiava sulla terra, mentre la sua cima toccava il cielo; e gli angeli di Dio salivano e scendevano per la scala.13Il Signore stava al di sopra di essa e gli disse: «Io sono il Signore, il Dio di Abraamo tuo padre e il Dio d’Isacco. La terra sulla quale tu stai coricato, io la darò a te e alla tua discendenza.14La tua discendenza sarà come la polvere della terra e tu ti estenderai a occidente e a oriente, a settentrione e a meridione, e tutte le famiglie della terra saranno benedette in te e nella tua discendenza.15Io sono con te, e ti proteggerò dovunque tu andrai e ti ricondurrò in questo paese, perché io non ti abbandonerò prima di aver fatto quello che ti ho detto».16Quando Giacobbe si svegliò dal sonno, disse: «Certo, il Signore è in questo luogo e io non lo sapevo!»17Ebbe paura e disse: «Com’è tremendo questo luogo! Questa non è altro che la casa di Dio, e questa è la porta del cielo!»18Giacobbe si alzò la mattina di buon’ora, prese la pietra che aveva messa come capezzale, la pose come pietra commemorativa e vi versò sopra dell’olio.19E chiamò quel luogo Betel[1]; mentre prima di allora il nome della città era Luz.20Giacobbe fece un voto, dicendo: «Se Dio è con me, se mi protegge durante questo viaggio che sto facendo, se mi dà pane da mangiare e vesti da coprirmi,21e se ritorno sano e salvo alla casa di mio padre, il Signore sarà il mio Dio22e questa pietra, che ho eretta come monumento, sarà la casa di Dio; di tutto quello che tu mi darai, io certamente ti darò la decima».
1Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. (Gen 27,46; Gen 28,6)2Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. (Gen 22,23; Os 12,12)3God Almighty[1] bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. (Gen 17,1)4May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!” (Gen 12,2; Gen 17,8; Gen 36,7; Gen 37,1)5Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.
Esau Marries an Ishmaelite
6Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women,”7and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and gone to Paddan-aram.8So when Esau saw that the Canaanite women did not please Isaac his father, (Gen 24,3; Gen 26,35)9Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth. (Gen 25,13; Gen 36,3)
Jacob’s Dream
10Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. (Gen 21,31; Gen 26,33; At 7,2)11And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep.12And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder[2] set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! (Nu 12,6; Giob 33,15; Giov 1,51)13And behold, the Lord stood above it[3] and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. (Gen 13,14; Gen 26,24; Gen 35,1; Gen 35,12; Gen 48,3)14Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. (Gen 12,3; Gen 13,16)15Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Gen 26,24; Gen 31,3; Gen 35,6; 1Re 8,57)16Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” (Eso 3,5; Gios 5,15)17And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”18So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. (Gen 31,13; Gen 31,45; Gen 35,14; Le 8,10; Nu 7,1; 1Sam 7,12; 2Sam 18,18)19He called the name of that place Bethel,[4] but the name of the city was Luz at the first. (Gen 35,7; Giudic 1,23; Giudic 1,26)20Then Jacob made 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 clothing to wear, (Gen 31,13)21so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, (De 26,17; Giudic 11,31; 2Sam 15,7)22and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house. And of all that you give me I will give a full tenth to you.” (Gen 14,20; Gen 35,7; Gen 35,14; Le 27,30)
Genesi 28
King James Version
1And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.2Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother' father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother' brother.3And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;4And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.5And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padanaram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob' and Esau' mother.6When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan;7And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padanaram;8And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father;9Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham' son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.10And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.11And 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.12And 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.13And, 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;14And 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.15And, 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.16And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.17And 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.18And 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.19And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.20And 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,21So that I come again to my father' house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:22And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God' house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.