Study Desk

May he give you and your descendants the blessing he gave to Abraham so that you may possess the land God gave to Abraham, the land where you have been living as a temporary resident."

and had a dream. He saw a stairway erected on the earth with its top reaching to the heavens. The angels of God were going up and coming down it

and the Lord stood at its top. He said, "I am the Lord , the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of your father Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the ground you are lying on.

He was afraid and said, "What an awesome place this is! This is nothing else than the house of God! This is the gate of heaven!"

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God is with me and protects me on this journey I am taking and gives me food to eat and clothing to wear,

and I return safely to my father's home, then the Lord will become my God.

Then this stone that I have set up as a sacred stone will be the house of God, and I will surely give you back a tenth of everything you give me."

Jacob became furious with Rachel and exclaimed, "Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?"

Then Rachel said, "God has vindicated me. He has responded to my prayer and given me a son." That is why she named him Dan.

God paid attention to Leah; she became pregnant and gave Jacob a son for the fifth time.

Then Leah said, "God has granted me a reward because I gave my servant to my husband as a wife." So she named him Issachar.

Then Leah said, "God has given me a good gift. Now my husband will honor me because I have given him six sons." So she named him Zebulun.

Then God took note of Rachel. He paid attention to her and enabled her to become pregnant.

She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Then she said, "God has taken away my shame."

There he said to them, "I can tell that your father's attitude toward me has changed, but the God of my father has been with me.

but your father has humiliated me and changed my wages ten times. But God has not permitted him to do me any harm.

In this way God has snatched away your father's livestock and given them to me.

In the dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!' ‘Here I am!' I replied.

I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the sacred stone and made a vow to me. Now leave this land immediately and return to your native land.'"

Surely all the wealth that God snatched away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So now do everything God has told you."