A reading from the book of Genesis.

Jacob departed from Birshiba and proceeded toward Heron.

When he came upon a certain shrine, as the sun had already set, he stopped there for the night.

Taking one of the stones at the shrine, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep at that spot.

Then he had a dream. A stairway rested on the ground with its top reaching to the heavens.

God's messengers were going up and down on it.

There was the Lord standing beside him and saying,

I the Lord am the God of your forefather, Abraham and the God of Isaac, the land on which you are lying,

I will give to you and to your descendants. These shall be as plentiful as the dust of the earth,

and through them you shall spread out east and west and north and south. In you and your descendants, all the nations of

the earth shall find blessing. Know that I am with you. I will protect you wherever you go and bring you

back to this land. I will never leave you until I have done what I have promised you. When Jacob awoke

from his sleep, he exclaimed, truly the Lord is in this spot, although I did not know it. In solemn wonder,

he cried out, how awesome is this shrine. This is nothing else but an abode of God. And that is the

gateway to heaven. Early the next morning, Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head.

He set it up as a memorial stone and poured oil on top of it. He called to cite Bethel,

whereas the former name of the town had been Lutz.

Jacob then made this vow.

If God remains with me, to protect me on this journey I am making,

and to give me enough bread to eat and clothing to wear and I come back safe to my father's house.

The Lord shall be my God. This stone that I have set up as a memorial stone shall be God's abode.

The word of the Lord.

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