We determine essentially completely the theta correspondence arising from the dual pair ${\it PGL}_3 \times G_2 \subset E_6$ over a p-adic field. Our first result determines the theta lift of any non-supercuspidal representation of PGL3 and shows that the lifting respects Langlands functoriality. Our second result shows that the theta lift $\theta(\pi)$ of a (non-self-dual) supercuspidal representation $\pi$ of PGL3 is an irreducible generic supercuspidal representation of G2; we also determine $\theta(\pi)$ explicitly when $\pi$ has depth zero.