1Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to #Gen. 28:19; 31:13Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, #Gen. 28:13who appeared to you #Gen. 27:43when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.”

2And Jacob said to his #Gen. 18:19; Josh. 24:15household and to all who were with him, “Put away #Gen. 31:19, 30, 34; Josh. 24:2, 14, 23the foreign gods that are among you, #Ex. 19:10, 14; Lev. 13:6purify yourselves, and change your garments. 3Then let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, #Gen. 32:7, 24; Ps. 107:6who answered me in the day of my distress #Gen. 28:15, 20; 31:3, 42and has been with me in the way which I have gone.” 4So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the #Hos. 2:13earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under #Josh. 24:26; Judg. 9:6the terebinth tree which was by Shechem.

5And they journeyed, and #Ex. 15:16; 23:27; (Deut. 2:25; 11:25); Josh. 2:9; 1 Sam. 14:15the terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. 6So Jacob came to #Gen. 28:19, 22; 48:3Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him. 7And he #Gen. 33:20; 35:3; Eccl. 5:4built an altar there and called the place El Bethel, because #Gen. 28:13there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother.

8Now #Gen. 24:59Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the terebinth tree. So the name of it was called Allon Bachuth.

9Then #Josh. 5:13; Dan. 10:5God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Padan Aram, and #Gen. 32:29; Hos. 12:4blessed him. 10And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; #Gen. 17:5your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, #Gen. 32:28but Israel shall be your name.” So He called his name Israel. 11Also God said to him: #Gen. 17:1; 28:3; 48:3, 4; Ex. 6:3“I am God Almighty. #Gen. 9:1, 7Be fruitful and multiply; #Gen. 17:5, 6, 16; 28:3; 48:4a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. 12The #Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 26:3, 4; 28:13; 48:4; Ex. 32:13land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land.” 13Then God #Gen. 17:22; 18:33went up from him in the place where He talked with him. 14So Jacob #Gen. 28:18, 19; 31:45set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it. 15And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, #Gen. 28:19Bethel.

Death of Rachel

16Then they journeyed from Bethel. And when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel labored in childbirth, and she had hard labor. 17Now it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said to her, “Do not fear; #Gen. 30:24; 1 Sam. 4:20you will have this son also.” 18And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin. 19So #Gen. 48:7Rachel died and was buried on the way to #Ruth 1:2; 4:11; Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:6Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20And Jacob set a pillar on her grave, which is the pillar of Rachel’s grave #1 Sam. 10:2to this day.

21Then Israel journeyed and pitched his tent beyond #Mic. 4:8the tower of Eder. 22And it happened, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and #Gen. 49:4; 1 Chr. 5:1lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine; and Israel heard about it.

Jacob’s Twelve Sons

Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: 23the sons of Leah were #Gen. 29:31–35; 30:18–20; 46:8; Ex. 1:1–4Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; 24the sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin; 25the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant, were Dan and Naphtali; 26and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maidservant, were Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Padan Aram.

Death of Isaac

27Then Jacob came to his father Isaac at #Gen. 13:18; 18:1; 23:19Mamre, or #Josh. 14:15Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had dwelt. 28Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. 29So Isaac breathed his last and died, and #Gen. 15:15; 25:8; 49:33was gathered to his people, being old and full of days. And #Gen. 25:9; 49:31his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

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Genesis 35

God Blesses and Renames Jacob

1God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to #ch. 28:19 Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you #ch. 27:43when you fled from your brother Esau.” 2So Jacob said to his #ch. 18:19; Josh. 24:15 household and to all who were with him, “Put away #[ch. 31:19; Josh. 24:23; 1 Sam. 7:3] the foreign gods that are among you and #Ex. 19:10purify yourselves and change your garments. 3Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God #ch. 32:7, 24 who answers me in the day of my distress and #ch. 28:20; 31:3has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under #Josh. 24:26; Judg. 9:6the terebinth tree that was near Shechem.

5And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. 6And Jacob came to #ch. 28:19Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him, 7and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel,#35:7 El-bethel means God of Bethel because #ver. 1there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother. 8And #ch. 24:59Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel. So he called its name Allon-bacuth.#35:8 Allon-bacuth means oak of weeping

9God appeared#35:9 Or had appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. 10And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; #[ch. 17:5, 15] no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but #ch. 32:28Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. 11And God said to him, #See ch. 17:1 “I am God Almighty:#35:11 Hebrew El Shaddai be #ch. 28:3; 48:4 fruitful and multiply. #ch. 17:5, 6, 16; 26:4A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body.#35:11 Hebrew from your loins 12#ch. 12:7; 13:15; 17:8; 26:3; 28:13The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.” 13Then God #ch. 17:22went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him. 14And Jacob #ch. 28:18; 31:45set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. 15So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him #ch. 28:19Bethel.

The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac

16Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were still some distance#35:16 Or about two hours’ distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor. 17And when her labor was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for #ch. 30:24you have another son.” 18And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni;#35:18 Ben-oni could mean son of my sorrow, or son of my strength #[Luke 1:59, 60]but his father called him Benjamin.#35:18 Benjamin means son of the right hand 19So #ch. 48:7 Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to #Ruth 1:2; 4:11; Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:6, 16-18Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem), 20and Jacob set up a pillar over her tomb. It is #1 Sam. 10:2; [2 Sam. 18:18]the pillar of Rachel’s tomb, which is there to this day. 21Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

22While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and #ch. 49:4; 1 Chr. 5:1; [2 Sam. 16:22; 20:3; 1 Cor. 5:1]lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine. And Israel heard of it.

Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. 23The sons of Leah: #For ver. 23-26, see ch. 46:8-27; Ex. 1:2-4Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 25The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant: Dan and Naphtali. 26The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

27And Jacob came to his father Isaac at #ch. 13:18; 23:19 Mamre, or #ch. 23:2; Josh. 14:15; 15:13Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. 28Now the days of Isaac were 180 years. 29And Isaac breathed his last, and he died #ch. 15:15; 25:8 and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And #ch. 25:9; 49:31his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

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Genesis 35

Genesis 35