1In the mean time, God said to Jacob: Arise, and go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar to God, who appeared to thee when thou didst flee from Esau thy brother.

2And Jacob having called together all his household, said: Cast away the strange gods that are among you, and be cleansed and change your garments.

3Arise, and let us go up to Bethel, that we may make there an altar to God: who heard me in the day of my affliction, and accompanied me in my journey.

4So they gave him all the strange gods they had, and the earrings which were in their ears: and he buried them under the turpentine tree, that is behind the city of Sichem.

5And when they were departed, the terror of God fell upon all the cities round about, and they durst not pursue after them as they went away.

6And Jacob came to Luza, which is in the land of Chanaan, surnamed Bethel: he and all the people that were with him.

7And he built there an altar, and called the name of that place, The house of God: for there God appeared to him when he fled from his brother.

8At the same time Debora, the nurse of Rebecca, died, and was buried at the foot of Bethel under an oak: and the name of that place was called, The oak of weeping.

9And God appeared again to Jacob, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria, and he blessed him,

10Saying: Thou shalt not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name. And he called him Israel.

11And said to him: I am God Almighty. Increase thou and be multiplied. Nations and peoples of nations shall be from thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins.

12And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to thee, and to thy seed after thee.

13And he departed from him.

14But he set up a monument of stone, in the place where God had spoken to him: pouring drink offerings upon it, and pouring oil thereon:

15And calling the name of that place Bethel.

16And going forth from thence, he came in the springtime to the land which leadeth to Ephrata: wherein when Rachel was in travail,

17By reason of her hard labor, she began to be in danger, and the midwife said to her: Fear not, for thou shalt have this son also.

18And when her soul was departing for pain, and death was now at hand, she called the name of her son Benoni, that is, The son of my pain: but his father called him Benjamin, that is, The son of the right hand.

19So Rachel died, and was buried in the highway that leadeth to Ephrata. This is Bethlehem.

20And Jacob erected a pillar over her sepulchre. This is the pillar of Rachel's monument, to this day.

21Departing thence, he pitched his tent beyond the Flock tower.

22And when he dwelt in that country, Ruben went, and slept with Bala, the concubine of his father: which he was not ignorant of. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.

23The sons of Lia: Ruben the firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Juda, and Issachar, and Zabulon.

24The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

25The sons of Bala, Rachel's handmaid: Dan and Nephtali.

26The sons of Zelpha, Lia's handmaid: Gad and Aser. These are the sons of Jacob, that were born to him in Mesopotamia of Syria.

27And he came to Isaac his father in Mambre, the city of Arbee, this is Hebron, wherein Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

28And the days of Isaac were a hundred and eighty years.

29And being spent with age he died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.

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Genesis 35

Jacob Returns to Bethel

1Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”

2So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your garments. 3Then let us arise and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to God, who answered me in my day of distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.”

4So they gave Jacob all their foreign gods and all their earrings, and Jacob buried them under the oak #35:4 Or terebinth or great tree near Shechem.

5As they set out, a terror from God fell over the surrounding cities, so that they did not pursue Jacob’s sons. 6So Jacob and everyone with him arrived in Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. 7There Jacob built an altar, and he called that place El-bethel,#35:7 El-bethel means God of Bethel. because it was there that God had revealed Himself to Jacob as he fled from his brother.

8Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak #35:8 Or great tree below Bethel. So Jacob named it Allon-bachuth.#35:8 Allon-bacuth means oak of weeping.

9After Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram,#35:9 That is, northwest Mesopotamia; also in verse 26 God appeared to him again and blessed him. 10And God said to him, “Though your name is Jacob,#35:10 Jacob means he grasps the heel or he deceives. you will no longer be called Jacob. Instead, your name will be Israel.#35:10 Israel means he struggles with God.” So God named him Israel.

11And God told him, “I am God Almighty.#35:11 Hebrew El-Shaddai Be fruitful and multiply. A nation—even a company of nations—shall come from you, and kings shall descend from you. 12The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.”

13Then God went up from the place where He had spoken with him.

14So Jacob set up a pillar in the place where God had spoken with him—a stone marker—and he poured out a drink offering on it and anointed it with oil. 15Jacob called the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.#35:15 Bethel means house of God.

Benjamin Born, Rachel Dies

16Later, they set out from Bethel, and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult. 17During her severe labor, the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you are having another son.”

18And with her last breath—for she was dying—she named him Ben-oni.#35:18 Ben-oni could mean son of my sorrow or son of my strength. But his father called him Benjamin.#35:18 Benjamin means son of my right hand.

19So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20Jacob set up a pillar on her grave; it marks Rachel’s tomb to this day.

The Sons of Jacob

(1 Chronicles 2:1–2)

21Israel again set out and pitched his tent beyond the Tower of Eder. 22While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it.

Jacob had twelve sons:

23The sons of Leah were Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

24The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.

25The sons of Rachel’s maidservant Bilhah were Dan and Naphtali.

26And the sons of Leah’s maidservant Zilpah were Gad and Asher.

These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

The Death of Isaac

27Jacob returned to his father Isaac at Mamre, near Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.

28And Isaac lived 180 years. 29Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

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Genesis 35

Genesis 35