1Then God said to Jacob, “Go to Bethel and live there. Make an altar there. I am the God who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”

2So Jacob said to his family and those who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods which you have, wash yourselves until you are ritually clean,#35:2 “Clean” refers to anything that is presentable to God. and change your clothes. 3Then let’s go to Bethel. I will make an altar there to God, who answered me when I was troubled and who has been with me wherever I’ve gone.” 4So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods that they had in their possession as well as the earrings that they had on. Jacob buried these things under the oak tree near Shechem.

5As they moved on, God made the people of the cities that were all around them terrified so that no one pursued them. 6Jacob and all the people who were with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. 7He built an altar there and called that place El Bethel [God of the House of God]. That’s where God had revealed himself to Jacob when he was fleeing from his brother. 8Rebekah’s nurse Deborah died and was buried under the oak tree outside Bethel. So Jacob called it the Tree of Crying.

Jacob’s Sixth Encounter with God—His Name Changed to Israel

9Then God appeared once more to Jacob after he came back from Paddan Aram, and he blessed him. 10God said to him, “Your name is Jacob. You will no longer be called Jacob, but your name will be Israel.” So he named him Israel.

11God also said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fertile, and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from you. 12I will give you the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac. I will also give this land to your descendants.” 13Then God went up from him at the place where he had spoken with him. 14So Jacob set up a memorial, a stone marker, to mark the place where God had spoken with him. He poured a wine offering and olive oil on it. 15Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him Bethel [House of God].

Jacob’s [Israel’s] Sons

(1 Chronicles 2:1–2)

16Then they moved on from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor and was having severe labor pains. 17During one of her pains, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid! You’re having another son!” 18Rachel was dying. As she took her last breath, she named her son Benoni [Son of My Sorrow], but his father named him Benjamin [Son of My Right Hand].

19Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20Then Jacob set up a stone as a marker for her grave. The same marker is at Rachel’s grave today.

21Israel moved on again and put up his tent beyond Migdal Eder. 22While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went to bed with his father’s concubine #35:22 A concubine is considered a wife except she has fewer rights under the law. Bilhah, and Israel heard about it.

Jacob had 12 sons.

23The sons of Leah were

Jacob’s firstborn Reuben, then Simeon,

Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

24The sons of Rachel were

Joseph and Benjamin.

25The sons of Rachel’s slave Bilhah were

Dan and Naphtali.

26The sons of Leah’s slave Zilpah were

Gad and Asher.

These were Jacob’s sons, who were born in Paddan Aram.

27Jacob came home to his father Isaac to Mamre’s city, Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron). Abraham and Isaac had lived there for a while. 28Isaac was 180 years old 29when he took his last breath and died. He joined his ancestors in death at a very old age. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

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Genesis 35

1 AND GOD said to Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. And make there an altar to God Who appeared to you [in a distinct manifestation] when you fled from the presence of Esau your brother. [Gen. 28:11-22.]

2 Then Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, Put away the [images of] strange gods that are among you, and purify yourselves and change [into fresh] garments;

3 Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make there an altar to God Who answered me in the day of my distress and was with me wherever I went.

4 So they [both young men and women] gave to Jacob all the strange gods they had and their earrings which were [worn as charms against evil] in their ears; and Jacob buried and hid them under the oak near Shechem.

5 And they journeyed and a terror from God fell on the towns round about them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

6 So Jacob came to Luz, that is, Bethel, which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people with him.

7 There he built an altar, and called the place El-bethel [God of Bethel], for there God revealed Himself to him when he fled from the presence of his brother.

8 But Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died and was buried below Bethel under an oak; and the name of it was called Allon-bacuth [oak of weeping].

9 And God [in a distinctly visible manifestation] appeared to Jacob again when he came out of Padan-aram, and declared a blessing on him. [Gen. 32:28.]

10 Again God said to him, Your name is Jacob [supplanter]; you shall not be called Jacob any longer, but Israel shall be your name. So He called him Israel [contender with God].

11 And God said to him, I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you and kings shall be born of your stock;

12 The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and to your descendants after you I will give the land.

13 Then God ascended from him in the place where He talked with him.

14 And Jacob set up a pillar (monument) in the place where he talked with [God], a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering on it and he poured oil on it.

15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God had talked with him Bethel [house of God].

16 And they journeyed from Bethel and had but a little way to go to Ephrath [Bethlehem] when Rachel suffered the pangs of childbirth and had hard labor.

17 When she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, Do not be afraid; you shall have this son also.

18 And as her soul was departing, for she died, she called his name Ben-oni [son of my sorrow]; but his father called him Benjamin [son of the right hand].

19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem.

20 And Jacob set a pillar (monument) on her grave; that is the pillar of Rachel's grave to this day.

21 Then Israel journeyed on and spread his tent on the other side of the tower of Edar.

22 When Israel dwelt there, Reuben [his eldest son] went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine; and Israel heard about it. Now Jacob's sons were twelve.

23 The sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's maid: Dan and Naphtali.

26 And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's maid: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob born to him in Padan-aram.

27 And Jacob came to Isaac his father at Mamre or Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned.

28 Now the days of Isaac were 180 years.

29 And Isaac's spirit departed; he died and was gathered to his people, being an old man, satisfied and satiated with days; his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation

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Genesis 35

Genesis 35