Genesis 35

1 About this time, God said to Jacob, “Arise and go up to Bethel, and live there, and make an altar to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”

Then 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.”

2 In truth, Jacob, having called together all his house, said: “Cast away the foreign gods that are in your midst and be cleansed, and also change your garments.

So 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.

3 Arise, and let us go up to Bethel, so that we may make an altar there to God, who heeded me in the day of my tribulation, and who accompanied me on my journey.”

Then 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.”

4 Therefore, they gave him all the foreign gods which they had, and the earrings which were in their ears. And then he buried them under the terebinth tree, which is beyond the city of Shechem.

So they gave Jacob all their foreign gods and all their earrings, and Jacob buried them under the oak near Shechem.

5 And when they had set out, the terror of God invaded all the surrounding cities, and they dared not pursue them as they withdrew.

As they set out, a terror from God fell over the surrounding cities, so that they did not pursue Jacob’s sons.

6 And so, Jacob arrived at Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, also named Bethel: he and all the people with him.

So Jacob and everyone with him arrived in Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.

7 And he built an altar there, and he called the name of that place, ‘House of God.’ For there, God appeared to him when he fled from his brother.

There Jacob built an altar, and he called that place El-bethel, because it was there that God had revealed Himself to Jacob as he fled from his brother.

8 About the same time, Deborah, the nurse of Rebekah, died, and she was buried at the base of Bethel, under an oak tree. And the name of that place was called, ‘Oak of Weeping.’

Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel. So Jacob named it Allon-bachuth.

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

After Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him.

10 saying: “You will no longer be called Jacob, for your name shall be Israel.” And he called him Israel,

And God said to him, “Though your name is Jacob, you will no longer be called Jacob. Instead, your name will be Israel.” So God named him Israel.

11 and he said to him: “I am Almighty God: increase and multiply. Tribes and peoples of nations will be from you, and kings will go forth from your loins.

And God told him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation—even a company of nations—shall come from you, and kings shall descend from you.

12 And the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to you, and to your offspring after you.”

The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.”

13 And he withdrew from him.

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

14 In truth, he set up a monument of stone, in the place where God had spoken to him, pouring out libations over it, and pouring oil,

So 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.

15 and he called the name of that place, ‘Bethel.’

Jacob called the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.

16 Then, departing from there, he arrived in springtime at the land that leads to Ephrath. And there, when Rachel was giving birth,

Later, they set out from Bethel, and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult.

17 because it was a difficult birth, she began to be in danger. And the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you will have this son also.”

During her severe labor, the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you are having another son.”

18 Then, when her life was departing because of the pain, and death was now imminent, she called the name of her son Benoni, that is, the son of my pain. Yet truly, his father called him Benjamin, that is, the son of the right hand.

And with her last breath—for she was dying—she named him Ben-oni. But his father called him Benjamin.

19 And so Rachel died, and she was buried in the way that leads to Ephrath: this place is Bethlehem.

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

20 And Jacob erected a monument over her sepulcher. This is the monument to Rachel’s tomb, even to the present day.

Jacob set up a pillar on her grave; it marks Rachel’s tomb to this day.

21 Departing from there, he pitched his tent beyond the Tower of the Flock.

Israel again set out and pitched his tent beyond the Tower of Eder.

22 And when he was living in that region, Reuben went out, and he slept with Bilhah the concubine of his father, which was not such a small matter as to be hidden from him. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.

While 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:

23 The sons of Leah: Reuben the first born, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun.

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

24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.

25 The sons of Bilhah, handmaid of Rachel: Dan and Naphtali.

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

26 The sons of Zilpah, handmaid of Leah: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Mesopotamia of Syria.

And 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.

27 And then he went to his father Isaac in Mamre, the city of Arba: this place is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

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

28 And the days of Isaac were completed: one hundred and eighty years.

And Isaac lived 180 years.

29 And being consumed by old age, he died. And he was placed with his people, being old and full of days. And his sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him.

Then 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.