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.”

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

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.

Then Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your clothes.

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 depart and go up to Bethel. I will build an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and 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 to Jacob all the foreign gods that were in their hand, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob buried them under the oak that was 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 traveled, God made panic to fall on the cities that were around them, so those people did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

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 arrived at Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him.

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.

He built an altar there and called the place El Bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him, when he was fleeing 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.’

Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died. She was buried down from Bethel under the oak tree, so it was called Allon Bakuth.

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

When Jacob came 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,

God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but your name will no longer be called Jacob. Your name will be Israel.” So God called his name 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.

God said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.

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. To your descendants after you I also give the land.”

13 And he withdrew from him.

God went up from him in the place where he spoke 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,

Jacob set up a pillar in the place where God had spoken to him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering over it and poured oil on it.

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

Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke 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,

They journeyed on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor. She had hard labor.

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.”

While she was in hardest labor, the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for now you will have 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.

As she was dying, with her dying breath 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.

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 upon her grave. It is the marker of Rachel's grave to this day.

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

Israel traveled on and pitched his tent beyond the watchtower of the flock.

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 land, Reuben slept with Bilhah his father's concubine, and Israel heard of it. Now Jacob had twelve sons.

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

His sons by Leah were Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

His sons by Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.

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

His sons by Bilhah, Rachel's female servant, 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.

The sons of Zilpah, Leah's female servant, were Gad and Asher. All these were 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 came to Isaac, his father, in Mamre in Kiriath Arba (the same as Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had lived.

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

Isaac lived for one hundred eighty 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.

Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his ancestors, an old man full of days. Esau and Jacob, his sons, buried him.