Genesis 35

1 In the meantime 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.

Then God told Jacob, “Get ready to go to Bethel and live there. Build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were running away from your brother Esau.”

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

So Jacob told his family and everyone who was with him, “Get rid of the pagan idols you have with you. Purify yourselves and change your clothes.

3 Arise, 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.

We have to get ready and go to Bethel so I can build an altar to God who answered me in my time of trouble. He has been with me wherever I went.”

4 So 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.

They handed over to Jacob all the pagan idols they had, as well as their earrings, and he buried them under the oak tree at Shechem.

5 And 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.

As they left on their journey, the terror of God spread over all the surrounding towns, so nobody tried to retaliate against Jacob's sons.

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

Jacob and everyone with him arrived at Luz (also known as Bethel) in the country of Canaan.

7 And 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.

He built an altar there and called the place El-Bethel, because that was where God had appeared to him when he was running away from his brother Esau.

8 At 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.

Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died and was buried under the oak near Bethel. So it was named “the oak of weeping.”

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

God appeared to Jacob again and blessed him after his return from Paddan-aram.

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

God told him, “Jacob will not be your name any longer. Instead of Jacob your name will be Israel.” So God called him Israel.

11 And 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.

Then God said, “I am God Almighty! Reproduce, increase, and you will become a nation—in fact a group of nations—and kings will be among your descendants.

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

I will give to you and to your descendants the land I also gave to Abraham and Isaac.”

13 And he departed from him.

Then God left the place where he had been speaking to Jacob.

14 But 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:

Afterwards Jacob set up a stone pillar where God had spoken with him. He poured out a drink offering on it, and also olive oil.

15 And calling the name of that place Bethel.

Jacob called the place Bethel, because he had spoken with God there.

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

Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor and had great difficulty giving birth.

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

When she was in the worst birth-pains, the midwife told her, “Don't give up—you have another son!”

18 And 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.

But she was dying, and with her last breath she named him Benoni. But his father named him Benjamin.

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

Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (also known as Bethlehem).

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

Jacob set up a stone memorial over Rachel's grave, and it's still there to this day.

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

Israel moved on and camped beyond the watch tower at Eder.

22 And 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.

During the time he was living there, Reuben went and slept with Bilhah, his father's concubine, and Israel found out about it. These were the twelve sons of Jacob:

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

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

24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

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

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

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

The sons of Leah's personal maid Zilpah: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob, who were born to him while in Paddan-aram.

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

Jacob returned home to his father Isaac at Mamre, near Kiriath-arba (also known as Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had lived.

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

Isaac lived to be 180

29 And 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.

when he breathed his last and died at an old age. He had lived a full life, and now he joined his forefathers in death. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.