Genesis 35
1 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.”
God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and live there. Make there an altar to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.”
2 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.
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 garments.
3 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.”
Let’s arise, and go up to Bethel. I will make there an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me on the way which I went.”
4 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.
They gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
5 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.
They traveled, and a terror of God was on the cities that were around them, and they didn’t pursue the sons of Jacob.
6 Jacob and everyone with him arrived at Luz (also known as Bethel) in the country of Canaan.
So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him.
7 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.
He built an altar there, and called the place El Beth El; because there God was revealed to him, when he fled from the face of his brother.
8 Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died and was buried under the oak near Bethel. So it was named “the oak of weeping.”
Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the oak; and its name was called Allon Bacuth.
9 God appeared to Jacob again and blessed him after his return from Paddan-aram.
God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan Aram, and blessed him.
10 God told him, “Jacob will not be your name any longer. Instead of Jacob your name will be Israel.” So God called him Israel.
God said to him, “Your name is Jacob. Your name shall not be Jacob any more, but your name will be Israel.” He named him Israel.
11 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.
God said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will come out of your body.
12 I will give to you and to your descendants the land I also gave to Abraham and Isaac.”
The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, and to your offspring after you I will give the land.”
13 Then God left the place where he had been speaking to Jacob.
God went up from him in the place where he spoke with him.
14 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.
Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it, and poured oil on it.
15 Jacob called the place Bethel, because he had spoken with God there.
Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him “Bethel”.
16 Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor and had great difficulty giving birth.
They traveled from Bethel. There was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and Rachel travailed. She had hard labor.
17 When she was in the worst birth-pains, the midwife told her, “Don't give up—you have another son!”
When she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for now you will have another son.”
18 But she was dying, and with her last breath she named him Benoni. But his father named him Benjamin.
As her soul was departing (for she died), she named him Benoni, but his father named him Benjamin.
19 Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (also known as Bethlehem).
Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath (also called Bethlehem).
20 Jacob set up a stone memorial over Rachel's grave, and it's still there to this day.
Jacob set up a pillar on her grave. The same is the Pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day.
21 Israel moved on and camped beyond the watch tower at Eder.
Israel traveled, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Eder.
22 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:
While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.
23 The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob's firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
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 Rachel's personal maid Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali.
The sons of Bilhah (Rachel’s servant): Dan and Naphtali.
26 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.
The sons of Zilpah (Leah’s servant): Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram.
27 Jacob returned home to his father Isaac at Mamre, near Kiriath-arba (also known as Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had lived.
Jacob came to Isaac his father, to Mamre, to Kiriath Arba (which is Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac lived as foreigners.
28 Isaac lived to be 180
The days of Isaac were one hundred eighty years.
29 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.
Isaac gave up the spirit and died, and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. Esau and Jacob, his sons, buried him.
