Genesis 35

1 And God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel, and live there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau."

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 Then Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, "Get rid of the foreign gods that you have among you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.

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 Let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and has been with me wherever I went."

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 to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their possession, and the rings that were in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak that was near Shechem.

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 Then they set out, and a terror of God was upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

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

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

7 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.

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 Now Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak outside Bethel. So he called its name Allon Bakuth.

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 to Jacob again after he returned from Paddan Aram, and blessed him.

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

10 God said to him, "Your name is Jacob. Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but your name will be Israel." So he called his name 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 God said to him, "I am El Shaddai. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body.

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

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

13 Then God went up from him in the place where he spoke with him.

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

14 And Jacob set up a standing-stone in the place where he spoke with him, a pillar of stone. And he poured out a drink offering on it, and poured oil on it.

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 Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him Bethel.

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

16 Then they set out from Bethel. There was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and Rachel went into labor, and her labor was difficult.

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 When she was in the difficult labor, the midwife said to her, "Do not be afraid, for now you have another son."

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

18 It happened, as her life was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-Oni, but his father named him Benjamin.

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 on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).

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

20 Jacob set up a standing-stone on her grave. It is the standing-stone of Rachel's grave to this day.

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

21 And Israel traveled and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder.

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

22 It happened, while Israel lived in that land, that Reuben went and slept with Bilhah, his father's secondary wife, and Israel heard about it. 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 Leah: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and 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 And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant: Dan and Naphtali.

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

26 And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan Aram.

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 So Jacob came to Isaac his father at Mamre in Kiriath Arba (which is Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned.

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

28 Now the days of Isaac were one hundred eighty years.

Isaac lived to be 180

29 And Isaac took his last breath and died, and was gathered to his people, 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.