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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.’

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

Then God appeared again to Jacob, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria, and he 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.

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

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.

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

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

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

And he withdrew from 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.

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,

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

and he called the name of that place, ‘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.

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

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

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.”

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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:

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.

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

The sons of Leah: Reuben the first born, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and 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, handmaid of Rachel: 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, handmaid of Leah: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Mesopotamia of Syria.

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

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

28 Isaac lived to be 180

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

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.