Genesis 35

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

Jacob in Bethel

35 <1> God said to Jacob, "Go to the town of Bethel.[185] That is where I appeared to you when you were running away from your brother Esau. Live there and make an altar to honor me as El,[186] the God who appeared to you."

<2> So Jacob told his family and all the other people with him, "Destroy all these foreign gods that you have. Make yourselves pure. Put on clean clothes. <3> We will leave here and go to Bethel. There I will build an altar to the God who has always helped me during times of trouble. He has been with me wherever I have gone."

<4> So the people gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had, and they gave him all the rings they were wearing in their ears. He buried everything under an oak tree near the town called Shechem.

<5> Then Jacob and his sons left that place. The people in the surrounding cities wanted to follow and kill them, but they were filled with fear and did not follow Jacob. <6> So Jacob and his people went to Luz, which is now called Bethel. It is in the land of Canaan. <7> Jacob built an altar[187] there. He named the place "El Bethel."[188] Jacob chose this name because that is the place where God first appeared to him when he was running from his brother.

<8> Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died there. They buried her under the oak tree at Bethel. They named that place Allon Bacuth.[189]

Jacob's New Name

<9> When Jacob came back from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again. God blessed Jacob <10> and said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but I will change that name. You will no longer be called Jacob. Your new name will be Israel.[190]" So God named him Israel.

<11> God said to him, "I am God All-Powerful,[191] and I give you this blessing: Have many children and grow into a great nation. Other nations and other kings will come out of you. <12> I gave Abraham and Isaac some special land. Now I give the land to you and to all your people who will live after you." <13> Then God left that place. <14-15> Jacob set up a memorial stone[192] there. He made the rock holy[193] by pouring wine and oil on it. This was a special place because God spoke to Jacob there, and Jacob named the place Bethel.

Rachel Dies Giving Birth

<16> Jacob and his group left Bethel. Before they came to Ephrath, Rachel began giving birth to her baby. <17> She was having a lot of trouble with this birth. She was in great pain. Her nurse saw this and said, "Don't be afraid, Rachel. You are giving birth to another son."

<18> Rachel died while giving birth to the son. Before dying, she named the boy Benoni.[194] But Jacob called him Benjamin.[195]

<19> Rachel was buried on the road to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). <20> Jacob put a special rock on Rachel's grave to honor her. That special rock is still there today. <21> Then Israel[196] continued his journey. He camped just south of Eder tower.[197]

<22> Israel stayed there for a short time. While he was there, Reuben slept with Israel's slave woman[198] Bilhah, and Israel heard about it.

The Family of Israel

Jacob had twelve sons.

<23> Jacob and Leah's sons were his firstborn[199] son Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

<24> Jacob and Rachel's sons were Joseph and Benjamin.

<25> Bilhah was Rachel's maid. Jacob and Bilhah's sons were Dan and Naphtali.

<26> Zilpah was Leah's maid. Jacob and Zilpah's sons were Gad and Asher.

These are Jacob's sons who were born in Paddan Aram.

<27> Jacob went to his father Isaac at Mamre in Kiriath Arba (Hebron). This is where Abraham and Isaac had lived. <28> Isaac lived 180 years. <29> Then Isaac became weak and died and went to be with his people. He had lived a long and full life. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.