1God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” (Ge 27:43; Ge 28:19)2So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. (Ge 18:19; Ge 31:19; Ex 19:10; Jos 24:15; Jos 24:23; 1Sa 7:3)3Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” (Ge 28:20; Ge 31:3; Ge 32:7; Ge 32:24)4So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem. (Jos 24:26; Jud 9:6)5And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.6And Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him, (Ge 28:19)7and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel,[1] because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother. (Ge 35:1)8And Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel. So he called its name Allon-bacuth.[2] (Ge 24:59)9God appeared[3] to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him.10And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. (Ge 17:5; Ge 17:15; Ge 32:28)11And God said to him, “I am God Almighty:[4] be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body.[5] (Ge 17:1; Ge 17:5; Ge 17:16; Ge 26:4; Ge 28:3; Ge 48:4)12The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.” (Ge 12:7; Ge 13:15; Ge 17:8; Ge 26:3; Ge 28:13)13Then God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him. (Ge 17:22)14And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. (Ge 28:18; Ge 31:45)15So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel. (Ge 28:19)
The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac
16Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were still some distance[6] from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor.17And when her labor was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for you have another son.” (Ge 30:24)18And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni;[7] but his father called him Benjamin.[8] (Lu 1:59)19So Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem), (Ge 48:7; Ru 1:2; Ru 4:11; Mic 5:2; Mt 2:6; Mt 2:16)20and Jacob set up a pillar over her tomb. It is the pillar of Rachel’s tomb, which is there to this day. (1Sa 10:2; 2Sa 18:18)21Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.22While 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. (Ge 49:4; 2Sa 16:22; 2Sa 20:3; 1Ch 5:1; 1Co 5:1)23The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. (Ge 46:8; Ex 1:2)24The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.25The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant: Dan and Naphtali.26The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.27And Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. (Ge 13:18; Ge 23:2; Ge 23:19; Jos 14:15; Jos 15:13)28Now the days of Isaac were 180 years.29And Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. (Ge 15:15; Ge 25:8; Ge 25:9; Ge 49:31)
Genesis 35
New International Version
Jacob returns to Bethel
1Then God said to Jacob, ‘Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.’2So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, ‘Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.3Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.’4So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem.5Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no-one pursued them.6Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.7There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel,[1] because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.8Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak outside Bethel. So it was named Allon Bakuth.[2]9After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram,[3] God appeared to him again and blessed him.10God said to him, ‘Your name is Jacob,[4] but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.[5]’ So he named him Israel.11And God said to him, ‘I am God Almighty[6]; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.12The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.’13Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him.14Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it.15Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.[7]
The deaths of Rachel and Isaac
16Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty.17And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, ‘Don’t despair, for you have another son.’18As she breathed her last – for she was dying – she named her son Ben-Oni.[8] But his father named him Benjamin.[9]19So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).20Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb.21Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder.22While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard of it. Jacob had twelve sons:23The sons of Leah: Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun.24The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.25The sons of Rachel’s servant Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali.26The sons of Leah’s servant Zilpah: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram.27Jacob came home to his father Isaac in Mamre, near Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.28Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years.29Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.