Jacob Returns to Bethel 1 UST Then God commanded Jacob,“Leave here and move to{ the town of} Bethel. Build an altar there{ and offer sacrifices on it} to worship{ me as} the God who appeared to you{ there} when you were running away from your brother Esau.” BSB BSB: Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”
2 UST So Jacob told his family and everyone else who{ was} with him,“Get rid of the idols you have that other people worship. Also wash and make yourselves clean and put on clean clothes. BSB BSB: So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your garments.
3 UST Then we will leave here and move to{ the town of} Bethel. There we will build an altar and worship God because he helped me during the time when I was in trouble. He has{ always} been with us{ and taken care of us} everywhere that we have gone.” BSB BSB: Then let us arise and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to God, who answered me in my day of distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.”
4 UST So they gave Jacob all their idols and{ all} their earrings. Then Jacob buried all those things at the base of the oak tree that{ was} near{ the city of} Shechem. BSB BSB: So they gave Jacob all their foreign gods and all their earrings, and Jacob buried them under the oak near Shechem.
5 UST Then Jacob and everyone with him left that place, and God caused{ the people in} the surrounding towns to be terrified, so that they did not attack Jacob’ s family. BSB BSB: As they set out, a terror from God fell over the surrounding cities, so that they did not pursue Jacob’s sons.
6 UST He and his family{ continued traveling} in the region of Canaan, and they arrived at{ the town of} Luz, which{ also has the name} Bethel. BSB BSB: So Jacob and everyone with him arrived in Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.
7 UST There Jacob built an altar, and he named the place El Bethel,{ which means“the God of Bethel,”} because that is where God had{ first} appeared to him when he was running away from his brother. BSB BSB: There Jacob built an altar, and he called that place El-bethel, because it was there that God had revealed Himself to Jacob as he fled from his brother.
8 UST { While they were there,} Deborah died. She was the servant that had helped raise{ Jacob’ s mother} Rebekah{ when she was young}. Jacob buried her body at the base of an oak tree,{ in the valley} near{ the town of} Bethel. So he named the place Allon Bacuth,{ which means“oak tree of mourning.”} BSB BSB: Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel. So Jacob named it Allon-bacuth.
9 UST Now that Jacob had returned from{ the region of} Paddan Aram, God appeared to him{ at Bethel} again.{ There} God blessed him BSB BSB: After Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him.
10 UST and said to him,“{ Although} your name{ has been} Jacob, that will no longer be your name. Rather, you will have the name Israel!” So{ once again} God gave Jacob the name Israel. BSB BSB: And God said to him, “Though your name is Jacob, you will no longer be called Jacob. Instead, your name will be Israel.” So God named him Israel.
11 UST Then God{ also} said to Jacob,“I am Almighty God. Have many children so that you{ and your descendants} become{ very} numerous. Your descendants will become a community of peoples, and some of your descendants will be kings. BSB BSB: And God told him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation—even a company of nations—shall come from you, and kings shall descend from you.
12 UST { Besides that,} the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I{ also} give to you and your descendants{ who live} after you.” BSB BSB: The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.”
13 UST After God finished talking to Jacob, he left him there and went up{ to heaven}. BSB BSB: Then God went up from the place where He had spoken with him.
14 UST Then Jacob stood a{ large} stone up{ on its end} at the place where God had talked to him, to mark the place{ as special}. Then he poured some wine and some{ olive} oil on the stone marker{ to thank God and dedicate the place to him}. BSB BSB: So Jacob set up a pillar in the place where God had spoken with him—a stone marker—and he poured out a drink offering on it and anointed it with oil.
15 UST Since God had talked to Jacob at that place, Jacob named it Bethel,{ which means“God’ s house.”} 35:16-20 BSB BSB: Jacob called the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.
Benjamin Born, Rachel Dies 16 UST Later Jacob and his family moved on from Bethel and headed for{ the town of} Ephrath. While they were still some distance from there,{ his wife} Rachel went into labor, but she was experiencing great difficulty. BSB BSB: Later, they set out from Bethel, and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult.
17 UST Then when her labor pain was at its worst,{ the baby was born and} the woman who was helping her deliver exclaimed to her,“Do not despair! You{ now} have another son!” BSB BSB: During her severe labor, the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you are having another son.”
18 UST But Rachel was dying, and as her spirit was leaving her body, she named her baby Benoni{ which means“son of my sorrow”}. But{ later,} his father{ Jacob} changed his name to Benjamin,{ which means“son of my right hand.”} BSB BSB: And with her last breath—for she was dying—she named him Ben-oni. But his father called him Benjamin.
19 UST After Rachel died, they buried her body beside the road to{ the town of} Ephrath, which{ also has the name} Bethlehem. BSB BSB: So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
20 UST Jacob stood a stone up{ on its end} on her grave{ to mark where it was}.{ In fact,} that{ same} stone still marks Rachel’ s grave today. 35:21-26 BSB BSB: Jacob set up a pillar on her grave; it marks Rachel’s tomb to this day.
The Sons of Jacob (1 Chronicles 2:1–2)
21 UST Then Israel{ and his family} moved on{ from there} and set up their tents on the south side of the tower of Eder. BSB BSB: Israel again set out and pitched his tent beyond the Tower of Eder.
22 UST While they were living in that area,{ Israel’ s son} Reuben committed adultery with his father’ s servant- wife Bilhah, and Israel found out{ about it}.{ With the birth of Benjamin,} Jacob{ now} had{ a total of} twelve sons. BSB BSB: While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Jacob had twelve sons:
23 UST The sons{ he had} with Leah{ were} Reuben,{ who was} his oldest{ child}, then Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. BSB BSB: The sons of Leah were Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.
24 UST The sons{ he had} with Rachel{ were} Joseph and Benjamin. BSB BSB: The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.
25 UST The sons{ he had} with Rachel’ s servant Bilhah{ were} Dan and Naphtali. BSB BSB: The sons of Rachel’s maidservant Bilhah were Dan and Naphtali.
26 UST And the sons{ he had} with Leah’ s servant Zilpah were Gad and Asher.{ All} those{ are} the sons Jacob had{ starting from the time that he lived} in{ the region of} Paddan Aram. 35:27-29 BSB BSB: And the sons of Leah’s maidservant Zilpah were Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan-aram.
The Death of Isaac 27 UST Then Jacob went{ home} to his father Isaac{ in the city of} Mamre, which{ also has the name} Kiriath Arba or Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac{ and their families} had lived for a while{ as foreigners}. BSB BSB: Jacob returned to his father Isaac at Mamre, near Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.
28 UST Isaac lived to be 180 years old. BSB BSB: And Isaac lived 180 years.
29 UST Then, after living a long, full life, he took his last breath and died, and he joined his ancestors{ who had died before him}. Then his sons Esau and Jacob buried his body. BSB BSB: Then 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.