Genesis 35

Jacob Moves to Bethel

1Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to 1Bethel and 2live there, and make an altar there to 3God, who appeared to you 4when you fled 5from your brother Esau.” 2So Jacob said to his 6household and to all who were with him, “Put away 7the foreign gods which are among you, and 8purify yourselves and change your garments; 3and let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make 9an altar there to God, 10who answered me in the day of my distress and 11has been with me 12wherever I have gone.” 4So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which 13they had and the rings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the 14oak which was near Shechem.

5As they journeyed, there was 1516a great terror upon the cities which were around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. 6So Jacob came to 17Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him. 718He built an altar there, and called the place 19El-bethel, because there God had revealed Himself to him when he fled 20from his brother. 8Now 21Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the oak; it was named 22Allon-bacuth.

Jacob Is Named Israel

9Then God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and He 23blessed him. 1024God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; 25You shall no longer be called Jacob, But Israel shall be your name.” Thus He called 26him Israel. 11God also said to him, “I am 2728God Almighty; 29Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a 30company of nations shall 31come from you, And 32kings shall 33come forth from 34you.1235The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, And I will give the land to your 36descendants after you.” 13Then 37God went up from him in the place where He had spoken with him. 14Jacob set up 38a pillar in the place where He had spoken with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. 15So Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him, 3940Bethel.

16Then they journeyed from Bethel; and when there was still some distance to go to 41Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she 42suffered severe labor. 17When she was in severe labor the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for now 43you have another son.” 18It came about as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him 44Ben-oni; but his father called him 45Benjamin. 19So 46Rachel died and was buried on the way to 47Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20Jacob set up a pillar over her grave; that is the 48pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day. 21Then Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the 4950tower of 51Eder.

The Sons of Israel

22It came about while Israel was dwelling in that land, that 52Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it.

Now there were twelve sons of Jacob-- 2353the sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, then Simeon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Zebulun; 2454the sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin; 25and 55the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maid: Dan and Naphtali; 26and 56the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maid: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

27Jacob came to his father Isaac at 57Mamre of 58Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned.

28Now the days of Isaac were 59one hundred and eighty years. 29Isaac breathed his last and died and was 60gathered to his people, an 61old man 62of ripe age; and 63his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.