Genesis 35

1 Later, God told Jacob, “Get up, move to Bethel, and live there. Build an altar to the God who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”ISV — Genesis 35:1

2 Jacob announced to his household and to everyone with him, “Throw away the foreign gods that you’ve kept among you, purify yourselves, and change your clothes.ISV — Genesis 35:2

3 Then let’s get up and go to Bethel, where I’ll build an altar to the God who answered me when I was in distress and who was with me on the road, wherever I went.”ISV — Genesis 35:3

4 So they handed over to Jacob all their foreign gods on which they had been depending, ^{a35:4 Lit. gods that were in their hands} along with the rings that they were wearing on their ears. Jacob buried them under the oak that grew near Shechem.ISV — Genesis 35:4

5 As they set out on their journey, because the people who lived in the ^{b35:5 The Heb. lacks people who lived in the} cities around them feared God, they did not pursue Jacob’s sons.ISV — Genesis 35:5

6 Eventually, Jacob and everyone with him arrived at Luz (also called Beth-el) in the territory of Canaan.ISV — Genesis 35:6

7 He built an altar there to God and named the place El Beth-el, because God had revealed himself there when he was fleeing from his brother.ISV — Genesis 35:7

8 Rebekah’s nurse Deborah died and was buried there, under the oak tree that was below Beth-el. That’s why the place was named Allon-bacuth. ^{c35:8 The Heb. name Allon-bacuth means Weeping Oak}ISV — Genesis 35:8

9 God appeared again to Jacob after he had arrived from Paddan-aram ^{d35:9 Paddan-aram was located in northwest Mesopotamia} and blessed him.ISV — Genesis 35:9

10 Then God told him, “Your name is Jacob. No longer are you to be called Jacob. Instead, your name will be Israel.” So God called his name IsraelISV — Genesis 35:10

11 and also told him, “I am God Almighty. You are to be fruitful and multiply. You will become a nation— in fact, an assembly of nations! Kings will come from you— they’ll emerge from your own loins!ISV — Genesis 35:11

12 Now as for the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I’m giving it to you and to your descendants who come after you. I’m giving the land to you!”ISV — Genesis 35:12

13 After this, God ascended from the place where he had been speaking to him.ISV — Genesis 35:13

14 Jacob erected a pillar of stone at that very place where God had spoken to him. He poured a drink offering over it, anointed it with oil,ISV — Genesis 35:14

15 and named the place where God had spoken to him Beth-el.ISV — Genesis 35:15

16 Later, they set out from Beth-el. While still a long way ^{e35:16 Lit. a distance of land} from Ephrathah, Rachel started to have trouble giving birth.ISV — Genesis 35:16

17 While she was suffering due to her difficult labor, the midwife told her, “Don’t fear! You’re going to have another son.”ISV — Genesis 35:17

18 Just before she died, ^{f35:18 Lit. As her soul was departing while she was dying} Rachel called her son’s ^{g35:18 Lit. called his} name Ben-oni, ^{h35:18 The Heb. name Ben-oni means child of my pain} but his father Jacob ^{i35:18 The Heb. lacks Jacob} named him Benjamin. ^{j35:18 The Heb. name Benjamin means child of my right hand}ISV — Genesis 35:18

19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrathah, also known as Bethlehem.ISV — Genesis 35:19

20 Jacob erected a pillar over her grave, and that pillar stands over Rachel’s grave to this day.ISV — Genesis 35:20

21 Jacob continued his travels, and eventually pitched his tent facing Migdal Eder.ISV — Genesis 35:21

22 But while Israel lived in that land, Reuben went inside his father’s tent ^{k35:22 The Heb. lacks his father’s tent} and had sexual relations with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Now Jacob had twelve sons.ISV — Genesis 35:22

23 Leah’s sons were Reuben (Jacob’s first-born), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.ISV — Genesis 35:23

24 Rachel’s sons were Joseph and Benjamin.ISV — Genesis 35:24

25 Rachel’s servant Bilhah’s sons were Dan and Naphtali.ISV — Genesis 35:25

26 Leah’s servant Zilpah’s sons were Gad and Asher. These were Jacob’s sons who were born to him while he lived in Paddan-aram. ^{l35:26 Paddan-aram was located in northwest Mesopotamia}ISV — Genesis 35:26

27 So Jacob reached his father Isaac at Mamre, in Kiriath-arba (also known as Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had lived.ISV — Genesis 35:27

28 Isaac had lived a total of 180 yearsISV — Genesis 35:28

29 when he died and joined his ancestors at a ripe old age. Then his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.ISV — Genesis 35:29