Genesis 35

¹About this time, God said to Jacob, “Arise and go up to Bethel, and live there, and make an altar to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”

²In truth, Jacob, having called together all his house, said: “Cast away the foreign gods that are in your midst and be cleansed, and also change your garments.

³Arise, and let us go up to Bethel, so that we may make an altar there to God, who heeded me in the day of my tribulation, and who accompanied me on my journey.”

⁴Therefore, they gave him all the foreign gods which they had, and the earrings which were in their ears. And then he buried them under the terebinth tree, which is beyond the city of Shechem.

⁵And when they had set out, the terror of God invaded all the surrounding cities, and they dared not pursue them as they withdrew.

⁶And so, Jacob arrived at Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, also named Bethel: he and all the people with him.

⁷And he built an altar there, and he called the name of that place, ‘House of God.’ For there, God appeared to him when he fled from his brother.

⁸About the same time, Deborah, the nurse of Rebekah, died, and she was buried at the base of Bethel, under an oak tree. And the name of that place was called, ‘Oak of Weeping.’

⁹Then God appeared again to Jacob, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria, and he blessed him,

¹⁰saying: “You will no longer be called Jacob, for your name shall be Israel.” And he called him Israel,

¹¹and he said to him: “I am Almighty God: increase and multiply. Tribes and peoples of nations will be from you, and kings will go forth from your loins.

¹²And the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to you, and to your offspring after you.”

¹³And he withdrew from him.

¹⁴In truth, he set up a monument of stone, in the place where God had spoken to him, pouring out libations over it, and pouring oil,

¹⁵and he called the name of that place, ‘Bethel.’

¹⁶Then, departing from there, he arrived in springtime at the land that leads to Ephrath. And there, when Rachel was giving birth,

¹⁷because it was a difficult birth, she began to be in danger. And the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you will have this son also.”

¹⁸Then, when her life was departing because of the pain, and death was now imminent, she called the name of her son Benoni, that is, the son of my pain. Yet truly, his father called him Benjamin, that is, the son of the right hand.

¹⁹And so Rachel died, and she was buried in the way that leads to Ephrath: this place is Bethlehem.

²⁰And Jacob erected a monument over her sepulcher. This is the monument to Rachel’s tomb, even to the present day.

²¹Departing from there, he pitched his tent beyond the Tower of the Flock.

²²And when he was living in that region, Reuben went out, and he slept with Bilhah the concubine of his father, which was not such a small matter as to be hidden from him. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.

²³The sons of Leah: Reuben the first born, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun.

²⁴The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

²⁵The sons of Bilhah, handmaid of Rachel: Dan and Naphtali.

²⁶The sons of Zilpah, handmaid of Leah: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Mesopotamia of Syria.

²⁷And then he went to his father Isaac in Mamre, the city of Arba: this place is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

²⁸And the days of Isaac were completed: one hundred and eighty years.

²⁹And being consumed by old age, he died. And he was placed with his people, being old and full of days. And his sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him.

Genesis 35

¹In the mean time God said to Jacob: Arise and go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar to God, who appeared to thee when thou didst flee from Esau, thy brother.

²And Jacob having called together all his household, said: Cast away the strange gods that are among you, and be cleansed, and change your garments.

³Arise, and let us go up to Bethel, that we may make there an altar to God; who heard me in the day of my affliction, and accompained me in my journey.

⁴So they gave him all the strange gods they had, and the earrings which were in their ears: and he buried them under the turpentine tree, that is behind the city of Sichem.

⁵And when they were departed, the terror of God fell upon all the cities round about, and they durst not pursue after them as they went away.

⁶And Jacob came to Luza, which is in the land of Chanaan, surnamed Bethel: he and all the people that were with him.

⁷And he built there an altar, and called the name of that place, The house of God: for there God appeared to him when he fled from his brother.

⁸At the same time Debora, the nurse of Rebecca, died, and was buried at the foot of Bethel, under an oak, and the name of that place was called, The oak of weeping.

⁹And God appeared again to Jacob, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria, and he blessed him,

¹⁰Saying: Thou shalt not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name. And he called him Israel.

¹¹And said to him: I am God almighty, increase thou and be multiplied. Nations and peoples of nations shall be from thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins.

¹²And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to thee, and to thy seed after thee.

¹³And he departed from him.

¹⁴But he set up a monument of stone, in the place where God had spoken to him: pouring drink-offerings upon it, and pouring oil thereon:

¹⁵And calling the name of that place Bethel.

¹⁶And going forth from thence, he came in the spring time to the land which leadeth to Ephrata: wherein when Rachel was in travail,

¹⁷By reason of her hard labour, she began to be in danger, and the midwife said to her: Fear not, for thou shalt have this son also.

¹⁸And when her soul was departing for pain, and death was now at hand, she called the name of her son Benoni, that is, the son of my pain: but his father called him Benjamin, that is, the son of the right hand.

¹⁹So Rachel died, and was buried in the highway that leadeth to Ephrata, this is Bethlehem.

²⁰And Jacob erected a pillar over her sepulchre: this is the pillar of Rachel's monument, to this day.

²¹Departing thence, he pitched his tent beyond the Flock tower.

²²And when he dwelt in that country, Ruben went, and slept with Bala the concubine of his father: which he was not ignorant of. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.

²³The sons of Lia: Ruben the first born, and Simeon, and Levi, and Juda, and Issachar, and Zabulon.

²⁴The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

²⁵The sons of Bala, Rachel's handmaid: Dan and Nephthali.

²⁶The sons of Zelpha, Lia's handmaid: Gad and Aser: these are the sons of Jacob, that were born to him in Mesopotamia of Syria.

²⁷And he came to Isaac his father in Mambre, the city of Arbee, this is Hebron: wherein Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

²⁸And the days of Isaac were a hundred and eighty years.

²⁹And being spent with age he died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.