Jacob Returns to Bethel

35 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel^(A) and settle there, and build an altar^(B) there to God,^(C) who appeared to you^(D) when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”^(E)

² So Jacob said to his household^(F) and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods^(G) you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.^{(H) 3} Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God,^(I) who answered me in the day of my distress^(J) and who has been with me wherever I have gone.^(K)” ⁴ So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears,^(L) and Jacob buried them under the oak^(M) at Shechem.^{(N) 5} Then they set out, and the terror of God^(O) fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.^(P)

⁶ Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz^(Q) (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.^{(R) 7} There he built an altar,^(S) and he called the place El Bethel,^[a](T) because it was there that God revealed himself to him^(U) when he was fleeing from his brother.^(V)

⁹ After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram,^[a](A) God appeared to him again and blessed him.^{(B) 10} God said to him, “Your name is Jacob,^[b] but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.^[c]”^(C) So he named him Israel.

¹¹ And God said to him, “I am God Almighty^[d];^(D) be fruitful and increase in number.^(E) A nation^(F) and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.^{(G) 12} The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.^(H)”^(I)

The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac^(A)

¹⁶ Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath,^(B) Rachel^(C) began to give birth and had great difficulty. ¹⁷ And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife^(D) said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.”^{(E) 18} As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni.^[a](F) But his father named him Benjamin.^[b](G)

¹⁹ So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath^(H) (that is, Bethlehem^(I)).

²² While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine^(A) Bilhah,^(B) and Israel heard of it.

Jacob had twelve sons:

²⁷ Jacob came home to his father Isaac^(A) in Mamre,^(B) near Kiriath Arba^(C) (that is, Hebron),^(D) where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.^{(E) 28} Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years.^{(F) 29} Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people,^(G) old and full of years.^(H) And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.^(I)