Jacob s’installe à Béthel

35 Dieu dit à Jacob : Pars, rends-toi à Béthel et fixe-toi là-bas. Tu y construiras un autel au Dieu qui t’est apparu quand tu fuyais ton frère Esaü.

Alors Jacob dit aux gens de sa famille et à tous ceux qui étaient avec lui : Faites disparaître les dieux étrangers qui se trouvent au milieu de vous. Purifiez-vous et changez de vêtements ! Nous allons partir et nous rendre à Béthel, où je construirai un autel dédié au Dieu qui m’a exaucé lorsque j’étais dans la détresse et qui a été avec moi tout au long de ma route.

Ils remirent à Jacob tous les dieux étrangers qu’ils avaient entre les mains et les boucles qu’ils portaient aux oreilles[a] ; et Jacob les enterra sous le chêne qui est près de Sichem. Puis ils levèrent le camp. Dieu frappa de panique les villes environnantes, de sorte que personne ne poursuivit les fils de Jacob.

Jacob arriva avec tous ceux qui l’accompagnaient à Louz – c’est-à-dire Béthel – au pays de Canaan. Il bâtit là un autel et appela ce lieu El-Béthel (Dieu de Béthel), car c’est à cet endroit que Dieu lui était apparu lorsqu’il fuyait loin de son frère. C’est là que mourut Débora, la nourrice de Rébecca ; elle fut enterrée près de Béthel, au pied du chêne que l’on appela depuis lors « le chêne des pleurs ».

Dieu apparut encore à Jacob à son retour de Paddân-Aram et le bénit. 10 Il lui dit : Ton nom est Jacob, mais tu ne seras plus appelé ainsi, ton nom sera Israël.

C’est ainsi que Dieu l’appela Israël. 11 Et Dieu lui dit :

Je suis le Dieu tout-puissant.
Sois fécond et aie de nombreux descendants ;
un peuple, et même ╵tout un ensemble de peuples seront issus de toi.
Tu auras pour descendants des rois.
12 Le pays que j’ai donné ╵à Abraham et à Isaac, ╵je te le donnerai
ainsi qu’à ta descendance après toi[b].

13 Puis Dieu se retira d’auprès de lui, du lieu où il lui avait parlé. 14 Jacob érigea une stèle en pierre à l’endroit même où Dieu lui avait parlé, il y versa une libation et répandit de l’huile sur elle. 15 Jacob donna au lieu où Dieu lui avait parlé le nom de Béthel.

La naissance de Benjamin et la mort de Rachel

16 Jacob et sa famille quittèrent Béthel. Lorsqu’ils étaient encore à une certaine distance d’Ephrata[c], Rachel donna naissance à un enfant. Elle eut un accouchement difficile. 17 Pendant les douleurs du travail, la sage-femme lui dit : Courage ! C’est encore un garçon.

18 Mais elle se mourait. Dans son dernier souffle, elle le nomma Ben-Oni (Fils de ma douleur), mais son père l’appela Benjamin (Fils de bon augure). 19 Rachel mourut, on l’enterra sur la route d’Ephrata, c’est-à-dire Bethléhem. 20 Jacob érigea une stèle sur sa tombe ; c’est la stèle funéraire de Rachel qui subsiste encore aujourd’hui.

21 Puis Israël leva le camp, il planta sa tente au-delà de Migdal-Eder. 22 Pendant qu’il séjournait dans cette contrée, Ruben alla coucher avec Bilha, l’épouse de second rang de son père. Celui-ci l’apprit[d].

La liste des fils de Jacob

Jacob avait douze fils. 23 Fils de Léa : Ruben, le premier-né de Jacob, Siméon, Lévi, Juda, Issacar et Zabulon. 24 Fils de Rachel : Joseph et Benjamin. 25 Fils de Bilha, servante de Rachel : Dan et Nephtali. 26 Fils de Zilpa, servante de Léa : Gad et Aser. Tels sont les fils de Jacob, qui lui naquirent à Paddân-Aram.

La mort d’Isaac

27 Jacob revint auprès de son père Isaac à Mamré, à Qiryath-Arba qui s’appelle aujourd’hui Hébron, où Abraham et Isaac avaient vécu[e]. 28 Isaac atteignit l’âge de cent quatre-vingts ans, 29 puis il rendit son dernier soupir et mourut. Il rejoignit ses ancêtres, âgé et comblé de jours. Ses fils Esaü et Jacob l’ensevelirent.

Footnotes

  1. 35.4 Amulettes devant assurer une protection magique.
  2. 35.12 Voir Gn 17.4-8 ; 26.3.
  3. 35.16 Ancien nom de Bethléhem en Juda (Rt 1.2 ; Mi 5.1).
  4. 35.22 La version grecque ajoute : et en fut très affecté.
  5. 35.27 Voir Gn 13.18.

Jacob Moves to Bethel

35 Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to (A)Bethel and live there, and make an altar there to (B)God, who appeared to you (C)when you fled [a]from your brother Esau.” So Jacob said to his (D)household and to all who were with him, “Remove (E)the foreign gods which are among you, and (F)purify yourselves and change your garments; and let’s arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make (G)an altar there to God, (H)who answered me on the day of my distress and (I)has been with me [b]wherever I have gone.” So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which [c]they had and the rings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the [d]oak which was near Shechem.

As they journeyed, there was [e](J)a great terror upon the cities which were around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. So Jacob came to (K)Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him. Then (L)he built an altar there, and called the place [f]El-bethel, because there God had revealed Himself to him when he fled [g]from his brother. Now (M)Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the oak; and it was named [h]Allon-bacuth.

Jacob Is Named Israel

Then God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and He (N)blessed him. 10 (O)God said to him,

“Your name is Jacob;
[i]You shall no longer be called Jacob,
But Israel shall be your name.”

So He called [j]him Israel. 11 God also said to him,

“I am [k](P)God Almighty;
(Q)Be fruitful and multiply;
A nation and a (R)multitude of nations shall [l]come from you,
And (S)kings shall [m]come from [n]you.
12 And (T)the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac,
I will give to you,
And I will give the land to your [o]descendants after you.”

13 Then (U)God went up from him at the place where He had spoken with him. 14 So Jacob set up (V)a memorial stone in the place where He had spoken with him, a memorial of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. 15 And Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him, [p](W)Bethel.

16 Then they journeyed on from Bethel; but when there was still some distance to go to (X)Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe difficulties in her labor. 17 And when she was suffering severe difficulties in her labor, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for (Y)you have another son!” 18 And it came about, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him [q]Ben-oni; but his father called him [r]Benjamin. 19 So (Z)Rachel died and was buried on the way to (AA)Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 And Jacob set up a memorial stone over her grave; that is the (AB)memorial stone of Rachel’s grave to this day. 21 Then Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the [s](AC)tower of [t]Eder.

The Sons of Israel

22 And it came about, while Israel was living in that land, that (AD)Reuben went and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it.

Now there were twelve sons of Jacob— 23 (AE)the sons of Leah were Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, then Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; 24 (AF)the sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin; 25 and (AG)the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s female slave, were Dan and Naphtali; 26 and (AH)the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s female slave, were Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

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

28 Now the days of Isaac were (AK)180 years. 29 Then Isaac breathed his last and died, and was (AL)gathered to his people, an (AM)old man [u]of ripe age; and (AN)his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 35:1 Lit from the face of
  2. Genesis 35:3 Lit in the way which
  3. Genesis 35:4 Lit were in their hand
  4. Genesis 35:4 Or terebinth
  5. Genesis 35:5 Or a terror of God
  6. Genesis 35:7 I.e., the God of Bethel
  7. Genesis 35:7 Lit from the face of
  8. Genesis 35:8 I.e., oak of weeping
  9. Genesis 35:10 Lit Your name
  10. Genesis 35:10 Lit his name
  11. Genesis 35:11 Heb El Shaddai
  12. Genesis 35:11 Or come into being
  13. Genesis 35:11 Or come into being
  14. Genesis 35:11 Lit your loins
  15. Genesis 35:12 Lit seed
  16. Genesis 35:15 I.e., house of God
  17. Genesis 35:18 I.e., the son of my sorrow
  18. Genesis 35:18 I.e., the son of the right hand
  19. Genesis 35:21 Heb Migdal-eder
  20. Genesis 35:21 Or flock
  21. Genesis 35:29 Lit and satisfied with days

Jacob’s Return to Bethel

35 Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to (A)Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, (B)who appeared to you (C)when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.”

And Jacob said to his (D)household and to all who were with him, “Put away (E)the foreign gods that are among you, (F)purify yourselves, and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make an altar there to God, (G)who answered me in the day of my distress (H)and has been with me in the way which I have gone.” So they gave Jacob all the foreign [a]gods which were in their hands, and the (I)earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under (J)the terebinth tree which was by Shechem.

And they journeyed, and (K)the terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. So Jacob came to (L)Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him. And he (M)built an altar there and called the place [b]El Bethel, because (N)there God appeared to him when he fled from the face of his brother.

Now (O)Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the terebinth tree. So the name of it was called [c]Allon Bachuth.

Then (P)God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Padan Aram, and (Q)blessed him. 10 And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; (R)your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, (S)but Israel shall be your name.” So He called his name Israel. 11 Also God said to him: (T)“I am God Almighty. (U)Be fruitful and multiply; (V)a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. 12 The (W)land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land.” 13 Then God (X)went[d] up from him in the place where He talked with him. 14 So Jacob (Y)set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it. 15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, (Z)Bethel.

Death of Rachel

16 Then they journeyed from Bethel. And when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel labored in childbirth, and she had hard labor. 17 Now it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said to her, “Do not fear; (AA)you will have this son also.” 18 And so it was, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name [e]Ben-Oni; but his father called him [f]Benjamin. 19 So (AB)Rachel died and was buried on the way to (AC)Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 And Jacob set a pillar on her grave, which is the pillar of Rachel’s grave (AD)to this day.

21 Then Israel journeyed and pitched his tent beyond (AE)the tower of Eder. 22 And it happened, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and (AF)lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine; and Israel heard about it.

Jacob’s Twelve Sons

Now the sons of Jacob were twelve: 23 the sons of Leah were (AG)Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; 24 the sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin; 25 the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant, were Dan and Naphtali; 26 and the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maidservant, were Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Padan Aram.

Death of Isaac

27 Then Jacob came to his father Isaac at (AH)Mamre, or (AI)Kirjath Arba[g] (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had dwelt. 28 Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. 29 So Isaac breathed his last and died, and (AJ)was [h]gathered to his people, being old and full of days. And (AK)his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 35:4 idols
  2. Genesis 35:7 Lit. God of the House of God
  3. Genesis 35:8 Lit. Terebinth of Weeping
  4. Genesis 35:13 departed
  5. Genesis 35:18 Lit. Son of My Sorrow
  6. Genesis 35:18 Lit. Son of the Right Hand
  7. Genesis 35:27 Lit. Town or City of Arba
  8. Genesis 35:29 Joined his ancestors