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Genesis 32-35
Common English Bible

Jacob prepares to meet Esau

32 Jacob went on his way, and God’s messengers approached him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s camp,” and he named that sacred place Mahanaim.[a] 3 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau, toward the land of Seir, the open country of Edom. 4 He gave them these orders: “Say this to my master Esau. This is the message of your servant Jacob: ‘I’ve lived as an immigrant with Laban, where I’ve stayed till now. 5 I own cattle, donkeys, flocks, men servants, and women servants. I’m sending this message to my master now to ask that he[b] be kind.’”

6 The messengers returned to Jacob and said, “We went out to your brother Esau, and he’s coming to meet you with four hundred men.”

7 Jacob was terrified and felt trapped, so he divided the people with him, and the flocks, cattle, and camels, into two camps. 8 He thought, If Esau meets the first camp and attacks it, at least one camp will be left to escape.

9 Jacob said, “Lord, God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I’ll make sure things go well for you,’ 10 I don’t deserve how loyal and truthful you’ve been to your servant. I went away across the Jordan with just my staff, but now I’ve become two camps. 11 Save me from my brother Esau! I’m afraid he will come and kill me, the mothers, and their children. 12 You were the one who told me, ‘I will make sure things go well for you, and I will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, so many you won’t be able to count them.’”

13 Jacob spent that night there. From what he had acquired, he set aside a gift for his brother Esau: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty nursing camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 He separated these herds and gave them to his servants. He said to them, “Go ahead of me and put some distance between each of the herds.” 17 He ordered the first group, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks you, ‘Who are you with? Where are you going? And whose herds are these in front of you?’ 18 say, ‘They are your servant Jacob’s, a gift sent to my master Esau. And Jacob is actually right behind us.’” 19 He also ordered the second group, the third group, and everybody following the herds, “Say exactly the same thing to Esau when you find him. 20 Say also, ‘Your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” Jacob thought, I may be able to pacify Esau with the gift I’m sending ahead. When I meet him, perhaps he will be kind to me. 21 So Jacob sent the gift ahead of him, but he spent that night in the camp.

Jacob wrestles with God

22 Jacob got up during the night, took his two wives, his two women servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed the Jabbok River’s shallow water. 23 He took them and everything that belonged to him, and he helped them cross the river. 24 But Jacob stayed apart by himself, and a man wrestled with him until dawn broke. 25 When the man saw that he couldn’t defeat Jacob, he grabbed Jacob’s thigh and tore a muscle in Jacob’s thigh as he wrestled with him. 26 The man said, “Let me go because the dawn is breaking.”

But Jacob said, “I won’t let you go until you bless me.”

27 He said to Jacob, “What’s your name?” and he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name won’t be Jacob any longer, but Israel,[c] because you struggled with God and with men and won.”

29 Jacob also asked and said, “Tell me your name.”

But he said, “Why do you ask for my name?” and he blessed Jacob there. 30 Jacob named the place Peniel,[d] “because I’ve seen God face-to-face, and my life has been saved.” 31 The sun rose as Jacob passed Penuel, limping because of his thigh. 32 Therefore, Israelites don’t eat the tendon attached to the thigh muscle to this day, because he grabbed Jacob’s thigh muscle at the tendon.

Esau forgives Jacob

33 Jacob looked up and saw Esau approaching with four hundred men. Jacob divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two women servants. 2 He put the servants and their children first, Leah and her children after them, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 He himself went in front of them and bowed to the ground seven times as he was approaching his brother. 4 But Esau ran to meet him, threw his arms around his neck, kissed him, and they wept. 5 Esau looked up and saw the women and children and said, “Who are these with you?”

Jacob said, “The children that God generously gave your servant.” 6 The women servants and their children came forward and bowed down. 7 Then Leah and her servants also came forward and bowed, and afterward Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed.

8 Esau said, “What’s the meaning of this entire group of animals that I met?”

Jacob said, “To ask for my master’s kindness.”

9 Esau said, “I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what’s yours.”

10 Jacob said, “No, please, do me the kindness of accepting my gift. Seeing your face is like seeing God’s face, since you’ve accepted me so warmly. 11 Take this present that I’ve brought because God has been generous to me, and I have everything I need.” So Jacob persuaded him, and he took it.

12 Esau said, “Let’s break camp and set out, and I’ll go with you.”

13 But Jacob said to him, “My master knows that the children aren’t strong and that I am responsible for the nursing flocks and cattle. If I push them hard for even one day, all of the flocks will die. 14 My master, go on ahead of your servant, but I’ve got to take it easy, going only as fast as the animals in front of me and the children are able to go, until I meet you in Seir.”

15 Esau said, “Let me leave some of my people with you.”

But Jacob said, “Why should you do this since my master has already been so kind to me?” 16 That day Esau returned on the road to Seir, 17 but Jacob traveled to Succoth. He built a house for himself but made temporary shelters for his animals; therefore, he named the place Succoth.[e]

Dinah and the conflict at Shechem

18 Jacob arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan on his trip from Paddan-aram, and he camped in front of the city. 19 He bought the section of the field where he pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred qesitahs.[f] 20 Then he set up an altar there and named it El Elohe Israel.[g]

34 Dinah, the daughter whom Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to meet the women of that country. 2 When Shechem the son of the Hivite Hamor and the country’s prince saw her, he took her, slept with her, and humiliated her. 3 He was drawn to Dinah, Jacob’s daughter. He loved the young woman and tried to win her heart. 4 Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get this girl for me as my wife.” 5 Now Jacob heard that Shechem defiled his daughter Dinah; but his sons were with the animals in the countryside, so he decided to keep quiet until they got back. 6 Meanwhile, Hamor, Shechem’s father, went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7 Just then, Jacob’s sons got back from the countryside. When they heard what had happened, they were deeply offended and very angry, because Shechem had disgraced Israel by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter. Such things are simply not done.

8 Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem’s heart is set on your daughter. Please let him marry her. 9 Arrange marriages with us: give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves. 10 Live with us. The land is available to you: settle down, travel through it, and buy property in it.”

11 Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “If you approve of me, tell me what you want, and I will give it to you. 12 Make the bride price and marriage gifts as large as you like, and I will pay whatever you tell me. Then let me marry the young woman.”

13 Jacob’s sons responded deviously to Shechem and his father Hamor because Shechem defiled their sister Dinah. 14 They said to them, “We can’t do this, allowing our sisters to marry uncircumcised men, because it’s disgraceful to us. 15 We can only agree to do this if you circumcise every male as we do. 16 Then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters for ourselves. We will live with you and be one people. 17 But if you don’t listen to us and become circumcised, we will take our daughter and leave.”

18 Their idea seemed like a good one to Hamor and Hamor’s son Shechem. 19 The young man didn’t waste any time doing this because he liked Jacob’s daughter so much. He was more respected than anyone else in his father’s household. 20 Hamor and his son Shechem went to their city’s gate and spoke to the men of their city: 21 “These men want peace with us. Let them live in the land and travel through it; there’s plenty of land for them. We will marry their daughters and give them our daughters. 22 But the men will agree to live with us and become one people only if we circumcise every male just as they do. 23 Their livestock, their property, and all of their animals—won’t they be ours? Let’s agree with them and let them live with us.” 24 Everyone at the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, so every able-bodied male in the city was circumcised.

25 On the third day, when they were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons and Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi took their swords, came into the city, which suspected nothing, and killed every male. 26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with their swords, took Dinah from Shechem’s household, and left. 27 When Jacob’s other sons discovered the dead, they looted the city that had defiled their sister. 28 They took their flocks, their cattle, and their donkeys, whether in the city or in the fields nearby. 29 They carried off their property, their children, and their wives. They looted the entire place. 30 Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You’ve put me in danger by making me offensive to those who live here in the land, to the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I have only a few men. They may join forces, attack me, and destroy me, me and my household.”

31 They said, “But didn’t he treat our sister like a prostitute?”

Jacob establishes worship at Bethel

35 God said to Jacob, “Get up, go to Bethel, and live there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you ran away from your brother Esau.”

2 Jacob said to his household and to everyone who was with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you. Clean yourselves and change your clothes. 3 Then let’s rise and go up to Bethel so that I can build an altar there to the God who answered me when I was in trouble and who has been with me wherever I’ve gone.” 4 So they gave Jacob all of the foreign gods they had, as well as the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the terebinth at Shechem. 5 When they set out, God made all of the surrounding cities fearful so that they didn’t pursue Jacob’s sons. 6 Jacob and all of the people with him arrived in Luz, otherwise known as Bethel, in the land of Canaan. 7 He built an altar there and named the place El-bethel,[h] because God had revealed himself to him there when he ran away from his brother. 8 Rebekah’s nurse Deborah died and was buried at Bethel under the oak, and Jacob named it Allon-bacuth.[i]

9 God appeared to Jacob again, while he was on his way back from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. 10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but your name will be Jacob no longer. No, your name will be Israel.” And he named him Israel. 11 God said to him, “I am El Shaddai.[j] Be fertile and multiply. A nation, even a large group of nations, will come from you; kings will descend from your own children. 12 The land I gave to Abraham and to Isaac, I give to you; and I will give the land to your descendants after you.” 13 Then God ascended, leaving him alone in the place where he spoke to him. 14 So Jacob set up a sacred pillar, a stone pillar, at the place God spoke to him. He poured an offering of wine on it and then poured oil over it. 15 Jacob named the place Bethel where God spoke to him.

Benjamin’s birth and Rachel’s death

16 They left Bethel, and when they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into hard labor. 17 During her difficult labor, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid. You have another son.” 18 As her life faded away, just before she died, she named him Ben-oni,[k] but his father named him Benjamin.[l] 19 Rachel died and was buried near the road to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem. 20 Jacob set up a pillar on her grave. It’s the pillar on Rachel’s tomb that’s still there today. 21 Israel continued his trip and pitched his tent farther on near the tower of Eder.

Jacob’s family

22 While Israel stayed in that place, Reuben went and slept with Bilhah his father’s secondary wife, and Israel heard about it.

Jacob had twelve sons. 23 The sons of Leah were Reuben, Jacob’s oldest son, and Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24 The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. 25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan and Naphtali. 26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant, were Gad and Asher. These were Jacob’s sons born to him in Paddan-aram.

Isaac’s death

27 Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, that is, Kiriath-arba. This is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac lived as immigrants. 28 At the age of 180 years, 29 Isaac took his last breath and died. He was buried with his ancestors after a long, satisfying life. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 32:2 Or two camps
  2. Genesis 32:5 Or you
  3. Genesis 32:28 Or God struggles or one who struggles with God
  4. Genesis 32:30 Or face of God
  5. Genesis 33:17 Or temporary shelters
  6. Genesis 33:19 A monetary weight
  7. Genesis 33:20 Or El, God of Israel
  8. Genesis 35:7 Or God of Bethel
  9. Genesis 35:8 Or oak of weeping
  10. Genesis 35:11 Or God Almighty or God of the Mountain
  11. Genesis 35:18 Or my suffering son
  12. Genesis 35:18 Or right-hand son or strong son
Listen to Genesis 32-35
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Genesis 32-35
New International Version

Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau

32 [a]Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God(A) met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!”(B) So he named that place Mahanaim.[b](C)

3 Jacob sent messengers(D) ahead of him to his brother Esau(E) in the land of Seir,(F) the country of Edom.(G) 4 He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord(H) Esau: ‘Your servant(I) Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban(J) and have remained there till now. 5 I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants.(K) Now I am sending this message to my lord,(L) that I may find favor in your eyes.(M)’”

6 When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”(N)

7 In great fear(O) and distress(P) Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups,[c](Q) and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8 He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group,[d] the group[e] that is left may escape.”

9 Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham,(R) God of my father Isaac,(S) Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’(T) 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness(U) you have shown your servant. I had only my staff(V) when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps.(W) 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid(X) he will come and attack me,(Y) and also the mothers with their children.(Z) 12 But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand(AA) of the sea, which cannot be counted.(AB)’”

13 He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift(AC) for his brother Esau: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,(AD) 15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.(AE) 16 He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.”(AF)

17 He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ 18 then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant(AG) Jacob. They are a gift(AH) sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’”

19 He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 20 And be sure to say, ‘Your servant(AI) Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts(AJ) I am sending on ahead;(AK) later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.”(AL) 21 So Jacob’s gifts(AM) went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.

Jacob Wrestles With God

22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons(AN) and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.(AO) 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.(AP) 24 So Jacob was left alone,(AQ) and a man(AR) wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip(AS) so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”(AT)

27 The man asked him, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,”(AU) he answered.

28 Then the man said, “Your name(AV) will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,[f](AW) because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”(AX)

29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”(AY)

But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?”(AZ) Then he blessed(BA) him there.

30 So Jacob called the place Peniel,[g] saying, “It is because I saw God face to face,(BB) and yet my life was spared.”

31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,[h](BC) and he was limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip,(BD) because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

Jacob Meets Esau

33 Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men;(BE) so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants.(BF) 2 He put the female servants and their children(BG) in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph(BH) in the rear. 3 He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground(BI) seven times(BJ) as he approached his brother.

4 But Esau(BK) ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him.(BL) And they wept.(BM) 5 Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked.

Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.(BN)”

6 Then the female servants and their children(BO) approached and bowed down.(BP) 7 Next, Leah and her children(BQ) came and bowed down.(BR) Last of all came Joseph and Rachel,(BS) and they too bowed down.

8 Esau asked, “What’s the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?”(BT)

“To find favor in your eyes, my lord,”(BU) he said.

9 But Esau said, “I already have plenty,(BV) my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”

10 “No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your eyes,(BW) accept this gift(BX) from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God,(BY) now that you have received me favorably.(BZ) 11 Please accept the present(CA) that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me(CB) and I have all I need.”(CC) And because Jacob insisted,(CD) Esau accepted it.

12 Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.”

13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord(CE) knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young.(CF) If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. 14 So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the flocks and herds(CG) before me and the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.(CH)”

15 Esau said, “Then let me leave some of my men with you.”

“But why do that?” Jacob asked. “Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord.”(CI)

16 So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir.(CJ) 17 Jacob, however, went to Sukkoth,(CK) where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Sukkoth.[i]

18 After Jacob came from Paddan Aram,[j](CL) he arrived safely at the city of Shechem(CM) in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. 19 For a hundred pieces of silver,[k] he bought from the sons of Hamor,(CN) the father of Shechem,(CO) the plot of ground(CP) where he pitched his tent.(CQ) 20 There he set up an altar(CR) and called it El Elohe Israel.[l]

Dinah and the Shechemites

34 Now Dinah,(CS) the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. 2 When Shechem(CT) son of Hamor(CU) the Hivite,(CV) the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her.(CW) 3 His heart was drawn to Dinah(CX) daughter of Jacob;(CY) he loved(CZ) the young woman and spoke tenderly(DA) to her. 4 And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”(DB)

5 When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled,(DC) his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he did nothing about it until they came home.

6 Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob.(DD) 7 Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked(DE) and furious,(DF) because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in[m] Israel(DG) by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.(DH)

8 But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.(DI) 9 Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.(DJ) 10 You can settle among us;(DK) the land is open to you.(DL) Live in it, trade[n] in it,(DM) and acquire property in it.(DN)”

11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes,(DO) and I will give you whatever you ask. 12 Make the price for the bride(DP) and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the young woman as my wife.”

13 Because their sister Dinah had been defiled,(DQ) Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully(DR) as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor. 14 They said to them, “We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised.(DS) That would be a disgrace to us. 15 We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition(DT) only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males.(DU) 16 Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves.(DV) We’ll settle among you and become one people with you.(DW) 17 But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.”

18 Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. 19 The young man, who was the most honored(DX) of all his father’s family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.(DY) 20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city(DZ) to speak to the men of their city. 21 “These men are friendly toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and trade in it;(EA) the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours.(EB) 22 But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised,(EC) as they themselves are. 23 Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours?(ED) So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us.(EE)”

24 All the men who went out of the city gate(EF) agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised.

25 Three days later, while all of them were still in pain,(EG) two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon(EH) and Levi,(EI) Dinah’s brothers, took their swords(EJ) and attacked the unsuspecting city,(EK) killing every male.(EL) 26 They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword(EM) and took Dinah(EN) from Shechem’s house and left. 27 The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city(EO) where[o] their sister had been defiled.(EP) 28 They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys(EQ) and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields.(ER) 29 They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children,(ES) taking as plunder(ET) everything in the houses.(EU)

30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble(EV) on me by making me obnoxious(EW) to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land.(EX) We are few in number,(EY) and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

31 But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?(EZ)”

Jacob Returns to Bethel

35 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel(FA) and settle there, and build an altar(FB) there to God,(FC) who appeared to you(FD) when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”(FE)

2 So Jacob said to his household(FF) and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods(FG) you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.(FH) 3 Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God,(FI) who answered me in the day of my distress(FJ) and who has been with me wherever I have gone.(FK)” 4 So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears,(FL) and Jacob buried them under the oak(FM) at Shechem.(FN) 5 Then they set out, and the terror of God(FO) fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.(FP)

6 Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz(FQ) (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.(FR) 7 There he built an altar,(FS) and he called the place El Bethel,[p](FT) because it was there that God revealed himself to him(FU) when he was fleeing from his brother.(FV)

8 Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse,(FW) died and was buried under the oak(FX) outside Bethel.(FY) So it was named Allon Bakuth.[q]

9 After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram,[r](FZ) God appeared to him again and blessed him.(GA) 10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob,[s] but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.[t]”(GB) So he named him Israel.

11 And God said to him, “I am God Almighty[u];(GC) be fruitful and increase in number.(GD) A nation(GE) and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.(GF) 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.(GG)”(GH) 13 Then God went up from him(GI) at the place where he had talked with him.

14 Jacob set up a stone pillar(GJ) at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering(GK) on it; he also poured oil on it.(GL) 15 Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.[v](GM)

The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac(GN)

16 Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath,(GO) Rachel(GP) began to give birth and had great difficulty. 17 And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife(GQ) said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.”(GR) 18 As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni.[w](GS) But his father named him Benjamin.[x](GT)

19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath(GU) (that is, Bethlehem(GV)). 20 Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day(GW) that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb.(GX)

21 Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder.(GY) 22 While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine(GZ) Bilhah,(HA) and Israel heard of it.

Jacob had twelve sons:

23 The sons of Leah:(HB)

Reuben the firstborn(HC) of Jacob,

Simeon, Levi, Judah,(HD) Issachar and Zebulun.(HE)

24 The sons of Rachel:

Joseph(HF) and Benjamin.(HG)

25 The sons of Rachel’s servant Bilhah:(HH)

Dan and Naphtali.(HI)

26 The sons of Leah’s servant Zilpah:(HJ)

Gad(HK) and Asher.(HL)

These were the sons of Jacob,(HM) who were born to him in Paddan Aram.(HN)

27 Jacob came home to his father Isaac(HO) in Mamre,(HP) near Kiriath Arba(HQ) (that is, Hebron),(HR) where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.(HS) 28 Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years.(HT) 29 Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people,(HU) old and full of years.(HV) And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.(HW)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 32:1 In Hebrew texts 32:1-32 is numbered 32:2-33.
  2. Genesis 32:2 Mahanaim means two camps.
  3. Genesis 32:7 Or camps
  4. Genesis 32:8 Or camp
  5. Genesis 32:8 Or camp
  6. Genesis 32:28 Israel probably means he struggles with God.
  7. Genesis 32:30 Peniel means face of God.
  8. Genesis 32:31 Hebrew Penuel, a variant of Peniel
  9. Genesis 33:17 Sukkoth means shelters.
  10. Genesis 33:18 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
  11. Genesis 33:19 Hebrew hundred kesitahs; a kesitah was a unit of money of unknown weight and value.
  12. Genesis 33:20 El Elohe Israel can mean El is the God of Israel or mighty is the God of Israel.
  13. Genesis 34:7 Or against
  14. Genesis 34:10 Or move about freely; also in verse 21
  15. Genesis 34:27 Or because
  16. Genesis 35:7 El Bethel means God of Bethel.
  17. Genesis 35:8 Allon Bakuth means oak of weeping.
  18. Genesis 35:9 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia; also in verse 26
  19. Genesis 35:10 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he deceives.
  20. Genesis 35:10 Israel probably means he struggles with God.
  21. Genesis 35:11 Hebrew El-Shaddai
  22. Genesis 35:15 Bethel means house of God.
  23. Genesis 35:18 Ben-Oni means son of my trouble.
  24. Genesis 35:18 Benjamin means son of my right hand.
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Genesis 31
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