God Blesses and Renames Jacob

35 God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to (A)Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you (B)when you fled from your brother Esau.” So Jacob said to his (C)household and to all who were with him, “Put away (D)the foreign gods that are among you and (E)purify yourselves and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God (F)who answers me in the day of my distress and (G)has been with me wherever I have gone.” So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under (H)the terebinth tree that was near Shechem.

And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. And Jacob came to (I)Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him, and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel,[a] because (J)there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother. And (K)Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel. So he called its name Allon-bacuth.[b]

God appeared[c] to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. 10 And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; (L)no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but (M)Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. 11 And God said to him, (N)“I am God Almighty:[d] be (O)fruitful and multiply. (P)A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body.[e] 12 (Q)The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.” 13 Then God (R)went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him. 14 And Jacob (S)set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. 15 So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him (T)Bethel.

The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac

16 Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were still some distance[f] from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor. 17 And when her labor was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for (U)you have another son.” 18 And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni;[g] (V)but his father called him Benjamin.[h] 19 So (W)Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to (X)Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem), 20 and Jacob set up a pillar over her tomb. It is (Y)the pillar of Rachel's tomb, which is there to this day. 21 Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

22 While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and (Z)lay with Bilhah his father's concubine. And Israel heard of it.

Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. 23 The sons of Leah: (AA)Reuben (Jacob's firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant: Dan and Naphtali. 26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

27 And Jacob came to his father Isaac at (AB)Mamre, or (AC)Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. 28 Now the days of Isaac were 180 years. 29 And Isaac breathed his last, and he died (AD)and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And (AE)his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 35:7 El-bethel means God of Bethel
  2. Genesis 35:8 Allon-bacuth means oak of weeping
  3. Genesis 35:9 Or had appeared
  4. Genesis 35:11 Hebrew El Shaddai
  5. Genesis 35:11 Hebrew from your loins
  6. Genesis 35:16 Or about two hours' distance
  7. Genesis 35:18 Ben-oni could mean son of my sorrow, or son of my strength
  8. Genesis 35:18 Benjamin means son of the right hand

35 And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.

Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.

And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.

And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.

But Deborah, Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth.

And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him.

10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.

11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;

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

13 And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.

14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon.

15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel.

16 And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour.

17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.

18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.

19 And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.

20 And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.

21 And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar.

22 And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:

23 The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun:

24 The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin:

25 And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali:

26 And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid: Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padanaram.

27 And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

28 And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years.

29 And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Jakob gaat weer naar Bet-El

35 Daarna zei God tegen Jakob: ''Maak je klaar om naar Bet-El te reizen. Ga daar wonen. Bouw er een altaar voor de God die naar je toe gekomen is toen je op de vlucht was voor je broer Ezau." Toen zei Jakob tegen zijn familie en iedereen die bij hem hoorde: "Doe alle godenbeeldjes weg die jullie hebben, maak je klaar voor de Heer en trek schone kleren aan. Daarna reizen we naar Bet-El. Daar zal ik een altaar bouwen voor de God die mij heeft geantwoord toen ik in moeilijkheden was en die aldoor voor mij gezorgd heeft." Toen gaven ze Jakob alle godenbeeldjes die ze hadden en de ringen die ze in hun oren hadden om hen tegen het kwaad te beschermen. Jakob begroef alles onder de eikenboom bij Sichem. Daarna vertrokken ze. God zorgde ervoor dat niemand uit de steden in de omgeving hen durfde te achtervolgen voor wat ze gedaan hadden.

Toen Jakob met al zijn mensen in Luz (dat is Bet-El) was aangekomen, in Kanaän, bouwde hij daar een altaar. Hij noemde die plaats El-Bet-El (= 'God van Bet-El'), omdat God daar naar hem toe gekomen was toen hij op de vlucht was voor zijn broer. Toen Debora, de verzorgster van Rebekka, stierf, werd ze onder een eik aan de zuidkant van Bet-El begraven. Sindsdien noemden de mensen die eik 'Tranen-Eik'.

God zegent Jakob opnieuw

Toen Jakob van Paddan-Aram teruggekomen was in Kanaän, kwam God opnieuw naar hem toe. Hij zegende hem en zei opnieuw: 10 "Je heet Jakob. Maar voortaan zul je niet meer Jakob (= 'verdringer') genoemd worden, maar Israël (= 'worstelaar met God')." Zo gaf Hij hem dus de nieuwe naam Israël. 11 En Hij zei tegen hem: "Ik ben de Almachtige God. Ik zal ervoor zorgen dat je familie heel groot zal worden. Het zal een heel volk worden. Ja, het zal zelfs tot heel veel volken worden. Er zullen koningen uit jou ontstaan. 12 En dit land dat Ik aan Abraham en Izaäk heb gegeven, zal Ik aan jou geven en aan je familie ná jou." 13 Toen ging God weer bij hem weg. 14 Jakob zette een steen overeind op de plaats waar Hij met hem had gesproken, als een teken. Hij schonk er een offer van wijn en olijf-olie overheen. 15 Hij noemde de plaats waar God met hem had gesproken Bet-El (= 'huis van God').

De dood van Rachel

16 Daarna vertrokken ze uit Bet-El. Toen ze vlak bij Efrat waren, kreeg Rachel een baby. De bevalling ging erg moeilijk. 17 Daarom zei de vrouw die haar erbij hielp: "Wees niet bang, want je hebt weer een zoon." 18 Kort na de bevalling stierf Rachel. Maar ze had haar zoon nog een naam kunnen geven. Ze noemde hem Ben-oni (= 'zoon van mijn pijn'). Maar zijn vader noemde hem Benjamin (= 'zoon van mijn rechterhand'). 19 Zo stierf Rachel. Ze werd begraven langs de weg naar Efrat (dat is Betlehem). 20 Jakob zette op haar graf een steen overeind. Die staat daar nu nog steeds.

21 Daarna brak Israël zijn tenten af en zette ze aan de andere kant van Migdal-Eder weer op. 22 In de tijd dat Israël in dat land woonde, ging zijn oudste zoon Ruben naar bed met Bilha, één van Israëls bijvrouwen. Maar Israël kwam het te weten.

De zonen van Israël

23 Israël had twaalf zonen.

De zonen van Lea waren: Ruben, de oudste zoon van Jakob, verder Simeon, Levi, Juda, Issaschar en Zebulon.

24 De zonen van Rachel waren: Jozef en Benjamin.

25 De zonen van Rachels slavin Bilha waren: Dan en Naftali

26 De zonen van Lea's slavin Zilpa waren: Gad en Aser.

Dit zijn de zonen die Jakob in Paddan-Aram heeft gekregen.

De dood van Izaäk

27 En Jakob kwam terug bij zijn vader Izaäk in Mamré bij Kirjat-Arba (dat is Hebron), waar Abraham en Izaäk als vreemdelingen hadden gewoond. 28 Izaäk werd 180 jaar. 29 Toen stierf hij, oud en tevreden over zijn leven. Zijn zonen Ezau en Jakob begroeven hem.