Return to Bethel

35 God said to Jacob, “Get up! Go to Bethel and settle there.^(A) Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”^(B)

² So Jacob said to his family and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you.^(C) Purify yourselves and change your clothes.^{(D) 3} We must get up and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to the God who answered me in my day of distress.^(E) He has been with me everywhere I have gone.”^(F)

⁴ Then they gave Jacob all their foreign gods and their earrings, and Jacob hid them under the oak near Shechem. ⁵ When they set out, a terror from God came over the cities around them, and they did not pursue Jacob’s sons.^{(G) 6} So Jacob and all who were with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel^(H)) in the land of Canaan. ⁷ Jacob built an altar there and called the place El-bethel^[a] because it was there that God had revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.

⁸ Deborah, the one who had nursed and raised Rebekah,^[b](I) died and was buried under the oak south of Bethel. So Jacob named it Allon-bacuth.^[c]

⁹ God appeared to Jacob again after he returned from Paddan-aram, and he blessed him. ¹⁰ God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; you will no longer be named Jacob, but your name will be Israel.”^(J) So he named him Israel. ¹¹ God also said to him, “I am God Almighty.^(K) Be fruitful and multiply.^(L) A nation, indeed an assembly of nations, will come from you,^(M) and kings will descend from you.^{[d](N) 12} I will give to you the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac.^(O) And I will give the land to your future descendants.” ¹³ Then God withdrew^[e](P) from him at the place where he had spoken to him.

¹⁴ Jacob set up a marker at the place where he had spoken to him—a stone marker. He poured a drink offering on it and poured oil on it.^{(Q) 15} Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.

Rachel’s Death

¹⁶ They set out from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult. ¹⁷ During her difficult labor, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you have another son.”^{(R) 18} With her last breath—for she was dying—she named him Ben-oni,^[f] but his father called him Benjamin.^{[g] 19} So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem^(S)). ²⁰ Jacob set up a marker on her grave; it is the marker at Rachel’s grave still today.

Israel’s Sons

²¹ Israel set out again and pitched his tent beyond the Tower of Eder.^{[h] 22} While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it.^(T)

Jacob had twelve sons:^(U)

These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

Isaac’s Death

²⁷ Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre^(V) in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron^(W)), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. ²⁸ Isaac lived 180 years. ²⁹ He took his last breath and died, and was gathered to his people,^(X) old and full of days. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Esau’s Family

36 These are the family records^(Y) of Esau (that is, Edom^(Z)). ² Esau took his wives from the Canaanite women: Adah daughter of Elon the Hethite,^(AA) Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter^[i] of Zibeon the Hivite, ³ and Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.^{(AB) 4} Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath bore Reuel, ⁵ and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These were Esau’s sons, who were born to him in the land of Canaan.

⁶ Esau took his wives, sons, daughters, and all the people of his household, as well as his herds, all his livestock, and all the property he had acquired in Canaan; he went to a land away from his brother Jacob. ⁷ For their possessions were too many for them to live together,^(AC) and because of their herds, the land where they stayed could not support them.^{(AD) 8} So Esau (that is, Edom) lived in the mountains of Seir.^(AE)

⁹ These are the family records of Esau, father of the Edomites in the mountains of Seir.

Seir’s Family

Rulers of Edom

Rejection at Nazareth

6 He^(A) left there and came to his hometown,^(B) and his disciples^(C) followed him. ² When the Sabbath^(D) came, he began to teach^(E) in the synagogue,^(F) and many who heard him were astonished. “Where did this man get these things?” they said. “What is this wisdom^(G) that has been given to him, and how are these miracles^(H) performed by his hands? ³ Isn’t this the carpenter,^(I) the son of Mary,^(J) and the brother of James,^(K) Joses, Judas,^(L) and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” So they were offended^(M) by him.

⁴ Jesus said to them, “A prophet^(N) is not without honor^(O) except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household.” ⁵ He was not able to do a miracle^(P) there, except that he laid his hands on^(Q) a few sick^(R) people and healed^(S) them. ⁶ And he was amazed^(T) at their unbelief.^(U) He was going around the villages teaching.^(V)

Commissioning the Twelve

⁷ He^(W) summoned^(X) the Twelve^(Y) and began to send^(Z) them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean^(AA) spirits.^{(AB) 8} He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staff—no bread, no traveling bag,^(AC) no money in their belts, ⁹ but to wear sandals and not put on an extra shirt.^{(AD) 10} He said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. ¹¹ If any place does not welcome^(AE) you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet^(AF) as a testimony^(AG) against them.”^{[a] 12} So they went out and preached^(AH) that people should repent.^{(AI) 13} They drove out many demons,^(AJ) anointed^(AK) many sick^(AL) people with oil^(AM) and healed them.^(AN)

John the Baptist Beheaded

¹⁴ King^(AO) Herod^(AP) heard about it, because Jesus’s name^(AQ) had become well known. Some^[b] said, “John the Baptist^(AR) has been raised from the dead,^(AS) and that’s why miraculous powers^(AT) are at work^(AU) in him.” ¹⁵ But others said, “He’s Elijah.”^(AV) Still others said, “He’s a prophet, like one of the prophets from long ago.”^(AW)

¹⁶ When Herod^(AX) heard of it, he said, “John,^(AY) the one I beheaded, has been raised!” ^(AZ)

¹⁷ For^(BA) Herod himself had given orders to arrest John and to chain^(BB) him in prison on account of Herodias,^(BC) his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her.^{(BD) 18} John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful^(BE) for you to have your brother’s wife.”^{(BF) 19} So Herodias held a grudge against him and wanted to kill^(BG) him. But she could not, ²⁰ because Herod feared^(BH) John and protected him, knowing he was a righteous^(BI) and holy^(BJ) man. When Herod heard him he would be very perplexed,^[c](BK) and yet he liked to listen to him.^(BL)

²¹ An opportune time came on his birthday, when Herod gave a banquet^(BM) for his nobles,^(BN) military commanders,^(BO) and the leading men of Galilee.^{(BP) 22} When Herodias’s own daughter^[d] came in and danced,^(BQ) she pleased Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I’ll give it to you.” ²³ He promised her with an^(BR) oath:^(BS) “Whatever you ask me I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”^(BT)

²⁴ She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?”

“John the Baptist’s^(BU) head,” she said.

²⁵ At once she hurried to the king and said, “I want you to give me John the Baptist’s^(BV) head on a platter^(BW) immediately.” ²⁶ Although the king was deeply distressed,^(BX) because of his oaths^(BY) and the guests^[e] he did not want to refuse^(BZ) her. ²⁷ The king immediately sent for an executioner and commanded him to bring John’s head. So he went and beheaded him in prison, ²⁸ brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ When John’s disciples^(CA) heard about it, they came and removed his corpse and placed it in a tomb.^(CB)

Feeding of the Five Thousand

³⁰ The^(CC) apostles^(CD) gathered around Jesus and reported to him all that they had done and taught. ³¹ He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

³² So they went away in the boat by themselves to a remote place, ³³ but many saw them leaving and recognized them, and they ran on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them.^[f]

³⁴ When he went ashore, he saw a large crowd and had compassion^(CE) on them, because they were like sheep^(CF) without a shepherd. Then he began to teach them many things.

³⁵ When it grew late, his disciples^(CG) approached him and said, “This place is deserted,^(CH) and it is already late. ³⁶ Send them away so that they can go into the surrounding countryside and villages to buy themselves something to eat.”

³⁷ “You give them something to eat,” he responded.

They said to him, “Should we go and buy two hundred denarii^[g] worth of bread and give them something to eat?”

³⁸ He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”

When they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.” ³⁹ Then he instructed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. ⁴¹ He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves. He kept giving them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. ⁴² Everyone ate and was satisfied.^{(CI) 43} They picked up twelve baskets full of pieces of bread and fish. ⁴⁴ Now those who had eaten the loaves were five thousand men.

Walking on the Water

⁴⁵ Immediately^(CJ) he made his disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, to Bethsaida,^(CK) while he dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶ After he said good-bye to them, he went away to the mountain^(CL) to pray.^{(CM) 47} Well into the night, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land. ⁴⁸ He saw them straining^(CN) at the oars,^[h] because the wind was against them. Very early in the morning^[i] he came toward them walking on the sea and wanted to pass by them. ⁴⁹ When they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost^(CO) and cried out, ⁵⁰ because they all saw him and were terrified.^(CP) Immediately he spoke with them and said, “Have courage!^(CQ) It is I.^(CR) Don’t be afraid.”^{(CS) 51} Then he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded, ⁵² because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened.^(CT)

Miraculous Healings

⁵³ When they had crossed over, they came to shore at Gennesaret^(CU) and anchored there.

⁵⁴ As they got out of the boat, people immediately recognized him. ⁵⁵ They hurried throughout that region and began to carry the sick^(CV) on mats to wherever they heard he was. ⁵⁶ Wherever he went, into villages, towns, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and begged him that they might touch just the end^(CW) of his robe.^(CX) And everyone who touched it was healed.

Satan’s Second Test of Job

2 One day the sons of God^(A) came again to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them to present himself before the Lord. ² The Lord asked Satan, “Where have you come from?”

“From roaming through the earth,” Satan answered him, “and walking around on it.”

³ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? No one else on earth is like him, a man of perfect integrity,^(B) who fears God and turns away from evil.^(C) He still retains his integrity, even though you incited me against him, to destroy him for no good reason.”

⁴ “Skin for skin!” Satan answered the Lord. “A man will give up everything he owns in exchange for his life. ⁵ But stretch out your hand and strike^(D) his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

⁶ “Very well,” the Lord told Satan, “he is in your power; only spare his life.” ⁷ So Satan left the Lord’s presence and infected Job with terrible boils from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.^{(E) 8} Then Job took a piece of broken pottery to scrape himself while he sat among the ashes.^(F)

⁹ His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!”

¹⁰ “You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?” Throughout all this Job did not sin in what he said.^[a]

Job’s Three Friends

¹¹ Now when Job’s three friends—Eliphaz the Temanite,^(G) Bildad the Shuhite,^(H) and Zophar the Naamathite—heard about all this adversity that had happened to him, each of them came from his home. They met together to go and sympathize with him and comfort^(I) him. ¹² When they looked from a distance, they could barely recognize him. They wept aloud,^(J) and each man tore his robe and threw dust into the air and on his head.^{(K) 13} Then they sat on the ground with him seven days and nights,^(L) but no one spoke a word to him because they saw that his suffering^(M) was very intense.

The New Life in Christ

6 What should we say then?^(A) Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply?^{(B) 2} Absolutely not!^(C) How can we who died to sin^(D) still live in it? ³ Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized^(E) into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?^{(F) 4} Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death,^(G) in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead^(H) by the glory of the Father,^(I) so we too may walk in newness^[a] of life.^{(J) 5} For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death,^(K) we will certainly also be^[b] in the likeness of his resurrection. ⁶ For we know that our old self^[c](L) was crucified with him^(M) so that the body ruled by sin^[d] might be rendered powerless^(N) so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, ⁷ since a person who has died^(O) is freed^[e] from sin. ⁸ Now if we died with Christ,^(P) we believe that we will also live with him, ⁹ because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead,^(Q) will not die again. Death no longer rules over him.^{(R) 10} For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. ¹¹ So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin^(S) and alive to God in Christ Jesus.^[f]

¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey^[g] its desires. ¹³ And do not offer any parts^[h] of it to sin^(T) as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God,^(U) and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. ¹⁴ For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law^(V) but under grace.^(W)

From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God

¹⁵ What then? Should we sin because we are not under the law but under grace?^(X) Absolutely not!^{(Y) 16} Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone^[i] as obedient slaves,^(Z) you are slaves of that one you obey^(AA)—either of sin leading to death^(AB) or of obedience leading to righteousness? ¹⁷ But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin,^(AC) you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were handed^[j] over,^{(AD) 18} and having been set free from sin,^(AE) you became enslaved to righteousness. ¹⁹ I am using a human analogy^(AF) because of the weakness of your flesh.^[k] For just as you offered the parts of yourselves as slaves to impurity, and to greater and greater lawlessness, so now offer them as slaves to righteousness, which results in sanctification. ²⁰ For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness.^{[l](AG) 21} So what fruit was produced^[m] then from the things you are now ashamed of?^(AH) The outcome of those things is death.^{(AI) 22} But now, since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God,^(AJ) you have your fruit, which results in sanctification^(AK)—and the outcome is eternal life!^{(AL) 23} For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.^(AM)