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 God of 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 Oak of Weeping.^[c]

⁹ God appeared to Jacob again after he returned from Paddan-aram, and He blessed him. ¹⁰ God said to him:

So He named him Israel. ¹¹ God also said to him:

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 anointed it with oil.^{(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 to this day.

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 12 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 Hittite,^(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

Joseph’s Dreams

37 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan.^{(AI) 2} These are the family records of Jacob.

At 17 years of age, Joseph tended sheep with his brothers. The young man was working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives,^(AJ) and he brought a bad report about them to their father.^(AK)

³ Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons because Joseph was a son born to him in his old age,^(AL) and he made a robe of many colors^[o] for him. ⁴ When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not bring themselves to speak peaceably to him.

⁵ Then Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. ⁶ He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: ⁷ There we were, binding sheaves of grain in the field. Suddenly my sheaf stood up, and your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.”^(AM)

⁸ “Are you really going to reign over us?” his brothers asked him. “Are you really going to rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and what he had said.

⁹ Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun, moon, and 11 stars were bowing down to me.”

¹⁰ He told his father and brothers, but his father rebuked him. “What kind of dream is this that you have had?” he said. “Are your mother and brothers and I going to come and bow down to the ground before you?” ¹¹ His brothers were jealous of him,^(AN) but his father kept the matter in mind.^(AO)

Joseph Sold into Slavery

¹² His brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem. ¹³ Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers, you know, are pasturing the flocks at Shechem. Get ready. I’m sending you to them.”

“I’m ready,” Joseph replied.

¹⁴ Then Israel said to him, “Go and see how your brothers and the flocks are doing, and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the Valley of Hebron,^(AP) and he went to Shechem.

¹⁵ A man found him there, wandering in the field, and asked him, “What are you looking for?”

¹⁶ “I’m looking for my brothers,” Joseph said. “Can you tell me where they are pasturing their flocks?”

¹⁷ “They’ve moved on from here,” the man said. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’”^(AQ) So Joseph set out after his brothers and found them at Dothan.

¹⁸ They saw him in the distance, and before he had reached them, they plotted to kill him.^{(AR) 19} They said to one another, “Here comes that dreamer!^{[p] 20} Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal ate him. Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!”

²¹ When Reuben heard this, he tried to save him from them.^[q] He said, “Let’s not take his life.”^{(AS) 22} Reuben also said to them, “Don’t shed blood. Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him”—intending to rescue him from their hands and return him to his father.

²³ When Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped off his robe, the robe of many colors that he had on. ²⁴ Then they took him and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

²⁵ Then they sat down to eat a meal.^(AT) They looked up, and there was a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead.^(AU) Their camels were carrying aromatic gum, balsam, and resin, going down to Egypt.^(AV)

²⁶ Then Judah said to his brothers, “What do we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? ²⁷ Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh,” and they agreed. ²⁸ When Midianite^(AW) traders passed by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for 20 pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took Joseph to Egypt.^(AX)

²⁹ When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes.^{(AY) 30} He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?”^{[r] 31} So they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood. ³² They sent the robe of many colors to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it. Is it your son’s robe or not?”

³³ His father recognized it. “It is my son’s robe,” he said. “A vicious animal has devoured him. Joseph has been torn to pieces!”^{(AZ) 34} Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days. ³⁵ All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” And his father wept for him.

³⁶ Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard.

Psalm 12

Oppression by the Wicked

For the choir director: according to Sheminith.^(A) A Davidic psalm.

The Plot to Kill Jesus

14 After^(A) two days it was the Passover^(B) and the Festival^(C) of Unleavened Bread.^(D) The chief priests and the scribes^(E) were looking for a treacherous^(F) way to arrest and kill Him.^{(G) 2} “Not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be rioting among the people.”

The Anointing at Bethany

³ While^(H) He was in Bethany^(I) at the house of Simon who had a serious skin disease,^(J) as He was reclining at the table,^(K) a woman came with an alabaster jar of pure and expensive fragrant oil of nard. She broke the jar and poured it on His head.^{(L) 4} But some were expressing indignation to one another: “Why has this fragrant oil been wasted? ⁵ For this oil might have been sold for more than 300 denarii^(M) and given to the poor.”^(N) And they began to scold her.

⁶ Then Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a noble thing^(O) for Me. ⁷ You always have the poor^(P) with you, and you can do what is good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have Me.^{(Q) 8} She has done what she could; she has anointed My body^(R) in advance for burial.^{(S) 9} I assure you:^(T) Wherever the gospel^(U) is proclaimed in the whole world,^(V) what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.”

¹⁰ Then^(W) Judas Iscariot,^(X) one of the Twelve,^(Y) went to the chief priests^(Z) to hand Him over^(AA) to them. ¹¹ And when they heard this, they were glad and promised to give him silver.^[a](AB) So he started looking for a good opportunity to betray^(AC) Him.

Preparation for Passover

¹² On^(AD) the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrifice the Passover lamb,^(AE) His disciples^(AF) asked Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare the Passover so You may eat it?”

¹³ So He sent two of His disciples and told them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a water jug will meet you. Follow him. ¹⁴ Wherever he enters, tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher^(AG) says, “Where is the guest room for Me to eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ ¹⁵ He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.” ¹⁶ So the disciples^(AH) went out, entered the city, and found it just as He had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

Betrayal at the Passover

¹⁷ When^(AI) evening came, He arrived with the Twelve.^{(AJ) 18} While they were reclining and eating, Jesus said, “I assure you: One of you will betray Me—one who is eating with Me!”

¹⁹ They began to be distressed and to say to Him one by one, “Surely not I?”

²⁰ He said to them, “It is one of the Twelve—the one who is dipping bread with Me in the bowl. ²¹ For the Son of Man^(AK) will go just as it is written^(AL) about Him,^(AM) but woe^(AN) to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

The First Lord’s Supper

²² As^(AO) they were eating, He took bread,^(AP) blessed and broke^(AQ) it, gave it to them,^(AR) and said, “Take it;^[b] this is My body.”^(AS)

²³ Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks,^(AT) He gave it to them, and so they all drank from it. ²⁴ He said to them, “This is My blood that establishes the covenant;^[c](AU) it is shed^(AV) for many.^{(AW) 25} I assure you:^(AX) I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine^(AY) until that day when I drink it in a new^(AZ) way^[d] in the kingdom of God.”^{(BA) 26} After singing psalms,^[e] they went out to the Mount of Olives.^(BB)

Peter’s Denial Predicted

²⁷ Then^(BC) Jesus said to them, “All of you will run away,^[f][g] because it is written:^(BD)

²⁸ But after I have been resurrected,^(BG) I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”^(BH)

²⁹ Peter^(BI) told Him, “Even if everyone runs away, I will certainly not!”

³⁰ “I assure you,” Jesus said to him, “today, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times!”^(BJ)

³¹ But he kept insisting, “If I have to die with You, I will never deny You!” And they all said the same thing.

The Prayer in the Garden

³² Then^(BK) they came to a place named Gethsemane, and He told His disciples,^(BL) “Sit here while I pray.”^{(BM) 33} He took Peter,^(BN) James,^(BO) and John^(BP) with Him, and He began to be deeply distressed and horrified. ³⁴ Then He said to them, “My soul is swallowed up in sorrow^[i] —to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake.”^{(BQ) 35} Then He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour^(BR) might pass from Him. ³⁶ And He said, “Abba,^(BS) Father!^(BT) All things are possible^(BU) for You. Take this cup^(BV) away from Me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”

³⁷ Then He came and found them sleeping. “Simon,^(BW) are you sleeping?” He asked Peter.^(BX) “Couldn’t you stay awake one hour? ³⁸ Stay awake and pray^(BY) so that you won’t enter into temptation.^(BZ) The spirit^(CA) is willing, but the flesh^(CB) is weak.”

³⁹ Once again He went away and prayed, saying the same thing. ⁴⁰ And He came again and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open.^[j] They did not know what to say to Him.^{(CC) 41} Then He came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The time has come. Look, the Son of Man^(CD) is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.^{(CE) 42} Get up;^(CF) let’s go! See—My betrayer is near.”

The Judas Kiss

⁴³ While^(CG) He was still speaking, Judas,^(CH) one of the Twelve,^(CI) suddenly arrived. With him was a mob, with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes,^(CJ) and the elders.^{(CK) 44} His betrayer had given them a signal. “The One I kiss,” he said, “He’s the One; arrest Him and take Him away under guard.” ⁴⁵ So when he came, he went right up to Him and said, “Rabbi!”^(CL)—and kissed Him. ⁴⁶ Then they took hold of Him and arrested Him. ⁴⁷ And one of those who stood by drew his sword, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his ear.

⁴⁸ But Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as though I were a criminal,^[k] to capture Me? ⁴⁹ Every day I was among you, teaching in the temple complex,^(CM) and you didn’t arrest Me. But the Scriptures^(CN) must be fulfilled.”^{(CO) 50} Then they all deserted Him and ran away.^(CP)

⁵¹ Now a certain young man,^[l] having a linen cloth wrapped around his naked body, was following Him. They caught hold of him, ⁵² but he left the linen cloth behind and ran away naked.^(CQ)

Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin

⁵³ They^(CR) led Jesus away to the high priest,^(CS) and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes^(CT) convened.^{(CU) 54} Peter^(CV) followed Him at a distance, right into the high priest’s courtyard. He was sitting with the temple police,^[m](CW) warming himself by the fire.^[n]

⁵⁵ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin^(CX) were looking for testimony against Jesus to put Him to death,^(CY) but they could find none. ⁵⁶ For many were giving false testimony^(CZ) against Him, but the testimonies did not agree. ⁵⁷ Some stood up and were giving false testimony against Him, stating, ⁵⁸ “We heard Him say, ‘I will demolish this sanctuary made by human hands,^(DA) and in three days I will build another not made by hands.’” ⁵⁹ Yet their testimony did not agree^(DB) even on this.

⁶⁰ Then the high priest stood up before them all and questioned Jesus, “Don’t You have an answer to what these men are testifying against You?” ⁶¹ But He kept silent and did not answer anything.^(DC) Again the high priest questioned Him, “Are You the Messiah,^(DD) the Son^(DE) of the Blessed^(DF) One?”

⁶² “I am,”^(DG) said Jesus, “and all of you^[o] will see the Son of Man^(DH) seated at the right hand^(DI) of the Power and coming with the clouds^(DJ) of heaven.”^(DK)[p]

⁶³ Then the high priest^(DL) tore his robes^(DM) and said, “Why do we still need witnesses?^{(DN) 64} You have heard the blasphemy!^(DO) What is your decision?”^[q]

And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.^{(DP) 65} Then some began to spit on Him, to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, saying, “Prophesy!”^(DQ) The temple police^(DR) also took Him and slapped Him.

Peter Denies His Lord

⁶⁶ While^(DS) Peter^(DT) was in the courtyard below, one of the high priest’s servants came. ⁶⁷ When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with that Nazarene,^(DU) Jesus.”

⁶⁸ But he denied it: “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about!” Then he went out to the entryway, and a rooster crowed.^[r]

⁶⁹ When the servant saw him again she began to tell those standing nearby, “This man is one of them!”

⁷⁰ But again he denied it. After a little while those standing there said to Peter again, “You certainly are one of them, since you’re also a Galilean!”^[s](DV)

⁷¹ Then he started to curse^[t] and to swear with an oath,^(DW) “I don’t know this man you’re talking about!”

⁷² Immediately a rooster crowed a second time,^(DX) and Peter remembered when Jesus had spoken the word to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” When he thought about it, he began to weep.^[u]