| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” | 1Then God said to Jacob, “Get ready and move to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau.” |
| 2So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your garments. | 2So Jacob told everyone in his household, “Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing. |
| 3Then let us arise and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to God, who answered me in my day of distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.” | 3We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.” |
| 4So they gave Jacob all their foreign gods and all their earrings, and Jacob buried them under the oak near Shechem. | 4So they gave Jacob all their pagan idols and earrings, and he buried them under the great tree near Shechem. |
| 5As they set out, a terror from God fell over the surrounding cities, so that they did not pursue Jacob’s sons. | 5As they set out, a terror from God spread over the people in all the towns of that area, so no one attacked Jacob’s family. |
| 6So Jacob and everyone with him arrived in Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. | 6Eventually, Jacob and his household arrived at Luz (also called Bethel) in Canaan. |
| 7There Jacob built an altar, and he called that place El-bethel, because it was there that God had revealed Himself to Jacob as he fled from his brother. | 7Jacob built an altar there and named the place El-bethel (which means “God of Bethel”), because God had appeared to him there when he was fleeing from his brother, Esau. |
| 8Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak below Bethel. So Jacob named it Allon-bachuth. | 8Soon after this, Rebekah’s old nurse, Deborah, died. She was buried beneath the oak tree in the valley below Bethel. Ever since, the tree has been called Allon-bacuth (which means “oak of weeping”). |
| 9After Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. | 9Now that Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him again at Bethel. God blessed him, |
| 10And God said to him, “Though your name is Jacob, you will no longer be called Jacob. Instead, your name will be Israel.” So God named him Israel. | 10saying, “Your name is Jacob, but you will not be called Jacob any longer. From now on your name will be Israel.” So God renamed him Israel. |
| 11And God told him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation—even a company of nations—shall come from you, and kings shall descend from you. | 11Then God said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your descendants! |
| 12The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.” | 12And I will give you the land I once gave to Abraham and Isaac. Yes, I will give it to you and your descendants after you.” |
| 13Then God went up from the place where He had spoken with him. | 13Then God went up from the place where he had spoken to Jacob. |
| 14So Jacob set up a pillar in the place where God had spoken with him—a stone marker—and he poured out a drink offering on it and anointed it with oil. | 14Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark the place where God had spoken to him. Then he poured wine over it as an offering to God and anointed the pillar with olive oil. |
| 15Jacob called the place where God had spoken with him Bethel. | 15And Jacob named the place Bethel (which means “house of God”), because God had spoken to him there. The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac |
| 16Later, they set out from Bethel, and while they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult. | 16Leaving Bethel, Jacob and his clan moved on toward Ephrath. But Rachel went into labor while they were still some distance away. Her labor pains were intense. |
| 17During her severe labor, the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you are having another son.” | 17After a very hard delivery, the midwife finally exclaimed, “Don’t be afraid—you have another son!” |
| 18And with her last breath—for she was dying—she named him Ben-oni. But his father called him Benjamin. | 18Rachel was about to die, but with her last breath she named the baby Ben-oni (which means “son of my sorrow”). The baby’s father, however, called him Benjamin (which means “son of my right hand”). |
| 19So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). | 19So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). |
| 20Jacob set up a pillar on her grave; it marks Rachel’s tomb to this day. | 20Jacob set up a stone monument over Rachel’s grave, and it can be seen there to this day. |
| 21Israel again set out and pitched his tent beyond the Tower of Eder. | 21Then Jacob traveled on and camped beyond Migdal-eder. |
| 22While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Jacob had twelve sons: | 22While he was living there, Reuben had intercourse with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Jacob soon heard about it. These are the names of the twelve sons of Jacob: |
| 23The sons of Leah were Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. | 23The sons of Leah were Reuben (Jacob’s oldest son), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. |
| 24The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. | 24The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. |
| 25The sons of Rachel’s maidservant Bilhah were Dan and Naphtali. | 25The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan and Naphtali. |
| 26And the sons of Leah’s maidservant Zilpah were Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan-aram. | 26The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant, were Gad and Asher. These are the names of the sons who were born to Jacob at Paddan-aram. |
| 27Jacob returned to his father Isaac at Mamre, near Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. | 27So Jacob returned to his father, Isaac, in Mamre, which is near Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had both lived as foreigners. |
| 28And Isaac lived 180 years. | 28Isaac lived for 180 years. |
| 29Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. | 29Then he breathed his last and died at a ripe old age, joining his ancestors in death. And his sons, Esau and Jacob, buried him. |
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