New Living Translation

Holman Christian Standard Bible

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.”

1God said to Jacob, "Get up! Go 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 everyone in his household, “Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing.

2So Jacob said to his family and all who were with him, "Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your clothes.

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.”

3We must get up and go to Bethel. I will build an altar there to the God who answered me in my day of distress. He has been with me everywhere I have gone."

4So they gave Jacob all their pagan idols and earrings, and he buried them under the great tree near Shechem.

4Then they gave Jacob all their foreign gods and their earrings, and Jacob hid them under the oak near Shechem.

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.

5When they set out, a terror from God came over the cities around them, and they did not pursue Jacob's sons.

6Eventually, Jacob and his household arrived at Luz (also called Bethel) in Canaan.

6So Jacob and all who were with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.

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.

7Jacob built an altar there and called the place God of Bethel because it was there that God had revealed Himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.

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”).

8Deborah, the one who had nursed and raised Rebekah, died and was buried under the oak south of Bethel. So Jacob named it Oak of Weeping.

9Now that Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him again at Bethel. God blessed him,

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

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.

10God said to him: Your name is Jacob; you will no longer be named Jacob, but your name will be Israel. So He named him Israel.

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!

11God also said to him: I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation, indeed an assembly of nations, will come from you, and kings will descend from 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.”

12I will give to you the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac. And I will give the land to your future descendants.

13Then God went up from the place where he had spoken to Jacob.

13Then God withdrew from him at the place where He had spoken to him.

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.

14Jacob 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.

15And Jacob named the place Bethel (which means “house of God”), because God had spoken to him there. The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac

15Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.

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.

16They set out from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult.

17After a very hard delivery, the midwife finally exclaimed, “Don’t be afraid—you have another son!”

17During her difficult labor, the midwife said to her, "Don't be afraid, for you have another son."

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”).

18With her last breath--for she was dying--she named him Ben-oni, but his father called him Benjamin.

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 stone monument over Rachel’s grave, and it can be seen there to this day.

20Jacob set up a marker on her grave; it is the marker at Rachel's grave to this day.

21Then Jacob traveled on and camped beyond Migdal-eder.

21Israel set out again and pitched his tent beyond the Tower of Eder.

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:

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 12 sons:

23The sons of Leah were Reuben (Jacob’s oldest son), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

23Leah's sons were Reuben (Jacob's firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

24The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.

24Rachel's sons were Joseph and Benjamin.

25The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan and Naphtali.

25The sons of Rachel's slave Bilhah were Dan and Naphtali.

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.

26The sons of Leah's slave Zilpah were Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

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.

27Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.

28Isaac lived for 180 years.

28Isaac lived 180 years.

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.

29He took his last breath and died, and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.