Study Desk

Jacob Returns to Bethel

Then God said to Jacob, "Go up to Bethel^(a) and settle there, and build an altar^(b) there to God,^(c) who appeared to you^(d) when you were fleeing from your brother Esau."^(e)

So Jacob said to his household^(f) and to all who were with him, "Get rid of the foreign gods^(g) you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.^(h)

Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God,⁽ⁱ⁾ who answered me in the day of my distress^(j) and who has been with me wherever I have gone.^(k)"

So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears,^(l) and Jacob buried them under the oak^(m) at Shechem.⁽ⁿ⁾

Then they set out, and the terror of God^(o) fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.^(p)

Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz^(q) (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.^(r)

There he built an altar,^(s) and he called the place El Bethel,^[a](t) because it was there that God revealed himself to him^(u) when he was fleeing from his brother.^(v)

Now Deborah, Rebekah's nurse,^(w) died and was buried under the oak^(x) outside Bethel.^(y) So it was named Allon Bakuth.^[b]

After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram,^[c](z) God appeared to him again and blessed him.^(aa)

God said to him, "Your name is Jacob,^[d] but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.^[e]"^(ab) So he named him Israel.

And God said to him, "I am God Almighty^[f];^(ac) be fruitful and increase in number.^(ad) A nation^(ae) and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.^(af)

The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.^(ag)"^(ah)

Then God went up from him^(ai) at the place where he had talked with him.

Jacob set up a stone pillar^(aj) at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering^(ak) on it; he also poured oil on it.^(al)

Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.^[g](am)

Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath,^(ao) Rachel^(ap) began to give birth and had great difficulty.

And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife^(aq) said to her, "Don't despair, for you have another son."^(ar)

As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni.^[h](as) But his father named him Benjamin.^[i](at)

So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath^(au) (that is, Bethlehem^(av)).

Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day^(aw) that pillar marks Rachel's tomb.^(ax)

Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder.^(ay)

While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father's concubine^(az) Bilhah,^(ba) and Israel heard of it. Jacob had twelve sons:

The sons of Leah:^(bb) Reuben the firstborn^(bc) of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah,^(bd) Issachar and Zebulun.^(be)

The sons of Rachel: Joseph^(bf) and Benjamin.^(bg)

The sons of Rachel's servant Bilhah:^(bh) Dan and Naphtali.^(bi)

The sons of Leah's servant Zilpah:^(bj) Gad^(bk) and Asher.^(bl) These were the sons of Jacob,^(bm) who were born to him in Paddan Aram.^(bn)

Jacob came home to his father Isaac^(bo) in Mamre,^(bp) near Kiriath Arba^(bq) (that is, Hebron),^(br) where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.^(bs)

Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years.^(bt)

Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people,^(bu) old and full of years.^(bv) And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.^(bw)