1 God said to Jacob, “Go to the town of Bethel. Live there and make an altar for worship. Remember El, the God who appeared to you there when you were running away from your brother Esau. Make your altar to worship that God there.” 2 So Jacob said to his family and to all his servants, “Destroy all those foreign gods made of wood and metal that you have. Make yourselves pure. Put on clean clothes. 3 We will leave here and go to Bethel. In that place, I will build an altar to the God who helped me during my time of trouble. And that God has been with me everywhere I went.” 4 So the people gave Jacob all the foreign gods that they had. And they gave Jacob all the rings they were wearing in their ears. Jacob buried all these things under an oak tree near the town called Shechem. 5 Jacob and his sons left that place. The people in that area wanted to follow and kill them. But they became very afraid and did not follow Jacob. 6 So Jacob and his people went to Luz. Luz is now called Bethel. It is in the land of Canaan. 7 Jacob built an altar there. Jacob named the place “El Bethel.” Jacob chose this name because that is the place God first appeared to him when he was running from his brother. 8 Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died there. They buried her under the oak tree at Bethel. They named that place Allon Bacuth. 9 When Jacob came back from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again. And God blessed Jacob. 10 God said to Jacob, “Your name is Jacob. But I will change that name. You will not be called Jacob now. Your new name will be Israel.” So God named him Israel. 11 God said to him, “I am God All-Powerful. And I give you this blessing: Have many children and grow into a great nation. Other nations and other kings will come out of you. 12 I gave Abraham and Isaac some special land. Now I give that land to you. And I also give that land to all your people who live after you.” 13 Then God left that place. 14 - 15 Jacob set up a memorial stone in this place. Jacob made the rock holy by pouring wine and oil on it. This was a special place because God spoke to Jacob there. And Jacob named the place Bethel. 16 Jacob and his group left Bethel. Just before they came to Ephrath ˻(Bethlehem)˼, Rachel began giving birth to her baby. 17 But Rachel was having much trouble with this birth. She was having great pain. Rachel’s nurse saw this and said, “Don’t be afraid Rachel. You are giving birth to another son.” 18 Rachel died while giving birth to the son. Before dying, Rachel named the boy Benoni. But Jacob called him Benjamin. 19 Rachel was buried on the road to Ephrath. (Ephrath is Bethlehem.) 20 And Jacob put a special rock on her grave to honor Rachel. That special rock is still there today. 21 Then Israel ˻(Jacob)˼ continued his journey. He camped just south of Eder tower. 22 Israel stayed there for a short time. While he was there, Reuben slept with Israel’s woman servant Bilhah. Israel heard about this and was very angry. Jacob ˻(Israel)˼ had twelve sons. 23 Jacob and Leah’s sons were: Jacob’s firstborn son Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24 Jacob and Rachel’s sons were Joseph and Benjamin. 25 Bilhah was Rachel’s maid. Jacob and Bilhah’s sons were Dan and Naphtali. 26 Zilpah was Leah’s maid. Jacob and Zilpah’s sons were Gad and Asher. Those are Jacob’s ˻(Israel’s)˼ sons who were born in Paddan Aram. 27 Jacob went to his father Isaac at Mamre in Kiriath Arba (Hebron). This is where Abraham and Isaac had lived. 28 Isaac lived 180 years. 29 Then Isaac became weak and died. Isaac had lived a long and full life. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him in the same place as his father.
