Genesis 35

New International Version

Jacob Returns to Bethel

35 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)

²So 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) ³Then 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)” ⁴So 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) ⁵Then they set out, and the terror of God^(O) fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.^(P)

⁶Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz^(Q) (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.^(R) ⁷There 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)

⁸Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse,^(W) died and was buried under the oak^(X) outside Bethel.^(Y) So it was named Allon Bakuth.^[b]

⁹After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram,^[c]^(Z) God appeared to him again and blessed him.^(AA) ¹⁰God 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.

¹¹And 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) ¹²The 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) ¹³Then God went up from him^(AI) at the place where he had talked with him.

¹⁴Jacob 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) ¹⁵Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.^[g]^(AM)

The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac^(AN)

¹⁶Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath,^(AO) Rachel^(AP) began to give birth and had great difficulty. ¹⁷And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife^(AQ) said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.”^(AR) ¹⁸As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni.^[h]^(AS) But his father named him Benjamin.^[i]^(AT)

¹⁹So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath^(AU) (that is, Bethlehem^(AV)). ²⁰Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day^(AW) that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb.^(AX)

²¹Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder.^(AY) ²²While 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:

²³The sons of Leah:^(BB)

Reuben the firstborn^(BC) of Jacob,

Simeon, Levi, Judah,^(BD) Issachar and Zebulun.^(BE)

²⁴The sons of Rachel:

Joseph^(BF) and Benjamin.^(BG)

²⁵The sons of Rachel’s servant Bilhah:^(BH)

Dan and Naphtali.^(BI)

²⁶The 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)

²⁷Jacob 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) ²⁸Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years.^(BT) ²⁹Then 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)

Footnotes

Genesis 35:7 El Bethel means God of Bethel.
Genesis 35:8 Allon Bakuth means oak of weeping.
Genesis 35:9 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia; also in verse 26
Genesis 35:10 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he deceives.
Genesis 35:10 Israel probably means he struggles with God.
Genesis 35:11 Hebrew El-Shaddai
Genesis 35:15 Bethel means house of God.
Genesis 35:18 Ben-Oni means son of my trouble.
Genesis 35:18 Benjamin means son of my right hand.

Job 38

New International Version

The Lord Speaks

38 Then the Lord spoke to Job^(A) out of the storm.^(B) He said:

²“Who is this that obscures my plans^(C)
    with words without knowledge?^(D)
³Brace yourself like a man;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.^(E)

⁴“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?^(F)
    Tell me, if you understand.^(G)
⁵Who marked off its dimensions?^(H) Surely you know!
    Who stretched a measuring line^(I) across it?
⁶On what were its footings set,^(J)
    or who laid its cornerstone^(K)—
⁷while the morning stars^(L) sang together^(M)
    and all the angels^[a]^(N) shouted for joy?^(O)

⁸“Who shut up the sea behind doors^(P)
    when it burst forth from the womb,^(Q)
⁹when I made the clouds its garment
    and wrapped it in thick darkness,^(R)
¹⁰when I fixed limits for it^(S)
    and set its doors and bars in place,^(T)
¹¹when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;^(U)
    here is where your proud waves halt’?^(V)

¹²“Have you ever given orders to the morning,^(W)
    or shown the dawn its place,^(X)
¹³that it might take the earth by the edges
    and shake the wicked^(Y) out of it?^(Z)
¹⁴The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;^(AA)
    its features stand out like those of a garment.
¹⁵The wicked are denied their light,^(AB)
    and their upraised arm is broken.^(AC)

¹⁶“Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
    or walked in the recesses of the deep?^(AD)
¹⁷Have the gates of death^(AE) been shown to you?
    Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?^(AF)
¹⁸Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?^(AG)
    Tell me, if you know all this.^(AH)

¹⁹“What is the way to the abode of light?
    And where does darkness reside?^(AI)
²⁰Can you take them to their places?
    Do you know the paths^(AJ) to their dwellings?
²¹Surely you know, for you were already born!^(AK)
    You have lived so many years!

²²“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow^(AL)
    or seen the storehouses^(AM) of the hail,^(AN)
²³which I reserve for times of trouble,^(AO)
    for days of war and battle?^(AP)
²⁴What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,^(AQ)
    or the place where the east winds^(AR) are scattered over the earth?^(AS)
²⁵Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
    and a path for the thunderstorm,^(AT)
²⁶to water^(AU) a land where no one lives,
    an uninhabited desert,^(AV)
²⁷to satisfy a desolate wasteland
    and make it sprout with grass?^(AW)
²⁸Does the rain have a father?^(AX)
    Who fathers the drops of dew?
²⁹From whose womb comes the ice?
    Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens^(AY)
³⁰when the waters become hard as stone,
    when the surface of the deep is frozen?^(AZ)

³¹“Can you bind the chains^[b] of the Pleiades?
    Can you loosen Orion’s belt?^(BA)
³²Can you bring forth the constellations^(BB) in their seasons^[c]
    or lead out the Bear^[d] with its cubs?^(BC)
³³Do you know the laws^(BD) of the heavens?^(BE)
    Can you set up God’s^[e] dominion over the earth?

³⁴“Can you raise your voice to the clouds
    and cover yourself with a flood of water?^(BF)
³⁵Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?^(BG)
    Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
³⁶Who gives the ibis wisdom^[f]^(BH)
    or gives the rooster understanding?^[g]^(BI)
³⁷Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
    Who can tip over the water jars^(BJ) of the heavens^(BK)
³⁸when the dust becomes hard^(BL)
    and the clods of earth stick together?^(BM)

³⁹“Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
    and satisfy the hunger of the lions^(BN)
⁴⁰when they crouch in their dens^(BO)
    or lie in wait in a thicket?^(BP)
⁴¹Who provides food^(BQ) for the raven^(BR)
    when its young cry out to God
    and wander about for lack of food?^(BS)

Footnotes

Job 38:7 Hebrew the sons of God
Job 38:31 Septuagint; Hebrew beauty
Job 38:32 Or the morning star in its season
Job 38:32 Or out Leo
Job 38:33 Or their
Job 38:36 That is, wisdom about the flooding of the Nile
Job 38:36 That is, understanding of when to crow; the meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.

Hebrews 9

New International Version

Worship in the Earthly Tabernacle

9 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary.^(A) ²A tabernacle^(B) was set up. In its first room were the lampstand^(C) and the table^(D) with its consecrated bread;^(E) this was called the Holy Place.^(F) ³Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place,^(G) ⁴which had the golden altar of incense^(H) and the gold-covered ark of the covenant.^(I) This ark contained the gold jar of manna,^(J) Aaron’s staff that had budded,^(K) and the stone tablets of the covenant.^(L) ⁵Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory,^(M) overshadowing the atonement cover.^(N) But we cannot discuss these things in detail now.

⁶When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly^(O) into the outer room to carry on their ministry. ⁷But only the high priest entered^(P) the inner room,^(Q) and that only once a year,^(R) and never without blood,^(S) which he offered for himself^(T) and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance.^(U) ⁸The Holy Spirit was showing^(V) by this that the way^(W) into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. ⁹This is an illustration^(X) for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered^(Y) were not able to clear the conscience^(Z) of the worshiper. ¹⁰They are only a matter of food^(AA) and drink^(AB) and various ceremonial washings^(AC)—external regulations^(AD) applying until the time of the new order.

The Blood of Christ

¹¹But when Christ came as high priest^(AE) of the good things that are now already here,^[a]^(AF) he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle^(AG) that is not made with human hands,^(AH) that is to say, is not a part of this creation. ¹²He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves;^(AI) but he entered the Most Holy Place^(AJ) once for all^(AK) by his own blood,^(AL) thus obtaining^[b] eternal redemption. ¹³The blood of goats and bulls^(AM) and the ashes of a heifer^(AN) sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. ¹⁴How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit^(AO) offered himself^(AP) unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences^(AQ) from acts that lead to death,^[c]^(AR) so that we may serve the living God!^(AS)

¹⁵For this reason Christ is the mediator^(AT) of a new covenant,^(AU) that those who are called^(AV) may receive the promised^(AW) eternal inheritance^(AX)—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.^(AY)

¹⁶In the case of a will,^[d] it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, ¹⁷because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living. ¹⁸This is why even the first covenant was not put into effect without blood.^(AZ) ¹⁹When Moses had proclaimed^(BA) every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves,^(BB) together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people.^(BC) ²⁰He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.”^[e]^(BD) ²¹In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. ²²In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood,^(BE) and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.^(BF)

²³It was necessary, then, for the copies^(BG) of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one;^(BH) he entered heaven itself,^(BI) now to appear for us in God’s presence.^(BJ) ²⁵Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place^(BK) every year with blood that is not his own.^(BL) ²⁶Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world.^(BM) But he has appeared^(BN) once for all^(BO) at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.^(BP) ²⁷Just as people are destined to die once,^(BQ) and after that to face judgment,^(BR) ²⁸so Christ was sacrificed once^(BS) to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time,^(BT) not to bear sin,^(BU) but to bring salvation^(BV) to those who are waiting for him.^(BW)