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Jacob establishes worship at Bethel

35 God said to Jacob, “Get up, go to Bethel, and live there. Build an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you ran away from your brother Esau.”

Jacob said to his household and to everyone who was with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you. Clean yourselves and change your clothes. Then let’s rise and go up to Bethel so that I can build an altar there to the God who answered me when I was in trouble and who has been with me wherever I’ve gone.” So they gave Jacob all of the foreign gods they had, as well as the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the terebinth at Shechem. When they set out, God made all of the surrounding cities fearful so that they didn’t pursue Jacob’s sons. Jacob and all of the people with him arrived in Luz, otherwise known as Bethel, in the land of Canaan. He built an altar there and named the place El-bethel,[a] because God had revealed himself to him there when he ran away from his brother. Rebekah’s nurse Deborah died and was buried at Bethel under the oak, and Jacob named it Allon-bacuth.[b]

God appeared to Jacob again, while he was on his way back from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. 10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but your name will be Jacob no longer. No, your name will be Israel.” And he named him Israel. 11 God said to him, “I am El Shaddai.[c] Be fertile and multiply. A nation, even a large group of nations, will come from you; kings will descend from your own children. 12 The land I gave to Abraham and to Isaac, I give to you; and I will give the land to your descendants after you.” 13 Then God ascended, leaving him alone in the place where he spoke to him. 14 So Jacob set up a sacred pillar, a stone pillar, at the place God spoke to him. He poured an offering of wine on it and then poured oil over it. 15 Jacob named the place Bethel where God spoke to him.

Benjamin’s birth and Rachel’s death

16 They left Bethel, and when they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into hard labor. 17 During her difficult labor, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid. You have another son.” 18 As her life faded away, just before she died, she named him Ben-oni,[d] but his father named him Benjamin.[e] 19 Rachel died and was buried near the road to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem. 20 Jacob set up a pillar on her grave. It’s the pillar on Rachel’s tomb that’s still there today. 21 Israel continued his trip and pitched his tent farther on near the tower of Eder.

Jacob’s family

22 While Israel stayed in that place, Reuben went and slept with Bilhah his father’s secondary wife, and Israel heard about it.

Jacob had twelve sons. 23 The sons of Leah were Reuben, Jacob’s oldest son, and Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24 The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. 25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s servant, were Dan and Naphtali. 26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s servant, were Gad and Asher. These were Jacob’s sons born to him in Paddan-aram.

Isaac’s death

27 Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, that is, Kiriath-arba. This is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac lived as immigrants. 28 At the age of 180 years, 29 Isaac took his last breath and died. He was buried with his ancestors after a long, satisfying life. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Esau’s descendants

36 These are the descendants of Esau, that is, Edom. Esau married Canaanite women: Adah the daughter of the Hittite Elon; Oholibamah the daughter of Anah son of the Hittite Zibeon,[f] and Basemath the daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth. Adah gave birth to Eliphaz for Esau, Basemath gave birth to Reuel, and Oholibamah gave birth to Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are Esau’s sons born to him in the land of Canaan.

Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and everyone in his household, and his livestock, all of his animals, and all of the property he had acquired in the land of Canaan; and he moved away from the land of Canaan[g] and from his brother Jacob. They had so many possessions that they couldn’t live together. The land where they lived as immigrants couldn’t support all of their livestock. So Esau, that is, Edom, lived in the mountains of Seir.

These are the descendants of Esau, the ancestor of Edom, which lies in the mountains of Seir. 10 These are the names of Edom’s sons: Eliphaz son of Esau’s wife Adah, and Reuel son of Esau’s wife Basemath. 11 Eliphaz’s sons were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. 12 Timna was the secondary wife of Eliphaz, Esau’s son, and she gave birth to Amalek for Eliphaz. These are the sons of Esau’s wife Adah. 13 These are Reuel’s sons: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These are the sons of Esau’s wife Basemath. 14 These are the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, Zibeon’s son:[h] she gave birth to Esau, Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.

15 These are the tribal chiefs from Esau’s sons. The sons of Eliphaz, Esau’s oldest son: Chief Teman, Chief Omar, Chief Zepho, Chief Kenaz, 16 Chief Korah, Chief Gatam, and Chief Amalek. These are the tribal chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; they are Adah’s sons. 17 These are the sons of Reuel, Esau’s son: Chief Nahath, Chief Zerah, Chief Shammah, and Chief Mizzah. These are the tribal chiefs of Reuel in the land of Edom; they are the sons of Esau’s wife Basemath. 18 These are the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: Chief Jeush, Chief Jalam, and Chief Korah. They are the tribal chiefs of Esau’s wife Oholibamah the daughter of Anah. 19 These are the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these are their tribal chiefs.

20 These are the sons of Seir, the Horite, who live in the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These are the Horite tribal chiefs, Seir’s sons, in the land of Edom. 22 Lotan’s sons are Hori and Heman, and Lotan’s sister was Timna. 23 These are Shobal’s sons: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. 24 These are Zibeon’s sons: Aiah and Anah. Anah is the one who found water[i] in the desert while pasturing his father Zibeon’s donkeys.

25 These are Anah’s children: Dishon and Anah’s daughter Oholibamah. 26 These are Dishon’s[j] sons: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 27 These are Ezer’s sons: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. 28 These are Dishan’s sons: Uz and Aran. 29 These are the Horite tribal chiefs: Chiefs Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 30 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These are the Horite tribal chiefs, listed according to their chiefs in the land of Seir.

31 These are the kings who ruled in the land of Edom before a king ruled over the Israelites. 32 Bela, Beor’s son, ruled in Edom; his city’s name was Dinhabah. 33 After Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah became king. 34 After Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites became king. 35 After Husham died, Hadad, Bedad’s son who defeated Midian in the countryside of Moab, became king; his city’s name was Avith. 36 After Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah became king. 37 After Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the river became king. 38 After Shaul died, Baal-hanan, Achbor’s son, became king. 39 After Baal-hanan, Achbor’s son, died, Hadar became king; his city’s name was Pau and his wife’s name was Mehetabel the daughter of Matred and granddaughter of Me-zahab.

40 These are the names of Esau’s tribal chiefs according to their families, their locations, and their names: Chief Timna, Chief Alvah, Chief Jetheth, 41 Chief Oholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon, 42 Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar, 43 Chief Magdiel, and Chief Iram. These are Edom’s tribal chiefs according to their settlements in the land they possessed. This is Esau, the ancestor of the Edomites.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 35:7 Or God of Bethel
  2. Genesis 35:8 Or oak of weeping
  3. Genesis 35:11 Or God Almighty or God of the Mountain
  4. Genesis 35:18 Or my suffering son
  5. Genesis 35:18 Or right-hand son or strong son
  6. Genesis 36:2 LXX, Sam, Syr; MT daughter
  7. Genesis 36:6 LXX, Sam; MT to a land
  8. Genesis 36:14 LXX, Sam, Syr; MT daughter
  9. Genesis 36:24 Syr; Heb uncertain
  10. Genesis 36:26 Sam, Syr; MT Dishan’s

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