Genesis 35-36

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Jacob Returns to Bethel

35 God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and settle there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”^{(A) 2} So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your clothes;^{(B) 3} then come, let us go up to Bethel, that I may make an altar there to the God who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.”^{(C) 4} So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had and the rings that were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak that was near Shechem.^(D)

⁵ As they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities all around them, so that no one pursued them.^{(E) 6} Jacob came to Luz, that is, Bethel, which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him,^{(F) 7} and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel,^[a] because it was there that God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother.^{(G) 8} And Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel. So it was called Allon-bacuth.^[b](H)

⁹ God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and he blessed him.^{(I) 10} God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall you be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he was called Israel.^{(J) 11} God said to him, “I am God Almighty:^[c] be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall spring from you.^{(K) 12} The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.”^{(L) 13} Then God went up from him at the place where he had spoken with him.^{(M) 14} Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it.^{(N) 15} So Jacob called the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.^(O)

The Birth of Benjamin and the Death of Rachel

¹⁶ Then they journeyed from Bethel, and when they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel was in childbirth, and she had hard labor. ¹⁷ When she was in her hard labor, the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid, for now you have another son.”^{(P) 18} As her soul was departing, for she was dying, she named him Ben-oni,^[d] but his father called him Benjamin.^{[e] 19} And Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem,^{(Q) 20} and Jacob set up a pillar at her grave; it is the pillar of Rachel’s tomb, which is there to this day.^{(R) 21} Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

²² While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it.

Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.^{(S) 23} The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. ²⁴ The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. ²⁵ The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maid: Dan and Naphtali. ²⁶ The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maid: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

The Death of Isaac

²⁷ Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac had resided as aliens.^{(T) 28} Now the days of Isaac were one hundred eighty years. ²⁹ And Isaac breathed his last; he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days, and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.^(U)

Esau’s Descendants

36 These are the descendants of Esau, that is, Edom.^{(V) 2} Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah daughter of Anah son^[f] of Zibeon the Hivite,^{(W) 3} and Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebaioth. ⁴ Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau; Basemath bore Reuel; ⁵ and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.

⁶ Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, his cattle, all his livestock, and all the property he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and he moved to a land some distance from his brother Jacob.^{(X) 7} For their possessions were too great for them to live together; the land where they were staying could not support them because of their livestock.^{(Y) 8} So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir; Esau is Edom.^(Z)

⁹ These are the descendants of Esau, ancestor of the Edomites, in the hill country of Seir. ¹⁰ These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz, the son of Adah the wife of Esau; Reuel, the son of Esau’s wife Basemath.^{(AA) 11} The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. ¹² Timna was a concubine of Eliphaz, Esau’s son; she bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These were the sons of Adah, Esau’s wife.^{(AB) 13} These were the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife. ¹⁴ These were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah, daughter of Anah son^[g] of Zibeon; she bore to Esau Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.

Clans and Kings of Edom

¹⁵ These are the clans^[h] of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: the clans^[i] Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz,^{(AC) 16} Korah, Gatam, and Amalek; these are the clans^[j] of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; they are the sons of Adah. ¹⁷ These are the sons of Esau’s son Reuel: the clans^[k] Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah; these are the clans^[l] of Reuel in the land of Edom; they are the sons of Esau’s wife Basemath.^{(AD) 18} These are the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: the clans^[m] Jeush, Jalam, and Korah; these are the clans^[n] born of Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.^{(AE) 19} These are the sons of Esau, that is, Edom, and these are their clans.^[o]

²⁰ These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,^{(AF) 21} Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; these are the clans^[p] of the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom. ²² The sons of Lotan were Hori and Heman, and Lotan’s sister was Timna. ²³ These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. ²⁴ These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah; he is the Anah who found the springs^[q] in the wilderness as he pastured the donkeys of his father Zibeon. ²⁵ These are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah daughter of Anah.^{(AG) 26} These are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. ²⁷ These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.^{(AH) 28} These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. ²⁹ These are the clans^[r] of the Horites: the clans^[s] Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, ³⁰ Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; these are the clans^[t] of the Horites, clan by clan^[u] in the land of Seir.

³¹ These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites.^{(AI) 32} Bela son of Beor reigned in Edom, the name of his city being Dinhabah. ³³ Bela died, and Jobab son of Zerah of Bozrah succeeded him as king. ³⁴ Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites succeeded him as king. ³⁵ Husham died, and Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, succeeded him as king, the name of his city being Avith. ³⁶ Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah succeeded him as king. ³⁷ Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth on the Euphrates succeeded him as king. ³⁸ Shaul died, and Baal-hanan son of Achbor succeeded him as king. ³⁹ Baal-hanan son of Achbor died, and Hadar succeeded him as king, the name of his city being Pau; his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, daughter of Me-zahab.^(AJ)

⁴⁰ These are the names of the clans^[v] of Esau, according to their families and their localities by their names: the clans^[w] Timna, Alvah, Jetheth,^{(AK) 41} Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, ⁴² Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, ⁴³ Magdiel, and Iram; these are the clans^[x] of Edom, that is, Esau, the father of Edom, according to their settlements in the land that they held.