雅各迁往伯特利

35 上帝对雅各说:“你到伯特利去住,你要在那里为上帝筑一座坛,祂在你逃避你哥哥以扫时曾向你显现。” 于是,雅各吩咐家人和所有的随从:“你们要除掉你们当中的外族神像,沐浴更衣,洁净自己。 我们要上伯特利去,在那里为上帝筑一座坛,祂在我遭遇患难时听了我的祷告,一路都与我同在。” 他们把所有外族的神像和自己的耳环都交给雅各,雅各把这些东西埋在示剑的橡树下。

他们就出发了,上帝使恐惧笼罩周围的城邑,没有人敢追赶他们。 雅各和所有的随从来到迦南的路斯,也就是伯特利。 他在那里建造了一座坛,称那地方为伊勒·伯特利[a],因为在他逃避哥哥的时候,上帝曾在那里向他显现。 后来利百加的奶妈底波拉死了,葬在伯特利山谷下面的橡树下,那棵树叫亚伦·巴古[b]

雅各从巴旦·亚兰回来后,上帝又向他显现,赐福给他。 10 上帝对他说:“你叫雅各,但从今以后不要再叫雅各了,你要改名叫以色列。”这样雅各改名为以色列。 11 上帝又说:“我是全能的上帝,你要生养众多,一国,甚至多国必从你而出,许多君王必出自你的子孙。 12 我要把赐给亚伯拉罕和以撒的土地赐给你和你的后代。” 13 上帝说完就离开雅各升上天去。 14 雅各在上帝跟他说话的地方立了一根石柱,又在柱子上奠酒、浇油, 15 称那地方为伯特利。

拉结和以撒去世

16 他们从伯特利继续前行,离以法他还有一段路时,拉结难产。 17 在难产的痛苦中,接生婆对她说:“不要害怕,你又添了一个儿子!” 18 拉结临死前给儿子取名叫便·俄尼[c],雅各却叫他便雅悯[d] 19 拉结死后就葬在通往以法他的路旁,以法他即伯利恒。 20 雅各在她的坟上立了石碑,至今还在。 21 以色列继续前行,在以得塔附近搭起了帐篷。 22 以色列在那里居住时,吕便和父亲的妾辟拉通奸,以色列也知道这件事。

雅各有十二个儿子。 23 利亚生了雅各的长子吕便、西缅、利未、犹大、以萨迦和西布伦。 24 拉结生了约瑟和便雅悯。 25 拉结的婢女辟拉生了但和拿弗他利。 26 利亚的婢女悉帕生了迦得和亚设。他们都是雅各的儿子,是在巴旦·亚兰出生的。

27 雅各来到他父亲以撒住的幔利,即基列·亚巴,也就是亚伯拉罕和以撒寄居的地方。基列·亚巴就是希伯仑。 28 以撒共活了一百八十岁, 29 年纪老迈,寿终正寝。他的儿子以扫和雅各把他安葬了。

Footnotes

  1. 35:7 伊勒·伯特利”意思是“伯特利的上帝”。
  2. 35:8 亚伦·巴古”意思是“哭泣的橡树”。
  3. 35:18 便·俄尼”意思是“我在苦难中生的儿子”。
  4. 35:18 便雅悯”意思是“右手之子”,“右手”希伯来文有幸运或力量的意思。

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)

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) 10 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.

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

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

The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac(AN)

16 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. 17 And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife(AQ) said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.”(AR) 18 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)

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

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

23 The sons of Leah:(BB)

Reuben the firstborn(BC) of Jacob,

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

24 The sons of Rachel:

Joseph(BF) and Benjamin.(BG)

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

Dan and Naphtali.(BI)

26 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)

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

Footnotes

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

God Blesses and Renames Jacob

35 God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to (A)Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you (B)when you fled from your brother Esau.” So Jacob said to his (C)household and to all who were with him, “Put away (D)the foreign gods that are among you and (E)purify yourselves and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God (F)who answers me in the day of my distress and (G)has been with me wherever I have gone.” So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under (H)the terebinth tree that was near Shechem.

And as they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities that were around them, so that they did not pursue the sons of Jacob. And Jacob came to (I)Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him, and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel,[a] because (J)there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother. And (K)Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel. So he called its name Allon-bacuth.[b]

God appeared[c] to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. 10 And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; (L)no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but (M)Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. 11 And God said to him, (N)“I am God Almighty:[d] be (O)fruitful and multiply. (P)A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body.[e] 12 (Q)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.” 13 Then God (R)went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him. 14 And Jacob (S)set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. 15 So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him (T)Bethel.

The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac

16 Then they journeyed from Bethel. When they were still some distance[f] from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor, and she had hard labor. 17 And when her labor was at its hardest, the midwife said to her, “Do not fear, for (U)you have another son.” 18 And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni;[g] (V)but his father called him Benjamin.[h] 19 So (W)Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to (X)Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem), 20 and Jacob set up a pillar over her tomb. It is (Y)the pillar of Rachel's tomb, which is there to this day. 21 Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

22 While Israel lived in that land, Reuben went and (Z)lay with Bilhah his father's concubine. And Israel heard of it.

Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. 23 The sons of Leah: (AA)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 servant: Dan and Naphtali. 26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

27 And Jacob came to his father Isaac at (AB)Mamre, or (AC)Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had sojourned. 28 Now the days of Isaac were 180 years. 29 And Isaac breathed his last, and he died (AD)and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. And (AE)his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 35:7 El-bethel means God of Bethel
  2. Genesis 35:8 Allon-bacuth means oak of weeping
  3. Genesis 35:9 Or had appeared
  4. Genesis 35:11 Hebrew El Shaddai
  5. Genesis 35:11 Hebrew from your loins
  6. Genesis 35:16 Or about two hours' distance
  7. Genesis 35:18 Ben-oni could mean son of my sorrow, or son of my strength
  8. Genesis 35:18 Benjamin means son of the right hand