Genesis 35

And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.

1God said to Jacob, "Get up. Go to the town of Bethel and live there. Build an altar there, a stone table for gifts to God. Build it for the God who came to you when you ran away from your brother Esau."

2Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

2So Jacob said to his family and everyone with him, "Throw away the little statues of other gods you have kept. Wash yourselves clean. Put on fresh clothes.

3And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.

3Then let's get up and go to Bethel. There I will build an altar to God. He answered me when I was in trouble. He has been with me everywhere I have gone."

4And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

4So they gave Jacob all the statues of other gods they had. They gave him the earrings from their ears too. Jacob buried them all under the big oak tree near Shechem.

5And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

5Then they started their trip. God made the people in the towns nearby very afraid. So no one chased Jacob's sons.

6So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.

6Jacob and everyone with him came to the town of Luz. Luz is also called Bethel. It is in the land of Canaan.

7And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.

7There Jacob built an altar. He named the place El Bethel. He named it that because God had come to him there, when he was running from his brother.

8But Deborah Rebekah’s nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth.

8Deborah died. She was the woman who had cared for Rebekah since Rebekah was small. They buried her under an oak tree below Bethel. They named that tree Allon Bachuth.

Note"Allon Bachuth" means "oak of crying." The name says that people cried there.

9And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him.

9God came to Jacob again after Jacob came back from Padan Aram. God blessed him.

10And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.

10God said to him, "Your name is Jacob. But you will not be called Jacob anymore. Your name will be Israel." So God named him Israel.

11And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;

11God said to him, "I am God Almighty. Have many children, and let your family grow large. A whole nation will come from you, and many nations too. Kings will come from your family.

12And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.

12I gave this land to Abraham and to Isaac. Now I give it to you. I will give it to your children and their children after them."

13And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.

13Then God went up and away from the place where he had talked with Jacob.

14And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon.

14Jacob set up a tall stone in that place to mark it. He poured wine on the stone as a gift to God. He poured oil on it too.

NotePouring out wine or oil on a stone was a way of giving a gift to God.

15And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel.

15Jacob named that place Bethel, because God had spoken with him there.

16And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour.

16They left Bethel and traveled on. They were still a little way from the town of Ephrath. Then Rachel began to have her baby, and it was very hard for her.

17And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.

17While she was working so hard, the midwife spoke to her. A midwife is a woman who helps babies be born. She said, "Do not be afraid. You are having another son."

18And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.

18Rachel was dying, and with her last breath she named the baby Benoni. But his father named him Benjamin.

Note"Benoni" means "son of my sadness." "Benjamin" means "son of my right hand," a name of honor.

19And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.

19So Rachel died. They buried her beside the road to Ephrath, the town also called Bethlehem.

20And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave unto this day.

20Jacob set up a tall stone over her grave. That stone still marks Rachel's grave today.

21And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar.

21Israel traveled on again. He put up his tent past the tower called Edar.

22And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:

22While Israel was living in that land, Reuben slept with Bilhah. Bilhah was his father's servant wife. Israel heard about it. Jacob had twelve sons.

23The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun:

23Leah's sons were Reuben, who was born first, then Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.

24The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin:

24Rachel's sons were Joseph and Benjamin.

25And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali:

25The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant, were Dan and Naphtali.

26And the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s handmaid; Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padanaram.

26The sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant, were Gad and Asher. These are Jacob's sons, born to him in Padan Aram.

27And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

27Jacob came home to his father Isaac at Mamre, near the city of Arbah. That city is also called Hebron. Abraham and Isaac had lived there.

28And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years.

28Isaac lived one hundred and eighty years.

29And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

29Then Isaac took his last breath and died. He was very old and had lived a long, full life. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

NoteThe old King James words say Isaac "gave up the ghost" and "was gathered unto his people." Both are old ways of saying he died.