Jacob

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

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.

NoteAn altar is a table built of stones. People burned gifts on it to God.

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

Then 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:

NoteWashing and putting on clean clothes was a way to get ready. It showed they were coming to meet God. The other gods were little statues that people kept.

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."

And 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.

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.

And 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.

NoteThese earrings were not just pretty. People wore them as lucky charms, like tiny gods.

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

And 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.

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

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

NoteThe name Bethel means "house of God." Jacob gave the town that name long before.

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.

And 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.

NoteEl Bethel means "the God of Bethel." Jacob named the place for God, not for himself.

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.

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

NoteAllon Bachuth means "the oak tree of crying." They named it that because they cried when Deborah died.

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

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

NotePadan Aram was a land far away. Jacob's mother's family lived there, and he stayed there many years.

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.

And 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.

NoteThe name Jacob means "he grabs the heel." The new name Israel means "he wrestles with God." A new name meant a new life.

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.

And 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;

Note"God Almighty" means the God who is stronger than anything.

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."

And 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.

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

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

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.

And 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.

NotePeople set up a tall stone to remember something important. Pouring wine and oil on it showed it was a gift to God.

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

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

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.

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

17While she was working so hard, the midwife spoke to her. She said, "Do not be afraid. You are having another son."

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

NoteA midwife is a woman who helps babies be born.

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

And 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.

NoteBenoni means "son of my sadness." Benjamin means "son of my right hand." The right hand was the strong, happy side.

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

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

NoteBethlehem is a small town. Many stories in the Bible happen there later.

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

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

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

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

NoteEdar means "flock," which means a group of sheep. Shepherds climbed the tower to watch their sheep.

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.

And 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:

NoteBilhah was a servant, but she was also one of Jacob's wives. In those days, a son who did this was trying to take his father's place as leader of the family.

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

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

NoteThe oldest son was called the firstborn. He got the biggest share and led the family later.

24Rachel's sons were Joseph and Benjamin.

The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin:

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

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

NoteBilhah and Zilpah were servants who had babies with Jacob. Their sons counted as Jacob's sons, just like the others.

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

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

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

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

NoteMamre was the place where Abraham had lived. The family had a cave there where they buried their dead.

28Isaac lived one hundred and eighty years.

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

NoteThe King James Bible says "fourscore." A score means twenty, so fourscore means eighty.

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.

And 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.

Note"Gave up the ghost" is an old way to say he stopped breathing and died. "Gathered unto his people" means he was buried near his family.

1Jacob lived in the land of Canaan. His father had lived there as a foreigner.

And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

NoteCanaan was the land where Joseph's family lived. It is near the sea, where Israel is today. Jacob's father Isaac lived there too, but the land was not his own.

2This is the story of Jacob's family. Joseph was seventeen years old. He took care of the sheep and goats with his brothers. He was with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. Joseph told his father bad things about his brothers.

These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

NoteJacob had more than one wife. Bilhah and Zilpah were two of them. So Joseph's brothers had different mothers than he did.

3Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons, because Joseph was born when Jacob was old. Jacob made him a coat of many colors.

Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.

NoteThis coat was long and fancy, with sleeves down to the wrists. Working boys wore short, plain clothes instead. The coat showed everyone that Joseph was his father's favorite. Israel was Jacob's other name. This chapter uses both names for the same man.

4His brothers saw that their father loved Joseph more than he loved them. So they hated Joseph. They could not say one kind word to him.

And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

5Joseph had a dream. He told his brothers about it. Then they hated him even more.

And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.

NoteLong ago, people believed dreams could show what would happen later. So a dream like this was big news in a family.

6He said to them, "Please listen to the dream I had."

And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:

7"We were tying up bundles of cut grain in the field. My bundle stood up tall. Your bundles stood all around mine and bowed down to it."

For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.

NoteAt harvest time, people cut grain by hand. Then they tied it into bundles called sheaves. Bowing down was what people did in front of a king.

8His brothers said to him, "Are you really going to be our king? Are you really going to rule us?" They hated him even more because of his dreams and his words.

And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.

NoteTo reign means to be the king. To rule means to be the boss of everyone.

9Joseph had another dream. He told his brothers about it too. He said, "Listen, I had one more dream. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowed down to me."

And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

NoteJoseph had eleven brothers. That is why eleven stars mattered so much to them.

10He told this dream to his father and his brothers. His father spoke sharply to him. He said, "What kind of dream is this? Will your mother and your brothers and I really bow low to the ground in front of you?"

And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?

11His brothers were jealous of him. But his father kept thinking about what Joseph had said.

And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

31They took Joseph's coat. They killed a young goat and dipped the coat in its blood.

And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;

NoteA kid is a baby goat.

32They sent the coat of many colors to their father. They said, "We found this. Look and see if it is your son's coat or not."

And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son’s coat or no.

33He knew the coat. He said, "It is my son's coat. A wild animal has eaten him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces."

And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.

34Jacob tore his clothes. He put rough sackcloth around his waist. He was sad about his son for many days.

And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.

NoteSackcloth was rough, scratchy cloth made from goat hair. People wore it when someone they loved had died. It was uncomfortable on purpose, to show deep sadness.

35All his sons and daughters came to comfort him. But he would not let anyone comfort him. He said, "I will go down to my son in the grave, still sad." So his father cried for him.

And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.

NotePeople said the place of the dead was down under the ground. Jacob meant he would be sad until the day he died.

1Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt. He said to his sons, "Why do you keep looking at each other?"

Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another?

NoteJacob is Joseph's father. Years before, his older sons sold Joseph away to Egypt. They told Jacob that Joseph was dead.

2He said, "Listen. I have heard there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us. Then we will live and not die."

And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.

NoteThe King James says "corn." Back in 1611 that word meant any grain, like wheat. It does not mean corn on the cob.

3So ten of Joseph's brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain.

And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.

NoteJoseph had eleven brothers. Ten of them made this trip.

4But Jacob did not send Benjamin, Joseph's brother, with them. He said, "Something bad might happen to him."

But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.

NoteBenjamin was the youngest brother. He and Joseph had the same mother. Jacob wanted to keep him safe at home.

5The sons of Israel came to buy grain along with many other people. There was no food in the land of Canaan.

And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

Note"Israel" is another name for Jacob. So "the sons of Israel" means Jacob's sons. Canaan is the land where they lived. It was many days of walking north of Egypt. There was a famine there: no rain, so no crops grew, and people ran out of food.

29They came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. They told him everything that had happened to them. They said:

And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them; saying,

30"The man who is lord of that land spoke harshly to us. He took us for spies come to look at his country.

The man, who is the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

31We said to him, 'We are honest men. We are not spies.

And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:

32We are twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is gone. The youngest is with our father in the land of Canaan today.'

We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

33The man, the lord of the country, said to us, 'This is how I will know that you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers here with me. Take food home for your hungry families and go.

And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone:

34And bring your youngest brother to me. Then I will know you are not spies but honest men. I will give your brother back to you. And you may buy and sell in this land.'"

And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffick in the land.

NoteThe King James says "traffick." That old word means to buy and sell, not traffic on a road.

35Then they emptied their sacks. Each man's bag of money was there in his sack. When they and their father saw the money bags, they were afraid.

And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

36Jacob their father said to them, "You have taken my children away from me. Joseph is gone. Simeon is gone. Now you will take Benjamin. All these things are against me."

And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.

NoteJacob does not know that Joseph is alive. He thinks he has lost one son already.

37Reuben said to his father, "Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will bring him back to you."

And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

NoteThis was Reuben's way of promising as strongly as he could. He was saying he would risk anything to keep his word.

38But Jacob said, "My son will not go down with you. His brother is dead, and he is the only one left. Something bad might happen to him on the way you go. Then you would bring my gray hairs down to the grave in sorrow."

And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

NoteGray hairs mean Jacob is old. He is saying that this sadness would put him in his grave, where dead people were laid.

1The famine was very bad in the land.

And the famine was sore in the land.

NoteA famine is a long time when crops do not grow. People cannot get enough food to eat.

2They ate up all the grain they had brought from Egypt. Then their father said to them, "Go back and buy us a little food."

And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little food.

NoteEgypt was a country far away, with a great river. Food still grew there when other lands had none. The brothers had gone there once already to buy grain.

3Judah said to him, "The man warned us in a very serious way. He said, 'You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.'

And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

Note"The man" is the ruler who sold them grain in Egypt. He was really their own brother Joseph. They did not know that yet.

4If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food.

If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food:

5But if you will not send him, we will not go down. The man told us, 'You will not see my face unless your brother is with you.'"

But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.

6Their father Israel said, "Why did you treat me so badly? Why did you tell the man you had another brother?"

And Israel said, Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?

NoteIsrael is another name for their father Jacob. The story uses both names for the same man.

7They said, "The man asked us many careful questions about us and our family. He said, 'Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?' We answered him just as he asked. How could we know he would say, 'Bring your brother down here'?"

And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of our kindred, saying, Is your father yet alive? have ye another brother? and we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say, Bring your brother down?

8Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the boy with me. We will get up and go. Then we will live and not die, and so will you and our little children.

And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.

NoteThe boy is Benjamin, the youngest brother. Judah wants his father to let Benjamin go with them.

9I will promise to keep him safe. You can hold me to it. If I do not bring him back and stand him in front of you, let me carry the blame forever.

I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:

10If we had not waited so long, we would already be back from this second trip."

For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time.

11Their father Israel said to them, "If it must be this way, then do this. Put some of the best things the land grows in your bags. Carry them down to the man as a gift. Take a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and almonds.

And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:

NoteBalm was a sticky sap from a tree. People used it like medicine. Myrrh was sap too, and it smelled sweet. Bringing a gift to a powerful man was the polite thing to do.

12Take twice as much money with you. Also take back the money that was put in the top of your sacks. Maybe it was a mistake.

And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:

NoteMoney then was not coins. It was pieces of silver, weighed to see what they were worth.

13Take your brother too. Get up and go back to the man.

Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man:

14May God Almighty make the man kind to you. Then he may send back your other brother, and Benjamin too. If I lose my children, then I lose them."

And God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Benjamin. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

NoteAlmighty is an old word. It means having all power.

15The men took the gift and twice as much money, and they took Benjamin. They got up and went down to Egypt. There they stood in front of Joseph.

And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

25They went up out of Egypt. They came to the land of Canaan, to their father Jacob.

And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father,

26They told him, "Joseph is still alive! He is the ruler over all the land of Egypt." Jacob was stunned, because he did not believe them.

And told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob’s heart fainted, for he believed them not.

NoteThe King James says Jacob's "heart fainted." It means he was so surprised he could not take the news in.

27Then they told him everything Joseph had said to them. And he saw the wagons Joseph had sent to carry him. Then the spirit of their father Jacob came alive again.

And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived:

NoteHis "spirit revived" means he felt happy and strong again. He had been sad for a very long time.

28Israel said, "It is enough! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die."

And Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.

NoteIsrael is Jacob's other name. He is the same person.