Study Desk

Jacob Returns to Bethel

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)

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.

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)

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)

Then God went up from him^(ai) at the place where he had talked with him.

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)

Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.^[g](am)

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.

And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife^(aq) said to her, "Don't despair, for you have another son."^(ar)

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)

So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath^(au) (that is, Bethlehem^(av)).

Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day^(aw) that pillar marks Rachel's tomb.^(ax)

Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder.^(ay)

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:

The sons of Leah:^(bb) Reuben the firstborn^(bc) of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah,^(bd) Issachar and Zebulun.^(be)

The sons of Rachel: Joseph^(bf) and Benjamin.^(bg)

The sons of Rachel's servant Bilhah:^(bh) Dan and Naphtali.^(bi)

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)

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)

Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years.^(bt)

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)

Esau's Descendants^(a)(b)

This is the account^(c) of the family line of Esau (that is, Edom).^(d)

Esau took his wives from the women of Canaan:^(e) Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite,^(f) and Oholibamah^(g) daughter of Anah^(h) and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite⁽ⁱ⁾—

also Basemath^(j) daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.^(k)

Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath bore Reuel,^(l)

and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam and Korah.^(m) These were the sons of Esau, who were born to him in Canaan.

Esau took his wives and sons and daughters and all the members of his household, as well as his livestock and all his other animals and all the goods he had acquired in Canaan,⁽ⁿ⁾ and moved to a land some distance from his brother Jacob.^(o)

Their possessions were too great for them to remain together; the land where they were staying could not support them both because of their livestock.^(p)

So Esau^(q) (that is, Edom)^(r) settled in the hill country of Seir.^(s)

This is the account^(t) of the family line of Esau the father of the Edomites^(u) in the hill country of Seir.

These are the names of Esau's sons: Eliphaz, the son of Esau's wife Adah, and Reuel, the son of Esau's wife Basemath.^(v)

The sons of Eliphaz:^(w) Teman,^(x) Omar, Zepho, Gatam and Kenaz.^(y)

Esau's son Eliphaz also had a concubine^(z) named Timna, who bore him Amalek.^(aa) These were grandsons of Esau's wife Adah.^(ab)

The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were grandsons of Esau's wife Basemath.^(ac)

The sons of Esau's wife Oholibamah^(ad) daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon, whom she bore to Esau: Jeush, Jalam and Korah.^(ae)

These were the chiefs^(af) among Esau's descendants: The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: Chiefs Teman,^(ag) Omar, Zepho, Kenaz,^(ah)

Korah,^[a] Gatam and Amalek. These were the chiefs descended from Eliphaz^(ai) in Edom;^(aj) they were grandsons of Adah.^(ak)

The sons of Esau's son Reuel:^(al) Chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were the chiefs descended from Reuel in Edom; they were grandsons of Esau's wife Basemath.^(am)

The sons of Esau's wife Oholibamah:^(an) Chiefs Jeush, Jalam and Korah.^(ao) These were the chiefs descended from Esau's wife Oholibamah daughter of Anah.

These were the sons of Esau^(ap) (that is, Edom),^(aq) and these were their chiefs.^(ar)

These were the sons of Seir the Horite,^(as) who were living in the region: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,^(at)

Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. These sons of Seir in Edom were Horite chiefs.^(au)

The sons of Lotan: Hori and Homam.^[b] Timna was Lotan's sister.

The sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho and Onam.

The sons of Zibeon:^(av) Aiah and Anah. This is the Anah who discovered the hot springs^[c](aw) in the desert while he was grazing the donkeys^(ax) of his father Zibeon.

The children of Anah:^(ay) Dishon and Oholibamah^(az) daughter of Anah.

The sons of Dishon^[d]: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran and Keran.

The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan and Akan.

The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.

These were the Horite chiefs: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,^(ba)

Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. These were the Horite chiefs,^(bb) according to their divisions, in the land of Seir.

These were the kings who reigned in Edom before any Israelite king^(bd) reigned:

Bela son of Beor became king of Edom. His city was named Dinhabah.

When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah^(be) succeeded him as king.

When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites^(bf) succeeded him as king.

When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian^(bg) in the country of Moab,^(bh) succeeded him as king. His city was named Avith.

When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah succeeded him as king.

When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth^(bi) on the river succeeded him as king.

When Shaul died, Baal-Hanan son of Akbor succeeded him as king.

When Baal-Hanan son of Akbor died, Hadad^[e] succeeded him as king. His city was named Pau, and his wife's name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab.

These were the chiefs^(bj) descended from Esau, by name, according to their clans and regions: Timna, Alvah, Jetheth,

Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon,

Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar,

Magdiel and Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their settlements in the land they occupied. This is the family line of Esau, the father of the Edomites.^(bk)