The First Book of Moses: Genesis

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 35 -

In the meantime God said to Jacob: Arise, and go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar to God, who appeared to thee when thou didst flee from Esau thy brother.

And Jacob having called together all his household, said: Cast away the strange gods that are among you, and be cleansed and change your garments.

Arise, and let us go up to Bethel, that we may make there an altar to God: who heard me in the day of my affliction, and accompanied me in my journey.

So they gave him all the strange gods they had, and the earrings which were in their ears: and he buried them under the turpentine tree, that is behind the city of Sichem.

And when they were departed, the terror of God fell upon all the cities round about, and they durst not pursue after them as they went away.

And Jacob came to Luza, which is in the land of Chanaan, surnamed Bethel: he and all the people that were with him.

And he built there an altar, and called the name of that place, The house of God: for there God appeared to him when he fled from his brother.

At the same time Debora the nurse of Rebecca died, and was buried at the foot of Bethel under an oak: and the name of that place was called, The oak of weeping.

And God appeared again to Jacob, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria, and he blessed him,

Saying: Thou shalt not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name. And he called him Israel.

And said to him: I am God Almighty, increase thou and be multiplied. Nations and peoples of nations shall be from thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins.

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

And he departed from him.

But he set up a monument of stone, in the place where God had spoken to him: pouring drink offerings upon it, and pouring oil thereon:

And calling the name of that place Bethel.

Benjamin Born, Rachel Dies

And going forth from thence, he came in the springtime to the land which leadeth to Ephrata: wherein when Rachel was in travail,

By reason of her hard labour she began to be in danger, and the midwife said to her: Fear not, for thou shalt have this son also.

And when her soul was departing for pain, and death was now at hand, she called the name of her son Benoni, that is, The son of my pain: but his father called him Benjamin, that is, The son of the right hand.

So Rachel died, and was buried in the highway that leadeth to Ephrata, this is Bethlehem.

And Jacob erected a pillar over her sepulchre: this is the pillar of Rachel’s monument, to this day.

The Sons of Jacob

(1 Chronicles 2:1–2)

Departing thence, he pitched his tent beyond the Flock tower.

And when he dwelt in that country, Ruben went, and slept with Bala, the concubine of his father: which he was not ignorant of. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.

The sons of Lia: Ruben the first born, and Simeon, and Levi, and Juda, and Issachar, and Zabulon.

The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

The sons of Bala, Rachel’s handmaid: Dan and Nephtali.

The sons of Zelpha, Lia’s handmaid: Gad and Aser: these are the sons of Jacob, that were born to him in Mesopotamia of Syria.

The Death of Isaac

And he came to Isaac his father in Mambre, the city of Arbee, this is Hebron: wherein Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

And the days of Isaac were a hundred and eighty years.

And being spent with age he died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and live there. Make there an altar to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.”

Then Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments.

Let’s arise, and go up to Bethel. I will make there an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me on the way which I went.”

They gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

They traveled, and a terror of God was on the cities that were around them, and they didn’t pursue the sons of Jacob.

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

He built an altar there, and called the place El Beth El; because there God was revealed to him, when he fled from the face of his brother.

Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under the oak; and its name was called Allon Bacuth.

God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan Aram, and blessed him.

God said to him, “Your name is Jacob. Your name shall not be Jacob any more, but your name will be Israel.” He named him Israel.

God said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations will be from you, and kings will come out of your body.

The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, and to your offspring after you I will give the land.”

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

Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he spoke with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it, and poured oil on it.

Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him “Bethel”.

Benjamin Born, Rachel Dies

They traveled from Bethel. There was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and Rachel travailed. She had hard labor.

When she was in hard labor, the midwife said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for now you will have another son.”

As her soul was departing (for she died), she named him Benoni,(a) but his father named him Benjamin.(b)

Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath (also called Bethlehem).

Jacob set up a pillar on her grave. The same is the Pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day.

The Sons of Jacob

(1 Chronicles 2:1–2)

Israel traveled, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

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.

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

The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

The sons of Bilhah (Rachel’s servant): Dan and Naphtali.

The sons of Zilpah (Leah’s servant): Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram.

The Death of Isaac

Jacob came to Isaac his father, to Mamre, to Kiriath Arba (which is Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac lived as foreigners.

The days of Isaac were one hundred eighty years.

Isaac gave up the spirit and died, and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. Esau and Jacob, his sons, buried him.

Footnotes

(a)35:18 “Benoni” means “son of my trouble”.

(b)35:18 “Benjamin” means “son of my right hand”.