Genesis 35 – NIRV & JCB

New International Reader’s Version

Genesis 35:1-29

Jacob Returns to Bethel

1Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and live there. Build an altar there to honor me. That’s where I appeared to you when you were running away from your brother Esau.”

2So Jacob spoke to his family and to everyone with him. He said, “Get rid of the statues of false gods you have with you. Make yourselves pure by washing and changing your clothes. 3Come, let’s go up to Bethel. There I’ll build an altar to honor God. He answered me when I was in trouble. He’s been with me everywhere I’ve gone.” 4So they gave Jacob all the statues of false gods they had. They also gave him their earrings. Jacob buried those things under the oak tree at Shechem. 5Then Jacob and everyone with him started out. The terror of God fell on the towns all around them. So no one chased them.

6Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz. Luz is also called Bethel. It’s in the land of Canaan. 7Jacob built an altar at Luz. He named the place El Bethel. There God made himself known to Jacob when he was running away from his brother.

8Rebekah’s attendant Deborah died. They buried her body under the oak tree outside Bethel. So it was called Allon Bakuth.

9After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again. And God blessed him. 10God said to him, “Your name is Jacob. But you will not be called Jacob anymore. Your name will be Israel.” So he named him Israel.

11God said to him, “I am the Mighty God. Have children so that there will be many of you. You will become the father of a nation and a community of nations. Your later family will include kings. 12I am giving you the land I gave to Abraham and Isaac. I will also give it to your children after you.” 13Then God left him at the place where he had talked with him.

14Jacob set up a sacred stone at the place where God had talked with him. He poured out a drink offering on it. He also poured olive oil on it. 15Jacob named the place Bethel. That’s where God had talked with him.

Rachel and Isaac Die

16They moved on from Bethel. Ephrath wasn’t very far away when Rachel began to have a baby. She was having a very hard time of it. 17The woman who helped her saw that she was having problems. So she said to Rachel, “Don’t be afraid. You have another son.” 18But Rachel was dying. As she took her last breath, she named her son Ben-Oni. But his father named him Benjamin.

19So Rachel died. She was buried beside the road to Ephrath. Ephrath was also called Bethlehem. 20Jacob set up a stone marker over her tomb. To this day, the stone marks the place where Rachel was buried.

21Israel moved on again. He set up his tent beyond Migdal Eder. 22While Israel was living in that area, Reuben went in and slept with Bilhah. She was the concubine of Reuben’s father. And Israel heard about it.

Here are the 12 sons Jacob had.

23Leah was the mother of

Reuben, Jacob’s oldest son.

Her other sons were Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun.

24The sons of Rachel were

Joseph and Benjamin.

25The sons of Rachel’s female servant Bilhah were

Dan and Naphtali.

26The sons of Leah’s female servant Zilpah were

Gad and Asher.

These were Jacob’s sons. They were born in Paddan Aram.

27Jacob came home to his father Isaac in Mamre. Mamre is near Kiriath Arba, where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. The place is also called Hebron. 28Isaac lived 180 years. 29Then he took his last breath and died. He was very old when he joined the members of his family who had already died. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Japanese Contemporary Bible

創世記 35:1-29

35

べテルへの帰還

1神はヤコブに命じました。「ベテルへ行って、そこに住みなさい。祭壇を築くのも忘れないように。兄エサウのもとを逃げ出した時、あそこで会った神を礼拝するのだ。」

2ヤコブは一族の者みなに、手もとにある偶像を捨て、身を洗いきよめて新しい服を着るよう命じました。 3そして、一同に言い渡しました。「これからベテルへ行く。これまで、どんなに苦しかった時も祈りに答えてくださった神様、旅の間、いつも共にいて守ってくださった神様のために、そこで祭壇を築くことにしたのだ。」

4彼らは、持っていた偶像や耳につけていたイヤリングなどをヤコブに渡したので、彼は全部ひとまとめにして、シェケムのそばの樫の木の下に埋めました。 5彼らが旅立つと、神が行く先々の町の住民に恐れを与えたので、旅の間だれからも攻撃されずにすみました。 6ついにカナンのルズ〔別名ベテル〕に着きました。 7ヤコブはそこに祭壇を築き、エル・ベテル(「ベテルでお会いした神の祭壇」の意)と呼びました。エサウのもとから逃げる時、神と会ったのが、このベテルだったからです。 8まもなく、リベカの年老いた乳母デボラが死に、ベテルのふもとの谷にあった樫の木の下に葬られました。その木はのちに、「嘆きの樫の木」と呼ばれるようになりました。

9こうして、はるばるパダン・アラムからベテルまで戻ったヤコブに、神は再び現れ、祝福しました。 10「あなたの名はこれからヤコブ〔「つかむ者」の意〕ではなく、イスラエル〔「神に勝つ者」の意〕としなさい。 11わたしは全能の神だ。」また、こうも約束されました。「あなたに子どもをたくさん与え、子孫を増やそう。彼らは大きな国となり、たくさんの国が分かれ出る。あなたの子孫から何人もの王が出るのだ。 12わたしがアブラハムとイサクに与えた土地はみな、あなたとあなたの子孫のものだ。」

13-14そのあとヤコブは、神が現れた場所に石の柱を立て、神へのささげ物として柱にぶどう酒を注ぎ、オリーブ油を塗りました。 15このことがあってから、ヤコブはそこをベテル〔「神の家」の意〕と名づけました。

ラケルの死

16やがてベテルを出発したヤコブ(イスラエル)の一行は、エフラテ〔ベツレヘム〕へと旅を続けました。ところが目的地まではまだかなりあるうちに、ラケルが産気づいたのです。 17ひどい陣痛でラケルは苦しみ、気をもみながら待つうち、ようやく助産婦の大声が聞こえました。 18「よかったわね。また男のお子さんですよ。」難産で息も絶え絶えのラケルは、最後の息の下から、その子をベン・オニ〔「私の悲しみの子」の意〕と呼びました。しかし父親は、ベニヤミン〔「私の右手の子」の意〕と名づけました。

19ラケルは死に、エフラテへ向かう道のそばに葬られました。 20その墓石は、今も残っています。

ヤコブの息子たち

21イスラエルは旅を続け、エデルの塔を越えた所にテントを張りました。 22そこにいた時、ルベンが父親のそばめビルハと寝たのです。そのことはイスラエルの耳にも入りました。

ところで、ヤコブの十二人の息子は次のとおりです。

23レアの子は、長男ルベン、シメオン、レビ、ユダ、イッサカル、ゼブルン。

24ラケルの子は、ヨセフ、ベニヤミン。

25ラケルの召使ビルハの子は、ダン、ナフタリ。

26レアの召使ジルパの子は、ガド、アシェル。

みなパダン・アラムで生まれた息子です。

イサクの死

27こうしてヤコブは、今はヘブロンと呼ばれるキルヤテ・アルバのマムレにいた父親イサクのところへ帰りました。そこはアブラハムも住んだことのある所です。 28-29その後まもなく、イサクは天寿を全うして百八十歳で死にました。彼の子エサウとヤコブが二人で父を葬りました。