Jacob Returns to Bethel
1Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”
2So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. 3Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.” 4So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. 5Then they set out, and the terror of God fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.
6Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. 7There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel,35:7 El Bethel means God of Bethel. because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother.
8Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak outside Bethel. So it was named Allon Bakuth.35:8 Allon Bakuth means oak of weeping.
9After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram,35:9 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia; also in verse 26 God appeared to him again and blessed him. 10God said to him, “Your name is Jacob,35:10 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he deceives. but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.35:10 Israel probably means he struggles with God.” So he named him Israel.
11And God said to him, “I am God Almighty35:11 Hebrew El-Shaddai; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants. 12The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.” 13Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him.
14Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. 15Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.35:15 Bethel means house of God.
The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac
16Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty. 17And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.” 18As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni.35:18 Ben-Oni means son of my trouble. But his father named him Benjamin.35:18 Benjamin means son of my right hand.
19So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb.
21Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder. 22While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard of it.
Jacob had twelve sons:
23The sons of Leah:
Reuben the firstborn of Jacob,
Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun.
24The sons of Rachel:
Joseph and Benjamin.
25The sons of Rachel’s servant Bilhah:
Dan and Naphtali.
26The sons of Leah’s servant Zilpah:
Gad and Asher.
These were the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram.
27Jacob came home to his father Isaac in Mamre, near Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. 28Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years. 29Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
Yakobo Abwerera ku Beteli
1Tsono Mulungu anati kwa Yakobo, “Nyamuka uchoke kuno kupita ku Beteli. Kumeneko ukamange guwa lansembe la Mulungu amene anadza kwa iwe pamene umathawa Esau, mʼbale wako.”
2Choncho Yakobo anawuza a pa banja pake ndi onse amene anali naye kuti, “Chotsani milungu yachilendo imene muli nayo, ndipo mudziyeretse nokha ndi kusintha zovala zanu. 3Tiyeni tinyamuke kuchoka kuno kupita ku Beteli. Kumeneko ndikamumangira guwa lansembe Mulungu amene anandithandiza pa nthawi za masautso anga, komanso amene wakhala nane mʼmayendedwe anga onse.” 4Choncho anamupatsa Yakobo milungu yachilendo yonse imene anali nayo pamodzi ndi ndolo. Iye anazikwirira pansi pa mtengo wa thundu ku Sekemu. 5Pamenepo ananyamuka, ndipo mtima woopa Mulungu unagwera anthu onse a mʼmizinda yozungulira, kotero kuti palibe aliyense amene anatsatira banja la Yakobo.
6Yakobo ndi anthu onse anali naye aja anafika ku Luzi (ku Beteli) mu dziko la Kanaani. 7Kumeneko anamanga guwa lansembe nalitcha Eli Beteli, chifukwa kunali kumeneko kumene Mulungu anadziwulula yekha kwa Yakobo pamene ankathawa mʼbale wake.
8Debora mlezi wa Rakele anamwalira komweko nayikidwa mʼmanda pansi pa mtengo wa thundu cha kumunsi kwa Beteli. Choncho panatchedwa Aloni-Bakuti (mtengo wamaliro).
9Yakobo atabwera kuchokera ku Padanaramu, Mulungu anabweranso kwa iye namudalitsa. 10Mulungu anati kwa iye, “Dzina lako ndiwe Yakobo, koma sudzatchedwanso Yakobo; koma udzatchedwa Israeli.” Choncho anamutcha iye Israeli.
11Ndipo Mulungu anati kwa iye, “Ine ndine Mulungu Wamphamvuzonse; berekanani ndi kuchulukana. Mtundu wa anthu, inde, mitundu yambiri ya anthu idzatuluka mwa iwe, ndipo ena mwa zidzukulu zako adzakhala mafumu. 12Dziko limene ndinapereka kwa Abrahamu ndi Isake ndiliperekanso kwa iwe. Lidzakhala lako ndi la zidzukulu zako.” 13Kenaka Mulungu anamusiya Yakobo.
14Yakobo anayika mwala wachikumbutso pa malo pamene Mulungu anayankhula naye paja. Iye anathirapo nsembe yachakumwa ndi yamafuta. 15Yakobo anawatcha malo amene Mulungu anayankhula naye aja kuti Beteli.
Imfa ya Isake ndi Rakele
16Kenaka anachoka ku Beteli. Koma ali pafupi kufika ku Efurata nthawi yakuti Rakele aone mwana inakwana. Iye anavutika pobereka. 17Akanali chivutikire choncho, mzamba anamulimbikitsa nati, “Usaope pakuti ubala mwana wina wamwamuna.” 18Tsono pamene Rakele ankapuma wefuwefu (popeza ankamwalira) iye anatcha mwana uja kuti Beni-Oni. Koma abambo ake anamutcha kuti Benjamini.
19Choncho Rakele anamwalira ndipo anayikidwa pa njira yopita ku Efurata (Kumeneko ndiye ku Betelehemu). 20Pa manda ake, Yakobo anayimika mwala wachikumbutso wa pa manda ndipo ulipobe mpaka lero.
21Israeli (Yakobo) anasunthanso nakamanga tenti yake kupitirira nsanja ya Ederi. 22Israeli akanali mʼderali, Rubeni anapita nakagonana ndi Biliha, mdzakazi wa abambo ake. Yakobo uja anazimva zimenezi.
Yakobo anali ndi ana aamuna khumi ndi awiri:
23Ana a Leya ndi awa:
Rubeni anali mwana woyamba wa Yakobo,
Simeoni, Levi, Yuda, Isakara, ndi Zebuloni.
24Ana a Rakele ndi awa:
Yosefe ndi Benjamini.
25Ana a Biliha, wantchito wa Rakele ndi awa:
Dani ndi Nafutali.
26Ana a Zilipa wantchito wa Leya ndi awa:
Gadi ndi Aseri.
Awa ndiwo ana a Yakobo amene anabadwira ku Padanaramu.
27Yakobo anafika ku mudzi kwa abambo ake Isake ku Mamre, (kumene kunkatchedwa ku Kiriyati-Ariba kapenanso Hebroni) kumene Abrahamu ndi Isake anakhalako kale. 28Isake anakhala ndi moyo zaka 180. 29Anamwalira ali wokalamba kwambiri ndipo anakakhala ndi anthu a mtundu wake. Ndipo ana ake Esau ndi Yakobo anamuyika mʼmanda.
