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 Arudi Betheli
135:1 Mwa 12:8Kisha Mungu akamwambia Yakobo, “Panda uende Betheli ukakae huko na ukamjengee Mungu madhabahu huko, Yeye aliyekutokea ulipokuwa unamkimbia Esau ndugu yako.”
235:2 Yos 24:15; Kut 19:10, 14Hivyo Yakobo akawaambia watu wa nyumbani mwake pamoja na wote waliokuwa naye, “Iondoeni miungu ya kigeni ile iliyoko katikati yenu, jitakaseni na mkabadilishe nguo zenu. 335:3 Mwa 32:7; Amu 2:15Kisha njooni, twende Betheli, mahali nitakapomjengea Mungu madhabahu, aliyenijibu katika siku ya shida yangu, ambaye amekuwa pamoja nami popote nilipokwenda.” 435:4 Mwa 24:22Kwa hiyo wakampa Yakobo miungu yote ya kigeni waliyokuwa nayo, pamoja na pete zilizokuwa masikioni mwao. Yakobo akavizika chini ya mti wa mwaloni huko Shekemu. 535:5 Kut 15:16Kisha wakaondoka, na hofu ya Mungu ikawapata miji yote iliyowazunguka. Kwa hiyo hakuna aliyewafuatia wana wa Yakobo.
635:6 Mwa 28:19; 10:19Yakobo na watu wote waliokuwa pamoja naye wakafika Luzu (ndio Betheli), katika nchi ya Kanaani. 735:7 Mwa 8:20Huko akajenga madhabahu na akapaita mahali pale El-Betheli,35:7 El-Betheli maana yake Mungu wa Betheli. kwa sababu mahali pale ndipo Mungu alipojifunua kwake alipokuwa akimkimbia ndugu yake.
835:8 Mwa 24:59; 12:8Wakati huu Debora, mlezi wa Rebeka, akafa na akazikwa chini ya mti wa mwaloni ulioko chini ya Betheli. Kwa hiyo pakaitwa Alon-Bakuthi.35:8 Alon-Bakuthi maana yake Mwaloni wa Kilio.
935:9 Mwa 28:13; 32:29Baada ya Yakobo kurudi kutoka Padan-Aramu, Mungu alimtokea tena na kumbariki. 1035:10 Mwa 17:5Mungu akamwambia, “Jina lako ni Yakobo, lakini hutaitwa tena Yakobo, jina lako utakuwa Israeli.” Kwa hiyo akamwita Israeli.
1135:11 Mwa 17:1; 17:6Mungu akamwambia, “Mimi ndimi Mungu Mwenyezi,35:11 Mungu Mwenyezi hapa ni jina la Kiebrania, El-Shaddai (yaani Mungu Mwenye utoshelevu wote). ukazae na kuongezeka. Taifa na jamii ya mataifa itatoka kwako, nao wafalme watatoka viunoni mwako. 1235:12 Mwa 28:13; 12:7Nchi niliyowapa Abrahamu na Isaki nakupa wewe pia, nami nitawapa wazao wako baada yako.” 1335:13 Mwa 17:22Kisha Mungu akapanda juu kutoka kwake mahali pale alipozungumza naye.
1435:14 Mwa 28:18; Kut 29:40Yakobo akasimamisha nguzo ya jiwe mahali pale Mungu alipozungumza naye, akamimina sadaka ya kinywaji juu yake, pia akamimina mafuta juu yake. 1535:15 Mwa 12:8Yakobo akapaita mahali pale Mungu alipozungumza naye Betheli.35:15 Betheli maana yake Nyumba ya Mungu.
Vifo Vya Raheli Na Isaki
1635:16 Mwa 48:7Kisha wakaondoka Betheli. Walipokuwa umbali fulani kabla ya kufika Efrathi, Raheli akaanza kusikia uchungu na alipata shida kuu. 1735:17 Kut 1:15; Mwa 30:24Alipokuwa katika shida hii katika kujifungua, mkunga akamwambia, “Usiogope, kwa sababu umempata mwana mwingine.” 1835:18 1Sam 4:21Hapo alipopumua pumzi yake ya mwisho, kwa maana alikuwa akifa, akamwita mwanawe Benoni.35:18 Benoni maana yake Mwana wa huzuni yangu. Lakini babaye akamwita Benyamini.35:18 Benyamini maana yake Mwana wa mkono wangu wa kuume.
1935:19 Mwa 48:7Kwa hiyo Raheli akafa, akazikwa kando ya njia iendayo Efrathi (ndio Bethlehemu). 2035:20 1Sam 10:2; 6:18Juu ya kaburi lake, Yakobo akasimamisha nguzo, ambayo mpaka leo inatambulisha kaburi la Raheli.
21Israeli akaendelea tena na safari yake na kupiga hema mbele mnara wa Ederi. 22Wakati Israeli alipokuwa akiishi katika nchi ile, Reubeni mwanawe alikutana kimwili na suria wa baba yake aitwaye Bilha, naye Israeli akasikia jambo hili.
Yakobo alikuwa na wana kumi na wawili:
23Wana wa Lea walikuwa:
Reubeni mzaliwa wa kwanza wa Yakobo,
Simeoni, Lawi, Yuda, Isakari na Zabuloni.
2435:24 Mwa 30:24; 35:18Wana wa Raheli walikuwa:
Yosefu na Benyamini.
2535:25 Mwa 30:24Wana waliozaliwa na Bilha mtumishi wa kike wa Raheli walikuwa:
Dani na Naftali.
2635:26 Mwa 37:2Wana waliozaliwa na Zilpa mtumishi wa kike wa Lea walikuwa:
Gadi na Asheri.
Hawa walikuwa wana wa Yakobo, waliozaliwa kwake akiwa Padan-Aramu.
2735:27 Mwa 13:18; Amu 1:10Yakobo akarudi nyumbani kwa baba yake Isaki huko Mamre, karibu na Kiriath-Arba (yaani Hebroni), ambapo walikuwa wameishi Abrahamu na Isaki. 2835:28 Mwa 25:7Isaki aliishi miaka 180. 2935:29 Mwa 15:15; 25:8-9Kisha Isaki akapumua pumzi yake ya mwisho akafa, akakusanywa pamoja na watu wake akiwa mzee wa miaka mingi. Nao wanawe Esau na Yakobo wakamzika.
