1 Then God said to Jacob, “Go back and live in Bethel. And pile up some stones to make an altar there so that you can burn animals to show me respect.
4 So all the people in Jacob's camp gave him all their earrings and ceremony things they had, and Jacob buried them under the big tree near Shekem.
5 When they left Shekem to go to Bethel, God made the people that lived around Shekem really frightened of Jacob and his family. The people in those towns did not try to chase them or try to pay them back for what Jacob's sons did in Shekem.
6 Jacob and all the people with him got to a place called Luz. The other name for Luz is Bethel and it is in the country of Canaan.
7 Jacob made his camp there and built a stone table called an altar so that he could burn an animal to show respect for God.
8 Many years before this time, when Jacob's mother Rebekah was a young girl, she had a woman named Deborah who looked after her. When Rebekah left her homeland and married Isaac, Deborah went with her to live in Canaan. But when Deborah was very old, she died. And someone buried her under the big tree just south of Bethel and from that time, that place was called You can cry under this tree.
12 I promised this country to your grandfather Abraham and to your father Isaac, and now I am making the same promise to you. This country is now your country and it will be for all the family that comes from you.”
13 Then God left Jacob standing all by himself.
14 When God left him, Jacob put a big stone up on its end so that people could see it. And he poured wine and olive oil all over it so that everyone would know it was a special place.
15 God had talked to Jacob there and so Jacob called that place Bethel which means God's House in their language.
16 Some time later, Jacob and all his people left Bethel and went to a place called Bethlehem. Before they got there, it was time for Rachel's second baby to be born.
17 But Rachel was having a lot of trouble, so the nurse helping her said, “Do not be frightened Rachel. You have another son.”
18 Rachel was dying as the baby was born, and just before she died Rachel named the baby, Ben-Oni which means This boy has given me a lot of trouble. But Jacob named him, Benjamin which means This is my son. He will be with me and will make me feel happy.
19 Jacob buried Rachel next to the road that went to Bethlehem.
20 Jacob put a tall stone over Rachel's grave, and it is still there today.
21 Israel, who was named Jacob before, left there and went past a place called Migdal Eder, and made his camp on the other side.
22 While they were camped in that country, Jacob's eldest son Reuben slept with Bilhah like she was his wife. Bilhah was one of Jacob's 4 wives, and when Jacob heard what Reuben did, he was very upset.
23 Leah had 6 sons with Jacob and their names were Reuben who was Jacob's oldest son, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Iss-a-car and Zeb-you-lun.
24 Rachel had 2 sons with Jacob and their names were Joseph and Benjamin.
25 Rachel's worker named Bilhah had 2 sons with Jacob and their names were Dan and Naftali.
26 Leah's worker named Zilpah had 2 sons with Jacob and their names were Gad and Asher.
27 Jacob moved back to live in Mamre. This was where Abraham and his father Isaac had camped before. Mamre was near a place called Kiriath Arba and that is now called Hebron.