The Daily Audio Bible

Jacob Moves to Bethel

35 Later, God told Jacob, “Get up, move to Bethel, and live there. Build an altar to the God who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”

² Jacob announced to his household and to everyone with him, “Throw away the foreign gods that you’ve kept among you, purify yourselves, and change your clothes. ³ Then let’s get up and go to Bethel, where I’ll build an altar to the God who answered me when I was in distress and who was with me on the road, wherever I went.”

⁴ So they handed over to Jacob all their foreign gods on which they had been depending,^[a] along with the rings that they were wearing on their ears. Jacob buried them under the oak that grew near Shechem. ⁵ As they set out on their journey, because the people who lived in the^[b] cities around them feared God, they did not pursue Jacob’s sons.

⁶ Eventually, Jacob and everyone with him arrived at Luz (also called Beth-el) in the territory of Canaan. ⁷ He built an altar there to God and named the place El Beth-el, because God had revealed himself there when he was fleeing from his brother. ⁸ Rebekah’s nurse Deborah died and was buried there, under the oak tree that was below Beth-el. That’s why the place was named Allon-bacuth.^[c]

God Appears Again to Jacob

⁹ God appeared again to Jacob after he had arrived from Paddan-aram^[d] and blessed him. ¹⁰ Then God told him,

So God called his name Israel ¹¹ and also told him,

¹³ After this, God ascended from the place where he had been speaking to him. ¹⁴ Jacob erected a pillar of stone at that very place where God had spoken to him. He poured a drink offering over it, anointed it with oil, ¹⁵ and named the place where God had spoken to him Beth-el.

Rachel Dies in Childbirth

¹⁶ Later, they set out from Beth-el. While still a long way^[e] from Ephrathah, Rachel started to have trouble giving birth. ¹⁷ While she was suffering due to her difficult labor, the midwife told her, “Don’t fear! You’re going to have another son.”

¹⁸ Just before she died,^[f] Rachel called her son’s^[g] name Ben-oni,^[h] but his father Jacob^[i] named him Benjamin.^{[j] 19} So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrathah, also known as Bethlehem. ²⁰ Jacob erected a pillar over her grave, and that pillar stands over Rachel’s grave to this day.

Jacob Settles Near Migdal Eder

²¹ Jacob continued his travels, and eventually pitched his tent facing Migdal Eder. ²² But while Israel lived in that land, Reuben went inside his father’s tent^[k] and had sexual relations with his father’s concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Now Jacob had twelve sons. ²³ Leah’s sons were Reuben (Jacob’s first-born), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. ²⁴ Rachel’s sons were Joseph and Benjamin. ²⁵ Rachel’s servant Bilhah’s sons were Dan and Naphtali. ²⁶ Leah’s servant Zilpah’s sons were Gad and Asher. These were Jacob’s sons who were born to him while he lived in Paddan-aram.^[l]

The Death of Isaac

²⁷ So Jacob reached his father Isaac at Mamre, in Kiriath-arba (also known as Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had lived. ²⁸ Isaac had lived a total of 180 years ²⁹ when he died and joined his ancestors at a ripe old age. Then his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Esau’s Genealogies

36 This is a record of Esau’s genealogy, that is, of Edom. ² Esau had married Canaanite women, including Elon the Hittite’s daughter Adah, Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah (who was Zibeon the Hivite’s daughter), and ³ Ishamael’s daughter Basemath (who was Nebaioth’s sister). ⁴ Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath bore Reuel, and ⁵ Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These were Esau’s sons, who were born to him in the territory of Canaan.

⁶ Later, Esau took his wives, his children, everyone in his household, his livestock, all his animals, and all his possessions that he had acquired in the territory of Canaan and moved far away from his brother Jacob, ⁷ because their holdings were too vast to allow them to stay together, since the land where they had settled was not able to support all of their livestock. ⁸ So Esau lived in Mount Seir.^[m] (Esau was also known as Edom.)

⁹ This is a record of the family history of Esau, the ancestor of the Edomites of Mount Seir. ¹⁰ The names of Esau’s sons were Eliphaz (the son of Esau’s wife Adah) and Reuel (the son of Esau’s wife Basemath).

¹¹ Eliphaz’s sons were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. ¹² Timnah was a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz. She bore Amalek to Eliphaz.

¹³ Reuel’s sons were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons of Esau’s wife Basemath.

¹⁴ These were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, who was the daughter of Zibeon. She bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah for Esau.

Leaders of Esau’s Descendants

¹⁵ These were the tribal leaders of Esau’s descendants; that is, the children of Eliphaz, who was Esau’s firstborn: tribal leaders^[n] Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, ¹⁶ Korah, Gatam, and Amalek. These were the tribal leaders who descended^[o] from Eliphaz in the territory of Edom. These were Adah’s sons.

¹⁷ These were the descendants of Esau’s son Reuel: tribal leaders Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the tribal leaders who descended from Reuel in the territory of Edom. These were the sons of Esau’s wife Basemath.

¹⁸ These were the descendants of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: tribal leaders Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These tribal leaders descended from Esau’s wife Oholibamah, Anah’s daughter. ¹⁹ These were the descendants of Esau (also known as Edom) and their tribal leaders.

Leaders of Seir’s Descendants

²⁰ These were the descendants of Seir the Horite, who lived in the territory: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, ²¹ Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the tribal leaders who descended from the Horites, the descendants of Seir in the territory of Edom.

²² Lotan’s children were Hori and Hemam. Lotan’s sister was Timna.

²³ Shobal’s children were Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.

²⁴ Zibeon’s children were Aiah and Anah. Anah discovered the hot springs in the wilderness while grazing his father Zibeon’s donkeys.

²⁵ Anah’s children were Dishon and Anah’s daughter Oholibamah.

²⁶ Dishon’s children were Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Keran.

²⁷ Ezer’s children were Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.

²⁸ Dishan’s children were Uz and Aran.

²⁹ These were the tribal leaders who descended from the Horites: tribal leaders Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, ³⁰ Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the tribal leaders who descended from the Horites, according to their tribal leaders in the territory of Seir.

³¹ This is a list of the kings who ruled the territory of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelis. ³² Beor’s son Bela ruled over Edom. His city’s name was Dinhabah.

³³ After Bela died, Zerah’s son Jobab from Bozrah ruled in his place.

³⁴ After Jobab died, Husham from the territory of the Temanites ruled in his place.

³⁵ After Husham died, Bedad’s son Hadad, who killed Midian in the field of Moab, ruled in his place. His city’s name was Avith.

³⁶ After Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah ruled in his place.

³⁷ After Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth by the river ruled in his place.

³⁸ After Shaul died, Achbor’s son Baal-hanan ruled in his place.

³⁹ After Achbor’s son Baal-hanan died, Hadar ruled in his place. His city’s name was Pau. And his wife’s name was Mehetabel, who was the daughter of Matred, and granddaughter of Me-zahab.

⁴⁰ These were the names of the chiefs who descended from Esau according to their clans, territories, and names: tribal leaders Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, ⁴¹ Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, ⁴² Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, ⁴³ Magdiel, and Iram. These were the chiefs who descended from Edom, according to their territories in their own land.^[p] This was the dynasty of Esau, who was the ancestor of the Edomites.

Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath^(A)

12 At that time, Jesus walked through the grain fields on a Sabbath.^[a] His disciples became hungry and began picking heads of grain to eat. ² When the Pharisees saw this, they told him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!”

³ But he told them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? ⁴ How is it that he went into the house of God and ate the Bread of the Presence, which was not lawful for him and his companions to eat but was reserved^[b] for the priests? ⁵ Or haven’t you read in the Law that on every Sabbath^[c] the priests in the Temple violate the Sabbath^[d] and yet are innocent?^{[e] 6} But I tell you, something greater than the Temple is here! ⁷ If you had known what ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice’^[f] means, you would not have condemned the innocent, ⁸ for the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

Jesus Heals a Man with a Paralyzed Hand^(B)

⁹ Moving on from there, Jesus^[g] went into their synagogue. ¹⁰ Suddenly, a man with a paralyzed hand appeared. The people^[h] asked Jesus^[i] if it was lawful to heal on Sabbath days,^[j] intending to accuse him of doing something wrong.

¹¹ But he asked them, “Is there a man among you who, if he had one sheep and it fell into a ditch on the Sabbath, wouldn’t take hold of it and pull it out? ¹² How much more is a human being worth than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on Sabbath days.”^[k]

¹³ Then he told the man, “Hold out your hand.” He held it out and it became normal, as healthy as his other hand. ¹⁴ The Pharisees, however, went out and plotted against Jesus^[l] to kill him.

Jesus, God’s Chosen Servant

¹⁵ When Jesus became aware of this, he left that place. Many crowds^[m] followed him, and he healed all of them, ¹⁶ ordering them not to make him known. ¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was declared by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

A Davidic Psalm.

Welcomed into God’s Presence

Benefits of Wisdom