7. There Jacob built an altar. He named the place Bethel, after God, because God had appeared to him there. That was when he was running from his brother.
8. Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died and was buried under the oak tree at Bethel. They named that place Oak of Crying.
9. When Jacob came back from Northwest Mesopotamia, God appeared to him again. And God blessed him.
10. God said to him, “Your name is Jacob. But you will not be called Jacob any longer. Your new name will be Israel.” So he called him Israel.
11. God said to him, “I am God All-Powerful. Have many children and grow in number as a nation. You will be the ancestor of many nations and kings.
12. I gave Abraham and Isaac land. I will give that same land to you and your descendants.”
13. Then God left him.
14. Jacob set up a stone on edge in that place where God had talked to him. And he poured a drink offering and olive oil on it to make it special for God.
15. And Jacob named the place Bethel.
16. Jacob and his group left Bethel. Before they came to Ephrath, Rachel began giving birth to her baby.
17. But she was having much trouble with this birth. When Rachel’s nurse saw this, she said, “Don’t be afraid, Rachel. You are giving birth to another son.”
18. Rachel gave birth to the son, but she died. As she lay dying, she named the boy Son of My Suffering. But Jacob called him Benjamin.
19. Rachel was buried on the road to Ephrath, a district of Bethlehem.
20. And Jacob set up a rock on her grave to honor her. That rock is still there today.
21. Then Israel, also called Jacob, continued his journey. He camped just south of Migdal Eder.