Genesis 31:13

Plain English Version

I am God. A long time ago, I came to you at the place called Bethel. That’s the place where you poured olive oil on top of a stone to show that it was a special place, and you made promises to me. Now leave this country straight away, and go back to your home country.” ’ ”

Cross References

Genesis 31:11

Then in that dream there was an angel messenger from God, and he said, ‘Jacob.’ And I said, ‘Yes, I am listening.’

Genesis 31:14

Then Rachel and Leah said to Jacob, “We will go with you. We don’t want to live here with our father any more. He will never give us anything.

Genesis 31:3

Then God talked to Jacob. God said, “Leave this place, and go back to your home country, and to your relatives. I will go with you, to take care of you.”

Genesis 32:9

Then Jacob prayed to God, and he called God by his special name Yahweh. He said, “Yahweh, you are the God of my grand-father Abraham and the God of my father Isaac. You said to me, ‘Go back to your home country and your relatives, and I will be good to you.’

Genesis 35:1

Then God said to Jacob, “Leave this place, and go to that special place called Bethel. Remember, a long time ago, you ran away from your brother Esau, and you went to that place, and I came to you there. Now I want you to go and live in that place, and I want you to pile up stones there, to make a special table. Then I want you to burn animals on that special table, to show respect to me, because I am God.”

Genesis 35:7

Then Jacob piled up stones to make a table with a flat top, so that he could burn animals to show respect to God. And Jacob gave that place a new name. He called it El Bethel. That name means God is in Bethel. A long time before this, when Jacob ran away from his brother Esau, God came and talked to Jacob in that place. That’s the reason why Jacob gave it that name.