BRAGADAYJAH 118

Now we hear Israel, in order to persuade his household, brag a little about his God, without intending to brag. He reminded them that God had been good to him; it was God who walked with him and took care of him throughout all his journeys, trials and disappointments thus far; and now God has reminded him and directed him, and he was about to heed God’s advice, and do as he said, and they should too. So they all harkened and did as Israel exhorted them; they gave up the idol gods which they carried about with them and the earrings which they had in their ears, they gave them all to Israel, who buried them under an oak tree in the land of Shechem. Because the Lord was with Israel, and because he was obedient to the voice of the Lord, the fear of God fell upon the hearts of all the nations round about to such an extent that they did not go after Israel and his sons. And so Israel was able to complete his journey without incident, and arrived safely at Bethel, the place to which God had directed him, he and all his people; and there he built an altar unto the Lord, and called the name of the place El Bethel, because it was there that the Lord had appeared unto him when he fled from his brother Esau. At that time, Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, died; and she was buried under an oak tree at Bethel; and the place was named Alonbachuth, that is to say, a place of sorrow, or a place of weeping. And God appeared unto Israel again and reminded him as before, that his name was no longer Jacob, but Israel. And God also reminded him that He is the Almighty God; and He again blessed Israel and said, “be fruitful and multiply; and nations of nations shall proceed out of you, and many kings and kingdoms also shall come out of thy loins; and all the land that I promised to Abraham and Isaac and his and shall be to you and your seed to inherit for ever. More