Genesis 35

Genesis 35 read aloud, in a fresh direct translation from the Hebrew — plain modern English, nothing added. Translator's notes: • Genesis 35:7 — אֵל בֵּית־אֵל (El Beit-El): chose "El Bethel". Alternatives: "the God of Bethel". Why: El is kept by the standing rule, and Bethel itself means "house of El"; the place is named for the El who revealed himself there. • Genesis 35:11 — אֵל שַׁדַּי (El Shaddai): chose "El Shaddai". Alternatives: "God Almighty". Why: Shaddai's meaning is uncertain — traditionally rendered "Almighty" — so the compound is kept whole by the standing rule rather than settled by a guess. • Genesis 35:18 — בֶּן־אוֹנִי (Ben-Oni): chose "Ben-Oni" (kept as a name). Alternatives: "son of my sorrow", "son of my strength". Why: oni can mean sorrow or vigor/wealth, and the dying mother's intent cannot be settled from the word alone; the father's renaming to Benjamin is the text's own resolution.