Genesis 35:2-3

35:2 So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have among you. ¹  Purify yourselves and change your clothes. ²  35:3 Let us go up at once ³  to Bethel. Then I will make ⁴  an altar there to God, who responded to me in my time of distress ⁵  and has been with me wherever I went.” ⁶ 

¹ tn Heb “which are in your midst.”

² sn The actions of removing false gods, becoming ritually clean, and changing garments would become necessary steps in Israel when approaching the Lord in worship.

³ tn Heb “let us arise and let us go up.” The first cohortative gives the statement a sense of urgency.

⁴ tn The cohortative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose or consequence.

⁵ tn Heb “day of distress.” See Ps 20:1 which utilizes similar language.

⁶ tn Heb “in the way in which I went.” Jacob alludes here to God’s promise to be with him (see Gen 28:20).