|
BOOK
OF JASHER
REFERRED
TO IN
JOSHUA
AND SECOND SAMUEL.
FAITHFULLY TRANSLATED
(1840)
FROM THE ORIGINAL HEBREW INTO
ENGLISH
of
PHOTO LITHOGRAPHIC REPRINT
OF EXACT EDITION
PUBLISHED BY J.H. PARRY &
COMPANY
SALT LAKE CITY: 1887
"Is not this written in the
Book of Jasher?"--Joshua, x. 13.
"Behold it is written in
the Book of Jasher."--II Samuel, i. 18
II
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1--The Creation of Adam
and Eve. The Fall. Birth of Cain and Abel. Abel a Keeper of Sheep. Cain a
Tiller of the Soil. The Quarrel Between the Brothers and the Result. Cain,
the First Murderer, Cursed of God..........1
CHAPTER 2--Seth is Born. People
begin to Multiply and Become Idolatrous. Third Part of the Earth Destroyed.
Earth cursed and becomes corrupt through the Wickedness of Men. Cainan, a
Wise and Righteous King, Foretells the Flood. Enoch is
Born.....................................................................................3
CHAPTER 3--Enoch Reigns over the
Earth. Enoch Establishes Righteousness upon the Earth, and after Reigning Two
Hundred and Forty Years is
Translated......................................................................................................5
CHAPTER 4--The People of the
Earth Again Become Corrupt. Noah is
Born...............................................................................................................8
CHAPTER 5--Noah and Methuselah
Preach Repentance for One Hundred and Twenty Years. Noah Builds the Ark. Death of Methuselah...........................10
CHAPTER 6--Animals, Beasts, and
Fowls Preserved in the Ark. Noah and his Sons, and their Wives are Shut in.
When the Floods come the People want to get in. Noah One Year in the Ark.................................................................11
CHAPTER 7--The Generations of
Noah. The Garments of Skin made for Adam Stolen by Ham and they Descend to
Nimrod the Mighty Hunter, who Becomes the King of the Whole Earth. The Birth
of Abram........................14
CHAPTER 8--The Wise Men of
Nimrod, by their Divination, Foretell the Evil that Abram will do to Nimrod's
Kingdom, and they seek to kill the Child. Abram, with his Mother and Nurse
are Hid in a cave for Ten Years...........17
CHAPTER 9--When Ten Years Old,
Abram goes to Noah and Shem, Remains with them for Thirty-nine Years, and is
Taught in all the Ways of the Lord. The Wickedness of Nimrod and his People.
They Propose to Build a Tower to Heaven and Dethrone God. The confusion of
Tongues.................................19
CHAPTER 10--The Descendants of
Noah, Scattered over the whole earth, build themselves
Cities..................................................................................22
CHAPTER 11--Nimrod's Wicked
Reign. The Idolatry of Terah, Abram's Father. When Fifty Years old, Abram
returns to his Father's House and Discovers his Idols. Makes a pretext to
destroy them. After making Savory Meat for the gods, Abram takes a Hatchet
and destroys them, leaving the Hatchet in the hands of the larger one, where
it is discovered by his Father, who is told by Abram that the Great God had
risen up in anger and Destroyed his Fellows. Terah in his wrath betrays Abram
to the King, who brings him up before the Throne for Judgment. Abram Warns
his Father and the King, before all the Princes, of the Evils of
Idolatry.........................................................28
CHAPTER 12--Abram placed in
Prison, and is condemned after ten days to be cast into a Fiery Furnace. His
Brother Haran being Falsely Accused is condemned to the same Fate. As Haran's heart was not right before the Lord, he perished, but
Abram is Delivered and is brought forth Alive. Is Presented with Many Gifts.
The King Dreams of Abram, and again Seeks his Life. Abram flees to the House
of
Noah............................................................................29
III
CHAPTER 13--On Abram's account
Terah and all his House, with Abram, Leave Ur Casdim to go to the Land of
Canaan. They tarry in Haran, where the Lord Appears to Abram, and upon condition of
Faithfulness, Promises many Blessings. Abram, commanded of the Lord, takes
his Wife and all belonging to him and goes to the Land
of Canaan, where the Lord again appears to him and Promises the Land
of Canaan as an Everlasting Inheritance. After Fifteen Years,
Abram returns to Haran to Visit his Father. Teaches many to Walk in the Ways of
the Lord. Again commanded to go to Canaan, where he Builds an Altar. The Lord renews his Covenant
with him.............................................33
CHAPTER 14--Rikayon's cunning
Device to make Money of the
Egyptians.......................................................................................................35
CHAPTER 15--On Account of Famine
in Canaan, Abram goes to Egypt. Tells the People that Sarah is his Sister, on account
of her Beauty. Pharaoh Desires to take her, but is Prevented by an Angel of
the Lord. The Truth is made known, and Sarah is Restored to Abram, with many
Presents. Abram returns to his Home. Trouble between Lot and
Abram on account of Lot's cattle. Lot Removes to Sodom........................................................................................37
CHAPTER 16--Four Kings with
Eight Hundred Thousand Men War against Sodom and the Cities of the Plain, and destroy and plunder
their people. Abram, Hearing that Lot is taken captive, gathers together
about Three Hundred Men and Pursues the Kings, retakes the captives, and
smites the whole Army of the confederate Rings. On his Return, Abram meets
Adonizedek, King of Jerusalem, the same was Shem. Abram gives Tithing of all
he had taken to Adonizedek, and is Blessed of Him. Abram Restores to every
Man his property which he had retaken in the War, and returns to Hebron. The Lord again appears to Abram and promises to bless
him with a Numberless Posterity. Sarah being childless gives Hagar to Abram
for a Wife, and becoming jealous of her, afflicts her. An Angel comforts
Hagar. Ishmael is Born...........................................................................................................40
CHAPTER 17--The Lord Appears to
Abram and Establishes the Covenant of Circumcision, and calls his name
Abraham, and Sarai, He calls Sarah.........43
CHAPTER 18--Abraham Entertains
Three Angels, who eat with him. Sarah is promised a Son. The People of Sodom and Gomorrah, and of all the Cities of the Plain become very
Wicked..................................................................44
CHAPTER 19--The Abominations of
the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Two Angels sent to Save Lot. The Cities of the Plain
and all their Inhabitants Destroyed by
Fire..........................................................................................47
CHAPTER 20--Abraham goes to the
land of the Philistines, and again tells the People that Sarah is his Sister.
Abimelech the King desires her for a Wife. An Angel warns him, and commands
him to return her to her Husband. The whole land afflicted on account of the
matter. Sarah Restored to Abraham, who entreats the Lord to heal the People
of Abimelech........................................51
CHAPTER 21--Isaac is Born,
causing much Rejoicing among the Friends
of Abraham. Ishmael Attempts to kill Isaac, and on that account is sent away
with his Mother. Ishmael is blessed with Riches and
Posterity.............................53
CHAPTER 22--Ishmael returns to
his Father, with his Wives and Children. Abraham Returns to Canaan and
makes his Home in Beersheba, where he Hospitably Entertains all strangers and
teaches them the way of the Lord. Isaac and Ishmael's conversation. The
Offering of Isaac Foretold. Satan's opinion of the Father of the
Faithful...............................................................................55
CHAPTER 23--Abraham commanded to
Offer up Isaac, in the Land Moriah. Abraham's Obedience. Sarah's Affliction.
What Happened on the Way. Satan attempts to hinder them. Isaac an Acceptable
Offering. Father and Son alone. The willingness of Isaac. He Assists his
Father in Building the Altar. While they both weep bitterly, they yet Rejoice
to be counted worthy before the Lord. Isaac bound and placed upon the Altar.
The Angels of God intercede for Isaac, who is released at the command of the
Lord, and a Ram is offered in his place. Satan, by his deception and Evils,
causes the Death of Sarah.......................59
IV
CHAPTER 24--Abraham Purchases a Burial Place. Isaac sent to the House of Shem and Eber to Learn the
Way of the Lord. Eliezer is sent to get a Wife for Isaac. Goes to the House
of Bethuel and brings Rebecca..............................64
CHAPTER 25--Abraham takes
Keturah for a Wife, by whom he has Six Sons. The Generations of the Sons of
Keturah, and of Ishmael..............................67
CHAPTER 26--Isaac and Rebecca
pray for children. Their Prayers answered, and Esau and Jacob are Born.
Abraham, after recounting all the Wonderful Works of the Lord, enjoins his
Son to Walk in His way and keep His Commandments. In the Fifteenth Year of
Jacob and Esau's lives, Abraham Dies and is Buried by all the Kings of the
land. All the People and even the children mourn for Abraham for a
Full.......................................................................69
CHAPTER 27--Esau slays Nimrod
and Two of his Mighty Men. Returns Home weary from the Fight, and sells his
Birthright for Value....................72
CHAPTER 28--On account of
Famine, Isaac goes to Gerar, the Land of the Philistines. After the Famine he
Returns at the Command of the Lord to Hebron. Jacob is sent to the House of Shem where he Remains
Thirty-two Years to learn the Way of the Lord, but Esau would not go. Esau
marries a Canaanitish Woman.......................................................................................73
CHAPTER 29--Jacob by deceit
obtains his Brother's Blessing. Jacob fearing his Brother's anger, flees to
the House of Eber, where he remains for Fourteen Years. Esau again marries a
Woman of the Land. Jacob returns to his Father, but being still threatened by
Esau, is advised by his Mother to go to her Brother Laban, in Haran. Jacob goes to Haran, being Commanded by his Father not to Marry any of the
Daughters of Canaan. Jacob is Waylaid on the Road, by the Son of Esau, and is
Robbed of all he Possessed..........................................75
CHAPTER 30--When he Arrives at Mount Moriah, the Lord appears to Jacob and establishes His Covenant
with him. Arriving at his Uncle's House he Engages to Serve Seven Years for
Rachel...................................................78
CHAPTER 31--Jacob is Deceived
and is given Leah in Place of Rachel, but is Given Rachel for Seven Years'
more Service. Jacob serves Laban six years longer for Wages and becomes very
Rich, when the Lord Appears to him and commands him to Return to the Land
of Canaan. Jacob Obeys and goes from Laban. Rachel Steals her
Father's gods, that he may not know where Jacob has fled. Laban Pursues him,
but establishes a covenant of peace. Laban breaks his Covenant by sending his
Son secretly to Esau that Jacob may Fall in his Hands. Esau, with Four
Hundred Men, seek to Destroy Jacob................................80
CHAPTER 32--Jacob sends a
Message of Peace to his Brother, who rejects it with contempt, and Advances
to Destroy him. Hosts of Angels cause the Fear of Jacob to come upon Esau,
and he goes to meet him in peace, in answer to Jacob's Prayer. Jacob Wrestles
with an Angel of the Lord..........................85
CHAPTER 33--Jacob goes to
Shechem. Prince Shechem defiles Dinah the Daughter of Jacob. Shechem desires
her for a Wife....................................89
CHAPTER 34--The Perfidy of
Shechem. Simeon and Levi, Sons of Jacob, avenge the Honor of their Sister
Dinah, Destroy all the Men of the City, and Spoil it. The People of Canaan
conspire to avenge the cause of Shechem. Isaac and Jacob Pray for
Succor...........................................................................93
CHAPTER 35--The Fear of God come
upon the Canaanites, and they do not Fight with
Jacob..........................................................................................98
CHAPTER 36--Jacob and his House
goes to Bethel, where the Lord appears to him, calls his name Israel, and Blesses him. The Generations of Jacob and
Esau.............................................................................................................100
CHAPTER 37--Jacob Returns to
Shechem. The Kings of Canaan again assemble against Jacob. Jacob's Ten Sons
with One Hundred and Two of their servants Fight against the Canaanites and
Amorites, and are successful......102
CHAPTER 38 and 39--The Sons of
Jacob Destroy many Cities of Canaan and all their people..................................................................................105,
109
V
CHAPTER 40--The Remaining
Twenty-one Kings of Canaan, fearing the Sons of Jacob, make a permanent Peace
with them.............................................114
CHAPTER 41--Joseph, the Son of
Jacob, Dreams of his Future Exaltation over his Brethren. Being his Father's
Favorite, his Brethren become Jealous. Joseph is sent to Visit his Brethren.
They conspire against him, and at the Suggestion of Reuben Place him in a
Pit.......................................................................118
CHAPTER 42--Joseph is sold to a
company of Midianites, who in Turn sold him to the Ishmaelites, who take him
down to Egypt. An account of his Journey thither, and of his
Affliction on the Road......................................120
CHAPTER 43--Reuben's Anguish at
not Finding Joseph in the Pit. The Brothers contrive to Deceive their Father
by Dipping his coat in Blood. Jacob's Anguish at the loss of his Son.....................................................................124
CHAPTER 44--Joseph is sold to
Potiphar, an Officer of Pharaoh. Zelicah, the Wife of Potiphar, seeks to
entice Joseph to do Evil, but all her advances are Rejected. Is Falsely
Accused by her and is brought to Judgment. Is Acquitted by his Judges, but
for the Sake of the Report against Potiphar's Wife, he is cast into
Prison....................................................................................................128
CHAPTER 45--An Account of the
Families of Jacob's Sons.....................134
CHAPTER 46--Joseph Interprets
the Dreams of his Fellow-Prisoners.......136
CHAPTER 47--Isaac Blesses his
two Sons and Dies. His Property is Divided. Esau takes all the personal
Property and Jacob chooses the Inheritance of the Land
of Canaan, with the Cave
of Machpelah for a Burying Place............137
CHAPTER 48--Pharaoh's Dreams.
Not Receiving a Satisfactory Interpretation from the Magicians, he orders the
Wise Men to be Slain. The King's Butler makes Joseph's Gifts known to Pharaoh. Joseph is Brought
before the King, who Relates his Dreams to him. Joseph, by the Gift of God,
Interprets them. A great Famine
Predicted............................................................................140
CHAPTER 49--Pharaoh Assembles
all the Great Men of the Kingdom, and desires to appoint Joseph to Govern Egypt. They Object because he cannot speak all the Seventy
Languages of the Earth. An Angel visits Joseph and teaches him all the Languages
of the Earth. When brought before the King, Joseph's Wisdom and Knowledge
please Pharaoh and all the Princes of Egypt, and he is appointed the Second to the King, and all
authority is given him. Joseph is made Wealthy and clothed in Princely
apparel and proclaimed Governor of Egypt. Is given the Daughter of Potiphar
for a Wife..............144
CHAPTER 50--Joseph goes to help
the Ishmaelites against their Enemies. Great Plenty prevails in Egypt as Joseph predicted. Joseph's Two Sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
Joseph stores up Food throughout Egypt. That stored by the Egyptians is spoiled. The Famine
prevails over all the Land and Joseph sells corn to all the Egyptians and the
surrounding Nations. Knowing that his Brethren will have to come to Egypt for Corn, he arranges to meet them when they
come....................................................................................................148
CHAPTER 51--Jacob sends his Ten
Oldest Sons to Egypt for Food. Tells them not to enter in at one gate but to
go in Separately. On the way they Covenant together to seek for Joseph, and
if they cannot ransom him they resolve to take him by force. They enter in at
ten gates, and spread themselves to seek for Joseph three days. Joseph, in
the meantime, has his men Seeking them. When found they are brought before
Joseph who accuses them of being Spies. Joseph sends his Brethren home with
corn, while Simeon is kept as a hostage till they shall again come to Egypt with their Younger Brother. They are astonished to find
their Money in their sacks of
corn.......................................................150
CHAPTER 52--Jacob's sorrow at
the absence of Simeon; Refuses to let Benjamin go. But when he and his Household
become pinched with hunger, Judah pleads for Benjamin. Tells his Father of the great glory
and Authority of the Governor of Egypt and offers himself as Security for his
Younger Brother. Jacob consents and sends his Sons again to Egypt with a conciliatory Letter and Present to the
Governor...............................................................................154
VI
CHAPTER 53--Jacob's Sons again
go to Egypt for Bread. Benjamin is presented before Joseph. Joseph's
Cup. Joseph's conduct towards Benjamin by which he makes himself known to
him. Resolves to prove his Brethren by taking away Benjamin from them, and
puts his Cup in Benjamin's sack of corn and sends them Home to their Father.
An Officer is sent after them who accuses them of purloining his Master's
Cup. Brings them back to Joseph. Benjamin is taken from them by force, and
they are told to go on their
way..............................................................................................................157
CHAPTER 54--Judah breaks through the Door to get to Joseph and Benjamin.
He recounts the many Mighty Deeds of his Brethren and threatens to destroy
all Egypt if Benjamin be not released. Joseph wrangles with his
Brethren and accuses them of Selling their Brother. They commence to war upon
the Egyptians, and frighten the whole Land. After satisfying himself of their
repentance for selling their Brother, Joseph makes himself known to them, and
bestows presents upon them. They are presented before Pharaoh, who commands
Joseph to bring all his Father's Household Down to Egypt. He sends Chariots for this Purpose, laden with
Presents, Luxuries and Clothing. Jacob's joy on Learning that Joseph is still
Alive....................................................160
CHAPTER 55--The Lord commands
Jacob to go down to Egypt, where He will make him a Great Nation. Joseph and all Egypt go to meet Jacob to do him Honor when he arrives. The Land
of Goshen is given to him and his
Children.......................................................................................................168
CHAPTER 56--After Seventeen
Years' Dwelling in Egypt, Jacob dies, after Blessing his Children and commanding
them to go in the Way of the Lord. Joseph and his Brethren and all the Mighty
Men of Egypt go up to Canaan to Bury Jacob. Esau, claiming the Land
of Canaan as his, will not Allow Joseph to Bury his Father. After
Esau and many of his People are slain, Jacob is Buried by Force. All the
Kings of Canaan come up to do him Honor........170
CHAPTER 57--The Sons of Esau
make war with the Sons of Jacob and are smitten. Some are taken captive to Egypt. The Children of Esau enlist the People of Seir to
Accompany them to Egypt to Deliver their Brethren. Joseph and his Brethren and
the Egyptians slay Six Hundred Thousand. Nearly all the Mighty Men of Seir
being Slain, they make war with the Children of Esau to Drive them from their
Land. Esau prevails and utterly annihilates the Children of
Seir..........................................................................................................175
CHAPTER 58--Pharaoh dies and the
whole Government of Egypt devolves upon Joseph, Pharaoh the Younger being but
a nominal Ruler. The Children of Esau again come Against the Israelites, and
are again smitten....................178
CHAPTER 59--Jacob's Posterity in
Egypt. After Prophesying that the Lord would Deliver his
Brethren from Egypt, Joseph dies and is buried, and the Israelites are ruled
over by the Egyptians....................................................181
CHAPTER 60--Zepho, the Son of
Eliphaz, the Son of Esau, who was taken Captive by Joseph where he Buried his
Father, Escapes from Egypt with all his
Men..............................................................................................................182
CHAPTERS 61, 62, and 63--Petty
Wars and contentions of the Nations of Africa with
Zepho....................................................................184,
186, 188
CHAPTER 64--Zepho Leads a Great
Army of Chittimites, Edomites, and Ishmaelites against Egypt. Three Hundred Thousand Egyptians put to Flight, but One
Hundred and Fifty Men of Israel prevail against Zepho................191
CHAPTER 65--The Elders of Egypt
conspire with Pharaoh and cunningly bring Israel into Bondage to them. Being afraid of their power, they
afflict them in order to lessen the Number of the Children of Israel..............................194
CHAPTER 66--Pharaoh Decrees that
every Male Child born in Israel shall be Killed, and still they
increase.......................................................................196
CHAPTER 67--Aaron is Born. On
Account of Pharaoh's decree, many of the Sons of Israel live apart from their
Wives. The King's counsellors devise another plan to lessen the number of Israel by drowning them. The Lord finds a means of preserving
the Male Children....................................................198
VII
CHAPTER 68--Moses, a Child of
Promise, is born. The Egyptian Women acting as Spies. Moses is discovered,
and placed by his Mother in an Ark of Bulrushes. Is Found and Adopted by the
Daughter of Pharaoh, and grows up among the King's
Children..........................................................................202
CHAPTER 69--Pharaoh Proclaims,
that if any of the Israelites are short in their Labor, either in Bricks or
Mortar, his Youngest Son shall be put in their
Place............................................................................................................204
CHAPTER 70--Moses puts the
King's crown upon his own head. Baalam and the Wise Men make this a Pretext
against him. When grown up, Moses visits his Brethren, and learns of their
Grievances. Moses obtains a day's rest on the Sabbath for all Israel...................................................................................204
CHAPTER 71--Moses slays an
Egyptian and being Discovered flees from Egypt. Aaron
Prophecies.............................................................................207
CHAPTER 72--Moses flees to Cush. At the Death of the king, he is chosen in his Stead. He
Reigns Forty Years in Cush..................................................208
CHAPTER 73--The Reign of Moses,
and his Strategic Warfare................210
CHAPTER 74--War in Africa....................................................................213
CHAPTER 75--Thirty Thousand
Ephraimites think it Time to get out of Egypt, Rise up to go to Canaan, but
are Slain by the Philistines............................214
CHAPTER 76--Moses leaves Cush and goes to the Land
of Midian. Reuel, taking him for a Refugee, keeps him in prison
for Ten Years. Is fed by Zipporah, the Daughter of Reuel. Pharaoh smitten of
the Plague. Slays a child of the Israelites every day. He dies of the Rot,
and his Son, Adikam, Reigns in his
Stead......................................................................................................215
CHAPTER 77--Adikam Pharaoh
Afflicts Israel more than ever. Moses is Released by Reuel, and Marries
his Daughter Zipporah. Moses obtains possession of the Stick
Jehovah...................................................................218
CHAPTER 78--Moses has Two Sons.
Pharaoh withholds Straw from the Israelites.......................................................................................................221
CHAPTER 79--The Lord appears to
Moses and commands him to go down to Egypt to Deliver Israel. Aaron meets him. Israel on hearing of his Mission greatly rejoices. Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh, who
calls all the Magicians to meet Moses. They Perform Miracles as well as
Moses, and thus Deceive the King. Pharaoh, not finding the Name of Jehovah on
any of the Books of Records, says he does not know who He is, and will not
let his People go. Moses and Aaron teach Pharaoh, but he will not hearken,
but causes the labor of the Children of Israel to be increased. Moses being
discouraged is told by the Lord that with an outstretched hand and heavy Plagues,
Israel shall be
Delivered.....................................................................................................222
CHAPTER 80--After Two Years,
Moses and Aaron again go to Pharaoh, but Pharaoh will not Hearken. The Lord
afflicts Egypt with all manner of Plagues and Afflictions. The
First-born of all the Egyptians is Slain. Pharaoh sends the Children of
Israel away, and all the Egyptians rise up to urge their Departure, but they
will not go in the Night.................................................................225
CHAPTER 81--The Departure of the
Israelites from Egypt with Great Riches and Flocks and Herds. After the Egyptians bury
their First-born, many of them go after the Israelites to induce them to
return. But they refuse to return, and fight the Nobles of Egypt and drive
them home. Pharaoh resolves with the Egyptians to pursue Israel and compel them to Return. The Children of Israel are
divided--some wanting to go back. Moses prays for deliverance. The Lord tells
him not to cry to him, but proceed. The waters of the Red Sea are
Divided. The Israelites pass Through in Safety, but the Egyptians are utterly
Destroyed. The Israelites proceed on their Journey, and are fed with Manna.
The Children of Esau fight Israel, but the Latter Prevail............................229
CHAPTER 82--The Ten Commandments
are Given. While Moses is in the Mount, Aaron makes a Golden Calf, and Israel
Worships it. Civil War. The Lord has a Sanctuary Built for His Worship in the
Wilderness...................232
VIII
CHAPTER 83--Aaron and his Sons
are Placed in charge of the Lord's Service. The Sacrifices and Offerings. The
Passover is Celebrated. The People lust for Flesh to eat. Their punishment.
Moses sends Twelve Men to explore the Land
of Canaan. Ten of them bring an Evil Report, and the People want
to Return to Egypt. For their Lack of Faith that Generation shall not Live
to obtain their
Possessions...................................................................................................234
CHAPTER 84--The Earth Swallows
up the Rebellious. The Children of Israel commanded not to War with the
Children of Esau, or Moab. The Edomites will not let Israel pass through their Land..........................................................236
CHAPTER 85--Some of the
Canaanites rise up to fight Israel, who are frightened and run away. But the Sons of Levi
compel them to Return. They prevail over their Enemies. They must not touch
Ammon. Og, King of Bashan. Balaam is called upon to curse Israel, but will not. Israel commits Whoredom with the Moabites, and they are Smitten
with Pestilence.............................238
CHAPTER 86--All over twenty
years of age at the time of Leaving Egypt die at the Expiration of Forty
Years. Israel is Numbered. The Midianites are destroyed, and their
Spoil is Divided among the People.............................242
CHAPTER 87--Moses appoints
Joshua his successor. The Lord encourages Joshua. Moses teaches the
children of Israel to Walk in the Way of the Lord. He goes up to Mount Abarim and dies
there...............................................243
CHAPTER 88--The Lord commands
Joshua to prepare the People to pass over Jordan to possess the Land. Jericho is Besieged, Taken, and Destroyed. Achan brings evil
upon the camp by Purloining the cursed thing, and Brings Destruction upon
Himself. All is taken and Destroyed. The Gibeonites cunningly save
themselves. Five Kings rise up against Israel and are destroyed. The Sun and Moon stand still at
Joshua's Command...................................243
CHAPTER 89--Joshua's Song of
Praise. The Wars of Israel.....................247
CHAPTER 90--The Edomites are
Smitten by Chittim. The Land is Divided, and the people have Rest. Joshua
being Advanced in Years Exhorts the people to Observe all the Laws of Moses,
and then Dies.......................................250
CHAPTER 91--The Elders Judge Israel. They drive out all the Canaanites and Inherit the
Promised Land...........................................................................253
THE BOOK OF JASHER
THIS IS THE BOOK OF THE
GENERATIONS OF MAN WHOM GOD CREATED
UPON THE EARTH ON THE DAY WHEN
THE LORD GOD
MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH.
1
CHAPTER 1
1 And God said, Let us make man
in our image, after our likeness, and God created man in his own image.
2 And God formed man from the
ground, and he blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a
living soul endowed with speech.
3 And the Lord said, It is not
good for man to be alone; I will make unto him a helpmeet.
4 And the Lord caused a deep
sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept, and he took away one of his ribs, and
he built flesh upon it, and formed it and brought it to Adam, and Adam awoke
from his sleep, and behold a woman was standing before him.
5 And he said, This is a bone of
my bones and it shall be called woman, for this has been taken from man; and
Adam called her name Eve, for she was the mother of all living.
6 And God blessed them and
called their names Adam and Eve in the day that he created them, and the Lord
God said, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.
7 And the Lord God took Adam and
his wife, and he placed them in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep
it; and he commanded them and said unto them, From every tree of the garden
you may eat, but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall
not eat, for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die.
8 And when God had blessed and
commanded them, he went from them, and Adam and his wife dwelt in the garden
according to the command which the Lord had commanded them.
9 And the serpent, which God had
created with them in the earth, came to them to incite them to transgress the
command of God which he had commanded them.
10 And the serpent enticed and
persuaded the woman to eat from the tree of knowledge, and the woman
hearkened to the voice of the serpent, and she transgressed the word of God,
and took from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and she ate, and
she took from it and gave also to her husband and he ate.
11 And Adam and his wife
transgressed the command of God which he commanded them, and God knew it, and
his anger was kindled against them and he cursed them.
12 And the Lord God drove them
that day from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which they were
taken, and they went and dwelt at the east of the garden of Eden; and Adam
knew his wife Eve and she bore two sons and three daughters.
13 And she called the name of
the first born Cain, saying, I have obtained a man from the Lord, and the
name of the other she called Abel, for she said, In vanity we came into the
earth, and in vanity we shall be taken from it.
14 And the boys grew up and
their father gave them a possession in the land; and Cain was a tiller of the
ground, and Abel a keeper of sheep.
15 And it was at the expiration
of a few years, that they brought an approximating offering to the Lord, and
Cain brought from the fruit of the ground, and Abel brought from the firstlings
of his flock from the fat thereof, and God turned and inclined to Abel and
his offering, and a fire came down from the Lord from heaven and consumed it.
16 And unto Cain and his
offering the Lord did not turn, and he did not incline to it, for he had
brought from the inferior fruit of the ground before the Lord, and Cain was
jealous against his brother Abel on account of this, and he sought a pretext
to slay him.
17 And in some time after, Cain
and Abel his brother, went one day into the field to do their work; and they
were both in the field, Cain tilling and ploughing his ground, and Abel
feeding his flock; and the flock passed that part which Cain had ploughed in
the ground, and it sorely grieved Cain on this account.
18 And Cain approached his brother
Abel in anger, and he said unto him, What is there between me and thee, that
thou comest to dwell and bring thy flock to feed in my land?
19 And Abel answered his brother
Cain and said unto him, What is there between me and thee, that thou shalt eat
the flesh of my flock and clothe thyself with their wool?
20 And now therefore, put off
the wool of my sheep with which thou hast clothed thyself, and recompense me
for their fruit and flesh which thou hast eaten, and when thou shalt have
done this, I will then go from thy land as thou hast said?
21 And Cain said to his brother
Abel, Surely if I slay thee this day, who will require thy blood from me?
22 And Abel answered Cain,
saying, Surely God who has made us in the earth, he will avenge my cause, and
he will require my blood from thee shouldst thou slay me, for the Lord is the
judge and arbiter, and it is he who will requite man according to his evil,
and the wicked man according to the wickedness that he may do upon earth.
23 And now, if thou shouldst
slay me here, surely God knoweth thy secret views, and will judge thee for
the evil which thou didst declare to do unto me this day.
24 And when Cain heard the words
which Abel his brother had spoken, behold the anger of Cain was kindled
against his brother Abel for declaring this thing.
25 And Cain hastened and rose
up, and took the iron part of his ploughing instrument, with which he
suddenly smote his brother and he slew him, and Cain spilt the blood of his
brother Abel upon the earth, and the blood of Abel streamed upon the earth
before the flock.
3
26 And after this Cain repented
having slain his brother, and he was sadly grieved, and he wept over him and
it vexed him exceedingly.
27 And Cain rose up and dug a
hole in the field, wherein he put his brother's body, and he turned the dust
over it.
28 And the Lord knew what Cain
had done to his brother, and the Lord appeared to Cain and said unto him,
Where is Abel thy brother that was with thee?
29 And Cain dissembled, and
said, I do not know, am I my brother's keeper? And the Lord said unto him,
What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the
ground where thou hast slain him.
30 For thou hast slain thy brother
and hast dissembled before me, and didst imagine in thy heart that I saw thee
not, nor knew all thy actions.
31 But thou didst this thing and
didst slay thy brother for naught and because he spoke rightly to thee, and
now, therefore, cursed be thou from the ground which opened its mouth to
receive thy brother's blood from thy hand, and wherein thou didst bury him.
32 And it shall be when thou
shalt till it, it shall no more give thee its strength as in the beginning,
for thorns and thistles shall the ground produce, and thou shalt be moving
and wandering in the earth until the day of thy death.
33 And at that time Cain went
out from the presence of the Lord, from the place where he was, and he went
moving and wandering in the land toward the east of Eden, he and all
belonging to him.
34 And Cain knew his wife in
those days, and she conceived and bare a son, and he called his name Enoch,
saying, In that time the Lord began to give him rest and quiet in the earth.
35 And at that time Cain also
began to build a city: and he built the city and he called the name of the
city Enoch, according to the name of his son; for in those days the Lord had
given him rest upon the earth, and he did not move about and wander as in the
beginning.
36 And Irad was born to Enoch,
and Irad begat Mechuyael and Mechuyael begat Methusael.
CHAPTER 2
1 And it was in the hundred and
thirtieth year of the life of Adam upon the earth, that he again knew Eve his
wife, and she conceived and bare a son in his likeness and in his image, and
she called his name Seth, saying, Because God has appointed me another seed
in the place of Abel, for Cain has slain him.
2 And Seth lived one hundred and
five years, and he begat a son; and Seth called the name of his son Enosh,
saying, Because in that time the sons of men began to multiply, and to
afflict their souls and hearts by transgressing and rebelling against God.
3 And it was in the days of
Enosh that the sons of men continued to rebel and transgress against God, to
increase the anger of the Lord against the sons of men.
4 And the sons of men went and
they served other gods, and they forgot the Lord who had created them in the
earth: and in those days the sons of men made images of brass and iron, wood
and stone, and they bowed down and served them.
5 And every man made his god and
they bowed down to them,
4
and the sons of men forsook the
Lord all the days of Enosh and his children; and the anger of the Lord was
kindled on account of their works and abominations which they did in the
earth.
6 And the Lord caused the waters
of the river Gihon to overwhelm them, and he destroyed and consumed them, and
he destroyed the third part of the earth, and notwithstanding this, the sons
of men did not turn from their evil ways, and their hands were yet extended
to do evil in the sight of the Lord.
7 And in those days there was
neither sowing nor reaping in the earth; and there was no food for the sons
of men and the famine was very great in those days.
8 And the seed which they sowed
in those days in the ground became thorns, thistles and briers; for from the
days of Adam was this declaration concerning the earth, of the curse of God,
which he cursed the earth, on account of the sin which Adam sinned before the
Lord.
9 And it was when men continued
to rebel and transgress against God, and to corrupt their ways, that the
earth also became corrupt.
10 And Enosh lived ninety years
and he begat Cainan;
11 And Cainan grew up and he was
forty years old, and he became wise and had knowledge and skill in all
wisdom, and he reigned over all the sons of men, and he led the sons of men
to wisdom and knowledge; for Cainan was a very wise man and had understanding
in all wisdom, and with his wisdom he ruled over spirits and demons;
12 And Cainan knew by his wisdom
that God would destroy the sons of men for having sinned upon earth, and that
the Lord would in the latter days bring upon them the waters of the flood.
13 And in those days Cainan
wrote upon tablets of stone, what was to take place in time to come, and he
put them in his treasures.
14 And Cainan reigned over the
whole earth, and he turned some of the sons of men to the service of God.
15 And when Cainan was seventy
years old, he begat three sons and two daughters.
16 And these are the names of
the children of Cainan; the name of the first born Mahlallel, the second
Enan, and the third Mered, and their sisters were Adah and Zillah; these are
the five children of Cainan that were born to him.
17 And Lamech, the son of
Methusael, became related to Cainan by marriage, and he took his two
daughters for his wives, and Adah conceived and bare a son to Lamech, and she
called his name Jabal.
18 And she again conceived and
bare a son, and called his name Jubal; and Zillah, her sister, was barren in
those days and had no offspring.
19 For in those days the sons of
men began to trespass against God, and to transgress the commandments which
he had commanded to Adam, to be fruitful and multiply in the earth.
20 And some of the sons of men caused
their wives to drink a draught that would render them barren, in order that
they might retain their figures and whereby their beautiful appearance might
not fade.
21 And when the sons of men
caused some of their wives to drink, Zillah drank with them.
22 And the child-bearing women
appeared abominable in the sight of
5
their husbands as widows, whilst
their husbands lived, for to the barren ones only they were attached.
23 And in the end of days and
years, when Zillah became old, the Lord opened her womb.
24 And she conceived and bare a
son and she called his name Tubal Cain, saying, After I had withered away
have I obtained him from the Almighty God.
25 And she conceived again and
bare a daughter, and she called her name Naamah, for she said, After I had
withered away have I obtained pleasure and delight.
26 And Lamech was old and
advanced in years, and his eyes were dim that he could not see, and Tubal
Cain, his son, was leading him and it was one day that Lamech went into the
field and Tubal Cain his son was with him, and whilst they were walking in
the field, Cain the son of Adam advanced towards them; for Lamech was very
old and could not see much, and Tubal Cain his son was very young.
27 And Tubal Cain told his
father to draw his bow, and with the arrows he smote Cain, who was yet far
off, and he slew him, for he appeared to them to be an animal.
28 And the arrows entered Cain's
body although he was distant from them, and he fell to the ground and died.
29 And the Lord requited Cain's
evil according to his wickedness, which he had done to his brother Abel,
according to the word of the Lord which he had spoken.
30 And it came to pass when Cain
had died, that Lamech and Tubal went to see the animal which they had slain,
and they saw, and behold Cain their grandfather was fallen dead upon the
earth.
31 And Lamech was very much
grieved at having done this, and in clapping his hands together he struck his
son and caused his death.
32. And the wives of Lamech heard
what Lamech had done, and they sought to kill him.
33 And the wives of Lamech hated
him from that day, because he slew Cain and Tubal Cain, and the wives of
Lamech separated from him, and would not hearken to him in those days.
34 And Lamech came to his wives,
and he pressed them to listen to him about this matter.
35 And he said to his wives Adah
and Zillah, Hear my voice O wives of Lamech, attend to my words, for now you
have imagined and said that I slew a man with my wounds, and a child with my
stripes for their having done no violence, but surely know that I am old and
grey-headed, and that my eyes are heavy through age, and I did this thing
unknowingly.
36 And the wives of Lamech
listened to him in this matter, and they returned to him with the advice of
their father Adam, but they bore no children to him from that time, knowing
that God's anger was increasing in those days against the sons of men, to
destroy them with the waters of the flood for their evil doings.
37 And Mahlallel the son of
Cainan lived sixty-five years and he begat Jared; and Jared lived sixty-two
years and he begat Enoch.
CHAPTER 3
1 And Enoch lived sixty-five
years and he begat Methuselah; and Enoch walked with God after having begot
Methuselah, and he served the Lord, and despised the evil ways of men.
6
2 And the soul of Enoch was
wrapped up in the instruction of the Lord, in knowledge and in understanding;
and he wisely retired from the sons of men, and secreted himself from them
for many days.
3 And it was at the expiration
of many years, whilst he was serving the Lord, and praying before him in his
house, that an angel of the Lord called to him from Heaven, and he said, Here
am I.
4 And he said, Rise, go forth from
thy house and from the place where thou dost hide thyself, and appear to the
sons of men, in order that thou mayest teach them the way in which they
should go and the work which they must accomplish to enter in the ways of
God.
5 And Enoch rose up according to
the word of the Lord, and went forth from his house, from his place and from
the chamber in which he was concealed; and he went to the sons of men and
taught them the ways of the Lord, and at that time assembled the sons of men
and acquainted them with the instruction of the Lord.
6 And he ordered it to be
proclaimed in all places where the sons of men dwelt, saying, Where is the
man who wishes to know the ways of the Lord and good works? let him come to
Enoch.
7 And all the sons of men then
assembled to him, for all who desired this thing went to Enoch, and Enoch
reigned over the sons of men according to the word of the Lord, and they came
and bowed to him and they heard his word.
8 And the spirit of God was upon
Enoch, and he taught all his men the wisdom of God and his ways, and the sons
of men served the Lord all the days of Enoch, and they came to hear his
wisdom.
9 And all the kings of the sons
of men, both first and last, together with their princes and judges, came to
Enoch when they heard of his wisdom, and they bowed down to him, and they
also required of Enoch to reign over them, to which he consented.
10 And they assembled in all,
one hundred and thirty kings and princes, and they made Enoch king over them
and they were all under his power and command.
11 And Enoch taught them wisdom,
knowledge, and the ways of the Lord; and he made peace amongst them, and
peace was throughout the earth during the life of Enoch.
12 And Enoch reigned over the
sons of men two hundred and forty-three years, and he did justice and
righteousness with all his people, and he led them in the ways of the Lord.
13 And these are the generations
of Enoch, Methuselah, Elisha, and Elimelech, three sons; and their sisters
were Melca and Nahmah, and Methuselah lived eighty-seven years and he begat
Lamech.
14 And it was in the fifty-sixth
year of the life of Lamech when Adam died; nine hundred and thirty years old
was he at his death, and his two sons, with Enoch and Methuselah his son,
buried him with great pomp, as at the burial of kings, in the cave which God
had told him.
15 And in that place all the
sons of men made a great mourning and weeping on account of Adam; it has
therefore become a custom among the sons of men to this day.
16 And Adam died because he ate
of the tree of knowledge; he and his children after him, as the Lord God had
spoken.
7
17 And it was in the year of
Adam's death which was the two hundred and forty-third year of the reign of
Enoch, in that time Enoch resolved to separate himself from the sons of men
and to secret himself as at first in order to serve the Lord.
18 And Enoch did so, but did not
entirely secret himself from them, but kept away from the sons of men three
days and then went to them for one day.
19 And during the three days
that he was in his chamber, he prayed to, and praised the Lord his God, and
the day on which he went and appeared to his subjects he taught them the ways
of the Lord, and all they asked him about the Lord he told them.
20 And he did in this manner for
many years, and he afterward concealed himself for six days, and appeared to
his people one day in seven; and after that once in a month, and then once in
a year, until all the kings, princes and sons of men sought for him, and
desired again to see the face of Enoch, and to hear his word; but they could
not, as all the sons of men were greatly afraid of Enoch, and they feared to
approach him on account of the Godlike awe that was seated upon his
countenance; therefore no man could look at him, fearing he might be punished
and die.
21 And all the kings and princes
resolved to assemble the sons of men, and to come to Enoch, thinking that
they might all speak to him at the time when he should come forth amongst
them, and they did so.
22 And the day came when Enoch
went forth and they all assembled and came to him, and Enoch spoke to them
the words of the Lord and he taught them wisdom and knowledge, and they bowed
down before him and they said, May the king live! May the king live!
23 And in some time after, when
the kings and princes and the sons of men were speaking to Enoch, and Enoch
was teaching them the ways of God, behold an angel of the Lord then called
unto Enoch from heaven, and wished to bring him up to heaven to make him reign
there over the sons of God, as he had reigned over the sons of men upon
earth.
24 When at that time Enoch heard
this he went and assembled all the inhabitants of the earth, and taught them
wisdom and knowledge and gave them divine instructions, and he said to them,
I have been required to ascend into heaven, I therefore do not know the day
of my going.
25 And now therefore I will
teach you wisdom and knowledge and will give you instruction before I leave
you, how to act upon earth whereby you may live; and he did so.
26 And he taught them wisdom and
knowledge, and gave them instruction, and he reproved them, and he placed
before them statutes and judgments to do upon earth, and he made peace
amongst them, and he taught them everlasting life, and dwelt with them some
time teaching them all these things.
27 And at that time the sons of
men were with Enoch, and Enoch was speaking to them, and they lifted up their
eyes and the likeness of a great horse descended from heaven, and the horse
paced in the air;
28 And they told Enoch what they
had seen, and Enoch said to them, On my account does this horse descend upon
earth; the time is come when I must go from you and I shall no more be seen
by you.
29 And the horse descended at
that time and stood before Enoch, and all the sons of men that were with
Enoch saw him.
8
30 And Enoch then again ordered
a voice to be proclaimed, saying, Where is the man who delighteth to know the
ways of the Lord his God, let him come this day to Enoch before he is taken
from us.
31 And all the sons of men
assembled and came to Enoch that day; and all the kings of the earth with
their princes and counsellors remained with him that day; and Enoch then
taught the sons of men wisdom and knowledge, and gave them divine
instruction; and he bade them serve the Lord and walk in his ways all the
days of their lives, and he continued to make peace amongst them.
32 And it was after this that he
rose up and rode upon the horse; and he went forth and all the sons of men
went after him, about eight hundred thousand men; and they went with him one
day's journey.
33 And the second day he said to
them, Return home to your tents, why will you go? perhaps you may die; and
some of them went from him, and those that remained went with him six day's
journey; and Enoch said to them every day, Return to your tents, lest you may
die; but they were not willing to return, and they went with him.
34 And on the sixth day some of
the men remained and clung to him, and they said to him, We will go with thee
to the place where thou goest; as the Lord liveth, death only shall separate
us.
35 And they urged so much to go
with him, that he ceased speaking to them; and they went after him and would
not return;
36 And when the kings returned
they caused a census to be taken, in order to know the number of remaining
men that went with Enoch; and it was upon the seventh day that Enoch ascended
into heaven in a whirlwind, with horses and chariots of fire.
37 And on the eighth day all the
kings that had been with Enoch sent to bring back the number of men that were
with Enoch, in that place from which he ascended into heaven.
38 And all those kings went to
the place and they found the earth there filled with snow, and upon the snow
were large stones of snow, and one said to the other, Come, let us break
through the snow and see, perhaps the men that remained with Enoch are dead,
and are now under the stones of snow, and they searched but could not find
him, for he had ascended into heaven.
CHAPTER 4
1 And all the days that Enoch
lived upon earth, were three hundred and sixty-five years.
2 And when Enoch had ascended
into heaven, all the kings of the earth rose and took Methuselah his son and
anointed him, and they caused him to reign over them in the place of his
father.
3 And Methuselah acted uprightly
in the sight of God, as his father Enoch had taught him, and he likewise
during the whole of his life taught the sons of men wisdom, knowledge and the
fear of God, and he did not turn from the good way either to the right or to
the left.
4 But in the latter days of
Methuselah, the sons of men turned from the Lord, they corrupted the earth,
they robbed and plundered each other, and they rebelled against God and they
transgressed, and they corrupted their ways, and would not hearken to the
voice of Methuselah, but rebelled against him.
5 And the Lord was exceedingly
wroth against them, and the Lord continued to destroy the seed in those
9
days, so that there was neither
sowing nor reaping in the earth.
6 For when they sowed the ground
in order that they might obtain food for their support, behold, thorns and
thistles were produced which they did not sow.
7 And still the sons of men did
not turn from their evil ways, and their hands were still extended to do evil
in the sight of God, and they provoked the Lord with their evil ways, and the
Lord was very wroth, and repented that he had made man.
8 And he thought to destroy and
annihilate them and he did so.
9 In those days when Lamech the
son of Methuselah was one hundred and sixty years old, Seth the son of Adam
died.
10 And all the days that Seth
lived, were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.
11 And Lamech was one hundred
and eighty years old when he took Ashmua, the daughter of Elishaa the son of
Enoch his uncle, and she conceived.
12 And at that time the sons of
men sowed the ground, and a little food was produced, yet the sons of men did
not turn from their evil ways, and they trespassed and rebelled against God.
13 And the wife of Lamech conceived
and bare him a son at that time, at the revolution of the year.
14 And Methuselah called his
name Noah, saying, The earth was in his days at rest and free from
corruption, and Lamech his father called his name Menachem, saying, This one
shall comfort us in our works and miserable toil in the earth, which God had
cursed.
15 And the child grew up and was
weaned, and he went in the ways of his father Methuselah, perfect and upright
with God.
16 And all the sons of men
departed from the ways of the Lord in those days as they multiplied upon the
face of the earth with sons and daughters, and they taught one another their
evil practices and they continued sinning against the Lord.
17 And every man made unto
himself a god, and they robbed and plundered every man his neighbor as well
as his relative, and they corrupted the earth, and the earth was filled with
violence.
18 And their judges and rulers
went to the daughters of men and took their wives by force from their
husbands according to their choice, and the sons of men in those days took
from the cattle of the earth, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the
air, and taught the mixture of animals of one species with the other, in
order therewith to provoke the Lord; and God saw the whole earth and it was corrupt,
for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon earth, all men and all animals.
19 And the Lord said, I will
blot out man that I created from the face of the earth, yea from man to the
birds of the air, together with cattle and beasts that are in the field for I
repent that I made them.
20 And all men who walked in the
ways of the Lord, died in those days, before the Lord brought the evil upon
man which he had declared, for this was from the Lord, that they should not
see the evil which the Lord spoke of concerning the sons of men.
21 And Noah found grace in the
sight of the Lord, and the Lord chose him and his children to raise up seed
from them upon the face of the whole earth.
10
CHAPTER 5
1 And it was in the
eighty-fourth year of the life of Noah, that Enoch the son of Seth died, he
was nine hundred and five years old at his death.
2 And in the one hundred and
seventy ninth year of the life of Noah, Cainan the son of Enosh died, and all
the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died.
3 And in the two hundred and
thirty fourth year of the life of Noah, Mahlallel the son of Cainan died, and
the days of Mahlallel were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died.
4 And Jared the son of Mahlallel
died in those days, in the three hundred and thirty-sixth year of the life of
Noah; and all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he
died.
5 And all who followed the Lord
died in those days, before they saw the evil which God declared to do upon
earth.
6 And after the lapse of many
years, in the four hundred and eightieth year of the life of Noah, when all
those men, who followed the Lord had died away from amongst the sons of men,
and only Methuselah was then left, God said unto Noah and Methuselah, saying,
7 Speak ye, and proclaim to the
sons of men, saying, Thus saith the Lord, return from your evil ways and
forsake your works, and the Lord will repent of the evil that he declared to
do to you, so that it shall not come to pass.
8 For thus saith the Lord, Behold
I give you a period of one hundred and twenty years; if you will turn to me
and forsake your evil ways, then will I also turn away from the evil which I
told you, and it shall not exist, saith the Lord.
9 And Noah and Methuselah spoke
all the words of the Lord to the sons of men, day after day, constantly
speaking to them.
10 But the sons of men would not
hearken to them, nor incline their ears to their words, and they were
stiffnecked.
11 And the Lord granted them a
period of one hundred and twenty years, saying, If they will return, then
will God repent of the evil, so as not to destroy the earth.
12 Noah the son of Lamech
refrained from taking a wife in those days, to beget children, for he said,
Surely now God will destroy the earth, wherefore then shall I beget children?
13 And Noah was a just man, he
was perfect in his generation, and the Lord chose him to raise up seed from
his seed upon the face of the earth.
14 And the Lord said unto Noah,
Take unto thee a wife, and beget children, for I have seen thee righteous
before me in this generation.
15 And thou shalt raise up seed,
and thy children with thee, in the midst of the earth; and Noah went and took
a wife, and he chose Naamah the daughter of Enoch, and she was five hundred
and eighty years old.
16 And Noah was four hundred and
ninety-eight years old, when he took Naamah for a wife.
17 And Naamah conceived and bare
a son, and he called his name Japheth, saying, God has enlarged me in the
earth; and she conceived again and bare a son, and he called his name Shem,
saying, God has made me a remnant, to raise up seed in the midst of the
earth.
18 And Noah was five hundred and
two years old when Naamah bare Shem, and the boys grew up and went in the
ways of the Lord, in all that Methuselah
11
and Noah their father taught
them.
19 And Lamech the father of
Noah, died in those days; yet verily he did not go with all his heart in the
ways of his father, and he died in the hundred and ninety-fifth year of the
life of Noah.
20 And all the days of Lamech
were seven hundred and seventy years, and he died.
21 And all the sons of men who
knew the Lord, died in that year before the Lord brought evil upon them; for
the Lord willed them to die, so as not to behold the evil that God would
bring upon their brothers and relatives, as he had so declared to do.
22 In that time, the Lord said
to Noah and Methuselah, Stand forth and proclaim to the sons of men all the
words that I spoke to you in those days, peradventure they may turn from
their evil ways, and I will then repent of the evil and will not bring it.
23 And Noah and Methuselah stood
forth, and said in the ears of the sons of men, all that God had spoken
concerning them.
24 But the sons of men would not
hearken, neither would they incline their ears to all their declarations.
25 And it was after this that
the Lord said to Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me, on account of
their evil deeds, and behold I will destroy the earth.
26 And do thou take unto thee
gopher wood, and go to a certain place and make a large ark, and place it in
that spot.
27 And thus shalt thou make it;
three hundred cubits its length, fifty cubits broad and thirty cubits high.
28 And thou shalt make unto thee
a door, open at its side, and to a cubit thou shalt finish above, and cover
it within and without with pitch.
29 And behold I will bring the
flood of waters upon the earth, and all flesh be destroyed, from under the
heavens all that is upon earth shall perish.
30 And thou and thy household
shall go and gather two couple of all living things, male and female, and
shall bring them to the ark, to raise up seed from them upon earth.
31 And gather unto thee all food
that is eaten by all the animals, that there may be food for thee and for
them.
32 And thou shalt choose for thy
sons three maidens, from the daughters of men, and they shall be wives to thy
sons.
33 And Noah rose up, and he made
the ark, in the place where God had commanded him, and Noah did as God had
ordered him.
34 In his five hundred and
ninety-fifth year Noah commenced to make the ark, and he made the ark in five
years, as the Lord had commanded.
35 Then Noah took the three
daughters of Eliakim, son of Methuselah, for wives for his sons, as the Lord
had commanded Noah.
36 And it was at that time
Methuselah the son of Enoch died, nine hundred and sixty years old was he, at
his death.
CHAPTER 6
1 At that time, after the death
of Methuselah, the Lord said to Noah, Go thou with thy household into the
ark; behold I will gather to thee all the animals of the earth, the beasts of
the field and the fowls of the air, and they shall all come and surround the
ark.
2 And thou shalt go and seat
thyself by the doors of the ark, and all the beasts, the animals, and the
fowls, shall assemble and place themselves before thee, and such of them as
shall
12
come and crouch before thee,
shalt thou take and deliver into the hands of thy sons, who shall bring them
to the ark, and all that will stand before thee thou shalt leave.
3 And the Lord brought this
about on the next day, and animals, beasts and fowls came in great multitudes
and surrounded the ark.
4 And Noah went and seated
himself by the door of the ark, and of all flesh that crouched before him, he
brought into the ark, and all that stood before him he left upon earth.
5 And a lioness came, with her
two whelps, male and female, and the three crouched before Noah, and the two
whelps rose up against the lioness and smote her, and made her flee from her
place, and she went away, and they returned to their places, and crouched
upon the earth before Noah.
6 And the lioness ran away, and
stood in the place of the lions.
7 And Noah saw this, and
wondered greatly, and he rose and took the two whelps, and brought them into
the ark.
8 And Noah brought into the ark
from all living creatures that were upon earth, so that there was none left
but which Noah brought into the ark.
9 Two and two came to Noah into
the ark, but from the clean animals, and clean fowls, he brought seven
couples, as God had commanded him.
10 And all the animals, and
beasts, and fowls, were still there, and they surrounded the ark at every
place, and the rain had not descended till seven days after.
11 And on that day, the Lord
caused the whole earth to shake, and the sun darkened, and the foundations of
the world raged, and the whole earth was moved violently, and the lightning
flashed, and the thunder roared, and all the fountains in the earth were
broken up, such as was not known to the inhabitants before; and God did this
mighty act, in order to terrify the sons of men, that there might be no more
evil upon earth.
12 And still the sons of men
would not return from their evil ways, and they increased the anger of the
Lord at that time, and did not even direct their hearts to all this.
13 And at the end of seven days,
in the six hundredth year of the life of Noah, the waters of the flood were
upon the earth.
14 And all the fountains of the
deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened, and the rain was
upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
15 And Noah and his household,
and all the living creatures that were with him, came into the ark on account
of the waters of the flood, and the Lord shut him in.
16 And all the sons of men that
were left upon the earth, became exhausted through evil on account of the
rain, for the waters were coming more violently upon the earth, and the
animals and beasts were still surrounding the ark.
17 And the sons of men assembled
together, about seven hundred thousand men and women, and they came unto Noah
to the ark.
18 And they called to Noah,
saying, Open for us that we may come to thee in the ark--and wherefore shall
we die?
19 And Noah, with a loud voice,
answered them from the ark, saying, Have you not all rebelled against the
Lord, and said that he does not exist? and therefore the Lord brought upon
you this evil, to destroy and cut you off from the face of the earth.
13
20 Is not this the thing that I
spoke to you of one hundred and twenty years back, and you would not hearken
to the voice of the Lord, and now do you desire to live upon earth?
21 And they said to Noah, We are
ready to return to the Lord; only open for us that we may live and not die.
22 And Noah answered them,
saying, Behold now that you see the trouble of your souls, you wish to return
to the Lord; why did you not return during these hundred and twenty years,
which the Lord granted you as the determined period?
23 But now you come and tell me
this on account of the troubles of your souls, now also the Lord will not
listen to you, neither will he give ear to you on this day, so that you will
not now succeed in your wishes.
24 And the sons of men
approached in order to break into the ark, to come in on account of the rain,
for they could not bear the rain upon them.
25 And the Lord sent all the
beasts and animals that stood round the ark. And the beasts overpowered them
and drove them from that place, and every man went his way and they again
scattered themselves upon the face of the earth.
26 And the rain was still
descending upon the earth, and it descended forty days and forty nights, and
the waters prevailed greatly upon the earth; and all flesh that was upon the
earth or in the waters died, whether men, animals, beasts, creeping things or
birds of the air, and there only remained Noah and those that were with him
in the ark.
27 And the waters prevailed and
they greatly increased upon the earth, and they lifted up the ark and it was
raised from the earth.
28 And the ark floated upon the
face of the waters, and it was tossed upon the waters so that all the living
creatures within were turned about like pottage in a cauldron.
29 And great anxiety seized all
the living creatures that were in the ark, and the ark was like to be broken.
30 And all the living creatures
that were in the ark were terrified, and the lions roared, and the oxen
lowed, and the wolves howled, and every living creature in the ark spoke and
lamented in its own language, so that their voices reached to a great
distance, and Noah and his sons cried and wept in their troubles; they were
greatly afraid that they had reached the gates of death.
31 And Noah prayed unto the
Lord, and cried unto him on account of this, and he said, O Lord help us, for
we have no strength to bear this evil that has encompassed us, for the waves
of the waters have surrounded us, mischievous torrents have terrified us, the
snares of death have come before us; answer us, O Lord, answer us, light up
thy countenance toward us and be gracious to us, redeem us and deliver us.
32 And the Lord hearkened to the
voice of Noah, and the Lord remembered him.
33 And a wind passed over the
earth, and the waters were still and the ark rested.
34 And the fountains of the deep
and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was
restrained.
35 And the waters decreased in
those days, and the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat.
36 And Noah then opened the
windows of the ark, and Noah still called out to the Lord at that time and he
said, O Lord, who didst form the earth and the heavens and all that are
therein, bring forth our souls from this
14
confinement, and from the prison
wherein thou hast placed us, for I am much wearied with sighing.
37 And the Lord hearkened to the
voice of Noah, and said to him, When though shalt have completed a full year
thou shalt then go forth.
38 And at the revolution of the
year, when a full year was completed to Noah's dwelling in the ark, the
waters were dried from off the earth, and Noah put off the covering of the
ark.
39 At that time, on the
twenty-seventh day of the second month, the earth was dry, but Noah and his
sons, and those that were with him, did not go out from the ark until the
Lord told them.
40 And the day came that the
Lord told them to go out, and they all went out from the ark.
41 And they went and returned
every one to his way and to his place, and Noah and his sons dwelt in the
land that God had told them, and they served the Lord all their days, and the
Lord blessed Noah and his sons on their going out from the ark.
42 And he said to them, Be
fruitful and fill all the earth; become strong and increase abundantly in the
earth and multiply therein.
CHAPTER 7
1 And these are the names of the
sons of Noah: Japheth, Ham and Shem; and children were born to them after the
flood, for they had taken wives before the flood.
2 These are the sons of Japheth;
Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras, seven sons.
3 And the sons of Gomer were
Askinaz, Rephath and Tegarmah.
4 And the sons of Magog were
Elichanaf and Lubal.
5 And the children of Madai were
Achon, Zeelo, Chazoni and Lot.
6 And the sons of Javan were
Elisha, Tarshish, Chittim and Dudonim.
7 And the sons of Tubal were
Ariphi, Kesed and Taari.
8 And the sons of Meshech were
Dedon, Zaron and Shebashni.
9 And the sons of Tiras were
Benib, Gera, Lupirion and Gilak; these are the sons of Japheth according to
their families, and their numbers in those days were about four hundred and
sixty men.
10 And these are the sons of
Ham; Cush, Mitzraim, Phut and Canaan, four sons; and the sons of Cush were
Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raama and Satecha, and the sons of Raama were Sheba and
Dedan.
11 And the sons of Mitzraim were
Lud, Anom and Pathros, Chasloth and Chaphtor.
12 And the sons of Phut were
Gebul, Hadan, Benah and Adan.
13 And the sons of Canaan were
Zidon, Heth, Amori, Gergashi, Hivi, Arkee, Seni, Arodi, Zimodi and Chamothi.
14 These are the sons of Ham,
according to their families, and their numbers in those days were about seven
hundred and thirty men.
15 And these are the sons of
Shem; Elam, Ashur, Arpachshad, Lud and Aram, five sons; and the sons of Elam
were Shushan, Machul and Harmon.
16 And the sons of Ashar were
Mirus and Mokil, and the sons of Arpachshad were Shelach, Anar and Ashcol.
17 And the sons of Lud were
Pethor and Bizayon, and the sons of Aram were Uz, Chul, Gather and Mash.
18 These are the sons of Shem,
according to their families; and their numbers in those days were about three
hundred men.
15
19 These are the generations of
Shem; Shem begat Arpachshad and Arpachshad begat Shelach, and Shelach begat
Eber and to Eber were born two children, the name of one was Peleg, for in
his days the sons of men were divided, and in the latter days, the earth was
divided.
20 And the name of the second
was Yoktan, meaning that in his day the lives of the sons of men were
diminished and lessened.
21 These are the sons of Yoktan;
Almodad, Shelaf, Chazarmoveth, Yerach, Hadurom, Ozel, Diklah, Obal, Abimael,
Sheba, Ophir, Havilah and Jobab; all these are the sons of Yoktan.
22 And Peleg his brother begat
Yen, and Yen begat Serug, and Serug begat Nahor and Nahor begat Terah, and
Terah was thirty-eight years old, and he begat Haran and Nahor.
23 And Cush the son of Ham, the
son of Noah, took a wife in those days in his old age, and she bare a son,
and they called his name Nimrod, saying, At that time the sons of men again
began to rebel and transgress against God, and the child grew up, and his
father loved him exceedingly, for he was the son of his old age.
24 And the garments of skin
which God made for Adam and his wife, when they went out of the garden, were
given to Cush.
25 For after the death of Adam
and his wife, the garments were given to Enoch, the son of Jared, and when
Enoch was taken up to God, he gave them to Methuselah, his son.
26 And at the death of
Methuselah, Noah took them and brought them to the ark, and they were with
him until he went out of the ark.
27 And in their going out, Ham
stole those garments from Noah his father, and he took them and hid them from
his brothers.
28 And when Ham begat his first
born Cush, he gave him the garments in secret, and they were with Cush many
days.
29 And Cush also concealed them
from his sons and brothers, and when Cush had begotten Nimrod, he gave him
those garments through his love for him, and Nimrod grew up, and when he was
twenty years old he put on those garments.
30 And Nimrod became strong when
he put on the garments, and God gave him might and strength, and he was a
mighty hunter in the earth, yea, he was a mighty hunter in the field, and he
hunted the animals and he built altars, and he offered upon them the animals
before the Lord.
31 And Nimrod strengthened
himself, and he rose up from amongst his brethren, and he fought the battles
of his brethren against all their enemies round about.
32 And the Lord delivered all
the enemies of his brethren in his hands, and God prospered him from time to
time in his battles, and he reigned upon earth.
33 Therefore it became current
in those days, when a man ushered forth those that he had trained up for
battle, he would say to them, Like God did to Nimrod, who was a mighty hunter
in the earth, and who succeeded in the battles that prevailed against his
brethren, that he delivered them from the hands of their enemies, so may God
strengthen us and deliver us this day.
34 And when Nimrod was forty
years old, at that time there was a war between his brethren and the children
of Japheth, so that they were in the power of their enemies.
16
35 And Nimrod went forth at that
time, and he assembled all the sons of Cush and their families, about four
hundred and sixty men, and he hired also from some of his friends and
acquaintances about eighty men, and be gave them their hire, and he went with
them to battle, and when he was on the road, Nimrod strengthened the hearts
of the people that went with him.
36 And he said to them, Do not
fear, neither be alarmed, for all our enemies will be delivered into our
hands, and you may do with them as you please.
37 And all the men that went
were about five hundred, and they fought against their enemies, and they
destroyed them, and subdued them, and Nimrod placed standing officers over
them in their respective places.
38 And he took some of their
children as security, and they were all servants to Nimrod and to his
brethren, and Nimrod and all the people that were with him turned homeward.
39 And when Nimrod had joyfully
returned from battle, after having conquered his enemies, all his brethren,
together with those who knew him before, assembled to make him king over
them, and they placed the regal crown upon his head.
40 And he set over his subjects
and people, princes, judges, and rulers, as is the custom amongst kings.
41 And he placed Terah the son
of Nahor the prince of his host, and he dignified him and elevated him above
all his princes.
42 And whilst he was reigning
according to his heart's desire, after having conquered all his enemies around,
he advised with his counselors to build a city for his palace, and they did
so.
43 And they found a large valley
opposite to the east, and they built him a large and extensive city, and
Nimrod called the name of the city that he built Shinar, for the Lord had
vehemently shaken his enemies and destroyed them.
44 And Nimrod dwelt in Shinar,
and he reigned securely, and he fought with his enemies and he subdued them,
and he prospered in all his battles, and his kingdom became very great.
45 And all nations and tongues
heard of his fame, and they gathered themselves to him, and they bowed down
to the earth, and they brought him offerings, and he became their lord and
king, and they all dwelt with him in the city at Shinar, and Nimrod reigned
in the earth over all the sons of Noah, and they were all under his power and
counsel.
46 And all the earth was of one
tongue and words of union, but Nimrod did not go in the ways of the Lord, and
he was more wicked than all the men that were before him, from the days of the
flood until those days.
47 And he made gods of wood and
stone, and he bowed down to them, and he rebelled against the Lord, and
taught all his subjects and the people of the earth his wicked ways; and
Mardon his son was more wicked than his father.
48 And every one that heard of
the acts of Mardon the son of Nimrod would say, concerning him, From the
wicked goeth forth wickedness; therefore it became a proverb in the whole
earth, saying, From the wicked goeth forth wickedness, and it was current in
the words of men from that time to this.
49 And Terah the son of Nahor,
prince of Nimrod's host, was in those days very great in the sight of the
king and his subjects, and the king and princes loved him, and they elevated
him very high.
17
50 And Terah took a wife and her
name was Amthelo the daughter of Cornebo; and the wife of Terah conceived and
bare him a son in those days.
51 Terah was seventy years old
when he begat him, and Terah called the name of his son that was born to him
Abram, because the king had raised him in those days, and dignified him above
all his princes that were with him.
CHAPTER 8
1 And it was in the night that
Abram was born, that all the servants of Terah, and all the wise men of
Nimrod, and his conjurors came and ate and drank in the house of Terah, and
they rejoiced with him on that night.
2 And when all the wise men and
conjurors went out from the house of Terah, they lifted up their eyes toward
heaven that night to look at the stars, and they saw, and behold one very
large star came from the east and ran in the heavens, and he swallowed up the
four stars from the four sides of the heavens.
3 And all the wise men of the
king and his conjurors were astonished at the sight, and the sages understood
this matter, and they knew its import.
4 And they said to each other,
This only betokens the child that has been born to Terah this night, who will
grow up and be fruitful, and multiply, and possess all the earth, he and his
children for ever, and he and his seed will slay great kings, and inherit
their lands.
5 And the wise men and conjurors
went home that night, and in the morning all these wise men and conjurors
rose up early, and assembled in an appointed house.
6 And they spoke and said to
each other, Behold the sight that we saw last night is hidden from the king,
it has not been made known to him.
7 And should this thing get
known to the king in the latter days, he will say to us, Why have you
concealed this matter from me, and then we shall all suffer death; therefore,
now let us go and tell the king the sight which we saw, and the
interpretation thereof, and we shall then remain clear.
8 And they did so, and they all
went to the king and bowed down to him to the ground, and they said, May the
king live, may the king live.
9 We heard that a son was born
to Terah the son of Nahor, the prince of thy host, and we yesternight came to
his house, and we ate and drank and rejoiced with him that night.
10 And when thy servants went
out from the house of Terah, to go to our respective homes to abide there for
the night, we lifted up our eyes to heaven, and we saw a great star coming
from the east, and the same star ran with great speed, and swallowed up four
great stars, from the four sides of the heavens.
11 And thy servants were
astonished at the sight which we saw, and were greatly terrified, and we made
our judgment upon the sight, and knew by our wisdom the proper interpretation
thereof, that this thing applies to the child that is born to Terah, who will
grow up and multiply greatly, and become powerful, and kill all the kings of
the earth, and inherit all their lands, he and his seed forever.
12 And now our lord and king,
behold we have truly acquainted thee with what we have seen concerning this
child.
13 If it seemeth good to the
king to give his father value for this child, we will slay him before he
shall grow up and increase in the land, and his evil
18
increase against us, that we and
our children perish through his evil.
14 And the king heard their
words and they seemed good in his sight, and he sent and called for Terah,
and Terah came before the king.
15 And the king said to Terah, I
have been told that a son was yesternight born to thee, and after this manner
was observed in the heavens at his birth.
16 And now therefore give me the
child, that we may slay him before his evil springs up against us, and I will
give thee for his value, thy house full of silver and gold.
17 And Terah answered the king
and said to him: My Lord and king, I have heard thy words, and thy servant
shall do all that his king desireth.
18 But my lord and king, I will
tell thee what happened to me yesternight, that I may see what advice the
king will give his servant, and then I will answer the king upon what he has
just spoken; and the king said, Speak.
19 And Terah said to the king,
Ayon, son of Mored, came to me yesternight, saying,
20 Give unto me the great and
beautiful horse that the king gave thee, and I will give thee silver and
gold, and straw and provender for its value; and I said to him, Wait till I
see the king concerning thy words, and behold whatever the king saith, that
will I do.
21 And now my lord and king,
behold I have made this thing known to thee, and the advice which my king
will give unto his servant, that will I follow.
22 And the king heard the words
of Terah, and his anger was kindled and he considered him in the light of a
fool.
23 And the king answered Terah,
and he said to him, Art thou so silly, ignorant, or deficient in
understanding, to do this thing, to give thy beautiful horse for silver and
gold or even for straw and provender?
24 Art thou so short of silver
and gold, that thou shouldst do this thing, because thou canst not obtain
straw and provender to feed thy horse? and what is silver and gold to thee,
or straw and provender, that thou shouldst give away that fine horse which I
gave thee, like which there is none to be had on the whole earth?
25 And the king left off
speaking, and Terah answered the king, saying, Like unto this has the king
spoken to his servant;
26 I beseech thee, my lord and
king, what is this which thou didst say unto me, saying, Give thy son that we
may slay him, and I will give thee silver and gold for his value; what shall
I do with silver and gold after the death of my son? who shall inherit me?
surely then at my death, the silver and gold will return to my king who gave
it.
27 And when the king heard the
words of Terah, and the parable which he brought concerning the king, it
grieved him greatly and he was vexed at this thing, and his anger burned
within him.
28 And Terah saw that the anger
of the king was kindled against him, and he answered the king, saying, All
that I have is in the king's power; whatever the king desireth to do to his
servant, that let him do, yea, even my son, he is in the king's power,
without value in exchange, he and his two brothers that are older than he.
29 And the king said to Terah,
No, but I will purchase thy younger son for a price.
30 And Terah answered the king,
saying, I beseech thee my lord and king to let thy servant speak a word
before thee, and let the king hear
19
the word of his servant, and
Terah said, Let my king give me three days' time till I consider this matter
within myself, and consult with my family concerning the words of my king;
and he pressed the king greatly to agree to this.
31 And the king hearkened to
Terah, and he did so and he gave him three days' time, and Terah went out
from the king's presence, and he came home to his family and spoke to them
all the words of the king; and the people were greatly afraid.
32 And it was in the third day
that the king sent to Terah, saying, Send me thy son for a price as I spoke
to thee; and shouldst thou not do this, I will send and slay all thou hast in
thy house, so that thou shalt not even have a dog remaining.
33 And Terah hastened, (as the
thing was urgent from the king), and he took a child from one of his
servants, which his handmaid had born to him that day, and Terah brought the
child to the king and received value for him.
34 And the Lord was with Terah
in this matter, that Nimrod might not cause Abram's death, and the king took
the child from Terah and with all his might dashed his head to the ground,
for he thought it had been Abram; and this was concealed from him from that
day, and it was forgotten by the king, as it was the will of Providence not
to suffer Abram's death.
35 And Terah took Abram his son
secretly, together with his mother and nurse, and he concealed them in a
cave, and he brought them their provisions monthly.
36 And the Lord was with Abram
in the cave and he grew up, and Abram was in the cave ten years, and the king
and his princes, soothsayers and sages, thought that the king had killed
Abram.
CHAPTER 9
1 And Haran, the son of Terah,
Abram's oldest brother, took a wife in those days.
2 Haran was thirty-nine years
old when he took her; and the wife of Haran conceived and bare a son, and he
called his name Lot.
3 And she conceived again and bare
a daughter, and she called her name Milca; and she again conceived and bare a
daughter, and she called her name Sarai.
4 Haran was forty-two years old
when he begat Sarai, which was in the tenth year of the life of Abram; and in
those days Abram and his mother and nurse went out from the cave, as the king
and his subjects had forgotten the affair of Abram.
5 And when Abram came out from
the cave, he went to Noah and his son Shem, and he remained with them to
learn the instruction of the Lord and his ways, and no man knew where Abram
was, and Abram served Noah and Shem his son for a long time.
6 And Abram was in Noah's house
thirty-nine years, and Abram knew the Lord from three years old, and he went
in the ways of the Lord until the day of his death, as Noah and his son Shem
had taught him; and all the sons of the earth in those days greatly
transgressed against the Lord, and they rebelled against him and they served
other gods, and they forgot the Lord who had created them in the earth; and
the inhabitants of the earth made unto themselves, at that time, every man
his god; gods of wood and stone which could neither speak, hear, nor deliver,
and the sons of men served them and they became their gods.
7 And the king and all his
servants, and Terah with all his household were then the first of those that
served gods of wood and stone.
20
8 And Terah had twelve gods of
large size, made of wood and stone, after the twelve months of the year, and
he served each one monthly, and every month Terah would bring his meat
offering and drink offering to his gods; thus did Terah all the days.
9 And all that generation were
wicked in the sight of the Lord, and they thus made every man his god, but
they forsook the Lord who had created them.
10 And there was not a man found
in those days in the whole earth, who knew the Lord (for they served each man
his own God) except Noah and his household, and all those who were under his
counsel knew the Lord in those days.
11 And Abram the son of Terah
was waxing great in those days in the house of Noah, and no man knew it, and
the Lord was with him.
12 And the Lord gave Abram an
understanding heart, and he knew all the works of that generation were vain,
and that all their gods were vain and were of no avail.
13 And Abram saw the sun shining
upon the earth, and Abram said unto himself Surely now this sun that shines
upon the earth is God, and him will I serve.
14 And Abram served the sun in
that day and he prayed to him, and when evening came the sun set as usual,
and Abram said within himself, Surely this cannot be God?
15 And Abram still continued to
speak within himself, Who is he who made the heavens and the earth? who
created upon earth? where is he?
16 And night darkened over him,
and he lifted up his eyes toward the west, north, south, and east, and he saw
that the sun had vanished from the earth, and the day became dark.
17 And Abram saw the stars and
moon before him, and he said, Surely this is the God who created the whole
earth as well as man, and behold these his servants are gods around him: and
Abram served the moon and prayed to it all that night.
18 And in the morning when it
was light and the sun shone upon the earth as usual, Abram saw all the things
that the Lord God had made upon earth.
19 And Abram said unto himself
Surely these are not gods that made the earth and all mankind, but these are
the servants of God, and Abram remained in the house of Noah and there knew
the Lord and his ways' and he served the Lord all the days of his life, and
all that generation forgot the Lord, and served other gods of wood and stone,
and rebelled all their days.
20 And king Nimrod reigned
securely, and all the earth was under his control, and all the earth was of
one tongue and words of union.
21 And all the princes of Nimrod
and his great men took counsel together; Phut, Mitzraim, Cush and Canaan with
their families, and they said to each other, Come let us build ourselves a
city and in it a strong tower, and its top reaching heaven, and we will make
ourselves famed, so that we may reign upon the whole world, in order that the
evil of our enemies may cease from us, that we may reign mightily over them,
and that we may not become scattered over the earth on account of their wars.
22 And they all went before the
king, and they told the king these words, and the king agreed with them in
this affair, and he did so.
21
23 And all the families
assembled consisting of about six hundred thousand men, and they went to seek
an extensive piece of ground to build the city and the tower, and they sought
in the whole earth and they found none like one valley at the east of the
land of Shinar, about two days' walk, and they journeyed there and they dwelt
there.
24 And they began to make bricks
and burn fires to build the city and the tower that they had imagined to
complete.
25 And the building of the tower
was unto them a transgression and a sin, and they began to build it, and
whilst they were building against the Lord God of heaven, they imagined in
their hearts to war against him and to ascend into heaven.
26 And all these people and all
the families divided themselves in three parts; the first said We will ascend
into heaven and fight against him; the second said, We will ascend to heaven
and place our own gods there and serve them; and the third part said, We will
ascend to heaven and smite him with bows and spears; and God knew all their
works and all their evil thoughts, and he saw the city and the tower which
they were building.
27 And when they were building
they built themselves a great city and a very high and strong tower; and on
account of its height the mortar and bricks did not reach the builders in
their ascent to it, until those who went up had completed a full year, and
after that, they reached to the builders and gave them the mortar and the
bricks; thus was it done daily.
28 And behold these ascended and
others descended the whole day; and if a brick should fall from their hands
and get broken, they would all weep over it, and if a man fell and died, none
of them would look at him.
29 And the Lord knew their
thoughts, and it came to pass when they were building they cast the arrows
toward the heavens, and all the arrows fell upon them filled with blood, and
when they saw them they said to each other, Surely we have slain all those
that are in heaven.
30 For this was from the Lord in
order to cause them to err, and in order; to destroy them from off the face
of the ground.
31 And they built the tower and
the city, and they did this thing daily until many days and years were
elapsed.
32 And God said to the seventy
angels who stood foremost before him, to those who were near to him, saying,
Come let us descend and confuse their tongues, that one man shall not
understand the language of his neighbor, and they did so unto them.
33 And from that day following,
they forgot each man his neighbor's tongue, and they could not understand to
speak in one tongue, and when the builder took from the hands of his neighbor
lime or stone which he did not order, the builder would cast it away and
throw it upon his neighbor, that he would die.
34 And they did so many days,
and they killed many of them in this manner.
35 And the Lord smote the three
divisions that were there, and he punished them according to their works and
designs; those who said, We will ascend to heaven
22
and serve our gods, became like
apes and elephants; and those who said, We will smite the heaven with arrows,
the Lord killed them, one man through the hand of his neighbor; and the third
division of those who said, We will ascend to heaven and fight against him,
the Lord scattered them throughout the earth.
36 And those who were left
amongst them, when they knew and understood the evil which was coming upon
them, they forsook the building, and they also became scattered upon the face
of the whole earth.
37 And they ceased building the
city and the tower; therefore he called that place Babel, for there the Lord
confounded the Language of the whole earth; behold it was at the east of the
land of Shinar.
38 And as to the tower which the
sons of men built, the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up one third part
thereof, and a fire also descended from heaven and burned another third, and
the other third is left to this day, and it is of that part which was aloft,
and its circumference is three days' walk.
39 And many of the sons of men
died in that tower, a people without number.
CHAPTER 10
1 And Peleg the son of Eber died
in those days, in the forty-eighth year of the life of Abram son of Terah,
and all the days of Peleg were two hundred and thirty-nine years.
2 And when the Lord had
scattered the sons of men on account of their sin at the tower, behold they
spread forth into many divisions, and all the sons of men were dispersed into
the four corners of the earth.
3 And all the families became
each according to its language, its land, or its city.
4 And the sons of men built many
cities according to their families, in all the places where they went, and
throughout the earth where the Lord had scattered them.
5 And some of them built cities
in places from which they were afterward extirpated, and they called these
cities after their own names, or the names of their children, or after their
particular occurrences.
6 And the sons of Japheth the
son of Noah went and built themselves cities in the places where they were
scattered, and they called all their cities after their names, and the sons
of Japheth were divided upon the face of the earth into many divisions and
languages.
7 And these are the sons of
Japheth according to their families, Gomer, Magog, Medai, Javan, Tubal,
Meshech and Tiras; these are the children of Japheth according to their
generations.
8 And the children of Gomer,
according to their cities, were the Francum, who dwell in the land of Franza,
by the river Franza, by the river Senah.
9 And the children of Rephath
are the Bartonim, who dwell in the land of Bartonia by the river Ledah, which
empties its waters in the great sea Gihon, that is, oceanus.
10 And the children of Tugarma
are ten families, and these are their names: Buzar, Parzunac, Balgar,
Elicanum, Ragbib, Tarki, Bid, Zebuc, Ongal and Tilmaz; all these spread and
rested in the north and built themselves cities.
11 And they called their cities
after their own names, those are they who abide by the rivers Hithlah and
Italac unto this day.
12 But the families of Angoli,
Balgar and Parzunac, they dwell by the great river Dubnee; and the names of
their cities are also according to their own names.
13 And the children of Javan are
the Javanim who dwell in the land of Makdonia, and the children of Medaiare
23
are the Orelum that dwell in the
land of Curson, and the children of Tubal are those that dwell in the land of
Tuskanah by the river Pashiah.
14 And the children of Meshech
are the Shibashni and the children of Tiras are Rushash, Cushni, and Ongolis;
all these went and built themselves cities; those are the cities that are
situate by the sea Jabus by the river Cura, which empties itself in the river
Tragan.
15 And the children of Elishah
are the Almanim, and they also went and built themselves cities; those are
the cities situate between the mountains of Job and Shibathmo; and of them
were the people of Lumbardi who dwell opposite the mountains of Job and Shibathmo,
and they conquered the land of Italia and remained there unto this day.
16 And the children of Chittim
are the Romim who dwell in the valley of Canopia by the river Tibreu.
17 And the children of Dudonim
are those who dwell in the cities of the sea Gihon, in the land of Bordna.
18 These are the families of the
children of Japheth according to their cities and languages, when they were
scattered after the tower, and they called their cities after their names and
occurrences; and these are the names of all their cities according to their
families, which they built in those days after the tower.
19 And the children of Ham were
Cush, Mitzraim, Phut and Canaan according to their generation and cities.
20 All these went and built
themselves cities as they found fit places for them, and they called their
cities after the names of their fathers Cush, Mitzraim, Phut and Canaan.
21 And the children of Mitzraim
are the Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuchim, Pathrusim, Casluchim and
Caphturim, seven families.
22 All these dwell by the river
Sihor, that is the brook of Egypt, and they built themselves cities and
called them after their own names.
23 And the children of Pathros
and Casloch intermarried together, and from them went forth the Pelishtim,
the Azathim, and the Gerarim, the Githim and the Ekronim, in all five
families; these also built themselves cities, and they called their cities
after the names of their fathers unto this day.
24 And the children of Canaan
also built themselves cities, and they called their cities after their names,
eleven cities and others without number.
25 And four men from the family
of Ham went to the land of the plain; these are the names of the four men,
Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim.
26 And these men built
themselves four cities in the land of the plain, and they called the names of
their cities after their own names.
27 And they and their children
and all belonging to them dwelt in those cities, and they were fruitful and
multiplied greatly and dwelt peaceably.
28 And Seir the son of Hur, son
of Hivi, son of Canaan, went and found a valley opposite to Mount Paran, and
he built a city there, and he and his seven sons and his household dwelt
there, and he called the city which he built Seir, according to his name;
that is the land of Seir unto this day.
29 These are the families of the
children of Ham, according to their languages and cities, when they were
scattered to their countries after the tower.
30 And some of the children of
Shem son of Noah, father of all the children of Eber, also went and built
themselves cities
24
in the places wherein they were
scattered, and they called their cities after their names.
31 And the sons of Shem were
Elam, Ashur, Arpachshad, Lud and Aram, and they built themselves cities and
called the names of all their cities after their names.
32 And Ashur son of Shem and his
children and household went forth at that time, a very large body of them,
and they went to a distant land that they found, and they met with a very extensive
valley in the land that they went to, and they built themselves four cities,
and they called them after their own names and occurrences.
33 And these are the names of
the cities which the children of Ashur built, Ninevah, Resen, Calach and
Rehobother; and the children of Ashur dwell there unto this day.
34 And the children of Aram also
went and built themselves a city, and they called the name of the city Uz
after their eldest brother, and they dwell therein; that is the land of Uz to
this day.
35 And in the second year after
the tower a man from the house of Ashur, whose name was Bela, went from the
land of Ninevah to sojourn with his household wherever he could find a place;
and they came until opposite the cities of the plain against Sodom, and they
dwelt there.
36 And the man rose up and built
there a small city, and called its name Bela, after his name; that is the
land of Zoar unto this day.
37 And these are the families of
the children of Shem according to their language and cities, after they were
scattered upon the earth after the tower.
38 And every kingdom, city, and
family of the families of the children of Noah built themselves many cities
after this.
39 And they established
governments in all their cities, in order to be regulated by their orders; so
did all the families of the children of Noah forever.
CHAPTER 11
1 And Nimrod son of Cush was
still in the land of Shinar, and he reigned over it and dwelt there, and he
built cities in the land of Shinar.
2 And these are the names of the
four cities which he built, and he called their names after the occurrences
that happened to them in the building of the tower.
3 And he called the first Babel,
saying, Because the Lord there confounded the language of the whole earth;
and the name of the second he called Erech, because from there God dispersed
them.
4 And the third he called Eched,
saying there was a great battle at that place; and the fourth he called
Calnah, because his princes and mighty men were consumed there, and they
vexed the Lord, they rebelled and transgressed against him.
5 And when Nimrod had built
these cities in the land of Shinar, he placed in them the remainder of his
people, his princes and his mighty men that were left in his kingdom.
6 And Nimrod dwelt in Babel, and
he there renewed his reign over the rest of his subjects, and he reigned
securely, and the subjects and princes of Nimrod called his name Amraphel,
saying that at the tower his princes and men fell through his means.
7 And notwithstanding this,
Nimrod did not return to the Lord, and he continued in wickedness and
25
teaching wickedness to the sons
of men; and Mardon, his son, was worse than his father, and continued to add
to the abominations of his father.
8 And he caused the sons of men
to sin, therefore it is said, From the wicked goeth forth wickedness.
9 At that time there was war
between the families of the children of Ham, as they were dwelling in the
cities which they had built.
10 And Chedorlaomer, king of
Elam, went away from the families of the children of Ham, and he fought with
them and he subdued them, and he went to the five cities of the plain and he
fought against them and he subdued them, and they were under his control.
11 And they served him twelve
years, and they gave him a yearly tax.
12 At that time died Nahor, son
of Serug, in the forty-ninth year of the life of Abram son of Terah.
13 And in the fiftieth year of
the life of Abram son of Terah, Abram came forth from the house of Noah, and
went to his father's house.
14 And Abram knew the Lord, and
he went in his ways and instructions, and the Lord his God was with him.
15 And Terah his father was in
those days, still captain of the host of king Nimrod, and he still followed
strange gods.
16 And Abram came to his
father's house and saw twelve gods standing there in their temples, and the
anger of Abram was kindled when he saw these images in his father's house.
17 And Abram said, As the Lord
liveth these images shall not remain in my father's house; so shall the Lord
who created me do unto me if in three days' time I do not break them all.
18 And Abram went from them, and
his anger burned within him. And Abram hastened and went from the chamber to
his father's outer court, and he found his father sitting in the court, and
all his servants with him, and Abram came and sat before him.
19 And Abram asked his father,
saying, Father, tell me where is God who created heaven and earth, and all
the sons of men upon earth, and who created thee and me. And Terah answered
his son Abram and said, Behold those who created us are all with us in the
house.
20 And Abram said to his father,
My lord, shew them to me I pray thee; and Terah brought Abram into the
chamber of the inner court, and Abram saw, and behold the whole room was full
of gods of wood and stone, twelve great images and others less than they
without number.
21 And Terah said to his son,
Behold these are they which made all thou seest upon earth, and which created
me and thee, and all mankind.
22 And Terah bowed down to his
gods, and he then went away from them, and Abram, his son, went away with
him.
23 And when Abram had gone from
them he went to his mother and sat before her, and he said to his mother,
Behold, my father has shown me those who made heaven and earth, and all the
sons of men.
24 Now, therefore, hasten and
fetch a kid from the flock, and make of it savory meat, that I may bring it
to my father's gods as an offering for them to eat; perhaps I may thereby
become acceptable to them.
25 And his mother did so, and
she fetched a kid, and made savory meat thereof,
26
and brought it to Abram, and
Abram took the savory meat from his mother and brought it before his father's
gods, and he drew nigh to them that they might eat; and Terah his father, did
not know of it.
26 And Abram saw on the day when
he was sitting amongst them, that they had no voice, no hearing, no motion,
and not one of them could stretch forth his hand to eat.
27 And Abram mocked them, and
said, Surely the savory meat that I prepared has not pleased them, or perhaps
it was too little for them, and for that reason they would not eat; therefore
tomorrow I will prepare fresh savory meat, better and more plentiful than
this, in order that I may see the result.
28 And it was on the next day
that Abram directed his mother concerning the savory meat, and his mother
rose and fetched three fine kids from the flock, and she made of them some
excellent savory meat, such as her son was fond of, and she gave it to her son
Abram; and Terah his father did not know of it.
29 And Abram took the savory
meat from his mother, and brought it before his father's gods into the
chamber; and he came nigh unto them that they might eat, and he placed it
before them, and Abram sat before them all day, thinking perhaps they might
eat.
30 And Abram viewed them, and
behold they had neither voice nor hearing, nor did one of them stretch forth
his hand to the meat to eat.
31 And in the evening of that
day in that house Abram was clothed with the spirit of God.
32 And he called out and said,
Wo unto my father and this wicked generation, whose hearts are all inclined
to vanity, who serve these idols of wood and stone which can neither eat,
smell, hear nor speak, who have mouths without speech, eyes without sight,
ears without hearing, hands without feeling, and legs which cannot move; like
them are those that made them and that trust in them.
33 And when Abram saw all these
things his anger was kindled against his father, and he hastened and took a
hatchet in his hand, and came unto the chamber of the gods, and he broke all
his father's gods.
34 And when he had done breaking
the images, he placed the hatchet in the hand of the great god which was
there before them, and he went out; and Terah his father came home, for he
had heard at the door the sound of the striking of the hatchet; so Terah came
into the house to know what this was about.
35 And Terah, having heard the
noise of the hatchet in the room of images, ran to the room to the images,
and he met Abram going out.
36 And Terah entered the room
and found all the idols fallen down and broken, and the hatchet in the hand
of the largest, which was not broken, and the savory meat which Abram his son
had made was still before them.
37 And when Terah saw this his
anger was greatly kindled, and he hastened and went from the room to Abram.
38 And he found Abram his son
still sitting in the house; and he said to him, What is this work thou hast
done to my gods?
39 And Abram answered Terah his
father and he said, Not so my lord, for I brought savory meat before them,
and when I came nigh to them with the meat that they might eat, they all at
once stretched forth their hands to eat before the great one had put forth
his hand to eat.
27
40 And the large one saw their
works that they did before him, and his anger was violently kindled against
them, and he went and took the hatchet that was in the house and came to them
and broke them all, and behold the hatchet is yet in his hand as thou seest.
41 And Terah's anger was kindled
against his son Abram, when he spoke this; and Terah said to Abram his son in
his anger, What is this tale that thou hast told? Thou speakest lies to me.
42 Is there in these gods
spirit, soul or power to do all thou hast told me? Are they not wood and
stone, and have I not myself made them, and canst thou speak such lies,
saying that the large god that was with them smote them? It is thou that
didst place the hatchet in his hands, and then sayest he smote them all.
43 And Abram answered his father
and said to him, And how canst thou then serve these idols in whom there is
no power to do any thing? Can those idols in which thou trustest deliver
thee? can they hear thy prayers when thou callest upon them? can they deliver
thee from the hands of thy enemies, or will they fight thy battles for thee
against thy enemies, that thou shouldst serve wood and stone which can
neither speak nor hear?
44 And now surely it is not good
for thee nor for the sons of men that are connected with thee, to do these
things; are you so silly, so foolish or so short of understanding that you
will serve wood and stone, and do after this manner?
45 And forget the Lord God who
made heaven and earth, and who created you in the earth, and thereby bring a
great evil upon your souls in this matter by serving stone and wood?
46 Did not our fathers in days
of old sin in this matter, and the Lord God of the universe brought the
waters of the flood upon them and destroyed the whole earth?
47 And how can you continue to
do this and serve gods of wood and stone, who cannot hear, or speak, or
deliver you from oppression, thereby bringing down the anger of the God of
the universe upon you?
48 Now therefore my father
refrain from this, and bring not evil upon thy soul and the souls of thy
household.
49 And Abram hastened and sprang
from before his father, and took the hatchet from his father's largest idol,
with which Abram broke it and ran away.
50 And Terah, seeing all that
Abram had done, hastened to go from his house, and he went to the king and he
came before Nimrod and stood before him, and he bowed down to the king; and
the king said, What dost thou want?
51 And he said, I beseech thee
my lord, to hear me--Now fifty years back a child was born to me, and thus
has he done to my gods and thus has he spoken; and now therefore, my lord and
king, send for him that he may come before thee, and judge him according to
the law, that we may be delivered from his evil.
52 And the king sent three men
of his servants, and they went and brought Abram before the king. And Nimrod
and all his princes and servants were that day sitting before him, and Terah
sat also before them.
53 And the king said to Abram,
What is this that thou hast done to thy father and to his gods? And Abram
answered the king in the words that he
28
spoke to his father, and he
said, The large god that was with them in the house did to them what thou
hast heard.
54 And the king said to Abram,
Had they power to speak and eat and do as thou hast said? And Abram answered
the king, saying, And if there be no power in them why dost thou serve them
and cause the sons of men to err through thy follies?
55 Dost thou imagine that they
can deliver thee or do anything small or great, that thou shouldst serve
them? And why wilt thou not sense the God of the whole universe, who created
thee and in whose power it is to kill and keep alive?
56 0 foolish, simple, and
ignorant king, woe unto thee forever.
57 I thought thou wouldst teach
thy servants the upright way, but thou hast not done this, but hast filled
the whole earth with thy sins and the sins of thy people who have followed
thy ways.
58 Dost thou not know, or hast
thou not heard, that this evil which thou doest, our ancestors sinned therein
in days of old, and the eternal God brought the waters of the flood upon them
and destroyed them all, and also destroyed the whole earth on their account?
And wilt thou and thy people rise up now and do like unto this work, in order
to bring down the anger of the Lord God of the universe, and to bring evil
upon thee and the whole earth?
59 Now therefore put away this
evil deed which thou doest, and serve the God of the universe, as thy soul is
in his hands, and then it will be well with thee.
60 And if thy wicked heart will
not hearken to my words to cause thee to forsake thy evil ways, and to serve
the eternal God, then wilt thou die in shame in the latter days, thou, thy
people and all who are connected with thee, hearing thy words or walking in
thy evil ways.
61 And when Abram had ceased
speaking before the king and princes, Abram lifted up his eyes to the
heavens, and he said, The Lord seeth all the wicked, and he will judge them.
CHAPTER 12
1 And when the king heard the
words of Abram he ordered him to be put into prison; and Abram was ten days
in prison.
2 And at the end of those days
the king ordered that all the kings, princes and governors of different
provinces and the sages should come before him, and they sat before him, and
Abram was still in the house of confinement.
3 And the king said to the
princes and sages, Have you heard what Abram, the son of Terah, has done to
his father? Thus has he done to him, and I ordered him to be brought before
me, and thus has he spoken; his heart did not misgive him, neither did he
stir in my presence, and behold now he is confined in the prison.
4 And therefore decide what
judgment is due to this man who reviled the king; who spoke and did all the
things that you heard.
5 And they all answered the king
saying, The man who revileth the king should be hanged upon a tree; but
having done all the things that he said, and having despised our gods, he
must therefore be burned to death, for this is the law in this matter.
6 If it pleaseth the king to do
this, let him order his servants to kindle a fire both night and day in thy
brick furnace, and then we will cast this man into it.
30
And the king did so, and he
commanded his servants that they should prepare a fire for three days and
three nights in the king's furnace, that is in Casdim; and the king ordered
them to take Abram from prison and bring him out to be burned.
7 And all the king's servants,
princes, lords, governors, and judges, and all the inhabitants of the land,
about nine hundred thousand men, stood opposite the furnace to see Abram.
8 And all the women and little
ones crowded upon the roofs and towers to see what was doing with Abram, and
they all stood together at a distance; and there was not a man left that did
not come on that day to behold the scene.
9 And when Abram was come, the
conjurors of the king and the sages saw Abram, and they cried out to the
king, saying, Our sovereign lord, surely this is the man whom we know to have
been the child at whose birth the great star swallowed the four stars, which
we declared to the king now fifty years since.
10 And behold now his father has
also transgressed thy commands, and mocked thee by bringing thee another
child, which thou didst kill.
11 And when the king heard their
words, he was exceedingly wroth, and he ordered Terah to be brought before
him.
12 And the king said, Hast thou
heard what the conjurors have spoken? Now tell me truly, how didst thou; and
if thou shalt speak truth thou shalt be acquitted.
13 And seeing that the king's
anger was so much kindled, Terah said to the king, My lord and king, thou
hast heard the truth, and what the sages have spoken is right. And the king
said, How couldst thou do this thing, to transgress my orders and to give me
a child that thou didst not beget, and to take value for him?
14 And Terah answered the king,
Because my tender feelings were excited for my son, at that time, and I took
a son of my handmaid, and I brought him to the king.
15 And the king said Who advised
thee to this? Tell me, do not hide aught from me, and then thou shalt not
die.
16 And Terah was greatly
terrified in the king's presence, and he said to the king, It was Haran my
eldest son who advised me to this; and Haran was in those days that Abram was
born, two and thirty years old.
17 But Haran did not advise his
father to anything, for Terah said this to the king in order to deliver his
soul from the king, for he feared greatly; and the king said to Terah, Haran
thy son who advised thee to this shall die through fire with Abram; for the
sentence of death is upon him for having rebelled against the king's desire
in doing this thing.
18 And Haran at that time felt
inclined to follow the ways of Abram, but he kept it within himself.
19 And Haran said in his heart,
Behold now the king has seized Abram on account of these things which Abram
did, and it shall come to pass, that if Abram prevail over the king I will
follow him, but if the king prevail I will go after the king.
20 And when Terah had spoken
this to the king concerning Haran his son, the king ordered Haran to be
seized with Abram.
21 And they brought them both,
Abram and Haran his brother, to cast them into the fire; and all the
inhabitants of the land and the king's servants and princes and all the women
and little ones were there, standing that day over them.
22 And the king's servants took
Abram and his brother, and they stripped them of all their clothes excepting
their lower garments which were upon them.
23 And they bound their hands
and feet with linen cords, and the servants of the king lifted them up and
cast them both into the furnace.
24 And the Lord loved Abram and
he had compassion over him, and the Lord came down and delivered Abram from
the fire and he was not burned.
25 But all the cords with which
they bound him were burned, while Abram remained and walked about in the
fire.
26 And Haran died when they had
cast him into the fire, and he was burned to ashes, for his heart was not
perfect with the Lord; and those men who cast him into the fire, the flame of
the fire spread over them, and they were burned, and twelve men of them died.
27 And Abram walked in the midst
of the fire three days and three nights, and all the servants of the king saw
him walking in the fire, and they came and told the king, saying, Behold we
have seen Abram walking about in the midst of the fire, and even the lower
garments which are upon him are not burned, but the cord with which he was
bound is burned.
28 And when the king heard their
words his heart fainted and he would not believe them; so he sent other
faithful princes to see this matter, and they went and saw it and told it to
the king; and the king rose to go and see it, and he saw Abram walking to and
fro in the midst of the fire, and he saw Haran's body burned, and the king
wondered greatly.
29 And the king ordered Abram to
be taken out from the fire; and his servants approached to take him out and
they could not, for the fire was round about and the flame ascending toward
them from the furnace.
30 And the king's servants fled
from it, and the king rebuked them, saying, Make haste and bring Abram out of
the fire that you shall not die.
31 And the servants of the king
again approached to bring Abram out, and the flames came upon them and burned
their faces so that eight of them died.
32 And when the king saw that
his servants could not approach the fire lest they should be burned, the king
called to Abram, O servant of the God who is in heaven, go forth from amidst
the fire and come hither before me; and Abram hearkened to the voice of the
king, and he went forth from the fire and came and stood before the king.
33 And when Abram came out the
king and all his servants saw Abram coming before the king, with his lower
garments upon him, for they were not burned, but the cord with which he was
bound was burned.
34 And the king said to Abram,
How is it that thou wast not burned in the fire?
35 And Abram said to the king,
The God of heaven and earth in whom I trust and who has all in his power, he
delivered me from the fire into which thou didst cast me.
36 And Haran the brother of
Abram was burned to ashes, and they sought for his body, and they found it
consumed.
37 And Haran was eighty-two
years old when he died in the fire of Casdim. And the king, princes, and
inhabitants of the land, seeing that
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Abram was delivered from the
fire, they came and bowed down to Abram.
38 And Abram said to them, Do
not bow down to me, but bow down to the God of the world who made you, and
serve him, and go in his ways for it is he who delivered me from out of this
fire, and it is he who created the souls and spirits of all men, and formed
man in his mother's womb, and brought him forth into the world, and it is he
who will deliver those who trust in him from all pain.
39 And this thing seemed very
wonderful in the eyes of the king and princes, that Abram was saved from the
fire and that Haran was burned; and the king gave Abram many presents and he
gave him his two head servants from the king's house; the name of one was Oni
and the name of the other was Eliezer.
40 And all the kings, princes
and servants gave Abram many gifts of silver and gold and pearl, and the king
and his princes sent him away, and he went in peace.
41 And Abram went forth from the
king in peace, and many of the king's servants followed him, and about three
hundred men joined him.
42 And Abram returned on that
day and went to his father's house, he and the men that followed him, and
Abram served the Lord his God all the days of his life, and he walked in his
ways and followed his law.
43 And from that day forward
Abram inclined the hearts of the sons of men to serve the Lord.
44 And at that time Nahor and
Abram took unto themselves wives, the daughters of their brother Haran; the
wife of Nahor was Milca and the name of Abram's wife was Sarai. And Sarai,
wife of Abram, was barren; she had no offspring in those days.
45 And at the expiration of two
years from Abram's going out of the fire, that is in the fifty-second year of
his life, behold king Nimrod sat in Babel upon the throne, and the king fell
asleep and dreamed that he was standing with his troops and hosts in a valley
opposite the king's furnace.
46 And he lifted up his eyes and
saw a man in the likeness of Abram coming forth from the furnace, and that he
came and stood before the king with his drawn sword, and then sprang to the
king with his sword, when the king fled from the man, for he was afraid; and
while he was running, the man threw an egg upon the king's head, and the egg
became a great river.
47 And the king dreamed that all
his troops sank in that river and died, and the king took flight with three
men who were before him and he escaped.
48 And the king looked at these
men and they were clothed in princely dresses as the garments of kings, and
had the appearance and majesty of kings.
49 And while they were running,
the river again turned to an egg before the king, and there came forth from
the egg a young bird which came before the king, and flew at his head and
plucked out the king's eye.
50 And the king was grieved at
the sight, and he awoke out of his sleep and his spirit was agitated; and he
felt a great terror.
51 And in the morning the king
rose from his couch in fear, and he ordered all the wise men and magicians to
come before him, when the king related his dream to them.
52 And a wise servant of the
king, whose name was Anuki, answered the king, saying, This is nothing else
but the
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evil of Abram and his seed which
will spring up against my Lord and king in the latter days.
53 And behold the day will come
when Abram and his seed and the children of his household will war with my
king, and they will smite all the king's hosts and his troops.
54 And as to what thou hast said
concerning three men which thou didst see like unto thyself, and which did
escape, this means that only thou wilt escape with three kings from the kings
of the earth who will be with thee in battle.
55 And that which thou sawest of
the river which turned to an egg as at first, and the young bird plucking out
thine eye, this means nothing else but the seed of Abram which will slay the
king in latter days.
56 This is my king's dream, and
this is its interpretation, and the dream is true, and the interpretation
which thy servant has given thee is right.
57 Now therefore my king, surely
thou knowest that it is now fifty-two years since thy sages saw this at the
birth of Abram, and if my king will suffer Abram to live in the earth it will
be to the injury of my lord and king, for all the days that Abram liveth
neither thou nor thy kingdom will be established, for this was known formerly
at his birth; and why will not my king slay him, that his evil may be kept
from thee in latter days?
58 And Nimrod hearkened to the
voice of Anuki, and he sent some of his servants in secret to go and seize
Abram, and bring him before the king to suffer death.
59 And Eliezer, Abram's servant
whom the king had given him, was at that time in the presence of the king,
and he heard what Anuki had advised the king, and what the king had said to
cause Abram's death.
60 And Eliezer said to Abram,
Hasten, rise up and save thy soul, that thou mayest not die through the hands
of the king, for thus did he see in a dream concerning thee, and thus did Anuki
interpret it, and thus also did Anuki advise the king concerning thee.
61 And Abram hearkened to the
voice of Eliezer, and Abram hastened and ran for safety to the house of Noah
and his son Shem, and he concealed himself there and found a place of safety;
and the king's servants came to Abram's house to seek him, but they could not
find him, and they searched through out the country and he was not to be
found, and they went and searched in every direction and he was not to be met
with.
62 And when the king's servants
could not find Abram they returned to the king, but the king's anger against
Abram was stilled, as they did not find him, and the king drove from his mind
this matter concerning Abram.
63 And Abram was concealed in
Noah's house for one month, until the king had forgotten this matter, but
Abram was still afraid of the king; and Terah came to see Abram his son
secretly in the house of Noah, and Terah was very great in the eyes of the
king.
64 And Abram said to his father,
Dost thou not know that the king thinketh to slay me, and to annihilate my
name from the earth by the advice of his wicked counsellors?
65 Now whom hast thou here and
what hast thou in this land? Arise, let us go together to the land of Canaan,
that we may be delivered from his hand, lest thou perish also through him in
the latter days.
66 Dost thou not know or hast
thou not heard, that it is not through
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love that Nimrod giveth thee all
this honor, but it is only for his benefit that he bestoweth all this good
upon thee?
67 And if he do unto thee
greater good than this, surely these are only vanities of the world, for
wealth and riches cannot avail in the day of wrath and anger.
68 Now therefore hearken to my
voice, and let us arise and go to the land of Canaan, out of the reach of
injury from Nimrod; and serve thou the Lord who created thee in the earth and
it will be well with thee; and cast away all the vain things which thou
pursuest.
69 And Abram ceased to speak,
when Noah and his son Shem answered Terah, saying, True is the word which
Abram hath said unto thee.
70 And Terah hearkened to the
voice of his son Abram, and Terah did all that Abram said, for this was from
the Lord, that the king should not cause Abram's death.
CHAPTER 13
1 And Terah took his son Abram
and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, the
wife of his son Abram, and all the souls of his household and went with them
from Ur Casdim to go to the land of Canaan. And when they came as far as the
land of Haran they remained there, for it was exceedingly good land for
pasture, and of sufficient extent for those who accompanied them.
2 And the people of the land of
Haran saw that Abram was good and upright with God and men, and that the Lord
his God was with him, and some of the people of the land of Haran came and
joined Abram, and he taught them the instruction of the Lord and his ways;
and these men remained with Abram in his house and they adhered to him.
3 And Abram remained in the land
three years, and at the expiration of three years the Lord appeared to Abram
and said to him; I am the Lord who brought thee forth from Ur Casdim, and
delivered thee from the hands of all thine enemies.
4 And now therefore if thou wilt
hearken to my voice and keep my commandments, my statutes and my laws, then
will I cause thy enemies to fall before thee, and I will multiply thy seed
like the stars of heaven, and I will send my blessing upon all the works of
thy hands, and thou shalt lack nothing.
5 Arise now, take thy wife and
all belonging to thee and go to the land of Canaan and remain there, and I
will there be unto thee for a God, and I will bless thee. And Abram rose and
took his wife and all belonging to him, and he went to the land of Canaan as
the Lord had told him; and Abram was fifty years old when he went from Haran.
6 And Abram came to the land of
Canaan and dwelt in the midst of the city, and he there pitched his tent
amongst the children of Canaan, inhabitants of the land.
7 And the Lord appeared to Abram
when he came to the land of Canaan, and said to him, This is the land which I
gave unto thee and to thy seed after thee forever, and I will make thy seed
like the stars of heaven, and I will give unto thy seed for an inheritance
all the lands which thou seest.
8 And Abram built an altar in
the place where God had spoken to him, and Abram there called upon the name
of the Lord.
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9 At that time, at the end of
three years of Abram's dwelling in the land of Canaan, in that year Noah
died, which was the fifty-eighth year of the life of Abram; and all the days
that Noah lived were nine hundred and fifty years and he died.
10 And Abram dwelt in the land
of Canaan, he, his wife, and all belonging to him, and all those that
accompanied him, together with those that joined him from the people of the
land; but Nahor, Abram's brother, and Terah his father, and Lot the son of
Haran and all belonging to them dwelt in Haran.
11 In the fifth year of Abram's
dwelling in the land of Canaan the people of Sodom and Gomorrah and all the
cities of the plain revolted from the power of Chedorlaomer, king of Elam;
for all the kings of the cities of the plain had served Chedorlaomer for
twelve years, and given him a yearly tax, but in those days in the thirteenth
year, they rebelled against him.
12 And in the tenth year of
Abram's dwelling in the land of Canaan there was war between Nimrod king of
Shinar and Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Nimrod came to fight with
Chedorlaomer and to subdue him.
13 For Chedorlaomer was at that
time one of the princes of the hosts of Nimrod, and when all the people at
the tower were dispersed and those that remained were also scattered upon the
face of the earth, Chedorlaomer went to the land of Elam and reigned over it
and rebelled against his lord.
14 And in those days when Nimrod
saw that the cities of the plain had rebelled, he came with pride and anger
to war with Chedorlaomer, and Nimrod assembled all his princes and subjects,
about seven hundred thousand men, and went against Chedorlaomer, and
Chedorlaomer went out to meet him with five thousand men, and they prepared
for battle in the valley of Babel which is between Elam and Shinar.
15 And all those kings fought
there, and Nimrod and his people were smitten before the people of
Chedorlaomer, and there fell from Nimrod's men about six hundred thousand,
and Mardon the king's son fell amongst them.
16 And Nimrod fled and returned
in shame and disgrace to his land, and he was under subjection to
Chedorlaomer for a long time, and Chedorlaomer returned to his land and sent
princes of his host to the kings that dwelt around him, to Arioch king of
Elasar, and to Tidal king of Goyim, and made a covenant with them, and they
were all obedient to his commands.
17 And it was in the fifteenth
year of Abram's dwelling in the land of Canaan, which is the seventieth year
of the life of Abram, and the Lord appeared to Abram in that year and he said
to him, I am the Lord who brought thee out from Ur Casdim to give thee this
land for an inheritance.
18 Now therefore walk before me
and be perfect and keep my commands, for to thee and to thy seed I will give
this land for an inheritance, from the river Mitzraim unto the great river
Euphrates.
19 And thou shalt come to thy
fathers in peace and in good age, and the fourth generation shall return here
in this land and shall inherit it forever; and Abram built an altar, and he
called upon the name of the Lord who appeared to him, and he brought up
sacrifices upon the altar to the Lord.
20 At that time Abram returned
and went to
35
Haran to see his father and
mother, and his father's household, and Abram and his wife and all belonging
to him returned to Haran, and Abram dwelt in Haran five years.
21 And many of the people of
Haran, about seventy-two men, followed Abram and Abram taught them the
instruction of the Lord and his ways, and he taught them to know the Lord.
22 In those days the Lord
appeared to Abram in Haran, and he said to him, Behold, I spoke unto thee
these twenty years back saying,
23 Go forth from thy land, from
thy birth-place and from thy father's house, to the land which I have shown
thee to give it to thee and to thy children, for there in that land will I
bless thee, and make thee a great nation, and make thy name great, and in
thee shall the families of the earth be blessed.
24 Now therefore arise, go forth
from this place, thou, thy wife, and all belonging to thee, also every one
born in thy house and all the souls thou hast made in Haran, and bring them
out with thee from here, and rise to return to the land of Canaan.
25 And Abram arose and took his
wife Sarai and all belonging to him and all that were born to him in his
house and the souls which they had made in Haran, and they came out to go to
the land of Canaan.
26 And Abram went and returned
to the land of Canaan, according to the word of the Lord. And Lot the son of
his brother Haran went with him, and Abram was seventy-five years old when he
went forth from Haran to return to the land of Canaan.
27 And he came to the land of
Canaan according to the word of the Lord to Abram, and he pitched his tent
and he dwelt in the plain of Mamre, and with him was Lot his brother's son,
and all belonging to him.
28 And the Lord again appeared
to Abram and said, To thy seed will I give this land; and he there built an
altar to the Lord who appeared to him, which is still to this day in the
plains of Mamre.CHAPTER 14
1 In those days there was in the
land of Shinar a wise man who had understanding in all wisdom, and of a
beautiful appearance, but he was poor and indigent; his name was Rikayon and
he was hard set to support himself.
2 And he resolved to go to
Egypt, to Oswiris the son of Anom king of Egypt, to show the king his wisdom;
for perhaps he might find grace in his sight, to raise him up and give him
maintenance; and Rikayon did so.
3 And when Rikayon came to Egypt
he asked the inhabitants of Egypt concerning the king, and the inhabitants of
Egypt told him the custom of the king of Egypt, for it was then the custom of
the king of Egypt that he went from his royal palace and was seen abroad only
one day in the year, and after that the king would return to his palace to
remain there.
4 And on the day when the king
went forth he passed judgment in the land, and every one having a suit came
before the king that day to obtain his request.
5 And when Rikayon heard of the
custom in Egypt and that he could not come into the presence of the king, he
grieved greatly and was very sorrowful.
6 And in the evening Rikayon
went out and found a house in ruins, formerly a bake house in Egypt, and he
abode
36
there all night in bitterness of
soul and pinched with hunger, and sleep was removed from his eyes.
7 And Rikayon considered within
himself what he should do in the town until the king made his appearance, and
how he might maintain himself there.
8 And he rose in the morning and
walked about, and met in his way those who sold vegetables and various sorts
of seed with which they supplied the inhabitants.
9 And Rikayon wished to do the
same in order to get a maintenance in the city, but he was unacquainted with
the custom of the people, and he was like a blind man among them.
10 And he went and obtained
vegetables to sell them for his support, and the rabble assembled about him
and ridiculed him, and took his vegetables from him and left him nothing.
11 And he rose up from there in
bitterness of soul, and went sighing to the bake house in which he had
remained all the night before, and he slept there the second night.
12 And on that night again he reasoned
within himself how he could save himself from starvation, and he devised a
scheme how to act.
13 And he rose up in the morning
and acted ingeniously, and went and hired thirty strong men of the rabble,
carrying their war instruments in their hands, and he led them to the top of
the Egyptian sepulchre, and he placed them there.
14 And he commanded them,
saying, Thus saith the king, Strengthen yourselves and be valiant men, and
let no man be buried here until two hundred pieces of silver be given, and
then he may be buried; and those men did according to the order of Rikayon to
the people of Egypt the whole of that year.
15 And in eight months time
Rikayon and his men gathered great riches of silver and gold, and Rikayon
took a great quantity of horses and other animals, and he hired more men, and
he gave them horses and they remained with him.
16 And when the year came round,
at the time the king went forth into the town, all the inhabitants of Egypt
assembled together to speak to him concerning the work of Rikayon and his
men.
17 And the king went forth on
the appointed day, and all the Egyptians came before him and cried unto him,
saying,
18 May the king live forever.
What is this thing thou doest in the town to thy servants, not to suffer a
dead body to be buried until so much silver and gold be given? Was there ever
the like unto this done in the whole earth, from the days of former kings yea
even from the days of Adam, unto this day, that the dead should not be buried
only for a set price?
19 We know it to be the custom
of kings to take a yearly tax from the living, but thou dost not only do
this, but from the dead also thou exactest a tax day by day.
20 Now, O king, we can no more
bear this, for the whole city is ruined on this account, and dost thou not
know it?
21 And when the king heard all
that they had spoken he was very wroth, and his anger burned within him at
this affair, for he had known nothing of it.
22 And the king said, Who and
where is he that dares to do this wicked thing in my land without my command?
Surely you will tell me.
37
23 And they told him all the
works of Rikayon and his men, and the king's anger was aroused, and he
ordered Rikayon and his men to be brought before him.
24 And Rikayon took about a
thousand children, sons and daughters, and clothed them in silk and
embroidery, and he set them upon horses and sent them to the king by means of
his men, and he also took a great quantity of silver and gold and precious
stones, and a strong and beautiful horse, as a present for the king, with
which he came before the king and bowed down to the earth before him; and the
king, his servants and all the inhabitants of Egypt wondered at the work of
Rikayon, and they saw his riches and the present that he had brought to the
king.
25 And it greatly pleased the
king and he wondered at it; and when Rikayon sat before him the king asked
him concerning all his works, and Rikayon spoke all his words wisely before
the king, his servants and all the inhabitants of Egypt.
26 And when the king heard the
words of Rikayon and his wisdom, Rikayon found grace in his sight, and he met
with grace and kindness from all the servants of the king and from all the
inhabitants of Egypt, on account of his wisdom and excellent speeches, and
from that time they loved him exceedingly.
27 And the king answered and
said to Rikayon, Thy name shall no more be called Rikayon but Pharaoh shall
be thy name, since thou didst exact a tax from the dead; and he called his
name Pharaoh.
28 And the king and his subjects
loved Rikayon for his wisdom, and they consulted with all the inhabitants of
Egypt to make him prefect under the king.
29 And all the inhabitants of
Egypt and its wise men did so, and it was made a law in Egypt.
30 And they made Rikayon Pharaoh
prefect under Oswiris king of Egypt, and Rikayon Pharaoh governed over Egypt,
daily administering justice to the whole city, but Oswiris the king would
judge the people of the land one day in the year, when he went out to make his
appearance.
31 And Rikayon Pharaoh cunningly
usurped the government of Egypt, and he exacted a tax from all the
inhabitants of Egypt.
32 And all the inhabitants of
Egypt greatly loved Rikayon Pharaoh, and they made a decree to call every
king that should reign over them and their seed in Egypt, Pharaoh.
33 Therefore all the kings that
reigned in Egypt from that time forward were called Pharaoh unto this day.
CHAPTER 15
1 And in that year there was a
heavy famine throughout the land of Canaan, and the inhabitants of the land
could not remain on account of the famine for it was very grievous.
2 And Abram and all belonging to
him rose and went down to Egypt on account of the famine, and when they were
at the brook Mitzraim they remained there some time to rest from the fatigue
of the road.
3 And Abram and Sarai were
walking at the border of the brook Mitzraim, and Abram beheld his wife Sarai
that she was very beautiful.
4 And Abram said to his wife
Sarai, Since God has created thee with such a beautiful countenance, I am
afraid of the Egyptians lest they should slay me and take thee away, for the
fear of God is not in these places.
38
5 Surely then thou shalt do
this, Say thou art my sister to all that may ask thee, in order that it may
be well with me, and that we may live and not be put to death.
6 And Abram commanded the same
to all those that came with him to Egypt on account of the famine; also his
nephew Lot he commanded, saying, If the Egyptians ask thee concerning Sarai
say she is the sister of Abram.
7 And yet with all these orders
Abram did not put confidence in them, but he took Sarai and placed her in a
chest and concealed it amongst their vessels, for Abram was greatly concerned
about Sarai on account of the wickedness of the Egyptians.
8 And Abram and all belonging to
him rose up from the brook Mitzraim and came to Egypt; and they had scarcely
entered the gates of the city when the guards stood up to them saying, Give
tithe to the king from what you have, and then you may come into the town;
and Abram and those that were with him did so.
9 And Abram with the people that
were with him came to Egypt, and when they came they brought the chest in
which Sarai was concealed and the Egyptians saw the chest.
10 And the king's servants
approached Abram, saying, What hast thou here in this chest which we have not
seen? Now open thou the chest and give tithe to the king of all that it
contains.
11 And Abram said, This chest I
will not open, but all you demand upon it I will give. And Pharaoh's officers
answered Abram, saying, It is a chest of precious stones, give us the tenth
thereof.
12 Abram said, All that you
desire I will give, but you must not open the chest.
13 And the king's officers
pressed Abram, and they reached the chest and opened it with force, and they
saw, and behold a beautiful woman was in the chest.
14 And when the officers of the
king beheld Sarai they were struck with admiration at her beauty, and all the
princes and servants of Pharaoh assembled to see Sarai, for she was very
beautiful. And the king's officers ran and told Pharaoh all that they had
seen, and they praised Sarai to the king; and Pharaoh ordered her to be
brought, and the woman came before the king.
15 And Pharaoh beheld Sarai and
she pleased him exceedingly, and he was struck with her beauty, and the king
rejoiced greatly on her account, and made presents to those who brought him
the tidings concerning her.
16 And the woman was then
brought to Pharaoh's house, and Abram grieved on account of his wife, and he
prayed to the Lord to deliver her from the hands of Pharaoh.
17 And Sarai also prayed at that
time and said, O Lord God thou didst tell my Lord Abram to go from his land
and from his father's house to the land of Canaan, and thou didst promise to
do well with him if he would perform thy commands; now behold we have done
that which thou didst command us, and we left our land and our families, and
we went to a strange land and to a people whom we have not known before.
18 And we came to this land to
avoid the famine, and this evil accident has befallen me; now therefore, O
Lord God, deliver us and save us from the hand of this oppressor, and do well
with me for the sake of thy mercy.
19 And the Lord hearkened to the
voice of
39
Sarai, and the Lord sent an
angel to deliver Sarai from the power of Pharaoh.
20 And the king came and sat
before Sarai and behold an angel of the Lord was standing over them, and he
appeared to Sarai and said to her, Do not fear, for the Lord has heard thy
prayer.
21 And the king approached Sarai
and said to her, What is that man to thee who brought thee hither? and she
said, He is my brother.
22 And the king said, It is
incumbent upon us to make him great, to elevate him and to do unto him all
the good which thou shalt command us; and at that time the king sent to Abram
silver and gold and precious stones in abundance, together with cattle, men
servants and maid servants; and the king ordered Abram to be brought, and he
sat in the court of the king's house, and the king greatly exalted Abram on
that night.
23 And the king approached to
speak to Sarai, and he reached out his hand to touch her, when the angel
smote him heavily, and he was terrified and he refrained from reaching to her.
24 And when the king came near
to Sarai, the angel smote him to the ground, and acted thus to him the whole
night, and the king was terrified.
25 And the angel on that night
smote heavily all the servants of the king, and his whole household, on
account of Sarai, and there was a great lamentation that night amongst the
people of Pharaoh's house.
26 And Pharaoh, seeing the evil
that befell him, said, Surely on account of this woman has this thing
happened to me, and he removed himself at some distance from her and spoke
pleasing words to her.
27 And the king said to Sarai,
Tell me I pray thee concerning the man with whom thou camest here; and Sarai
said, This man is my husband, and I said to thee that he was my brother for I
was afraid, lest thou shouldst put him to death through wickedness.
28 And the king kept away from
Sarai, and the plagues of the angel of the Lord ceased from him and his
household; and Pharaoh knew that he was smitten on account of Sarai, and the
king was greatly astonished at this.
29 And in the morning the king
called for Abram and said to him, What is this thou hast done to me? Why
didst thou say, She is my sister, owing to which I took her unto me for a
wife, and this heavy plague has therefore come upon me and my household.
30 Now therefore here is thy
wife, take her and go from our land lest we all die on her account. And
Pharaoh took more cattle, men servants and maid servants, and silver and
gold, to give to Abram, and he returned unto him Sarai his wife.
31 And the king took a maiden
whom he begat by his concubines, and he gave her to Sarai for a handmaid.
32 And the king said to his
daughter, It is better for thee my daughter to be a handmaid in this man's
house than to be mistress in my house, after we have beheld the evil that
befell us on account of this woman.
33 And Abram arose, and he and
all belonging to him went away from Egypt; and Pharaoh ordered some of his
men to accompany him and all that went with him.
34 And Abram returned to the
land of Canaan, to the place where he had made the altar, where he at first
had pitched his tent.
40
35 And Lot the son of Haran,
Abram's brother, had a heavy stock of cattle, flocks and herds and tents, for
the Lord was bountiful to them on account of Abram.
36 And when Abram was dwelling
in the land the herdsmen of Lot quarrelled with the herdsmen of Abram, for
their property was too great for them to remain together in the land, and the
land could not bear them on account of their cattle.
37 And when Abram's herdsmen
went to feed their flock they would not go into the fields of the people of
the land, but the cattle of Lot's herdsmen did otherwise, for they were
suffered to feed in the fields of the people of the land.
38 And the people of the land
saw this occurrence daily, and they came to Abram and quarrelled with him on
account of Lot's herdsmen.
39 And Abram said to Lot, What
is this thou art doing to me, to make me despicable to the inhabitants of the
land, that thou orderest thy herdsman to feed thy cattle in the fields of other
people? Dost thou not know that I am a stranger in this land amongst the
children of Canaan, and why wilt thou do this unto me?
40 And Abram quarrelled daily
with Lot on account of this, but Lot would not listen to Abram, and he
continued to do the same and the inhabitants of the land came and told Abram.
41 And Abram said unto Lot, How
long wilt thou be to me for a stumbling block with the inhabitants of the
land? Now I beseech thee let there be no more quarrelling between us, for we
are kinsmen.
42 But I pray thee separate from
me, go and choose a place where thou mayest dwell with thy cattle and all
belonging to thee, but Keep thyself at a distance from me, thou and thy
household.
43 And be not afraid in going
from me, for if any one do an injury to thee, let me know and I will avenge
thy cause from him, only remove from me.
44 And when Abram had spoken all
these words to Lot, then Lot arose and lifted up his eyes toward the plain of
Jordan.
45 And he saw that the whole of
this place was well watered, and good for man as well as affording pasture
for the cattle.
46 And Lot went from Abram to
that place, and he there pitched his tent and he dwelt in Sodom, and they
were separated from each other.
47 And Abram dwelt in the plain
of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and he pitched his tent there, and Abram
remained in that place many years.
CHAPTER 16
1 At that time Chedorlaomer king
of Elam sent to all the neighboring kings, to Nimrod, king of Shinar who was
then under his power, and to Tidal, king of Goyim, and to Arioch, king of
Elasar, with whom he made a covenant, saying, Come up to me and assist me,
that we may smite all the towns of Sodom and its inhabitants, for they have
rebelled against me these thirteen years.
2 And these four kings went up
with all their camps, about eight hundred thousand men, and they went as they
were, and smote every man they found in their road.
3 And the five kings of Sodom
and Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboyim, Bera king of
Sodom, Bersha king of Gomorrah, and Bela king of Zoar,
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went out to meet them, and they
all joined together in the valley of Siddim.
4 And these nine kings made war
in the valley of Siddim; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah were smitten
before the kings of Elam.
5 And the valley of Siddim was
full of lime pits and the kings of Elam pursued the kings of Sodom, and the
kings of Sodom with their camps fled and fell into the lime pits, and all
that remained went to the mountain for safety, and the five kings of Elam came
after them and pursued them to the gates of Sodom, and they took all that
there was in Sodom.
6 And they plundered all the
cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and they also took Lot, Abram's brother's son,
and his property, and they seized all the goods of the cities of Sodom, and
they went away; and Unic, Abram's servant, who was in the battle, saw this,
and told Abram all that the kings had done to the cities of Sodom, and that
Lot was taken captive by them.
7 And Abram heard this, and he
rose up with about three hundred and eighteen men that were with him, and he
that night pursued these kings and smote them, and they all fell before Abram
and his men, and there was none remaining but the four kings who fled, and
they went each his own road.
8 And Abram recovered all the
property of Sodom, and he also recovered Lot and his property, his wives and
little ones and all belonging to him, so that Lot lacked nothing.
9 And when he returned from
smiting these kings, he and his men passed the valley of Siddim where the
kings had made war together.
10 And Bera king of Sodom, and
the rest of his men that were with him, went out from the lime pits into
which they had fallen, to meet Abram and his men.
11 And Adonizedek king of
Jerusalem, the same was Shem, went out with his men to meet Abram and his
people, with bread and wine, and they remained together in the valley of
Melech.
12 And Adonizedek blessed Abram,
and Abram gave him a tenth from all that he had brought from the spoil of his
enemies, for Adonizedek was a priest before God.
13 And all the kings of Sodom
and Gomorrah who were there, with their servants, approached Abram and begged
of him to return them their servants whom he had made captive, and to take
unto himself all the property.
14 And Abram answered the kings
of Sodom, saying, As the Lord liveth who created heaven and earth, and who
redeemed my soul from all affliction, and who delivered me this day from my
enemies, and gave them into my hand, I will not take anything belonging to
you, that you may not boast tomorrow, saying, Abram became rich from our
property that he saved.
15 For the Lord my God in whom I
trust said unto me, Thou shalt lack nothing, for I will bless thee in all the
works of thy hands.
16 And now therefore behold,
here is all belonging to you, take it and go; as the Lord liveth I will not
take from you from a living soul down to a shoetie or thread, excepting the
expense of the food of those who went out with me to battle, as also the
portions of the men who went with me, Anar, Ashcol, and Mamre, they and their
men, as well as those also who had remained to watch the baggage, they shall
take their portion of the spoil.
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17 And the kings of Sodom gave
Abram according to all that he had said, and they pressed him to take of
whatever he chose, but he would not.
18 And he sent away the kings of
Sodom and the remainder of their men, and he gave them orders about Lot, and
they went to their respective places.
19 And Lot, his brother's son,
he also sent away with his property, and he went with them, and Lot returned
to his home, to Sodom, and Abram and his people returned to their home to the
plains of Mamre, which is in Hebron.
20 At that time the Lord again
appeared to Abram in Hebron, and he said to him, Do not fear, thy reward is
very great before me, for I will not leave thee, until I shall have
multiplied thee, and blessed thee and made thy seed like the stars in heaven,
which cannot be measured nor numbered.
21 And I will give unto thy seed
all these lands that thou seest with thine eyes, to them will I give them for
an inheritance forever, only be strong and do not fear, walk before me and be
perfect.
22 And in the seventy-eighth
year of the life of Abram, in that year died Reu, the son of Peleg, and all
the days of Reu were two hundred and thirty-nine years, and he died.
23 And Sarai, the daughter of
Haran, Abram's wife, was still barren in those days; she did not bear to
Abram either son or daughter.
24 And when she saw that she
bare no children she took her handmaid Hagar, whom Pharaoh had given her, and
she gave her to Abram her husband for a wife.
25 For Hagar learned all the
ways of Sarai as Sarai taught her, she was not in any way deficient in
following her good ways.
26 And Sarai said to Abram,
Behold here is my handmaid Hagar, go to her that she may bring forth upon my
knees, that I may also obtain children through her.
27 And at the end of ten years
of Abram's dwelling in the land of Canaan, which is the eighty-fifth year of
Abram's life, Sarai gave Hagar unto him.
28 And Abram hearkened to the
voice of his wife Sarai, and he took his handmaid Hagar and Abram came to her
and she conceived.
29 And when Hagar saw that she
had conceived she rejoiced greatly, and her mistress was despised in her
eyes, and she said within herself, This can only be that I am better before
God than Sarai my mistress, for all the days that my mistress has been with
my lord, she did not conceive, but me the Lord has caused in so short a time
to conceive by him.
30 And when Sarai saw that Hagar
had conceived by Abram, Sarai was jealous of her handmaid, and Sarai said
within herself, This is surely nothing else but that she must be better than
I am.
31 And Sarai said unto Abram, My
wrong be upon thee, for at the time when thou didst pray before the Lord for
children why didst thou not pray on my account, that the Lord should give me
seed from thee?
32 And when I speak to Hagar in
thy presence, she despiseth my words, because she has conceived, and thou
wilt say nothing to her; may the Lord judge between me and thee for what thou
hast done to me.
33 And Abram said to Sarai,
Behold thy handmaid is in thy hand, do unto her as it may seem good in thy
eyes; and
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Sarai afflicted her, and Hagar
fled from her to the wilderness.
34 And an angel of the Lord
found her in the place where she had fled, by a well, and he said to her, Do
not fear, for I will multiply thy seed, for thou shalt bear a son and thou
shalt call his name Ishmael; now then return to Sarai thy mistress, and
submit thyself under her hands.
35 And Hagar called the place of
that well Beer-lahai-roi, it is between Kadesh and the wilderness of Bered.
36 And Hagar at that time
returned to her master's house, and at the end of days Hagar bare a son to
Abram, and Abram called his name Ishmael; and Abram was eighty-six years old
when he begat him.
CHAPTER 17
1 And in those days, in the
ninety-first year of the life of Abram, the children of Chittim made war with
the children of Tubal, for when the Lord had scattered the sons of men upon
the face of the earth, the children of Chittim went and embodied themselves
in the plain of Canopia, and they built themselves cities there and dwelt by
the river Tibreu.
2 And the children of Tubal
dwelt in Tuscanah, and their boundaries reached the river Tibreu, and the
children of Tubal built a city in Tuscanan, and they called the name Sabinah,
after the name of Sabinah son of Tubal their father, and they dwelt there
unto this day.
3 And it was at that time the
children of Chittim made war with the children of Tubal, and the children of
Tubal were smitten before the children of Chittim, and the children of
Chittim caused three hundred and seventy men to fall from the children of
Tubal.
4 And at that time the children
of Tubal swore to the children of Chittim, saying, You shall not intermarry
amongst us, and no man shall give his daughter to any of the sons of Chittim.
5 For all the daughters of Tubal
were in those days fair, for no women were then found in the whole earth so
fair as the daughters of Tubal.
6 And all who delighted in the
beauty of women went to the daughters of Tubal and took wives from them, and
the sons of men, kings and princes, who greatly delighted in the beauty of
women, took wives in those days from the daughters of Tubal.
7 And at the end of three years
after the children of Tubal had sworn to the children of Chittim not to give
them their daughters for wives, about twenty men of the children of Chittim
went to take some of the daughters of Tubal, but they found none.
8 For the children of Tubal kept
their oaths not to intermarry with them, and they would not break their
oaths.
9 And in the days of harvest the
children of Tubal went into their fields to get in their harvest, when the
young men of Chittim assembled and went to the city of Sabinah, and each man
took a young woman from the daughters of Tubal, and they came to their
cities.
10 And the children of Tubal
heard of it and they went to make war with them, and they could not prevail
over them, for the mountain was exceedingly high from them, and when they saw
they could not prevail over them they returned to their land.
11 And at the revolution of the
year the children of Tubal went and hired about ten thousand men from those
cities that were near them, and they went to war with the children of
Chittim.
12 And the children of Tubal
went to
44
war with the children of
Chittim, to destroy their land and to distress them, and in this engagement
the children of Tubal prevailed over the children of Chittim, and the children
of Chittim, seeing that they were greatly distressed, lifted up the children
which they had had by the daughters of Tubal, upon the wall which had been
built, to be before the eyes of the children of Tubal.
13 And the children of Chittim
said to them, Have you come to make war with your own sons and daughters, and
have we not been considered your flesh and bones from that time till now?
14 And when the children of
Tubal heard this they ceased to make war with the children of Chittim, and
they went away.
15 And they returned to their
cities, and the children of Chittim at that time assembled and built two
cities by the sea, and they called one Purtu and the other Ariza.
16 And Abram the son of Terah
was then ninety-nine years old.
17 At that time the Lord
appeared to him and he said to him, I will make my covenant between me and
thee, and I will greatly multiply thy seed, and this is the covenant which I
make between me and thee, that every male child be circumcised, thou and thy seed
after thee.
18 At eight days old shall it be
circumcised, and this covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting
covenant.
19 And now therefore thy name
shall no more be called Abram but Abraham, and thy wife shall no more be
called Sarai but Sarah.
20 For I will bless you both,
and I will multiply your seed after you that you shall become a great nation,
and kings shall come forth from you.
CHAPTER 18
1 And Abraham rose and did all
that God had ordered him, and he took the men of his household and those
bought with his money, and he circumcised them as the Lord had commanded him.
2 And there was not one left
whom he did not circumcise, and Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised
in the flesh of their foreskin; thirteen years old was Ishmael when he was
circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
3 And in the third day Abraham
went out of his tent and sat at the door to enjoy the heat of the sun, during
the pain of his flesh.
4 And the Lord appeared to him
in the plain of Mamre, and sent three of his ministering angels to visit him,
and he was sitting at the door of the tent, and he lifted his eyes and saw,
and lo three men were coming from a distance, and he rose up and ran to meet
them, and he bowed down to them and brought them into his house.
5 And he said to them, If now I
have found favor in your sight, turn in and eat a morsel of bread; and he
pressed them, and they turned in and he gave them water and they washed their
feet, and he placed them under a tree at the door of the tent.
6 And Abraham ran and took a
calf, tender and good, and he hastened to kill it, and gave it to his servant
Eliezer to dress.
7 And Abraham came to Sarah into
the tent, and he said to her, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal,
knead it and make cakes to cover the pot containing the meat, and she did so.
8 And Abraham hastened and
brought before them butter and milk, beef and mutton, and gave it before
45
them to eat before the flesh of
the calf was sufficiently done, and they did eat.
9 And when they had done eating
one of them said to him, I will return to thee according to the time of life,
and Sarah thy wife shall have a son.
10 And the men afterward
departed and went their ways, to the places to which they were sent.
11 In those days all the people
of Sodom and Gomorrah, and of the whole five cities, were exceedingly wicked
and sinful against the Lord and they provoked the Lord with their
abominations, and they strengthened in aging abominably and scornfully before
the Lord, and their wickedness and crimes were in those days great before the
Lord.
12 And they had in their land a
very extensive valley, about half a day's walk, and in it there were
fountains of water and a great deal of herbage surrounding the water.
13 And all the people of Sodom
and Gomorrah went there four times in the year, with their wives and children and all
belonging to them, and they rejoiced there with timbrels and dances.
14 And in the time of rejoicing
they would all rise and lay hold of their neighbor's wives, and some, the
virgin daughters of their neighbors, and they enjoyed them, and each man saw
his wife and daughter in the hands of his neighbor and did not say a word.
15 And they did so from morning
to night, and they afterward returned home each man to his house and each
woman to her tent; so they always did four times
in the year.
16 Also when a stranger came
into their cities and brought goods which he had purchased with a view to
dispose of there, the people of these cities would assemble, men, women and
children, young and old, and go to the man and take his goods by force,
giving a little to each man until there was an end to all the goods of the
owner which he had brought into the land.
17 And if the owner of the goods
quarreled with them, saying, What is this work which you have done to me,
then they would approach to him one by one, and each would show him the
little which he took and taunt him, saying, I only took that little which
thou didst give me; and when he heard this from them all, he would arise and
go from them in sorrow and bitterness of soul, when they would all arise and
go after him, and drive him out of the city with great noise and tumult.
18 And there was a man from the
country of Elam who was leisurely going on the road, seated upon his ass,
which carried a fine mantle of divers colors, and the mantle was bound with a
cord upon the ass.
19 And the man was on his
journey passing through the street of Sodom when the sun set in the evening,
and he remained there in order to abide during the night, but no one would
let him into his house; and at that time there was in Sodom a wicked and
mischievous man, one skillful to do evil, and his name was Hedad.
20 And he lifted up his eyes and
saw the traveler in the street of the city, and he came to him and said,
Whence comest thou and whither dost thou go?
21 And the man said to him, I am
traveling from Hebron to Elam where I belong, and as I passed the sun set and
no one would suffer me to enter his house, though I had bread and water and
also straw and provender for my ass, and am short of nothing.
22 And Hedad answered and said
to him, All that thou shalt want shall be supplied by me, but in the street
thou shalt not abide all night.
46
23 And Hedad brought him to his
house, and he took off the mantle from the ass with the cord, and brought
them to his house, and he gave the ass straw and provender whilst the
traveler ate and drank in Hedad's house, and he abode there that night.
24 And in the morning the traveler
rose up early to continue his journey, when Hedad said to him, Wait, comfort
thy heart with a morsel of bread and then go, and the man did so; and he
remained with him, and they both ate and drank together during the day, when
the man rose up to go.
25 And Hedad said to him, Behold
now the day is declining, thou hadst better remain all night that thy heart
may be comforted; and he pressed him so that he tarried there all night, and
on the second day he rose up early to go away, when Hedad pressed him,
saying, Comfort thy heart with a morsel of bread and then go, and he remained
and ate with him also the second day, and then the man rose up to continue
his journey.
26 And Hedad said to him, Behold
now the day is declining, remain with me to comfort thy heart and in the
morning rise up early and go thy way.
27 And the man would not remain,
but rose and saddled his ass, and whilst he was saddling his ass the wife of
Hedad said to her husband, Behold this man has remained with us for two days
eating and drinking and he has given us nothing, and now shall he go away
from us without giving anything? and Hedad said to her, Be silent.
28 And the man saddled his ass
to go, and he asked Hedad to give him the cord and mantle to tie it upon the
ass.
29 And Hedad said to him, What
sayest thou? And he said to him, That thou my lord shalt give me the cord and
the mantle made with divers colors which thou didst conceal with thee in thy
house to take care of it.
30 And Hedad answered the man,
saying, This is the interpretation of thy dream, the cord which thou didst
see, means that thy life will be lengthened out like a cord, and having seen
the mantle colored with all sorts of colors, means that thou shalt have a
vineyard in which thou wilt plant trees of all fruits.
31 And the traveler answered,
saying, Not so my lord, for I was awake when I gave thee the cord and also a
mantle woven with different colors, which thou didst take off the ass to put
them by for me; and Hedad answered and said, Surely I have told thee the interpretation
of thy dream and it is a good dream, and this is the interpretation thereof.
32 Now the sons of men give me
four pieces of silver, which is my charge for interpreting dreams, and of
thee only I require three pieces of silver.
33 And the man was provoked at
the words of Hedad, and he cried bitterly, and he brought Hedad to Serak
judge of Sodom.
34 And the man laid his cause
before Serak the judge, when Hedad replied, saying, It is not so, but thus
the matter stands; and the judge said to the traveler, This man Hedad telleth
thee truth, for he is famed in the cities for the accurate interpretation of
dreams.
35 And the man cried at the word
of the judge, and he said, Not so my Lord, for it was in the day that I gave
him the cord and mantle which was upon the ass, in order to put them by in
his house; and they both disputed before the
47
judge, the one saying, Thus the
matter was, and the other declaring otherwise.
36 And Hedad said to the man,
Give me four pieces of silver that I charge for my interpretations of dreams;
I will not make any allowance; and give me the expense of the four meals that
thou didst eat in my house.
37 And the man said to Hedad,
Truly I will pay thee for what I ate in thy house, only give me the cord and
mantle which thou didst conceal in thy house.
38 And Hedad replied before the
judge and said to the man, Did I not tell thee the interpretation of thy
dream? the cord means that thy days shall be prolonged like a cord, and the
mantle, that thou wilt have a vineyard in which thou wilt plant all kinds of
fruit trees.
39 This is the proper
interpretation of thy dream, now give me the four pieces of silver that I
require as a compensation, for I will make thee no allowance.
40 And the man cried at the
words of Hedad and they both quarreled before the judge, and the judge gave
orders to his servants, who drove them rashly from the house.
41 And they went away quarreling
from the judge, when the people of Sodom heard them, and they gathered about
them and they exclaimed against the stranger, and they drove him rashly from
the city.
42 And the man continued his
journey upon his ass with bitterness of soul, lamenting and weeping.
43 And whilst he was going along
he wept at what had happened to him in the corrupt city of Sodom.
CHAPTER 19
1 And the cities of Sodom had
four judges to four cities, and these were their names, Serak in the city of
Sodom, Sharkad in Gomorrah, Zabnac in Admah, and Menon in Zeboyim.
2 And Eliezer Abraham's servant
applied to them different names, and he converted Serak to Shakra, Sharkad to
Shakrura, Zebnac to Kezobim, and Menon to Matzlodin.
3 And by desire of their four
judges the people of Sodom and Gomorrah had beds erected in the streets of
the cities, and if a man came to these places they laid hold of him and
brought him to one of their beds, and by force made him to lie in them.
4 And as he lay down, three men
would stand at his head and three at his feet, and measure him by the length
of the bed, and if the man was less than the bed these six men would stretch
him at each end, and when he cried out to them they would not answer him.
5 And if he was longer than the
bed they would draw together the two sides of the bed at each end, until the
man had reached the gates of death.
6 And if he continued to cry out
to them, they would answer him, saying, Thus shall it be done to a man that
cometh into our land.
7 And when men heard all these
things that the people of the cities of Sodom did, they refrained from coming
there.
8 And when a poor man came to
their land they would give him silver and gold, and cause a proclamation in
the whole city not to give him a morsel of bread to eat, and if the stranger
should remain there some days, and die from hunger, not having been able to
obtain a morsel of bread, then at his death all the people of the city would
come and take their silver and gold which they had given to him.
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9 And those that could recognize
the silver or gold which they had given him took it back, and at his death
they also stripped him of his garments, and they would fight about them, and
he that prevailed over his neighbor took them.
10 They would after that carry
him and bury him under some of the shrubs in the deserts; so they did all the
days to any one that came to them and died in their land.
11 And in the course of time
Sarah sent Eliezer to Sodom, to see Lot and inquire after his welfare.
12 And Eliezer went to Sodom,
and he met a man of Sodom fighting with a stranger, and the man of Sodom
stripped the poor man of all his clothes and went away.
13 And this poor man cried to
Eliezer and supplicated his favor on account of what the man of Sodom had
done to him.
14 And he said to him, Why dost
thou act thus to the poor man who came to thy land?
15 And the man of Sodom answered
Eliezer, saying, Is this man thy brother, or have the people of Sodom made
thee a judge this day, that thou speakest about this man?
16 And Eliezer strove with the
man of Sodom on account of the poor man, and when Eliezer approached to
recover the poor man's clothes from the man of Sodom, he hastened and with a
stone smote Eliezer in the forehead.
17 And the blood flowed
copiously from Eliezer's forehead, and when the man saw the blood he caught
hold of Eliezer, saying, Give me my hire for having rid thee of this bad blood
that was in thy forehead, for such is the custom and the law in our land.
18 And Eliezer said to him, Thou
hast wounded me and requirest me to pay thee thy hire; and Eliezer would not
hearken to the words of the man of Sodom.
19 And the man laid hold of
Eliezer and brought him to Shakra the judge of Sodom for judgment.
20 And the man spoke to the
judge, saying, I beseech thee my lord, thus has this man done, for I smote
him with a stone that the blood flowed from his forehead, and he is unwilling
to give me my hire.
21 And the judge said to
Eliezer, This man speaketh truth to thee, give him his hire, for this is the
custom in our land; and Eliezer heard the words of the judge, and he lifted
up a stone and smote the judge, and the stone struck on his forehead, and the
blood flowed copiously from the forehead of the judge, and Eliezer said, If
this then is the custom in your land give thou unto this man what I should
have given him, for this has been thy decision, thou didst decree it.
22 And Eliezer left the man of
Sodom with the judge, and he went away.
23 And when the kings of Elam
had made war with the kings of Sodom, the kings of Elam captured all the
property of Sodom, and they took Lot captive, with his property, and when it
was told to Abraham he went and made war with the kings of Elam, and he
recovered from their hands all the property of Lot as well as the property of
Sodom.
24 At that time the wife of Lot
bare him a daughter, and he called her name Paltith, saying, Because God had
delivered him and his whole household from the kings of Elam; and Paltith
daughter of Lot grew up, and one of the men of Sodom took her for a wife.
25 And a poor man came into the
city to seek a maintenance, and he remained in the city some days, and all
the
49
people of Sodom caused a
proclamation of their custom not to give this man a morsel of bread to eat,
until he dropped dead upon the earth, and they did so.
26 And Paltith the daughter of
Lot saw this man lying in the streets starved with hunger, and no one would
give him any thing to keep him alive, and he was just upon the point of
death.
27 And her soul was filled with
pity on account of the man, and she fed him secretly with bread for many
days, and the soul of this man was revived.
28 For when she went forth to
fetch water she would put the bread in the water pitcher, and when she came
to the place where the poor man was, she took the bread from the pitcher and
gave it him to eat; so she did many days.
29 And all the people of Sodom
and Gomorrah wondered how this man could bear starvation for so many days.
30 And they said to each other,
This can only be that he eats and drinks, for no man can bear starvation for
so many days or live as this man has, without even his countenance changing;
and three men concealed themselves in a place where the poor man was
stationed, to know who it was that brought him bread to eat.
31 And Paltith daughter of Lot
went forth that day to fetch water, and she put bread into her pitcher of
water, and she went to draw water by the poor man's place, and she took out
the bread from the pitcher and gave it to the poor man and he ate it.
32 And the three men saw what
Paltith did to the poor man, and they said to her, It is thou then who hast
supported him, and therefore has he not starved, nor changed in appearance
nor died like the rest.
33 And the three men went out of
the place in which they were concealed, and they seized Paltith and the bread
which was in the poor man's hand.
34 And they took Paltith and
brought her before their judges, and they said to them, Thus did she do, and
it is she who supplied the poor man with bread, therefore did he not die all
this time; now therefore declare to us the punishment due to this woman for
having transgressed our law.
35 And the people of Sodom and
Gomorrah assembled and kindled a fire in the street of the city, and they
took the woman and cast her into the fire and she was burned to ashes.
36 And in the city of Admah
there was a woman to whom they did the like.
37 For a traveler came into the
city of Admah to abide there all night, with the intention of going home in
the morning, and he sat opposite the door of the house of the young woman's
father, to remain there, as the sun had set when be had reached that place;
and the young woman saw him sitting by the door of the house.
38 And he asked her for a drink
of water and she said to him, Who art thou? and he said to her, I was this
day going on the road, and reached here when the sun set, so I will abide
here all night, and in the morning I will arise early and continue my
journey.
39 And the young woman went into
the house and fetched the man bread and water to eat and drink.
40 And this affair became known
to the people of Admah, and they assembled and brought the young woman before
the judges, that they should judge her for this act.
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41 And the judge said, The
judgment of death must pass upon this woman because she transgressed our law,
and this therefore is the decision concerning her.
42 And the people of those
cities assembled and brought out the young woman, and anointed her with honey
from head to foot, as the judge had decreed, and they placed her before a
swarm of bees which were then in their hives, and the bees flew upon her and
stung her that her whole body was swelled.
43 And the young woman cried out
on account of the bees, but no one took notice of her or pitied her, and her
cries ascended to heaven.
44 And the Lord was provoked at
this and at all the works of the cities of Sodom, for they had abundance of
food, and had tranquility amongst them, and still would not sustain the poor
and the needy, and in those days their evil doings and sins became great
before the Lord.
45 And the Lord sent for two of
the angels that had come to Abraham's house, to destroy Sodom and its cities.
46 And the angels rose up from
the door of Abraham's tent, after they had eaten and drunk, and they reached
Sodom in the evening, and Lot was then sitting in the gate of Sodom, and when
he saw them he rose to meet them, and he bowed down to the ground.
47 And he pressed them greatly
and brought them into his house, and he gave them victuals which they ate,
and they abode all night in his house.
48 And the angels said to Lot,
Arise, go forth from this place, thou and all belonging to thee, lest thou be
consumed in the iniquity of this city, for the Lord will destroy this place.
49 And the angels laid hold upon
the hand of Lot and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hands of his
children, and all belonging to him, and they brought him forth and set him without
the cities.
50 And they said to Lot, Escape
for thy life, and he fled and all belonging to him.
51 Then the Lord rained upon
Sodom and upon Gomorrah and upon all these cities brimstone and fire from the
Lord out of heaven.
52 And he overthrew these
cities, all the plain and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which
grew upon the ground; and Ado the wife of Lot looked back to see the
destruction of the cities, for her compassion was moved on account of her
daughters who remained in Sodom, for they did not go with her.
53 And when she looked back she
became a pillar of salt, and it is yet in that place unto this day.
54 And the oxen which stood in
that place daily licked up the salt to the extremities of their feet, and in
the morning it would spring forth afresh, and they again licked it up unto
this day.
55 And Lot and two of his
daughters that remained with him fled and escaped to the cave of Adullam, and
they remained there for some time.
56 And Abraham rose up early in
the morning to see what had been done to the cities of Sodom; and he looked
and beheld the smoke of the cities going up like the smoke of a furnace.
57 And Lot and his two daughters
remained in the cave, and they made their father drink wine, and they lay
with him, for they said there was no man upon earth that could raise up seed
from them, for they thought that the whole earth was destroyed.
51
58 And they both lay with their
father, and they conceived and bare sons, and the first born called the name
of her son Moab, saying, From my father did I conceive him; he is the father
of the Moabites unto this day.
59 And the younger also called
her son Benami; he is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
60 And after this Lot and his
two daughters went away from there, and he dwelt on the other side of the
Jordan with his two daughters and their sons, and the sons of Lot grew up,
and they went and took themselves wives from the land of Canaan, and they
begat children and they were fruitful and multiplied.
CHAPTER 20
1 And at that time Abraham
journeyed from the plain of Mamre, and he went to the land of the
Philistines, and he dwelt in Gerar; it was in the twenty-fifth year of
Abraham's being in the land of Canaan, and the hundredth year of the life of
Abraham, that he came to Gerar in the land of the Philistines.
2 And when they entered the land
he said to Sarah his wife, Say thou art my sister, to any one that shall ask
thee, in order that we may escape the evil of the inhabitants of the land.
3 And as Abraham was dwelling in
the land of the Philistines, the servants of Abimelech, king of the
Philistines, saw that Sarah was exceedingly beautiful, and they asked Abraham
concerning her, and he said, She is my sister.
4 And the servants of Abimelech
went to Abimelech, saying, A man from the land of Canaan is come to dwell in
the land, and he has a sister that is exceeding fair.
5 And Abimelech heard the words
of his servants who praised Sarah to him, and Abimelech sent his officers,
and they brought Sarah to the king.
6 And Sarah came to the house of
Abimelech, and the king saw that Sarah was beautiful, and she pleased him
exceedingly.
7 And he approached her and said
to her, What is that man to thee with whom thou didst come to our land? and
Sarah answered and said He is my brother, and we came from the land of Canaan
to dwell wherever we could find a place.
8 And Abimelech said to Sarah,
Behold my land is before thee, place thy brother in any part of this land
that pleases thee, and it will be our duty to exalt and elevate him above all
the people of the land since he is thy brother.
9 And Abimelech sent for
Abraham, and Abraham came to Abimelech.
10 And Abimelech said to
Abraham, Behold I have given orders that thou shalt be honored as thou
desirest on account of thy sister Sarah.
11 And Abraham went forth from
the king, and the king's present followed him.
12 As at evening time, before
men lie down to rest, the king was sitting upon his throne, and a deep sleep
fell upon him, and he lay upon the throne and slept till morning.
13 And he dreamed that an angel
of the Lord came to him with a drawn sword in his hand, and the angel stood
over Abimelech, and wished to slay him with the sword, and the king was
terrified in his dream, and said to the angel, In what have I sinned against
thee that thou comest to slay me with thy sword?
52
14 And the angel answered and
said to Abimelech, Behold thou diest on account of the woman which thou didst
yesternight bring to thy house, for she is a married woman, the wife of
Abraham who came to thy house; now therefore return that man his wife, for
she is his wife; and shouldst thou not return her, know that thou wilt surely
die, thou and all belonging to thee.
15 And on that night there was a
great outcry in the land of the Philistines, and the inhabitants of the land
saw the figure of a man standing with a drawn sword in his hand, and he smote
the inhabitants of the land with the sword, yea he continued to smite them.
16 And the angel of the Lord
smote the whole land of the Philistines on that night, and there was a great
confusion on that night and on the following morning.
17 And every womb was closed,
and all their issues, and the hand of the Lord was upon them on account of
Sarah, wife of Abraham, whom Abimelech had taken.
18 And in the morning Abimelech
rose with terror and confusion and with a great dread, and he sent and had
his servants called in, and he related his dream to them, and the people were
greatly afraid.
19 And one man standing amongst
the servants of the king answered the king, saying, O sovereign king, restore
this woman to her husband, for he is her husband, for the like happened to
the king of Egypt when this man came to Egypt.
20 And he said concerning his
wife, She is my sister, for such is his manner of doing when he cometh to
dwell in the land in which he is a stranger.
21 And Pharaoh sent and took
this woman for a wife and the Lord brought upon him grievous plagues until he
returned the woman to her husband.
22 Now therefore, O sovereign
king, know what happened yesternight to the whole land, for there was a very
great consternation and great pain and lamentation, and we know that it was
on account of the woman which thou didst take.
23 Now, therefore, restore this
woman to her husband, lest it should befall us as it did to Pharaoh king of
Egypt and his subjects, and that we may not die; and Abimelech hastened and
called and had Sarah called for, and she came before him, and he had Abraham
called for, and he came before him.
24 And Abimelech said to them,
What is this work you have been doing in saying you are brother and sister,
and I took this woman for a wife?
25 And Abraham said, Because I
thought I should suffer death on account of my wife; and Abimelech took
flocks and herds, and men servants and maid servants, and a thousand pieces
of silver, and he gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah to him.
26 And Abimelech said to
Abraham, Behold the whole land is before thee, dwell in it wherever thou
shalt choose.
27 And Abraham and Sarah, his
wife, went forth from the king's presence with honor and respect, and they
dwelt in the land, even in Gerar.
28 And all the inhabitants of
the land of the Philistines and the king's servants were still in pain,
through the plague which the angel had inflicted upon them the whole night on
account of Sarah.
29 And Abimelech sent for
Abraham, saying, Pray now for thy servants to the Lord thy God, that he may
put away this mortality from amongst us.
30 And Abraham prayed on account
of Abimelech and his subjects, and the Lord heard the prayer of Abraham, and
he healed Abimelech and all his subjects.
CHAPTER 21
1 And it was at that time at the
end of a year and four months of Abraham's dwelling in the land of the
Philistines in Gerar, that God visited Sarah, and the Lord remembered her,
and she conceived and bare a son to Abraham.
2 And Abraham called the name of
the son which was born to him, which Sarah bare to him, Isaac.
3 And Abraham circumcised his
son Isaac at eight days old, as God had commanded Abraham to do unto his seed
after him; and Abraham was one hundred, and Sarah ninety years old, when
Isaac was born to them.
4 And the child grew up and he
was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast upon the day that Isaac was
weaned.
5 And Shem and Eber and all the
great people of the land, and Abimelech king of the Philistines, and his
servants, and Phicol, the captain of his host, came to eat and drink and
rejoice at the feast which Abraham made upon the day of his son Isaac's being
weaned.
6 Also Terah, the father of
Abraham, and Nahor his brother, came from Haran, they and all belonging to
them, for they greatly rejoiced on hearing that a son had been born to Sarah.
7 And they came to Abraham, and
they ate and drank at the feast which Abraham made upon the day of Isaac's
being weaned.
8 And Terah and Nahor rejoiced
with Abraham, and they remained with him many days in the land of the Philistines.
9 At that time Serug the son of
Reu died, in the first year of the birth of Isaac son of Abraham.
10 And all the days of Serug
were two hundred and thirty-nine years, and he died.
11 And Ishmael the son of
Abraham was grown up in those days; he was fourteen years old when Sarah bare
Isaac to Abraham.
12 And God was with Ishmael the
son of Abraham, and he grew up, and he learned to use the bow and became an
archer.
13 And when Isaac was five years
old he was sitting with Ishmael at the door of the tent.
14 And Ishmael came to Isaac and
seated himself opposite to him, and he took the bow and drew it and put the
arrow in it, and intended to slay Isaac.
15 And Sarah saw the act which
Ishmael desired to do to her son Isaac, and it grieved her exceedingly on
account of her son, and she sent for Abraham, and said to him, Cast out this
bondwoman and her son, for her son shall not be heir with my son, for thus
did he seek to do unto him this day.
16 And Abraham hearkened to the
voice of Sarah, and he rose up early in the morning, and he took twelve
loaves and a bottle of water which he gave to Hagar, and sent her away with
her son, and Hagar went with her son to the wilderness, and they dwelt in the
wilderness of Paran with the inhabitants of the wilderness, and Ishmael was
an archer, and he dwelt in the wilderness a long time.
54
17 And he and his mother
afterward went to the land of Egypt, and they dwelt there, and Hagar took a
wife for her son from Egypt, and her name was Meribah.
18 And the wife of Ishmael
conceived and bare four sons and two daughters, and Ishmael and his mother
and his wife and children afterward went and returned to the wilderness.
19 And they made themselves
tents in the wilderness, in which they dwelt, and they continued to travel
and then to rest monthly and yearly.
20 And God gave Ishmael flocks
and herds and tents on account of Abraham his father, and the man increased
in cattle.
21 And Ishmael dwelt in deserts
and in tents, traveling and resting for a long time, and he did not see the
face of his father.
22 And in some time after,
Abraham said to Sarah his wife, I will go and see my son Ishmael, for I have
a desire to see him, for I have not seen him for a long time.
23 And Abraham rode upon one of
his camels to the wilderness to seek his son Ishmael, for he heard that he
was dwelling in a tent in the wilderness with all belonging to him.
24 And Abraham went to the
wilderness, and he reached the tent of Ishmael about noon, and he asked after
Ishmael, and he found the wife of Ishmael sitting in the tent with her
children, and Ishmael her husband and his mother were not with them.
25 And Abraham asked the wife of
Ishmael, saying, Where has Ishmael gone? and she said, He has gone to the
field to hunt, and Abraham was still mounted upon the camel, for he would not
get off to the ground as he had sworn to his wife Sarah that he would not get
off from the camel.
26 And Abraham said to Ishmael's
wife, My daughter, give me a little water that I may drink, for I am fatigued
from the journey.
27 And Ishmael's wife answered
and said to Abraham, We have neither water nor bread, and she continued
sitting in the tent and did not notice Abraham, neither did she ask him who
he was.
28 But she was beating her
children in the tent, and she was cursing them, and she also cursed her
husband Ishmael and reproached him, and Abraham heard the words of Ishmael's
wife to her children, and he was very angry and displeased.
29 And Abraham called to the
woman to come out to him from the tent, and the woman came and stood opposite
to Abraham, for Abraham was still mounted upon the camel.
30 And Abraham said to Ishmael's
wife, When thy husband Ishmael returneth home say these words to him,
31 A very old man from the land
of the Philistines came hither to seek thee, and thus was his appearance and
figure; I did not ask him who he was, and seeing thou wast not here he spoke
unto me and said, When Ishmael thy husband returneth tell him thus did this
man say, When thou comest home put away this nail of the tent which thou hast
placed here, and place another nail in its stead.
32 And Abraham finished his
instructions to the woman, and he turned and went off on the camel homeward.
33 And after that Ishmael came
from the chase he and his mother, and returned to the tent, and his wife
spoke these words to him,
34 A very old man from the land
of the Philistines came to seek thee, and thus was his appearance and figure;
I
55
did not ask him who he was, and
seeing thou wast not at home he said to me, When thy husband cometh home tell
him, thus saith the old man, Put away the nail of the tent which thou hast
placed here and place another nail in its stead.
35 And Ishmael heard the words
of his wife, and he knew that it was his father, and that his wife did not
honor him.
36 And Ishmael understood his
father's words that he had spoken to his wife, and Ishmael hearkened to the
voice of his father, and Ishmael cast off that woman and she went away.
37 And Ishmael afterward went to
the land of Canaan, and he took another wife and he brought her to his tent
to the place where he then dwelt.
38 And at the end of three years
Abraham said, I will go again and see Ishmael my son, for I have not seen him
for a long time.
39 And he rode upon his camel
and went to the wilderness, and he reached the tent of Ishmael about noon.
40 And he asked after Ishmael,
and his wife came out of the tent and she said, He is not here my lord, for
he has gone to hunt in the fields, and to feed the camels, and the woman said
to Abraham, Turn in my lord into the tent, and eat a morsel of bread, for thy
soul must be wearied on account of the journey.
41 And Abraham said to her, I
will not stop for I am in haste to continue my journey, but give me a little
water to drink, for I have thirst; and the woman hastened and ran into the
tent and she brought out water and bread to Abraham, which she placed before
him and she urged him to eat, and he ate and drank and his heart was
comforted and he blessed his son Ishmael.
42 And he finished his meal and
he blessed the Lord, and he said to Ishmael's wife, When Ishmael cometh home
say these words to him,
43 A very old man from the land
of the Philistines came hither and asked after thee, and thou wast not here;
and I brought him out bread and water and he ate and drank and his heart was
comforted.
44 And he spoke these words to
me: When Ishmael thy husband cometh home, say unto him, The nail of the tent
which thou hast is very good, do not put it away from the tent.
45 And Abraham finished
commanding the woman, and he rode off to his home to the land of the
Philistines; and when Ishmael came to his tent his wife went forth to meet
him with joy and a cheerful heart.
46 And she said to him, An old
man came here from the land of the Philistines and thus was his appearance,
and he asked after thee and thou wast not here, so I brought out bread and
water, and he ate and drank and his heart was comforted.
47 And he spoke these words to
me, When Ishmael thy husband cometh home say to him, The nail of the tent
which thou hast is very good, do not put it away from the tent.
48 And Ishmael knew that it was
his father, and that his wife had honored him, and the Lord blessed Ishmael.
CHAPTER 22
1 And Ishmael then rose up and
took his wife and his children and his cattle and all belonging to him, and
he journeyed from there and he went to his father in the land of the
Philistines.
2 And Abraham related to Ishmael
his son the transaction with the first wife that Ishmael took, according to
what she did.
56
3 And Ishmael and his children
dwelt with Abraham many days in that land, and Abraham dwelt in the land of
the Philistines a long time.
4 And the days increased and
reached twenty six years, and after that Abraham with his servants and all
belonging to him went from the land of the Philistines and removed to a great
distance, and they came near to Hebron, and they remained there, and the
servants of Abraham dug wells of water, and Abraham and all belonging to him
dwelt by the water, and the servants of Abimelech king of the Philistines
heard the report that Abraham's servants had dug wells of water in the
borders of the land.
5 And they came and quarreled
with the servants of Abraham, and they robbed them of the great well which
they had dug.
6 And Abimelech king of the
Philistines heard of this affair, and he with Phicol the captain of his host
and twenty of his men came to Abraham, and Abimelech spoke to Abraham
concerning his servants, and Abraham rebuked Abimelech concerning the well of
which his servants had robbed him.
7 And Abimelech said to Abraham,
As the Lord liveth who created the whole earth, I did not hear of the act
which my servants did unto thy servants until this day.
8 And Abraham took seven ewe
lambs and gave them to Abimelech, saying, Take these, I pray thee, from my
hands that it may be a testimony for me that I dug this well.
9 And Abimelech took the seven
ewe lambs which Abraham had given to him, for he had also given him cattle
and herds in abundance, and Abimelech swore to Abraham concerning the well,
therefore he called that well Beersheba, for there they both swore concerning
it.
10 And they both made a covenant
in Beersheba, and Abimelech rose up with Phicol the captain of his host and
all his men, and they returned to the land of the Philistines, and Abraham
and all belonging to him dwelt in Beersheba and he was in that land a long
time.
11 And Abraham planted a large
grove in Beersheba, and he made to it four gates facing the four sides of the
earth, and he planted a vineyard in it, so that if a traveler came to Abraham
he entered any gate which was in his road, and remained there and ate and
drank and satisfied himself and then departed.
12 For the house of Abraham was
always open to the sons of men that passed and repassed, who came daily to
eat and drink in the house of Abraham.
13 And any man who had hunger
and came to Abraham's house, Abraham would give him bread that he might eat
and drink and be satisfied, and any one that came naked to his house he would
clothe with garments as he might choose, and give him silver and gold and
make known to him the Lord who had created him in the earth; this did Abraham
all his life.
14 And Abraham and his children
and all belonging to him dwelt in Beersheba, and he pitched his tent as far
as Hebron.
15 And Abraham's brother Nahor
and his father and all belonging to them dwelt in Haran, for they did not
come with Abraham to the land of Canaan.
16 And children were born to
Nahor which Milca the daughter of Haran, and sister to Sarah, Abraham's wife,
bare to him.
17 And these are the names of
those that were born to him, Uz, Buz,
57
Kemuel, Kesed, Chazo, Pildash,
Tidlaf, and Bethuel, being eight sons, these are the children of Milca which
she bare to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
18 And Nahor had a concubine and
her name was Reumah, and she also bare to Nahor, Zebach, Gachash, Tachash and
Maacha, being four sons.
19 And the children that were
born to Nahor were twelve sons besides his daughters, and they also had
children born to them in Haran.
20 And the children of Uz the
first born of Nahor were Abi, Cheref, Gadin, Melus, and Deborah their sister.
21 And the sons of Buz were
Berachel, Naamath, Sheva, and Madonu.
22 And the sons of Kemuel were
Aram and Rechob.
23 And the sons of Kesed were
Anamlech, Meshai, Benon and Yifi; and the sons of Chazo were Pildash, Mechi
and Opher.
24 And the sons of Pildash were
Arud, Chamum, Mered and Moloch.
25 And the sons of Tidlaf were
Mushan, Cushan and Mutzi.
26 And the children of Bethuel
were Sechar, Laban and their sister Rebecca.
27 These are the families of the
children of Nahor, that were born to them in Haran; and Aram the son of
Kemuel and Rechob his brother went away from Haran, and they found a valley
in the land by the river Euphrates.
28 And they built a city there,
and they called the name of the city after the name of Pethor the son of
Aram, that is Aram Naherayim unto this day.
29 And the children of Kesed
also went to dwell where they could find a place, and they went and they
found a valley opposite to the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there.
30 And they there built
themselves a city, and they called the name at the city Kesed after the name
of their father, that is the land Kasdim unto this day, and the Kasdim dwelt
in that land and they were fruitful and multiplied exceedingly.
31 And Terah, father of Nahor
and Abraham, went and took another wife in his old age, and her name was
Pelilah, and she conceived and bare him a son and he called his name Zoba.
32 And Terah lived twenty-five
years after he begat Zoba.
33 And Terah died in that year,
that is in the thirty-fifth year of the birth of Isaac son of Abraham.
34 And the days of Terah were two
hundred and five years, and he was buried in Haran.
35 And Zoba the son of Terah
lived thirty years and he begat Aram, Achlis and Merik.
36 And Aram son of Zoba son of
Terah, had three wives and he begat twelve sons and three daughters; and the
Lord gave to Aram the son of Zoba, riches and possessions, and abundance of
cattle, and flocks and herds, and the man increased greatly.
37 And Aram the son of Zoba and
his brother and all his household journeyed from Haran, and they went to
dwell where they should find a place, for their property was too great to
remain in Haran; for they could not stop in Haran together with their
brethren the children of Nahor.
38 And Aram the son of Zoba went
with his brethren, and they found a valley at a distance toward the eastern
country and they dwelt there.
39 And they also built a city
there, and they called the name thereof Aram, after the name of their eldest
brother; that is Aram Zoba to this day.
40 And Isaac the son of Abraham
was growing up in those days, and
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Abraham his father taught him
the way of the Lord to know the Lord, and the Lord was with him.
41 And when Isaac was
thirty-seven years old, Ishmael his brother was going about with him in the
tent.
42 And Ishmael boasted of
himself to Isaac, saying, I was thirteen years old when the Lord spoke to my
father to circumcise us, and I did according to the word of the Lord which he
spoke to my father, and I gave my soul unto the Lord, and I did not
transgress his word which he commanded my father.
43 And Isaac answered Ishmael,
saying, Why dost thou boast to me about this, about a little bit of thy flesh
which thou didst take from thy body, concerning which the Lord commanded
thee?
44 As the Lord liveth, the God
of my father Abraham, if the Lord should say unto my father, Take now thy son
Isaac and bring him up an offering before me, I would not refrain but I would
joyfully accede to it.
45 And the Lord heard the word
that Isaac spoke to Ishmael, and it seemed good in the sight of the Lord, and
he thought to try Abraham in this matter.
46 And the day arrived when the
sons of God came and placed themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came
with the sons of God before the Lord.
47 And the Lord said unto Satan,
Whence comest thou? and Satan answered the Lord and said, From going to and
fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
48 And the Lord said to Satan,
What is thy word to me concerning all the children of the earth? and Satan
answered the Lord and said, I have seen all the children of the earth who
serve thee and remember thee when they require anything from thee.
49 And when thou givest them the
thing which they require from thee, they sit at their ease, and forsake thee
and they remember thee no more.
50 Hast thou seen Abraham the
son of Terah, who at first had no children, and he served thee and erected
altars to thee wherever he came, and he brought up offerings upon them, and
he proclaimed thy name continually to all the children of the earth.
51 And now that his son Isaac is
born to him, he has forsaken thee, he has made a great feast for all the
inhabitants of the land, and the Lord he has forgotten.
52 For amidst all that he has
done he brought thee no offering; neither burnt offering nor peace offering,
neither ox, lamb nor goat of all that he killed on the day that his son was
weaned.
53 Even from the time of his
son's birth till now, being thirty-seven years, he built no altar before
thee, nor brought any offering to thee, for he saw that thou didst give what
he requested before thee, and he therefore forsook thee.
54 And the Lord said to Satan,
Hast thou thus considered my servant Abraham? for there is none like him upon
earth, a perfect and an upright man before me, one that feareth God and
avoideth evil; as I live, were I to say unto him, Bring up Isaac thy son
before me, he would not withhold him from me, much more if I told him to
bring up a burnt offering before me from his flock or herds.
55 And Satan answered the Lord
and said, Speak then now unto Abraham as thou hast said, and thou wilt see
whether he will not this day transgress and cast aside thy words.
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CHAPTER 23
1 At that time the word of the
Lord came to Abraham, and he said unto him, Abraham, and he said, Here I am.
2 And he said to him, Take now
thy son, thine only son whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and go to the land of
Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains
which shall be shown to thee, for there wilt thou see a cloud and the glory
of the Lord.
3 And Abraham said within
himself, How shall I separate my son Isaac from Sarah his mother, in order to
bring him up for a burnt offering before the Lord?
4 And Abraham came into the
tent, and he sat before Sarah his wife, and he spoke these words to her,
5 My son Isaac is grown up and
he has not for some time studied the service of his God, now tomorrow I will
go and bring him to Shem, and Eber his son, and there he will learn the ways
of the Lord, for they will teach him to know the Lord as well as to know that
when he prayeth continually before the Lord, he will answer him, therefore
there he will know the way of serving the Lord his God.
6 And Sarah said, Thou hast
spoken well, go my lord and do unto him as thou hast said, but remove him not
at a great distance from me, neither let him remain there too long, for my
soul is bound within his soul.
7 And Abraham said unto Sarah,
My daughter, let us pray to the Lord our God that he may do good with us.
8 And Sarah took her son Isaac
and he abode all that night with her, and she kissed and embraced him, and
gave him instructions till morning.
9 And she said to him, O my son,
how can my soul separate itself from thee? And she still kissed him and
embraced him, and she gave Abraham instructions concerning him.
10 And Sarah said to Abraham, O
my lord, I pray thee take heed of thy son, and place thine eyes over him, for
I have no other son nor daughter but him.
11 O forsake him not. If he be
hungry give him bread, and if he be thirsty give him water to drink; do not
let him go on foot, neither let him sit in the sun.
12 Neither let him go by himself
in the road, neither force him from whatever he may desire, but do unto him
as he may say to thee.
13 And Sarah wept bitterly the
whole night on account of Isaac, and she gave him instructions till morning.
14 And in the morning Sarah
selected a very fine and beautiful garment from those garments which she had
in the house, that Abimelech had given to her.
15 And she dressed Isaac her son
therewith, and she put a turban upon his head, and she enclosed a precious
stone in the top of the turban, and she gave them provision for the road, and
they went forth, and Isaac went with his father Abraham, and some of their
servants accompanied them to see them off the road.
16 And Sarah went out with them,
and she accompanied them upon the road to see them off, and they said to her,
Return to the tent.
17 And when Sarah heard the
words of her son Isaac she wept bitterly, and Abraham her husband wept with
her, and their son wept with them a great weeping; also those who went with
them wept greatly.
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18 And Sarah caught hold of her
son Isaac, and she held him in her arms, and she embraced him and continued
to weep with him, and Sarah said, Who knoweth if after this day I shall ever
see thee again?
19 And they still wept together,
Abraham, Sarah and Isaac, and all those that accompanied them on the road
wept with them, and Sarah afterward turned away from her son, weeping
bitterly, and all her men servants and maid servants returned with her to the
tent.
20 And Abraham went with Isaac
his son to bring him up as an offering before the Lord, as He had commanded
him.
21 And Abraham took two of his
young men with him, Ishmael the son of Hagar and Eliezer his servant, and
they went together with them, and whilst they were walking in the road the
young men spoke these words to themselves,
22 And Ishmael said to Eliezer,
Now my father Abraham is going with Isaac to bring him up for a burnt
offering to the Lord, as He commanded him.
23 Now when he returneth he will
give unto me all that he possesses, to inherit after him, for I am his first
born.
24 And Eliezer answered Ishmael
and said, Surely Abraham did cast thee away with thy mother, and swear that
thou shouldst not inherit any thing of all he possesses, and to whom will he
give all that he has, with all his treasures, but unto me his servant, who
has been faithful in his house, who has served him night and day, and has
done all that he desired me? to me will he bequeath at his death all that he
possesses.
25 And whilst Abraham was
proceeding with his son Isaac along the road, Satan came and appeared to
Abraham in the figure of a very aged man, humble and of contrite spirit, and
he approached Abraham and said to him, Art thou silly or brutish, that thou
goest to do this thing this day to thine only son?
26 For God gave thee a son in
thy latter days, in thy old age, and wilt thou go and slaughter him this day
because he committed no violence, and wilt thou cause the soul of thine only
son to perish from the earth?
27 Dost thou not know and
understand that this thing cannot be from the Lord? for the Lord cannot do
unto man such evil upon earth to say to him, Go slaughter thy child.
28 And Abraham heard this and
knew that it was the word of Satan who endeavored to draw him aside from the
way of the Lord, but Abraham would not hearken to the voice of Satan, and
Abraham rebuked him so that he went away.
29 And Satan returned and came
to Isaac; and he appeared unto Isaac in the figure of a young man comely and
well favored.
30 And he approached Isaac and
said unto him, Dost thou not know and understand that thy old silly father
bringeth thee to the slaughter this day for naught?
31 Now therefore, my son, do not
listen nor attend to him, for he is a silly old man, and let not thy precious
soul and beautiful figure be lost from the earth.
32 And Isaac heard this, and
said unto Abraham, Hast thou heard, my father, that which this man has
spoken? even thus has he spoken.
33 And Abraham answered his son
Isaac and said to him, Take heed of him and do not listen to his words, nor
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attend to him, for he is Satan,
endeavoring to draw us aside this day from the commands of God.
34 And Abraham still rebuked
Satan, and Satan went from them, and seeing he could not prevail over them he
hid himself from them, and he went and passed before them in the road; and he
transformed himself to a large brook of water in the road, and Abraham and
Isaac and his two young men reached that place, and they saw a brook large
and powerful as the mighty waters.
35 And they entered the brook
and passed through it, and the waters at first reached their legs.
36 And they went deeper in the
brook and the waters reached up to their necks, and they were all terrified
on account of the water; and whilst they were going over the brook Abraham
recognized that place, and he knew that there was no water there before.
37 And Abraham said to his son
Isaac, I know this place in which there was no brook nor water, now therefore
it is this Satan who does all this to us, to draw us aside this day from the
commands of God.
38 And Abraham rebuked him and
said unto him, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan, begone from us for we go by the
commands of God.
39 And Satan was terrified at
the voice of Abraham, and he went away from them, and the place again became
dry land as it was at first.
40 And Abraham went with Isaac
toward the place that God had told him.
41 And on the third day Abraham
lifted up his eyes and saw the place at a distance which God had told him of.
42 And a pillar of fire appeared
to him that reached from the earth to heaven, and a cloud of glory upon the
mountain, and the glory of the Lord was seen in the cloud.
43 And Abraham said to Isaac, My
son, dost thou see in that mountain, which we perceive at a distance, that
which I see upon it?
44 And Isaac answered and said
unto his father, I see and lo a pillar of fire and a cloud, and the glory of
the Lord is seen upon the cloud.
45 And Abraham knew that his son
Isaac was accepted before the Lord for a burnt offering.
46 And Abraham said unto Eliezer
and unto Ishmael his son, Do you also see that which we see upon the mountain
which is at a distance?
47 And they answered and said,
We see nothing more than like the other mountains of the earth. And Abraham
knew that they were not accepted before the Lord to go with them, and Abraham
said to them, Abide ye here with the ass whilst I and Isaac my son will go to
yonder mount and worship there before the Lord and then return to you.
48 And Eliezer and Ishmael
remained in that place, as Abraham had commanded.
49 And Abraham took wood for a
burnt offering and placed it upon his son Isaac, and he took the fire and the
knife, and they both went to that place.
50 And when they were going
along Isaac said to his father, Behold, I see here the fire and wood, and
where then is the lamb that is to be the burnt offering before the Lord?
51 And Abraham answered his son
Isaac, saying, The Lord has made choice of thee my son, to be a perfect burnt
offering instead of the lamb.
52 And Isaac said unto his
father, I will do all that the Lord spoke to thee with joy and cheerfulness
of heart.
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53 And Abraham again said unto
Isaac his son, Is there in thy heart any thought or counsel concerning this,
which is not proper? tell me my son, I pray thee, O my son conceal it not
from me.
54 And Isaac answered his father
Abraham and said unto him, O my father, as the Lord liveth and as thy soul
liveth, there is nothing in my heart to cause me to deviate either to the
right or to the left from the word that he has spoken to thee.
55 Neither limb nor muscle has
moved or stirred at this, nor is there in my heart any thought or evil
counsel concerning this.
56 But I am of joyful and
cheerful heart in this matter, and I say, Blessed is the Lord who has this
day chosen me to be a burnt offering before Him.
57 And Abraham greatly rejoiced
at the words of Isaac, and they went on and came together to that place that
the Lord had spoken of.
58 And Abraham approached to
build the altar in that place, and Abraham was weeping, and Isaac took stones
and mortar until they had finished building the altar.
59 And Abraham took the wood and
placed it in order upon the altar which he had built.
60 And he took his son Isaac and
bound him in order to place him upon the wood which was upon the altar, to
slay him for a burnt offering before the Lord.
61 And Isaac said to his father,
Bind me securely and then place me upon the altar lest I should turn and
move, and break loose from the force of the knife upon my flesh and thereof
profane the burnt offering; and Abraham did so.
62 And Isaac still said to his father,
O my father, when thou shalt have slain me and burnt me for an offering, take
with thee that which shall remain of my ashes to bring to Sarah my mother,
and say to her, This is the sweet smelling savor of Isaac; but do not tell
her this if she should sit near a well or upon any high place, lest she
should cast her soul after me and die.
63 And Abraham heard the words
of Isaac, and he lifted up his voice and wept when Isaac spake these words;
and Abraham's tears gushed down upon Isaac his son, and Isaac wept bitterly,
and he said to his father, Hasten thou, O my father, and do with me the will
of the Lord our God as He has commanded thee.
64 And the hearts of Abraham and
Isaac rejoiced at this thing which the Lord had commanded them; but the eye
wept bitterly whilst the heart rejoiced.
65 And Abraham bound his son
Isaac, and placed him on the altar upon the wood, and Isaac stretched forth
his neck upon the altar before his father, and Abraham stretched forth his
hand to take the knife to slay his son as a burnt offering before the Lord.
66 At that time the angels of
mercy came before the Lord and spake to him concerning Isaac, saying,
67 0 Lord, thou art a merciful
and compassionate King over all that thou hast created in heaven and in
earth, and thou supportest them all; give therefore ransom and redemption
instead of thy servant Isaac, and pity and have compassion upon Abraham and
Isaac his son, who are this day performing thy commands.
68 Hast thou seen, O Lord, how
Isaac the son of Abraham thy servant is bound down to the slaughter like an
animal? now therefore let thy pity be roused for them, O Lord.
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69 At that time the Lord
appeared unto Abraham, and called to him, from heaven, and said unto him, Lay
not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him, for now I
know that thou fearest God in performing this act, and in not withholding thy
son, thine only son, from me.
70 And Abraham lifted up his
eyes and saw, and behold, a ram was caught in a thicket by his horns; that
was the ram which the Lord God had created in the earth in the day that he
made earth and heaven.
71 For the Lord had prepared
this ram from that day, to be a burnt offering instead of Isaac.
72 And this ram was advancing to
Abraham when Satan caught hold of him and entangled his horns in the thicket,
that he might not advance to Abraham, in order that Abraham might slay his
son.
73 And Abraham, seeing the ram
advancing to him and Satan withholding him, fetched him and brought him
before the altar, and he loosened his son Isaac from his binding, and he put
the ram in his stead, and Abraham killed the ram upon the altar, and brought
it up as an offering in the place of his son Isaac.
74 And Abraham sprinkled some of
the blood of the ram upon the altar, and he exclaimed and said, This is in
the place of my son, and may this be considered this day as the blood of my
son before the Lord.
75 And all that Abraham did on
this occasion by the altar, he would exclaim and say, This is in the room of
my son, and may it this day be considered before the Lord in the place of my
son; and Abraham finished the whole of the service by the altar, and the
service was accepted before the Lord, and was accounted as if it had been
Isaac; and the Lord blessed Abraham and his seed on that day.
76 And Satan went to Sarah, and
he appeared to her in the figure of an old man very humble and meek, and
Abraham was yet engaged in the burnt offering before the Lord.
77 And he said unto her, Dost
thou not know all the work that Abraham has made with thine only son this
day? for he took Isaac and built an altar, and killed him, and brought him up
as a sacrifice upon the altar, and Isaac cried and wept before his father,
but he looked not at him, neither did he have compassion over him.
78 And Satan repeated these
words, and he went away from her, and Sarah heard all the words of Satan, and
she imagined him to be an old man from amongst the sons of men who had been
with her son, and had come and told her these things.
79 And Sarah lifted up her voice
and wept and cried out bitterly on account of her son; and she threw herself
upon the ground and she cast dust upon her head, and she said, O my son,
Isaac my son, O that I had this day died instead of thee. And she continued
to weep and said, It grieves me for thee, O my son, my son Isaac, O that I
had died this day in thy stead.
80 And she still continued to
weep, and said, It grieves me for thee after that I have reared thee and have
brought thee up; now my joy is turned into mourning over thee, I that had a
longing for thee, and cried and prayed to God till I bare thee at ninety
years old; and now hast thou served this day for the knife and the fire, to
be made an offering.
81 But I console myself with
thee, my son, in its being the word of the Lord, for thou didst perform the
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command of thy God; for who can
transgress the word of our God, in whose hands is the soul of every living
creature?
82 Thou art just, O Lord our
God, for all thy works are good and righteous; for I also am rejoiced with
thy word which thou didst command, and whilst mine eye weepeth bitterly my
heart rejoiceth.
83 And Sarah laid her head upon
the bosom of one of her handmaids, and she became as still as a stone.
84 She afterward rose up and
went about making inquiries till she came to Hebron, and she inquired of all
those whom she met walking in the road, and no one could tell her what had
happened to her son.
85 And she came with her maid
servants and men servants to Kireath-arba, which is Hebron, and she asked
concerning her Son, and she remained there while she sent some of her
servants to seek where Abraham had gone with Isaac; they went to seek him in
the house of Shem and Eber, and they could not find him, and they sought
throughout the land and he was not there.
86 And behold, Satan came to
Sarah in the shape of an old man, and he came and stood before her, and he
said unto her, I spoke falsely unto thee, for Abraham did not kill his son
and he is not dead; and when she heard the word her joy was so exceedingly
violent on account of her son, that her soul went out through joy; she died
and was gathered to her people.
87 And when Abraham had finished
his service he returned with his son Isaac to his young men, and they rose up
and went together to Beersheba, and they came home.
88 And Abraham sought for Sarah,
and could not find her, and he made inquiries concerning her, and they said
unto him, She went as far as Hebron to seek you both where you had gone, for
thus was she informed.
89 And Abraham and Isaac went to
her to Hebron, and when they found that she was dead they lifted up their
voices and wept bitterly over her; and Isaac fell upon his mother's face and
wept over her, and he said, O my mother, my mother, how hast thou left me,
and where hast thou gone? O how, how hast thou left me!
90 And Abraham and Isaac wept
greatly and all their servants wept with them on account of Sarah, and they
mourned over her a great and heavy mourning.
CHAPTER 24
1 And the life of Sarah was one
hundred and twenty-seven years, and Sarah died; and Abraham rose up from
before his dead to seek a burial place to bury his wife Sarah; and he went
and spoke to the children of Heth, the inhabitants of the land, saying,
2 I am a stranger and a
sojourner with you in your land; give me a possession of a burial place in
your land, that I may bury my dead from before me.
3 And the children of Heth said
unto Abraham, behold the land is before thee, in the choice of our sepulchers
bury thy dead, for no man shall withhold thee from burying thy dead.
4 And Abraham said unto them, If
you are agreeable to this go and entreat for me to Ephron, the son of
65
Zochar, requesting that he may
give me the cave of Machpelah, which is in the end of his field, and I will
purchase it of him for whatever he desire for it.
5 And Ephron dwelt among the
children of Heth, and they went and called for him, and he came before
Abraham, and Ephron said unto Abraham, Behold all thou requirest thy servant
will do; and Abraham said, No, but I will buy the cave and the field which
thou hast for value, In order that it may be for a possession of a burial
place for ever.
6 And Ephron answered and said,
Behold the field and the cave are before thee, give whatever thou desirest;
and Abraham said, Only at full value will I buy it from thy hand, and from
the hands of those that go in at the gate of thy city, and from the hand of
thy seed for ever.
7 And Ephron and all his
brethren heard this, and Abraham weighed to Ephron four hundred shekels of
silver in the hands of Ephron and in the hands of all his brethren; and
Abraham wrote this transaction, and he wrote it and testified it with four
witnesses.
8 And these are the names of the
witnesses, Amigal son of Abishna the Hittite, Adichorom son of Ashunach the
Hivite, Abdon son of Achiram the Gomerite, Bakdil the son of Abudish the
Zidonite.
9 And Abraham took the book of
the purchase, and placed it in his treasures, and these are the words that
Abraham wrote in the book, namely:
10 That the cave and the field
Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite, and from his seed, and from those
that go out of his city, and from their seed for ever, are to be a purchase
to Abraham and to his seed and to those that go forth from his loins, for a
possession of a burial place for ever; and he put a signet to it and
testified it with witnesses.
11 And the field and the cave
that was in it and all that place were made sure unto Abraham and unto his
seed after him, from the children of Heth; behold it is before Mamre in
Hebron, which is in the land of Canaan.
12 And after this Abraham buried
his wife Sarah there, and that place and all its boundary became to Abraham
and unto his seed for a possession of a burial place.
13 And Abraham buried Sarah with
pomp as observed at the interment of kings, and she was buried in very fine
and beautiful garments.
14 And at her bier was Shem, his
sons Eber and Abimelech, together with Anar, Ashcol and Mamre, and all the
grandees of the land followed her bier.
15 And the days of Sarah were
one hundred and twenty-seven years and she died, and Abraham made a great and
heavy mourning, and he performed the rites of mourning for seven days.
16 And all the inhabitants of
the land comforted Abraham and Isaac his son on account of Sarah.
17 And when the days of their
mourning passed by Abraham sent away his son Isaac, and he went to the house
of Shem and Eber, to learn the ways of the Lord and his instructions, and
Abraham remained there three years.
18 At that time Abraham rose up
with all his servants, and they went and returned homeward to Beersheba, and
Abraham and all his servants remained in Beersheba.
19 And at the revolution of the
year
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Abimelech king of the
Philistines died in that year; he was one hundred and ninety-three years old
at his death; and Abraham went with his people to the land of the
Philistines, and they comforted the whole household and all his servants, and
he then turned and went home.
20 And it was after the death of
Abimelech that the people of Gerar took Benmalich his son, and he was only
twelve years old, and they made him lying in the place of his father.
21 And they called his name
Abimelech after the name of his father, for thus was it their custom to do in
Gerar, and Abimelech reigned instead of Abimelech his father, and he sat upon
his throne.
22 And Lot the son of Haran also
died in those days, in the thirty-ninth year of the life of Isaac, and all
the days that Lot lived were one hundred and forty years and he died.
23 And these are the children of
Lot, that were born to him by his daughters, the name of the first born was
Moab, and the name of the second was Benami.
24 And the two sons of Lot went
and took themselves wives from the land of Canaan, and they bare children to
them, and the children of Moab were Ed, Mayon, Tarsus, and Kanvil, four sons,
these are fathers to the children of Moab unto this day.
25 And all the families of the
children of Lot went to dwell wherever they should light upon, for they were
fruitful and increased abundantly.
26 And they went and built
themselves cities in the land where they dwelt, and they called the names of
the cities which they built after their own names.
27 And Nahor the son of Terah,
brother to Abraham, died in those days in the fortieth year of the life of
Isaac, and all the days of Nahor were one hundred and seventy-two years and
he died and was buried in Haran.
28 And when Abraham heard that
his brother was dead he grieved sadly, and he mourned over his brother many
days.
29 And Abraham called for
Eliezer his head servant, to give him orders concerning his house, and he
came and stood before him.
30 And Abraham said to him,
Behold I am old, I do not know the day of my death; for I am advanced in
days; now therefore rise up, go forth and do not take a wife for my son from
this place and from this land, from the daughters of the Canaanites amongst
whom we dwell.
31 But go to my land and to my
birthplace, and take from thence a wife for my son, and the Lord God of Heaven
and earth who took me from my father's house and brought me to this place,
and said unto me, To thy seed will I give this land for an inheritance for
ever, he will send his angel before thee and prosper thy way, that thou
mayest obtain a wife for my son from my family and from my father's house.
32 And the servant answered his
master Abraham and said, Behold I go to thy birthplace and to thy father's
house, and take a wife for thy son from there; but if the woman be not
willing to follow me to this land, shall I take thy son back to the land of
thy birthplace?
33 And Abraham said unto him,
Take heed that thou bring not my son hither again, for the Lord before whom I
have walked he will send his angel before thee and prosper thy way.
34 And Eliezer did as Abraham
ordered him, and Eliezer swore unto
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Abraham his master upon this
matter; and Eliezer rose up and took ten camels of the camels of his master,
and ten men from his master's servants with him, and they rose up and went to
Haran, the city of Abraham and Nahor, in order to fetch a wife for Isaac the
son of Abraham; and whilst they were gone Abraham sent to the house of Shem
and Eber, and they brought from thence his son Isaac.
35 And Isaac came home to his
father's house to Beersheba, whilst Eliezer and his men came to Haran; and
they stopped in the city by the watering place, and he made his camels to
kneel down by the water and they remained there.
36 And Eliezer, Abraham's
servant, prayed and said, O God of Abraham my master; send me I pray thee good
speed this day and show kindness unto my master, that thou shalt appoint this
day a wife for my master's son from his family.
37 And the Lord hearkened to the
voice of Eliezer, for the sake of his servant Abraham, and he happened to
meet with the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor,
brother to Abraham, and Eliezer came to her house.
38 And Eliezer related to them
all his concerns, and that he was Abraham's servant, and they greatly
rejoiced at him.
39 And they all blessed the Lord
who brought this thing about, and they gave him Rebecca, the daughter of
Bethuel, for a wife for Isaac.
40 And the young woman was of
very comely appearance, she was a virgin, and Rebecca was ten years old in
those days.
41 And Bethuel and Laban and his
children made a feast on that night, and Eliezer and his men came and ate and
drank and rejoiced there on that night.
42 And Eliezer rose up in the morning,
he and the men that were with him, and he called to the whole household of
Bethuel, saying, Send me away that I may go to my master; and they rose up
and sent away Rebecca and her nurse Deborah, the daughter of Uz, and they
gave her silver and gold, men servants and maid servants, and they blessed
her.
43 And they sent Eliezer away
with his men; and the servants took Rebecca, and he went and returned to his
master to the land of Canaan.
44 And Isaac took Rebecca and
she became his wife, and he brought her into the tent.
45 And Isaac was forty years old
when he took Rebecca, the daughter of his uncle Bethuel, for a wife.
CHAPTER 25
1 And it was at that time that
Abraham again took a wife in his old age, and her name was Keturah, from the
land of Canaan.
2 And she bare unto him Zimran,
Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuach, being six sons. And the children
of Zimran were Abihen, Molich and Narim.
3 And the sons of Jokshan were
Sheba and Dedan, and the sons of Medan were Amida, Joab, Gochi, Elisha and
Nothach; and the sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Chanoch, Abida and Eldaah.
4 And the sons of Ishbak were
Makiro, Beyodua and Tator.
5 And the sons of Shuach were
Bildad, Mamdad, Munan and Meban; all these are the families of the children
of Keturah the Canaanitish
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woman which she bare unto
Abraham the Hebrew.
6 And Abraham sent all these
away, and he gave them gifts, and they went away from his son Isaac to dwell
wherever they should find a place.
7 And all these went to the
mountain at the east, and they built themselves six cities in which they
dwelt unto this day.
8 But the children of Sheba and
Dedan, children of Jokshan, with their children, did not dwell with their
brethren in their cities, and they journeyed and encamped in the countries
and wildernesses unto this day.
9 And the children of Midian,
son of Abraham, went to the east of the land of Cush, and they there found a
large valley in the eastern country, and they remained there and built a
city, and they dwelt therein, that is the land of Midian unto this day.
10 And Midian dwelt in the city
which he built, he and his five sons and all belonging to him.
11 And these are the names of
the sons of Midian according to their names in their cities, Ephah, Epher,
Chanoch, Abida and Eldaah.
12 And the sons of Ephah were
Methach, Meshar, Avi and Tzanua, and the sons of Epher were Ephron, Zur,
Alirun and Medin, and the sons of Chanoch were Reuel, Rekem, Azi, Alyoshub
and Alad.
13 And the sons of Abida were
Chur, Melud, Kerury, Molchi; and the sons of Eldaah were Miker, and Reba, and
Malchiyah and Gabol; these are the names of the Midianites according to their
families; and afterward the families of Midian spread throughout the land of
Midian.
14 And these are the generations
of Ishmael the son Abraham, whom Hagar, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham.
15 And Ishmael took a wife from
the land of Egypt, and her name was Ribah, the same is Meribah.
16 And Ribah bare unto Ishmael
Nebayoth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam and their sister Bosmath.
17 And Ishmael cast away his
wife Ribah, and she went from him and returned to Egypt to the house of her
father, and she dwelt there, for she had been very bad in the sight of
Ishmael, and in the sight of his father Abraham.
18 And Ishmael afterward took a
wife from the land of Canaan, and her name was Malchuth, and she bare unto
him Nishma, Dumah, Masa, Chadad, Tema, Yetur, Naphish and Kedma.
19 These are the sons of
Ishmael, and these are their names, being twelve princes according to their
nations; and the families of Ishmael afterward spread forth, and Ishmael took
his children and all the property that he had gained, together with the souls
of his household and all belonging to him, and they went to dwell where they
should find a place.
20 And they went and dwelt near
the wilderness of Paran, and their dwelling was from Havilah unto Shur, that
is before Egypt as thou comest toward Assyria.
21 And Ishmael and his sons
dwelt in the land, and they had children born to them, and they were fruitful
and increased abundantly.
22 And these are the names of
the sons of Nebayoth the first born of Ishmael; Mend, Send, Mayon; and the
sons of Kedar were Alyon, Kezem, Chamad and Eli.
23 And the sons of Adbeel were
Chamad and Jabin; and the sons of
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Mibsam were Obadiah, Ebedmelech
and Yeush; these are the families of the children of Ribah the wife of
Ishmael.
24 And the sons of Mishma the
son of Ishmael were Shamua, Zecaryon and Obed; and the sons of Dumah were
Kezed, Eli, Machmad and Amed.
25 And the sons of Masa were
Melon, Mula and Ebidadon; and the sons of Chadad were Azur, Minzar and
Ebedmelech; and the sons of Tema were Seir, Sadon and Yakol.
26 And the sons of Yetur were
Merith, Yaish, Alyo, and Pachoth; and the sons of Naphish were Ebed-Tamed,
Abiyasaph and Mir; and the sons of Kedma were Calip, Tachti, and Omir; these
were the children of Malchuth the wife of Ishmael according to their
families.
27 All these are the families of
Ishmael according to their generations, and they dwelt in those lands wherein
they had built themselves cities unto this day.
28 And Rebecca the daughter of
Bethuel, the wife of Abraham's son Isaac, was barren in those days, she had
no offspring; and Isaac dwelt with his father in the land of Canaan; and the
Lord was with Isaac; and Arpachshad the son of Shem the son of Noah died in
those days, in the forty-eighth year of the life of Isaac, and all the days
that Arpachshad lived were four hundred and thirty-eight years, and he died.
CHAPTER 26
1 And in the fifty-ninth year of
the life of Isaac the son of Abraham, Rebecca his wife was still barren in
those days.
2 And Rebecca said unto Isaac,
Truly I have heard, my lord, that thy mother Sarah was barren in her days
until my Lord Abraham, thy father, prayed for her and she conceived by him.
3 Now therefore stand up, pray
thou also to God and he will hear thy prayer and remember us through his
mercies.
4 And Isaac answered his wife
Rebecca, saying, Abraham has already prayed for me to God to multiply his
seed, now therefore this barrenness must proceed to us from thee.
5 And Rebecca said unto him, But
arise now thou also and pray, that the Lord may hear thy prayer and grant me
children, and Isaac hearkened to the words of his wife, and Isaac and his
wife rose up and went to the land of Moriah to pray there and to seek the
Lord, and when they had reached that place Isaac stood up and prayed to the
Lord on account of his wife because she was barren.
6 And Isaac said, O Lord God of
heaven and earth, whose goodness and mercies fill the earth, thou who didst
take my father from his father's house and from his birthplace, and didst
bring him unto this land, and didst say unto him, To thy seed will I give the
land, and thou didst promise him and didst declare unto him, I will multiply
thy seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand of the sea, now may thy words
be verified which thou didst speak unto my father.
7 For thou art the Lord our God,
our eyes are toward thee to give us seed of men, as thou didst promise us,
for thou art the Lord our God and our eyes are directed toward thee only.
8 And the Lord heard the prayer
of Isaac the son of Abraham, and the Lord was entreated of him and Rebecca
his wife conceived.
9 And in about seven months
after the children struggled together within
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her, and it pained her greatly
that she was wearied on account of them, and she said to all the women who
were then in the land, Did such a thing happen to you as it has to me? and
they said unto her, No.
10 And she said unto them, Why
am I alone in this amongst all the women that were upon earth? and she went
to the land of Moriah to seek the Lord on account of this; and she went to
Shem and Eber his son to make inquiries of them in this matter, and that they
should seek the Lord in this thing respecting her.
11 And she also asked Abraham to
seek and inquire of the Lord about all that had befallen her.
12 And they all inquired of the
Lord concerning this matter, and they brought her word from the Lord and told
her, Two children are in thy womb, and two nations shall rise from them; and
one nation shall be stronger than the other, and the greater shall serve the
younger.
13 And when her days to be
delivered were completed, she knelt down, and behold there were twins in her
womb, as the Lord had spoken to her.
14 And the first came out red
all over like a hairy garment, and all the people of the land called his name
Esau, saying, That this one was made complete from the womb.
15 And after that came his
brother, and his hand took hold of Esau's heel, therefore they called his
name Jacob.
16 And Isaac, the son of
Abraham, was sixty years old when he begat them.
17 And the boys grew up to their
fifteenth year, and they came amongst the society of men. Esau was a
designing and deceitful man, and an expert hunter in the field, and Jacob was
a man perfect and wise, dwelling in tents, feeding flocks and learning the
instructions of the Lord and the commands of his father and mother.
18 And Isaac and the children of
his household dwelt with his father Abraham in the land of Canaan, as God had
commanded them.
19 And Ishmael the son of
Abraham went with his children and all belonging to them, and they returned
there to the land of Havilah, and they dwelt there.
20 And all the children of
Abraham's concubines went to dwell in the land of the east, for Abraham had
sent them away from his son, and had given them presents, and they went away.
21 And Abraham gave all that he
had to his son Isaac, and he also gave him all his treasures.
22 And he commanded him saying,
Dost thou not know and understand the Lord is God in heaven and in earth, and
there is no other beside him?
23 And it was he who took me
from my father's house, and from my birth place, and gave me all the delights
upon earth; who delivered me from the counsel of the wicked, for in him did I
trust.
24 And he brought me to this
place, and he delivered me from Ur Casdim; and he said unto me, To thy seed
will I give all these lands, and they shall inherit them when they keep my
commandments, my statutes and my judgments that I have commanded thee, and
which I shall command them.
25 Now therefore my son, hearken
to my voice, and keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I commanded
thee, do not turn from the right way either to the right or to the left, in
order that it may be well with thee and thy children after thee forever.
26 And remember the wonderful
works of the Lord, and his kindness
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that he has shown toward us, in
having delivered us from the hands of our enemies, and the Lord our God
caused them to fall into our hands; and now therefore keep all that I have
commanded thee, and turn not away from the commandments of thy God, and serve
none beside him, in order that it may be well with thee and thy seed after
thee.
27 And teach thou thy children
and thy seed the instructions of the Lord and his commandments, and teach
them the upright way in which they should go, in order that it may be well
with them forever.
28 And Isaac answered his father
and said unto him, That which my Lord has commanded that will I do, and I
will not depart from the commands of the Lord my God, I will keep all that he
commanded me; and Abraham blessed his son Isaac, and also his children; and
Abraham taught Jacob the instruction of the Lord and his ways.
29 And it was at that time that
Abraham died, in the fifteenth year of the life of Jacob and Esau, the sons
of Isaac, and all the days of Abraham were one hundred and seventy-five
years, and he died and was gathered to his people in good old age, old and
satisfied with days, and Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him.
30 And when the inhabitants of
Canaan heard that Abraham was dead, they all came with their kings and
princes and all their men to bury Abraham.
31 And all the inhabitants of
the land of Haran, and all the families of the house of Abraham, and all the
princes and grandees, and the sons of Abraham by the concubines, all came
when they heard of Abraham's death, and they requited Abraham's kindness, and
comforted Isaac his son, and they buried Abraham in the cave which he bought
from Ephron the Hittite and his children, for the possession of a burial
place.
32 And all the inhabitants of
Canaan, and all those who had known Abraham, wept for Abraham a whole year,
and men and women mourned over him.
33 And all the little children,
and all the inhabitants of the land wept on account of Abraham, for Abraham
had been good to them all, and because he had been upright with God and men.
34 And there arose not a man who
feared God like unto Abraham, for he had feared his God from his youth, and
had served the Lord, and had gone in all his ways during his life, from his
childhood to the day of his death.
35 And the Lord was with him and
delivered him from the counsel of Nimrod and his people, and when he made war
with the four kings of Elam he conquered them.
36 And he brought all the
children of the earth to the service of God, and he taught them the ways of
the Lord, and caused them to know the Lord.
37 And he formed a grove and he
planted a vineyard therein, and he had always prepared in his tent meat and
drink to those that passed through the land, that they might satisfy
themselves in his house.
38 And the Lord God delivered
the whole earth on account of Abraham.
39 And it was after the death of
Abraham that God blessed his son Isaac and his children, and the Lord was
with Isaac as he had been with his father Abraham, for Isaac kept all the
commandments of the Lord as Abraham his father had commanded
72
him; he did not turn to the right
or to the left from the right path which his father had commanded him.
CHAPTER 27
1 And Esau at that time, after
the death of Abraham, frequently went in the field to hunt.
2 And Nimrod king of Babel, the
same was Amraphel, also frequently went with his mighty men to hunt in the
field, and to walk about with his men in the cool of the day.
3 And Nimrod was observing Esau
all the days, for a jealousy was formed in the heart of Nimrod against Esau
all the days.
4 And on a certain day Esau went
in the field to hunt, and he found Nimrod walking in the wilderness with his
two men.
5 And all his mighty men and his
people were with him in the wilderness, but they removed at a distance from
him, and they went from him in different directions to hunt, and Esau
concealed himself for Nimrod, and he lurked for him in the wilderness.
6 And Nimrod and his men that
were with him did not know him, and Nimrod and his men frequently walked
about in the field at the cool of the day, and to know where his men were
hunting in the field.
7 And Nimrod and two of his men
that were with him came to the place where they were, when Esau started
suddenly from his lurking place, and drew his sword, and hastened and ran to
Nimrod and cut off his head.
8 And Esau fought a desperate
fight with the two men that were with Nimrod, and when they called out to
him, Esau turned to them and smote them to death with his sword.
9 And all the mighty men of
Nimrod, who had left him to go to the wilderness, heard the cry at a
distance, and they knew the voices of those two men, and they ran to know the
cause of it, when they found their king and the two men that were with him
lying dead in the wilderness.
10 And when Esau saw the mighty
men of Nimrod coming at a distance, he fled, and thereby escaped; and Esau
took the valuable garments of Nimrod, which Nimrod's father had bequeathed to
Nimrod, and with which Nimrod prevailed over the whole land, and he ran and
concealed them in his house.
11 And Esau took those garments
and ran into the city on account of Nimrod's men, and he came unto his
father's house wearied and exhausted from fight, and he was ready to die
through grief when he approached his brother Jacob and sat before him.
12 And he said unto his brother
Jacob, Behold I shall die this day, and wherefore then do I want the
birthright? And Jacob acted wisely with Esau in this matter, and Esau sold
his birthright to Jacob, for it was so brought about by the Lord.
13 And Esau's portion in the
cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham had bought from the children of
Heth for the possession of a burial ground, Esau also sold to Jacob, and
Jacob bought all this from his brother Esau for value given.
14 And Jacob wrote the whole of
this in a book, and he testified the same with witnesses, and he sealed it,
and the book remained in the hands of Jacob.
15 And when Nimrod the son of
Cush died, his men lifted him up and brought him in consternation, and buried
him in his city, and all the days that Nimrod lived were two hundred and
fifteen years and he died.
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16 And the days that Nimrod
reigned upon the people of the land were one hundred and eighty-five years;
and Nimrod died by the sword of Esau in shame and contempt, and the seed of
Abraham caused his death as he had seen in his dream.
17 And at the death of Nimrod
his kingdom became divided into many divisions, and all those parts that
Nimrod reigned over were restored to the respective kings of the land, who
recovered them after the death of Nimrod, and all the people of the house of
Nimrod were for a long time enslaved to all the other kings of the land.
CHAPTER 28
1 And in those days, after the
death of Abraham, in that year the Lord brought a heavy famine in the land,
and whilst the famine was raging in the land of Canaan, Isaac rose up to go
down to Egypt on account of the famine, as his father Abraham had done.
2 And the Lord appeared that
night to Isaac and he said to him, Do not go down to Egypt but rise and go to
Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines, and remain there till the famine
shall cease.
3 And Isaac rose up and went to
Gerar, as the Lord commanded him, and he remained there a full year.
4 And when Isaac came to Gerar,
the people of the land saw that Rebecca his wife was of a beautiful
appearance, and the people of Gerar asked Isaac concerning his wife, and he
said, She is my sister, for he was afraid to say she was his wife lest the
people of the land should slay him on account of her.
5 And the princes of Abimelech
went and praised the woman to the king, but he answered them not, neither did
he attend to their words.
6 But he heard them say that
Isaac declared her to be his sister, so the king reserved this within
himself.
7 And when Isaac had remained
three months in the land, Abimelech looked out at the window, and he saw, and
behold Isaac was sporting with Rebecca his wife, for Isaac dwelt in the outer
house belonging to the king, so that the house of Isaac was opposite the
house of the king.
8 And the king said unto Isaac,
What is this thou hast done to us in saying of thy wife, She is my sister?
how easily might one of the great men of the people have lain with her, and
thou wouldst then have brought guilt upon us.
9 And Isaac said unto Abimelech,
Because I was afraid lest I die on account of my wife, therefore I said, She
is my sister.
10 At that time Abimelech gave
orders to all his princes and great men, and they took Isaac and Rebecca his
wife and brought them before the king.
11 And the king commanded that
they should dress them in princely garments, and make them ride through the
streets of the city, and proclaim before them throughout the land, saying,
This is the man and this is his wife; whoever toucheth this man or his wife
shall surely die. And Isaac returned with his wife to the king's house, and
the Lord was with Isaac and he continued to wax great and lacked nothing.
12 And the Lord caused Isaac to
find favor in the sight of Abimelech, and in the sight of all his subjects,
and Abimelech acted well with Isaac, for Abimelech remembered the oath and
the covenant that existed between his father and Abraham.
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13 And Abimelech said unto
Isaac, Behold the whole earth is before thee; dwell wherever it may seem good
in thy sight until thou shalt return to thy land; and Abimelech gave Isaac
fields and vineyards and the best part of the land of Gerar, to sow and reap
and eat the fruits of the ground until the days of the famine should have
passed by.
14 And Isaac sowed in that land,
and received a hundred-fold in the same year, and the Lord blessed him.
15 And the man waxed great, and
he had possession of flocks and possession of herds and great store of
servants.
16 And when the days of the
famine had passed away the Lord appeared to Isaac and said unto him, Rise up,
go forth from this place and return to thy land, to the land of Canaan; and
Isaac rose up and returned to Hebron which is in the land of Canaan, he and
all belonging to him as the Lord commanded him.
17 And after this Shelach the
son at Arpachshad died in that year, which is the eighteenth year of the
lives of Jacob and Esau; and all the days that Shelach lived were four
hundred and thirty-three years and he died.
18 At that time Isaac sent his
younger son Jacob to the house of Shem and Eber, and he learned the
instructions of the Lord, and Jacob remained in the house of Shem and Eber
for thirty-two years, and Esau his brother did not go, for he was not willing
to go, and he remained in his father's house in the land of Canaan.
19 And Esau was continually
hunting in the fields to bring home what he could get, so did Esau all the
days.
20 And Esau was a designing and
deceitful man, one who hunted after the hearts of men and inveigled them, and
Esau was a valiant man in the field, and in the course of time went as usual
to hunt; and he came as far as the field of Seir, the same is Edom.
21 And he remained in the land
of Seir hunting in the field a year and four months.
22 And Esau there saw in the
land of Seir the daughter of a man of Canaan, and her name was Jehudith, the
daughter of Beeri, son of Epher, from the families of Heth the son of Canaan.
23 And Esau took her for a wife,
and he came unto her; forty years old was Esau when he took her, and he
brought her to Hebron, the land of his father's dwelling place, and he dwelt
there.
24 And it came to pass in those
days, in the hundred and tenth year of the life of Isaac, that is in the
fiftieth year of the life of Jacob, in that year died Shem the son of Noah;
Shem was six hundred years old at his death.
25 And when Shem died Jacob
returned to his father to Hebron which is in the land of Canaan.
26 And in the fifty-sixth year
of the life of Jacob, people came from Haran, and Rebecca was told concerning
her brother Laban the son of Bethuel.
27 For the wife of Laban was
barren in those days, and bare no children, and also all his handmaids bare
none to him.
28 And the Lord afterward
remembered Adinah the wife of Laban, and she conceived and bare twin
daughters, and Laban called the names of his daughters, the name of the elder
Leah, and the name of the younger Rachel.
29 And those people came and
told these things to Rebecca, and Rebecca rejoiced greatly that the Lord had
visited her brother and that he had got children.
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CHAPTER 29
1 And Isaac the son of Abraham
became old and advanced in days, and his eyes became heavy through age; they
were dim and could not see.
2 At that time Isaac called unto
Esau his son, saying, Get I pray thee thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow,
rise up and go forth into the field and get me some venison, and make me
savory meat and bring it to me, that I may eat in order that I may bless thee
before my death, as I have now become old and gray-headed.
3 And Esau did so; and he took
his weapon and went forth into the field to hunt for venison, as usual, to
bring to his father as he had ordered him, so that he might bless him.
4 And Rebecca heard all the
words that Isaac had spoken unto Esau, and she hastened and called her son
Jacob, saying, Thus did thy father speak unto thy brother Esau, and thus did
I hear, now therefore hasten thou and make that which I shall tell thee.
5 Rise up and go, I pray thee,
to the flock and fetch me two fine kids of the goats, and I will get the
savory meat for thy father, and thou shalt bring the savory meat that he may
eat before thy brother shall have come from the chase, in order that thy
father may bless thee.
6 And Jacob hastened and did as
his mother had commanded him, and he made the savory meat and brought it
before his father before Esau had come from his chase.
7 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Who
art thou, my son? And he said, I am thy first born Esau, I have done as thou
didst order me, now therefore rise up I pray thee, and eat of my hunt, in
order that thy soul may bless me as thou didst speak unto me.
8 And Isaac rose up and he ate
and he drank, and his heart was comforted, and he blessed Jacob and Jacob
went away from his father; and as soon as Isaac had blessed Jacob and he had
gone away from him, behold Esau came from his hunt from the field, and he
also made savory meat and brought it to his father to eat thereof and to
bless him.
9 And Isaac said unto Esau, And
who was he that has taken venison and brought it me before thou camest and
whom I did bless? And Esau knew that his brother Jacob had done this, and the
anger of Esau was kindled against his brother Jacob that he had acted thus
toward him.
10 And Esau said, Is he not
rightly called Jacob? for he has supplanted me twice, he took away my
birthright and now he has taken away my blessing; and Esau wept greatly; and
when Isaac heard the voice of his son Esau weeping, Isaac said unto Esau,
What can I do, my son, thy brother came with subtlety and took away thy
blessing; and Esau hated his brother Jacob on account of the blessing that
his father had given him, and his anger was greatly roused against him.
11 And Jacob was very much
afraid of his brother Esau, and he rose up and fled to the house of Eber the
son of Shem, and he concealed himself there on account of his brother, and
Jacob was sixty-three years old when he went forth from the land of Canaan
from Hebron, and Jacob was concealed in Eber's house fourteen years on
account of his brother Esau, and he there continued to learn the ways of the
Lord and his commandments.
12 And when Esau saw that Jacob
had fled and escaped from him, and that Jacob had cunningly obtained the
blessing, then Esau
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grieved exceedingly, and he was
also vexed at his father and mother; and he also rose up and took his wife and
went away from his father and mother to the land of Seir, and he dwelt there;
and Esau saw there a woman from amongst the daughters of Heth whose name was
Bosmath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and he took her for a wife in
addition to his first wife, and Esau called her name Adah, saying the
blessing had in that time passed from him.
13 And Esau dwelt in the land of
Seir six months without seeing his father and mother, and afterward Esau took
his wives and rose up and returned to the land of Canaan, and Esau placed his
two wives in his father's house in Hebron.
14 And the wives of Esau vexed
and provoked Isaac and Rebecca with their works, for they walked not in the
ways of the Lord, but served their father's gods of wood and stone as their
father had taught them, and they were more wicked than their father.
15 And they went according to
the evil desires of their hearts, and they sacrificed and burnt incense to
the Baalim, and Isaac and Rebecca became weary of them.
16 And Rebecca said, I am weary
of my life because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob take a wife of the
daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what
good then is life unto me?
17 And in those days Adah the
wife of Esau conceived and bare him a son, and Esau called the name of the
son that was born unto him Eliphaz, and Esau was sixty-five years old when
she bare him.
18 And Ishmael the son of
Abraham died in those days, in the sixty-forth year of the life of Jacob, and
all the days that Ishmael lived were one hundred and thirty-seven years and
he died.
19 And when Isaac heard that
Ishmael was dead he mourned for him, and Isaac lamented over him many days.
20 And at the end of fourteen
years of Jacob's residing in the house of Eber, Jacob desired to see his
father and mother, and Jacob came to the house of his father and mother to
Hebron, and Esau had in those days forgotten what Jacob had done to him in
having taken the blessing from him in those days.
21 And when Esau saw Jacob coming
to his father and mother he remembered what Jacob had done to him, and he was
greatly incensed against him and he sought to slay him.
22 And Isaac the son of Abraham
was old and advanced in days, and Esau said, Now my father's time is drawing
nigh that he must die, and when he shall die I will slay my brother Jacob.
23 And this was told to Rebecca,
and she hastened and sent and called for Jacob her son, and she said unto
him, Arise, go and flee to Haran to my brother Laban, and remain there for
some time, until thy brother's anger be turned from thee and then shalt thou
come back.
24 And Isaac called unto Jacob
and said unto him, Take not a wife from the daughters of Canaan, for thus did
our father Abraham command us according to the word of the Lord which he had
commanded him, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; if thy children
keep my covenant that I have made with thee, then will I also perform to thy
children that which I have spoken unto thee and I will not forsake them.
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25 Now therefore my son hearken
to my voice, to all that I shall command thee, and refrain from taking a wife
from amongst the daughters of Canaan; arise, go to Haran to the house of
Bethuel thy mother's father, and take unto thee a wife from there from the
daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.
26 Therefore take heed lest thou
shouldst forget the Lord thy God and all his ways in the land to which thou
goest, and shouldst get connected with the people of the land and pursue
vanity and forsake the Lord thy God.
27 But when thou comest to the
land serve there the Lord, do not turn to the right or to the left from the
way which I commanded thee and which thou didst learn.
28 And may the Almighty God
grant thee favor in the sight of the people of the earth, that thou mayest take
there a wife according to thy choice; one who is good and upright in the ways
of the Lord.
29 And may God give unto thee
and thy seed the blessing of thy father Abraham, and make thee fruitful and
multiply thee, and mayest thou become a multitude of people in the land
whither thou goest, and may God cause thee to return to this land, the land
of thy father's dwelling, with children and with great riches, with joy and
with pleasure.
30 And Isaac finished commanding
Jacob and blessing him, and he gave him many gifts, together with silver and
gold, and he sent him away; and Jacob hearkened to his father and mother; he
kissed them and arose and went to Padan-aram; and Jacob was seventy-seven
years old when he went out from the land of Canaan from Beersheba.
31 And when Jacob went away to
go to Haran Esau called unto his son Eliphaz, and secretly spoke unto him,
saying, Now hasten, take thy sword in thy hand and pursue Jacob and pass
before him in the road, and lurk for him, and slay him with thy sword in one
of the mountains, and take all belonging to him and come back.
32 And Eliphaz the son of Esau
was an active man and expert with the bow as his father had taught him, and
he was a noted hunter in the field and a valiant man.
33 And Eliphaz did as his father
had commanded him, and Eliphaz was at that time thirteen years old, and
Eliphaz rose up and went and took ten of his mother's brothers with him and
pursued Jacob.
34 And he closely followed
Jacob, and he lurked for him in the border of the land of Canaan opposite to
the city of Shechem.
35 And Jacob saw Eliphaz and his
men pursuing him, and Jacob stood still in the place in which he was going,
in order to know what this was, for he did not know the thing; and Eliphaz
drew his sword and he went on advancing, he and his men, toward Jacob; and
Jacob said unto them, What is to do with you that you have come hither, and
what meaneth it that you pursue with your swords.
36 And Eliphaz came near to
Jacob and he answered and said unto him, Thus did my father command me, and
now therefore I will not deviate from the orders which my father gave me; and
when Jacob saw that Esau had spoken to Eliphaz to employ force, Jacob then
approached and supplicated Eliphaz and his men, saying to him,
37 Behold all that I have and which
my father and mother gave unto me, that take unto thee and go from me, and do
not slay me, and may this thing be accounted unto thee a righteousness.
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38 And the Lord caused Jacob to
find favor in the sight of Eliphaz the son of Esau, and his men, and they
hearkened to the voice of Jacob, and they did not put him to death, and
Eliphaz and his men took all belonging to Jacob together with the silver and
gold that he had brought with him from Beersheba; they left him nothing.
39 And Eliphaz and his men went
away from him and they returned to Esau to Beersheba, and they told him all
that had occurred to them with Jacob, and they gave him all that they had
taken from Jacob.
40 And Esau was indignant at
Eliphaz his son, and at his men that were with him, because they had not put
Jacob to death.
41 And they answered and said
unto Esau, Because Jacob supplicated us in this matter not to slay him, our
pity was excited toward him, and we took all belonging to him and brought it
unto thee; and Esau took all the silver and gold which Eliphaz had taken from
Jacob and he put them by in his house.
42 At that time when Esau saw
that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and had commanded him, saying, Thou shalt not
take a wife from amongst the daughters of Canaan, and that the daughters of
Canaan were bad in the sight of Isaac and Rebecca,
43 Then he went to the house of
Ishmael his uncle, and in addition to his older wives he took Machlath the
daughter of Ishmael, the sister of Nebayoth, for a wife.
CHAPTER 30
1 And Jacob went forth
continuing his road to Haran, and he came as far as mount Moriah, and he
tarried there all night near the city of Luz; and the Lord appeared there
unto Jacob on that night, and he said unto him, I am the Lord God of Abraham
and the God of Isaac thy father; the land upon which thou liest I will give
unto thee and thy seed.
2 And behold I am with thee and
will keep thee wherever thou goest, and I will multiply thy seed as the stars
of Heaven, and I will cause all thine enemies to fall before thee; and when
they shall make war with thee they shall not prevail over thee, and I will
bring thee again unto this land with joy, with children, and with great
riches.
3 And Jacob awoke from his sleep
and he rejoiced greatly at the vision which he had seen; and he called the
name of that place Bethel.
4 And Jacob rose up from that
place quite rejoiced, and when he walked his feet felt light to him for joy,
and he went from there to the land of the children of the East, and he
returned to Haran and he set by the shepherd's well.
5 And he there found some men;
going from Haran to feed their flocks, and Jacob made inquiries of them, and
they said, We are from Haran.
6 And he said unto them, Do you
know Laban, the son of Nahor? and they said, We know him, and behold his
daughter Rachel is coming along to feed her father's flock.
7 Whilst he was yet speaking
with them, Rachel the daughter of Laban came to feed her father's sheep, for
she was a shepherdess.
8 And when Jacob saw Rachel, the
daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, he ran and kissed her, and lifted up
his voice and wept.
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9 And Jacob told Rachel that he
was the son of Rebecca, her father's sister, and Rachel ran and told her
father, and Jacob continued to cry because he had nothing with him to bring
to the house of Laban.
10 And when Laban heard that his
sister's son Jacob had come, he ran and kissed him and embraced him and
brought him into the house and gave him bread, and he ate.
11 And Jacob related to Laban
what his brother Esau had done to him, and what his son Eliphaz had done to
him in the road.
12 And Jacob resided in Laban's
house for one month, and Jacob ate and drank in the house of Laban, and
afterward Laban said unto Jacob, Tell me what shall be thy wages, for how
canst thou serve me for nought?
13 And Laban had no sons but
only daughters, and his other wives and handmaids were still barren in those
days; and these are the names of Laban's daughters which his wife Adinah had
borne unto him; the name of the elder was Leah and the name of the younger
was Rachel; and Leah was tender-eyed, but Rachel was beautiful and well
favored, and Jacob loved her.
14 And Jacob said unto Laban, I
will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter; and Laban
consented to this and Jacob served Laban seven years for his daughter Rachel.
15 And in the second year of
Jacob's dwelling in Haran, that is in the seventy ninth year of the life of
Jacob, in that year died Eber the son of Shem, he was four hundred and
sixty-four years old at his death.
16 And when Jacob heard that
Eber was dead he grieved exceedingly, and he lamented and mourned over him
many days.
17 And in the third year of
Jacob's dwelling in Haran, Bosmath, the daughter of Ishmael, the wife of
Esau, bare unto him a son, and Esau called his name Reuel.
18 And in the fourth year of
Jacob's residence in the house of Laban, the Lord visited Laban and
remembered him on account of Jacob, and sons were born unto him, and his
first born was Beor, his second was Alib,
and the third was Chorash.
19 And the Lord gave Laban
riches and honor, sons and daughters, and the man increased greatly on
account of Jacob.
20 And Jacob in those days
served Laban in all manner of work, in the house and in the field, and the
blessing of the Lord was in all that belonged to Laban in the house and in
the field.
21 And in the fifth year died
Jehudith, the daughter of Beeri, the wife of Esau, in the land of Canaan, and
she had no sons but daughters only.
22 And these are the names of
her daughters which she bare to Esau, the name of the elder was Marzith, and
the name of the younger was Puith.
23 And when Jehudith died, Esau
rose up and went to Seir to hunt in the field, as usual, and Esau dwelt in
the land of Seir for a long time.
24 And in the sixth year Esau
took for a wife, in addition to his other wives, Ahlibamah,
the daughter of Zebeon the Hivite, and Esau brought her to the land of
Canaan.
25 And Ahlibamah
conceived and bare unto Esau three sons, Yeush, Yaalan, and Korah.
26 And in those days, in the
land of Canaan, there was a quarrel between
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the herdsmen of Esau and the
herdsmen of the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, for Esau's cattle and
goods were too abundant for him to remain in the land of Canaan, in his
father's house, and the land of Canaan could not bear him on account of his
cattle.
27 And when Esau saw that his
quarreling increased with the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, he rose up
and took his wives and his sons and his daughters, and all belonging to him,
and the cattle which he possessed, and all his property that he had acquired
in the land of Canaan, and he went away from the inhabitants of the land to
the land of Seir, and Esau and all belonging to him dwelt in the land of
Seir.
28 But from time to time Esau
would go and see his father and mother in the land of Canaan, and Esau
intermarried with the Horites, and he gave his daughters to the sons of Seir,
the Horite.
29 And he gave his elder
daughter Marzith to Anah, the son of Zebeon, his wife's brother, and Puith he
gave to Azar, the son of Bilhan the Horite; and Esau dwelt in the mountain,
he and his children, and they were fruitful and multiplied.
CHAPTER 31
1 And in the seventh year,
Jacob's service which he served Laban was completed, and Jacob said unto
Laban, Give me my wife, for the days of my service are fulfilled; and Laban
did so, and Laban and Jacob assembled all the people of that place and they
made a feast.
2 And in the evening Laban came
to the house, and afterward Jacob came there with the people of the feast,
and Laban extinguished all the lights that were there in the house.
3 And Jacob said unto Laban,
Wherefore dost thou do this thing unto us? and Laban answered, Such is our
custom to act in this land.
4 And afterward Laban took his
daughter Leah, and he brought her to Jacob, and he came to her and Jacob did
not know that she was Leah.
5 And Laban gave his daughter
Leah his maid Zilpah for a handmaid.
6 And all the people at the
feast knew what Laban had done to Jacob, but they did not tell the thing to
Jacob.
7 And all the neighbors came
that night to Jacob's house, and they ate and drank and rejoiced, and played
before Leah upon timbrels, and with dances, and they responded before Jacob,
Heleah, Heleah.
8 And Jacob heard their words
but did not understand their meaning, but he thought such might be their
custom in this land.
9 And the neighbors spoke these
words before Jacob during the night, and all the lights that were in the
house Laban had that night extinguished.
10 And in the morning, when
daylight appeared, Jacob turned to his wife and he saw, and behold it was
Leah that had been lying in his bosom, and Jacob said, Behold now I know what
the neighbors said last night, Heleah, they said, and I knew it not.
11 And Jacob called unto Laban,
and said unto him, What is this that thou didst unto me? Surely I served thee
for Rachel, and why didst thou deceive me and didst give me Leah?
12 And Laban answered Jacob,
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saying, Not so is it done in our
place to give the younger before the elder now therefore if thou desirest to
take her sister likewise, take her unto thee for the service which thou wilt
serve me for another seven years.
13 And Jacob did so, and he also
took Rachel for a wife, and he served Laban seven years more, and Jacob also
came to Rachel, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and Laban gave her his
maid Bilhah for a handmaid.
14 And when the Lord saw that
Leah was hated, the Lord opened her womb, and she conceived and bare Jacob four
sons in those days.
15 And these are their names,
Reuben Simeon, Levi, and Judah, and she afterward left bearing.
16 And at that time Rachel was
barren, and she had no offspring, and Rachel envied her sister Leah, and when
Rachel saw that she bare no children to Jacob, she took her handmaid Bilhah,
and she bare Jacob two sons, Dan and Naphtali.
17 And when Leah saw that she
had left bearing, she also took her handmaid Zilpah, and she gave her to
Jacob for a wife, and Jacob also came to Zilpah, and she also bare Jacob two
sons, Gad and Asher.
18 And Leah again conceived and
bare Jacob in those days two sons and one daughter, and these are their
names, Issachar, Zebulon, and their sister Dinah.
19 And Rachel was still barren
in those days, and Rachel prayed unto the Lord at that time, and she said, O
Lord God remember me and visit me, I beseech thee, for now my husband will
cast me off, for I have borne him no children.
20 Now O Lord God, hear my
supplication before thee, and see my affliction, and give me children like
one of the handmaids, that I may no more bear my reproach.
21 And God heard her and opened
her womb, and Rachel conceived and bare a son, and she said, The Lord has
taken away my reproach, and she called his name Joseph, saying, May the Lord
add to me another son; and Jacob was ninety-one years old when she bare him.
22 At that time Jacob's mother,
Rebecca, sent her nurse Deborah the daughter of Uz, and two of Isaac's
servants unto Jacob.
23 And they came to Jacob to
Haran and they said unto him, Rebecca has sent us to thee that thou shalt
return to thy father's house to the land of Canaan; and Jacob hearkened unto
them in this which his mother had spoken.
24 At that time, the other seven
years which Jacob served Laban for Rachel were completed, and it was at the
end of fourteen years that he had dwelt in Haran that Jacob said unto Laban,
give me my wives and send me away, that I may go to my land, for behold my
mother did send unto me from the land at Canaan that I should return to my
father's house.
25 And Laban said unto him, Not
so I pray thee; if I have found favor in thy sight do not leave me; appoint
me thy wages and I will give them, and remain with me.
26 And Jacob said unto him, This
is what thou shalt give me for wages, that I shall this day pass through all
thy flock and take away from them every lamb that is speckled and spotted and
such as are brown amongst the sheep, and amongst the goats, and if thou wilt
do this thing for me I will return and feed thy flock and keep them as at
first.
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27 And Laban did so, and Laban
removed from his flock all that Jacob had said and gave them to him.
28 And Jacob placed all that he
had removed from Laban's flock in the hands of his sons, and Jacob was
feeding the remainder of Laban's flock.
29 And when the servants of
Isaac which he had sent unto Jacob saw that Jacob would not then return with
them to the land of Canaan to his father, they then went away from him, and
they returned home to the land of Canaan.
30 And Deborah remained with
Jacob in Haran, and she did not return with the servants of Isaac to the land
of Canaan, and Deborah resided with Jacob's wives and children in Haran.
31 And Jacob served Laban six
years longer, and when the sheep brought forth, Jacob removed from them such
as were speckled and spotted, as he had determined with Laban, and Jacob did
so at Laban's for six years, and the man increased abundantly and he had
cattle and maid servants and men servants, camels, and asses.
32 And Jacob had two hundred
drove of cattle, and his cattle were of large size and of beautiful
appearance and were very productive, and all the families of the sons of men
desired to get some of the cattle of Jacob, for they were exceedingly
prosperous.
33 And many of the sons of men
came to procure some of Jacob's flock, and Jacob gave them a sheep for a man
servant or a maid servant or for an ass or a camel, or whatever Jacob desired
from them they gave him.
34 And Jacob obtained riches and
honor and possessions by means of these transactions with the sons of men,
and the children of Laban envied him of this honor.
35 And in the course of time he
heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob has taken away all that was
our father's, and of that which was our father's has he acquired all this glory.
36 And Jacob beheld the
countenance of Laban and of his children, and behold it was not toward him in
those days as it had been before.
37 And the Lord appeared to
Jacob at the expiration of the six years, and said unto him, Arise, go forth
out of this land, and return to the land of thy birthplace and I will be with
thee.
38 And Jacob rose up at that
time and he mounted his children and wives and all belonging to him upon
camels, and he went forth to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac.
39 And Laban did not know that
Jacob had gone from him, for Laban had been that day sheep-shearing.
40 And Rachel stole her father's
images, and she took them and she concealed them upon the camel upon which
she sat, and she went on.
41 And this is the manner of the
images; in taking a man who is the first born and slaying him and taking the
hair off his head, and taking salt and salting the head and anointing it in
oil, then taking a small tablet of copper or a tablet of gold and writing the
name upon it, and placing the tablet under his tongue, and taking the head
with the tablet under the tongue and putting it in the house, and lighting up
lights before it and bowing down to it.
42 And at the time when they bow
down to it, it speaketh to them in all matters that they ask of it, through
the power of the name which is written in it.
43 And some make them in the
figures of men, of gold and silver, and
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go to them in times
known to them, and the figures receive the influence of the stars, and tell
them future things, and in this manner were the images which Rachel stole
from her father.
44 And Rachel stole these images
which were her father's, in order that Laban might not know through them
where Jacob had gone.
45 And Laban came home and he
asked concerning Jacob and his household, and he was not to be found, and
Laban sought his images to know where Jacob had gone, and could not find
them, and he went to some other images, and he inquired of them and they told
him that Jacob had fled from him to his father's, to the land of Canaan.
46 And Laban then rose up and he
took his brothers and all his servants, and he went forth and pursued Jacob,
and he overtook him in mount Gilead.
47 And Laban said unto Jacob,
What is this thou hast done to me to flee and deceive me, and lead my
daughters and their children as captives taken by the sword?
48 And thou didst not suffer me
to kiss them and send them away with joy, and thou didst steal my gods and
didst go away.
49 And Jacob answered Laban,
saying, Because I was afraid lest thou wouldst take thy daughters by force
from me; and now with whomsoever thou findest thy gods he shall die.
50 And Laban searched for the
images and he examined in all Jacob's tents and furniture, but could not find
them.
51 And Laban said unto Jacob, We
will make a covenant together and it shall be a testimony between me and
thee; if thou shalt afflict my daughters, or shalt take other wives besides
my daughters, even God shall be a witness between me and thee in this matter.
52 And they took stones and made
a heap, and Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee, therefore
he called the name thereof Gilead.
53 And Jacob and Laban offered
sacrifice upon the mount, and they ate there by the heap, and they tarried in
the mount all night, and Laban rose up early in the morning, and he wept with
his daughters and he kissed them, and he returned unto his place.
54 And he hastened and sent off
his son Beor, who was seventeen years old, with Abichorof the son of Uz, the
son of Nahor, and with them were ten men.
55 And they hastened and went
and passed on the road before Jacob, and they came by another road to the
land of Seir.
56 And they came unto Esau and
said unto him, Thus saith thy brother and relative, thy mother's brother
Laban, the son of Bethuel, saying,
57 Hast thou heard what Jacob
thy brother has done unto me, who first came to me naked and bare, and I went
to meet him, and brought him to my house with honor, and I made him great, and
I gave him my two daughters for wives and also two of my maids.
58 And God blessed him on my
account, and he increased abundantly, and had sons, daughters and maid
servants.
59 He has also an immense stock
of flocks and herds, camels and asses, also silver and gold in abundance; and
when he saw that his wealth increased, he left me whilst I went to shear my
sheep, and he rose up and fled in secrecy.
60 And he lifted his wives and
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children upon camels, and he led
away all his cattle and property which he acquired in my land, and he lifted
up his countenance to go to his father Isaac, to the land of Canaan.
61 And he did not suffer me to
kiss my daughters and their children, and he led my daughters as captives
taken by the sword, and he also stole my gods and he fled.
62 And now I have left him in
the mountain of the brook of Jabuk, him and all belonging to him; he lacketh
nothing.
63 If it be thy wish to go to
him, go then and there wilt thou find him, and thou canst do unto him as thy
soul desireth; and Laban's messengers came and told Esau all these things.
64 And Esau heard all the words
of Laban's messengers, and his anger was greatly kindled against Jacob, and
he remembered his hatred, and his anger burned within him.
65 And Esau hastened and took
his children and servants and the souls of his household, being sixty men,
and he went and assembled all the children of Seir the Horite and their
people, being three hundred and forty men, and took all this number of four
hundred men with drawn swords, and he went unto Jacob to smite him.
66 And Esau divided this number
into several parts, and he took the sixty men of his children and servants
and the souls of his household as one head, and gave them in care of Eliphaz
his eldest son.
67 And the remaining heads he
gave to the care of the six sons of Seir the Horite, and he placed every man
over his generations and children.
68 And the whole of this camp
went as it was, and Esau went amongst them toward Jacob, and he conducted
them with speed.
69 And Laban's messengers
departed from Esau and went to the land of Canaan, and they came to the house
of Rebecca the mother of Jacob and Esau.
70 And they told her saying,
Behold thy son Esau has gone against his brother Jacob with four hundred men,
for he heard that he was coming, and he is gone to make war with him, and to
smite him and to take all that he has.
71 And Rebecca hastened and sent
seventy two men from the servants of Isaac to meet Jacob on the road; for she
said, Peradventure, Esau may make war in the road when he meets him.
72 And these messengers went on
the road to meet Jacob, and they met him in the road of the brook on the
opposite side of the brook Jabuk, and Jacob said when he saw them, This camp
is destined to me from God, and Jacob called the name of that place
Machnayim.
73 And Jacob knew all his
father's people, and he kissed them and embraced them and came with them, and
Jacob asked them concerning his father and mother, and they said, They were
well.
74 And these messengers said
unto Jacob, Rebecca thy mother has sent us to thee, saying, I have heard, my
son, that thy brother Esau has gone forth against thee on the road with men
from the children of Seir the Horite.
75 And therefore, my son,
hearken to my voice and see with thy counsel what thou wilt do, and when he
cometh up to thee, supplicate him, and do not speak rashly to him, and give
him a present from what thou possessest, and from what God has favored thee
with.
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76 And when he asketh thee
concerning thy affairs, conceal nothing from him, perhaps he may turn from
his anger against thee and thou wilt thereby save thy soul, thou and all
belonging to thee, for it is thy duty to honor him, for he is thy elder
brother.
77 And when Jacob heard the
words of his mother which the messengers had spoken to him, Jacob lifted up
his voice and wept bitterly, and did as his mother then commanded him.
CHAPTER 32
1 And at that time Jacob sent
messengers to his brother Esau toward the land of Seir, and he spoke to him
words of supplication.
2 And he commanded them, saying,
Thus shall ye say to my lord, to Esau, Thus saith thy servant Jacob, Let not
my lord imagine that my father's blessing with which he did bless me has
proved beneficial to me.
3 For I have been these twenty years
with Laban, and he deceived me and changed my wages ten times,
as it has all been already told unto my lord.
4 And I served him in his house
very laboriously, and God afterward saw my affliction, my labor and the work
of my hands, and he caused me to find grace and favor in his sight.
5 And I afterward through God's
great mercy and kindness acquired oxen and asses and cattle, and men servants
and maid servants.
6 And now I am coming to my land
and my home to my father and mother, who are in the land of Canaan; and I
have sent to let my lord know all this in order to find favor in the sight of
my lord, so that he may not imagine that I have of myself obtained wealth, or
that the blessing with which my father blessed me has benefited me.
7 And those messengers went to
Esau, and found him on the borders of the land of Edom going toward Jacob,
and four hundred men of the children of Seir the Horite were standing with
drawn swords.
8 And the messengers of Jacob
told Esau all the words that Jacob had spoken to them concerning Esau.
9 And Esau answered them with
pride and contempt, and said unto them, Surely I have heard and truly it has
been told unto me what Jacob has done to Laban, who exalted him in his house
and gave him his daughters for wives, and he begat sons and daughters, and
abundantly increased in wealth and riches in Laban's house through his means.
10 And when he saw that his
wealth was abundant and his riches great he fled with all belonging to him,
from Laban's house, and he led Laban's daughters away from the face of their
father, as captives taken by the sword without telling him of it.
11 And not only to Laban has
Jacob done thus but also unto me has he done so and has twice supplanted me,
and shall I be silent?
12 Now therefore I have this day
come with my camps to meet him, and I will do unto him according to the
desire of my heart.
13 And the messengers returned
and came to Jacob and said unto him, We came to thy brother, to Esau, and we
told him all thy words, and thus has he answered us, and behold he cometh to
meet thee with four hundred men.
14 Now then know and see what
thou shalt do, and pray before God to deliver thee from him.
15 And when he heard the words
of his brother which he had spoken to the messengers of Jacob, Jacob was
greatly afraid and he was distressed.
16 And Jacob prayed to the Lord
his God, and he said, O Lord God of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, thou didst
say unto me when I went away from my father's house, saying,
17 I am the Lord God of thy
father Abraham and the God of Isaac, unto thee do I give this land and thy
seed after thee, and I will make thy seed as the stars of heaven, and thou
shalt spread forth to the four sides of heaven, and in thee and in thy seed
shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
18 And thou didst establish thy
words, and didst give unto me riches and children and cattle, as the utmost
wishes of my heart didst thou give unto thy servant; thou didst give unto me
all that I asked from thee, so that I lacked nothing.
19 And thou didst afterward say
unto me, Return to thy parents and to thy birth place and I will still do
well with thee.
20 And now that I have come, and
thou didst deliver me from Laban, I shall fall in the hands of Esau who will
slay me, yea, together with the mothers of my children.
21 Now therefore, O Lord God,
deliver me, I pray thee, also from the hands of my brother Esau, for I am
greatly afraid of him.
22 And if there is no
righteousness in me, do it for the sake of Abraham and my father Isaac.
23 For I know that through
kindness and mercy have I acquired this wealth; now therefore I beseech thee
to deliver me this day with thy kindness and to answer me.
24 And Jacob ceased praying to
the Lord, and he divided the people that were with him with the flocks and
cattle into two camps, and he gave the half to the care of Damesek, the son
of Eliezer, Abraham's servant, for a camp, with his children, and the other
half he gave to the care of his brother Elianus the son of Eliezer, to be for
a camp with his children.
25 And he commanded them,
saying, Keep yourselves at a distance with your camps, and do not come too
near each other, and if Esau come to one camp and slay it, the other camp at
a distance from it will escape him.
26 And Jacob tarried there that
night, and during the whole night he gave his servants instructions
concerning the forces and his children.
27 And the Lord heard the prayer
of Jacob on that day, and the Lord then delivered Jacob from the hands of his
brother Esau.
28 And the Lord sent three
angels of the angels of heaven, and they went before Esau and came to him.
29 And these angels appeared
unto Esau and his people as two thousand men, riding upon horses furnished
with all sorts of war instruments, and they appeared in the sight of Esau and
all his men to be divided into four camps, with four chiefs to them.
30 And one camp went on and they
found Esau coming with four hundred men toward his brother Jacob, and this
camp ran toward Esau and his people and terrified them, and Esau fell off the
horse in alarm, and all his men separated from him in that place, for they
were greatly afraid.
31 And the whole of the camp
shouted after them when they fled from Esau, and all the warlike men answered,
saying,
32 Surely we are the servants of
Jacob, who is the servant of God, and who then can stand against us? And Esau
said unto them, O then, my lord
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and brother Jacob is your lord,
whom I have not seen for these twenty years, and now that I have this day
come to see him, do you treat me in this manner?
33 And the angels answered him
saying, As the Lord liveth, were not Jacob of whom thou speaketh thy brother,
we had not let one remaining from thee and thy people, but only on account of
Jacob we will do nothing to them.
34 And this camp passed from
Esau and his men and it went away, and Esau and his men had gone from them
about a league when the second camp came toward him with all sorts of
weapons, and they also did unto Esau and his men as the first camp had done
to them.
35 And when they had left it to
go on, behold the third camp came toward him and they were all terrified, and
Esau fell off the horse, and the whole camp cried out, and said, Surely we
are the servants of Jacob, who is the servant of God, and who can stand
against us?
36 And Esau again answered them
saying, O then, Jacob my lord and your lord is my brother, and for twenty
years I have not seen his countenance and hearing this day that he was
coming, I went this day to meet him, and do you treat me in this manner?
37 And they answered him, and
said unto him, As the Lord liveth, were not Jacob thy brother as thou didst
say, we had not left a remnant from thee and thy men, but on account of Jacob
of whom thou speakest being thy brother, we will not meddle with thee or thy
men.
38 And the third camp also
passed from them, and he still continued his road with his men toward Jacob,
when the fourth camp came toward him, and they also did unto him and his men
as the others had done.
39 And when Esau beheld the evil
which the four angels had done to him and to his men, he became greatly
afraid of his brother Jacob, and he went to meet him in peace.
40 And Esau concealed his hatred
against Jacob, because he was afraid of his life on account of his brother
Jacob, and because he imagined that the four camps that he had lighted upon
were Jacob's servants.
41 And Jacob tarried that night
with his servants in their camps, and he resolved with his servants to give
unto Esau a present from all that he had with him, and from all his property;
and Jacob rose up in the morning, he and his men, and they chose from amongst
the cattle a present for Esau.
42 And this is the amount of the
present which Jacob chose from his flock to give unto his brother Esau: and
he selected two hundred and forty head from the flocks, and he selected from
the camels and asses thirty each, and of the herds he chose fifty kine.
43 And he put them all in ten
droves, and he placed each sort by itself, and he delivered them into the
hands of ten of his servants, each drove by itself.
44 And he commanded them, and
said unto them, Keep yourselves at a distance from each other, and put a
space between the droves, and when Esau and those who are with him shall meet
you and ask you, saying, Whose are you, and whither do you go, and to whom
belongeth all this before you, you shall say unto them, We are the servants
of Jacob, and we
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come to meet Esau in peace, and
behold Jacob cometh behind us.
45 And that which is before us
is a present sent from Jacob to his brother Esau.
46 And if they shall say unto
you, Why doth he delay behind you, from coming to meet his brother and to see
his face, then you shall say unto them, Surely he cometh joyfully behind us
to meet his brother, for he said, I will appease him with the present that
goeth to him, and after this I will see his face, peradventure he will accept
of me.
47 So the whole present passed
on in the hands of his servants, and went before him on that day, and he
lodged that night with his camps by the border of the brook of Jabuk, and he
rose up in the midst of the night, and he took his wives and his maid
servants, and all belonging to him, and he that night passed them over the
ford Jabuk.
48 And when he passed all
belonging to him over the brook, Jacob was left by himself, and a man met
him, and he wrestled with him that night until the breaking of the day, and
the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint through wrestling with him.
49 And at the break of day the
man left Jacob there, and he blessed him and went away, and Jacob passed the
brook at the break of day, and he halted upon his thigh.
50 And the sun rose upon him
when he had passed the brook, and he came up to the place of his cattle and
children.
51 And they went on till midday,
and whilst they were going the present was passing on before them.
52 And Jacob lifted up his eyes
and looked, and behold Esau was at a distance, coming along with many men,
about four hundred, and Jacob was greatly afraid of his brother.
53 And Jacob hastened and
divided his children unto his wives and his handmaids, and his daughter Dinah
he put in a chest, and delivered her into the hands of his servants.
54 And he passed before his
children and wives to meet his brother, and he bowed down to the ground, yea
he bowed down seven times until he approached his brother, and God caused Jacob to
find grace and favor in the sight of Esau and his men, for God had heard the
prayer of Jacob.
55 And the fear of Jacob and his
terror fell upon his brother Esau, for Esau was greatly afraid of Jacob for
what the angels of God had done to Esau, and Esau's anger against Jacob was
turned into kindness.
56 And when Esau saw Jacob
running toward him, he also ran toward him and he embraced him, and he fell
upon his neck, and they kissed and they wept.
57 And God put fear and kindness
toward Jacob in the hearts of the men that came with Esau, and they also
kissed Jacob and embraced him.
58 And also Eliphaz, the son of
Esau, with his four brothers, sons of Esau, wept with Jacob, and they kissed
him and embraced him, for the fear of Jacob had fallen upon them all.
59 And Esau lifted up his eyes
and saw the women with their offspring, the children of Jacob, walking behind
Jacob and bowing along the road to Esau.
60 And Esau said unto Jacob, Who
are these with thee, my brother? are they thy children or thy servants? and
Jacob answered Esau and said, They are my children which God hath graciously
given to thy servant.
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61 And whilst Jacob was speaking
to Esau and his men, Esau beheld the whole camp, and he said unto Jacob,
Whence didst thou get the whole of the camp that I met yesternight? and Jacob
said, To find favor in the sight of my lord, it is that which God graciously
gave to thy servant.
62 And the present came before
Esau, and Jacob pressed Esau, saying, Take I pray thee the present that I
have brought to my lord, and Esau said, Wherefore is this my purpose? keep
that which thou hast unto thyself.
63 And Jacob said, It is incumbent
upon me to give all this, since I have seen thy face, that thou still livest
in peace.
64 And Esau refused to take the
present, and Jacob said unto him, I beseech thee my lord, if now I have found
favor in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand, for I have therefore
seen thy face, as though I had seen a god-like face, because thou wast
pleased with me.
65 And Esau took the present,
and Jacob also gave unto Esau silver and gold and bdellium, for he pressed
him so much that he took them.
66 And Esau divided the cattle
that were in the camp, and he gave the half to the men who had come with him,
for they had come on hire, and the other half he delivered unto the hands of
his children.
67 And the silver and gold and
bdellium he gave in the hands of Eliphaz his eldest son, and Esau said unto
Jacob, Let us remain with thee, and we will go slowly along with thee until
thou comest to my place with me, that we may dwell there together.
68 And Jacob answered his
brother and said, I would do as my lord speaketh unto me, but my lord knoweth
that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with their young who
are with me, go but slowly, for if they went swiftly they would all die, for
thou knowest their burdens and their fatigue.
69 Therefore let my lord pass on
before his servant, and I will go on slowly for the sake of the children and
the flock, until I come to my lord's place to Seir.
70 And Esau said unto Jacob, I
will place with thee some of the people that are with me to take care of thee
in the road, and to bear thy fatigue and burden, and he said, What needeth it
my lord, if I may find grace in thy sight?
71 Behold I will come unto thee
to Seir to dwell there together as thou hast spoken, go thou then with thy
people for I will follow thee.
72 And Jacob said this to Esau
in order to remove Esau and his men from him, so that Jacob might afterward
go to his father's house to the land of Canaan.
73 And Esau hearkened to the
voice of Jacob, and Esau returned with the four hundred men that were with
him on their road to Seir, and Jacob and all belonging to him went that day
as far as the extremity of the land of Canaan in its borders, and he remained
there some time.
CHAPTER 33
1 And in some time after Jacob
went away from the borders of the land, and he came to the land of Shalem,
that is the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, and he rested in
front of the city.
2 And he bought a parcel of the
field which was there, from the children of Hamor the people of the land, for
five shekels.
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3 And Jacob there built himself
a house, and he pitched his tent there, and he made booths for his cattle,
therefore he called the name of that place Succoth.
4 And Jacob remained in Succoth
a year and six months.
5 At that time some of the women
of the inhabitants of the land went to the city of Shechem to dance and
rejoice with the daughters of the people of the city, and when they went
forth then Rachel and Leah the wives of Jacob with their families also went
to behold the rejoicing of the daughters of the city.
6 And Dinah the daughter of
Jacob also went along with them and saw the daughters of the city, and they
remained there before these daughters whilst all the people of the city were
standing by them to behold their rejoicings, and all the great people of the
city were there.
7 And Shechem the son of Hamor,
the prince of the land was also standing there to see them.
8 And Shechem beheld Dinah the
daughter of Jacob sitting with her mother before the daughters of the city,
and the damsel pleased him greatly, and he there asked his friends and his
people, saying, Whose daughter is that sitting amongst the women, whom I do
not know in this city?
9 And they said unto him, Surely
this is the daughter of Jacob the son of Isaac the Hebrew, who has dwelt in
this city for some time, and when it was reported that the daughters of the
land were going forth to rejoice she went with her mother and maid servants
to sit amongst them as thou seest.
10 And Shechem beheld Dinah the
daughter of Jacob, and when he looked at her his soul became fixed upon
Dinah.
11 And he sent and had her taken
by force, and Dinah came to the house of Shechem and he seized her forcibly
and lay with her and humbled her, and he loved her exceedingly and placed her
in his house.
12 And they came and told the
thing unto Jacob, and when Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter
Dinah, Jacob sent twelve of his servants to fetch Dinah from the house of
Shechem, and they went and came to the house of Shechem to take away Dinah
from there.
13 And when they came Shechem
went out to them with his men and drove them from his house, and he would not
suffer them to come before Dinah, but Shechem was sitting with Dinah kissing
and embracing her before their eyes.
14 And the servants of Jacob
came back and told him, saying, When we came, he and his men drove us away,
and thus did Shechem do unto Dinah before our eyes.
15 And Jacob knew moreover that
Shechem had defiled his daughter, but he said nothing, and his sons were
feeding his cattle in the field, and Jacob remained silent till their return.
16 And before his sons came home
Jacob sent two maidens from his servants' daughters to take care of Dinah in
the house of Shechem, and to remain with her, and Shechem sent three of his
friends to his father Hamor the son of Chiddekem, the son of Pered, saying,
Get me this damsel for a wife.
17 And Hamor the son of
Chiddekem the Hivite came to the house of Shechem his son, and he sat before
him, and Hamor said unto his son,
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Shechem, Is there then no woman
amongst the daughters of thy people that thou wilt take an Hebrew woman who
is not of thy people?
18 And Shechem said to him, Her
only must thou get for me, for she is delightful in my sight; and Hamor did
according to the word of his son, for he was greatly beloved by him.
19 And Hamor went forth to Jacob
to commune with him concerning this matter, and when he had gone from the
house of his son Shechem, before he came to Jacob to speak unto him, behold
the sons of Jacob had come from the field, as soon as they heard the thing
that Shechem the son of Hamor had done.
20 And the men were very much
grieved concerning their sister, and they all came home fired with anger,
before the time of gathering in their cattle.
21 And they came and sat before
their father and they spoke unto him kindled with wrath, saying, Surely death
is due to this man and to his household, because the Lord God of the whole
earth commanded Noah and his children that man shall never rob, nor commit
adultery; now behold Shechem has both ravaged and committed fornication with
our sister, and not one of all the people of the city spoke a word to him.
22 Surely thou knowest and
understandest that the judgment of death is due to Shechem, and to his
father, and to the whole city on account of the thing which he has done.
23 And whilst they were speaking
before their father in this matter, behold Hamor the father of Shechem came
to speak to Jacob the words of his son concerning Dinah, and he sat before
Jacob and before his sons.
24 And Hamor spoke unto them,
saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter; I pray you give
her unto him for a wife and intermarry with us; give us your daughters and we
will give you our daughters, and you shall dwell with us in our land and we
will be as one people in the land.
25 For our land is very
extensive, so dwell ye and trade therein and get possessions in it, and do
therein as you desire, and no one shall prevent you by saying a word to you.
26 And Hamor ceased speaking
unto Jacob and his sons, and behold Shechem his son had come after him, and
he sat before them.
27 And Shechem spoke before
Jacob and his sons, saying, May I find favor in your sight that you will give
me your daughter, and whatever you say unto me that will I do for her.
28 Ask me for abundance of dowry
and gift, and I will give it, and whatever you shall say unto me that will I
do, and whoever he be that will rebel against your orders, he shall die; only
give me the damsel for a wife.
29 And Simeon and Levi answered
Hamor and Shechem his son deceitfully, saying, All you have spoken unto us we
will do for you.
30 And behold our sister is in
your house, but keep away from her until we send to our father Isaac
concerning this matter, for we can do nothing without his consent.
31 For he knoweth the ways of
our father Abraham, and whatever he sayeth unto us we will tell you, we will
conceal nothing from you.
32 And Simeon and Levi spoke
this unto Shechem and his father in order to find a pretext, and to seek
counsel what was to be done to Shechem and to his city in this matter.
33 And when Shechem and his
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father heard the words of Simeon
and Levi, it seemed good in their sight, and Shechem and his father came
forth to go home.
34 And when they had gone, the
sons of Jacob said unto their father, saying, Behold, we know that death is
due to these wicked ones and to their city, because they transgressed that
which God had commanded unto Noah and his children and his seed after them.
35 And also because Shechem did
this thing to our sister Dinah in defiling her, for such vileness shall never
be done amongst us.
36 Now therefore know and see
what you will do, and seek counsel and pretext what is to be done to them, in
order to kill all the inhabitants of this city.
37 And Simeon said to them, Here
is a proper advice for you: tell them to circumcise every male amongst them
as we are circumcised, and if they do not wish to do this, we shall take our
daughter from them and go away.
38 And if they consent to do
this and will do it, then when they are sunk down with pain, we will attack
them with our swords, as upon one who is quiet and peaceable, and we will
slay every male person amongst them.
39 And Simeon's advice pleased
them, and Simeon and Levi resolved to do unto them as it was proposed.
40 And on the next morning
Shechem and Hamor his father came again unto Jacob and his sons, to speak
concerning Dinah, and to hear what answer the sons of Jacob would give to
their words.
41 And the sons of Jacob spoke
deceitfully to them, saying, We told our father Isaac all your words, and
your words pleased him.
42 But he spoke unto us, saying,
Thus did Abraham his father command him from God the Lord of the whole earth,
that any man who is not of his descendants that should wish to take one of
his daughters, shall cause every male belonging to him to be circumcised, as
we are circumcised, and then we may give him our daughter for a wife.
43 Now we have made known to you
all our ways that our father spoke unto us, for we cannot do this of which
you spoke unto us, to give our daughter to an uncircumcised man, for it is a
disgrace to us.
44 But herein will we consent to
you, to give you our daughter, and we will also take unto ourselves your
daughters, and will dwell amongst you and be one people as you have spoken,
if you will hearken to us, and consent to be like us, to circumcise every
male belonging to you, as we are circumcised.
45 And if you will not hearken
unto us, to have every male circumcised as we are circumcised, as we have
commanded, then we will come to you, and take our daughter from you and go
away.
46 And Shechem and his father
Hamor heard the words of the sons of Jacob, and the thing pleased them
exceedingly, and Shechem and his father Hamor hastened to do the wishes of
the sons of Jacob, for Shechem was very fond of Dinah, and his soul was
riveted to her.
47 And Shechem and his father
Hamor hastened to the gate of the city, and they assembled all the men of
their city and spoke unto them the words of the sons of Jacob, saying,
48 We came to these men, the
sons of Jacob, and we spoke unto them concerning their daughter, and these
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men will consent to do according
to our wishes, and behold our land is of great extent for them, and they will
dwell in it, and trade in it, and we shall be one people; we will take their
daughters, and our daughters we will give unto them for wives.
49 But only on this condition
will these men consent to do this thing, that every male amongst us be
circumcised as they are circumcised, as their God commanded them, and when we
shall have done according to their instructions to be circumcised, then will
they dwell amongst us, together with their cattle and possessions, and we
shall be as one people with them.
50 And when all the men of the
city heard the words of Shechem and his father Hamor, then all the men of
their city were agreeable to this proposal, and they obeyed to be
circumcised, for Shechem and his father Hamor were greatly esteemed by them,
being the princes of the land.
51 And on the next day, Shechem
and Hamor his father rose up early in the morning, and they assembled all the
men of their city into the middle of the city, and they called for the sons
of Jacob, who circumcised every male belonging to them on that day and the
next.
52 And they circumcised Shechem
and Hamor his father, and the five brothers of Shechem, and then every one
rose up and went home, for this thing was from the Lord against the city of
Shechem, and from the Lord was Simeon's counsel in this matter, in order that
the Lord might deliver the city of Shechem into the hands of Jacob's two
sons.
CHAPTER 34
1 And the number of all the
males that were circumcised, were six hundred and forty-five men, and two
hundred and forty-six children.
2 But Chiddekem, son of Pered,
the father of Hamor, and his six brothers, would not listen unto Shechem and
his father Hamor, and they would not be circumcised, for the proposal of the
sons of Jacob was loathsome in their sight, and their anger was greatly
roused at this, that the people of the city had not hearkened to them.
3 And in the evening of the
second day, they found eight small children who had not been circumcised, for
their mothers had concealed them from Shechem and his father Hamor, and from
the men of the city.
4 And Shechem and his father
Hamor sent to have them brought before them to be circumcised, when Chiddekem
and his six brothers sprang at them with their swords, and sought to slay
them.
5 And they sought to slay also
Shechem and his father Hamor and they sought to slay Dinah with them on
account of this matter.
6 And they said unto them, What
is this thing that you have done? are there no women amongst the daughters of
your brethren the Canaanites, that you wish to take unto yourselves daughters
of the Hebrews, whom ye knew not before, and will do this act which your
fathers never commanded you?
7 Do you imagine that you will
succeed through this act which you have done? and what will you answer in
this affair to your brethren the Canaanites, who will come tomorrow and ask
you concerning this thing?
8 And if your act shall not
appear just and good in their sight, what will you do for your lives, and me
for our lives, in your not having hearkened to our voices?
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9 And if the inhabitants of the
land and all your brethren the children of Ham, shall hear of your act,
saying,
10 On account of a Hebrew woman
did Shechem and Hamor his father, and all the inhabitants of their city, do
that with which they had been unacquainted and which their ancestors never
commanded them, where then will you fly or where conceal your shame, all your
days before your brethren, the inhabitants of the land of Canaan?
11 Now therefore we cannot bear
up against this thing which you have done, neither can we be burdened with
this yoke upon us, which our ancestors did not command us.
12 Behold tomorrow we will go
and assemble all our brethren, the Canaanitish brethren who dwell in the
land, and we will all come and smite you and all those who trust in you, that
there shall not be a remnant left from you or them.
13 And when Hamor and his son
Shechem and all the people of the city heard the words of Chiddekem and his
brothers, they were terribly afraid of their lives at their words, and they
repented of what they had done.
14 And Shechem and his father
Hamor answered their father Chiddekem and his brethren, and they said unto
them, All the words which you spoke unto us are true.
15 Now do not say, nor imagine
in your hearts that on account of the love of the Hebrews we did this thing
that our ancestors did not command us.
16 But because we saw that it
was not their intention and desire to accede to our wishes concerning their
daughter as to our taking her, except on this condition, so we hearkened to
their voices and did this act which you saw, in order to obtain our desire
from them.
17 And when we shall have
obtained our request from them, we will then return to them and do unto them
that which you say unto us.
18 We beseech you then to wait
and tarry until our flesh shall be healed and we again become strong, and we
will then go together against them, and do unto them that which is in your
hearts and in ours.
19 And Dinah the daughter of
Jacob heard all these words which Chiddekem and his brothers had spoken, and
what Hamor and his son Shechem and the people of their city had answered
them.
20 And she hastened and sent one
of her maidens, that her father had sent to take care of her in the house of
Shechem, to Jacob her father and to her brethren, saying:
21 Thus did Chiddekem and his
brothers advise concerning you, and thus did Hamor and Shechem and the people
of the city answer them.
22 And when Jacob heard these
words he was filled with wrath, and he was indignant at them, and his anger
was kindled against them.
23 And Simeon and Levi swore and
said, As the Lord liveth, the God of the whole earth, by this time tomorrow,
there shall not be a remnant left in the whole city.
24 And twenty young men had
concealed themselves who were not circumcised, and these young men fought
against Simeon and Levi, and Simeon and Levi killed eighteen of them, and two
fled from them and escaped to some lime pits that were in the city, and
Simeon and Levi sought for them, but could not find them.
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25 And Simeon and Levi continued
to go about in the city, and they killed all the people of the city at the
edge of the sword, and they left none remaining.
26 And there was a great
consternation in the midst of the city, and the cry of the people of the city
ascended to heaven, and all the women and children cried aloud.
27 And Simeon and Levi slew all
the city; they left not a male remaining in the whole city.
28 And they slew Hamor and
Shechem his son at the edge of the sword, and they brought away Dinah from
the house of Shechem and they went from there.
29 And the sons of Jacob went
and returned, and came upon the slain, and spoiled all their property which
was in the city and the field.
30 And whilst they were taking
the spoil, three hundred men stood up and threw dust at them and struck them
with stones, when Simeon turned to them and he slew them all with the edge of
the sword, and Simeon turned before Levi, and came into the city.
31 And they took away their
sheep and their oxen and their cattle, and also the remainder of the women
and little ones, and they led all these away, and they opened a gate and went
out and came unto their father Jacob with vigor.
32 And when Jacob saw all that
they had done to the city, and saw the spoil that they took from them, Jacob
was very angry at them, and Jacob said unto them, What is this that you have
done to me? behold I obtained rest amongst the Canaanitish inhabitants of the
land, and none of them meddled with me.
33 And now you have done to make
me obnoxious to the inhabitants of the land, amongst the Canaanites and the
Perizzites, and I am but of a small number, and they will all assemble
against me and slay me when they hear of your work with their brethren, and I
and my household will be destroyed.
34 And Simeon and Levi and all
their brothers with them answered their father Jacob and said unto him,
Behold we live in the land, and shall Shechem do this to our sister? why art
thou silent at all that Shechem has done? and shall he deal with our sister
as with a harlot in the streets?
35 And the number of women whom
Simeon and Levi took captives from the city of Shechem, whom they did not
slay, was eighty-five who had not known man.
36 And amongst them was a young
damsel of beautiful appearance and well favored, whose name was Bunah, and
Simeon took her for a wife, and the number of the males which they took
captives and did not slay, was forty-seven men, and the rest they slew.
37 And all the young men and
women that Simeon and Levi had taken captives from the city of Shechem, were
servants to the sons of Jacob and to their children after them, until the day
of the sons of Jacob going forth from the land of Egypt.
38 And when Simeon and Levi had
gone forth from the city, the two young men that were left, who had concealed
themselves in the city, and did not die amongst the people of the city, rose
up, and these young men went into the city and walked about in it, and found
the city desolate without man, and only women weeping, and these young men
cried out and said, Behold, this is the evil which the sons of Jacob the
Hebrew did to this city
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in their having this day
destroyed one of the Canaanitish cities, and were not afraid of their lives
of all the land of Canaan.
39 And these men left the city
and went to the city of Tapnach, and they came there and told the inhabitants
of Tapnach all that had befallen them, and all that the sons of Jacob had
done to the city of Shechem.
40 And the information reached
Jashub king of Tapnach, and he sent men to the city of Shechem to see those
young men, for the king did not believe them in this account, saying, How
could two men lay waste such a large town as Shechem?
41 And the messengers of Jashub
came back and told him, saying, We came unto the city, and it is destroyed,
there is not a man there; only weeping women; neither is any flock or cattle
there, for all that was in the city the sons of Jacob took away.
42 And Jashub wondered at this,
saying, How could two men do this thing, to destroy so large a city, and not
one man able to stand against them?
43 For the like has not been
from the days of Nimrod, and not even from the remotest time, has the like
taken place; and Jashub, king of Tapnach, said to his people, Be courageous
and we will go and fight against these Hebrews, and do unto them as they did
unto the city, and we will avenge the cause of the people of the city.
44 And Jashub, king of Tapnach,
consulted with his counsellors about this matter, and his advisers said unto
him, Alone thou wilt not prevail over the Hebrews, for they must be powerful
to do this work to the whole city.
45 If two of them laid waste the
whole city, and no one stood against them, surely if thou wilt go against
them, they will all rise against us and destroy us likewise.
46 But if thou wilt send to all
the kings that surround us, and let them come together, then we will go with
them and fight against the sons of Jacob; then wilt thou prevail against
them.
47 And Jashub heard the words of
his counsellors, and their words pleased him and his people, and he did so;
and Jashub king of Tapnach sent to all the kings of the Amorites that
surrounded Shechem and Tapnach, saying,
48 Go up with me and assist me,
and we will smite Jacob the Hebrew and all his sons, and destroy them from
the earth, for thus did he do to the city of Shechem, and do you not know of
it?
49 And all the kings of the
Amorites heard the evil that the sons of Jacob had done to the city of
Shechem, and they were greatly astonished at them.
50 And the seven kings of the
Amorites assembled with all their armies, about ten thousand men with drawn
swords, and they came to fight against the sons of Jacob; and Jacob heard
that the kings of the Amorites had assembled to fight against his sons, and
Jacob was greatly afraid, and it distressed him.
51 And Jacob exclaimed against
Simeon and Levi, saying, What is this act that you did? why have you injured
me, to bring against me all the children of Canaan to destroy me and my
household? for I was at rest, even I and my household, and you have done this
thing to me, and provoked the inhabitants of the land against me by your
proceedings.
52 And Judah answered his
father,
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saying, Was it for naught my
brothers Simeon and Levi killed all the inhabitants of Shechem? Surely it was
because Shechem had humbled our sister, and transgressed the command of our
God to Noah and his children, for Shechem took our sister away by force, and
committed adultery with her.
53 And Shechem did all this evil
and not one of the inhabitants of his city interfered with him, to say, Why
wilt thou do this? surely for this my brothers went and smote the city, and
the Lord delivered it into their hands, because its inhabitants had
transgressed the commands of our God. Is it then for naught that they have
done all this?
54 And now why art thou afraid
or distressed, and why art thou displeased at my brothers, and why is thine
anger kindled against them?
55 Surely our God who delivered
into their hand the city of Shechem and its people, he will also deliver into
our hands all the Canaanitish kings who are coming against us, and we will do
unto them as my brothers did unto Shechem.
56 Now be tranquil about them
and cast away thy fears, but trust in the Lord our God, and pray unto him to
assist us and deliver us, and deliver our enemies into our hands.
57 And Judah called to one of
his father's servants, Go now and see where those kings, who are coming
against us, are situated with their armies.
58 And the servant went and
looked far off, and went up opposite Mount Sihon, and saw all the camps of
the kings standing in the fields, and he returned to Judah and said, Behold
the kings are situated in the field with all their camps, a people
exceedingly numerous, like unto the sand upon the sea shore.
59 And Judah said unto Simeon
and Levi, and unto all his brothers, Strengthen yourselves and be sons of
valor, for the Lord our God is with us, do not fear them.
60 Stand forth each man, girt
with his weapons of war, his bow and his sword, and we will go and fight
against these uncircumcised men; the Lord is our God, He will save us.
61 And they rose up, and each
girt on his weapons of war, great and small, eleven sons of Jacob, and all
the servants of Jacob with them.
62 And all the servants of Isaac
who were with Isaac in Hebron, all came to them equipped in all sorts of war
instruments, and the sons of Jacob and their servants, being one hundred and
twelve men, went towards these kings, and Jacob also went with them.
63 And the sons of Jacob sent
unto their father Isaac the son of Abraham to Hebron, the same is
Kireath-arba, saying,
64 Pray we beseech thee for us
unto the Lord our God, to protect us from the hands of the Canaanites who are
coming against us, and to deliver them into our hands.
65 And Isaac the son of Abraham
prayed unto the Lord for his sons, and he said, O Lord God, thou didst
promise my father, saying, I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven,
and thou didst also promise me, and establish thou thy word, now that the
kings of Canaan are coming together, to make war with my children because
they committed no violence.
66 Now therefore, O Lord God,
God of the whole earth, pervert, I pray thee, the counsel of these kings that
they may not fight against my sons.
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67 And impress the hearts of
these kings and their people with the terror of my sons and bring down their
pride, and that they may turn away from my sons.
68 And with thy strong hand and
outstretched arm deliver my sons and their servants from them, for power and
might are in thy hands to do all this.
69 And the sons of Jacob and
their servants went toward these kings, and they trusted in the Lord their
God, and whilst they were going, Jacob their father also prayed unto the Lord
and said, O Lord God, powerful and exalted God, who has reigned from days of
old, from thence till now and forever;
70 Thou art He who stirreth up
wars and causeth them to cease, in thy hand are power and might to exalt and
to bring down; O may my prayer be acceptable before thee that thou mayest
turn to me with thy mercies, to impress the hearts of these kings and their
people with the terror of my sons, and terrify them and their camps, and with
thy great kindness deliver all those that trust in thee, for it is thou who
canst bring people under us and reduce nations under our power.
CHAPTER 35
1 And all the kings of the
Amorites came and took their stand in the field to consult with their
counsellors what was to be done with the sons of Jacob, for they were still
afraid of them, saying, Behold, two of them slew the whole of the city of
Shechem.
2 And the Lord heard the prayers
of Isaac and Jacob, and he filled the hearts of all these kings' advisers
with great fear and terror that they unanimously exclaimed,
3 Are you silly this day, or is
there no understanding in you, that you will fight with the Hebrews, and why
will you take a delight in your own destruction this day?
4 Behold two of them came to the
city of Shechem without fear or terror, and they killed all the inhabitants
of the city, that no man stood up against them, and how will you be able to
fight with them all?
5 Surely you know that their God
is exceedingly fond of them, and has done mighty things for them, such as
have not been done from days of old, and amongst all the gods of nations,
there is none can do like unto his mighty deeds.
6 Surely he delivered their
father Abraham, the Hebrew, from the hand of Nimrod, and from the hand of all
his people who had many times sought to slay him.
7 He delivered him also from the
fire in which king Nimrod had cast him, and his God delivered him from it.
8 And who else can do the like?
surely it was Abraham who slew the five kings of Elam, when they had touched
his brother's son who in those days dwelt in Sodom.
9 And took his servant that was
faithful in his house and a few of his men, and they pursued the kings of
Elam in one night and killed them, and restored to his brother's son all his
property which they had taken from him.
10 And surely you know the God
of these Hebrews is much delighted with them, and they are also delighted
with him, for they know that he delivered them from all their enemies.
11 And behold through his love
toward his God, Abraham took his only and precious son and intended to bring
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him up as a burnt offering to
his God, and had it not been for God who prevented him from doing this, he
would then have done it through his love to his God.
12 And God saw all his works,
and swore unto him, and promised him that he would deliver his sons and all
his seed from every trouble that would befall them, because he had done this
thing, and through his love to his God stifled his compassion for his child.
13 And have you not heard what
their God did to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to Abimelech king of Gerar,
through taking Abraham's wife, who said of her, She is my sister, lest they
might slay him on account of her, and think of taking her for a wife? and God
did unto them and their people all that you heard of.
14 And behold, we ourselves saw
with our eyes that Esau, the brother of Jacob, came to him with four hundred
men, with the intention of slaying him, for he called to mind that he had
taken away from him his father's blessing.
15 And he went to meet him when
he came from Syria, to smite the mother with the children, and who delivered
him from his hands but his God in whom he trusted? he delivered him from the
hand of his brother and also from the hands of his enemies, and surely he
again will protect them.
16 Who does not know that it was
their God who inspired them with strength to do to the town of Shechem the
evil which you heard of?
17 Could it then be with their
own strength that two men could destroy such a large city as Shechem had it
not been for their God in whom they trusted? he said and did unto them all
this to slay the inhabitants of the city in their city.
18 And can you then prevail over
them who have come forth together from your city to fight with the whole of
them, even if a thousand times as many more should come to your assistance?
19 Surely you know and understand
that you do not come to fight with them, but you come to war with their God
who made choice of them, and you have therefore all come this day to be
destroyed.
20 Now therefore refrain from
this evil which you are endeavoring to bring upon yourselves, and it will be
better for you not to go to battle with them, although they are but few in
numbers, because their God is with them.
21 And when the kings of the
Amorites heard all the words of their advisers, their hearts were filled with
terror, and they were afraid of the sons of Jacob and would not fight against
them.
22 And they inclined their ears
to the words of their advisers, and they listened to all their words, and the
words of the counsellors greatly pleased the kings, and they did so.
23 And the kings turned and
refrained from the sons of Jacob, for they durst not approach them to make
war with them, for they were greatly afraid of them, and their hearts melted
within them from their fear of them.
24 For this proceeded from the
Lord to them, for he heard the prayers of his servants Isaac and Jacob, for
they trusted in him; and all these kings returned with their camps on that
day, each to his own city, and they did not at that time fight with the sons
of Jacob.
25 And the sons of Jacob kept
their station that day till evening opposite mount Sihon, and seeing that
these kings did not come to fight against them, the sons of Jacob returned
home.
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CHAPTER 36
1 At that time the Lord appeared
unto Jacob saying, Arise, go to Bethel and remain there, and make there an
altar to the Lord who appeareth unto thee, who delivered thee and thy sons
from affliction.
2 And Jacob rose up with his
sons and all belonging to him, and they went and came to Bethel according to
the word of the Lord.
3 And Jacob was ninety-nine
years old when he went up to Bethel, and Jacob and his sons and all the
people that were with him, remained in Bethel in Luz, and he there built an
altar to the Lord who appeared unto him, and Jacob and his sons remained in
Bethel six months.
4 At that time died Deborah the
daughter of Uz, the nurse of Rebecca, who had been with Jacob; and Jacob
buried her beneath Bethel under an oak that was there.
5 And Rebecca the daughter of
Bethuel, the mother of Jacob, also died at that time in Hebron, the same is
Kireath-arba, and she was buried in the cave of Machpelah which Abraham had
bought from the children of Heth.
6 And the life of Rebecca was
one hundred and thirty-three years, and she died and when Jacob heard that
his mother Rebecca was dead he wept bitterly for his mother, and made a great
mourning for her, and for Deborah her nurse beneath the oak, and he called
the name of that place Allon-bachuth.
7 And Laban the Syrian died in
those days, for God smote him because he transgressed the covenant that
existed between him and Jacob.
8 And Jacob was a hundred years
old when the Lord appeared unto him, and blessed him and called his name
Israel, and Rachel the wife of Jacob conceived in those days.
9 And at that time Jacob and all
belonging to him journeyed from Bethel to go to his father's house, to
Hebron.
10 And whilst they were going on
the road, and there was yet but a little way to come to Ephrath, Rachel bare
a son and she had hard labor and she died.
11 And Jacob buried her in the
way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem, and he set a pillar upon her grave, which
is there unto this day; and the days of Rachel were forty-five years and she
died.
12 And Jacob called the name of
his son that was born to him, which Rachel bare unto him, Benjamin, for he
was born to him in the land on the right hand.
13 And it was after the death of
Rachel, that Jacob pitched his tent in the tent of her handmaid Bilhah.
14 And Reuben was jealous for
his mother Leah on account of this, and he was filled with anger, and he rose
up in his anger and went and entered the tent of Bilhah and he thence removed
his father's bed.
15 At that time the portion of
birthright, together with the kingly and priestly offices, was removed from
the sons of Reuben, for he had profaned his father's bed, and the birthright
was given unto Joseph, the kingly office to Judah, and the priesthood unto
Levi, because Reuben had defiled his father's bed.
16 And these are the generations
of Jacob who were born to him in Padan-aram, and the sons of Jacob were
twelve.
17 The sons of Leah were Reuben
the first born, and Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and their sister
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Dinah; and the sons of Rachel
were Joseph and Benjamin.
18 The sons of Zilpah, Leah's
handmaid, were Gad and Asher, and the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, were
Dan and Naphtali; these are the sons of Jacob which were born to him in
Padan-aram.
19 And Jacob and his sons and
all belonging to him journeyed and came to Mamre, which is Kireath-arba, that
is in Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned, and Jacob with his sons and
all belonging to him, dwelt with his father in Hebron.
20 And his brother Esau and his
sons, and all belonging to him went to the land of Seir and dwelt there, and
had possessions in the land of Seir, and the children of Esau were fruitful
and multiplied exceedingly in the land of Seir.
21 And these are the generations
of Esau that were born to him in the land of Canaan, and the sons of Esau
were five.
22 And Adah bare to Esau his
first born Eliphaz, and she also bare to him Reuel, and Ahlibamah
bare to him Jeush, Yaalam and Korah.
23 These are the children of
Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan; and the sons of Eliphaz the
son of Esau were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, Kenaz and Amalex, and the sons of
Reuel were Nachath, Zerach, Shamah and Mizzah.
24 And the sons of Jeush were
Timnah, Alvah, Jetheth; and the sons of Yaalam were Alah, Phinor and Kenaz.
25 And the sons of Korah were
Teman, Mibzar, Magdiel and Eram; these are the families of the sons of Esau
according to their dukedoms in the land of Seir.
26 And these are the names of
the sons of Seir the Horite, inhabitants of the land of Seir, Lotan, Shobal,
Zibeon, Anah, Dishan, Ezer and Dishon, being seven sons.
27 And the children of Lotan
were Hori, Heman and their sister Timna, that is Timna who came to Jacob and
his sons, and they would not give ear to her, and she went and became a
concubine to Eliphaz the son of Esau, and she bare to him Amalek.
28 And the sons of Shobal were
Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam, and the sons of Zibeon were Ajah,
and Anah, this was that Anah who found the Yemim in the wilderness when he
fed the asses of Zibeon his father.
29 And whilst he was feeding his
father's asses he led them to the wilderness at different times
to feed them.
30 And there was a day that he
brought them to one of the deserts on the sea shore, opposite the wilderness
of the people, and whilst he was feeding them, behold a very heavy storm came
from the other side of the sea and rested upon the asses that were feeding
there, and they all stood still.
31 And afterward about one
hundred and twenty great and terrible animals came out from the wilderness at
the other side of the sea, and they all came to the place where the asses
were, and they placed themselves there.
32 And those animals, from their
middle downward, were in the shape of the children of men, and from their
middle upward, some had the likeness of bears, and some the likeness of the
keephas, with tails behind them from between their shoulders reaching down to
the earth, like the tails of the ducheephath, and these animals came and
mounted and rode upon these asses, and led them away, and they went away unto
this day.
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33 And one of these animals
approached Anah and smote him with his tail, and then fled from that place.
34 And when he saw this work he
was exceedingly afraid of his life, and he fled and escaped to the city.
35 And he related to his sons
and brothers all that had happened to him, and many men went to seek the
asses but could not find them, and Anah and his brothers went no more to that
place from that day following, for they were greatly afraid of their lives.
36 And the children of Anah the
son of Seir, were Dishon and his sister Ahlibamah,
and the children of Dishon were Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran and Cheran, and the
children of Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan and Akan, and the children of Dishon
were Uz and Aran.
37 These are the families of the
children of Seir the Horite, according to their dukedoms in the land of Seir.
38 And Esau and his children
dwelt in the land of Seir the Horite, the inhabitant of the land, and they
had possessions in it and were fruitful and multiplied exceedingly, and Jacob
and his children and all belonging to them, dwelt with their father Isaac in
the land of Canaan, as the Lord had commanded Abraham their father.
CHAPTER 37
1 And in the one hundred and
fifth year of the life of Jacob, that is the ninth year of Jacob's dwelling
with his children in the land of Canaan, he came from Padan-aram.
2 And in those days Jacob
journeyed with his children from Hebron, and they went and returned to the
city of Shechem, they and all belonging to them, and they dwelt there, for
the children of Jacob obtained good and fat pasture land for their cattle in
the city of Shechem, the city of Shechem having then been rebuilt, and there
were in it about three hundred men and women.
3 And Jacob and his children and
all belonging to him dwelt in the part of the field which Jacob had bought
from Hamor the father of Shechem, when he came from Padan-aram before Simeon
and Levi had smitten the city.
4 And all those kings of the
Canaanites and Amorites that surrounded the city of Shechem, heard that the
sons of Jacob had again come to Shechem and dwelt there.
5 And they said, Shall the sons
of Jacob the Hebrew again come to the city and dwell therein, after that they
have smitten its inhabitants and driven them out? shall they now return and
also drive out those who are dwelling in the city or slay them?
6 And all the kings of Canaan
again assembled, and they came together to make war with Jacob and his sons.
7 And Jashub king of Tapnach
sent also to all his neighboring kings, to Elan king of Gaash, and to Ihuri
king of Shiloh, and to Parathon king of Chazar, and to Susi king of Sarton,
and to Laban king of Bethchoran, and to Shabir king of Othnay-mah, saying,
8 Come up to me and assist me,
and let us smite Jacob the Hebrew and his sons, and all belonging to him, for
they are again come to Shechem to possess it and to slay its inhabitants as
before.
9 And all these kings assembled
together and came with all their camps, a people exceedingly plentiful like
the sand upon the sea shore, and they were all opposite to Tapnach.
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10 And Jashub king of Tapnach
went forth to them with all his army, and he encamped with them opposite to
Tapnach without the city, and all these kings they divided into seven
divisions, being seven camps against the sons of Jacob.
11 And they sent a declaration
to Jacob and his son, saying, Come you all forth to us that we may have an
interview together in the plain, and revenge the cause of the men of Shechem
whom you slew in their city, and you will now again return to the city of
Shechem and dwell therein, and slay its inhabitants as before.
12 And the sons of Jacob heard
this and their anger was kindled exceedingly at the words of the kings of
Canaan, and ten of the sons of Jacob hastened and rose up, and each of them
girt on his weapons of war; and there were one hundred and two of their
servants with them equipped in battle array.
13 And all these men, the sons
of Jacob with their servants, went toward these kings, and Jacob their father
was with them, and they all stood upon the heap of Shechem.
14 And Jacob prayed to the Lord
for his sons, and he spread forth his hands to the Lord, and he said, O God,
thou art an Almighty God, thou art our father, thou didst form us and we are
the works of thine hands; I pray thee deliver my sons through thy mercy from
the hand of their enemies, who are this day coming to fight with them and
save them from their hand, for in thy hand is power and might, to save the
few from the many.
15 And give unto my sons, thy
servants, strength of heart and might to fight with their enemies, to subdue
them, and make their enemies fall before them, and let not my sons and their
servants die through the hands of the children of Canaan.
16 But if it seemeth good in
thine eyes to take away the lives of my sons and their servants, take them in
thy great mercy through the hands of thy ministers, that they may not perish
this day by the hands of the kings of the Amorites.
17 And when Jacob ceased praying
to the Lord the earth shook from its place, and the sun darkened, and all
these kings were terrified and a great consternation seized them.
18 And the Lord hearkened to the
prayer of Jacob, and the Lord impressed the hearts of all the kings and their
hosts with the terror and awe of the sons of Jacob.
19 For the Lord caused them to
hear the voice of chariots, and the voice of mighty horses from the sons of
Jacob, and the voice of a great army accompanying them.
20 And these kings were seized
with great terror at the sons of Jacob, and whilst they were standing in
their quarters, behold the sons of Jacob advanced upon them, with one hundred
and twelve men, with a great and tremendous shouting.
21 And when the kings saw the
sons of Jacob advancing toward them, they were still more panic struck, and
they were inclined to retreat from before the sons of Jacob as at first, and
not to fight with them.
22 But they did not retreat,
saying, It would be a disgrace to us thus twice to retreat from before the
Hebrews.
23 And the sons of Jacob came
near and advanced against all these kings and their armies, and they saw, and
behold it was a very mighty people, numerous as the sand of the sea.
24 And the sons of Jacob called
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unto the Lord and said, Help us
O Lord, help us and answer us, for we trust in thee, and let us not die by
the hands of these uncircumcised men, who this day have come against us.
25 And the sons of Jacob girt on
their weapons of war, and they took in their hands each man his shield and
his javelin, and they approached to battle.
26 And Judah, the son of Jacob,
ran first before his brethren, and ten of his servants with him, and he went
toward these kings.
27 And Jashub, king of Tapnach,
also came forth first with his army before Judah, and Judah saw Jashub and
his army coming toward him, and Judah's wrath was kindled, and his anger
burned within him, and he approached to battle in which Judah ventured his
life.
28 And Jashub and all his army
were advancing toward Judah, and he was riding upon a very strong and
powerful horse, and Jashub was a very valiant man, and covered with iron and
brass from head to foot.
29 And whilst he was upon the
horse, he shot arrows with both hands from before and behind, as was his
manner in all his battles, and he never missed the place to which he aimed
his arrows.
30 And when Jashub came to fight
with Judah, and was darting many arrows against Judah, the Lord bound the
hand of Jashub, and all the arrows that he shot rebounded upon his own men.
31 And notwithstanding this,
Jashub kept advancing toward Judah, to challenge him with the arrows, but the
distance between them was about thirty cubits, and when Judah saw Jashub
darting forth his arrows against him, he ran to him with his wrath-excited
might.
32 And Judah took up a large
stone from the ground, and its weight was sixty shekels, and Judah ran toward
Jashub, and with the stone struck him on his shield, that Jashub was stunned
with the blow, and fell off from his horse to the ground.
33 And the shield burst asunder out
of the hand of Jashub, and through the force of the blow sprang to the
distance of about fifteen cubits, and the shield fell before the second camp.
34 And the kings that came with
Jashub saw at a distance the strength of Judah, the son of Jacob, and what he
had done to Jashub, and they were terribly afraid of Judah.
35 And they assembled near
Jashub's camp, seeing his confusion, and Judah drew his sword and smote
forty-two men of the camp of Jashub, and the whole of Jashub's camp fled
before Judah, and no man stood against him, and they left Jashub and fled
from him, and Jashub was still prostrate upon the ground.
36 And Jashub seeing that all
the men of his camp had fled from him, hastened and rose up with terror
against Judah, and stood upon his legs opposite Judah.
37 And Jashub had a single
combat with Judah, placing shield toward shield, and Jashub's men all fled,
for they were greatly afraid of Judah.
38 And Jashub took his spear in
his hand to strike Judah upon his head, but Judah had quickly placed his
shield to his head against Jashub's spear, so that the shield of Judah
received the blow from Jashub's spear, and the shield was split in too.
39 And when Judah saw that his
shield was split, he hastily drew his
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sword and smote Jashub at his ankles,
and cut off his feet that Jashub fell upon the ground, and the spear fell
from his hand.
40 And Judah hastily picked up
Jashub's spear, with which he severed his head and cast it next to his feet.
41 And when the sons of Jacob
saw what Judah had done to Jashub, they all ran into the ranks of the other
kings, and the sons of Jacob fought with the army of Jashub, and the armies
of all the kings that were there.
42 And the sons of Jacob caused
fifteen thousand of their men to fall, and they smote them as if smiting at
gourds, and the rest fled for their lives.
43 And Judah was still standing
by the body of Jashub, and stripped Jashub of his coat of mail.
44 And Judah also took off the
iron and brass that was about Jashub, and behold nine men of the captains of
Jashub came along to fight against Judah.
45 And Judah hastened and took
up a stone from the ground, and with it smote one of them upon the head, and
his skull was fractured, and the body also fell from the horse to the ground.
46 And the eight captains that
remained, seeing the strength of Judah, were greatly afraid and they fled,
and Judah with his ten men pursued them, and they overtook them and slew
them.
47 And the sons of Jacob were
still smiting the armies of the kings, and they slew many of them, but those
kings daringly kept their stand with their captains, and did not retreat from
their places, and they exclaimed against those of their armies that fled from
before the sons of Jacob, but none would listen to them, for they were afraid
of their lives lest they should die.
48 And all the sons of Jacob,
after having smitten the armies of the kings, returned and came before Judah,
and Judah was still slaying the eight captains of Jashub, and stripping off
their garments.
49 And Levi saw Elon, king of
Gaash, advancing toward him, with his fourteen captains to smite him, but
Levi did not know it for certain.
50 And Elon with his captains
approached nearer, and Levi looked back and saw that battle was given him in
the rear, and Levi ran with twelve of his servants, and they went and slew
Elon and his captains with the edge of the sword.
CHAPTER 38
1 And Ihuri king of Shiloh came
up to assist Elon, and he approached Jacob, when Jacob drew his bow that was
in his hand and with an arrow struck Ihuri which caused his death.
2 And when Ihuri king of Shiloh
was dead, the four remaining kings fled from their station with the rest of
the captains, and they endeavored to retreat, saying, We have no more strength
with the Hebrews after their having killed the three kings and their captains
who were more powerful than we are.
3 And when the sons of Jacob saw
that the remaining kings had removed from their station, they pursued them,
and Jacob also came from the heap of Shechem from the place where he was
standing, and they went after the kings and they approached them with their
servants.
4 And the kings and the captains
with the rest of their armies, seeing
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that the sons of Jacob
approached them, were afraid of their lives and fled till they reached the
city of Chazar.
5 And the sons of Jacob pursued
them to the gate of the city of Chazar, and they smote a great smiting
amongst the kings and their armies, about four thousand men, and whilst they
were smiting the army of the kings, Jacob was occupied with his bow confining
himself to smiting the kings, and he slew them all.
6 And he slew Parathon king of
Chazar at the gate of the city of Chazar, and he afterward smote Susi king of
Sarton, and Laban king of Bethchorin, and Shabir king of Machnaymah, and he
slew them all with arrows, an arrow to each of them, and they died.
7 And the sons of Jacob seeing
that all the kings were dead and that they were broken up and retreating,
continued to carry on the battle with the armies of the kings opposite the
gate of Chazar, and they still smote about four hundred of their men.
8 And three men of the servants
of Jacob fell in that battle, and when Judah saw that three of his servants
had died, it grieved him greatly, and his anger burned within him against the
Amorites.
9 And all the men that remained
of the armies of the kings were greatly afraid of their lives, and they ran
and broke the gate of the walls of the city of Chazar, and they all entered
the city for safety.
10 And they concealed themselves
in the midst of the city of Chazar, for the city of Chazar was very large and
extensive, and when all these armies had entered the city, the sons of Jacob
ran after them to the city.
11 And four mighty men,
experienced in battle, went forth from the city and stood against the
entrance of the city, with drawn swords and spears in their hands, and they
placed themselves opposite the sons of Jacob, and would not suffer them to
enter the city.
12 And Naphtali ran and came
between them and with his sword smote two of them, and cut off their heads at
one stroke.
13 And he turned to the other
two, and behold they had fled, and he pursued them, overtook them, smote them
and slew them.
14 And the sons of Jacob came to
the city and saw, and behold there was another wall to the city, and they
sought for the gate of the wall and could not find it, and Judah sprang upon
the top of the wall, and Simeon and Levi followed him, and they all three
descended from the wall into the city.
15 And Simeon and Levi slew all
the men who ran for safety into the city, and also the inhabitants of the
city with their wives and little ones, they slew with the edge of the sword,
and the cries of the city ascended up to heaven.
16 And Dan and Naphtali sprang
upon the wall to see what caused the noise of lamentation, for the sons of
Jacob felt anxious about their brothers, and they heard the inhabitants of
the city speaking with weeping and supplications, saying, Take all that we
possess in the city and go away, only do not put us to death.
17 And when Judah, Simeon, and
Levi had ceased smiting the inhabitants of the city, they ascended the wall
and called to Dan and Naphtali, who were upon the wall, and to the rest of
their brothers, and Simeon and Levi informed them of the
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entrance into the city, and all
the sons of Jacob came to fetch the spoil.
18 And the sons of Jacob took
the spoil of the city of Chazar, the flocks and herds, and the property, and
they took all that could be captured, and went away that day from the city.
19 And on the next day the sons
of Jacob went to Sarton, for they heard that the men of Sarton who had
remained in the city were assembling to fight with them for having slain
their king, and Sarton was a very high and fortified city, and it had a deep
rampart surrounding the city.
20 And the pillar of the rampart
was about fifty cubits and its breadth forty cubits, and there was no place
for a man to enter the city on account of the rampart, and the sons of Jacob
saw the rampart of the city, and they sought an entrance in it but could not
find it.
21 For the entrance to the city
was at the rear, and every man that wished to come into the city came by that
road and went around the whole city, and he afterwards entered the city.
22 And the sons of Jacob seeing
they could not find the way into the city, their anger was kindled greatly,
and the inhabitants of the city seeing that the sons of Jacob were coming to
them were greatly afraid of them, for they had heard of their strength and
what they had done to Chazar.
23 And the inhabitants of the
city of Sarton could not go out toward the sons of Jacob after having
assembled in the city to fight against them, lest they might thereby get into
the city, but when they saw that they were coming toward them, they were
greatly afraid of them, for they had heard of their strength and what they
had done to Chazar.
24 So the inhabitants of Sarton
speedily took away the bridge of the road of the city, from its place, before
the sons of Jacob came, and they brought it into the city.
25 And the sons of Jacob came
and sought the way into the city, and could not find it and the inhabitants
of the city went up to the top of the wall, and saw, and behold the sons of
Jacob were seeking an entrance into the city.
26 And the inhabitants of the
city reproached the sons of Jacob from the top of the wall, and they cursed
them, and the sons of Jacob heard the reproaches, and they were greatly
incensed, and their anger burned within them.
27 And the sons of Jacob were
provoked at them, and they all rose and sprang over the rampart with the
force of their strength, and through their might passed the forty cubits'
breadth of the rampart.
28 And when they had passed the
rampart they stood under the wall of the city, and they found all the gates
of the city enclosed with iron doors.
29 And the sons of Jacob came
near to break open the doors of the gates of the city, and the inhabitants
did not let them, for from the top of the wall they were casting stones and
arrows upon them.
30 And the number of the people
that were upon the wall was about four hundred men, and when the sons of
Jacob saw that the men of the city would not let them open the gates of the
city, they sprang and ascended the top of the wall, and Judah went up first
to the east part of the city.
31 And Gad and Asher went up
after him to the west corner of the city, and Simeon and Levi to the north,
and Dan and Reuben to the south.
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32 And the men who were on the
top of the wall, the inhabitants of the city, seeing that the sons of Jacob
were coming up to them, they all fled from the wall, descended into the city,
and concealed themselves in the midst of the city.
33 And Issachar and Naphtali
that remained under the wall approached and broke the gates of the city, and
kindled a fire at the gates of the city, that the iron melted, and all the
sons of Jacob came into the city, they and all their men, and they fought
with the inhabitants of the city of Sarton, and smote them with the edge of
the sword, and no man stood up before them.
34 And about two hundred men
fled from the city, and they all went and hid themselves in a certain tower
in the city, and Judah pursued them to the tower and he broke down the tower,
which fell upon the men, and they all died.
35 And the sons of Jacob went up
the road of the roof of that tower, and they saw, and behold there was
another strong and high tower at a distance in the city, and the top of it
reached to heaven, and the sons of Jacob hastened and descended, and went
with all their men to that tower, and found it filled with about three
hundred men, women and little ones.
36 And the sons of Jacob smote a
great smiting amongst those men in the tower and they ran away and fled from
them.
37 And Simeon and Levi pursued
them, when twelve mighty and valiant men came out to them from the place
where they had concealed themselves.
38 And those twelve men
maintained a strong battle against Simeon and Levi, and Simeon and Levi could
not prevail over them, and those valiant men broke the shields of Simeon and
Levi, and one of them struck at Levi's head with his sword, when Levi hastily
placed his hand to his head, for he was afraid of the sword, and the sword
struck Levi's hand, and it wanted but little to the hand of Levi being cut
off.
39 And Levi seized the sword of
the valiant man in his hand, and took it forcibly from the man, and with it
he struck at the head of the powerful man, and he severed his head.
40 And eleven men approached to
fight with Levi, for they saw that one of them was killed, and the sons of
Jacob fought, but the sons of Jacob could not prevail over them, for those
men were very powerful.
41 And the sons of Jacob seeing
that they could not prevail over them, Simeon gave a loud and tremendous shriek,
and the eleven powerful men were stunned at the voice of Simeon's shrieking.
42 And Judah at a distance knew
the voice of Simeon's shouting, and Naphtali and Judah ran with their shields
to Simeon and Levi, and found them fighting with those powerful men, unable
to prevail over them as their shields were broken.
43 And Naphtali saw that the
shields of Simeon and Levi were broken, and he took two shields from his
servants and brought them to Simeon and Levi.
44 And Simeon, Levi and Judah on
that day fought all three against the eleven mighty men until the time of
sunset, but they could not prevail over them.
45 And this was told unto Jacob,
and he was sorely grieved, and he prayed unto the Lord, and he and Naphtali
his son went against these mighty men.
46 And Jacob approached and drew
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his bow, and came nigh unto the
mighty men, and slew three of their men with the bow, and the remaining eight
turned back, and behold, the war waged against them in the front and rear,
and they were greatly afraid of their lives, and could not stand before the
sons of Jacob, and they fled from before them.
47 And in their flight they met
Dan and Asher coming toward them, and they suddenly fell upon them, and
fought with them, and slew two of them, and Judah and his brothers pursued
them, and smote the remainder of them, and slew them.
48 And all the sons of Jacob
returned and walked about the city, searching if they could find any men, and
they found about twenty young men in a cave in the city, and Gad and Asher
smote them all, and Dan and Naphtali lighted upon the rest of the men who had
fled and escaped from the second tower, and they smote them all.
49 And the sons of Jacob smote
all the inhabitants of the city of Sarton, but the women and little ones they
left in the city and did not slay them.
50 And all the inhabitants of
the city of Sarton were powerful men, one of them would pursue a thousand,
and two of them would not flee from ten thousand of the rest of men.
51 And the sons of Jacob slew
all the inhabitants of the city of Sarton with the edge of the sword, that no
man stood up against them, and they left the women in the city.
52 And the sons of Jacob took
all the spoil of the city, and captured what they desired, and they took
flocks and herds and property from the city, and the sons of Jacob did unto
Sarton and its inhabitants as they had done to Chazar and its inhabitants,
and they turned and went away.
CHAPTER 39
1 And when the sons of Jacob
went from the city of Sarton, they had gone about two hundred cubits when
they met the inhabitants of Tapnach coming toward them, for they went out to
fight with them, because they had smitten the king of Tapnach and all his
men.
2 So all that remained in the
city of Tapnach came out to fight with the sons of Jacob, and they thought to
retake from them the booty and the spoil which they had captured from Chazar
and Sarton.
3 And the rest of the men of
Tapnach fought with the sons of Jacob in that place, and the sons of Jacob
smote them, and they fled before them, and they pursued them to the city of
Arbelan, and they all fell before the sons of Jacob.
4 And the sons of Jacob returned
and came to Tapnach, to take away the spoil of Tapnach, and when they came to
Tapnach they heard that the people of Arbelan had gone out to meet them to
save the spoil of their brethren, and the sons of Jacob left ten of their men
in Tapnach to plunder the city, and they went out toward the people of
Arbelan.
5 And the men of Arbelan went
out with their wives to fight with the sons of Jacob, for their wives were
experienced in battle, and they went out, about four hundred men and women.
6 And all the sons of Jacob
shouted with a loud voice, and they all ran toward the inhabitants of
Arbelan, and with a great and tremendous voice.
7 And the inhabitants of Arbelan
heard the noise of the shouting of the sons of Jacob, and their roaring like
the noise of lions and like the roaring of the sea and its waves.
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8 And fear and terror possessed
their hearts on account of the sons of Jacob, and they were terribly afraid
of them, and they retreated and fled before them into the city, and the sons
of Jacob pursued them to the gate of the city, and they came upon them in the
city.
9 And the sons of Jacob fought
with them in the city, and all their women were engaged in slinging against
the sons of Jacob, and the combat was very severe amongst them the whole of
that day till evening.
10 And the sons of Jacob could
not prevail over them, and the sons of Jacob had almost perished in that
battle, and the sons of Jacob cried unto the Lord and greatly gained strength
toward evening, and the sons of Jacob smote all the inhabitants of Arbelan by
the edge of the sword, men, women and little ones.
11 And also the remainder of the
people who had fled from Sarton, the sons of Jacob smote them in Arbelan, and
the sons of Jacob did unto Arbelan and Tapnach as they had done to Chazar and
Sarton, and when the women saw that all the men were dead, they went upon the
roofs of the city and smote the sons of Jacob by showering down stones like
rain.
12 And the sons of Jacob
hastened and came into the city and seized all the women and smote them with
the edge of the sword, and the sons of Jacob captured all the spoil and
booty, flocks and herds and cattle.
13 And the sons of Jacob did
unto Machnaymah as they had done to Tapnach, to Chazar and to Shiloh, and
they turned from there and went away.
14 And on the fifth day the sons
of Jacob heard that the people of Gaash had gathered against them to battle,
because they had slain their king and their captains, for there had been
fourteen captains in the city of Gaash, and the sons of Jacob had slain them
all in the first battle.
15 And the sons of Jacob that
day girt on their weapons of war, and they marched to battle against the
inhabitants of Gaash, and in Gaash there was a strong and mighty people of
the people of the Amorites, and Gaash was the strongest and best fortified city
of all the cities of the Amorites, and it had three walls.
16 And the sons of Jacob came to
Gaash and they found the gates of the city locked, and about five hundred men
standing at the top of the outer-most wall, and a people numerous as the sand
upon the sea shore were in ambush for the sons of Jacob from without the city
at the rear thereof.
17 And the sons of Jacob
approached to open the gates of the city, and whilst they were drawing nigh,
behold those who were in ambush at the rear of the city came forth from their
places and surrounded the sons of Jacob.
18 And the sons of Jacob were
enclosed between the people of Gaash, and the battle was both to their front
and rear, and all the men that were upon the wall, were casting from the wall
upon them, arrows and stones.
19 And Judah, seeing that the
men of Gaash were getting too heavy for them, gave a most piercing and
tremendous shriek and all the men of Gaash were terrified at the voice of
Judah's cry, and men fell from the wall at his powerful shriek, and all those
that were from without and within the city were greatly afraid of their
lives.
20 And the sons of Jacob still
came nigh to break the doors of the city,
111
when the men of Gaash threw
stones and arrows upon them from the top of the wall, and made them flee from
the gate.
21 And the sons of Jacob
returned against the men of Gaash who were with them from without the city,
and they smote them terribly, as striking against gourds, and they could not
stand against the sons of Jacob, for fright and terror had seized them at the
shriek of Judah.
22 And the sons of Jacob slew
all those men who were without the city, and the sons of Jacob still drew
nigh to effect an entrance into the city, and to fight under the city walls,
but they could not for all the inhabitants of Gaash who remained in the city
had surrounded the walls of Gaash in every direction, so that the sons of
Jacob were unable to approach the city to fight with them.
23 And the sons of Jacob came
nigh to one corner to fight under the wall, the inhabitants of Gaash threw
arrows and stones upon them like showers of rain, and they fled from under
the wall.
24 And the people of Gaash who
were upon the wall, seeing that the sons of Jacob could not prevail over them
from under the wall, reproached the sons of Jacob in these words, saying,
25 What is the matter with you
in the battle that you cannot prevail? can you then do unto the mighty city
of Gaash and its inhabitants as you did to the cities of the Amorites that
were not so powerful? Surely to those weak ones amongst us you did those
things, and slew them in the entrance of the city, for they had no strength
when they were terrified at the sound of your shouting.
26 And will you now then be able
to fight in this place? Surely here you will all die, and we will avenge the
cause of those cities that you have laid waste.
27 And the inhabitants of Gaash
greatly reproached the sons of Jacob and reviled them with their gods, and
continued to cast arrows and stones upon them from the wall.
28 And Judah and his brothers
heard the words of the inhabitants of Gaash and their anger was greatly
roused, and Judah was jealous of his God in this matter, and he called out
and said, O Lord, help, send help to us and our brothers.
29 And he ran at a distance with
all his might, with his drawn sword in his hand, and he sprang from the earth
and by dint of his strength, mounted the wall, and his sword fell from his
hand.
30 And Judah shouted upon the
wall, and all the men that were upon the wall were terrified, and some of
them fell from the wall into the city and died, and those who were yet upon
the wall, when they saw Judah's strength, they were greatly afraid and fled
for their lives into the city for safety.
31 And some were emboldened to
fight with Judah upon the wall, and they came nigh to slay him when they saw
there was no sword in Judah's hand, and they thought of casting him from the
wall to his brothers, and twenty men of the city came up to assist them, and
they surrounded Judah and they all shouted over him, and approached him with
drawn swords, and they terrified Judah, and Judah cried out to his brothers
from the wall.
32 And Jacob and his sons drew
the bow from under the wall, and smote three of the men that were upon the
top of the wall, and Judah
112
continued to cry and he
exclaimed, O Lord help us, O Lord deliver us, and he cried out with a loud
voice upon the wall, and the cry was heard at a great distance.
33 And after this cry he again
repeated to shout, and all the men who surrounded Judah on the top of the
wall were terrified, and they each threw his sword from his hand at the sound
of Judah's shouting and his tremor, and fled.
34 And Judah took the swords
which had fallen from their hands, and Judah fought with them and slew twenty
of their men upon the wall.
35 And about eighty men and
women still ascended the wall from the city and they all surrounded Judah,
and the Lord impressed the fear of Judah in their hearts, that they were
unable to approach him.
36 And Jacob and all who were
with him drew the bow from under the wall, and they slew ten men upon the
wall, and they fell below the wall, before Jacob and his sons.
37 And the people upon the wall
seeing that twenty of their men had fallen, they still ran toward Judah with
drawn swords, but they could not approach him for they were greatly terrified
at Judah's strength.
38 And one of their mighty men
whose name was Arud approached to strike Judah upon the head with his sword,
when Judah hastily put his shield to his head, and the sword hit the shield,
and it was split in two.
39 And this mighty man after he
had struck Judah ran for his life, at the fear of Judah, and his feet slipped
upon the wall and he fell amongst the sons of Jacob who were below the wall,
and the sons of Jacob smote him and slew him.
40 And Judah's head pained him
from the blow of the powerful man, and Judah had nearly died from it.
41 And Judah cried out upon the
wall owing to the pain produced by the blow, when Dan heard him, and his
anger burned within him, and he also rose up and went at a distance and ran
and sprang from the earth and mounted the wall with his wrath-excited
strength.
42 And when Dan came upon the
wall near unto Judah all the men upon the wall fled, who had stood against
Judah, and they went up to the second wall, and they threw arrows and stones
upon Dan and Judah from the second wall, and endeavored to drive them from
the wall.
43 And the arrows and stones
struck Dan and Judah, and they had nearly been killed upon the wall, and
wherever Dan and Judah fled from the wall, they were attacked with arrows and
stones from the second wall.
44 And Jacob and his sons were
still at the entrance of the city below the first wall, and they were not
able to draw their bow against the inhabitants of the city, as they could not
be seen by them, being upon the second wall.
45 And Dan and Judah when they
could no longer bear the stones and arrows that fell upon them from the
second wall, they both sprang upon the second wall near the people of the
city, and when the people of the city who were upon the second wall saw that
Dan and Judah had come to them upon the second wall, they all cried out and
descended below between the walls.
46 And Jacob and his sons heard
the noise of the shouting from the people of the city, and they were still at
the entrance of the city, and they were anxious about Dan and Judah who were
not seen by them, they being upon the second wall.
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47 And Naphtali went up with his
wrath-excited might and sprang upon the first wall to see what caused the
noise of shouting which they had heard in the city, and Issachar and Zebulun
drew nigh to break the doors of the city, and they opened the gates of the
city and came into the city.
48 And Naphtali leaped from the
first wall to the second, and came to assist his brothers, and the
inhabitants of Gaash who were upon the wall, seeing that Naphtali was the
third who had come up to assist his brothers, they all fled and descended
into the city, and Jacob and all his sons and all their young men came into
the city to them.
49 And Judah and Dan and
Naphtali descended from the wall into the city and pursued the inhabitants of
the city, and Simeon and Levi were from without the city and knew not that
the gate was opened, and they went up from there to the wall and came down to
their brothers into the city.
50 And the inhabitants of the
city had all descended into the city, and the sons of Jacob came to them in
different directions, and the battle waged against them from the front and
the rear, and the sons of Jacob smote them terribly, and slew about twenty
thousand of them men and women, not one of them could stand up against the
sons of Jacob.
51 And the blood flowed
plentifully in the city, and it was like a brook of water, and the blood
flowed like a brook to the outer part of the city, and reached the desert of
Bethchorin.
52 And the people of Bethchorin
saw at a distance the blood flowing from the city of Gaash, and about seventy
men from amongst them ran to see the blood, and they came to the place where
the blood was.
53 And they followed the track
of the blood and came to the wall of the city of Gaash, and they saw the
blood issue from the city, and they heard the voice of crying from the inhabitants
of Gaash, for it ascended unto heaven, and the blood was continuing to flow
abundantly like a brook of water.
54 And all the sons of Jacob
were still smiting the inhabitants of Gaash, and were engaged in slaying them
till evening, about twenty thousand men and women, and the people of Chorin
said, Surely this is the work of the Hebrews, for they are still carrying on
war in all the cities of the Amorites.
55 And those people hastened and
ran to Bethchorin, and each took his weapons of war, and they cried out to
all the inhabitants of Bethchorin, who also girt on their weapons of war to
go and fight with the sons of Jacob.
56 And when the sons of Jacob
had done smiting the inhabitants of Gaash, they walked about the city to
strip all the slain, and coming in the innermost part of the city and farther
on they met three very powerful men, and there was no sword in their hand.
57 And the sons of Jacob came up
to the place where they were, and the powerful men ran away, and one of them
had taken Zebulun, who he saw was a young lad and of short stature, and with
his might dashed him to the ground.
58 And Jacob ran to him with his
sword and Jacob smote him below his loins with the sword, and cut him in two,
and the body fell upon Zebulun.
59 And the second one approached
and seized Jacob to fell him to the ground, and Jacob turned to him and
shouted to him, whilst Simeon and Levi ran and smote him on the hips with the
sword and felled him to the ground.
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60 And the powerful man rose up
from the ground with wrath-excited might, and Judah came to him before he had
gained his footing, and struck him upon the head with the sword, and his head
was split and he died.
61 And the third powerful man,
seeing that his companions were killed, ran from before the sons of Jacob,
and the sons of Jacob pursued him in the city; and whilst the powerful man
was fleeing he found one of the swords of the inhabitants of the city, and he
picked it up and turned to the sons of Jacob and fought them with that sword.
62 And the powerful man ran to
Judah to strike him upon the head with the sword, and there was no shield in
the hand of Judah; and whilst he was aiming to strike him, Naphtali hastily
took his shield and put it to Judah's head, and the sword of the powerful man
hit the shield of Naphtali and Judah escaped the sword.
63 And Simeon and Levi ran upon
the powerful man with their swords and struck at him forcibly with their
swords, and the two swords entered the body of the powerful man and divided
it in two, length-wise.
64 And the sons of Jacob smote
the three mighty men at that time, together with all the inhabitants of
Gaash, and the day was about to decline.
65 And the sons of Jacob walked
about Gaash and took all the spoil of the city, even the little ones and
women they did not suffer to live, and the sons of Jacob did unto Gaash as
they had done to Sarton and Shiloh.
CHAPTER 40
1 And the sons of Jacob led away
all the spoil of Gaash, and went out of the city by night.
2 They were going out marching
toward the castle of Bethchorin, and the inhabitants of Bethchorin were going
to the castle to meet them, and on that night the sons of Jacob fought with
the inhabitants of Bethchorin, in the castle of Bethchorin.
3 And all the inhabitants of
Bethchorin were mighty men, one of them would not flee from before a thousand
men, and they fought on that night upon the castle, and their shouts were
heard on that night from afar, and the earth quaked at their shouting.
4 And all the sons of Jacob were
afraid of those men, as they were not accustomed to fight in the dark, and
they were greatly confounded, and the sons of Jacob cried unto the Lord,
saying, Give help to us O Lord, deliver us that we may not die by the hands
of these uncircumcised men.
5 And the Lord hearkened to the
voice of the sons of Jacob, and the Lord caused great terror and confusion to
seize the people of Bethchorin, and they fought amongst themselves the one
with the other in the darkness of night, and smote each other in great
numbers.
6 And the sons of Jacob, knowing
that the Lord had brought a spirit of perverseness amongst those men, and
that they fought each man with his neighbor, went forth from among the bands
of the people of Bethchorin and went as far as the descent of the castle of
Bethchorin, and farther, and they tarried there securely with their young men
on that night.
7 And the people of Bethchorin
fought the whole night, one man with his brother, and the other with his
neighbor, and they cried out in every direction upon the castle, and their
cry was heard at a distance, and the whole earth shook at their voice, for
they were powerful above all the people of the earth.
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8 And all the inhabitants of the
cities of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites and all the
kings of Canaan, and also those who were on the other side of the Jordan,
heard the noise of the shouting on that night.
9 And they said, Surely these
are the battles of the Hebrews who are fighting against the seven cities, who
came nigh unto them; and who can stand against those Hebrews?
10 And all the inhabitants of
the cities of the Canaanites, and all those who were on the other side of the
Jordan, were greatly afraid of the sons of Jacob, for they said, Behold the
same will be done to us as was done to those cities, for who can stand
against their mighty strength?
11 And the cries of the
Chorinites were very great on that night, and continued to increase; and they
smote each other till morning, and numbers of them were killed.
12 And the morning appeared, and
all the sons of Jacob rose up at daybreak and went up to the castle, and they
smote those who remained of the Chorinites in a terrible manner, and they
were all killed in the castle.
13 And the sixth day appeared,
and all the inhabitants of Canaan saw at a distance all the people of
Bethchorin lying dead in the castle of Bethchorin, and strewed about as the
carcasses of lambs and goats.
14 And the sons of Jacob led all
the spoil which they had captured from Gaash and went to Bethchorin, and they
found the city full of people like the sand of the sea, and they fought with
them, and the sons of Jacob smote them there till evening time.
15 And the sons of Jacob did
unto Bethchorin as they had done to Gaash and Tapnach, and as they had done
to Chazar, to Sarton and to Shiloh.
16 And the sons of Jacob took
with them the spoil of Bethchorin and all the spoil of the cities, and on
that day they went home to Shechem.
17 And the sons of Jacob came
home to the city of Shechem, and they remained without the city, and they
then rested there from the war, and tarried there all night.
18 And all their servants
together with all the spoil that they had taken from the cities, they left
without the city, and they did not enter the city, for they said,
Peradventure there may be yet more fighting against us, and they may come to
besiege us in Shechem.
19 And Jacob and his sons and
their servants remained on that night and the next day in the portion of the
field which Jacob had purchased from Hamor for five shekels, and all that
they had captured was with them.
20 And all the booty which the
sons of Jacob had captured, was in the portion of the field, immense as the
sand upon the sea shore.
21 And the inhabitants of the
land observed them from afar, and all the inhabitants of the land were afraid
of the sons of Jacob who had done this thing, for no king from the days of
old had ever done the like.
22 And the seven kings of the
Canaanites resolved to make peace with the sons of Jacob, for they were
greatly afraid of their lives, on account of the sons of Jacob.
23 And on that day, being the
seventh day, Japhia king of Hebron sent secretly to the king of Ai, and to
the king of Gibeon, and to the king of Shalem, and to the king of Adulam,
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and to the king of Lachish, and
to the king of Chazar, and to all the Canaanitish kings who were under their
subjection, saying,
24 Go up with me, and come to me
that we may go to the sons of Jacob, and I will make peace with them, and
form a treaty with them, lest all your lands be destroyed by the swords of
the sons of Jacob, as they did to Shechem and the cities around it, as you
have heard and seen.
25 And when you come to me, do
not come with many men, but let every king bring his three head captains, and
every captain bring three of his officers.
26 And come all of you to
Hebron, and we will go together to the sons of Jacob, and supplicate them
that they shall form a treaty of peace with us.
27 And all those kings did as
the king of Hebron had sent to them, for they were all under his counsel and
command, and all the kings of Canaan assembled to go to the sons of Jacob, to
make peace with them; and the sons of Jacob returned and went to the portion
of the field that was in Shechem, for they did not put confidence in the
kings of the land.
28 And the sons of Jacob
returned and remained in the portion of the field ten days, and no one came
to make war with them.
29 And when the sons of Jacob
saw that there was no appearance of war, they all assembled and went to the
city of Shechem, and the sons of Jacob remained in Shechem.
30 And at the expiration of
forty days, all the kings of the Amorites assembled from all their places and
came to Hebron, to Japhia, king of Hebron.
31 And the number of kings that
came to Hebron, to make peace with the sons of Jacob, was twenty-one kings,
and the number of captains that came with them was sixty-nine, and their men
were one hundred and eighty-nine, and all these kings and their men rested by
Mount Hebron.
32 And the king of Hebron went
out with his three captains and nine men, and these kings resolved to go to
the sons of Jacob to make peace.
33 And they said unto the king
of Hebron, Go thou before us with thy men, and speak for us unto the sons of
Jacob, and we will come after thee and confirm thy words, and the king of
Hebron did so.
34 And the sons of Jacob heard
that all the kings of Canaan had gathered together and rested in Hebron, and
the sons of Jacob sent four of their servants as spies, saying, Go and spy
these kings, and search and examine their men whether they are few or many,
and if they are but few in number, number them all and come back.
35 And the servants of Jacob
went secretly to these kings, and did as the sons of Jacob had commanded
them, and on that day they came back to the sons of Jacob, and said unto
them, We came unto those kings, and they are but few in number, and we
numbered them all, and behold, they were two hundred and eighty-eight, kings
and men.
36 And the sons of Jacob said,
They are but few in number, therefore we will not all go out to them; and in
the morning the sons of Jacob rose up and chose sixty two of their men, and
ten of the sons of Jacob went with them; and they girt on their weapons of
war, for they said, They are coming to make war with us, for they knew not
that they were coming to make peace with them.
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37 And the sons of Jacob went
with their servants to the gate of Shechem, toward those kings, and their
father Jacob was with them.
38 And when they had come forth,
behold, the king of Hebron and his three captains and nine men with him were
coming along the road against the sons of Jacob, and the sons of Jacob lifted
up their eyes, and saw at a distance Japhia, king of Hebron, with his
captains, coming toward them, and the sons of Jacob took their stand at the
place of the gate of Shechem, and did not proceed.
39 And the king of Hebron
continued to advance, he and his captains, until he came nigh to the sons of
Jacob, and he and his captains bowed down to them to the ground, and the king
of Hebron sat with his captains before Jacob and his sons.
40 And the sons of Jacob said
unto him, What has befallen thee, O king of Hebron? why hast thou come to us this
day? what dost thou require from us? and the king of Hebron said unto Jacob,
I beseech thee my lord, all the kings of the Canaanites have this day come to
make peace with you.
41 And the sons of Jacob heard
the words of the king of Hebron, and they would not consent to his proposals,
for the sons of Jacob had no faith in him, for they imagined that the king of
Hebron had spoken deceitfully to them.
42 And the king of Hebron knew
from the words of the sons of Jacob, that they did not believe his words, and
the king of Hebron approached nearer to Jacob, and said unto him, I beseech
thee, my lord, to be assured that all these kings have come to you on
peaceable terms, for they have not come with all their men, neither did they
bring their weapons of war with them, for they have come to seek peace from
my lord and his sons.
43 And the sons of Jacob
answered the king of Hebron, saying, Send thou to all these kings, and if
thou speakest truth unto us, let them each come singly before us, and if they
come unto us unarmed, we shall then know that they seek peace from us.
44 And Japhia, king of Hebron,
sent one of his men to the kings, and they all came before the sons of Jacob,
and bowed down to them to the ground, and these kings sat before Jacob and
his sons, and they spoke unto them, saying,
45 We have heard all that you
did unto the kings of the Amorites with your sword and exceedingly mighty
arm, so that no man could stand up before you, and we were afraid of you for
the sake of our lives, lest it should befall us as it did to them.
46 So we have come unto you to
form a treaty of peace between us, and now therefore contract with us a
covenant of peace and truth, that you will not meddle with us, inasmuch as we
have not meddled with you.
47 And the sons of Jacob knew
that they had really come to seek peace from them, and the sons of Jacob
listened to them, and formed a covenant with them.
48 And the sons of Jacob swore
unto them that they would not meddle with them, and all the kings of the
Canaanites swore also to them, and the sons of Jacob made them tributary from
that day forward.
49 And after this all the
captains of these kings came with their men before Jacob, with presents in
their hands for Jacob and his sons, and they bowed down to him to the ground.
50 And these kings then urged
the sons of Jacob and begged of them to
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return all the spoil they had
captured from the seven cities of the Amorites, and the sons of Jacob did so,
and they returned all that they had captured, the women, the little ones, the
cattle and all the spoil which they had taken, and they sent them off, and
they went away each to his city.
51 And all these kings again
bowed down to the sons of Jacob, and they sent or brought them many gifts in
those days, and the sons of Jacob sent off these kings and their men, and
they went peaceably away from them to their cities, and the sons of Jacob
also returned to their home, to Shechem.
52 And there was peace from that
day forward between the sons of Jacob and the kings of the Canaanites, until
the children of Israel came to inherit the land of Canaan.
CHAPTER 41
1 And at the revolution of the
year the sons of Jacob journeyed from Shechem, and they came to Hebron, to
their father Isaac, and they dwelt there, but their flocks and herds they fed
daily in Shechem, for there was there in those days good and fat pasture, and
Jacob and his sons and all their household dwelt in the valley of Hebron.
2 And it was in those days, in
that year, being the hundred and sixth year of the life of Jacob, in the
tenth year of Jacob's coming from Padan-aram, that Leah the wife of Jacob
died; she was fifty-one years old when she died in Hebron.
3 And Jacob and his sons buried
her in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which is in Hebron, which Abraham
had bought from the children of Heth, for the possession of a burial place.
4 And the sons of Jacob dwelt
with their father in the valley of Hebron, and all the inhabitants of the
land knew their strength and their fame went throughout the land.
5 And Joseph the son of Jacob,
and his brother Benjamin, the sons of Rachel, the wife of Jacob, were yet
young in those days, and did not go out with their brethren during their
battles in all the cities of the Amorites.
6 And when Joseph saw the
strength of his brethren, and their greatness, he praised them and extolled
them, but he ranked himself greater than them, and extolled himself above
them; and Jacob, his father, also loved him more than any of his sons, for he
was a son of his old age, and through his love toward him, he made him a coat
of many colors.
7 And when Joseph saw that his
father loved him more than his brethren, he continued to exalt himself above
his brethren, and he brought unto his father evil reports concerning them.
8 And the sons of Jacob seeing
the whole of Joseph's conduct toward them, and that their father loved him
more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him
all the days.
9 And Joseph was seventeen years
old, and he was still magnifying himself above his brethren, and thought of
raising himself above them.
10 At that time he dreamed a
dream, and he came unto his brothers and told them his dream, and he said
unto them, I dreamed a dream, and behold we were all binding sheaves in the
field, and my sheaf rose and placed itself upon the ground and your sheaves
surrounded it and bowed down to it.
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11 And his brethren answered him
and said unto him, What meaneth this dream that thou didst dream? dost thou
imagine in thy heart to reign or rule over us?
12 And he still came, and told
the thing to his father Jacob, and Jacob kissed Joseph when he heard these
words from his mouth, and Jacob blessed Joseph.
13 And when the sons of Jacob
saw that their father had blessed Joseph and had kissed him, and that he
loved him exceedingly, they became jealous of him and hated him the more.
14 And after this Joseph dreamed
another dream and related the dream to his father in the presence of his
brethren, and Joseph said unto his father and brethren, Behold I have again
dreamed a dream, and behold the sun and the moon and the eleven stars bowed
down to me.
15 And his father heard the
words of Joseph and his dream, and seeing that his brethren hated Joseph on
account of this matter, Jacob therefore rebuked Joseph before his brethren on
account of this thing, saying, What meaneth this dream which thou hast
dreamed, and this magnifying thyself before thy brethren who are older than
thou art?
16 Dost thou imagine in thy
heart that I and thy mother and thy eleven brethren will come and bow down to
thee, that thou speakest these things?
17 And his brethren were jealous
of him on account of his words and dreams, and they continued to hate him,
and Jacob reserved the dreams in his heart.
18 And the sons of Jacob went
one day to feed their father's flock in Shechem, for they were still herdsmen
in those days; and whilst the sons of Jacob were that day feeding in Shechem
they delayed, and the time of gathering in the cattle was passed, and they
had not arrived.
19 And Jacob saw that his sons
were delayed in Shechem, and Jacob said within himself, Peradventure the
people of Shechem have risen up to fight against them, therefore they have
delayed coming this day.
20 And Jacob called Joseph his
son and commanded him, saying, Behold thy brethren are feeding in Shechem
this day, and behold they have not yet come back; go now therefore and see
where they are, and bring me word back concerning the welfare of thy brethren
and the welfare of the flock.
21 And Jacob sent his son Joseph
to the valley of Hebron, and Joseph came for his brothers to Shechem, and
could not find them, and Joseph went about the field which was near Shechem,
to see where his brothers had turned, and he missed his road in the
wilderness, and knew not which way he should go.
22 And an angel of the Lord
found him wandering in the road toward the field, and Joseph said unto the
angel of the Lord, I seek my brethren; hast thou not heard where they are
feeding? and the angel of the Lord said unto Joseph, I saw thy brethren
feeding here, and I heard them say they would go to feed in Dothan.
23 And Joseph hearkened to the
voice of the angel of the Lord, and he went to his brethren in Dothan and he
found them in Dothan feeding the flock.
24 And Joseph advanced to his
brethren, and before he had come nigh unto them, they had resolved to slay
him.
25 And Simeon said to his
brethren, Behold the man of dreams is coming unto us this day, and now
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therefore come and let us kill
him and cast him in one of the pits that are in the wilderness, and when his
father shall seek him from us, we will say an evil beast has devoured him.
26 And Reuben heard the words of
his brethren concerning Joseph, and he said unto them, You should not do this
thing, for how can we look up to our father Jacob? Cast him into this pit to
die there, but stretch not forth a hand upon him to spill his blood; and
Reuben said this in order to deliver him from their hand, to bring him back
to his father.
27 And when Joseph came to his
brethren he sat before them, and they rose upon him and seized him and smote
him to the earth, and stripped the coat of many colors which he had on.
28 And they took him and cast
him into a pit, and in the pit there was no water, but serpents and
scorpions. And Joseph was afraid of the serpents and scorpions that were in
the pit. And Joseph cried out with a loud voice, and the Lord hid the
serpents and scorpions in the sides of the pit, and they did no harm unto
Joseph.
29 And Joseph called out from
the pit to his brethren, and said unto them, What have I done unto you, and
in what have I sinned? why do you not fear the Lord concerning me? am I not
of your bones and flesh, and is not Jacob your father, my father? why do you
do this thing unto me this day, and how will you be able to look up to our
father Jacob?
30 And he continued to cry out
and call unto his brethren from the pit, and he said, O Judah, Simeon, and
Levi, my brethren, lift me up from the place of darkness in which you have
placed me, and come this day to have compassion on me, ye children of the
Lord, and sons of Jacob my father. And if I have sinned unto you, are you not
the sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? if they saw an orphan they had
compassion over him, or one that was hungry, they gave him bread to eat, or
one that was thirsty, they gave him water to drink, or one that was naked,
they covered him with garments!
31 And how then will you
withhold your pity from your brother, for I am of your flesh and bones, and
if I have sinned unto you, surely you will do this on account of my father!
32 And Joseph spoke these words
from the pit, and his brethren could not listen to him, nor incline their
ears to the words of Joseph, and Joseph was crying and weeping in the pit.
33 And Joseph said, O that my
father knew, this day, the act which my brothers have done unto me, and the
words which they have this day spoken unto me.
34 And all his brethren heard
his cries and weeping in the pit, and his brethren went and removed
themselves from the pit, so that they might not hear the cries of Joseph and
his weeping in the pit.
CHAPTER 42
1 And they went and sat on the
opposite side, about the distance of a bow-shot, and they sat there to eat
bread, and whilst they were eating, they held counsel together what was to be
done with him, whether to slay him or to bring him back to his father.
2 They were holding the counsel,
when they lifted up their eyes, and saw, and behold there was a company of
Ishmaelites coming at a distance by the road of Gilead, going down to Egypt.
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3 And Judah said unto them, What
gain will it be to us if we slay our brother? peradventure God will require
him from us; this then is the counsel proposed concerning him, which you
shall do unto him: Behold this company of Ishmaelites going down to Egypt,
4 Now therefore, come let us
dispose of him to them, and let not our hand be upon him, and they will lead
him along with them, and he will be lost amongst the people of the land, and
we will not put him to death with our own hands. And the proposal pleased his
brethren and they did according to the word of Judah.
5 And whilst they were
discoursing about this matter, and before the company of Ishmaelites had come
up to them, seven trading men of Midian passed by them, and as they passed
they were thirsty, and they lifted up their eyes and saw the pit in which
Joseph was immured, and they looked, and behold every species of bird was
upon him.
6 And these Midianites ran to
the pit to drink water, for they thought that it contained water, and on
coming before the pit they heard the voice of Joseph crying and weeping in
the pit, and they looked down into the pit, and they saw and behold there was
a youth of comely appearance and well favored.
7 And they called unto him and
said, Who art thou and who brought thee hither, and who placed thee in this
pit, in the wilderness? and they all assisted to raise up Joseph and they
drew him out, and brought him up from the pit, and took him and went away on
their journey and passed by his brethren.
8 And these said unto them, Why
do you do this, to take our servant from us and to go away? surely we placed
this youth in the pit because he rebelled against us, and you come and bring
him up and lead him away; now then give us back our servant.
9 And the Midianites answered
and said unto the sons of Jacob, Is this your servant, or does this man
attend you? peradventure you are all his servants, for he is more comely and
well favored than any of you, and why do you all speak falsely unto us?
10 Now therefore we will not
listen to your words, nor attend to you, for we found the youth in the pit in
the wilderness, and we took him; we will therefore go on.
11 And all the sons of Jacob
approached them and rose up to them and said unto them, Give us back our
servant, and why will you all die by the edge of the sword? And the
Midianites cried out against them, and they drew their swords, and approached
to fight with the sons of Jacob.
12 And behold Simeon rose up
from his seat against them, and sprang upon the ground and drew his sword and
approached the Midianites and he gave a terrible shout before them, so that
his shouting was heard at a distance, and the earth shook at Simeon's
shouting.
13 And the Midianites were
terrified on account of Simeon and the noise of his shouting, and they fell
upon their faces, and were excessively alarmed.
14 And Simeon said unto them,
Verily I am Simeon, the son of Jacob the Hebrew, who have, only with my
brother, destroyed the city of Shechem and the cities of the Amorites; so
shall God moreover do unto me, that if all your brethren the people of
Midian, and also the kings of Canaan, were to come with you, they could not
fight against me.
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15 Now therefore give us back
the youth whom you have taken, lest I give your flesh to the birds of the
skies and the beasts of the earth.
16 And the Midianites were more
afraid of Simeon, and they approached the sons of Jacob with terror and
fright, and with pathetic words, saying,
17 Surely you have said that the
young man is your servant, and that he rebelled against you, and therefore
you placed him in the pit; what then will you do with a servant who rebels
against his master? Now therefore sell him unto us, and we will give you all
that you require for him; and the Lord was pleased to do this in order that
the sons of Jacob should not slay their brother.
18 And the Midianites saw that
Joseph was of a comely appearance and well-favored; they desired him in their
hearts and were urgent to purchase him from his brethren.
19 And the sons of Jacob
hearkened to the Midianites and they sold their brother Joseph to them for
twenty pieces of silver, and Reuben their brother was not with them, and the
Midianites took Joseph and continued their journey to Gilead.
20 They were going along the
road, and the Midianites repented of what they had done, in having purchased
the young man, and one said to the other, What is this thing that we have
done, in taking this youth from the Hebrews, who is of comely appearance and
well favored.
21 Perhaps this youth is stolen
from the land of the Hebrews, and why then have we done this thing? and if he
should be sought for and found in our hands we shall die through him.
22 Now surely hardy and powerful
men have sold him to us, the strength of one of whom you saw this day;
perhaps they stole him from his land with their might and with their powerful
arm, and have therefore sold him to us for the small value which we gave unto
them.
23 And whilst they were thus
discoursing together, they looked, and behold the company of Ishmaelites
which was coming at first, and which the sons of Jacob saw, was advancing
toward the Midianites, and the Midianites said to each other, Come let us
sell this youth to the company of Ishmaelites who are coming toward us, and
we will take for him the little that we gave for him, and we will be
delivered from his evil.
24 And they did so, and they
reached the Ishmaelites, and the Midianites sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites
for twenty pieces of silver which they had given for him to his brethren.
25 And the Midianites went on
their road to Gilead, and the Ishmaelites took Joseph and they let him ride
upon one of the camels, and they were leading him to Egypt.
26 And Joseph heard that the
Ishmaelites were proceeding to Egypt, and Joseph lamented and wept at this
thing that he was to be so far removed from the land of Canaan, from his
father, and he wept bitterly whilst he was riding upon the camel, and one of
their men observed him, and made him go down from the camel and walk on foot,
and notwithstanding this Joseph continued to cry and weep, and he said, O my
father, my father.
27 And one of the Ishmaelites
rose up and smote Joseph upon the cheek, and still he continued to weep; and
Joseph was fatigued in the
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road, and was unable to proceed
on account of the bitterness of his soul, and they all smote him and
afflicted him in the road, and they terrified him in order that he might
cease from weeping.
28 And the Lord saw the ambition
of Joseph and his trouble, and the Lord brought down upon those men darkness
and confusion, and the hand of every one that smote him became withered.
29 And they said to each other,
What is this thing that God has done to us in the road? and they knew not
that this befell them on account of Joseph. And the men proceeded on the
road, and they passed along the road of Ephrath where Rachel was buried.
30 And Joseph reached his
mother's grave, and Joseph hastened and ran to his mother's grave, and fell
upon the grave and wept.
31 And Joseph cried aloud upon
his mother's grave, and he said, O my mother, my mother, O thou who didst
give me birth, awake now, and rise and see thy son, how he has been sold for
a slave, and no one to pity him.
32 O rise and see thy son, weep
with me on account of my troubles, and see the heart of my brethren.
33 Arouse my mother, arouse,
awake from thy sleep for me, and direct thy battles against my brethren. O
how have they stripped me of my coat, and sold me already twice for a slave,
and separated me from my father, and there is no one to pity me.
34 Arouse and lay thy cause
against them before God, and see whom God will justify in the judgment, and
whom he will condemn.
35 Rise, O my mother, rise,
awake from thy sleep and see my father how his soul is with me this day, and
comfort him and ease his heart.
36 And Joseph continued to speak
these words, and Joseph cried aloud and wept bitterly upon his mother's
grave; and he ceased speaking, and from bitterness of heart he became still
as a stone upon the grave.
37 And Joseph heard a voice
speaking to him from beneath the ground, which answered him with bitterness
of heart, and with a voice of weeping and praying in these words:
38 My son, my son Joseph, I have
heard the voice of thy weeping and the voice of thy lamentation; I have seen
thy tears; I know thy troubles, my son, and it grieves me for thy sake, and
abundant grief is added to my grief.
39 Now therefore my son, Joseph
my son, hope to the Lord, and wait for him and do not fear, for the Lord is
with thee, he will deliver thee from all trouble.
40 Rise my son, go down unto
Egypt with thy masters, and do not fear, for the Lord is with thee, my son.
And she continued to speak like unto these words unto Joseph, and she was
still.
41 And Joseph heard this, and he
wondered greatly at this, and he continued to weep; and after this one of the
Ishmaelites observed him crying and weeping upon the grave, and his anger was
kindled against him, and he drove him from there, and he smote him and cursed
him.
42 And Joseph said unto the men,
May I find grace in your sight to take me back to my father's house, and he
will give you abundance of riches.
43 And they answered him,
saying, Art thou not a slave, and where is thy father? and if thou hadst a
father thou wouldst not already twice have been sold for a slave for so
little value; and their anger was still roused against him, and they
continued to smite him and to chastise him, and Joseph wept bitterly.
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44 And the Lord saw Joseph's
affliction, and Lord again smote these men, and chastised them, and the Lord
caused darkness to envelope them upon the earth, and the lightning flashed
and the thunder roared, and the earth shook at the voice of the thunder and
of the mighty wind, and the men were terrified and knew not where they should
go.
45 And the beasts and camels
stood still, and they led them, but they would not go, they smote them, and
they crouched upon the ground; and the men said to each other, What is this
that God has done to us? what are our transgressions, and what are our sins
that this thing has thus befallen us?
46 And one of them answered and
said unto them, Perhaps on account of the sin of afflicting this slave has
this thing happened this day to us; now therefore implore him strongly to
forgive us, and then we shall know on whose account this evil befalleth us,
and if God shall have compassion over us, then we shall know that all this
cometh to us on account of the sin of afflicting this slave.
47 And the men did so, and they
supplicated Joseph and pressed him to forgive them; and they said, We have
sinned to the Lord and to thee, now therefore vouchsafe to request of thy God
that he shall put away this death from amongst us, for we have sinned to him.
48 And Joseph did according to
their words, and the Lord hearkened to Joseph, and the Lord put away the
plague which he had inflicted upon those men on account of Joseph, and the
beasts rose up from the ground and they conducted them, and they went on, and
the raging storm abated and the earth became tranquilized, and the men
proceeded on their journey to go down to Egypt, and the men knew that this
evil had befallen them on account of Joseph.
49 And they said to each other,
Behold we know that it was on account of his affliction that this evil befell
us; now therefore why shall we bring this death upon our souls? Let us hold
counsel what to do to this slave.
50 And one answered and said,
Surely he told us to bring him back to his father; now therefore come, let us
take him back and we will go to the place that he will tell us, and take from
his family the price that we gave for him and we will then go away.
51 And one answered again and
said, Behold this counsel is very good, but we cannot do so for the way is
very far from us, and we cannot go out of our road.
52 And one more answered and
said unto them, This is the counsel to be adopted, we will not swerve from
it; behold we are this day going to Egypt, and when we shall have come to
Egypt, we will sell him there at a high price, and we will be delivered from
his evil.
53 And this thing pleased the
men and they did so, and they continued their journey to Egypt with Joseph.
CHAPTER 43
1 And when the sons of Jacob had
sold their brother Joseph to the Midianites, their hearts were smitten on
account of him, and they repented of their acts, and they sought for him to
bring him back, but could not find him.
2 And Reuben returned to the pit
in which Joseph had been put, in order to lift him out, and restore him to
his father, and Reuben stood by the pit,
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and he heard not a word, and he
called out Joseph! Joseph! and no one answered or uttered a word.
3 And Reuben said, Joseph has
died through fright, or some serpent has caused his death; and Reuben
descended into the pit, and he searched for Joseph and could not find him in
the pit, and he came out again.
4 And Reuben tore his garments
and he said, The child is not there, and how shall I reconcile my father
about him if he be dead? and he went to his brethren and found them grieving
on account of Joseph, and counseling together how to reconcile their father
about him, and Reuben said unto his brethren, I came to the pit and behold
Joseph was not there, what then shall we say unto our father, for my father
will only seek the lad from me.
5 And his brethren answered him
saying, Thus and thus we did, and our hearts afterward smote us on account of
this act, and we now sit to seek a pretext how we shall reconcile our father
to it.
6 And Reuben said unto them,
What is this you have done to bring down the grey hairs of our father in
sorrow to the grave? the thing is not good, that you have done.
7 And Reuben sat with them, and
they all rose up and swore to each other not to tell this thing unto Jacob,
and they all said, The man who will tell this to our father or his household,
or who will report this to any of the children of the land, we will all rise
up against him and slay him with the sword.
8 And the sons of Jacob feared
each other in this matter, from the youngest to the oldest, and no one spoke
a word, and they concealed the thing in their hearts.
9 And they afterward sat down to
determine and invent something to say unto their father Jacob concerning all
these things.
10 And Issachar said unto them,
Here is an advice for you if it seem good in your eyes to do this thing, take
the coat which belongeth to Joseph and tear it, and kill a kid of the goats
and dip it in its blood.
11 And send it to our father and
when he seeth it he will say an evil beast has devoured him, therefore tear
ye his coat and behold his blood will be upon his coat, and by your doing
this we shall be free of our father's murmurings.
12 And Issachar's advice pleased
them, and they hearkened unto him and they did according to the word of
Issachar which he had counselled them.
13 And they hastened and took
Joseph's coat and tore it, and they killed a kid of the goats and dipped the
coat in the blood of the kid, and then trampled it in the dust, and they sent
the coat to their father Jacob by the hand of Naphtali, and they commanded
him to say these words:
14 We had gathered in the cattle
and had come as far as the road to Shechem and farther, when we found this
coat upon the road in the wilderness dipped in blood and in dust; now
therefore know whether it be thy son's coat or not.
15 And Naphtali went and he came
unto his father and he gave him the coat, and he spoke unto him all the words
which his brethren had commanded him.
16 And Jacob saw Joseph's coat
and he knew it and he fell upon his face to the ground, and became as still
as a stone, and he afterward rose up and cried out with a loud and weeping
voice and he said, It is the coat of my son Joseph!
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17 And Jacob hastened and sent
one of his servants to his sons, who went to them and found them coming along
the road with the flock.
18 And the sons of Jacob came to
their father about evening, and behold their garments were torn and dust was
upon their heads, and they found their father crying out and weeping with a
loud voice.
19 And Jacob said unto his sons,
Tell me truly what evil have you this day suddenly brought upon me? and they
answered their father Jacob, saying, We were coming along this day after the
flock had been gathered in, and we came as far as the city of Shechem by the
road in the wilderness, and we found this coat filled with blood upon the
ground, and we knew it and we sent unto thee if thou couldst know it.
20 And Jacob heard the words of
his sons and he cried out with a loud voice, and he said, It is the coat of
my son, an evil beast has devoured him; Joseph is rent in pieces, for I sent
him this day to see whether it was well with you and well with the flocks and
to bring me word again from you, and he went as I commanded him, and this has
happened to him this day whilst I thought my son was with you.
21 And the sons of Jacob
answered and said, He did not come to us, neither have we seen him from the
time of our going out from thee until now.
22 And when Jacob heard their
words he again cried out aloud, and he rose up and tore his garments, and he
put sackcloth upon his loins, and he wept bitterly and he mourned and lifted
up his voice in weeping and exclaimed and said these words,
23 Joseph my son, O my son
Joseph, I sent thee this day after the welfare of thy brethren, and behold
thou hast been torn in pieces; through my hand has this happened to my son.
24 It grieves me for thee Joseph
my son, it grieves me for thee; how sweet wast thou to me during life, and
now how exceedingly bitter is thy death to me.
25 0 that I had died in thy
stead Joseph my son, for it grieves me sadly for thee my son, O my son, my
son. Joseph my son, where art thou, and where hast thou been drawn? arouse,
arouse from thy place, and come and see my grief for thee, O my son Joseph.
26 Come now and number the tears
gushing from my eyes down my cheeks, and bring them up before the Lord, that
his anger may turn from me.
27 0 Joseph my son, how didst
thou fall, by the hand of one by whom no one had fallen from the beginning of
the world unto this day; for thou hast been put to death by the smiting of an
enemy, inflicted with cruelty, but surely I know that this has happened to
thee, on account of the multitude of my sins.
28 Arouse now and see how bitter
is my trouble for thee my son, although I did not rear thee, nor fashion
thee, nor give thee breath and soul, but it was God who formed thee and built
thy bones and covered them with flesh, and breathed in thy nostrils the
breath of life, and then he gave thee unto me.
29 Now truly God who gave thee
unto me, he has taken thee from me, and such then has befallen thee
30 And Jacob continued to speak
like unto these words concerning Joseph, and he wept bitterly; he fell to the
ground and became still.
31 And all the sons of Jacob
seeing their father's trouble, they repented of what they had done, and they
also wept bitterly.
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32 And Judah rose up and lifted
his father's head from the ground, and placed it upon his lap, and he wiped
his father's tears from his cheeks, and Judah wept an exceeding great
weeping, whilst his father's head was reclining upon his lap, still as a
stone.
33 And the sons of Jacob saw
their father's trouble, and they lifted up their voices and continued to
weep, and Jacob was yet lying upon the ground still as a stone.
34 And all his sons and his
servants and his servant's children rose up and stood round him to comfort
him, and he refused to be comforted.
35 And the whole household of
Jacob rose up and mourned a great mourning on account of Joseph and their
father's trouble, and the intelligence reached Isaac, the son of Abraham, the
father of Jacob, and he wept bitterly on account of Joseph, he and all his
household, and he went from the place where he dwelt in Hebron, and his men
with him, and he comforted Jacob his son, and he refused to be comforted.
36 And after this, Jacob rose up
from the ground, and his tears were running down his cheeks, and he said unto
his sons, Rise up and take your swords and your bows, and go forth into the
field, and seek whether you can find my son's body and bring it unto me that
I may bury it.
37 Seek also, I pray you, among
the beasts and hunt them, and that which shall come the first before you
seize and bring it unto me, perhaps the Lord will this day pity my affliction,
and prepare before you that which did tear my son in pieces, and bring it
unto me, and I will avenge the cause of my son.
38 And his sons did as their
father had commanded them, and they rose up early in the morning, and each
took his sword and his bow in his hand, and they went forth into the field to
hunt the beasts.
39 And Jacob was still crying
aloud and weeping and walking to and fro in the house, and smiting his hands
together, saying, Joseph my son, Joseph my son.
40 And the sons of Jacob went
into the wilderness to seize the beasts, and behold a wolf came toward them,
and they seized him, and brought him unto their father, and they said unto
him, This is the first we have found, and we have brought him unto thee as
thou didst command us, and thy son's body we could not find.
41 And Jacob took the beast from
the hands of his sons, and he cried out with a loud and weeping voice,
holding the beast in his hand, and he spoke with a bitter heart unto the
beast, Why didst thou devour my son Joseph, and how didst thou have no fear
of the God of the earth, or of my trouble for my son Joseph?
42 And thou didst devour my son
for naught, because he committed no violence, and didst thereby render me
culpable on his account, therefore God will require him that is persecuted.
43 And the Lord opened the mouth
of the beast in order to comfort Jacob with its words, and it answered Jacob
and spoke these words unto him,
44 As God liveth who created us
in the earth, and as thy soul liveth, my lord, I did not see thy son, neither
did I tear him to pieces, but from a distant land I also came to seek my son
who went from me this day, and I know not whether he be living or dead.
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45 And I came this day into the
field to seek my son, and your sons found me, and seized me and increased my
grief, and have this day brought me before thee, and I have now spoken all my
words to thee.
46 And now therefore, O son of
man, I am in thy hands, and do unto me this day as it may seem good in thy
sight, but by the life of God who created me, I did not see thy son, nor did
I tear him to pieces, neither has the flesh of man entered my mouth all the
days of my life.
47 And when Jacob heard the
words of the beast he was greatly astonished, and sent forth the beast from
his hand, and she went her way.
48 And Jacob was still crying
aloud and weeping for Joseph day after day, and he mourned for his son many
days.
CHAPTER 44
1 And the sons of Ishmael who
had bought Joseph from the Midianites, who had bought him from his brethren,
went to Egypt with Joseph, and they came upon the borders of Egypt, and when
they came near unto Egypt, they met four men of the sons of Medan the son of
Abraham, who had gone forth from the land of Egypt on their journey.
2 And the Ishmaelites said unto
them, Do you desire to purchase this slave from us? and they said, Deliver
him over to us, and they delivered Joseph over to them, and they beheld him,
that he was a very comely youth and they purchased him for twenty shekels.
3 And the Ishmaelites continued
their journey to Egypt and the Medanim also returned that day to Egypt, and
the Medanim said to each other, Behold we have heard that Potiphar, an
officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, seeketh a good servant who shall
stand before him to attend him, and to make him overseer over his house and
all belonging to him.
4 Now therefore come let us sell
him to him for what we may desire, if he be able to give unto us that which
we shall require for him.
5 And these Medanim went and
came to the house of Potiphar, and said unto him, We have heard that thou
seekest a good servant to attend thee, behold we have a servant that will
please thee, if thou canst give unto us that which we may desire, and we will
sell him unto thee.
6 And Potiphar said, Bring him
before me, and I will see him, and if he please me I will give unto you that
which you may require for him.
7 And the Medanim went and
brought Joseph and placed him before Potiphar, and he saw him, and he pleased
him exceedingly, and Potiphar said unto them, Tell me what you require for
this youth?
8 And they said, Four hundred
pieces of silver we desire for him, and Potiphar said, I will give it you if
you bring me the record of his sale to you, and will tell me his history, for
perhaps he may be stolen, for this youth is neither a slave, nor the son of a
slave, but I observe in him the appearance of a goodly and handsome person.
9 And the Medanim went and
brought unto him the Ishmaelites who had sold him to them, and they told him,
saying, He is a slave and we sold him to them.
10 And Potiphar heard the words
of the Ishmaelites in his giving the silver unto the Medanim, and the Medanim
took the silver and went on their journey, and the Ishmaelites also returned
home.
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11 And Potiphar took Joseph and
brought him to his house that he might serve him, and Joseph found favor in
the sight of Potiphar, and he placed confidence in him, and made him overseer
over his house, and all that belonged to him he delivered over into his hand.
12 And the Lord was with Joseph
and he became a prosperous man, and the Lord blessed the house of Potiphar
for the sake of Joseph.
13 And Potiphar left all that he
had in the hand of Joseph, and Joseph was one that caused things to come in
and go out, and everything was regulated by his wish in the house of
Potiphar.
14 And Joseph was eighteen years
old, a youth with beautiful eyes and of comely appearance, and like unto him
was not in the whole land of Egypt.
15 At that time whilst he was in
his master's house, going in and out of the house and attending his master,
Zelicah, his master's wife, lifted up her eyes toward Joseph and she looked
at him, and behold he was a youth comely and well favored.
16 And she coveted his beauty in
her heart, and her soul was fixed upon Joseph, and she enticed him day after
day, and Zelicah persuaded Joseph daily, but Joseph did not lift up his eyes
to behold his master's wife.
17 And Zelicah said unto him,
How goodly are thy appearance and form, truly I have looked at all the
slaves, and have not seen so beautiful a slave as thou art; and Joseph said
unto her, Surely he who created me in my mother's womb created all mankind.
18 And she said unto him, How
beautiful are thine eyes, with which thou hast dazzled all the inhabitants of
Egypt, men and women; and he said unto her, How beautiful they are whilst we
are alive, but shouldst thou behold them in the grave, surely thou wouldst
move away from them.
19 And she said unto him, How beautiful
and pleasing are all thy words; take now, I pray thee, the harp which is in
the house, and play with thy hands and let us hear thy words.
20 And he said unto her, How
beautiful and pleasing are my words when I speak the praise of my God and his
glory; and she said unto him, How very beautiful is the hair of thy head,
behold the golden comb which is in the house, take it I pray thee, and curl
the hair of thy head.
21 And he said unto her, How
long wilt thou speak these words? cease to utter these words to me, and rise
and attend to thy domestic affairs.
22 And she said unto him, There
is no one in my house, and there is nothing to attend to but to thy words and
to thy wish; yet notwithstanding all this, she could not bring Joseph unto
her, neither did he place his eye upon her, but directed his eyes below to
the ground.
23 And Zelicah desired Joseph in
her heart, that he should lie with her, and at the time that Joseph was
sitting in the house doing his work, Zelicah came and sat before him, and she
enticed him daily with her discourse to lie with her, or ever to look at her,
but Joseph would not hearken to her.
24 And she said unto him, If
thou wilt not do according to my words, I will chastise thee with the
punishment of death, and put an iron yoke upon thee.
25 And Joseph said unto her,
Surely God who created man looseth the fetters of prisoners, and it is he who
will deliver me from thy prison and from thy judgment.
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26 And when she could not
prevail over him, to persuade him, and her soul being still fixed upon him,
her desire threw her into a grievous sickness.
27 And all the women of Egypt
came to visit her, and they said unto her, Why art thou in this declining
state? thou that lackest nothing; surely thy husband is a great and esteemed
prince in the sight of the king, shouldst thou lack anything of what thy
heart desireth?
28 And Zelicah answered them,
saying, This day it shall be made known to you, whence this disorder springs
in which you see me, and she commanded her maid servants to prepare food for
all the women, and she made a banquet for them, and all the women ate in the
house of Zelicah.
29 And she gave them knives to
peel the citrons to eat them, and she commanded that they should dress Joseph
in costly garments, and that he should appear before them, and Joseph came
before their eyes and all the women looked on Joseph, and could not take
their eyes from off him, and they all cut their hands with the knives that
they had in their hands, and all the citrons that were in their hands were
filled with blood.
30 And they knew not what they
had done but they continued to look at the beauty of Joseph, and did not turn
their eyelids from him.
31 And Zelicah saw what they had
done, and she said unto them, What is this work that you have done? behold I
gave you citrons to eat and you have all cut your hands.
32 And all the women saw their
hands, and behold they were full of blood, and their blood flowed down upon
their garments, and they said unto her, this slave in your house has overcome
us, and we could not turn our eyelids from him on account of his beauty.
33 And she said unto them,
Surely this happened to you in the moment that you looked at him, and you
could not contain yourselves from him; how then can I refrain when he is
constantly in my house, and I see him day after day going in and out of my
house? how then can I keep from declining or even from perishing on account
of this?
34 And they said unto her, the
words are true, for who can see this beautiful form in the house and refrain
from him, and is he not thy slave and attendant in thy house, and why dost
thou not tell him that which is in thy heart, and sufferest thy soul to
perish through this matter?
35 And she said unto them, I am
daily endeavoring to persuade him, and he will not consent to my wishes, and
I promised him everything that is good, and yet I could meet with no return
from him; I am therefore in a declining state as you see.
36 And Zelicah became very ill
on account of her desire toward Joseph, and she was desperately lovesick on
account of him, and all the people of the house of Zelicah and her husband
knew nothing of this matter, that Zelicah was ill on account of her love to
Joseph.
37 And all the people of her
house asked her, saying, Why art thou ill and declining, and lackest nothing?
and she said unto them, I know not this thing which is daily increasing upon
me.
38 And all the women and her
friends came daily to see her, and they spoke with her, and she said unto
them, This can only be through the love of Joseph; and they said unto her,
Entice him and seize him secretly, perhaps he may hearken to thee, and put
off this death from thee.
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39 And Zelicah became worse from
her love to Joseph, and she continued to decline, till she had scarce strength
to stand.
40 And on a certain day Joseph
was doing his master's work in the house, and Zelicah came secretly and fell
suddenly upon him, and Joseph rose up against her, and he was more powerful
than she, and he brought her down to the ground.
41 And Zelicah wept on account
of the desire of her heart toward him, and she supplicated him with weeping,
and her tears flowed down her cheeks, and she spoke unto him in a voice of
supplication and in bitterness of soul, saying,
42 Hast thou ever heard, seen or
known of so beautiful a woman as I am, or better than myself, who speak daily
unto thee, fall into a decline through love for thee, confer all this honor
upon thee, and still thou wilt not hearken to my voice?
43 And if it be through fear of
thy master lest he punish thee, as the king liveth no harm shall come to thee
from thy master through this thing; now, therefore pray listen to me, and
consent for the sake of the honor which I have conferred upon thee, and put
off this death from me, and why should I die for thy sake? and she ceased to
speak.
44 And Joseph answered her,
saying, Refrain from me, and leave this matter to my master; behold my master
knoweth not what there is with me in the house, for all that belongeth to him
he has delivered into my hand, and how shall I do these things in my master's
house?
45 For he hath also greatly
honored me in his house, and he hath also made me overseer over his house,
and he hath exalted me, and there is no one greater in this house than I am,
and my master hath refrained nothing from me, excepting thee who art his
wife, how then canst thou speak these words unto me, and how can I do this
great evil and sin to God and to thy husband?
46 Now therefore refrain from
me, and speak no more such words as these, for I will not hearken to thy
words. But Zelicah would not hearken to Joseph when he spoke these words unto
her, but she daily enticed him to listen to her.
47 And it was after this that
the brook of Egypt was filled above all its sides, and all the inhabitants of
Egypt went forth, and also the king and princes went forth with timbrels and
dances, for it was a great rejoicing in Egypt, and a holiday at the time of
the inundation of the sea Sihor, and they went there to rejoice all the day.
48 And when the Egyptians went
out to the river to rejoice, as was their custom, all the people of the house
of Potiphar went with them, but Zelicah would not go with them, for she said,
I am indisposed, and she remained alone in the house, and no other person was
with her in the house.
49 And she rose up and ascended
to her temple in the house, and dressed herself in princely garments, and she
placed upon her head precious stones of onyx stones, inlaid with silver and
gold, and she beautified her face and skin with all sorts of women's
purifying liquids, and she perfumed the temple and the house with cassia and
frankincense, and she spread myrrh and aloes, and she afterward sat in the
entrance of the temple, in the passage of the house, through which
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Joseph passed to do his work,
and behold Joseph came from the field, and entered the house to do his
master's work.
50 And he came to the place
through which he had to pass, and he saw all the work of Zelicah, and he
turned back.
51 And Zelicah saw Joseph
turning back from her, and she called out to him, saying What aileth thee
Joseph? come to thy work, and behold I will make room for thee until thou
shalt have passed to thy seat.
52 And Joseph returned and came
to the house, and passed from thence to the place of his seat, and he sat
down to do his master's work as usual and behold Zelicah came to him and
stood before him in princely garments, and the scent from her clothes was
spread to a distance.
53 And she hastened and caught
hold of Joseph and his garments, and she said unto him, As the king liveth if
thou wilt not perform my request thou shalt die this day, and she hastened
and stretched forth her other hand and drew a sword from beneath her
garments, and she placed it upon Joseph's neck, and she said, Rise and perform
my request, and if not thou diest this day.
54 And Joseph was afraid of her
at her doing this thing, and he rose up to flee from her, and she seized the
front of his garments, and in the terror of his flight the garment which
Zelicah seized was torn, and Joseph left the garment in the hand of Zelicah,
and he fled and got out, for he was in fear.
55 And when Zelicah saw that
Joseph's garment was torn, and that he had left it in her hand, and had fled,
she was afraid of her life, lest the report should spread concerning her, and
she rose up and acted with cunning, and put off the garments in which she was
dressed, and she put on her other garments.
56 And she took Joseph's
garment, and she laid it beside her, and she went and seated herself in the place
where she had sat in her illness, before the people of her house had gone out
to the river, and she called a young lad who was then in the house, and she
ordered him to call the people of the house to her.
57 And when she saw them she
said unto them with a loud voice and lamentation, See what a Hebrew your
master has brought to me in the house, for he came this day to lie with me.
58 For when you had gone out he
came to the house, and seeing that there was no person in the house, he came
unto me, and caught hold of me, with intent to lie with me.
59 And I seized his garments and
tore them and called out against him with a loud voice, and when I had lifted
up my voice he was afraid of his life and left his garment before me, and
fled.
60 And the people of her house
spoke nothing, but their wrath was very much kindled against Joseph, and they
went to his master and told him the words of his wile.
61 And Potiphar came home
enraged, and his wife cried out to him, saying, What is this thing that thou
hast done unto me in bringing a He. brew servant into my house, for he came
unto me this day to sport with me; thus did he do unto me this day.
62 And Potiphar heard the words
of his wife, and he ordered Joseph to be punished with severe stripes, and
they did so to him.
63 And whilst they were smiting
him, Joseph called out with a loud voice, and he lifted up his eyes to
heaven, and he said, O Lord God,
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thou knowest that I am innocent
of all these things, and why shall I die this day through falsehood, by the hand
of these uncircumcised wicked men, whom thou knowest?
64 And whilst Potiphar's men
were beating Joseph, he continued to cry out and weep, and there was a child
there eleven months old, and the Lord opened the mouth of the child, and he
spake these words before Potiphar's men, who were smiting Joseph, saying,
65 What do you want of this man,
and why do you do this evil unto him? my mother speaketh falsely and uttereth
lies; thus was the transaction.
66 And the child told them
accurately all that happened, and all the words of Zelicah to Joseph day
after day did he declare unto them.
67 And all the men heard the
words of the child and they wondered greatly at the child's words, and the
child ceased to speak and became still.
68 And Potiphar was very much ashamed
at the words of his son, and he commanded his men not to beat Joseph any
more, and the men ceased beating Joseph.
69 And Potiphar took Joseph and
ordered him to be brought to justice before the priests, who were judges
belonging to the king, in order to judge him concerning this affair.
70 And Potiphar and Joseph came
before the priests who were the king's judges, and he said unto them, Decide
I pray you, what judgment is due to a servant, for thus has he done.
71 And the priests said unto
Joseph, Why didst thou do this thing to thy master? and Joseph answered them,
saying, Not so my lords, thus was the matter; and Potiphar said unto Joseph,
Surely I entrusted in thy hands all that belonged to me, and I withheld
nothing from thee but my wife, and how couldst thou do this evil?
72 And Joseph answered saying,
Not so my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, my lord, the word
which thou didst hear from thy wife is untrue, for thus was the affair this
day.
73 A year has elapsed to me
since I have been in thy house; hast thou seen any iniquity in me, or any
thing which might cause thee to demand my life?
74 And the priests said unto
Potiphar, Send, we pray thee, and let them bring before us Joseph's torn
garment, and let us see the tear in it, and if it shall be that the tear is
in front of the garment, then his face must have been opposite to her and she
must have caught hold of him, to come to her, and with deceit did thy wife do
all that she has spoken.
75 And they brought Joseph's
garment before the priests who were judges, and they saw and behold the tear
was in front of Joseph, and all the judging priests knew that she had pressed
him, and they said, The judgment of death is not due to this slave for he has
done nothing, but his judgment is, that he be placed in the prison house on
account of the report, which through him has gone forth against thy wife.
76 And Potiphar heard their
words, and he placed him in the prison house, the place where the king's
prisoners are confined, and Joseph was in the house of confinement twelve
years.
77 And notwithstanding this, his
master's wife did not turn from him, and she did not cease from speaking to
him day after day to hearken to her, and at the end of three months Zelicah
continued going to Joseph to the house of confinement day by day, and she
enticed him to hearken to her, and
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Zelicah said unto Joseph, How
long wilt thou remain in this house? but hearken now to my voice, and I will
bring thee out of this house.
78 And Joseph answered her,
saying, It is better for me to remain in this house than to hearken to thy
words, to sin against God; and she said unto him, If thou wilt not perform my
wish, I will pluck out thine eyes, add fetters to thy feet, and will deliver
thee into the hands of them whom thou didst not know before.
79 And Joseph answered her and
said, Behold the God of the whole earth is able to deliver me from all that
thou canst do unto me, for he openeth the eyes of the blind, and looseth
those that are bound, and preserveth all strangers who are unacquainted with
the land.
80 And when Zelicah was unable
to persuade Joseph to hearken to her, she left off going to entice him; and
Joseph was still confined in the house of confinement. And Jacob the father
of Joseph, and all his brethren who were in the land of Canaan still mourned
and wept in those days on account of Joseph, for Jacob refused to be
comforted for his son Joseph, and Jacob cried aloud, and wept and mourned all
those days.
CHAPTER 45
1 And it was at that time in
that year, which is the year of Joseph's going down to Egypt after his
brothers had sold him, that Reuben the son of Jacob went to Timnah and took
unto him for a wife Eliuram, the daughter of Avi the Canaanite, and he came
to her.
2 And Eliuram the wife of Reuben
conceived and bare him Hanoch, Palu, Chetzron and Carmi, four sons; and
Simeon his brother took his sister Dinah for a wife, and she bare unto him
Memuel, Yamin, Ohad, Jachin and Zochar, five sons.
3 And he afterward came to Bunah
the Canaanitish woman, the same is Bunah whom Simeon took captive from the
city of Shechem, and Bunah was before Dinah and attended upon her, and Simeon
came to her, and she bare unto him Saul.
4 And Judah went at that time to
Adulam, and he came to a man of Adulam, and his name was Hirah, and Judah saw
there the daughter of a man from Canaan, and her name was Aliyath, the
daughter of Shua, and he took her, and came to her, and Aliyath bare unto
Judah, Er, Onan and Shiloh; three sons.
5 And Levi and Issachar went to
the land of the east, and they took unto themselves for wives the daughters
of Jobab the son of Yoktan, the son of Eber; and Jobab the son of Yoktan had
two daughters; the name of the elder was Adinah, and the name of the younger
was Aridah.
6 And Levi took Adinah, and
Issachar took Aridah, and they came to the land of Canaan, to their father's
house, and Adinah bare unto Levi, Gershon, Kehath and Merari; three sons.
7 And Aridah bare unto Issachar
Tola, Puvah, Job and Shomron, four sons; and Dan went to the land of Moab and
took for a wife Aphlaleth, the daughter of Chamudan the Moabite, and he
brought her to the land of Canaan.
8 And Aphlaleth was barren, she
had no offspring, and God afterward remembered Aphlaleth the wife of Dan, and
she conceived and bare a son, and she called his name Chushim.
9 And Gad and Naphtali went to
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Haran and took from thence the
daughters of Amuram the son of Uz, the son of Nahor, for wives.
10 And these are the names of
the daughters of Amuram; the name of the elder was Merimah, and the name of
the younger Uzith; and Naphtali took Merimah, and Gad took Uzith; and brought
them to the land of Canaan, to their father's house.
11 And Merimah bare unto
Naphtali Yachzeel, Guni, Jazer and Shalem, four sons; and Uzith bare unto Gad
Zephion, Chagi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Arali, seven sons.
12 And Asher went forth and took
Adon the daughter of Aphlal, the son of Hadad, the son of Ishmael, for a
wife, and he brought her to the land of Canaan.
13 And Adon the wife of Asher
died in those days: she had no offspring; and it was after the death of Adon
that Asher went to the other side of the river and took for a wife Hadurah
the daughter of Abimael, the son of Eber, the son of Shem.
14 And the young woman was of a
comely appearance, and a woman of sense, and she had been the wife of Malkiel
the son of Elam, the son of Shem.
15 And Hadurah bare a daughter
unto Malkiel, and he called her name Serach, and Malkiel died after this, and
Hadurah went and remained in her father's house.
16 And after the death of the
wife at Asher he went and took Hadurah for a wife, and brought her to the
land of Canaan, and Serach her daughter he also brought with them, and she
was three years old, and the damsel was brought up in Jacob's house.
17 And the damsel was of a
comely appearance, and she went in the sanctified ways of the children of
Jacob; she lacked nothing, and the Lord gave her wisdom and understanding.
18 And Hadurah the wife of Asher
conceived and bare unto him Yimnah, Yishvah, Yishvi and Beriah; four sons.
19 And Zebulun went to Midian,
and took for a wife Merishah the daughter of Molad, the son of Abida, the son
of Midian, and brought her to the land of Canaan.
20 And Merushah bare unto
Zebulun Sered, Elon and Yachleel; three sons.
21 And Jacob sent to Aram, the
son of Zoba, the son of Terah, and he took for his son Benjamin Mechalia the
daughter of Aram, and she came to the land of Canaan to the house of Jacob;
and Benjamin was ten years old when he took Mechalia the daughter of Aram for
a wife.
22 And Mechalia conceived and
bare unto Benjamin Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera and Naaman, five sons; and
Benjamin went afterward and took for a wife Aribath, the daughter of Shomron,
the son of Abraham, in addition to his first wife, and he was eighteen years
old; and Aribath bare unto Benjamin Achi, Vosh, Mupim, Chupim, and Ord; five
sons.
23 And in those days Judah went
to the house of Shem and took Tamar the daughter of Elam, the son of Shem,
for a wife for his first born Er.
24 And Er came to his wife
Tamar, and she became his wife, and when he came to her he outwardly
destroyed his seed, and his work was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the
Lord slew him.
25 And it was after the death of
Er, Judah's first born, that Judah said unto Onan, go to thy brother's wife
and marry her as the next of kin, and raise up seed to thy brother.
26 And Onan took Tamar for a
wife
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and he came to her, and Onan
also did like unto the work of his brother, and his work was evil in the
sight of the Lord, and he slew him also.
27 And when Onan died, Judah
said unto Tamar, Remain in thy father's house until my son Shiloh shall have
grown up, and Judah did no more delight in Tamar, to give her unto Shiloh,
for he said, Peradventure he will also die like his brothers.
28 And Tamar rose up and went
and remained in her father's house, and Tamar was in her father's house for
some time.
29 And at the revolution of the
year, Aliyath the wife of Judah died; and Judah was comforted for his wife,
and after the death of Aliyath, Judah went up with his friend Hirah to Timnah
to shear their sheep.
30 And Tamar heard that Judah
had gone up to Timnah to shear the sheep, and that Shiloh was grown up, and
Judah did not delight in her.
31 And Tamar rose up and put off
the garments of her widowhood, and she put a vail upon her, and she entirely
covered herself, and she went and sat in the public thoroughfare, which is
upon the road to Timnah.
32 And Judah passed and saw her
and took her and he came to her, and she conceived by him, and at the time of
being delivered, behold, there were twins in her womb, and he called the name
of the first Perez, and the name of the second Zarah.
CHAPTER 46
1 In those days Joseph was still
confined in the prison house in the land of Egypt.
2 At that time the attendants of
Pharaoh were standing before him, the chief of the butlers and the chief of
the bakers which belonged to the king of Egypt.
3 And the butler took wine and
placed it before the king to drink, and the baker placed bread before the
king to eat, and the king drank of the wine and ate of the bread, he and his
servants and ministers that ate at the king's table.
4 And whilst they were eating
and drinking, the butler and the baker remained there, and Pharaoh's
ministers found many flies in the wine, which the butler had brought, and
stones of nitre were found in the baker's bread.
5 And the captain of the guard
placed Joseph as an attendant on Pharaoh's officers, and Pharaoh's officers
were in confinement one year.
6 And at the end of the year,
they both dreamed dreams in one night, in the place of confinement where they
were, and in the morning Joseph came to them to attend upon them as usual,
and he saw them, and behold their countenances were dejected and sad.
7 And Joseph asked them, Why are
your countenances sad and dejected this day? and they said unto him, We
dreamed a dream, and there is no one to interpret it; and Joseph said unto
them, Relate, I pray you, your dream unto me, and God shall give you an
answer of peace as you desire.
8 And the butler related his
dream unto Joseph, and he said, I saw in my dream, and behold a large vine
was before me, and upon that vine I saw three branches, and the vine speedily
blossomed and reached a great height, and its clusters were ripened and
became grapes.
9 And I took the grapes and
pressed them in a cup, and placed it in Pharaoh's hand and he drank; and
Joseph
137
said unto him, The three
branches that were upon the vine are three days.
10 Yet within three days, the
king will order thee to be brought out and he will restore thee to thy
office, and thou shalt give the king his wine to drink as at first when thou
wast his butler; but let me find favor in thy sight, that thou shalt remember
me to Pharaoh when it will be well with thee, and do kindness unto me, and
get me brought forth from this prison, for I was stolen away from the land of
Canaan and was sold for a slave in this place.
11 And also that which was told
thee concerning my master's wife is false, for they placed me in this dungeon
for naught; and the butler answered Joseph, saying, If the king deal well
with me as at first, as thou last interpreted to me, I will do all that thou
desirest, and get thee brought out of this dungeon.
12 And the baker, seeing that
Joseph had accurately interpreted the butler's dream, also approached, and
related the whole of his dream to Joseph.
13 And he said unto him, In my
dream I saw and behold three white baskets upon my head, and I looked, and behold
there were in the upper-most basket all manner of baked meats for Pharaoh,
and behold the birds were eating them from off my head.
14 And Joseph said unto him, The
three baskets which thou didst see are three days, yet within three days
Pharaoh will take off thy head, and hang thee upon a tree, and the birds will
eat thy flesh from off thee, as thou sawest in thy dream.
15 In those days the queen was
about to be delivered, and upon that day she bare a son unto the king of
Egypt, and they proclaimed that the king had gotten his first born son and
all the people of Egypt together with the officers and servants of Pharaoh
rejoiced greatly.
16 And upon the third day of his
birth Pharaoh made a feast for his officers and servants, for the hosts of
the land of Zoar and of the land of Egypt.
17 And all the people of Egypt
and the servants of Pharaoh came to eat and drink with the king at the feast
of his son, and to rejoice at the king's rejoicing.
18 And all the officers of the
king and his servants were rejoicing at that time for eight days at the
feast, and they made merry with all sorts of musical instruments, with
timbrels and with dances in the king's house for eight days.
19 And the butler, to whom
Joseph had interpreted his dream, forgot Joseph, and he did not mention him
to the king as he had promised, for this thing was from the Lord in order to
punish Joseph because he had trusted in man.
20 And Joseph remained after
this in the prison house two years, until he had completed twelve years.
CHAPTER 47
1 And Isaac the son of Abraham
was still living in those days in the land of Canaan; he was very aged, one
hundred and eighty years old, and Esau his son, the brother of Jacob, was in
the land of Edom, and he and his sons had possessions in it amongst the
children of Seir.
2 And Esau heard that his
father's time was drawing nigh to die, and he and his sons and household came
unto the land of Canaan, unto his father's
138
house, and Jacob and his sons
went forth from the place where they dwelt in Hebron, and they all came to
their father Isaac, and they found Esau and his sons in the tent.
3 And Jacob and his sons sat
before his father Isaac, and Jacob was still mourning for his son Joseph.
4 And Isaac said unto Jacob,
Bring me hither thy sons and I will bless them; and Jacob brought his eleven
children before his father Isaac.
5 And Isaac placed his hands
upon all the sons of Jacob, and he took hold of them and embraced them, and
kissed them one by one, and Isaac blessed them on that day, and he said unto
them, May the God of your fathers bless you and increase your seed like the
stars of heaven for number.
6 And Isaac also blessed the
sons of Esau, saying, May God cause you to be a dread and a terror to all
that will behold you, and to all your enemies.
7 And Isaac called Jacob and his
sons, and they all came and sat before Isaac, and Isaac said unto Jacob, The
Lord God of the whole earth said unto me, Unto thy seed will I give this land
for an inheritance if thy children keep my statutes and my ways, and I will
perform unto them the oath which I swore unto thy father Abraham.
8 Now therefore my son, teach
thy children and thy children's children to fear the Lord, and to go in the
good way which will please the Lord thy God, for if you keep the ways of the
Lord and his statutes the Lord will also keep unto you his covenant with
Abraham, and will do well with you and your seed all the days.
9 And when Isaac had finished
commanding Jacob and his children, he gave up the ghost and died, and was gathered
unto his people.
10 And Jacob and Esau fell upon
the face of their father Isaac, and they wept, and Isaac was one hundred and
eighty years old when he died in the land of Canaan, in Hebron, and his sons
carried him to the cave of Machpelah, which Abraham had bought from the
children of Heth for a possession of a burial place.
11 And all the kings of the land
of Canaan went with Jacob and Esau to bury Isaac, and all the kings of Canaan
showed Isaac great honor at his death.
12 And the sons of Jacob and the
sons of Esau went barefooted round about, walking and lamenting until they
reached Kireath-arba.
13 And Jacob and Esau buried
their father Isaac in the cave of Machpelah, which is in Kireath-arba in
Hebron, and they buried him with very great honor, as at the funeral of
kings.
14 And Jacob and his sons, and
Esau and his sons, and all the kings of Canaan made a great and heavy
mourning, and they buried him and mourned for him many days.
15 And at the death of Isaac, he
left his cattle and his possessions and all belonging to him to his sons; and
Esau said unto Jacob, Behold I pray thee, all that our father has left we
will divide it in two parts, and I will have the choice, and Jacob said, We
will do so.
16 And Jacob took all that Isaac
had left in the land of Canaan, the cattle and the property, and he placed
them in two parts before Esau and his sons, and he said unto Esau, Behold all
this is before thee, choose thou unto thyself the half which thou wilt take.
17 And Jacob said unto Esau,
Hear thou I pray thee what I will speak unto thee, saying, The Lord God of
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heaven and earth spoke unto our
fathers Abraham and Isaac, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land for an
inheritance forever.
18 Now therefore all that our
father has left is before thee, and behold all the land is before thee;
choose thou from them what thou desirest.
19 If thou desirest the whole
land take it for thee and thy children forever, and I will take this riches,
and it thou desirest the riches take it unto thee, and I will take this land
for me and for my children to inherit it forever.
20 And Nebayoth, the son of
Ishmael, was then in the land with his children, and Esau went on that day
and consulted with him, saying.
21 Thus has Jacob spoken unto
me, and thus has he answered me, now give thy advice and we will hear.
22 And Nebayoth said, What is
this that Jacob hath spoken unto thee? behold all the children of Canaan are
dwelling securely in their land, and Jacob sayeth he will inherit it with his
seed all the days.
23 Go now therefore and take all
thy father's riches and leave Jacob thy brother in the land, as he has
spoken.
24 And Esau rose up and returned
to Jacob, and did all that Nebayoth the son of Ishmael had advised; and Esau
took all the riches that Isaac had left, the souls, the beasts, the cattle
and the property, and all the riches; he gave nothing to his brother Jacob;
and Jacob took all the land of Canaan, from the brook of Egypt unto the river
Euphrates, and he took it for an everlasting possession, and for his children
and for his seed after him forever.
25 Jacob also took from his
brother Esau the cave of Machpelah, which is in Hebron, which Abraham had
bought from Ephron for a possession of a burial place for him and his seed
forever.
26 And Jacob wrote all these
things in the book of purchase, and he signed it, and he testified all this
with four faithful witnesses.
27 And these are the words which
Jacob wrote in the book, saying: The land of Canaan and all the cities of the
Hittites, the Hivites, the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, and the
Gergashites, all the seven nations from the river of Egypt unto the river
Euphrates.
28 And the city of Hebron
Kireath-arba, and the cave which is in it, the whole did Jacob buy from his
brother Esau for value, for a possession and for an inheritance for his seed
after him forever.
29 And Jacob took the book of
purchase and the signature, the command and the statutes and the revealed
book, and he placed them in an earthen vessel in order that they should
remain for a long time, and he delivered them into the hands of his children.
30 Esau took all that his father
had left him after his death from his brother Jacob, and he took all the
property, from man and beast, camel and ass, ox and lamb, silver and gold,
stones and bdellium, and all the riches which had belonged to Isaac the son
of Abraham; there was nothing left which Esau did not take unto himself, from
all that Isaac had left after his death.
31 And Esau took all this, and
he and his children went home to the land of Seir the Horite, away from his
brother Jacob and his children.
32 And Esau had possessions
amongst the children of Seir, and Esau returned not to the land of Canaan
from that day forward.
33 And the whole land of Canaan
140
became an inheritance to the
children of Israel for an everlasting inheritance, and Esau with all his
children inherited the mountain of Seir.
CHAPTER 48
1 In those days, after the death
of Isaac, the Lord commanded and caused a famine upon the whole earth.
2 At that time Pharaoh king of
Egypt was sitting upon his throne in the land of Egypt, and lay in his bed
and dreamed dreams, and Pharaoh saw in his dream that he was standing by the
side of the river of Egypt.
3 And whilst he was standing he
saw and behold seven fat fleshed and well favored kine came up out of the
river.
4 And seven other kine, lean
fleshed and ill favored, came up after them, and the seven ill favored ones
swallowed up the well favored ones, and still their appearance was ill as at
first.
5 And he awoke, and he slept
again and he dreamed a second time, and he saw and behold seven ears of corn
came up upon one stalk, rank and good, and seven thin ears blasted with the
east wind sprang, up after them, and the thin ears swallowed up the full
ones, and Pharaoh awoke out of his dream.
6 And in the morning the king
remembered his dreams, and his spirit was sadly troubled on account of his
dreams, and the king hastened and sent and called for all the magicians of
Egypt, and the wise men, and they came and stood before Pharaoh.
7 And the king said unto them, I
have dreamed dreams, and there is none to interpret them; and they said unto
the king, relate thy dreams to thy servants and let us hear them.
8 And the king related his
dreams to them, and they all answered and said with one voice to the king,
may the king live forever; and this is the interpretation of thy dreams.
9 The seven good kine which thou
didst see denote seven daughters that will be born unto thee in the latter
days, and the seven kine which thou sawest come up after them, and swallowed
them up, are for a sign that the daughters which will be born unto thee will
all die in the life-time of the king.
10 And that which thou didst see
in the second dream of seven full good ears of corn coming up upon one stalk,
this is their interpretation, that thou wilt build unto thyself in the latter
days seven cities throughout the land of Egypt; and that which thou sawest of
the seven blasted ears of corn springing up after them and swallowing them up
whilst thou didst behold them with thine eyes, is for a sign that the cities
which thou wilt build will all be destroyed in the latter days, in the
life-time of the king.
11 And when they spoke these
words the king did not incline his ear to their words, neither did he fix his
heart upon them, for the king knew in his wisdom that they did not give a
proper interpretation of the dreams; and when they had finished speaking
before the king, the king answered them, saying, What is this thing that you
have spoken unto me? surely you have uttered falsehood and spoken lies;
therefore now give the proper interpretation of my dreams, that you may not
die.
12 And the king commanded after
this, and he sent and called again for other wise men, and they came and
stood before the king, and the king related his dreams to them, and they
141
all answered him according to
the first interpretation, and the king's anger was kindled and he was very
wroth, and the king said unto them, Surely you speak lies and utter falsehood
in what you have said.
13 And the king commanded that a
proclamation should be issued throughout the land of Egypt, saying, It is
resolved by the king and his great men, that any wise man who knoweth and
understandeth the interpretation of dreams, and will not come this day before
the king, shall die.
14 And the man that will declare
unto the king the proper interpretation of his dreams, there shall be given
unto him all that he will require from the king. And all the wise men of the
land of Egypt came before the king, together with all the magicians and
sorcerers that were in Egypt and in Goshen, in Rameses, in Tachpanches, in
Zoar, and in all the places on the borders of Egypt, and they all stood
before the king.
15 And all the nobles and the
princes, and the attendants belonging to the king, came together from all the
cities of Egypt, and they all sat before the king, and the king related his
dreams before the wise men, and the princes, and all that sat before the king
were astonished at the vision.
16 And all the wise men who were
before the king were greatly divided in their interpretation of his dreams;
some of them interpreted them to the king, saying, The seven good kine are
seven kings, who from the king's issue will be raised over Egypt.
17 And the seven bad kine are
seven princes, who will stand up against them in the latter days and destroy
them; and the seven ears of corn are the seven great princes belonging to
Egypt, who will fall in the hands of the seven less powerful princes of their
enemies, in the wars of our lord the king.
18 And some of them interpreted
to the king in this manner, saying, The seven good kine are the strong cities
of Egypt, and the seven bad kine are the seven nations of the land of Canaan,
who will come against the seven cities of Egypt in the latter days and
destroy them.
19 And that which thou sawest in
the second dream, of seven good and bad ears of corn, is a sign that the
government of Egypt will again return to thy seed as at first.
20 And in his reign the people
of the cities of Egypt will turn against the seven cities of Canaan who are
stronger than they are, and will destroy them, and the government of Egypt
will return to thy seed.
21 And some of them said unto
the king, This is the interpretation of thy dreams; the seven good kine are
seven queens, whom thou wilt take for wives in the latter days, and the seven
bad kine denote that those women will all die in the lifetime of the king.
22 And the seven good and bad
ears of corn which thou didst see in the second dream are fourteen children,
and it will be in the latter days that they will stand up and fight amongst
themselves, and seven of them will smite the seven that are more powerful.
23 And some of them said these
words unto the king, saying, The seven good kine denote that seven children
will be born to thee, and they will slay seven of thy children's children in
the latter days; and the seven good ears of corn which thou didst see in the
second dream, are those princes against whom seven other less powerful
princes will fight and destroy them in the latter days, and avenge thy
children's cause, and the government will again return to thy seed.
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24 And the king heard all the
words of the wise men of Egypt and their interpretation of his dreams, and
none of them pleased the king.
25 And the king knew in his
wisdom that they did not altogether speak correctly in all these words, for
this was from the Lord to frustrate the words of the wise men of Egypt, in
order that Joseph might go forth from the house of confinement, and in order
that he should become great in Egypt.
26 And the king saw that none
amongst all the wise men and magicians of Egypt spoke correctly to him, and
the king's wrath was kindled, and his anger burned within him.
27 And the king commanded that
all the wise men and magicians should go out from before him, and they all
went out from before the king with shame and disgrace.
28 And the king commanded that a
proclamation be sent throughout Egypt to slay all the magicians that were in
Egypt, and not one of them should be suffered to live.
29 And the captains of the
guards belonging to the king rose up, and each man drew his sword, and they
began to smite the magicians of Egypt, and the wise men.
30 And after this Merod, chief
butler to the king, came and bowed down before the king and sat before him.
31 And the butler said unto the
king, May the king live forever, and his government be exalted in the land.
32 Thou wast angry with thy
servant in those days, now two years past, and didst place me in the ward,
and I was for some time in the ward, I and the chief of the bakers.
33 And there was with us a
Hebrew servant belonging to the captain of the guard, his name was Joseph,
for his master had been angry with him and placed him in the house of
confinement, and he attended us there.
34 And in some time after when
we were in the ward, we dreamed dreams in one night, I and the chief of the
bakers; we dreamed, each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
35 And we came in the morning
and told them to that servant, and he interpreted to us our dreams, to each
man according to his dream, did he correctly interpret.
36 And it came to pass as he
interpreted to us, so was the event; there fell not to the ground any of his
words.
37 And now therefore my lord and
king do not slay the people of Egypt for naught; behold that slave is still
confined in the house by the captain of the guard his master, in the house of
confinement.
38 If it pleaseth the king let
him send for him that he may come before thee and he will make known to thee,
the correct interpretation of the dream which thou didst dream.
39 And the king heard the words
of the chief butler, and the king ordered that the wise men of Egypt should
not be slain.
40 And the king ordered his
servants to bring Joseph before him, and the king said unto them, Go to him
and do not terrify him lest he be confused and will not know to speak
properly.
41 And the servants of the king
went to Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon, and the
king's servants shaved him, and he changed his prison garment and he came
before the king.
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42 And the king was sitting upon
his royal throne in a princely dress girt around with a golden ephod, and the
fine gold which was upon it sparkled, and the carbuncle and the ruby and the
emerald, together with all the precious stones that were upon the king's
head, dazzled the eye, and Joseph wondered greatly at the king.
43 And the throne upon which the
king sat was covered with gold and silver, and with onyx stones, and it had
seventy steps.
44 And it was their custom
throughout the land of Egypt, that every man who came to speak to the king,
if he was a prince or one that was estimable in the sight of the king, he
ascended to the king's throne as far as the thirty-first step, and the king
would descend to the thirty-sixth step, and speak with him.
45 If he was one of the common
people, he ascended to the third step, and the king would descend to the fourth
and speak to him, and their custom was, moreover, that any man who understood
to speak in all the seventy languages, he ascended the seventy steps, and
went up and spoke till he reached the king.
46 And any man who could not
complete the seventy, he ascended as many steps as the languages which he
knew to speak in.
47 And it was customary in those
days in Egypt that no one should reign over them, but who understood to speak
in the seventy languages.
48 And when Joseph came before
the king he bowed down to the ground before the king, and he ascended to the
third step, and the king sat upon the fourth step and spoke with Joseph.
49 And the king said unto
Joseph, I dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter to interpret it
properly, and I commanded this day that all the magicians of Egypt and the
wise men thereof, should come before me, and I related my dreams to them, and
no one has properly interpreted them to me.
50 And after this I this day
heard concerning thee, that thou art a wise man, and canst correctly
interpret every dream that thou hearest.
51 And Joseph answered Pharaoh,
saying, Let Pharaoh relate his dreams that he dreamed; surely the
interpretations belong to God; and Pharaoh related his dreams to Joseph, the
dream of the kine, and the dream of the ears of corn, and the king left off
speaking.
52 And Joseph was then clothed
with the spirit of God before the king, and he knew all the things that would
befall the king from that day forward, and he knew the proper interpretation
of the king's dream, and he spoke before the king.
53 And Joseph found favor in the
sight of the king, and the king inclined his ears and his heart, and he heard
all the words of Joseph. And Joseph said unto the king, Do not imagine that
they are two dreams, for it is only one dream, for that which God has chosen
to do throughout the land he has shown to the king in his dream, and this is
the proper interpretation of thy dream:
54 The seven good kine and ears
of corn are seven years, and the seven bad kine and ears of corn are also
seven years; it is one dream.
55 Behold the seven years that
are coming there will be a great plenty throughout the land, and after that
the seven years of famine will follow them, a very grievous famine; and all
the plenty will be forgotten from the land,
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and the famine will consume the
inhabitants of the land.
56 The king dreamed one dream,
and the dream was therefore repeated unto Pharaoh because the thing is
established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
57 Now therefore I will give
thee counsel and deliver thy soul and the souls of the inhabitants of the
land from the evil of the famine, that thou seek throughout thy kingdom for a
man very discreet and wise, who knoweth all the affairs of government, and
appoint him to superintend over the land of Egypt.
58 And let the man whom thou
placest over Egypt appoint officers under him, that they gather in all the
food of the good years that are coming, and let them lay up corn and deposit
it in thy appointed stores.
59 And let them keep that food
for the seven years of famine, that it may be found for thee and thy people
and thy whole land, and that thou and thy land be not cut off by the famine.
60 Let all the inhabitants of
the land be also ordered that they gather in, every man the produce of his
field, of all sorts of food, during the seven good years, and that they place
it in their stores, that it may be found for them in the days of the famine
and that they may live upon it.
61 This is the proper
interpretation of thy dream, and this is the counsel given to save thy soul
and the souls of all thy subjects.
62 And the king answered and
said unto Joseph, Who sayeth and who knoweth that thy words are correct? And
he said unto the king, This shall be a sign for thee respecting all my words,
that they are true and that my advice is good for thee.
63 Behold thy wife sitteth this
day upon the stool of delivery, and she will bear thee a son and thou wilt
rejoice with him; when thy child shall have gone forth from his mother's womb,
thy first born son that has been born these two years back shall die, and
thou wilt be comforted in the child that will be born unto thee this day.
64 And Joseph finished speaking
these words to the king, and he bowed down to the king and he went out, and
when Joseph had gone out from the king's presence, those signs which Joseph
had spoken unto the king came to pass on that day.
65 And the queen bare a son on
that day and the king heard the glad tidings about his son, and he rejoiced,
and when the reporter had gone forth from the king's presence, the king's
servants found the first born son of the king fallen dead upon the ground.
66 And there was great
lamentation and noise in the king's house, and the king heard it, and he
said, What is the noise and lamentation that I have heard in the house? and
they told the king that his first born son had died; then the king knew that
all Joseph's words that he had spoken were correct, and the king was consoled
for his son by the child that was born to him on that day as Joseph had
spoken.
CHAPTER 49
1 After these things the king
sent and assembled all his officers and servants, and all the princes and
nobles belonging to the king, and they all came before the king.
2 And the king said unto them,
Behold you have seen and heard all the words of this Hebrew man, and all the
signs which he declared would come to pass, and not any of his words have
fallen to the ground.
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3 You know that he has given a
proper interpretation of the dream, and it will surely come to pass, now
therefore take counsel, and know what you will do and how the land will be
delivered from the famine.
4 Seek now and see whether the
like can be found, in whose heart there is wisdom and knowledge, and I will
appoint him over the land.
5 For you have heard what the
Hebrew man has advised concerning this to save the land therewith from the
famine, and I know that the land will not be delivered from the famine but
with the advice of the Hebrew man, him that advised me.
6 And they all answered the king
and said, The counsel which the Hebrew has given concerning this is good; now
therefore, our lord and king, behold the whole land is in thy hand, do that
which seemeth good in thy sight.
7 Him whom thou chooses, and
whom thou in thy wisdom knowest to be wise and capable of delivering the land
with his wisdom, him shall the king appoint to be under him over the land.
8 And the king said to all the
officers: I have thought that since God has made known to the Hebrew man all
that he has spoken, there is none so discreet and wise in the whole land as
he is; if it seem good in your sight I will place him over the land, for he
will save the land with his wisdom.
9 And all the officers answered
the king and said, But surely it is written in the laws of Egypt, and it
should not be violated, that no man shall reign over Egypt, nor be the second
to the king, but one who has knowledge in all the languages of the sons of
men.
10 Now therefore our lord and
king, behold this Hebrew man can only speak the Hebrew language, and how then
can he be over us the second under government, a man who not even knoweth our
language?
11 Now we pray thee send for
him, and let him come before thee, and prove him in all things, and do as thou
see fit.
12 And the king said, It shall
be done tomorrow, and the thing that you have spoken is good; and all the
officers came on that day before the king.
13 And on that night the Lord
sent one of his ministering angels, and he came into the land of Egypt unto
Joseph, and the angel of the Lord stood over Joseph, and behold Joseph was
lying in the bed at night in his master's house in the dungeon, for his
master had put him back into the dungeon on account of his wife.
14 And the angel roused him from
his sleep, and Joseph rose up and stood upon his legs, and behold the angel
of the Lord was standing opposite to him; and the angel of the Lord spoke
with Joseph, and he taught him all the languages of man in that night, and he
called his name Jehoseph.
15 And the angel of the Lord
went from him, and Joseph returned and lay upon his bed, and Joseph was
astonished at the vision which he saw.
16 And it came to pass in the
morning that the king sent for all his officers and servants, and they all
came and sat before the king, and the king ordered Joseph to be brought, and
the king's servants went and brought Joseph before Pharaoh.
17 And the king came forth and
ascended the steps of the throne, and Joseph spoke unto the king in all
languages, and Joseph went up to him and spoke unto the king until he
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arrived before the king in the
seventieth step, and he sat before the king.
18 And the king greatly rejoiced
on account of Joseph, and all the king's officers rejoiced greatly with the
king when they heard all the words of Joseph.
19 And the thing seemed good in
the sight of the king and the officers, to appoint Joseph to be second to the
king over the whole land of Egypt, and the king spoke to Joseph, saying,
20 Now thou didst give me
counsel to appoint a wise man over the land of Egypt, in order with his
wisdom to save the land from the famine; now therefore, since God has made
all this known to thee, and all the words which thou hast spoken, there is
not throughout the land a discreet and wise man like unto thee.
21 And thy name no more shall be
called Joseph, but Zaphnath Paaneah shall be thy name; thou shalt be second
to me, and according to thy word shall be all the affairs of my government,
and at thy word shall my people go out and come in.
22 Also from under thy hand
shall my servants and officers receive their salary which is given to them
monthly, and to thee shall all the people of the land bow down; only in my
throne will I be greater than thou.
23 And the king took off his
ring from his hand and put it upon the hand of Joseph, and the king dressed
Joseph in a princely garment, and he put a golden crown upon his head, and he
put a golden chain upon his neck.
24 And the king commanded his
servants, and they made him ride in the second chariot belonging to the king,
that went opposite to the king's chariot, and he caused him to ride upon a
great and strong horse from the king's horses, and to be conducted through
the streets of the land of Egypt.
25 And the king commanded that
all those that played upon timbrels, harps and other musical instruments
should go forth with Joseph; one thousand timbrels, one thousand mecholoth,
and one thousand nebalim went after him.
26 And five thousand men, with
drawn swords glittering in their hands, and they went marching and playing
before Joseph, and twenty thousand of the great men of the king girt with
girdles of skin covered with gold, marched at the right hand of Joseph, and
twenty thousand at his left, and all the women and damsels went upon the
roofs or stood in the streets playing and rejoicing at Joseph, and gazed at
the appearance of Joseph and at his beauty.
27 And the king's people went
before him and behind him, perfuming the road with frankincense and with
cassia, and with all sorts of fine perfume, and scattered myrrh and aloes
along the road, and twenty men proclaimed these words before him throughout
the land in a loud voice:
28 Do you see this man whom the
king has chosen to be his second? all the affairs of government shall be
regulated by him, and he that transgresses his orders, or that does not bow
down before him to the ground, shall die, for he rebels against the king and
his second.
29 And when the heralds had
ceased proclaiming, all the people of Egypt bowed down to the ground before
Joseph and said, May the king live, also may his second live; and all the
inhabitants of Egypt bowed down along the road, and when the heralds
approached them, they bowed down, and they rejoiced with all sorts of
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timbrels, mechol and nebal
before Joseph.
30 And Joseph upon his horse
lifted up his eyes to heaven, and called out and said, He raiseth the poor
man from the dust, He lifteth up the needy from the dunghill. O Lord of
Hosts, happy is the man who trusteth in thee.
31 And Joseph passed throughout the
land of Egypt with Pharaoh's servants and officers, and they showed him the
whole land of Egypt and all the king's treasures.
32 And Joseph returned and came
on that day before Pharaoh, and the king gave unto Joseph a possession in the
land of Egypt, a possession of fields and vineyards, and the king gave unto
Joseph three thousand talents of silver and one thousand talents of gold, and
onyx stones and bdellium and many gifts.
33 And on the next day the king
commanded all the people of Egypt to bring unto Joseph offerings and gifts,
and that he that violated the command of the king should die; and they made a
high place in the street of the city, and they spread out garments there, and
whoever brought anything to Joseph put it into the high place.
34 And all the people of Egypt
cast something into the high place, one man a golden ear-ring, and the other
rings and ear-rings, and different vessels of gold and silver work, and onyx
stones and bdellium did he cast upon the high place; every one gave something
of what he possessed.
35 And Joseph took all these and
placed them in his treasuries, and all the officers and nobles belonging to
the king exalted Joseph, and they gave him many gifts, seeing that the king
had chosen him to be his second.
36 And the king sent to
Potiphera, the son of Ahiram priest of On, and he took his young daughter
Osnath and gave her unto Joseph for a wife.
37 And the damsel was very
comely, a virgin, one whom man had not known, and Joseph took her for a wife;
and the king said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and beside thee none shall dare
to lift up his hand or his foot to regulate my people throughout the land of
Egypt.
38 And Joseph was thirty years
old when he stood before Pharaoh, and Joseph went out from before the king,
and he became the king's second in Egypt.
39 And the king gave Joseph a
hundred servants to attend him in his house, and Joseph also sent and
purchased many servants and they remained in the house of Joseph.
40 Joseph then built for himself
a very magnificent house like unto the houses of kings, before the court of
the king's palace, and he made in the house a large temple, very elegant in
appearance and convenient for his residence; three years was Joseph in
erecting his house.
41 And Joseph made unto himself
a very elegant throne of abundance of gold and silver, and he covered it with
onyx stones and bdellium, and he made upon it the likeness of the whole land
of Egypt, and the likeness of the river of Egypt that watereth the whole land
of Egypt; and Joseph sat securely upon his throne in his house and the Lord
increased Joseph's wisdom.
42 And all the inhabitants of
Egypt and Pharaoh's servants and his princes loved Joseph exceedingly, for
this thing was from the Lord to Joseph.
43 And Joseph had an army that
made war, going out in hosts and troops to the number of forty thousand
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six hundred men, capable of
bearing arms to assist the king and Joseph against the enemy, besides the
king's officers and his servants and inhabitants of Egypt without number.
44 And Joseph gave unto his
mighty men, and to all his host, shields and javelins, and caps and coats of
mail and stones for slinging.
CHAPTER 50
1 At that time the children of
Tarshish came against the sons of Ishmael, and made war with them, and the
children of Tarshish spoiled the Ishmaelites for a long time.
2 And the children of Ishmael
were small in number in those days, and they could not prevail over the
children of Tarshish, and they were sorely oppressed.
3 And the old men of the
Ishmaelites sent a record to the king of Egypt, saying, Send I pray thee unto
thy servants officers and hosts to help us to fight against the children of
Tarshish, for we have been consuming away for a long time.
4 And Pharaoh sent Joseph with
the mighty men and host which were with him, and also his mighty men from the
king's house.
5 And they went to the land of
Havilah to the children of Ishmael, to assist them against the children of
Tarshish, and the children of Ishmael fought with the children of Tarshish,
and Joseph smote the Tarshishites and he subdued all their land, and the
children of Ishmael dwell therein unto this day.
6 And when the land of Tarshish
was subdued, all the Tarshishites ran away, and came on the border of their
brethren the children of Javan, and Joseph with all his mighty men and host
returned to Egypt, not one man of them missing.
7 And at the revolution of the
year, in the second year of Joseph's reigning over Egypt, the Lord gave great
plenty throughout the land for seven years as Joseph had spoken, for the Lord
blessed all the produce of the earth in those days for seven years, and they
ate and were greatly satisfied.
8 And Joseph at that time had
officers under him, and they collected all the food of the good years, and heaped
corn year by year, and they placed it in the treasuries of Joseph.
9 And at any time when they
gathered the food Joseph commanded that they should bring the corn in the
ears, and also bring with it some of the soil of the field, that it should
not spoil.
10 And Joseph did according to
this year by year, and he heaped up corn like the sand of the sea for
abundance, for his stores were immense and could not be numbered for
abundance.
11 And also all the inhabitants
of Egypt gathered all sorts of food in their stores in great abundance during
the seven good years, but they did not do unto it as Joseph did.
12 And all the food which Joseph
and the Egyptians had gathered during the seven years of plenty, was secured
for the land in stores for the seven years of famine, for the support of the
whole land.
13 And the inhabitants of Egypt
filled each man his store and his concealed place with corn, to be for
support during the famine.
14 And Joseph placed all the
food that he had gathered in all the cities of Egypt, and he closed all the
stores and placed sentinels over them.
15 And Joseph's wife Osnath
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the daughter of Potiphera bare
him two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and Joseph was thirty-four years old when
he begat them.
16 And the lads grew up and they
went in his ways and in his instructions, they did not deviate from the way
which their father taught them, either to the right or left.
17 And the Lord was with the
lads, and they grew up and had understanding and skill in all wisdom and in
all the affairs of government, and all the king's officers and his great men
of the inhabitants of Egypt exalted the lads, and they were brought up
amongst the king's children.
18 And the seven years of plenty
that were throughout the land were at an end, and the seven years of famine
came after them as Joseph had spoken, and the famine was throughout the land.
19 And all the people of Egypt
saw that the famine had commenced in the land of Egypt, and all the people of
Egypt opened their stores of corn for the famine prevailed over them.
20 And they found all the food
that was in their stores, full of vermin and not fit to eat, and the famine
prevailed throughout the land, and all the inhabitants of Egypt came and
cried before Pharaoh, for the famine was heavy upon them.
21 And they said unto Pharaoh,
Give food unto thy servants, and wherefore shall we die through hunger before
thy eyes, even we and our little ones?
22 And Pharaoh answered them,
saying, And wherefore do you cry unto me? did not Joseph command that the
corn should be laid up during the seven years of plenty for the years of
famine? and wherefore did you not hearken to his voice?
23 And the people of Egypt
answered the king, saying, As thy soul liveth, our lord, thy servants have
done all that Joseph ordered, for thy servants also gathered in all the
produce of their fields during the seven years of plenty and laid it in the
stores unto this day.
24 And when the famine prevailed
over thy servants we opened our stores, and behold all our produce was filled
with vermin and was not fit for food.
25 And when the king heard all
that had befallen the inhabitants of Egypt, the king was greatly afraid on
account of the famine, and he was much terrified; and the king answered the
people of Egypt, saying, Since all this has happened unto you, go unto
Joseph, do whatever he shall say unto you, transgress not his commands.
26 And all the people of Egypt
went forth and came unto Joseph, and said unto him, Give unto us food, and
wherefore shall we die before thee through hunger? for we gathered in our
produce during the seven years as thou didst command, and we put it in store,
and thus has it befallen us.
27 And when Joseph heard all the
words of the people of Egypt and what had befallen them, Joseph opened all
his stores of the produce and he sold it unto the people of Egypt.
28 And the famine prevailed
throughout the land, and the famine was in all countries, but in the land of
Egypt there was produce for sale.
29 And all the inhabitants of Egypt
came unto Joseph to buy corn, for the famine prevailed over them, and all
their corn was spoiled, and Joseph daily sold it to all the people of Egypt.
30 And all the inhabitants of
the land of Canaan and the Philistines, and those beyond the Jordan, and the
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children of the east and all the
cities of the lands far and nigh heard that there was corn in Egypt, and they
all came to Egypt to buy corn, for the famine prevailed over them.
31 And Joseph opened the stores
of corn and placed officers over them, and they daily stood and sold to all
that came.
32 And Joseph knew that his
brethren also would come to Egypt to buy corn, for the famine prevailed
throughout the earth. And Joseph commanded all his people that they should
cause it to be proclaimed throughout the land of Egypt, saying,
33 It is the pleasure of the
king, of his second and of their great men, that any person who wishes to buy
corn in Egypt shall not send his servants to Egypt to purchase, but his sons,
and also any Egyptian or Canaanite, who shall come from any of the stores
from buying corn in Egypt, and shall go and sell it throughout the land, he
shall die, for no one shall buy but for the support of his household.
34 And any man leading two or
three beasts shall die, for a man shall only lead his own beast.
35 And Joseph placed sentinels
at the gates of Egypt, and commanded them, saying, Any person who may come to
buy corn, suffer him not to enter until his name, and the name of his father,
and the name of his father's father be written down, and whatever is written
by day, send their names unto me in the evening that I may know their names.
36 And Joseph placed officers
throughout the land of Egypt, and he commanded them to do all these things.
37 And Joseph did all these
things, and made these statutes, in order that he might know when his
brethren should come to Egypt to buy corn; and Joseph's people caused it
daily to be proclaimed in Egypt according to these words and statutes which
Joseph had commanded.
38 And all the inhabitants of
the east and west country, and of all the earth, heard of the statutes and
regulations which Joseph had enacted in Egypt, and the inhabitants of the
extreme parts of the earth came and they bought corn in Egypt day after day,
and then went away.
39 And all the officers of Egypt
did as Joseph had commanded, and all that came to Egypt to buy corn, the gate
keepers would write their names, and their fathers' names, and daily bring
them in the evening before Joseph.
CHAPTER 51
1 And Jacob afterward heard that
there was corn in Egypt, and he called unto his sons to go to Egypt to buy
corn, for upon them also did the famine prevail, and he called unto his sons,
saying,
2 Behold I hear that there is
corn in Egypt, and all the people of the earth go there to purchase, now
therefore why will you show yourselves satisfied before the whole earth? go
you also down to Egypt and buy us a little corn amongst those that come
there, that we may not die.
3 And the sons of Jacob
hearkened to the voice of their father, and they rose up to go down to Egypt
in order to buy corn amongst the rest that came there.
4 And Jacob their father
commanded them, saying, When you come into the city do not enter together in
one gate, on account of the inhabitants of the land.
5 And the sons of Jacob went
forth
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and they went to Egypt, and the
sons of Jacob did all as their father had commanded them, and Jacob did not
send Benjamin, for he said, Lest an accident might befall him on the road like
his brother; and ten of Jacob's sons went forth.
6 And whilst the sons of Jacob
were going on the road, they repented of what they had done to Joseph, and
they spoke to each other, saying, We know that our brother Joseph went down
to Egypt, and now we will seek him where we go, and if we find him we will
take him from his master for a ransom, and if not, by force, and we will die
for him.
7 And the sons of Jacob agreed
to this thing and strengthened themselves on account of Joseph, to deliver
him from the hand of his master, and the sons of Jacob went to Egypt; and
when they came near to Egypt they separated from each other, and they came
through ten gates of Egypt, and the gate keepers wrote their names on that
day, and brought them to Joseph in the evening.
8 And Joseph read the names from
the hand of the gate-keepers of the city, and he found that his brethren had
entered at the ten gates of the city, and Joseph at that time commanded that
it should be proclaimed throughout the land of Egypt, saying,
9 Go forth all ye store guards,
close all the corn stores and let only one remain open, that those who come
may purchase from it.
10 And all the officers of
Joseph did so at that time, and they closed all the stores and left only one
open.
11 And Joseph gave the written
names of his brethren to him that was set over the open store, and he said
unto him, Whosoever shall come to thee to buy corn, ask his name, and when
men of these names shall come before thee, seize them and send them, and they
did so.
12 And when the sons of Jacob
came into the city, they joined together in the city to seek Joseph before
they bought themselves corn.
13 And they went to the walls of
the harlots, and they sought Joseph in the walls of the harlots for three
days, for they thought that Joseph would come in the walls of the harlots,
for Joseph was very comely and well favored, and the sons of Jacob sought
Joseph for three days, and they could not find him.
14 And the man who was set over
the open store sought for those names which Joseph had given him, and he did
not find them.
15 And he sent to Joseph,
saying, These three days have passed, and those men whose names thou didst
give unto me have not come; and Joseph sent servants to seek the men in all
Egypt, and to bring them before Joseph.
16 And Joseph's servants went
and came into Egypt and could not find them, and went to Goshen and they were
not there, and then went to the city of Rameses and could not find them.
17 And Joseph continued to send
sixteen servants to seek his brothers, and they went and spread themselves in
the four corners of the city, and four of the servants went into the house of
the harlots, and they found the ten men there seeking their brother.
18 And those four men took them
and brought them before him, and they bowed down to him to the ground, and
Joseph was sitting upon his throne in his temple, clothed with princely
garments, and upon his head
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was a large crown of gold, and
all the mighty men were sitting around him.
19 And the sons of Jacob saw
Joseph, and his figure and comeliness and dignity of countenance seemed
wonderful in their eyes, and they again bowed down to him to the ground.
20 And Joseph saw his brethren,
and he knew them, but they knew him not, for Joseph was very great in their
eyes, therefore they knew him not.
21 And Joseph spoke to them,
saying, From whence come ye? and they all answered and said, Thy servants
have come from the land of Canaan to buy corn, for the famine prevails
throughout the earth, and thy servants heard that there was corn in Egypt, so
they have come amongst the other comers to buy corn for their support.
22 And Joseph answered them,
saying, If you have come to purchase as you say, why do you come through ten
gates of the city? it can only be that you have come to spy through the land.
23 And they all together
answered Joseph, and said, Not so my lord, we are right, thy servants are not
spies, but we have come to buy corn, for thy servants are all brothers, the
sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and our father commanded us, saying,
When you come to the city do not enter together at one gate on account of the
inhabitants of the land.
24 And Joseph again answered
them and said, That is the thing which I spoke unto you, you have come to spy
through the land, therefore you all came through ten gates of the city; you
have come to see the nakedness of the land.
25 Surely every one that cometh
to buy corn goeth his way, and you are already three days in the land, and
what do you do in the walls of harlots in which you have been for these three
days? surely spies do like unto these things.
26 And they said unto Joseph,
Far be it from our lord to speak thus, for we are twelve brothers, the sons
of our father Jacob, in the land of Canaan, the son of Isaac, the son of
Abraham, the Hebrew, and behold the youngest is with our father this day in
the land of Canaan, and one is not, for he was lost from us, and we thought
perhaps he might be in this land, so we are seeking him throughout the land, and
have come even to the houses of harlots to seek him there.
27 And Joseph said unto them,
And have you then sought him throughout the earth, that there only remained
Egypt for you to seek him in? And what also should your brother do in the
houses of harlots, although he were in Egypt? have you not said, That you are
from the sons of Isaac, the son of Abraham, and what shall the sons of Jacob
do then in the houses of harlots?
28 And they said unto him,
Because we heard that Ishmaelites stole him from us, and it was told unto us
that they sold him in Egypt, and thy servant, our brother, is very comely and
well favored, so we thought he would surely be in the houses of harlots,
therefore thy servants went there to seek him and give ransom for him.
29 And Joseph still answered
them, saying, Surely you speak falsely and utter lies, to say of yourselves
that you are the sons of Abraham; as Pharaoh liveth you are spies, therefore
have you come to the houses of harlots that you should not be known.
30 And Joseph said unto them,
And now if you find him, and his
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master requireth of you a great
price, will you give it for him? and they said, It shall be given.
31 And he said unto them, And if
his master will not consent to part with him for a great price, what will you
do unto him on his account? and they answered him, saying, If he will not
give him unto us we will slay him, and take our brother and go away.
32 And Joseph said unto them,
That is the thing which I have spoken to you; you are spies, for you are come
to slay the inhabitants of the land, for we heard that two of your brethren
smote all the inhabitants of Shechem, in the land of Canaan, on account of
your sister, and you now come to do the like in Egypt on account of your
brother.
33 Only hereby shall I know that
you are true men; if you will send home one from amongst you to fetch your
youngest brother from your father, and to bring him here unto me, and by
doing this thing I will know that you are right.
34 And Joseph called to seventy
of his mighty men, and he said unto them, Take these men and bring them into
the ward.
35 And the mighty men took the
ten men, they laid hold of them and put them into the ward, and they were in
the ward three days.
36 And on the third day Joseph
had them brought out of the ward, and he said unto them, Do this for
yourselves if you be true men, so that you may live, one of your brethren
shall be confined in the ward whilst you go and take home the corn for your
household to the land of Canaan, and fetch your youngest brother, and bring
him here unto me, that I may know that you are true men when you do this
thing.
37 And Joseph went out from them
and came into the chamber, and wept a great weeping, for his pity was excited
for them, and he washed his face, and returned to them again, and he took
Simeon from them and ordered him to be bound, but Simeon was not willing to
be done so, for he was a very powerful man and they could not bind him.
38 And Joseph called unto his
mighty men and seventy valiant men came before him with drawn swords in their
hands, and the sons of Jacob were terrified at them.
39 And Joseph said unto them,
Seize this man and confine him in prison until his brethren come to him, and
Joseph's valiant men hastened and they all laid hold of Simeon to bind him,
and Simeon gave a loud and terrible shriek and the cry was heard at a
distance.
40 And all the valiant men of
Joseph were terrified at the sound of the shriek, that they fell upon their
faces, and they were greatly afraid and fled.
41 And all the men that were
with Joseph fled, for they were greatly afraid of their lives, and only
Joseph and Manasseh his son remained there, and Manassah the son of Joseph
saw the strength of Simeon, and he was exceedingly wroth.
42 And Manassah the son of
Joseph rose up to Simeon, and Manassah smote Simeon a heavy blow with his
fist against the back of his neck, and Simeon was stilled of his rage.
43 And Manassah laid hold of
Simeon and he seized him violently and he bound him and brought him into the
house of confinement, and all the sons of Jacob were astonished at the act of
the youth.
44 And Simeon said unto his
brethren, None of you must say that this is
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the smiting of an Egyptian, but
it is the smiting of the house of my father.
45 And after this Joseph ordered
him to be called who was set over the storehouse, to fill their sacks with
corn as much as they could carry, and to restore every man's money into his
sack, and to give them provision for the road, and thus did he unto them.
46 And Joseph commanded them,
saying, Take heed lest you transgress my orders to bring your brother as I
have told you, and it shall be when you bring your brother hither unto me,
then will I know that you are true men, and you shall traffic in the land,
and I will restore unto you your brother, and you shall return in peace to
your father.
47 And they all answered and
said, According as our lord speaketh so will we do, and they bowed down to
him to the ground.
48 And every man lifted his corn
upon his ass, and they went out to go to the land of Canaan to their father;
and they came to the inn and Levi spread his sack to give provender to his
ass, when he saw and behold his money in full weight was still in his sack.
49 And the man was greatly
afraid, and he said unto his brethren, My money is restored, and lo, it is
even in my sack, and the men were greatly afraid, and they said, What is this
that God hath done unto us?
50 And they all said, And where
is the Lord's kindness with our fathers, with Abraham, Isaac, end Jacob, that
the Lord has this day delivered us into the hands of the king of Egypt to
contrive against us?
51 And Judah said unto them,
Surely we are guilty sinners before the Lord our God in having sold our
brother, our own flesh, and wherefore do you say, Where is the Lord's
kindness with our fathers?
52 And Reuben said unto them,
Said I not unto you, do not sin against the lad, and you would not listen to
me? now God requireth him from us, and how dare you say, Where is the Lord's
kindness with our fathers, whilst you have sinned unto the Lord?
53 And they tarried over night
in that place, and they rose up early in the morning and laded their asses
with their corn, and they led them and went on and came to their father's
house in the land of Canaan.
54 And Jacob and his household
went out to meet his sons, and Jacob saw and behold their brother Simeon was
not with them, and Jacob said unto his sons, Where is your brother Simeon,
whom I do not see? and his sons told him all that had befallen them in Egypt.
CHAPTER 52
1 And they entered their house,
and every man opened his sack and they saw and behold every man's bundle of
money was there, at which they and their father were greatly terrified.
2 And Jacob said unto them, What
is this that you have done to me? I sent your brother Joseph to inquire after
your welfare and you said unto me. A wild beast did devour him.
3 And Simeon went with you to
buy food and you say the king of Egypt hath confined him in prison, and you
wish to take Benjamin to cause his death also, and bring down my grey hairs
with sorrow to the grave on account of Benjamin and his brother Joseph.
4 Now therefore my son shall not
go down with you, for his brother is dead and he is left alone, and mischief
may befall him by the way in which you go, as it befell his brother.
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5 And Reuben said unto his
father, Thou shalt slay my two sons if I do not bring thy son and place him
before thee; and Jacob said unto his sons, Abide ye here and do not go down
to Egypt, for my son shall not go down with you to Egypt, nor die like his
brother.
6 And Judah said unto them,
refrain ye from him until the corn is finished, and he will then say, Take
down your brother, when he will find his own life and the life of his
household in danger from the famine.
7 And in those days the famine
was sore throughout the land, and all the people of the earth went and came
to Egypt to buy food, for the famine prevailed greatly amongst them, and the
sons of Jacob remained in Canaan a year and two months until their corn was
finished.
8 And it came to pass after
their corn was finished, the whole household of Jacob was pinched with
hunger, and all the infants of the sons of Jacob came together and they
approached Jacob, and they all surrounded him, and they said unto him, Give
unto us bread, and wherefore shall we all perish through hunger in thy
presence?
9 Jacob heard the words of his
son's children, and he wept a great weeping, and his pity was roused for
them, and Jacob called unto his sons and they all came and sat before him.
10 And Jacob said unto them, And
have you not seen how your children have been weeping over me this day,
saying, Give unto us bread, and there is none? now therefore return and buy
for us a little food.
11 And Judah answered and said
unto his father, If thou wilt send our brother with us we will go down and
buy corn for thee, and if thou wilt not send him then we will not go down,
for surely the king of Egypt particularly enjoined us, saying, You shall not
see my face unless your brother be with you, for the king of Egypt is a
strong and mighty king, and behold if we shall go to him without our brother
we shall all be put to death.
12 Dost thou not know and hast
thou not heard that this king is very powerful and wise, and there is not
like unto him in all the earth? behold we have seen all the kings of the
earth and we have not seen one like that king, the king of Egypt; surely
amongst all the kings of the earth there is none greater than Abimelech king
of the Philistines, yet the king of Egypt is greater and mightier than he,
and Abimelech can only be compared to one of his officers.
13 Father, thou hast not seen
his palace and his throne, and all his servants standing before him; thou
hast not seen that king upon his throne in his pomp and royal appearance,
dressed in his kingly robes with a large golden crown upon his head; thou
hast not seen the honor and glory which God has given unto him, for there is
not like unto him in all the earth.
14 Father, thou hast not seen
the wisdom, the understanding and the knowledge which God has given in his
heart, nor heard his sweet voice when he spake unto us.
15 We know not, father, who made
him acquainted with our names and all that befell us, yet he asked also after
thee, saying, Is your father still living, and is it well with him?
16 Thou hast not seen the
affairs of the government of Egypt regulated by him, without inquiring of
Pharaoh his lord; thou hast not seen the awe and fear which he impressed upon
all the Egyptians.
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17 And also when we went from
him, we threatened to do unto Egypt like unto the rest of the cities of the
Amorites, and we were exceedingly wroth against all his words which he spoke
concerning us as spies, and now when we shall again come before him his
terror will fall upon us all, and not one of us will be able to speak to him
either a little or a great thing.
18 Now therefore father, send we
pray thee the lad with us, and we will go down and buy thee food for our support,
and not die through hunger. And Jacob said, Why have you dealt so ill with me
to tell the king you had a brother? what is this thing that you have done
unto me?
19 And Judah said unto Jacob his
father, Give the lad into my care and we will rise up and go down to Egypt
and buy corn, and then return, and it shall be when we return if the lad be
not with us, then let me bear thy blame forever.
20 Hast thou seen all our
infants weeping over thee through hunger and there is no power in thy hand to
satisfy them? now let thy pity be roused for them and send our brother with
us and we will go.
21 For how will the Lord's
kindness to our ancestors be manifested to thee when thou sayest that the
king of Egypt will take away thy son? as the Lord liveth I will not leave him
until I bring him and place him before thee; but pray for us unto the Lord,
that he may deal kindly with us, to cause us to be received favorably and
kindly before the king of Egypt and his men, for had we not delayed surely
now we had returned a second time with thy son.
22 And Jacob said unto his sons,
I trust in the Lord God that he may deliver you and give you favor in the
sight of the king of Egypt, and in the sight of all his men.
23 Now therefore rise up and go
to the man, and take for him in your hands a present from what can be
obtained in the land and bring it before him, and may the Almighty God give
you mercy before him that he may send Benjamin and Simeon your brethren with
you.
24 And all the men rose up, and
they took their brother Benjamin, and they took in their hands a large
present of the best of the land, and they also took a double portion of
silver.
25 And Jacob strictly commanded
his sons concerning Benjamin, Saying, Take heed of him in the way in which
you are going, and do not separate yourselves from him in the road, neither
in Egypt.
26 And Jacob rose up from his
sons and spread forth his hands and he prayed unto the Lord on account of his
sons, saying, O Lord God of heaven and earth, remember thy covenant with our
father Abraham, remember it with my father Isaac and deal kindly with my sons
and deliver them not into the hands of the king of Egypt; do it I pray thee O
God for the sake of thy mercies and redeem all my children and rescue them
from Egyptian power, and send them their two brothers.
27 And all the wives of the sons
of Jacob and their children lifted up their eyes to heaven and they all wept
before the Lord, and cried unto him to deliver their fathers from the hand of
the king of Egypt.
28 And Jacob wrote a record to
the king of Egypt and gave it into the hand of Judah and into the hands of
his sons for the king of Egypt, saying,
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29 From thy servant Jacob, son
of Isaac, son of Abraham the Hebrew, the prince of God, to the powerful and
wise king, the revealer of secrets, king of Egypt, greeting.
30 Be it known to my lord the
king of Egypt, the famine was sore upon us in the land of Canaan, and I sent
my sons to thee to buy us a little food from thee for our support.
31 For my sons surrounded me and
I being very old cannot see with my eyes, for my eyes have become very heavy
through age, as well as with daily weeping for my son, for Joseph who was
lost from before me, and I commanded my sons that they should not enter the
gates of the city when they came to Egypt, on account of the inhabitants of
the land.
32 And I also commanded them to
go about Egypt to seek for my son Joseph, perhaps they might find him there,
and they did so, and thou didst consider them as spies of the land.
33 Have we not heard concerning
thee that thou didst interpret Pharaoh's dream and didst speak truly unto
him? how then dost thou not know in thy wisdom whether my sons are spies or
not?
34 Now therefore, my lord and
king, behold I have sent my son before thee, as thou didst speak unto my sons;
I beseech thee to put thy eyes upon him until he is returned to me in peace
with his brethren.
35 For dost thou not know, or
hast thou not heard that which our God did unto Pharaoh when he took my
mother Sarah, and what he did unto Abimelech king of the Philistines on
account of her, and also what our father Abraham did unto the nine kings of
Elam, how he smote them all with a few men that were with him?
36 And also what my two sons
Simeon and Levi did unto the eight cities of the Amorites, how they destroyed
them on account of their sister Dinah?
37 And also on account of their
brother Benjamin they consoled themselves for the loss of his brother Joseph;
what will they then do for him when they see the hand of any people
prevailing over them, for his sake?
38 Dost thou not know, O king of
Egypt, that the power of God is with us, and that also God ever heareth our
prayers and forsaketh us not all the days?
39 And when my sons told me of
thy dealings with them, I called not unto the Lord on account of thee, for
then thou wouldst have perished with thy men before my son Benjamin came
before thee, but I thought that as Simeon my son was in thy house, perhaps
thou mightest deal kindly with him, therefore I did not this thing unto thee.
40 Now therefore behold Benjamin
my son cometh unto thee with my sons, take heed of him and put thy eyes upon
him, and then will God place his eyes over thee and throughout thy kingdom.
41 Now I have told thee all that
is in my heart, and behold my sons are coming to thee with their brother,
examine the face of the whole earth for their sake and send them back in
peace with their brethren.
42 And Jacob gave the record to
his sons into the care of Judah to give it unto the king of Egypt.
CHAPTER 53
1 And the sons of Jacob rose up
and took Benjamin and the whole of the presents, and they went and came to
Egypt and they stood before Joseph.
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2 And Joseph beheld his brother
Benjamin with them and he saluted them, and these men came to Joseph's house.
3 And Joseph commanded the
superintendent of his house to give to his brethren to eat, and he did so
unto them.
4 And at noon time Joseph sent
for the men to come before him with Benjamin, and the men told the
superintendent of Joseph's house concerning the silver that was returned in
their sacks, and he said unto them, It will be well with you, fear not, and
he brought their brother Simeon unto them.
5 And Simeon said unto his
brethren, The lord of the Egyptians has acted very kindly unto me, he did not
keep me bound, as you saw with your eyes, for when you went out from the city
he let me free and dealt kindly with me in his house.
6 And Judah took Benjamin by the
hand, and they came before Joseph, and they bowed down to him to the ground.
7 And the men gave the present
unto Joseph and they all sat before him, and Joseph said unto them, Is it
well with you, is it well with your children, is it well with your aged
father? and they said, It is well, and Judah took the record which Jacob had
sent and gave it into the hand of Joseph.
8 And Joseph read the letter and
knew his father's writing, and he wished to weep and he went into an inner
room and he wept a great weeping; and he went out.
9 And he lifted up his eyes and
beheld his brother Benjamin, and he said, Is this your brother of whom you
spoke unto me? And Benjamin approached Joseph, and Joseph placed his hand
upon his head and he said unto him, May God be gracious unto thee my son.
10 And when Joseph saw his
brother, the son of his mother, he again wished to weep, and he entered the
chamber, and he wept there, and he washed his face, and went out and
refrained from weeping, and he said, Prepare food.
11 And Joseph had a cup from
which he drank, and it was of silver beautifully inlaid with onyx stones and
bdellium, and Joseph struck the cup in the sight of his brethren whilst they
were sitting to eat with him.
12 And Joseph said unto the men,
I know by this cup that Reuben the first born, Simeon and Levi and Judah,
Issachar and Zebulun are children from one mother, seat yourselves to eat
according to your births.
13 And he also placed the others
according to their births, and he said, I know that this your youngest
brother has no brother, and I, like him, have no brother, he shall therefore
sit down to eat with me.
14 And Benjamin went up before
Joseph and sat upon the throne, and the men beheld the acts of Joseph, and
they were astonished at them; and the men ate and drank at that time with
Joseph, and he then gave presents unto them, and Joseph gave one gift unto
Benjamin, and Manasseh and Ephraim saw the acts of their father, and they
also gave presents unto him, and Osnath gave him one present, and they were
five presents in the hand of Benjamin.
15 And Joseph brought them out
wine to drink, and they would not drink, and they said, From the day on which
Joseph was lost we have not drunk wine, nor eaten any delicacies.
16 And Joseph swore unto them,
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and he pressed them hard, and they
drank plentifully with him on that day, and Joseph afterward turned to his
brother Benjamin to speak with him, and Benjamin was still sitting upon the
throne before Joseph.
17 And Joseph said unto him,
Hast thou begotten any children? and he said, Thy servant has ten sons, and
these are their names, Bela, Becher, Ashbal, Gera, Naaman, Achi, Rosh, Mupim,
Chupim, and Ord, and I called their names after my brother whom I have not
seen.
18 And he ordered them to bring
before him his map of the stars, whereby Joseph knew all the times,
and Joseph said unto Benjamin, I have heard that the Hebrews are acquainted
with all wisdom, dost thou know anything of this?
19 And Benjamin said, Thy
servant is knowing also in all the wisdom which my father taught me, and
Joseph said unto Benjamin, Look now at this instrument and understand where
thy brother Joseph is in Egypt, who you said went down to Egypt.
20 And Benjamin beheld that
instrument with the map of the stars of heaven, and he was wise and looked
therein to know where his brother was, and Benjamin divided the whole land of
Egypt into four divisions, and he found that he who was sitting upon the
throne before him was his brother Joseph, and Benjamin wondered greatly, and
when Joseph saw that his brother Benjamin was so much astonished, he said
unto Benjamin, What hast thou seen, and why art thou astonished?
21 And Benjamin said unto
Joseph, I can see by this that Joseph my brother sitteth here with me upon
the throne, and Joseph said unto him, I am Joseph thy brother, reveal not
this thing unto thy brethren; behold I will send thee with them when they go
away, and I will command them to be brought back again into the city, and I
will take thee away from them.
22 And if they dare their lives
and fight for thee, then shall I know that they have repented of what they
did unto me, and I will make myself known to them, and if they forsake thee
when I take thee, then shalt thou remain with me, and I will wrangle with
them, and they shall go away, and I will not become known to them.
23 At that time Joseph commanded
his officer to fill their sacks with food, and to put each man's money into
his sack, and to put the cup in the sack of Benjamin, and to give them
provision for the road, and they did so unto them.
24 And on the next day the men
rose up early in the morning, and they loaded their asses with their corn,
and they went forth with Benjamin, and they went to the land of Canaan with
their brother Benjamin.
25 They had not gone far from
Egypt when Joseph commanded him that was set over his house, saying, Rise,
pursue these men before they get too far from Egypt, and say unto them, Why
have you stolen my master's cup?
26 And Joseph's officer rose up
and he reached them, and he spoke unto them all the words of Joseph; and when
they heard this thing they became exceedingly wroth, and they said, He with
whom thy master's cup shall be found shall die, and we will also become
slaves.
27 And they hastened and each
man brought down his sack from his ass, and they looked in their bags and the
cup was found in Benjamin's bag, and they all tore their garments and
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they returned to the city, and
they smote Benjamin in the road, continually smiting him until he came into
the city, and they stood before Joseph.
28 And Judah's anger was
kindled, and he said, This man has only brought me back to destroy Egypt this
day.
29 And the men came to Joseph's
house, and they found Joseph sitting upon his throne, and all the mighty men
standing at his right and left.
30 And Joseph said unto them,
What is this act that you have done, that you took away my silver cup and
went away? but I know that you took my cup in order to know thereby in what
part of the land your brother was.
31 And Judah said, What shall we
say to our lord, what shall we speak and how shall we justify ourselves, God
has this day found the iniquity of all thy servants, therefore has he done
this thing to us this day.
32 And Joseph rose up and caught
hold of Benjamin and took him from his brethren with violence, and he came to
the house and locked the door at them, and Joseph commanded him that was set
over his house that he should say unto them, Thus saith the king, Go in peace
to your father, behold I have taken the man in whose hand my cup was found.
CHAPTER 54
1 And when Judah saw the
dealings of Joseph with them, Judah approached him and broke open the door,
and came with his brethren before Joseph.
2 And Judah said unto Joseph,
Let it not seem grievous in the sight of my lord, may thy servant I pray thee
speak a word before thee? and Joseph said unto him, Speak.
3 And Judah spoke before Joseph,
and his brethren were there standing before them; and Judah said unto Joseph,
Surely when we first came to our lord to buy food, thou didst consider us as
spies of the land, and we brought Benjamin before thee, and thou still makest
sport of us this day.
4 Now therefore let the king
hear my words, and send I pray thee our brother that he may go along with us
to our father, lest thy soul perish this day with all the souls of the
inhabitants of Egypt.
5 Dost thou not know what two of
my brethren, Simeon and Levi, did unto the city of Shechem, and unto seven
cities of the Amorites, on account of our sister Dinah, and also what they
would do for the sake of their brother Benjamin?
6 And I with my strength, who am
greater and mightier than both of them, come this day upon thee and thy land
if thou art unwilling to send our brother.
7 Hast thou not heard what our
God who made choice of us did unto Pharaoh on account of Sarah our mother,
whom he took away from our father, that he smote him and his household with
heavy plagues, that even unto this day the Egyptians relate this wonder to
each other? so will our God do unto thee on account of Benjamin whom thou
hast this day taken from his father, and on account of the evils which thou
this day heapest over us in thy land; for our God will remember his covenant
with our father Abraham and bring evil upon thee, because thou hast grieved
the soul of our father this day.
8 Now therefore hear my words
that I have this day spoken unto thee, and
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send our brother that he may go
away lest thou and the people of thy land die by the sword, for you cannot
all prevail over me.
9 And Joseph answered Judah,
saying, Why hast thou opened wide thy mouth and why dost thou boast over us,
saying, Strength is with thee? as Pharaoh liveth, if I command all my valiant
men to fight with you, surely thou and these thy brethren would sink in the
mire.
10 And Judah said unto Joseph,
Surely it becometh thee and thy people to fear me; as the Lord liveth if I
once draw my sword I shall not sheathe it again until I shall this day have
slain all Egypt, and I will commence with thee and finish with Pharaoh thy
master.
11 And Joseph answered and said unto
him, Surely strength belongeth not alone to thee; I am stronger and mightier
than thou, surely if thou drawest thy sword I will put it to thy neck and the
necks of all thy brethren.
12 And Judah said unto him,
Surely if I this day open my mouth against thee I would swallow thee up that
thou be destroyed from off the earth and perish this day from thy kingdom.
And Joseph said, Surely if thou openest thy mouth I have power and might to
close thy mouth with a stone until thou shalt not be able to utter a word;
see how many stones are before us, truly I can take a stone, and force it
into thy mouth and break thy jaws.
13 And Judah said, God is
witness between us, that we have not hitherto desired to battle with thee,
only give us our brother and we will go from thee; and Joseph answered and
said, As Pharaoh liveth, if all the kings of Canaan came together with you,
you should not take him from my hand.
14 Now therefore go your way to
your father, and your brother shall be unto me for a slave, for he has robbed
the king's house. And Judah said, What is it to thee or to the character of
the king, surely the king sendeth forth from his house, throughout the land,
silver and gold either in gifts or expenses, and thou still talkest about thy
cup which thou didst place in our brother's bag and sayest that he has stolen
it from thee?
15 God forbid that our brother
Benjamin or any of the seed of Abraham should do this thing to steal from
thee, or from any one else, whether king, prince, or any man.
16 Now therefore cease this
accusation lest the whole earth hear thy words, saying, For a little silver
the king of Egypt wrangled with the men, and he accused them and took their
brother for a slave.
17 And Joseph answered and said,
Take unto you this cup and go from me and leave your brother for a slave, for
it is the judgment of a thief to be a slave.
18 And Judah said, Why art thou
not ashamed of thy words, to leave our brother and to take thy cup? Surely if
thou givest us thy cup, or a thousand times
as much, we will not leave our brother for the silver which is found in the
hand of any man, that we will not die over him.
19 And Joseph answered, And why
did you forsake your brother and sell him for twenty pieces of silver unto
this day, and why then will you not do the same to this your brother?
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20 And Judah said, the Lord is
witness between me and thee that we desire not thy battles; now therefore
give us our brother and we will go from thee without quarreling.
21 And Joseph answered and said,
If all the kings of the land should assemble they will not be able to take
your brother from my hand; and Judah said, What shall we say unto our father,
when he seeth that our brother cometh not with us, and will grieve over him?
22 And Joseph answered and said,
This is the thing which you shall tell unto your father, saying, The rope has
gone after the bucket.
23 And Judah said, Surely thou
art a king, and why speakest thou these things, giving a false judgment? woe
unto the king who is like unto thee.
24 And Joseph answered and said,
There is no false judgment in the word that I spoke on account of your
brother Joseph, for all of you sold him to the Midianites for twenty pieces
of silver, and you all denied it to your father and said unto him, An evil
beast has devoured him, Joseph has been torn to pieces.
25 And Judah said, Behold the
fire of Shem burneth in my heart, now I will burn all your land with fire;
and Joseph answered and said, Surely thy sister-in-law Tamar, who killed your
sons, extinguished the fire of Shechem.
26 And Judah said, If I pluck
out a single hair from my flesh, I will fill all Egypt with its blood.
27 And Joseph answered and said,
Such is your custom to do as you did to your brother whom you sold, and you
dipped his coat in blood and brought it to your father in order that he might
say an evil beast devoured him and here is his blood.
28 And when Judah heard this
thing he was exceedingly wroth and his anger burned within him, and there was
before him in that place a stone, the weight of which was about four hundred
shekels, and Judah's anger was kindled and he took the stone in one hand and
cast it to the heavens and caught it with his left hand.
29 And he placed it afterward
under his legs, and he sat upon it with all his strength and the stone was
turned into dust from the force of Judah.
30 And Joseph saw the act of
Judah and he was very much afraid, but he commanded Manassah his son and he
also did with another stone like unto the act of Judah, and Judah said unto
his brethren, Let not any of you say, this man is an Egyptian, but by his
doing this thing he is of our father's family.
31 And Joseph said, Not to you
only is strength given, for we are also powerful men, and why will you boast
over us all? and Judah said unto Joseph, Send I pray thee our brother and
ruin not thy country this day.
32 And Joseph answered and said
unto them, Go and tell your father, an evil beast hath devoured him as you
said concerning your brother Joseph.
33 And Judah spoke to his
brother Naphtali, and he said unto him, Make haste, go now and number all the
streets of Egypt and come and tell me; and Simeon said unto him, Let not this
thing be a trouble to thee; now I will go to the mount and take up
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one large stone from the mount
and level it at every one in Egypt, and kill all that are in it.
34 And Joseph heard all these
words that his brethren spoke before him, and they did not know that Joseph
understood them, for they imagined that he knew not to speak Hebrew.
35 And Joseph was greatly afraid
at the words of his brethren lest they should destroy Egypt, and he commanded
his son Manasseh, saying, Go now make haste and gather unto me all the
inhabitants of Egypt, and all the valiant men together, and let them come to
me now upon horseback and on foot and with all sorts of musical instruments,
and Manasseh went and did so.
36 And Naphtali went as Judah
had commanded him, for Naphtali was lightfooted as one of the swift stags,
and he would go upon the ears of corn and they would not break under him.
37 And he went and numbered all
the streets of Egypt, and found them to be twelve, and he came hastily and
told Judah, and Judah said unto his brethren, Hasten you and put on every man
his sword upon his loins and we will come over Egypt, and smite them all, and
let not a remnant remain.
38 And Judah said, Behold, I
will destroy three of the streets with my strength, and you shall each
destroy one street; and when Judah was speaking this thing, behold the
inhabitants of Egypt and all the mighty men came toward them with all sorts
of musical instruments and with loud shouting.
39 And their number was five
hundred cavalry and ten thousand infantry, and four hundred men who could
fight without sword or spear, only with their hands and strength.
40 And all the mighty men came
with great storming and shouting, and they all surrounded the sons of Jacob
and terrified them, and the ground quaked at the sound of their shouting.
41 And when the sons of Jacob
saw these troops they were greatly afraid of their lives, and Joseph did so
in order to terrify the sons of Jacob to become tranquilized.
42 And Judah, seeing some of his
brethren terrified, said unto them, Why are you afraid whilst the grace of
God is with us? and when Judah saw all the people of Egypt surrounding them at
the command of Joseph to terrify them, only Joseph commanded them, saying, Do
not touch any of them.
43 Then Judah hastened and drew
his sword, and uttered a loud and bitter scream, and he smote with his sword,
and he sprang upon the ground and he still continued to shout against all the
people.
44 And when he did this thing
the Lord caused the terror of Judah and his brethren to fall upon the valiant
men and all the people that surrounded them.
45 And they all fled at the
sound of the shouting, and they were terrified and fell one upon the other,
and many of them died as they fell, and they all fled from before Judah and
his brethren and from before Joseph.
46 And whilst they were fleeing,
Judah and his brethren pursued them unto the house of Pharaoh, and they all
escaped, and Judah again sat before Joseph and roared at him like a lion, and
gave a great and tremendous shriek at him.
47 And the shriek was heard at a
distance, and all the inhabitants of Succoth heard it, and all Egypt quaked
at the sound of the shriek, and also
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the walls of Egypt and of the
land of Goshen fell in from the shaking of the earth, and Pharaoh also fell
from his throne upon the ground, and also all the pregnant women of Egypt and
Goshen miscarried when they heard the noise of the shaking, for they were
terribly afraid.
48 And Pharaoh sent word,
saying, What is this thing that has this day happened in the land of Egypt?
and they came and told him all the things from beginning to end, and Pharaoh
was alarmed and he wondered and was greatly afraid.
49 And his fright increased when
he heard all these things, and he sent unto Joseph, saying, Thou hast brought
unto me the Hebrews to destroy all Egypt; what wilt thou do with that
thievish slave? send him away and let him go with his brethren, and let us
not perish through their evil, even we, you and all Egypt.
50 And if thou desirest not to
do this thing, cast off from thee all my valuable things, and go with them to
their land, if thou delightest in it, for they will this day destroy my whole
country and slay all my people; even all the women of Egypt have miscarried
through their screams; see what they have done merely by their shouting and
speaking, moreover if they fight with the sword, they will destroy the land;
now therefore choose that which thou desirest, whether me or the Hebrews,
whether Egypt or the land of the Hebrews.
51 And they came and told Joseph
all the words of Pharaoh that he had said concerning him, and Joseph was
greatly afraid at the words of Pharaoh and Judah and his brethren were still
standing before Joseph indignant and enraged, and all the sons of Jacob
roared at Joseph, like the roaring of the sea and its waves.
52 And Joseph was greatly afraid
of his brethren and on account of Pharaoh, and Joseph sought a pretext to
make himself known unto his brethren, lest they should destroy all Egypt.
53 And Joseph commanded his son
Manasseh, and Manasseh went and approached Judah, and placed his hand upon
his shoulder, and the anger of Judah was stilled.
54 And Judah said unto his
brethren, Let no one of you say that this is the act of an Egyptian youth for
this is the work of my father's house.
55 And Joseph seeing and knowing
that Judah's anger was stilled, he approached to speak unto Judah in the
language of mildness.
56 And Joseph said unto Judah,
Surely you speak truth and have this day verified your assertions concerning
your strength, and may your God who delighteth in you, increase your welfare;
but tell me truly why from amongst all thy brethren dost thou wrangle with me
on account of the lad, as none of them have spoken one word to me concerning
him.
57 And Judah answered Joseph,
saying, Surely thou must know that I was security for the lad to his father,
saying, If I brought him not unto him I should bear his blame forever.
58 Therefore have I approached
thee from amongst all my brethren, for I saw that thou wast unwilling to
suffer him to go from thee; now therefore may I find grace in thy sight that
thou shalt send him to go with us, and behold I will remain as a substitute
for him, to serve thee in whatever thou desirest, for wheresoever thou shalt
send me I will go to serve thee with great energy.
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59 Send me now to a mighty king
who has rebelled against thee, and thou shalt know what I will do unto him
and unto his land; although he may have cavalry and infantry or an exceeding
mighty people, I will slay them all and bring the king's head before thee.
60 Dost thou not know or hast
thou not heard that our father Abraham with his servant Eliezer smote all the
kings of Elam with their hosts in one night, they left not one remaining? and
ever since that day our father's strength was given unto us for an
inheritance, for us and our seed forever.
61 And Joseph answered and said,
You speak truth, and falsehood is not in your mouth, for it was also told
unto us that the Hebrews have power and that the Lord their God delighteth
much in them, and who then can stand before them?
62 However, on this condition
will I send your brother, if you will bring before me his brother the son of
his mother, of whom you said that he had gone from you down to Egypt; and it
shall come to pass when you bring unto me his brother I will take him in his
stead, because not one of you was security for him to your father, and when
he shall come unto me, I will then send with you his brother for whom you
have been security.
63 And Judah's anger was kindled
against Joseph when he spoke this thing, and his eyes dropped blood with
anger, and he said unto his brethren, How doth this man this day seek his own
destruction and that of all Egypt!
64 And Simeon answered Joseph,
saying, Did we not tell thee at first that we knew not the particular spot to
which he went, and whether he be dead or alive, and wherefore speaketh my
lord like unto these things?
65 And Joseph observing the
countenance of Judah discerned that his anger began to kindle when he spoke
unto him, saying, Bring unto me your other brother instead of this brother.
66 And Joseph said unto his
brethren, Surely you said that your brother was either dead or lost, now if I
should call him this day and he should come before you, would you give him
unto me instead of his brother?
67 And Joseph began to speak and
call out, Joseph, Joseph, come this day before me, and appear to thy brethren
and sit before them.
68 And when Joseph spoke this
thing before them, they looked each a different way to see from whence Joseph
would come before them.
69 And Joseph observed all their
acts, and said unto them, Why do you look here and there? I am Joseph whom
you sold to Egypt, now therefore let it not grieve you that you sold me, for
as a support during the famine did God send me before you.
70 And his brethren were
terrified at him when they heard the words of Joseph, and Judah was
exceedingly terrified at him.
71 And when Benjamin heard the
words of Joseph he was before them in the inner part of the house, and
Benjamin ran unto Joseph his brother, and embraced him and fell upon his
neck, and they wept.
72 And when Joseph's brethren
saw that Benjamin had fallen upon his brother's neck and wept with him, they
also fell upon Joseph and embraced him, and they wept a great weeping with
Joseph.
73 And the voice was heard in
the house of Joseph that they were Joseph's brethren, and it pleased Pharaoh
exceedingly, for he was afraid of them lest they should destroy Egypt.
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74 And Pharaoh sent his servants
unto Joseph to congratulate him concerning his brethren who had come to him,
and all the captains of the armies and troops that were in Egypt came to
rejoice with Joseph, and all Egypt rejoiced greatly about Joseph's brethren.
75 And Pharaoh sent his servants
to Joseph, saying, Tell thy brethren to fetch all belonging to them and let
them come unto me, and I will place them in the best part of the land of
Egypt, and they did so.
76 And Joseph commanded him that
was set over his house to bring out to his brethren gifts and garments, and
he brought out to them many garments being robes of royalty and many gifts,
and Joseph divided them amongst his brethren.
77 And he gave unto each of his
brethren a change of garments of gold and silver, and three hundred pieces of
silver, and Joseph commanded them all to be dressed in these garments, and to
be brought before Pharaoh.
78 And Pharaoh seeing that all
Joseph's brethren were valiant men, and of beautiful appearance, he greatly
rejoiced.
79 And they afterward went out
from the presence of Pharaoh to go to the land of Canaan, to their father,
and their brother Benjamin was with them.
80 And Joseph rose up and gave
unto them eleven chariots from Pharaoh, and Joseph gave unto them his
chariot, upon which he rode on the day of his being crowned in Egypt, to
fetch his father to Egypt; and Joseph sent to all his brothers' children,
garments according to their numbers, and a hundred pieces of silver to each
of them, and he also sent garments to the wives of his brethren from the
garments of the king's wives, and he sent them.
81 And he gave unto each of his
brethren ten men to go with them to the land of Canaan to serve them, to
serve their children and all belonging to them in coming to Egypt.
82 And Joseph sent by the hand
of his brother Benjamin ten suits of garments for his ten sons, a portion
above the rest of the children of the sons of Jacob.
83 And he sent to each fifty
pieces of silver, and ten chariots on the account of Pharaoh, and he sent to
his father ten asses laden with all the luxuries of Egypt, and ten she asses
laden with corn and bread and nourishment for his father, and to all that
were with him as provisions for the road.
84 And he sent to his sister
Dinah garments of silver and gold, and frankincense and myrrh, and aloes and
women's ornaments in great plenty, and he sent the same from the wives of
Pharaoh to the wives of Benjamin.
85 And he gave unto all his
brethren, also to their wives, all sorts of onyx stones and bdellium, and
from all the valuable things amongst the great people of Egypt, nothing of
all the costly things was left but what Joseph sent of to his father's
household.
86 And he sent his brethren
away, and they went, and he sent his brother Benjamin with them.
87 And Joseph went out with them
to accompany them on the road unto the borders of Egypt, and he commanded
them concerning his father and his household, to come to Egypt.
88 And he said unto them, Do not
quarrel on the road, for this thing was from the Lord to keep a great people
from starvation, for there will be yet five years of famine in the land.
89 And he commanded them,
saying,
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When you come unto the land of
Canaan, do not come suddenly before my father in this affair, but act in your
wisdom.
90 And Joseph ceased to command
them, and he turned and went back to Egypt, and the sons of Jacob went to the
land of Canaan with joy and cheerfulness to their father Jacob.
91 And they came unto the
borders of the land, and they said to each other, What shall we do in this
matter before our father, for if we come suddenly to him and tell him the
matter, he will be greatly alarmed at our words and will not believe us.
92 And they went along until
they came nigh unto their houses, and they found Serach, the daughter of
Asher, going forth to meet them, and the damsel was very good and subtle, and
knew how to play upon the harp.
93 And they called unto her and
she came before them, and she kissed them, and they took her and gave unto
her a harp, saying, Go now before our father, and sit before him, and strike
upon the harp, and speak these words.
94 And they commanded her to go
to their house, and she took the harp and hastened before them, and she came
and sat near Jacob.
95 And she played well and sang,
and uttered in the sweetness of her words, Joseph my uncle is living, and he
ruleth throughout the land of Egypt, and is not dead.
96 And she continued to repeat
and utter these words, and Jacob heard her words and they were agreeable to
him.
97 He listened whilst she
repeated them twice and thrice, and joy entered the heart of Jacob at the
sweetness of her words, and the spirit of God was upon him, and he knew all
her words to be true.
98 And Jacob blessed Serach when
she spoke these words before him, and he said unto her, My daughter, may
death never prevail over thee, for thou hast revived my spirit; only speak
yet before me as thou hast spoken, for thou hast gladdened me with all thy
words.
99 And she continued to sing
these words, and Jacob listened and it pleased him, and he rejoiced, and the
spirit of God was upon him.
100 Whilst he was yet speaking
with her, behold his sons came to him with horses and chariots and royal
garments and servants running before them.
101 And Jacob rose up to meet
them, and saw his sons dressed in royal garments and he saw all the treasures
that Joseph had sent to them.
102 And they said unto him, Be
informed that our brother Joseph is living, and it is he who ruleth
throughout the land of Egypt, and it is he who spoke unto us as we told thee.
103 And Jacob heard all the
words of his sons, and his heart palpitated at their words, for he could not
believe them until he saw all that Joseph had given them and what he had sent
him, and all the signs which Joseph had spoken unto them.
104 And they opened out before
him, and showed him all that Joseph had sent, they gave unto each what Joseph
had sent him, and he knew that they had spoken the truth, and he rejoiced
exceedingly an account of his son.
105 And Jacob said, It is enough
for me that my son Joseph is still living, I will go and see him before I
die.
106 And his sons told him all
that had befallen them, and Jacob said, I will go down to Egypt to see my son
and his offspring.
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107 And Jacob rose up and put on
the garments which Joseph had sent him, and after he had washed, and shaved
his hair, he put upon his head the turban which Joseph had sent him.
108 And all the people of
Jacob's house and their wives put on the garments which Joseph had sent to
them, and they greatly rejoiced at Joseph that he was still living and that
he was ruling in Egypt,
109 And all the inhabitants of
Canaan heard of this thing, and they came and rejoiced much with Jacob that
he was still living.
110 And Jacob made a feast for
them for three days, and all the kings of Canaan and nobles of the land ate
and drank and rejoiced in the house of Jacob.
CHAPTER 55
1 And it came to pass after this
that Jacob said, I will go and see my son in Egypt and will then come back to
the land of Canaan of which God had spoken unto Abraham, for I cannot leave
the land of my birth-place.
2 Behold the word of the Lord
came unto him, saying, Go down to Egypt with all thy household and remain
there, fear not to go down to Egypt for I will there make thee a great
nation.
3 And Jacob said within himself,
I will go and see my son whether the fear of his God is yet in his heart
amidst all the inhabitants of Egypt.
4 And the Lord said unto Jacob,
Fear not about Joseph, for he still retaineth his integrity to serve me, as
will seem good in thy sight, and Jacob rejoiced exceedingly concerning his son.
5 At that time Jacob commanded
his sons and household to go to Egypt according to the word of the Lord unto
him, and Jacob rose up with his sons and all his household, and he went out
from the land of Canaan from Beersheba, with joy and gladness of heart, and
they went to the land of Egypt.
6 And it came to pass when they
came near Egypt, Jacob sent Judah before him to Joseph that he might show him
a situation in Egypt, and Judah did according to the word of his father, and
he hastened and ran and came to Joseph, and they assigned for them a place in
the land of Goshen for all his household, and Judah returned and came along
the road to his father.
7 And Joseph harnessed the
chariot, and he assembled all his mighty men and his servants and all the
officers of Egypt in order to go and meet his father Jacob, and Joseph's
mandate was proclaimed in Egypt, saying, All that do not go to meet Jacob
shall die.
8 And on the next day Joseph
went forth with all Egypt a great and mighty host, all dressed in garments of
fine linen and purple and with instruments of silver and gold and with their
instruments of war with them.
9 And they all went to meet
Jacob with all sorts of musical instruments, with drums and timbrels,
strewing myrrh and aloes all along the road, and they all went after this
fashion, and the earth shook at their shouting.
10 And all the women of Egypt
went upon the roofs of Egypt and upon the walls to meet Jacob, and upon the
head of Joseph was Pharaoh's regal crown, for Pharaoh had sent it unto him to
put on at the time of his going to meet his father.
11 And when Joseph came within
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fifty cubits of his father, he
alighted from the chariot and he walked toward his father, and when all the
officers of Egypt and her nobles saw that Joseph had gone on foot toward his
father, they also alighted and walked on foot toward Jacob.
12 And when Jacob approached the
camp of Joseph, Jacob observed the camp that was coming toward him with
Joseph, and it gratified him and Jacob was astonished at it.
13 And Jacob said unto Judah,
Who is that man whom I see in the camp of Egypt dressed in kingly robes with
a very red garment upon him and a royal crown upon his head, who has alighted
from his chariot and is coming toward us? and Judah answered his father,
saying, He is thy son Joseph the king; and Jacob rejoiced in seeing the glory
of his son.
14 And Joseph came nigh unto his
father and he bowed to his father, and all the men of the camp bowed to the
ground with him before Jacob.
15 And behold Jacob ran and
hastened to his son Joseph and fell upon his neck and kissed him, and they
wept, and Joseph also embraced his father and kissed him, and they wept and
all the people of Egypt wept with them.
16 And Jacob said unto Joseph,
Now I will die cheerfully after I have seen thy face, that thou art still
living and with glory.
17 And the sons of Jacob and
their wives and their children and their servants, and all the household of
Jacob wept exceedingly with Joseph, and they kissed him and wept greatly with
him.
18 And Joseph and all his people
returned afterward home to Egypt, and Jacob and his sons and all the children
of his household came with Joseph to Egypt, and Joseph placed them in the
best part of Egypt, in the land of Goshen.
19 And Joseph said unto his
father and unto his brethren, I will go up and tell Pharaoh, saying, My
brethren and my father's household and all belonging to them have come unto
me, and behold they are in the land of Goshen.
20 And Joseph did so and took
from his brethren Reuben, Issachar Zebulun and his brother Benjamin and he
placed them before Pharaoh.
21 And Joseph spoke unto
Pharaoh, saying, My brethren and my father's household and all belonging to
them, together with their flocks and cattle have come unto me from the land
of Canaan, to sojourn in Egypt; for the famine was sore upon them.
22 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph,
Place thy father and brethren in the best part of the land, withhold not from
them all that is good, and cause them to eat of the fat of the land.
23 And Joseph answered, saying,
Behold I have stationed them in the land of Goshen, for they are shepherds,
therefore let them remain in Goshen to feed their flocks apart from the
Egyptians.
24 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph,
Do with thy brethren all that they shall say unto thee; and the sons of Jacob
bowed down to Pharaoh, and they went forth from him in peace, and Joseph
afterward brought his father before Pharaoh.
25 And Jacob came and bowed down
to Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and he then went out; and Jacob and
all his sons, and all his household dwelt in the land of Goshen.
26 In the second year, that is
in the hundred and thirtieth year of the life
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of Jacob, Joseph maintained his
father and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread according
to their little ones, all the days of the famine; they lacked nothing.
27 And Joseph gave unto them the
best part of the whole land; the best of Egypt had they all the days of
Joseph; and Joseph also gave unto them and unto the whole of his father's
household, clothes and garments year by year; and the sons of Jacob remained
securely in Egypt all the days of their brother.
28 And Jacob always ate at
Joseph's table, Jacob and his sons did not leave Joseph's table day or night,
besides what Jacob's children consumed in their houses.
29 And all Egypt ate bread
during the days of the famine from the house of Joseph, for all the Egyptians
sold all belonging to them on account of the famine.
30 And Joseph purchased all the
lands and fields of Egypt for bread on the account of Pharaoh, and Joseph
supplied all Egypt with bread all the days of the famine, and Joseph
collected all the silver and gold that came unto him for the corn which they
bought throughout the land, and he accumulated much gold and silver, besides
an immense quantity of onyx stones, bdellium and valuable garments which they
brought unto Joseph from every part of the land when their money was spent.
31 And Joseph took all the
silver and gold that came into his hand, about seventy two talents of gold
and silver, and also onyx stones and bdellium in great abundance, and Joseph
went and concealed them in four parts, and he concealed one part in the
wilderness near the Red sea, and one part by the river Perath, and the third
and fourth part he concealed in the desert opposite to the wilderness of
Persia and Media.
32 And he took part of the gold
and silver that was left, and gave it unto all his brothers and unto all his
father's household, and unto all the women of his father's household, and the
rest he brought to the house of Pharaoh, about twenty talents of gold and
silver.
33 And Joseph gave all the gold
and silver that was left unto Pharaoh, and Pharaoh placed it in the treasury,
and the days of the famine ceased after that in the land, and they sowed and
reaped in the whole land, and they obtained their usual quantity year by
year; they lacked nothing.
34 And Joseph dwelt securely in
Egypt, and the whole land was under his advice, and his father and all his
brethren dwelt in the land of Goshen and took possession of it.
35 And Joseph was very aged,
advanced in days, and his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, remained constantly
in the house of Jacob, together with the children of the sons of Jacob their
brethren, to learn the ways of the Lord and his law.
36 And Jacob and his sons dwelt
in the land of Egypt in the land of Goshen, and they took possession in it,
and they were fruitful and multiplied in it.
CHAPTER 56
1 And Jacob lived in the land of
Egypt seventeen years, and the days of Jacob, and the years of his life were
a hundred and forty seven years.
2 At that time Jacob was
attacked with that illness of which he died and he sent and called for his
son Joseph from Egypt, and Joseph his son came from Egypt and Joseph came
unto his father.
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3 And Jacob said unto Joseph and
unto his sons, Behold I die, and the God of your ancestors will visit you,
and bring you back to the land, which the Lord sware to give unto you and
unto your children after you, now therefore when I am dead, bury me in the
cave which is in Machpelah in Hebron in the land of Canaan, near my
ancestors.
4 And Jacob made his sons swear
to bury him in Machpelah, in Hebron, and his sons swore unto him concerning
this thing.
5 And he commanded them, saying,
Serve the Lord your God, for he who delivered your fathers will also deliver
you from all trouble.
6 And Jacob said, Call all your
children unto me, and all the children of Jacob's sons came and sat before
him, and Jacob blessed them, and he said unto them, The Lord God of your
fathers shall grant you a thousand times
as much and bless you, and may he give you the blessing of your father
Abraham; and all the children of Jacob's sons went forth on that day after he
had blessed them.
7 And on the next day Jacob
again called for his sons, and they all assembled and came to him and sat
before him, and Jacob on that day blessed his sons before his death, each man
did he bless according to his blessing; behold it is written in the book of
the law of the Lord appertaining to Israel.
8 And Jacob said unto Judah, I
know my son that thou art a mighty man for thy brethren; reign over them, and
thy sons shall reign over their sons forever.
9 Only teach thy sons the bow
and all the weapons of war, in order that they may fight the battles of their
brother who will rule over his enemies.
10 And Jacob again commanded his
sons on that day, saying, Behold I shall be this day gathered unto my people;
carry me up from Egypt, and bury me in the cave of Machpelah as I have
commanded you.
11 Howbeit take heed I pray you
that none of your sons carry me, only yourselves, and this is the manner you
shall do unto me, when you carry my body to go with it to the land of Canaan
to bury me,
12 Judah, Issachar and Zebulun
shall carry my bier at the eastern side; Reuben, Simeon and Gad at the south,
Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin at the west, Dan, Asher and Naphtali at the
north.
13 Let not Levi carry with you,
for he and his sons will carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord with the
Israelites in the camp, neither let Joseph my son carry, for as a king so let
his glory be; howbeit, Ephraim and Manasseh shall be in their stead.
14 Thus shall you do unto me
when you carry me away; do not neglect any thing of all that I command you;
and it shall come to pass when you do this unto me, that the Lord will
remember you favorably and your children after you forever.
15 And you my sons, honor each
his brother and his relative, and command your children and your children's children
after you to serve the Lord God of your ancestors all the days.
16 In order that you may prolong
your days in the land, you and your children and your children's children for
ever, when you do what is good and upright in the sight of the Lord your God,
to go in all his ways.
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17 And thou, Joseph my son,
forgive I pray thee the prongs of thy brethren and all their misdeeds in the
injury that they heaped upon thee, for God intended it for thine and thy
children's benefit.
18 And O my son leave not thy
brethren to the inhabitants of Egypt, neither hurt their feelings, for behold
I consign them to the hand of God and in thy hand to guard them from the
Egyptians; and the sons of Jacob answered their father saying, O, our father,
all that thou hast commanded us, so will we do; may God only be with us.
19 And Jacob said unto his sons,
So may God be with you when you keep all his ways; turn not from his ways
either to the right or the left in performing what is good and upright in his
sight.
20 For I know that many and
grievous troubles will befall you in the latter days in the land, yea your
children and children's children, only serve the Lord and he will save you
from all trouble.
21 And it shall come to pass
when you shall go after God to serve him and will teach your children after
you, and your children's children, to know the Lord, then will the Lord raise
up unto you and your children a servant from amongst your children, and the
Lord will deliver you through his hand from all affliction, and bring you out
of Egypt and bring you back to the land of your fathers to inherit it
securely.
22 And Jacob ceased commanding
his sons, and he drew his feet into the bed, he died and was gathered to his
people.
23 And Joseph fell upon his
father and he cried out and wept over him and he kissed him, and he called
out in a bitter voice, and he said, O my father, my father.
24 And his son's wives and all
his household came and fell upon Jacob, and they wept over him, and cried in
a very loud voice concerning Jacob.
25 And all the sons of Jacob
rose up together, and they tore their garments, and they all put sackcloth
upon their loins, and they fell upon their faces, and they cast dust upon
their heads toward the heavens.
26 And the thing was told unto
Osnath Joseph's wife, and she rose up and put on a sack and she with all the
Egyptian women with her came and mourned and wept for Jacob.
27 And also all the people of
Egypt who knew Jacob came all on that day when they heard this thing, and all
Egypt wept for many days.
28 And also from the land of
Canaan did the women come unto Egypt when they heard that Jacob was dead, and
they wept for him in Egypt for seventy days.
29 And it came to pass after
this that Joseph commanded his servants the doctors to embalm his father with
myrrh and frankincense and all manner of incense and perfume, and the doctors
embalmed Jacob as Joseph had commanded them.
30 And all the people of Egypt
and the elders and all the inhabitants of the land of Goshen wept and mourned
over Jacob, and all his sons and the children of his household lamented and
mourned over their father Jacob many days.
31 And after the days of his
weeping had passed away, at the end of seventy days, Joseph said unto
Pharaoh, I will go up and bury my father in the land of Canaan as he made me
swear, and then I will return.
32 And Pharaoh sent Joseph,
saying,
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Go up and bury thy father as he
said, and as he made thee swear; and Joseph rose up with all his brethren to
go to the land of Canaan to bury their father Jacob as he had commanded them.
33 And Pharaoh commanded that it
should be proclaimed throughout Egypt, saying, Whoever goeth not up with
Joseph and his brethren to the land of Canaan to bury Jacob, shall die.
34 And all Egypt heard of
Pharaoh's proclamation, and they all rose up together, and all the servants
of Pharaoh, and the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of
Egypt went up with Joseph, and all the officers and nobles of Pharaoh went up
as the servants of Joseph, and they went to bury Jacob in the land of Canaan.
35 And the sons of Jacob carried
the bier upon which he lay; according to all that their father commanded
them, so did his sons unto him.
36 And the bier was of pure
gold, and it was inlaid round about with onyx stones and bdellium; and the
covering of the bier was gold woven work, joined with threads, and over them
were hooks of onyx stones and bdellium.
37 And Joseph placed upon the
head of his father Jacob a large golden crown, and he put a golden scepter in
his hand, and they surrounded the bier as was the custom of kings during
their lives.
38 And all the troops of Egypt
went before him in this array, at first all the mighty men of Pharaoh, and
the mighty men of Joseph, and after them the rest of the inhabitants of
Egypt, and they were all girded with swords and equipped with coats of mail,
and the trappings of war were upon them.
39 And all the weepers and
mourners went at a distance opposite to the bier, going and weeping and
lamenting, and the rest of the people went after the bier.
40 And Joseph and his household
went together near the bier barefooted and weeping, and the rest of Joseph's
servants went around him; each man had his ornaments upon him, and they were
all armed with their weapons of war.
41 And fifty of Jacob's servants
went in front of the bier, and they strewed along the road myrrh and aloes,
and all manner of perfume, and all the sons of Jacob that carried the bier
walked upon the perfumery, and the servants of Jacob went before them
strewing the perfume along the road.
42 And Joseph went up with a
heavy camp, and they did after this manner every day until they reached the
land of Canaan, and they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which was on
the other side of Jordan, and they mourned an exceeding great and heavy
mourning in that place.
43 And all the kings of Canaan
heard of this thing and they all went forth, each man from his house,
thirty-one kings of Canaan, and they all came with their men to mourn and
weep over Jacob.
44 And all these kings beheld
Jacob's bier, and behold Joseph's crown was upon it, and they also put their
crowns upon the bier, and encircled it with crowns.
45 And all these kings made in
that place a great and heavy mourning with the sons of Jacob and Egypt over
Jacob, for all the kings of Canaan knew the valor of Jacob and his sons.
46 And the report reached Esau,
saying, Jacob died in Egypt, and his
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sons and all Egypt are conveying
him to the land of Canaan to bury him.
47 And Esau heard this thing,
and he was dwelling in mount Seir, and he rose up with his sons and all his
people and all his household, a people exceedingly great, and they came to
mourn and weep over Jacob.
48 And it came to pass, when
Esau came he mourned for his brother Jacob, and all Egypt and all Canaan
again rose up and mourned a great mourning with Esau over Jacob in that place
49 And Joseph and his brethren
brought their father Jacob from that place, and they went to Hebron to bury
Jacob in the cave by his fathers.
50 And they came unto
Kireath-arba, to the cave, and as they came Esau stood with his sons against
Joseph and his brethren as a hindrance in the cave, saying, Jacob shall not
be buried therein, for it belongeth to us and to our father.
51 And Joseph and his brethren
heard the words of Esau's sons, and they were exceedingly wroth, and Joseph
approached unto Esau, saying, What is this thing which they have spoken?
surely my father Jacob bought it from thee for great riches after the death
of Isaac, now five and twenty years ago, and also all the land of Canaan he
bought from thee and from thy sons, and thy seed after thee.
52 And Jacob bought it for his
sons and his seed after him for an inheritance for ever, and why speakest
thou these things this day?
53 And Esau answered, saying,
Thou speakest falsely and utterest lies, for I sold not anything belonging to
me in all this land, as thou sayest, neither did my brother Jacob buy aught
belonging to me in this land.
54 And Esau spoke these things
in order to deceive Joseph with his words, for Esau knew that Joseph was not
present in those days when Esau sold all belonging to him in the land of
Canaan to Jacob.
55 And Joseph said unto Esau,
Surely my father inserted these things with thee in the record of purchase,
and testified the record with witnesses, and behold it is with us in Egypt.
56 And Esau answered, saying
unto him, Bring the record, all that thou wilt find in the record, so will we
do.
57 And Joseph called unto
Naphtali his brother, and he said, Hasten quickly, stay not, and run I pray
thee to Egypt and bring all the records; the record of the purchase, the
sealed record and the open record, and also all the first records in which
all the transactions of the birth-right are written, fetch thou.
58 And thou shalt bring them
unto us hither, that we may know from them all the words of Esau and his sons
which they spoke this day.
59 And Naphtali hearkened to the
voice of Joseph and he hastened and ran to go down to Egypt, and Naphtali was
lighter on foot than any of the stags that were upon the wilderness, for he
would go upon ears of corn without crushing them.
60 And when Esau saw that
Naphtali had gone to fetch the records, he and his sons increased their
resistance against the cave, and Esau and all his people rose up against
Joseph and his brethren to battle.
61 And all the sons of Jacob and
the people of Egypt fought with Esau and his men, and the sons of Esau and
his people were smitten before the sons of Jacob, and the sons of Jacob slew
of Esau's people forty men.
62 And Chushim the son of Dan,
the son of Jacob, was at that time with
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Jacob's sons, but he was about a
hundred cubits distant from the place of battle, for he remained with the
children of Jacob's sons by Jacob's bier to guard it.
63 And Chushim was dumb and
deaf, still he understood the voice of consternation amongst men.
64 And he asked, saying, Why do
you not bury the dead, and what is this great consternation? and they
answered him the words of Esau and his sons; and he ran to Esau in the midst
of the battle, and he slew Esau with a sword, and he cut off his head, and it
sprang to a distance, and Esau fell amongst the people of the battle.
65 And when Chushim did this
thing the sons of Jacob prevailed over the sons of Esau, and the sons of
Jacob buried their father Jacob by force in the cave, and the sons of Esau
beheld it.
66 And Jacob was buried in
Hebron, in the cave of Machpelah which Abraham had bought from the sons of
Heth for the possession of a burial place, and he was buried in very costly
garments.
67 And no king had such honor
paid him as Joseph paid unto his father at his death, for he buried him with
great honor like unto the burial of kings.
68 And Joseph and his brethren
made a mourning of seven days for their father.
CHAPTER 57
1 And it was after this that the
sons of Esau waged war with the sons of Jacob, and the sons of Esau fought
with the sons of Jacob in Hebron, and Esau was still lying dead, and not
buried.
2 And the battle was heavy
between them, and the sons of Esau were smitten before the sons of Jacob, and
the sons of Jacob slew of the sons of Esau eighty men, and not one died of
the people of the sons of Jacob; and the hand of Joseph prevailed over all
the people of the sons of Esau, and he took Zepho, the son of Eliphaz, the
son of Esau, and fifty of his men captive, and he bound them with chains of
iron, and gave them into the hand of his servants to bring them to Egypt.
3 And it came to pass when the
sons of Jacob had taken Zepho and his people captive, all those that remained
were greatly afraid of their lives from the house of Esau, lest they should
also be taken captive, and they all fled with Eliphaz the son of Esau and his
people, with Esau's body, and they went on their road to Mount Seir.
4 And they came unto Mount Seir
and they buried Esau in Seir, but they had not brought his head with them to
Seir, for it was buried in that place where the battle had been in Hebron.
5 And it came to pass when the
sons of Esau had fled from before the sons of Jacob, the sons of Jacob
pursued them unto the borders of Seir, but they did not slay a single man
from amongst them when they pursued them, for Esau's body which they carried
with them excited their confusion, so they fled and the sons of Jacob turned
back from them and came up to the place where their brethren were in Hebron,
and they remained there on that day, and on the next day until they rested
from the battle.
6 And it came to pass on the
third day they assembled all the sons of Seir the Horite, and they assembled
all the children of the east, a multitude of people like the sand of the sea,
and they went and came down to Egypt to fight with Joseph and his brethren,
in order to deliver their brethren.
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7 And Joseph and all the sons of
Jacob heard that the sons of Esau and the children of the east had come upon
them to battle in order to deliver their brethren.
8 And Joseph and his brethren
and the strong men of Egypt went forth and fought in the city of Rameses, and
Joseph and his brethren dealt out a tremendous blow amongst the sons of Esau
and the children of the east.
9 And they slew of them six
hundred thousand men, and they slew amongst them all the mighty men of the
children of Seir the Horite; there were only a few of them left, and they
slew also a great many of the children of the east, and of the children of
Esau; and Eliphaz the son of Esau, and the children of the east all fled
before Joseph and his brethren.
10 And Joseph and his brethren
pursued them until they came unto Succoth, and they yet slew of them in
Succoth thirty men, and the rest escaped and they fled each to his city.
11 And Joseph and his brethren
and the mighty men of Egypt turned back from them with joy and cheerfulness
of heart, for they had smitten all their enemies.
12 And Zepho the son of Eliphaz
and his men were still slaves in Egypt to the sons of Jacob, and their pains
increased.
13 And when the sons of Esau and
the sons of Seir returned to their land, the sons of Seir saw that they had
all fallen into the hands of the sons of Jacob, and the people of Egypt, on
account of the battle of the sons of Esau.
14 And the sons of Seir said
unto the sons of Esau, You have seen and
therefore you know that this
camp was on your account, and not one mighty man or an adept in war
remaineth.
15 Now therefore go forth from
our land, go from us to the land of Canaan to the land of the dwelling of
your fathers; wherefore shall your children inherit the effects of our
children in latter days?
16 And the children of Esau
would not listen to the children of Seir, and the children of Seir considered
to make war with them.
17 And the children of Esau sent
secretly to Angeas king of Africa, the same is Dinhabah, saying,
18 Send unto us some of thy men
and let them come unto us, and we will fight together with the children of
Seir the Horite, for they have resolved to fight with us to drive us away
from the land.
19 And Angeas king of Dinhabah
did so, for he was in those days friendly to the children of Esau, and Angeas
sent five hundred valiant infantry to the children of Esau, and eight hundred
cavalry.
20 And the children of Seir sent
unto the children of the east and unto the children of Midian, saying, You
have seen what the children of Esau have done unto us, upon whose account we
are almost all destroyed, in their battle with the sons of Jacob.
21 Now therefore come unto us
and assist us, and we will fight them together, and we will drive them from
the land and be avenged of the cause of our brethren who died for their sakes
in their battle with their brethren the sons of Jacob.
22 And all the children of the
east listened to the children of Seir, and they came unto them about eight
hundred men with drawn swords, and the children of Esau fought with the
children
177
of Seir at that time in the
wilderness of Paran.
23 And the children of Seir
prevailed then over the sons of Esau, and the children of Seir slew on that
day of the children of Esau in that battle about two hundred men of the people
of Angeas king of Dinhabah.
24 And on the second day the
children of Esau came again to fight a second time with the children of Seir,
and the battle was sore upon the children of Esau this second time, and it
troubled them greatly on account of the children of Seir.
25 And when the children of Esau
saw that the children of Seir were more powerful than they were, some men
of the children of Esau turned and assisted the children of Seir their
enemies.
26 And there fell yet of the
people of the children of Esau in the second battle fifty-eight men of the
people at Angeas king of Dinhabah.
27 And on the third day the
children of Esau heard that some of their brethren had turned from them to
fight against them in the second battle; and the children of Esau mourned
when they heard this thing.
28 And they said, What shall we
do unto our brethren who turned from us to assist the children of Seir our
enemies? and the children of Esau again sent to Angeas king of Dinhabah,
saying,
29 Send unto us again other men
that with them we may fight with the children of Seir, for they have already
twice been heavier than we were.
30 And Angeas again sent to the
children of Esau about six hundred valiant men, and they came to assist the
children of Esau.
31 And in ten days' time the
children of Esau again waged war with the children of Seir in the wilderness
of Paran, and the battle was very severe upon the children of Seir, and the
children of Esau prevailed at this time over the children of Seir, and the
children of Seir were smitten before the children of Esau, and the children
of Esau slew from them about two thousand men.
32 And all the mighty men of the
children of Seir died in this battle, and there only remained their young
children that were left in their cities.
33 And all Midian and the
children of the east betook themselves to flight from the battle, and they
left the children of Seir and fled when they saw that the battle was severe
upon them, and the children of Esau pursued all the children of the east
until they reached their land.
34 And the children of Esau slew
yet of them about two hundred and fifty men and from the people of the
children of Esau there fell in that battle about thirty men, but this evil
came upon them through their brethren turning from them to assist the
children of Seir the Horite, and the children of Esau again heard of the evil
doings of their brethren, and they again mourned on account of this thing.
35 And it came to pass after the
battle, the children of Esau turned back and came home unto Seir, and the
children of Esau slew those who had remained in the land of the children of
Seir; they slew also their wives and little ones, they left not a soul alive
except fifty young lads and damsels whom they suffered to live, and the
children of Esau did not put them to death, and the lads became their slaves,
and the damsels they took for wives.
36 And the children of Esau
dwelt
178
in Seir in the place of the
children of Seir, and they inherited their land and took possession of it.
37 And the children of Esau took
all belonging in the land to the children of Seir, also their flocks, their
bullocks and their goods, and all belonging to the children of Seir, did the
children of Esau take, and the children of Esau dwelt in Seir in the place of
the children of Seir unto this day, and the children of Esau divided the land
into divisions to the five sons of Esau, according to their families.
38 And it came to pass in those
days, that the children of Esau resolved to crown a king over them in the
land of which they became possessed. And they said to each other, Not so, for
he shall reign over us in our land, and we shall be under his counsel and he
shall fight our battles, against our enemies, and they did so.
39 And all the children of Esau swore,
saying, That none of their brethren should ever reign over them, but a
strange man who is not of their brethren, for the souls of all the children
of Esau were embittered every man against his son, brother and friend, on
account of the evil they sustained from their brethren when they fought with
the children of Seir.
40 Therefore the sons of Esau
swore, saying, From that day forward they would not choose a king from their
brethren, but one from a strange land unto this day.
41 And there was a man there
from the people of Angeas king of Dinhabah; his name was Bela the son of
Beor, who was a very valiant man, beautiful and comely and wise in all
wisdom, and a man of sense and counsel; and there was none of the people of
Angeas like unto him.
42 And all the children of Esau
took him and anointed him and they crowned him for a king, and they bowed
down to him, and they said unto him, May the king live, may the king live.
43 And they spread out the
sheet, and they brought him each man earrings of gold and silver or rings or
bracelets, and they made him very rich in silver and in gold, in onyx stones
and bdellium, and they made him a royal throne, and they placed a regal crown
upon his head, and they built a palace for him and he dwelt therein, and he
became king over all the children of Esau.
44 And the people of Angeas took
their hire for their battle from the children of Esau, and they went and
returned at that time to their master in Dinhabah.
45 And Bela reigned over the
children of Esau thirty years, and the children of Esau dwelt in the land
instead of the children of Seir, and they dwelt securely in their stead unto
this day.
CHAPTER 58
1 And it came to pass in the
thirty-second year of the Israelites going down to Egypt, that is in the
seventy-first year of the life of Joseph, in that year died Pharaoh king of
Egypt, and Magron his son reigned in his stead.
2 And Pharaoh commanded Joseph
before his death to be a father to his son, Magron, and that Magron should be
under the care of Joseph and under his counsel.
3 And all Egypt consented to
this thing that Joseph should be king over them, for all the Egyptians loved
Joseph as of heretofore, only Magron the son of Pharaoh sat upon, his
father's throne, and he became king in those days in his father's stead.
180
4 Magron was forty-one years old
when he began to reign, and forty years he reigned in Egypt, and all Egypt
called his name Pharaoh after the name of his father, as it was their custom
to do in Egypt to every king that reigned over them.
5 And it came to pass when
Pharaoh reigned in his father's stead, he placed the laws of Egypt and all
the affairs of government in the hand of Joseph, as his father had commanded
him.
6 And Joseph became king over
Egypt, for he superintended over all Egypt, and all Egypt was under his care
and under his counsel, for all Egypt inclined to Joseph after the death of
Pharaoh, and they loved him exceedingly to reign over them.
7 But there were some people
amongst them, who did not like him, saying, No stranger shall reign over us;
still the whole government of Egypt devolved in those days upon Joseph, after
the death of Pharaoh, he being the regulator, doing as he liked throughout
the land without any one interfering.
8 And all Egypt was under the
care of Joseph, and Joseph made war with all his surrounding enemies, and he
subdued them; also all the land and all the Philistines, unto the borders of
Canaan, did Joseph subdue, and they were all under his power and they gave a
yearly tax unto Joseph.
9 And Pharaoh king of Egypt sat
upon his throne in his father's stead, but he was under the control and
counsel of Joseph, as he was at first under the control of his father.
10 Neither did he reign but in
the land of Egypt only, under the counsel of Joseph, but Joseph reigned over
the whole country at that time, from Egypt unto the great river Perath.
11 And Joseph was successful
in all his ways, and the Lord was with him, and the Lord gave Joseph
additional wisdom, and honor, and glory, and love toward him in the hearts of
the Egyptians and throughout the land, and Joseph reigned over the whole
country forty years.
12 And all the countries of the
Philistines and Canaan and Zidon, and on the other side of Jordan, brought
presents unto Joseph all his days, and the whole country was in the hand of
Joseph, and they brought unto him a yearly tribute as it was regulated, for
Joseph had fought against all his surrounding enemies and subdued them, and
the whole country was in the hand of Joseph, and Joseph sat securely upon his
throne in Egypt.
13 And also all his brethren the
sons of Jacob dwelt securely in the land, all the days of Joseph, and they
were fruitful and multiplied exceedingly in the land, and they served the
Lord all their days, as their father Jacob had commanded them.
14 And it came to pass at the
end of many days and years, when the children of Esau were dwelling quietly
in their land with Bela their king, that the children of Esau were fruitful
and multiplied in the land, and they resolved to go and fight with the sons
of Jacob and all Egypt, and to deliver their brother Zepho, the son of
Eliphaz, and his men, for they were yet in those days slaves to Joseph.
15 And the children of Esau sent
unto all the children of the east, and they made peace with them, and all the
children of the east came unto them to go with the children of Esau to Egypt
to battle.
16 And there came also unto them
of the people of Angeas, king of Dinhabah, and they also sent unto the
children of Ishmael and they also came unto them.
17 And all this people assembled
and came unto Seir to assist the children of Esau in their battle, and this
camp was very large and heavy with people, numerous as the sand of the sea,
about eight hundred thousand men, infantry and cavalry, and all these troops
went down to Egypt to fight with the sons of Jacob, and they encamped by
Rameses.
18 And Joseph went forth with
his brethren with the mighty men of Egypt, about six hundred men, and they
fought with them in the land of Rameses; and the sons of Jacob at that time
again fought with the children of Esau, in the fiftieth year of the sons of
Jacob going down to Egypt, that is the thirtieth year of the reign of Bela
over the children of Esau in Seir.
19 And the Lord gave all the
mighty men of Esau and the children of the east into the hand of Joseph and
his brethren, and the people of the children of Esau and the children of the
east were smitten before Joseph.
20 And of the people of Esau and
the children of the east that were slain, there fell before the sons of Jacob
about two hundred thousand men, and their king Bela the son of Beor fell with
them in the battle, and when the children of Esau saw that their king had
fallen in battle and was dead, their hands became weak in the combat.
21 And Joseph and his brethren
and all Egypt were still smiting the people of the house of Esau, and all
Esau's people were afraid of the sons of Jacob and fled from before them.
22 And Joseph and his brethren
and all Egypt pursued them a day's journey, and they slew yet from them about
three hundred men, continuing to smite them in the road; and they afterward
turned back from them.
23 And Joseph and all his
brethren returned to Egypt, not one man was missing from them, but of the
Egyptians there fell twelve men.
24 And when Joseph returned to
Egypt he ordered Zepho and his men to be additionally bound, and they bound
them in irons and they increased their grief.
25 And all the people of the
children of Esau, and the children of the east, returned in shame each unto
his city, for all the mighty men that were with them had fallen in battle.
26 And when the children of Esau
saw that their king had died in battle they hastened and took a man from the
people of the children of the east; his name was Jobab the son of Zarach,
from the land of Botzrah, and they caused him to reign over them instead of
Bela their king.
27 And Jobab sat upon the throne
of Bela as king in his stead, and Jobab reigned in Edom over all the children
of Esau ten years, and the children of Esau went no more to fight with the
sons of Jacob from that day forward, for the sons of Esau knew the valor of
the sons of Jacob, and they were greatly afraid of them.
28 But from that day forward the
children of Esau hated the sons of Jacob, and the hatred and enmity were very
strong between them all the days, unto this day.
29 And it came to pass after
this, at the end of ten years, Jobab, the son of Zarach, from Botzrah, died,
and the children of Esau took a man whose name was Chusham, from the land of
Teman, and they made him king over them instead of Jobab, and Chusham reigned
in Edom over all the children of Esau for twenty years.
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30 And Joseph, king of Egypt,
and his brethren, and all the children of Israel dwelt securely in Egypt in
those days, together with all the children of Joseph and his brethren, having
no hindrance or evil accident and the land of Egypt was at that time at rest
from war in the days of Joseph and his brethren.
CHAPTER 59
1 And these are the names of the
sons of Israel who dwelt in Egypt, who had come with Jacob, all the sons of
Jacob came unto Egypt, every man with his household.
2 The children of Leah were
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun, and their sister Dinah.
3 And the sons of Rachel were
Joseph and Benjamin.
4 And the sons of Zilpah, the
handmaid of Leah, were Gad and Asher.
5 And the sons of Bilhah, the
handmaid of Rachel, were Dan and Naphtali.
6 And these were their offspring
that were born unto them in the land of Canaan, before they came unto Egypt
with their father Jacob.
7 The sons of Reuben were
Chanoch, Pallu, Chetzron and Carmi.
8 And the sons of Simeon were
Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zochar and Saul, the son of the Canaanitish
woman.
9 And the children of Levi were
Gershon, Kehath and Merari, and their sister Jochebed, who was born unto them
in their going down to Egypt.
10 And the sons of Judah were
Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zarach.
11 And Er and Onan died in the
land of Canaan; and the sons of Perez were Chezron and Chamul.
12 And the sons of Issachar were
Tola, Puvah, Job and Shomron.
13 And the sons of Zebulun were
Sered, Elon and Jachleel, and the son of Dan was Chushim.
14 And the sons of Naphtali were
Jachzeel, Guni, Jetzer and Shilam.
15 And the sons of Gad were
Ziphion, Chaggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Areli.
16 And the children of Asher
were Jimnah, Jishvah, Jishvi, Beriah and their sister Serach; and the sons of
Beriah were Cheber and Malchiel.
17 And the sons of Benjamin were
Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Achi, Rosh, Mupim, Chupim and Ord.
18 And the sons of Joseph, that
were born unto him in Egypt, were Manasseh and Ephraim.
19 And all the souls that went
forth from the loins of Jacob, were seventy souls; these are they who came
with Jacob their father unto Egypt to dwell there: and Joseph and all his
brethren dwelt securely in Egypt, and they ate of the best of Egypt all the
days of the life of Joseph.
20 And Joseph lived in the land
of Egypt ninety-three years, and Joseph reigned over all Egypt eighty years.
21 And when the days of Joseph
drew nigh that he should die, he sent and called for his brethren and all his
father's household, and they all came together and sat before him.
22 And Joseph said unto his
brethren and unto the whole of his father's household, Behold I die, and God
will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land which he
swore to your fathers to give unto them.
23 And it shall be when God
shall visit you to bring you up from here to the land of your fathers, then
bring up my bones with you from here.
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24 And Joseph made the sons of
Israel to swear for their seed after them, saying, God will surely visit you
and you shall bring up my bones with you from here.
25 And it came to pass after
this that Joseph died in that year, the seventy-first year of the Israelites
going down to Egypt.
26 And Joseph was one hundred
and ten years old when he died in the land of Egypt, and all his brethren and
all his servants rose up and they embalmed Joseph, as was their custom, and
his brethren and all Egypt mourned over him for seventy days.
27 And they put Joseph in a coffin
filled with spices and all sorts of perfume, and they buried him by the side
of the river, that is Sihor, and his sons and all his brethren, and the whole
of his father's household made a seven day's mourning for him.
28 And it came to pass after the
death of Joseph, all the Egyptians began in those days to rule over the
children of Israel, and Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who reigned in his father's
stead, took all the laws of Egypt and conducted the whole government of Egypt
under his counsel, and he reigned securely over his people.
CHAPTER 60
1 And when the year came round,
being the seventy-second year from the Israelites going down to Egypt, after
the death of Joseph, Zepho, the son of Eliphaz, the son of Esau, fled from
Egypt, he and his men, and they went away.
2 And he came to Africa, which
is Dinhabah, to Angeas king of Africa, and Angeas received them with great
honor, and he made Zepho the captain of his host.
3 And Zepho found favor in the
sight of Angeas and in the sight of his people, and Zepho was captain of the
host to Angeas king of Africa for many days.
4 And Zepho enticed Angeas king
of Africa to collect all his army to go and fight with the Egyptians, and
with the sons of Jacob, and to avenge of them the cause of his brethren.
5 But Angeas would not listen to
Zepho to do this thing, for Angeas knew the strength of the sons of Jacob,
and what they had done to his army in their warfare with the children of
Esau.
6 And Zepho was in those days
very great in the sight of Angeas and in the sight of all his people, and he
continually enticed them to make war against Egypt, but they would not.
7 And it came to pass in those
days there was in the land of Chittim a man in the city of Puzimna, whose
name was Uzu, and he became degenerately deified by the children of Chittim,
and the man died and had no son, only one daughter whose name was Jania.
8 And the damsel was exceedingly
beautiful, comely and intelligent, there was none seen like unto her for
beauty and wisdom throughout the land.
9 And the people of Angeas king
of Africa saw her and they came and praised her unto him, and Angeas sent to
the children of Chittim, and he requested to take her unto himself for a
wife, and the people of Chittim consented to give her unto him for a wife.
10 And when the messengers of
Angeas were going forth from the land of Chittim to take their journey,
behold the messengers of Turnus king of Bibentu came unto Chittim,
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for Turnus king of Bibentu also
sent his messengers to request Jania for him, to take unto himself for a
wife, for all his men had also praised her to him, therefore he sent all his
servants unto her.
11 And the servants of Turnus
came to Chittim, and they asked for Jania, to be taken unto Turnus their king
for a wife.
12 And the people of Chittim
said unto them, We cannot give her, because Angeas king of Africa desired her
to take her unto him for a wife before you came, and that we should give her
unto him, and now therefore we cannot do this thing to deprive Angeas of the
damsel in order to give her unto Turnus.
13 For we are greatly afraid of
Angeas lest he come in battle against us and destroy us, and Turnus your
master will not be able to deliver us from his hand.
14 And when the messengers of
Turnus heard all the words of the children of Chittim, they turned back to
their master and told him all the words of the children of Chittim.
15 And the children of Chittim
sent a memorial to Angeas, saying, Behold Turnus has sent for Jania to take
her unto him for a wife, and thus have we answered him; and we heard that he
has collected his whole army to go to war against thee, and he intends to
pass by the road of Sardunia to fight against thy brother Lucus, and after
that he will come to fight against thee.
16 And Angeas heard the words of
the children of Chittim which they sent to him in the record, and his anger
was kindled and he rose up and assembled his whole army and came through the
islands of the sea, the road to Sardunia, unto his brother Lucus king of
Sardunia.
17 And Niblos, the son of Lucus,
heard that his uncle Angeas was coming, and he went out to meet him with a
heavy army, and he kissed him and embraced him, and Niblos said unto Angeas,
When thou askest my father after his welfare, when I shall go with thee to
fight with Turnus, ask of him to make me captain of his host, and Angeas did
so, and he came unto his brother and his brother came to meet him, and he
asked him after his welfare.
18 And Angeas asked his brother
Lucus after his welfare, and to make his son Niblos captain of his host, and
Lucus did so, and Angeas and his brother Lucus rose up and they went toward
Turnus to battle, and there was with them a great army and a heavy people.
19 And he came in ships, and
they came into the province of Ashtorash, and behold Turnus came toward them,
for he went forth to Sardunia, and intended to destroy it and afterward to
pass on from there to Angeas to fight with him.
20 And Angeas and Lucus his
brother met Turnus in the valley of Canopia, and the battle was strong and
mighty between them in that place.
21 And the battle was severe
upon Lucus king of Sardunia, and all his army fell, and Niblos his son fell
also in that battle.
22 And his uncle Angeas
commanded his servants and they made a golden coffin for Niblos and they put
him into it, and Angeas again waged battle toward Turnus, and Angeas was
stronger than he, and he slew him, and he smote all his people with the edge
of the sword, and Angeas
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avenged the cause of Niblos his
brother's son and the cause of the army of his brother Lucus.
23 And when Turnus died, the
hands of those that survived the battle became weak, and they fled from
before Angeas and Lucus his brother.
24 And Angeas and his brother
Lucus pursued them unto the highroad, which is between Alphanu and Romah, and
they slew the whole army of Turnus with the edge of the sword.
25 And Lucus king of Sardunia
commanded his servants that they should make a coffin of brass, and that they
should place therein the body of his son Niblos, and they buried him in that
place.
26 And they built upon it a high
tower there upon the highroad, and they called its name after the name of
Niblos unto this day, and they also buried Turnus king of Bibentu there in
that place with Niblos.
27 And behold upon the highroad
between Alphanu and Romah the grave of Niblos is on one side and the grave of
Turnus on the other, and a pavement between them unto this day.
28 And when Niblos was buried,
Lucus his father returned with his army to his land Sardunia, and Angeas his
brother king of Africa went with his people unto the city of Bibentu, that is
the city of Turnus.
29 And the inhabitants of
Bibentu heard of his fame and they were greatly afraid of him, and they went
forth to meet him with weeping and supplication, and the inhabitants of
Bibentu entreated of Angeas not to slay them nor destroy their city; and he
did so, for Bibentu was in those days reckoned as one of the cities of the
children of Chittim; therefore he did not destroy the city.
30 But from that day forward the
troops of the king of Africa would go to Chittim to spoil and plunder it, and
whenever they went, Zepho the captain of the host of Angeas would go with
them.
31 And it was after this that
Angeas turned with his army and they came to the city of Puzimna, and Angeas
took thence Jania the daughter of Uzu for a wife and brought her unto his
city unto Africa.
CHAPTER 61
1 And it came to pass at that
time Pharaoh king of Egypt commanded all his people to make for him a strong
palace in Egypt.
2 And he also commanded the sons
of Jacob to assist the Egyptians in the building, and the Egyptians made a
beautiful and elegant palace for a royal habitation, and he dwelt therein and
he renewed his government and he reigned securely.
3 And Zebulun the son of Jacob
died in that year, that is the seventy-second year of the going down of the
Israelites to Egypt, and Zebulun died a hundred and fourteen years old, and
was put into a coffin and given into the hands of his children.
4 And in the seventy-fifth year
died his brother Simeon, he was a hundred and twenty years old at his death,
and he was also put into a coffin and given into the hands of his children.
5 And Zepho the son of Eliphaz
the son of Esau, captain of the host to Angeas king of Dinhabah, was still
daily enticing Angeas to prepare for battle to fight with the sons of Jacob
in Egypt, and Angeas was unwilling to do this thing, for his servants had
related to him all the might of the sons of Jacob, what they had done unto them
in their battle with the children of Esau.
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6 And Zepho was in those days
daily enticing Angeas to fight with the sons of Jacob in those days.
7 And after some time Angeas
hearkened to the words of Zepho and consented to him to fight with the sons
of Jacob in Egypt, and Angeas got all his people in order, a people numerous
as the sand which is upon the sea shore, and he formed his resolution to go
to Egypt to battle.
8 And amongst the servants of Angeas
was a youth fifteen years old, Balaam the son of Beor was his name and the
youth was very wise and understood the art of witchcraft.
9 And Angeas said unto Balaam,
Conjure for us, I pray thee, with the witchcraft, that we may know who will
prevail in this battle to which we are now proceeding.
10 And Balaam ordered that they
should bring him wax, and he made thereof the likeness of chariots and
horsemen representing the army of Angeas and the army of Egypt, and he put
them in the cunningly prepared waters that he had for that purpose, and he
took in his hand the boughs of myrtle trees, and he exercised his cunning,
and he joined them over the water, and there appeared unto him in the water
the resembling images of the hosts of Angeas falling before the resembling
images of the Egyptians and the sons of Jacob.
11 And Balaam told this thing to
Angeas, and Angeas despaired and did not arm himself to go down to Egypt to
battle, and he remained in his city.
12 And when Zepho the son of
Eliphaz saw that Angeas despaired of going forth to battle with the
Egyptians, Zepho fled from Angeas from Africa, and he went and came unto
Chittim.
13 And all the people of Chittim
received him with great honor, and they hired him to fight their battles all
the days, and Zepho became exceedingly rich in those days, and the troops of
the king of Africa still spread themselves in those days, and the children of
Chittim assembled and went to Mount Cuptizia on account of the troops of
Angeas king of Africa, who were advancing upon them.
14 And it was one day that Zepho
lost a young heifer, and he went to seek it, and he heard it lowing round
about the mountain.
15 And Zepho went and he saw and
behold there was a large cave at the bottom of the mountain, and there was a
great stone there at the entrance of the cave, and Zepho split the stone and
he came into the cave and he looked and behold, a large animal was devouring
the ox; from the middle upward it resembled a man, and from the middle
downward it resembled an animal, and Zepho rose up against the animal and
slew it with his swords.
16 And the inhabitants of
Chittim heard of this thing, and they rejoiced exceedingly, and they said,
What shall we do unto this man who has slain this animal that devoured our
cattle?
17 And they all assembled to
consecrate one day in the year to him, and they called the name thereof Zepho
after his name, and they brought unto him drink offerings year after year on
that day, and they brought unto him gifts.
18 At that time Jania the
daughter of Uzu wife of king Angeas became ill, and her illness was heavily
felt by Angeas and his officers, and Angeas said unto his wise men, What
shall I do to Jania and how shall I heal her from her illness? And his wise
men said unto
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him, Because the air of our country
is not like the air of the land of Chittim, and our water is not like their
water, therefore from this has the queen become ill.
19 For through the change of air
and water she became ill, and also because in her country she drank only the
water which came from Purmah, which her ancestors had brought up with
bridges.
20 And Angeas commanded his
servants, and they brought unto him in vessels of the waters of Purmah
belonging to Chittim, and they weighed those waters with all the waters of
the land of Africa, and they found those waters lighter than the waters of
Africa.
21 And Angeas saw this thing,
and he commanded all his officers to assemble the hewers of stone in
thousands and tens of thousands, and they hewed stone without number, and the
builders came and they built an exceedingly strong bridge, and they conveyed
the spring of water from the land of Chittim unto Africa, and those waters
were for Jania the queen and for all her concerns, to drink from and to bake,
wash and bathe therewith, and also to water therewith all seed from which
food can be obtained, and all fruit of the ground.
22 And the king commanded that
they should bring of the soil of Chittim in large ships, and they also
brought stones to build therewith, and the builders built palaces for Jania
the queen, and the queen became healed of her illness.
23 And at the revolution of the
year the troops of Africa continued coming to the land of Chittim to plunder
as usual, and Zepho son of Eliphaz heard their report, and he gave orders
concerning them and he fought with them, and they fled before him, and he
delivered the land of Chittim from them.
24 And the children of Chittim
saw the valor of Zepho, and the children of Chittim resolved and they made
Zepho king over them, and he became king over them, and whilst he reigned
they went to subdue the children of Tubal, and all the surrounding islands.
25 And their king Zepho went at
their head and they made war with Tubal and the islands, and they subdued
them, and when they returned from the battle they renewed his government for
him, and they built for him a very large palace for his royal habitation and
seat, and they made a large throne for him, and Zepho reigned over the whole
land of Chittim and over the land of Italia fifty years.
CHAPTER 62
1 In that year, being the
seventy-ninth year of the Israelites going down to Egypt, died Reuben the son
of Jacob, in the land of Egypt; Reuben was a hundred and twenty-five years
old when he died, and they put him into a coffin, and he was given into the
hands of his children.
2 And in the eightieth year died
his brother Dan; he was a hundred and twenty years at his death, and he was
also put into a coffin and given into the hands of his children.
3 And in that year died Chusham
king of Edom, and after him reigned Hadad the son of Bedad, for thirty-five
years; and in the eighty-first year died Issachar the son of Jacob, in Egypt,
and Issachar was a hundred and twenty-two years old at his death, and he was
put into a coffin in Egypt, and given into the hands of his children.
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4 And in the eighty-second year
died Asher his brother, he was a hundred and twenty-three years old at his
death, and he was placed in a coffin in Egypt, and given into the hands of
his children.
5 And in the eighty-third year
died Gad, he was a hundred and twenty-five years old at his death, and he was
put into a coffin in Egypt, and given into the hands of his children.
6 And it came to pass in the
eighty-fourth year, that is the fiftieth year of the reign of Hadad, son of
Bedad, king of Edom, that Hadad assembled all the children of Esau, and he
got his whole army in readiness, about four hundred thousand men, and he
directed his way to the land of Moab, and he went to fight with Moab and to
make them tributary to him.
7 And the children of Moab heard
this thing, and they were very much afraid, and they sent to the children of
Midian to assist them in fighting with Hadad, son of Bedad, king of Edom.
8 And Hadad came unto the land
of Moab, and Moab and the children of Midian went out to meet him, and they
placed themselves in battle array against him in the field of Moab.
9 And Hadad fought with Moab,
and there fell of the children of Moab and the children of Midian many slain
ones, about two hundred thousand men.
10 And the battle was very
severe upon Moab, and when the children of Moab saw that the battle was sore
upon them, they weakened their hands and turned their backs, and left the
children of Midian to carry on the battle.
11 And the children of Midian
knew not the intentions of Moab, but they strengthened themselves in battle
and fought with Hadad and all his host, and all Midian fell before him.
12 And Hadad smote all Midian
with a heavy smiting, and he slew them with the edge of the sword, he left
none remaining of those who came to assist Moab.
13 And when all the children of
Midian had perished in battle, and the children at Moab had escaped, Hadad
made all Moab at that time tributary to him, and they became under his hand,
and they gave a yearly tax as it was ordered, and Hadad turned and went back
to his land.
14 And at the revolution of the
year, when the rest of the people of Midian that were in the land heard that
all their brethren had fallen in battle with Hadad for the sake of Moab,
because the children of Moab had turned their backs in battle and left Midian
to fight, then five of the princes of Midian resolved with the rest of their
brethren who remained in their land, to fight with Moab to avenge the cause
of their brethren.
15 And the children of Midian
sent to all their brethren the children of the east, and all their brethren,
all the children of Keturah came to assist Midian to fight with Moab.
16 And the children of Moab
heard this thing, and they were greatly afraid that all the children of the
east had assembled together against them for battle, and they the children of
Moab sent a memorial to the land of Edom to Hadad the son of Bedad, saying,
17 Come now unto us and assist
us and we will smite Midian, for they all assembled together and have come
against us with all their brethren the children of the east to battle, to
avenge the cause of Midian that fell in battle.
18 And Hadad, son of Bedad, king
of Edom, went forth with his whole army and went to the land of Moab to fight
with Midian, and Midian and the
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children of the east fought with
Moab in the field of Moab, and the battle was very fierce between them.
19 And Hadad smote all the
children of Midian and the children of the east with the edge of the sword,
and Hadad at that time delivered Moab from the hand of Midian, and those that
remained of Midian and of the children of the east fled before Hadad and his
army, and Hadad pursued them to their land, and smote them with a very heavy
slaughter, and the slain fell in the road.
20 And Hadad delivered Moab from
the hand of Midian, for all the children of Midian had fallen by the edge of
the sword, and Hadad turned and went back to his land.
21 And from that day forth, the
children of Midian hated the children of Moab, because they had fallen in
battle for their sake, and there was a great and mighty enmity between them
all the days.
22 And all that were found of
Midian in the road of the land of Moab perished by the sword of Moab, and all
that were found of Moab in the road of the land of Midian, perished by the
sword of Midian; thus did Midian unto Moab and Moab unto Midian for many
days.
23 And it came to pass at that
time that Judah the son of Jacob died in Egypt, in the eighty-sixth year of
Jacob's going down to Egypt, and Judah was a hundred and twenty-nine years
old at his death, and they embalmed him and put him into a coffin, and he was
given into the hands of his children.
24 And in the eighty-ninth year
died Naphtali, he was a hundred and thirty-two years old, and he was put into
a coffin and given into the hands of his children.
25 And it came to pass in the
ninety-first year of the Israelites going down to Egypt, that is in the thirtieth
year of the reign of Zepho the son of Eliphaz, the son of Esau, over the
children of Chittim, the children of Africa came upon the children of Chittim
to plunder them as usual, but they had not come upon them for these thirteen
years.
26 And they came to them in that
year, and Zepho the son of Eliphaz went out to them with some of his men and
smote them desperately, and the troops of Africa fled from before Zepho and
the slain fell before him, and Zepho and his men pursued them, going on and
smiting them until they were near unto Africa.
27 And Angeas king of Africa
heard the thing which Zepho had done, and it vexed him exceedingly, and
Angeas was afraid of Zepho all the days.
CHAPTER 63
1 And in the ninety-third year
died Levi, the son of Jacob, in Egypt, and Levi was a hundred and
thirty-seven years old when he died, and they put him into a coffin and he
was given into the hands of his children.
2 And it came to pass after the
death of Levi, when all Egypt saw that the sons of Jacob the brethren of
Joseph were dead, all the Egyptians began to afflict the children of Jacob,
and to embitter their lives from that day unto the day of their going forth
from Egypt, and they took from their hands all the vineyards and fields which
Joseph had given unto them, and all the elegant houses in which the people of
Israel lived, and all the fat of Egypt, the Egyptians took all from the sons
of Jacob in those days.
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3 And the hand of all Egypt
became more grievous in those days against the children of Israel, and the
Egyptians injured the Israelites until the children of Israel were wearied of
their lives on account of the Egyptians.
4 And it came to pass in those
days, in the hundred and second year of Israel's going down to Egypt, that
Pharaoh king of Egypt died, and Melol his son reigned in his stead, and all
the mighty men of Egypt and all that generation which knew Joseph and his
brethren died in those days.
5 And another generation rose up
in their stead, which had not known the sons of Jacob and all the good which
they had done to them, and all their might in Egypt.
6 Therefore all Egypt began from
that day forth to embitter the lives of the sons of Jacob, and to afflict
them with all manner of hard labor, because they had not known their
ancestors who had delivered them in the days of the famine.
7 And this was also from the
Lord, for the children of Israel, to benefit them in their latter days, in
order that all the children of Israel might know the Lord their God.
8 And in order to know the signs
and mighty wonders which the Lord would do in Egypt on account of his people
Israel, in order that the children of Israel might fear the Lord God of their
ancestors, and walk in all his ways, they and their seed after them all the
days.
9 Melol was twenty years old
when he began to reign, and he reigned ninety-four years, and all Egypt
called his name Pharaoh after the name of his father, as it was their custom
to do to every king who reigned over them in Egypt.
10 At that time all the troops
of Angeas king of Africa went forth to spread along the land of Chittim as
usual for plunder.
11 And Zepho the son of Eliphaz
the son of Esau heard their report, and he went forth to meet them with his
army, and he fought them there in the road.
12 And Zepho smote the troops of
the king of Africa with the edge of the sword, and left none remaining of
them, and not even one returned to his master in Africa.
13 And Angeas heard of this
which Zepho the son of Eliphaz had done to all his troops, that he had
destroyed them, and Angeas assembled all his troops, all the men of the land
of Africa, a people numerous like the sand by the sea shore.
14 And Angeas sent to Lucus his
brother, saying, Come to me with all thy men and help me to smite Zepho and
all the children of Chittim who have destroyed my men, and Lucus came with
his whole army, a very great force, to assist Angeas his brother to fight
with Zepho and the children of Chittim.
15 And Zepho and the children of
Chittim heard this thing, and they were greatly afraid and a great terror
fell upon their hearts.
16 And Zepho also sent a letter
to the land of Edom to Hadad the son of Bedad king of Edom and to all the
children of Esau, saying,
17 I have heard that Angeas king
of Africa is coming to us with his brother for battle against us, and we are
greatly afraid of him, for his army is very great, particularly as he comes
against us with his brother and his army likewise.
18 Now therefore come you also
up with me and help me, and we will fight together against Angeas and his
brother
190
Lucus, and you will save us out
of their hands, but if not, know ye that we shall all die.
19 And the children of Esau sent
a letter to the children of Chittim and to Zepho their king, saying, We
cannot fight against Angeas and his people for a covenant of peace has been
between us these many years, from the days of Bela the first king, and from
the days of Joseph the son of Jacob king of Egypt, with whom we fought on the
other side of Jordan when he buried his father.
20 And when Zepho heard the
words of his brethren the children of Esau he refrained from them, and Zepho
was greatly afraid of Angeas.
21 And Angeas and Lucus his
brother arrayed all their forces, about eight hundred thousand men, against the
children of Chittim.
22 And all the children of
Chittim said unto Zepho, Pray for us to the God of thy ancestors,
peradventure he may deliver us from the hand of Angeas and his army, for we
have heard that he is a great God and that he delivers all who trust in him.
23 And Zepho heard their words,
and Zepho sought the Lord and he said,
24 0 Lord God of Abraham and
Isaac my ancestors, this day I know that thou art a true God, and all the
gods of the nations are vain and useless.
25 Remember now this day unto me
thy covenant with Abraham our father, which our ancestors related unto us,
and do graciously with me this day for the sake of Abraham and Isaac our
fathers, and save me and the children of Chittim from the hand of the king of
Africa who comes against us for battle.
26 And the Lord hearkened to the
voice of Zepho, and he had regard for him on account of Abraham and Isaac,
and the Lord delivered Zepho and the children of Chittim from the hand of
Angeas and his people.
27 And Zepho fought Angeas king
of Africa and all his people on that day, and the Lord gave all the people of
Angeas into the hands of the children of Chittim.
28 And the battle was severe
upon Angeas, and Zepho smote all the men of Angeas and Lucus his brother,
with the edge of the sword, and there fell from them unto the evening of that
day about four hundred thousand men.
29 And when Angeas saw that all
his men perished, he sent a letter to all the inhabitants of Africa to come
to him, to assist him in the battle, and he wrote in the letter, saying, All
who are found in Africa let them come unto me from ten years old and upward;
let them all come unto me, and behold if he comes not he shall die, and all
that he has, with his whole household, the king will take.
30 And all the rest of the inhabitants
of Africa were terrified at the words of Angeas, and there went out of the
city about three hundred thousand men and boys, from ten years upward, and
they came to Angeas.
31 And at the end of ten days
Angeas renewed the battle against Zepho and the children of Chittim, and the
battle was very great and strong between them.
32 And from the army of Angeas
and Lucus, Zepho sent many of the wounded unto his hand, about two thousand
men, and Sosiphtar the captain of the host of Angeas fell in that battle.
33 And when Sosiphtar had
fallen, the African troops turned their backs to flee, and they fled, and
Angeas and Lucus his brother were with them.
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34 And Zepho and the children of
Chittim pursued them, and they smote them still heavily on the road, about
two hundred men, and they pursued Azdrubal the son of Angeas who had fled
with his father, and they smote twenty of his men in the road, and Azdrubal
escaped from the children of Chittim, and they did not slay him.
35 And Angeas and Lucus his
brother fled with the rest of their men, and they escaped and came into
Africa with terror and consternation, and Angeas feared all the days lest
Zepho the son of Eliphaz should go to war with him.
CHAPTER 64
1 And Balaam the son of Beor was
at that time with Angeas in the battle, and when he saw that Zepho prevailed
over Angeas, he fled from there and came to Chittim.
2 And Zepho and the children of
Chittim received him with great honor, for Zepho knew Balaam's wisdom, and
Zepho gave unto Balaam many gifts and he remained with him.
3 And when Zepho had returned
from the war, he commanded all the children of Chittim to be numbered who had
gone into battle with him, and behold not one was missed.
4 And Zepho rejoiced at this
thing, and he renewed his kingdom, and he made a feast to all his subjects.
5 But Zepho remembered not the
Lord and considered not that the Lord had helped him in battle, and that he
had delivered him and his people from the hand of the king of Africa, but
still walked in the ways of the children of Chittim and the wicked children
of Esau, to serve other gods which his brethren the children of Esau had
taught him; it is therefore said, From the wicked goes forth wickedness.
6 And Zepho reigned over all the
children of Chittim securely, but knew not the Lord who had delivered him and
all his people from the hand of the king of Africa; and the troops of Africa
came no more to Chittim to plunder as usual, for they knew of the power of
Zepho who had smitten them all at the edge of the sword, so Angeas was afraid
of Zepho the son of Eliphaz, and of the children of Chittim all the days.
7 At that time when Zepho had
returned from the war, and when Zepho had seen how he prevailed over all the
people of Africa and had smitten them in battle at the edge of the sword,
then Zepho advised with the children of Chittim, to go to Egypt to fight with
the sons of Jacob and with Pharaoh king of Egypt.
8 For Zepho heard that the
mighty men of Egypt were dead and that Joseph and his brethren the sons at
Jacob were dead, and that all their children the children of Israel remained
in Egypt.
9 And Zepho considered to go to
fight against them and all Egypt, to avenge the cause of his brethren the
children of Esau, whom Joseph with his brethren and all Egypt had smitten in
the land of Canaan, when they went up to bury Jacob in Hebron.
10 And Zepho sent messengers to
Hadad, son of Bedad, king of Edom, and to all his brethren the children of
Esau, saying,
11 Did you not say that you
would not fight against the king of Africa for he is a member of your
covenant? behold I fought with him and smote him and all his people.
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12 Now therefore I have resolved
to fight against Egypt and the children of Jacob who are there, and I will be
revenged of them for what Joseph, his brethren and ancestors did to us in the
land of Canaan when they went up to bury their father in Hebron.
13 Now then if you are willing
to come to me to assist me in fighting against them and Egypt, then shall we
avenge the cause of our brethren.
14 And the children of Esau
hearkened to the words of Zepho, and the children of Esau gathered themselves
together, a very great people, and they went to assist Zepho and the children
of Chittim in battle.
15 And Zepho sent to all the
children of the east and to all the children of Ishmael with words like unto
these, and they gathered themselves and came to the assistance of Zepho and
the children of Chittim in the war upon Egypt.
16 And all these kings, the king
of Edom and the children of the east, and all the children of Ishmael, and
Zepho the king of Chittim went forth and arrayed all their hosts in Hebron.
17 And the camp was very heavy,
extending in length a distance of three days' journey, a people numerous as
the sand upon the sea shore which can not be counted.
18 And all these kings and their
hosts went down and came against all Egypt in battle, and encamped together
in the valley of Pathros.
19 And all Egypt heard their
report, and they also gathered themselves together, all the people of the
land of Egypt, and of all the cities belonging to Egypt, about three hundred
thousand men.
20 And the men of Egypt sent
also to the children of Israel who were in those days in the land of Goshen,
to come to them in order to go and fight with these kings.
21 And the men of Israel
assembled and were about one hundred and fifty men, and they went into battle
to assist the Egyptians.
22 And the men of Israel and of
Egypt went forth, about three hundred thousand men and one hundred and fifty
men, and they went toward these kings to battle, and they placed themselves
from without the land of Goshen opposite Pathros.
23 And the Egyptians believed
not in Israel to go with them in their camps together for battle, for all the
Egyptians said, Perhaps the children of Israel will deliver us into the hand
of the children of Esau and Ishmael, for they are their brethren.
24 And all the Egyptians said
unto the children of Israel, Remain you here together in your stand and we
will go and fight against the children of Esau and Ishmael, and if these
kings should prevail over us, then come you altogether upon them and assist
us, and the children of Israel did so.
25 And Zepho the son of Eliphaz
the son of Esau king of Chittim, and Hadad the son of Bedad king of Edom, and
all their camps, and all the children of the east, and children of Ishmael, a
people numerous as sand, encamped together in the valley of Pathros opposite
Tachpanches.
26 And Balaam the son of Beor
the Syrian was there in the camp of Zepho, for he came with the children of
Chittim to the battle, and Balaam was a man highly honored in the eyes of
Zepho and his men.
27 And Zepho said unto Balaam,
Try by divination for us that we may know who will prevail in the battle, we
or the Egyptians.
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28 And Balaam rose up and tried
the art of divination, and he was skillful in the knowledge of it, but he was
confused and the work was destroyed in his hand.
29 And he tried it again but it
did not succeed, and Balaam despaired of it and left it and did not complete
it, for this was from the Lord, in order to cause Zepho and his people to
fall into the hand of the children of Israel, who had trusted in the Lord,
the God of their ancestors, in their war.
30 And Zepho and Hadad put their
forces in battle array, and all the Egyptians went alone against them, about
three hundred thousand men, and not one man of Israel was with them.
31 And all the Egyptians fought
with these kings opposite Pathros and Tachpanches, and the battle was severe
against the Egyptians.
32 And the kings were stronger
than the Egyptians in that battle, and about one hundred and eighty men of
Egypt fell on that day, and about thirty men of the forces of the kings, and
all the men of Egypt fled from before the kings, so the children of Esau and
Ishmael pursued the Egyptians, continuing to smite them unto the place where
was the camp of the children of Israel.
33 And all the Egyptians cried
unto the children of Israel, saying, Hasten to us and assist us and save us
from the hand of Esau, Ishmael and the children of Chittim.
34 And the hundred and fifty men
of the children of Israel ran from their station to the camps of these kings,
and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord their God to deliver them.
35 And the Lord hearkened to
Israel, and the Lord gave all the men of the kings into their hand, and the
children of Israel fought against these kings, and the children of Israel
smote about four thousand of the kings' men.
36 And the Lord threw a great
consternation in the camp of the kings, so that the fear of the children of
Israel fell upon them.
37 And all the hosts of the
kings fled from before the children of Israel and the children of Israel
pursued them continuing to smite them unto the borders of the land of Cush.
38 And the children of Israel
slew of them in the road yet two thousand men, and of the children of Israel
not one fell.
39 And when the Egyptians saw
that the children of Israel had fought with such few men with the kings, and
that the battle was so very severe against them,
40 All the Egyptians were
greatly afraid of their lives on account of the strong battle, and all Egypt
fled, every man hiding himself from the arrayed forces, and they hid
themselves in the road, and they left the Israelites to fight.
41 And the children of Israel
inflicted a terrible blow upon the kings' men, and they returned from them
after they had driven them to the border of the land of Cush.
42 And all Israel knew the thing
which the men of Egypt had done to them, that they had fled from them in
battle, and had left them to fight alone.
43 So the children of Israel
also acted with cunning, and as the children of Israel returned from battle,
they found some of the Egyptians in the road and smote them there.
44 And whilst they slew them,
they said unto them these words:
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45 Wherefore did you go from us
and leave us, being a few people, to fight against these kings who had a
great people to smite us, that you might thereby deliver your own souls?
46 And of some which the
Israelites met on the road, they the children of Israel spoke to each other,
saying, Smite, smite, for he is an Ishmaelite, or an Edomite, or from the
children of Chittim, and they stood over him and slew him, and they knew that
he was an Egyptian.
47 And the children of Israel
did these things cunningly against the Egyptians, because they had deserted
them in battle and had fled from them.
48 And the children of Israel
slew of the men of Egypt in the road in this manner, about two hundred men.
49 And all the men of Egypt saw
the evil which the children of Israel had done to them, so all Egypt feared
greatly the children of Israel, for they had seen their great power, and that
not one man of them had fallen.
50 So all the children of Israel
returned with joy on their road to Goshen, and the rest of Egypt returned
each man to his place.
CHAPTER 65
1 And it came to pass after
these things, that all the counsellors of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and all the
elders of Egypt assembled and came before the king and bowed down to the
ground, and they sat before him.
2 And the counsellors and elders
of Egypt spoke unto the king, saying,
3 Behold the people of the
children of Israel is greater and mightier than we are, and thou knowest all
the evil which they did to us in the road when we returned from battle.
4 And thou hast also seen their
strong power, for this power is unto them from their fathers, for but a few
men stood up against a people numerous as the sand, and smote them at the
edge of the sword, and of themselves not one has fallen, so that if they had
been numerous they would then have utterly destroyed them.
5 Now therefore give us counsel
what to do with them, until we gradually destroy them from amongst us, lest
they become too numerous for us in the land.
6 For if the children of Israel
should increase in the land, they will become an obstacle to us, and if any
war should happen to take place, they with their great strength will join our
enemy against us, and fight against us, destroy us from the land and go away
from it.
7 So the king answered the
elders of Egypt and said unto them, This is the plan advised against Israel,
from which we will not depart,
8 Behold in the land are Pithom
and Rameses, cities unfortified against battle, it behooves you and us to
build them, and to fortify them.
9 Now therefore go you also and
act cunningly toward them, and proclaim a voice in Egypt and in Goshen at the
command of the king, saying,
10 All ye men of Egypt, Goshen,
Pathros and all their inhabitants! the king has commanded us to build Pithom
and Rameses, and to fortify them for battle; who amongst you of all Egypt, of
the children of Israel and of all the inhabitants of the cities, are willing
to build with us, shall each have his wages given to him daily at the king's
order; so go you first and do cunningly, and gather yourselves and come to
Pithom and Rameses to build.
11 And whilst you are building,
cause a proclamation of this kind to
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be made throughout Egypt every
day at the command of the king.
12 And when some of the children
of Israel shall come to build with you, you shall give them their wages daily
for a few days.
13 And after they shall have
built with you for their daily hire, drag yourselves away from them daily one
by one in secret, and then you shall rise up and become their task-masters
and officers, and you shall leave them afterward to build without wages, and
should they refuse, then force them with all your might to build.
14 And if you do this it will be
well with us to strengthen our land against the children of Israel, for on
account of the fatigue of the building and the work, the children of Israel
will decrease, because you will deprive them from their wives day by day.
15 And all the elders of Egypt
heard the counsel of the king, and the counsel seemed good in their eyes and
in the eyes of the servants of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all Egypt, and
they did according to the word of the king.
16 And all the servants went
away from the king, and they caused a proclamation to be made in all Egypt,
in Tachpanches and in Goshen, and in all the cities which surrounded Egypt,
saying,
17 You have seen what the
children of Esau and Ishmael did to us, who came to war against us and wished
to destroy us.
18 Now therefore the king
commanded us to fortify the land, to build the cities Pithom and Rameses, and
to fortify them for battle, if they should again come against us.
19 Whosoever of you from all
Egypt and from the children of Israel will come to build with us, he shall
have his daily wages given by the king, as his command is unto us.
20 And when Egypt and all the
children of Israel heard all that the servants of Pharaoh had spoken, there
came from the Egyptians, and the children of Israel to build with the
servants of Pharaoh, Pithom and Rameses, but none of the children of Levi
came with their brethren to build.
21 And all the servants of
Pharaoh and his princes came at first with deceit to build with all Israel as
daily hired laborers, and they gave to Israel their daily hire at the
beginning.
22 And the servants of Pharaoh
built with all Israel, and were employed in that work with Israel for a
month.
23 And at the end of the month,
all the servants of Pharaoh began to withdraw secretly from the people of
Israel daily.
24 And Israel went on with the
work at that time, but they then received their daily hire, because some of
the men of Egypt were yet carrying on the work with Israel at that time;
therefore the Egyptians gave Israel their hire in those days, in order that
they, the Egyptians their fellow-workmen, might also take the pay for their
labor.
25 And at the end of a year and
four months all the Egyptians had withdrawn from the children of Israel, so
that the children of Israel were left alone engaged in the work.
26 And after all the Egyptians
had withdrawn from the children of Israel they returned and became oppressors
and officers over them, and some of them stood over the children of Israel as
task masters, to receive from them all that they gave them for the pay of
their labor.
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27 And the Egyptians did in this
manner to the children of Israel day by day, in order to afflict in their
work.
28 And all the children of
Israel were alone engaged in the labor, and the Egyptians refrained from
giving any pay to the children of Israel from that time forward.
29 And when some of the men of
Israel refused to work on account of the wages not being given to them, then
the exactors and the servants of Pharaoh oppressed them and smote them with
heavy blows, and made them return by force, to labor with their brethren;
thus did all the Egyptians unto the children of Israel all the days.
30 And all the children of
Israel were greatly afraid of the Egyptians in this matter, and all the
children of Israel returned and worked alone without pay.
31 And the children of Israel
built Pithom and Rameses, and all the children of Israel did the work, some
making bricks, and some building, and the children of Israel built and
fortified all the land of Egypt and its walls, and the children of Israel
were engaged in work for many years, until the time came when the Lord
remembered them and brought them out of Egypt.
32 But the children of Levi were
not employed in the work with their brethren of Israel, from the beginning
unto the day of their going forth from Egypt.
33 For all the children of Levi
knew that the Egyptians had spoken all these words with deceit to the
Israelites, therefore the children of Levi refrained from approaching to the
work with their brethren.
34 And the Egyptians did not
direct their attention to make the children of Levi work afterward, since
they had not been with their brethren at the beginning, therefore the
Egyptians left them alone.
35 And the hands of the men of
Egypt were directed with continued severity against the children of Israel in
that work, and the Egyptians made the children of Israel work with rigor.
36 And the Egyptians embittered
the lives of the children of Israel with hard work, in mortar and bricks, and
also in all manner of work in the field.
37 And the children of Israel
called Melol the king of Egypt "Meror, king of Egypt," because in
his days the Egyptians had embittered their lives with all manner of work.
38 And all the work wherein the
Egyptians made the children of Israel labor, they exacted with rigor, in
order to afflict the children of Israel, but the more they afflicted them,
the more they increased and grew, and the Egyptians were grieved because of the
children of Israel.
CHAPTER 66
1 At that time died Hadad the
son of Bedad king of Edom, and Samlah from Mesrekah, from the country of the
children of the east, reigned in his place.
2 In the thirteenth year of the
reign of Pharaoh king of Egypt, which was the hundred and twenty-fifth year
of the Israelites going down into Egypt, Samlah had reigned over Edom
eighteen years.
3 And when he reigned, he drew
forth his hosts to go and fight against Zepho the son of Eliphaz and the
children of Chittim, because they had made war against Angeas king of Africa,
and they destroyed his whole army.
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4 But he did not engage with
him, for the children of Esau prevented him, saying, He was their brother, so
Samlah listened to the voice of the children of Esau, and turned back with
all his forces to the land of Edom, and did not proceed to fight against
Zepho the son of Eliphaz.
5 And Pharaoh king of Egypt
heard this thing, saying, Samlah king of Edom has resolved to fight the
children of Chittim, and afterward he will come to fight against Egypt.
6 And when the Egyptians heard
this matter, they increased the labor upon the children of Israel, lest the
Israelites should do unto them as they did unto them in their war with the
children of Esau in the days of Hadad.
7 So the Egyptians said unto the
children of Israel, Hasten and do your work, and finish your task, and
strengthen the land, lest the children of Esau your brethren should come to
fight against us, for on your account will they come against us.
8 And the children of Israel did
the work of the men of Egypt day by day, and the Egyptians afflicted the
children of Israel in order to lessen them in the land.
9 But as the Egyptians increased
the labor upon the children of Israel, so did the children of Israel increase
and multiply, and all Egypt was filled with the children of Israel.
10 And in the hundred and
twenty-fifth year of Israel's going down into Egypt, all the Egyptians saw
that their counsel did not succeed against Israel, but that they increased and
grew, and the land of Egypt and the land of Goshen were filled with the
children of Israel.
11 So all the elders of Egypt
and its wise men came before the king and bowed down to him and sat before
him.
12 And all the elders of Egypt
and the wise men thereof said unto the king, May the king live forever; thou
didst counsel us the counsel against the children of Israel, and we did unto
them according to the word of the king.
13 But in proportion to the
increase of the labor so do they increase and grow in the land, and behold
the whole country is filled with them.
14 Now therefore our lord and
king, the eyes of all Egypt are upon thee to give them advice with thy
wisdom, by which they may prevail over Israel to destroy them, or to diminish
them from the land; and the king answered them saying, Give you counsel in
this matter that we may know what to do unto them.
15 And an officer, one of the
king's counsellors, whose name was Job, from Mesopotamia, in the land of Uz,
answered the king, saying,
16 If it please the king, let
him hear the counsel of his servant; and the king said unto him, Speak.
17 And Job spoke before the
king, the princes, and before all the elders of Egypt, saying,
18 Behold the counsel of the
king which he advised formerly respecting the labor of the children of Israel
is very good, and you must not remove from them that labor forever.
19 But this is the advice
counselled by which you may lessen them, if it seems good to the king to
afflict them.
20 Behold we have feared war for
a long time, and we said, When Israel becomes fruitful in the land, they will
drive us from the land if a war should take place.
21 If it please the king, let a
royal decree go forth, and let it be written
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in the laws of Egypt which shall
not be revoked, that every male child born to the Israelites, his blood shall
be spilled upon the ground.
22 And by your doing this, when
all the male children of Israel shall have died, the evil of their wars will
cease; let the king do so and send for all the Hebrew midwives and order them
in this matter to execute it; so the thing pleased the king and the princes,
and the king did according to the word of Job.
23 And the king sent for the
Hebrew midwives to be called, of which the name of one was Shephrah, and the
name of the other Puah.
24 And the midwives came before
the king, and stood in his presence.
25 And the king said unto them,
When you do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon
the stools, if it be a son, then you shall kill him, but if it be a daughter,
then she shall live.
26 But if you will not do this
thing, then will I burn you up and all your houses with fire.
27 But the midwives feared God
and did not hearken to the king of Egypt nor to his words, and when the Hebrew
women brought forth to the midwife son or daughter, then did the midwife do
all that was necessary to the child and let it live; thus did the midwives
all the days.
28 And this thing was told to
the king, and he sent and called for the midwives and he said to them, Why
have you done this thing and have saved the children alive?
29 And the midwives answered and
spoke together before the king, saying,
30 Let not the king think that
the Hebrew women are as the Egyptian women, for all the children of Israel
are hale, and before the midwife comes to them they are delivered, and as for
us thy handmaids, for many days no Hebrew woman has brought forth upon us,
for all the Hebrew women are their own midwives, because they are hale.
31 And Pharaoh heard their words
and believed them in this matter, and the midwives went away from the king,
and God dealt well with them, and the people multiplied and waxed
exceedingly.
CHAPTER 67
1 There was a man in the land of
Egypt of the seed of Levi, whose name was Amram, the son of Kehath, the son
of Levi, the son of Israel.
2 And this man went and took a
wife, namely Jochebed the daughter of Levi his father's sister, and she was
one hundred and twenty-six years old, and he came unto her.
3 And the woman conceived and
bare a daughter, and she called her name Miriam, because in those days the
Egyptians had embittered the lives of the children of Israel.
4 And she conceived again and
bare a son and she called his name Aaron, for in the days of her conception,
Pharaoh began to spill the blood of the male children of Israel.
5 In those days died Zepho the
son of Eliphaz, son of Esau, king of Chittim, and Janeas reigned in his
stead.
6 And the time that Zepho
reigned over the children of Chittim was fifty years, and he died and was
buried in the city of Nabna in the land of Chittim.
7 And Janeas, one of the mighty
men of the children of Chittim, reigned after him and he reigned fifty years.
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8 And it was after the death of
the king of Chittim that Balaam the son of Beor fled from the land of
Chittim, and he went and came to Egypt to Pharaoh king of Egypt.
9 And Pharaoh received him with
great honor, for he had heard of his wisdom, and he gave him presents and
made him for a counsellor, and aggrandized him.
10 And Balaam dwelt in Egypt, in
honor with all the nobles of the king, and the nobles exalted him, because
they all coveted to learn his wisdom.
11 And in the hundred and
thirtieth year of Israel's going down to Egypt, Pharaoh dreamed that he was
sitting upon his kingly throne, and lifted up his eyes and saw an old man
standing before him, and there were scales in the hands of the old man, such
scales as are used by merchants.
12 And the old man took the
scales and hung them before Pharaoh.
13 And the old man took all the
elders of Egypt and all its nobles and great men, and he tied them together
and put them in one scale.
14 And he took a milk kid and
put it into the other scale, and the kid preponderated over all.
15 And Pharaoh was astonished at
this dreadful vision, why the kid should preponderate over all, and Pharaoh
awoke and behold it was a dream.
16 And Pharaoh rose up early in
the morning and called all his servants and related to them the dream, and
the men were greatly afraid.
17 And the king said to all his
wise men, Interpret I pray you the dream which I dreamed, that I may know it.
18 And Balaam the son of Beor
answered the king and said unto him, This means nothing else but a great evil
that will spring up against Egypt in the latter days.
19 For a son will be born to
Israel who will destroy all Egypt and its inhabitants, and bring forth the
Israelites from Egypt with a mighty hand.
20 Now therefore, O king, take
counsel upon this matter, that you may destroy the hope of the children of
Israel and their expectation, before this evil arise against Egypt.
21 And the king said unto
Balaam, And what shall we do unto Israel? surely after a certain manner did
we at first counsel against them and could not prevail over them.
22 Now therefore give you also
advice against them by which we may prevail over them.
23 And Balaam answered the king,
saying, Send now and call thy two counsellors, and we will see what their
advice is upon this matter and afterward thy servant will speak.
24 And the king sent and called
his two counsellors Reuel the Midianite and Job the Uzite, and they came and
sat before the king.
25 And the king said to them,
Behold you have both heard the dream which I have dreamed, and the
interpretation thereof; now therefore give counsel and know and see what is
to be done to the children of Israel, whereby we may prevail over them,
before their evil shall spring up against us.
26 And Reuel the Midianite
answered the king and said, May the king live, may the king live forever.
27 If it seem good to the king,
let him desist from the Hebrews and leave them, and let him not stretch forth
his hand against them.
28 For these are they whom the
Lord chose in days of old, and took as the lot of his inheritance from
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amongst all the nations of the
earth and the kings of the earth; and who is there that stretched his hand
against them with impunity, of whom their God was not avenged?
29 Surely thou knowest that when
Abraham went down to Egypt, Pharaoh, the former king of Egypt, saw Sarah his
wife, and took her for a wife, because Abraham said, She is my sister, for he
was afraid, lest the men of Egypt should slay him on account of his wife.
30 And when the king of Egypt
had taken Sarah then God smote him and his household with heavy plagues,
until he restored unto Abraham his wife Sarah, then was he healed.
31 And Abimelech the Gerarite,
king of the Philistines, God punished on account of Sarah wife of Abraham, in
stopping up every womb from man to beast.
32 When their God came to
Abimelech in the dream of night and terrified him in order that he might
restore to Abraham Sarah whom he had taken, and afterward all the people of
Gerar were punished on account of Sarah, and Abraham prayed to his God for
them, and he was entreated of him, and he healed them.
33 And Abimelech feared all this
evil that came upon him and his people, and he returned to Abraham his wife
Sarah, and gave him with her many gifts.
34 He did so also to Isaac when
he had driven him from Gerar, and God had done wonderful things to him, that
all the water courses of Gerar were dried up, and their productive trees did
not bring forth.
35 Until Abimelech of Gerar, and
Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Pichol the captain of his host, went to him
and they bent and bowed down before him to the ground.
36 And they requested of him to
supplicate for them, and he prayed to the Lord for them, and the Lord was
entreated of him and he healed them.
37 Jacob also, the plain man,
was delivered through his integrity from the hand of his brother Esau, and
the hand of Laban the Syrian his mother's brother, who had sought his life;
likewise from the hand of all the kings of Canaan who had come together
against him and his children to destroy them, and the Lord delivered them out
of their hands, that they turned upon them and smote them, for who had ever
stretched forth his hand against them with impunity?
38 Surely Pharaoh the former,
thy father's father, raised Joseph the son of Jacob above all the princes of
the land of Egypt, when he saw his wisdom, for through his wisdom he rescued
all the inhabitants of the land from the famine.
39 After which he ordered Jacob
and his children to come down to Egypt, in order that through their virtue,
the land of Egypt and the land of Goshen might be delivered from the famine.
40 Now therefore if it seem good
in thine eyes, cease from destroying the children of Israel, but if it be not
thy will that they shall dwell in Egypt, send them forth from here, that they
may go to the land of Canaan, the land where their ancestors sojourned.
41 And when Pharaoh heard the
words of Jethro he was very angry with him, so that he rose with shame from
the king's presence, and went to Midian, his land, and took Joseph's stick
with him.
42 And the king said to Job the
Uzite, What sayest thou Job, and what is thy advice respecting the Hebrews?
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43 So Job said to the king,
Behold all the inhabitants of the land are in thy power, let the king do as
it seems good in his eyes.
44 And the king said unto
Balaam, What dost thou say, Balaam, speak thy word that we may hear it.
45 And Balaam said to the king,
Of all that the king has counselled against the Hebrews will they be
delivered, and the king will not be able to prevail over them with any
counsel.
46 For if thou thinkest to
lessen them by the flaming fire, thou canst not prevail over them, for surely
their God delivered Abraham their father from Ur of the Chaldeans; and if
thou thinkest to destroy them with a sword, surely Isaac their father was
delivered from it, and a ram was placed in his stead.
47 And if with hard and rigorous
labor thou thinkest to lessen them, thou wilt not prevail even in this, for
their father Jacob served Laban in all manner of hard work, and prospered.
48 Now therefore, O King, hear
my words, for this is the counsel which is counselled against them, by which
thou wilt prevail over them, and from which thou shouldst not depart.
49 If it please the king let him
order all their children which shall be born from this day forward, to be
thrown into the water, for by this canst thou wipe away their name, for none
of them, nor of their fathers, were tried in this manner.
50 And the king heard the words
of Balaam, and the thing pleased the king and the princes, and the king did
according to the word of Balaam.
51 And the king ordered a
proclamation to be issued and a law to be made throughout the land of Egypt,
saying, Every male child born to the Hebrews from this day forward shall be
thrown into the water.
52 And Pharaoh called unto all
his servants, saying, Go now and seek throughout the land of Goshen where the
children of Israel are, and see that every son born to the Hebrews shall be
cast into the river, but every daughter you shall let live.
53 And when the children of
Israel heard this thing which Pharaoh had commanded, to cast their male
children into the river, some of the people separated from their wives and
others adhered to them.
54 And from that day forward,
when the time of delivery arrived to those women of Israel who had remained
with their husbands, they went to the field to bring forth there, and they
brought forth in the field, and left their children upon the field and returned
home.
55 And the Lord who had sworn to
their ancestors to multiply them, sent one of his ministering angels which
are in heaven to wash each child in water, to anoint and swathe it and to put
into its hands two smooth stones from one of which it sucked milk and from
the other honey, and he caused its hair to grow to its knees, by which it
might cover itself; to comfort it and to cleave to it, through his compassion
for it.
56 And when God had compassion
over them and had desired to multiply them upon the face of the land, he
ordered his earth to receive them to be preserved therein till the time of
their growing up, after which the earth opened its mouth and vomited them
forth and they sprouted forth from the city like the herb of the earth, and
the grass of the forest, and they returned each to his family and to his
father's house, and they remained with them.
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57 And the babes of the children
of Israel were upon the earth like the herb of the field, through God's grace
to them.
58 And when all the Egyptians
saw this thing, they went forth, each to his field with his yoke of oxen and
his ploughshare, and they ploughed it up as one ploughs the earth at seed
time.
59 And when they ploughed they
were unable to hurt the infants of the children of Israel, so the people
increased and waxed exceedingly.
60 And Pharaoh ordered his
officers daily to go to Goshen to seek for the babes of the children of
Israel.
61 And when they had sought and
found one, they took it from its mother's bosom by force, and threw it into
the river, but the female child they left with its mother; thus did the
Egyptians do to the Israelites all the days.
CHAPTER 68
1 And it was at that time the
spirit of God was upon Miriam the daughter of Amram the sister of Aaron, and
she went forth and prophesied about the house, saying, Behold a son will be
born unto us from my father and mother this time, and he will save Israel
from the hands of Egypt.
2 And when Amram heard the words
of his daughter, he went and took his wife back to the house, after he had
driven her away at the time when Pharaoh ordered every male child of the
house of Jacob to be thrown into the water.
3 So Amram took Jochebed his
wife, three years after he had driven her away, and he came to her and she
conceived.
4 And at the end of seven months
from her conception she brought forth a son, and the whole house was filled
with great light as of the light of the sun and moon at the time of their
shining.
5 And when the woman saw the
child that it was good and pleasing to the sight, she hid it for three months
in an inner room.
6 In those days the Egyptians
conspired to destroy all the Hebrews there.
7 And the Egyptian women went to
Goshen where the children of Israel were, and they carried their young ones
upon their shoulders, their babes who could not yet speak.
8 And in those days, when the
women of the children of Israel brought forth, each woman had hidden her son
from before the Egyptians, that the Egyptians might not know of their
bringing forth, and might not destroy them from the land.
9 And the Egyptian women came to
Goshen and their children who could not speak were upon their shoulders, and
when an Egyptian woman came into the house of a Hebrew woman her babe began
to cry.
10 And when it cried the child
that was in the inner room answered it, so the Egyptian women went and told
it at the house of Pharaoh.
11 And Pharaoh sent his officers
to take the children and slay them; thus did the Egyptians to the Hebrew
women all the days.
12 And it was at that time,
about three months from Jochebed's concealment of her son, that the thing was
known in Pharaoh's house.
13 And the woman hastened to
take away her son before the officers came, and she took for him an ark
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of bulrushes, and daubed it with
slime and with pitch, and put the child therein, and she laid it in the flags
by the river's brink.
14 And his sister Miriam stood
afar off to know what would be done to him, and what would become of her
words.
15 And God sent forth at that
time a terrible heat in the land of Egypt, which burned up the flesh of man
like the sun in his circuit, and it greatly oppressed the Egyptians.
16 And all the Egyptians went
down to bathe in the river, on account of the consuming heat which burned up
their flesh.
17 And Bathia, the daughter of
Pharaoh, went also to bathe in the river, owing to the consuming heat, and
her maidens walked at the river side, and all the women of Egypt as well.
18 And Bathia lifted up her eyes
to the river, and she saw the ark upon the water, and sent her maid to fetch
it.
19 And she opened it and saw the
child, and behold the babe wept, and she had compassion on him, and she said,
This is one of the Hebrew children.
20 And all the women of Egypt
walking on the river side desired to give him suck, but he would not suck,
for this thing was from the Lord, in order to restore him to his mother's
breast.
21 And Miriam his sister was at
that time amongst the Egyptian women at the river side, and she saw this
thing and she said to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and fetch a nurse of the
Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?
22 And Pharaoh's daughter said
to her, Go, and the young woman went and called the child's mother.
23 And Pharaoh's daughter said
to Jochebed, Take this child away and suckle it for me, and I will pay thee
thy wages, two bits of silver daily; and the woman took the child and nursed
it.
24 And at the end of two years,
when the child grew up, she brought him to the daughter of Pharaoh, and he
was unto her as a son, and she called his name Moses, for she said, Because I
drew him out of the water.
25 And Amram his father called
his name Chabar, for he said, It was for him that he associated with his wife
whom he had turned away.
26 And Jochebed his mother
called his name Jekuthiel, Because, she said, I have hoped for him to the
Almighty, and God restored him unto me.
27 And Miriam his sister called
him Jered, for she descended after him to the river to know what his end
would be.
28 And Aaron his brother called
his name Abi Zanuch, saying, My father left my mother and returned to her on
his account.
29 And Kehath the father of
Amram called his name Abigdor, because on his account did God repair the
breach of the house of Jacob, that they could no longer throw their male
children into the water.
30 And their nurse called him
Abi Socho, saying, In his tabernacle was he hidden for three months, on
account of the children of Ham.
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31 And all Israel called his
name Shemaiah, son of Nethanel, for they said, In his days has God heard
their cries and rescued them from their oppressors.
32 And Moses was in Pharaoh's
house, and was unto Bathia, Pharaoh's daughter, as a son, and Moses grew up
amongst the king's children.
CHAPTER 69
1 And the king of Edom died in
those days, in the eighteenth year of his reign, and was buried in his temple
which he had built for himself as his royal residence in the land of Edom.
2 And the children of Esau sent
to Pethor, which is upon the river, and they fetched from there a young man
of beautiful eyes and comely aspect, whose name was Saul, and they made him
king over them in the place of Samlah.
3 And Saul reigned over all the
children of Esau in the land of Edom for forty years.
4 And when Pharaoh king of Egypt
saw that the counsel which Balaam had advised respecting the children of
Israel did not succeed, but that still they were fruitful, multiplied and
increased throughout the land of Egypt,
5 Then Pharaoh commanded in
those days that a proclamation should be issued throughout Egypt to the
children of Israel, saying, No man shall diminish any thing of his daily
labor.
6 And the man who shall be found
deficient in his labor which he performs daily, whether in mortar or in
bricks, then his youngest son shall be put in their place.
7 And the labor of Egypt
strengthened upon the children of Israel in those days, and behold if one
brick was deficient in any man's daily labor, the Egyptians took his youngest
boy by force from his mother, and put him into the building in the place of
the brick which his father had left wanting.
8 And the men of Egypt did so to
all the children of Israel day by day, all the days for a long period.
9 But the tribe of Levi did not
at that time work with the Israelites their brethren, from the beginning, for
the children of Levi knew the cunning of the Egyptians which they exercised
at first toward the Israelites.
CHAPTER 70
1 And in the third year from the
birth of Moses, Pharaoh was sitting at a banquet, when Alparanith the queen
was sitting at his right and Bathia at his left, and the lad Moses was lying
upon her bosom, and Balaam the son of Beor with his two sons, and all the
princes of the kingdom were sitting at table in the king's presence.
2 And the lad stretched forth
his hand upon the king's head, and took the crown from the king's head and
placed it on his own head.
3 And when the king and princes
saw the work which the boy had done, the king and princes were terrified, and
one man to his neighbor expressed astonishment.
4 And the king said unto the
princes who were before him at table, What speak you and what say you, O ye
princes, in this matter, and what is to be the judgment against the boy on
account of this act?
5 And Balaam the son of Beor the
magician answered before the king and princes, and he said,
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Remember now, O my lord and
king, the dream which thou didst dream many days since, and that which thy
servant interpreted unto thee.
6 Now therefore this is a child
from the Hebrew children, in whom is the spirit of God, and let not my lord
the king imagine that this youngster did this thing without knowledge.
7 For he is a Hebrew boy, and
wisdom and understanding are with him, although he is yet a child, and with
wisdom has he done this and chosen unto himself the kingdom of Egypt.
8 For this is the manner of all
the Hebrews to deceive kings and their nobles, to do all these things
cunningly, in order to make the kings of the earth and their men tremble.
9 Surely thou knowest that
Abraham their father acted thus, who deceived the army of Nimrod king of
Babel, and Abimelech king of Gerar, and that he possessed himself of the land
of the children of Heth and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
10 And that he descended into
Egypt and said of Sarah his wife, she is my sister, in order to mislead Egypt
and her king.
11 His son Isaac also did so
when he went to Gerar and dwelt there, and his strength prevailed over the
army of Abimelech king of the Philistines.
12 He also thought of making the
kingdom of the Philistines stumble, in saying that Rebecca his wife was his
sister.
13 Jacob also dealt
treacherously with his brother, and took from his hand his birthright and his
blessing.
14 He went then to Padan-aram to
the house of Laban his mother's brother, and cunningly obtained from him his
daughter, his cattle, and all belonging to him, and fled away and returned to
the land of Canaan to his father.
15 His sons sold their brother
Joseph, who went down into Egypt and became a slave, and was placed in the
prison house for twelve years.
16 Until the former Pharaoh
dreamed dreams, and withdrew him from the prison house, and magnified him
above all the princes in Egypt on account of his interpreting his dreams to
him.
17 And when God caused a famine
throughout the land he sent for and brought his father and all his brothers,
and the whole of his father's household, and supported them without price or
reward, and bought the Egyptians for slaves.
18 Now therefore my lord king
behold this child has risen up in their stead in Egypt, to do according to
their deeds and to trifle with every king, prince and judge.
19 If it please the king, let us
now spill his blood upon the ground, lest he grow up and take away the
government from thy hand, and the hope of Egypt perish after he shall have
reigned.
20 And Balaam said to the king,
Let us moreover call for all the judges of Egypt and the wise men thereof,
and let us know if the judgment of death is due to this boy as thou didst
say, and then we will slay him.
21 And Pharaoh sent and called
for all the wise men of Egypt and they came before the king, and an angel of
the Lord came amongst them, and he was like one of the wise men of Egypt.
22 And the king said to the wise
men, Surely you have heard what this Hebrew boy who is in the house has done,
and thus has Balaam judged in the matter.
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23 Now judge you also and see
what is due to the boy for the act he has committed.
24 And the angel, who seemed
like one of the wise men of Pharaoh, answered and said as follows, before all
the wise men of Egypt and before the king and the princes:
25 If it please the king let the
king send for men who shall bring before him an onyx stone and a coal of
fire, and place them before the child, and if the child shall stretch forth
his hand and take the onyx stone, then shall we know that with wisdom has the
youth done all that he has done, and we must slay him.
26 But if he stretch forth his
hand upon the coal, then shall we know that it was not with knowledge that he
did this thing, and he shall live.
27 And the thing seemed good in
the eyes of the king and the princes, so the king did according to the word
of the angel of the Lord.
28 And the king ordered the onyx
stone and coal to be brought and placed before Moses.
29 And they placed the boy
before them, and the lad endeavored to stretch forth his hand to the onyx
stone, but the angel of the Lord took his hand and placed it upon the coal,
and the coal became extinguished in his hand, and he lifted it up and put it
into his mouth, and burned part of his lips and part of his tongue, and he
became heavy in mouth and tongue.
30 And when the king and princes
saw this, they knew that Moses had not acted with wisdom in taking off the
crown from the king's head.
31 So the king and princes
refrained from slaying the child, so Moses remained in Pharaoh's house,
growing up, and the Lord was with him.
32 And whilst the boy was in the
king's house, he was robed in purple and he grew amongst the children of the
king.
33 And when Moses grew up in the
king's house, Bathia the daughter of Pharaoh considered him as a son, and all
the household of Pharaoh honored him, and all the men of Egypt were afraid of
him.
34 And he daily went forth and
came into the land of Goshen, where his brethren the children of Israel were,
and Moses saw them daily in shortness of breath and hard labor.
35 And Moses asked them, saying,
Wherefore is this labor meted out unto you day by day?
36 And they told him all that
had befallen them, and all the injunctions which Pharaoh had put upon them
before his birth.
37 And they told him all the
counsels which Balaam the son of Beor had counselled against them, and what
he had also counselled against him in order to slay him when he had taken the
king's crown from off his head.
38 And when Moses heard these
things his anger was kindled against Balaam, and he sought to kill him, and
he was in ambush for him day by day.
39 And Balaam was afraid of Moses,
and he and his two sons rose up and went forth from Egypt, and they fled and
delivered their souls and betook themselves to the land of Cush to Kikianus,
king of Cush.
40 And Moses was in the king's
house going out and coming in, the Lord gave him favor in the eyes of
Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants, and in the eyes of all the
people of Egypt, and they loved Moses exceedingly.
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41 And the day arrived when
Moses went to Goshen to see his brethren, that he saw the children of Israel
in their burdens and hard labor, and Moses was grieved on their account.
42 And Moses returned to Egypt
and came to the house of Pharaoh, and came before the king, and Moses bowed
down before the king.
43 And Moses said unto Pharaoh,
I pray thee my lord, I have come to seek a small request from thee, turn not
away my face empty; and Pharaoh said unto him, Speak.
44 And Moses said unto Pharaoh,
Let there be given unto thy servants the children of Israel who are in
Goshen, one day to rest therein from their labor.
45 And the king answered Moses
and said, Behold I have lifted up thy face in this thing to grant thy
request.
46 And Pharaoh ordered a
proclamation to be issued throughout Egypt and Goshen, saying,
47 To you, all the children of
Israel, thus says the king, for six days you shall do your work and labor,
but on the seventh day you shall rest, and shall not preform any work, thus
shall you do all the days, as the king and Moses the son of Bathia have
commanded.
48 And Moses rejoiced at this
thing which the king had granted to him, and all the children of Israel did
as Moses ordered them.
49 For this thing was from the
Lord to the children of Israel, for the Lord had begun to remember the
children of Israel to save them for the sake of their fathers.
50 And the Lord was with Moses
and his fame went throughout Egypt.
51 And Moses became great in the
eyes of all the Egyptians, and in the eyes of all the children of Israel,
seeking good for his people Israel and speaking words of peace regarding them
to the king.
CHAPTER 71
1 And when Moses was eighteen
years old, he desired to see his father and mother and he went to them to
Goshen, and when Moses had come near Goshen, he came to the place where the
children of Israel were engaged in work, and he observed their burdens, and
he saw an Egyptian smiting one of his Hebrew brethren.
2 And when the man who was
beaten saw Moses he ran to him for help, for the man Moses was greatly
respected in the house of Pharaoh, and he said to him, My lord attend to me,
this Egyptian came to my house in the night, bound me, and came to my wife in
my presence, and now he seeks to take my life away.
3 And when Moses heard this
wicked thing, his anger was kindled against the Egyptian, and he turned this
way and the other, and when he saw there was no man there he smote the
Egyptian and hid him in the sand, and delivered the Hebrew from the hand of
him that smote him.
4 And the Hebrew went to his
house, and Moses returned to his home, and went forth and came back to the
king's house.
5 And when the man had returned
home, he thought of repudiating his wife, for it was not right in the house
of Jacob, for any man to come to his wife after she had been defiled.
6 And the woman went and told
her brothers, and the woman's brothers sought to slay him, and he fled to his
house and escaped.
7 And on the second day Moses
went forth to his brethren, and saw, and behold two men were quarreling, and
he said to the wicked one, Why dost thou smite thy neighbor?
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8 And he answered him and said
to him, Who has set thee for a prince and judge over us? dost thou think to
slay me as thou didst slay the Egyptian? and Moses was afraid and he said,
Surely the thing is known?
9 And Pharaoh heard of this
affair, and he ordered Moses to be slain, so God sent his angel, and he
appeared unto Pharaoh in the likeness of a captain of the guard.
10 And the angel of the Lord
took the sword from the hand of the captain of the guard, and took his head
off with it, for the likeness of the captain of the guard was turned into the
likeness of Moses.
11 And the angel of the Lord
took hold of the right hand of Moses, and brought him forth from Egypt, and
placed him from without the borders of Egypt, a distance of forty days'
journey.
12 And Aaron his brother alone remained
in the land of Egypt, and he prophesied to the children of Israel, saying,
13 Thus says the Lord God of
your ancestors, Throw away, each man, the abominations of his eyes, and do
not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt.
14 And the children of Israel
rebelled and would not hearken to Aaron at that time.
15 And the Lord thought to
destroy them, were it not that the Lord remembered the covenant which he had
made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
16 In those days the hand of
Pharaoh continued to be severe against the children of Israel, and he crushed
and oppressed them until the time when God sent forth his word and took
notice of them.
CHAPTER 72
1 And it was in those days that
there was a great war between the children of Cush and the children of the
east and Aram, and they rebelled against the king of Cush in whose hands they
were.
2 So Kikianus king of Cush went
forth with all the children of Cush, a people numerous as the sand, and he
went to fight against Aram and the children of the east, to bring them under
subjection.
3 And when Kikianus went out, he
left Balaam the magician, with his two sons, to guard the city, and the
lowest sort of the people of the land.
4 So Kikianus went forth to Aram
and the children of the east, and he fought against them and smote them, and
they all fell down wounded before Kikianus and his people.
5 And he took many of them
captives and he brought them under subjection as at first, and he encamped
upon their land to take tribute from them as usual.
6 And Balaam the son of Beor,
when the king of Cush had left him to guard the city and the poor of the
city, he rose up and advised with the people of the land to rebel against
king Kikianus, not to let him enter the city when he should come home.
7 And the people of the land
hearkened to him, and they swore to him and made him king over them, and his
two sons for captains of the army.
8 So they rose up and raised the
walls of the city at the two corners, and they built an exceeding strong building.
9 And at the third corner they
dug ditches without number, between the city and the river which surrounded
the whole land of Cush, and they made the waters of the river burst forth
there.
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10 At the fourth corner they
collected numerous serpents by their incantations and enchantments, and they
fortified the city and dwelt therein, and no one went out or in before them.
11 And Kikianus fought against
Aram and the children of the east and he subdued them as before, and they
gave him their usual tribute, and he went and returned to his land.
12 And when Kikianus the king of
Cush approached his city and all the captains of the forces with him, they
lifted up their eyes and saw that the walls of the city were built up and
greatly elevated, so the men were astonished at this.
13 And they said one to the
other, It is because they saw that we were delayed, in battle, and were
greatly afraid of us, therefore have they done this thing and raised the city
walls and fortified them so that the kings of Canaan might not come in battle
against them.
14 So the king and the troops
approached the city door and they looked up and behold, all the gates of the
city were closed, and they called out to the sentinels, saying, Open unto us,
that we may enter the city.
15 But the sentinels refused to
open to them by the order of Balaam the magician, their king, they suffered
them not to enter their city.
16 So they raised a battle with
them opposite the city gate, and one hundred and thirty men of the army at
Kikianus fell on that day.
17 And on the next day they
continued to fight and they fought at the side of the river; they endeavored
to pass but were not able, so some of them sank in the pits and died.
18 So the king ordered them to
cut down trees to make rafts, upon which they might pass to them, and they
did so.
19 And when they came to the
place of the ditches, the waters revolved by mills, and two hundred men upon
ten rafts were drowned.
20 And on the third day they
came to fight at the side where the serpents were, but they could not
approach there, for the serpents slew of them one hundred and seventy men,
and they ceased fighting against Cush, and they besieged Cush for nine years,
no person came out or in.
21 At that time that the war and
the siege were against Cush, Moses fled from Egypt from Pharaoh who sought to
kill him for having slain the Egyptian.
22 And Moses was eighteen years
old when he fled from Egypt from the presence of Pharaoh, and he fled and
escaped to the camp of Kikianus, which at that time was besieging Cush.
23 And Moses was nine years in
the camp of Kikianus king of Cush, all the time that they were besieging
Cush, and Moses went out and came in with them.
24 And the king and princes and
all the fighting men loved Moses, for he was great and worthy, his stature
was like a noble lion, his face was like the sun, and his strength was like
that of a lion, and he was counsellor to the king.
25 And at the end of nine years,
Kikianus was seized with a mortal disease, and his illness prevailed over
him, and he died on the seventh day.
26 So his servants embalmed him
and carried him and buried him opposite the city gate to the north of the
land of Egypt.
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27 And they built over him an
elegant strong and high building, and they placed great stones below.
28 And the king's scribes
engraved upon those stones all the might of their king Kikianus, and all his
battles which he had fought, behold they are written there at this day.
29 Now after the death of
Kikianus king of Cush it grieved his men and troops greatly on account of the
war.
30 So they said one to the
other, Give us counsel what we are to do at this time, as we have resided in
the wilderness nine years away from our homes.
31 If we say we will fight
against the city many of us will fall wounded or killed, and if we remain
here in the siege we shall also die.
32 For now all the kings of Aram
and of the children of the east will hear that our king is dead, and they
will attack us suddenly in a hostile manner, and they will fight against us
and leave no remnant of us.
33 Now therefore let us go and
make a king over us, and let us remain in the siege until the city is
delivered up to us.
34 And they wished to choose on
that day a man for king from the army of Kikianus, and they found no object
of their choice like Moses to reign over them.
35 And they hastened and
stripped off each man his garments and cast them upon the ground, and they
made a great heap and placed Moses thereon.
36 And they rose up and blew
with trumpets and called out before him, and said, May the king live, may the
king live!
37 And all the people and nobles
swore unto him to give him for a wife Adoniah the queen, the Cushite, wife of
Kikianus, and they made Moses king over them on that day.
38 And all the people of Cush
issued a proclamation on that day, saying, Every man must give something to
Moses of what is in his possession.
39 And they spread out a sheet
upon the heap, and every man cast into it something of what he had, one a
gold earring and the other a coin.
40 Also of onyx stones,
bdellium, pearls and marble did the children of Cush cast unto Moses upon the
heap, also silver and gold in great abundance.
41 And Moses took all the silver
and gold, all the vessels, and the bdellium and onyx stones, which all the
children of Cush had given to him, and he placed them amongst his treasures.
42 And Moses reigned over the
children of Cush on that day, in the place of Kikianus king of Cush.
CHAPTER 73
1 In the fifty-fifth year of the
reign of Pharaoh king of Egypt, that is in the hundred and fifty-seventh year
of the Israelites going down into Egypt, reigned Moses in Cush.
2 Moses was twenty-seven years
old when he began to reign over Cush, and forty years did he reign.
3 And the Lord granted Moses
favor and grace in the eyes of all the children of Cush, and the children of
Cush loved him exceedingly, so Moses was favored by the Lord and by men.
4 And in the seventh day of his
reign, all the children of Cush assembled and came before Moses and bowed
down to him to the ground.
5 And all the children spoke
together in the presence of the king, saying, Give us counsel that we may see
what is to be done to this city.
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6 For it is now nine years that
we have been besieging round about the city, and have not seen our children
and our wives.
7 So the king answered them,
saying, If you will hearken to my voice in all that I shall command you, then
will the Lord give the city into our hands and we shall subdue it.
8 For if we fight with them as
in the former battle which we had with them before the death of Kikianus,
many of us will fall down wounded as before.
9 Now therefore behold here is
counsel for you in this matter; if you will hearken to my voice, then will
the city be delivered into our hands.
10 So all the forces answered
the king, saying, All that our lord shall command that will we do.
11 And Moses said unto them,
Pass through and proclaim a voice in the whole camp unto all the people,
saying,
12 Thus says the king, Go into
the forest and bring with you of the young ones of the stork, each man a
young one in his hand.
13 And any person transgressing
the word of the king, who shall not bring his young one, he shall die, and
the king will take all belonging to him.
14 And when you shall bring them
they shall be in your keeping, you shall rear them until they grow up, and
you shall teach them to dart upon, as is the way of the young ones of the
hawk.
15 So all the children of Cush
heard the words of Moses, and they rose up and caused a proclamation to be
issued throughout the camp, saying,
16 Unto you, all the children of
Cush, the king's order is, that you go all together to the forest, and catch
there the young storks each man his young one in his hand, and you shall
bring them home.
17 And any person violating the
order of the king shall die, and the king will take all that belongs to him.
18 And all the people did so,
and they went out to the wood and they climbed the fir trees and caught, each
man a young one in his hand, all the young of the storks, and they brought
them into the desert and reared them by order of the king, and they taught
them to dart upon, similar to the young hawks.
19 And after the young storks
were reared, the king ordered them to be hungered for three days, and all the
people did so.
20 And on the third day, the
king said unto them, strengthen yourselves and become valiant men, and put on
each man his armor and gird on his sword upon him, and ride each man his
horse and take each his young stork in his hand.
21 And we will rise up and fight
against the city at the place where the serpents are; and all the people did
as the king had ordered.
22 And they took each man his
young one in his hand, and they went away, and when they came to the place of
the serpents the king said to them, Send forth each man his young stork upon
the serpents.
23 And they sent forth each man
his young stork at the king's order, and the young storks ran upon the
serpents and they devoured them all and destroyed them out of that place.
24 And when the king and people
had seen that all the serpents were destroyed in that place, all the people
set up a great shout.
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25 And they approached and
fought against the city and took it and subdued it, and they entered the
city.
26 And there died on that day
one thousand and one hundred men of the people of the city, all that
inhabited the city, but of the people besieging not one died.
27 So all the children of Cush
went each to his home, to his wife and children and to all belonging to him.
28 And Balaam the magician, when
he saw that the city was taken, he opened the gate and he and his two sons
and eight brothers fled and returned to Egypt to Pharaoh king of Egypt.
29 They are the sorcerers and
magicians who are mentioned in the book of the law, standing against Moses
when the Lord brought the plagues upon Egypt.
30 So Moses took the city by his
wisdom, and the children of Cush placed him on the throne instead of Kikianus
king of Cush.
31 And they placed the royal
crown upon his head, and they gave him for a wife Adoniah the Cushite queen,
wife of Kikianus.
32 And Moses feared the Lord God
of his fathers, so that he came not to her, nor did he turn his eyes to her.
33 For Moses remembered how
Abraham had made his servant Eliezer swear, saying unto him, Thou shalt not
take a woman from the daughters of Canaan for my son Isaac.
34 Also what Isaac did when
Jacob had fled from his brother, when he commanded him, saying, Thou shalt
not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan, nor make alliance with any of
the children of Ham.
35 For the Lord our God gave Ham
the son of Noah, and his children and all his seed, as slaves to the children
of Shem and to the children of Japheth, and unto their seed after them for
slaves, forever.
36 Therefore Moses turned not
his heart nor his eyes to the wife of Kikianus all the days that he reigned
over Cush.
37 And Moses feared the Lord his
God all his life, and Moses walked before the Lord in truth, with all his
heart and soul, he turned not from the right way all the days of his life; he
declined not from the way either to the right or to the left, in which
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had walked.
38 And Moses strengthened
himself in the kingdom of the children of Cush, and he guided the children of
Cush with his usual wisdom, and Moses prospered in his kingdom.
39 And at that time Aram and the
children of the east heard that Kikianus king of Cush had died, so Aram and
the children of the east rebelled against Cush in those days.
40 And Moses gathered all the
children of Cush, a people very mighty, about thirty thousand men, and he
went forth to fight with Aram and the children of the east.
41 And they went at first to the
children of the east, and when the children of the east heard their report,
they went to meet them, and engaged in battle with them.
42 And the war was severe
against the children of the east, so the Lord gave all the children of the
east into the hand of Moses, and about three hundred men fell down slain.
43 And all the children of the
east turned back and retreated, so Moses and the children of Cush followed
them and subdued them, and put a tax upon them, as was their custom.
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44 So Moses and all the people
with him passed from there to the land of Aram for battle.
45 And the people of Aram also
went to meet them, and they fought against them, and the Lord delivered them
into the hand of Moses, and many of the men of Aram fell down wounded.
46 And Aram also were subdued by
Moses and the people of Cush, and also gave their usual tax.
47 And Moses brought Aram and
the children of the east under subjection to the children of Cush, and Moses
and all the people who were with him, turned to the land of Cush.
48 And Moses strengthened
himself in the kingdom of the children of Cush, and the Lord was with him,
and all the children of Cush were afraid of him.
CHAPTER 74
1 In the end of years died Saul
king of Edom, and Baal Chanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place.
2 In the sixteenth year of the
reign of Moses over Cush, Baal Chanan the son of Achbor reigned in the land
of Edom over all the children of Edom for thirty-eight years.
3 In his days Moab rebelled
against the power of Edom, having been under Edom since the days of Hadad the
son of Bedad, who smote them and Midian, and brought Moab under subjection to
Edom.
4 And when Baal Chanan the son
of Achbor reigned over Edom, all the children of Moab withdrew their
allegiance from Edom.
5 And Angeas king of Africa died
in those days, and Azdrubal his son reigned in his stead.
6 And in those days died Janeas
king of the children of Chittim, and they buried him in his temple which he
had built for himself in the plain of Canopia for a residence, and Latinus
reigned in his stead.
7 In the twenty-second year of
the reign of Moses over the children of Cush, Latinus reigned over the
children of Chittim forty-five years.
8 And he also built for himself
a great and mighty tower, and he built therein an elegant temple for his
residence, to conduct his government, as was the custom.
9 In the third year of his reign
he caused a proclamation to be made to all his skilful men, who made many
ships for him.
10 And Latinus assembled all his
forces, and they came in ships, and went therein to fight with Azdrubal son
of Angeas king of Africa, and they came to Africa and engaged in battle with
Azdrubal and his army.
11 And Latinus prevailed over
Azdrubal, and Latinus took from Azdrubal the aqueduct which his father had
brought from the children of Chittim, when he took Janiah the daughter of Uzi
for a wife, so Latinus overthrew the bridge of the aqueduct, and smote the
whole army of Azdrubal a severe blow.
12 And the remaining strong men
of Azdrubal strengthened themselves, and their hearts were filled with envy,
and they courted death, and again engaged in battle with Latinus king of
Chittim.
13 And the battle was severe
upon all the men of Africa, and they all fell wounded before Latinus and his
people, and Azdrubal the king also fell in that battle.
14 And the king Azdrubal had a
very beautiful daughter, whose name was Ushpezena, and all the men of Africa
embroidered her likeness on their garments, on account of her great beauty
and comely appearance.
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15 And the men of Latinus saw
Ushpezena, the daughter of Azdrubal, and praised her unto Latinus their king.
16 And Latinus ordered her to be
brought to him, and Latinus took Ushpezena for a wife, and he turned back on
his way to Chittim.
17 And it was after the death of
Azdrubal son of Angeas, when Latinus had turned back to his land from the
battle, that all the inhabitants of Africa rose up and took Anibal the son of
Angeas, the younger brother of Azdrubal, and made him king instead at his
brother over the whole land at Africa.
18 And when he reigned, he
resolved to go to Chittim to fight with the children of Chittim, to avenge
the cause of Azdrubal his brother, and the cause of the inhabitants of
Africa, and he did so.
19 And he made many ships, and
he came therein with his whole army, and he went to Chittim.
20 So Anibal fought with the
children of Chittim, and the children of Chittim fell wounded before Anibal
and his army, and Anibal avenged his brother's cause.
21 And Anibal continued the war
for eighteen years with the children of Chittim, and Anibal dwelt in the land
of Chittim and encamped there for a long time.
22 And Anibal smote the children
of Chittim very severely, and he slew their great men and princes, and of the
rest of the people he smote about eighty thousand men.
23 And at the end of days and
years, Anibal returned to his land of Africa, and
he reigned securely in the place of Azdrubal his brother.
CHAPTER 75
1 At that time, in the hundred
and eightieth year of the Israelites going down into Egypt, there went forth
from Egypt valiant men, thirty thousand on foot, from the children of Israel,
who were all of the tribe of Joseph, of the children of Ephraim the son of
Joseph.
2 For they said the period was
completed which the Lord had appointed to the children of Israel in the times
of old, which he had spoken to Abraham.
3 And these men girded
themselves, and they put each man his sword at his side, and every man his
armor upon him, and they trusted to their strength, and they went out
together from Egypt with a mighty hand.
4 But they brought no provision
for the road, only silver and gold, not even bread for that day did they
bring in their hands, for they thought of getting their provision for pay
from the Philistines, and if not they would take it by force.
5 And these men were very mighty
and valiant men, one man could pursue a thousand and two could rout ten
thousand, so they trusted to their strength and went together as they were.
6 And they directed their course
toward the land of Gath, and they went down and found the shepherds of Gath
feeding the cattle of the children of Gath.
7 And they said to the
shepherds, Give us some of the sheep for pay, that we may eat, for we are
hungry, for we have eaten no bread this day.
8 And the shepherds said, Are
they our sheep or cattle that we should give them to you even for pay? so the
children of Ephraim approached to take them by force.
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9 And the shepherds of Gath
shouted over them that their cry was heard at a distance, so all the children
of Gath went out to them.
10 And when the children of Gath
saw the evil doings of the children of Ephraim, they returned and assembled
the men of Gath, and they put on each man his armor, and came forth to the
children of Ephraim for battle.
11 And they engaged with them in
the valley of Gath, and the battle was severe, and they smote from each other
a great many on that day.
12 And on the second day the
children of Gath sent to all the cities of the Philistines that they should
come to their help, saying,
13 Come up unto us and help us,
that we may smite the children of Ephraim who have come forth from Egypt to
take our cattle, and to fight against us without cause.
14 Now the souls of the children
of Ephraim were exhausted with hunger and thirst, for they had eaten no bread
for three days. And forty thousand men went forth from the cities of the
Philistines to the assistance of the men of Gath.
15 And these men were engaged in
battle with the children of Ephraim, and the Lord delivered the children of
Ephraim into the hands of the Philistines.
16 And they smote all the
children of Ephraim, all who had gone forth from Egypt, none were remaining
but ten men who had run away from the engagement.
17 For this evil was from the
Lord against the children of Ephraim, for they transgressed the word of the
Lord in going forth from Egypt, before the period had arrived which the Lord
in the days of old had appointed to Israel.
18 And of the Philistines also
there fell a great many, about twenty thousand men, and their brethren
carried them and buried them in their cities.
19 And the slain of the children
of Ephraim remained forsaken in the valley of Gath for many days and years,
and were not brought to burial, and the valley was filled with men's bones.
20 And the men who had escaped
from the battle came to Egypt, and told all the children of Israel all that
had befallen them.
21 And their father Ephraim
mourned over them for many days, and his brethren came to console him.
22 And he came unto his wife and
she bare a son, and he called his name Beriah, for she was unfortunate in his
house.
CHAPTER 76
1 And Moses the son of Amram was
still king in the land of Cush in those days, and he prospered in his
kingdom, and he conducted the government of the children of Cush in justice,
in righteousness, and integrity.
2 And all the children of Cush
loved Moses all the days that he reigned over them, and all the inhabitants
of the land of Cush were greatly afraid of him.
3 And in the fortieth year of
the reign of Moses over Cush, Moses was sitting on the royal throne whilst
Adoniah the queen was before him, and all the nobles were sitting around him.
4 And Adoniah the queen said
before the king and the princes, What is this thing which you, the children
of Cush, have done for this long time?
5 Surely you know that for forty
years that this man has reigned over
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Cush he has not approached me,
nor has he served the gods of the children of Cush.
6 Now therefore hear, O ye
children of Cush, and let this man no more reign over you as he is not of our
flesh.
7 Behold Menacrus my son is
grown up, let him reign over you, for it is better for you to serve the son
of your lord, than to serve a stranger, slave of the king of Egypt.
8 And all the people and nobles
of the children of Cush heard the words which Adoniah the queen had spoken in
their ears.
9 And all the people were
preparing until the evening, and in the morning they rose up early and made
Menacrus, son of Kikianus, king over them.
10 And all the children of Cush
were afraid to stretch forth their hand against Moses, for the Lord was with
Moses, and the children of Cush remembered the oath which they swore unto
Moses, therefore they did no harm to him.
11 But the children of Cush gave
many presents to Moses, and sent him from them with great honor.
12 So Moses went forth from the
land of Cush, and went home and ceased to reign over Cush, and Moses was
sixty-six years old when he went out of the land of Cush, for the thing was
from the Lord, for the period had arrived which he had appointed in the days
of old, to bring forth Israel from the affliction of the children of Ham.
13 So Moses went to Midian, for
he was afraid to return to Egypt on account of Pharaoh, and he went and sat
at a well of water in Midian.
14 And the seven daughters of
Reuel the Midianite went out to feed their father's flock.
15 And they came to the well and
drew water to water their father's flock.
16 So the shepherds of Midian
came and drove them away, and Moses rose up and helped them and watered the
flock.
17 And they came home to their
father Reuel, and told him what Moses did for them.
18 And they said, An Egyptian
man has delivered us from the hands of the shepherds, he drew up water for us
and watered the flock.
19 And Reuel said to his
daughters, And where is he? wherefore have you left the man?
20 And Reuel sent for him and
fetched him and brought him home, and he ate bread with him.
21 And Moses related to Reuel
that he had fled from Egypt and that he reigned forty years over Cush, and
that they afterward had taken the government from him, and had sent him away
in peace with honor and with presents.
22 And when Reuel had heard the
words of Moses, Reuel said within himself, I will put this man into the
prison house, whereby I shall conciliate the children of Cush, for he has
fled from them.
23 And they took and put him
into the prison house, and Moses was in prison ten years, and whilst Moses
was in the prison house, Zipporah the daughter of Reuel took pity over him,
and supported him with bread and water all the time.
24 And all the children of
Israel were yet in the land of Egypt serving the Egyptians in all manner of
hard work, and the hand of Egypt continued in severity over the children of
Israel in those days.
25 At that time the Lord smote
Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he
217
afflicted with the plague of
leprosy from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head; owing to the
cruel treatment of the children of Israel was this plague at that time from
the Lord upon Pharaoh king of Egypt.
26 For the Lord had hearkened to
the prayer of his people the children of Israel, and their cry reached him on
account of their hard work.
27 Still his anger did not turn
from them, and the hand of Pharaoh was still stretched out against the
children of Israel, and Pharaoh hardened his neck before the Lord, and he
increased his yoke over the children of Israel, and embittered their lives
with all manner of hard work.
28 And when the Lord had
inflicted the plague upon Pharaoh king of Egypt, he asked his wise men and
sorcerers to cure him.
29 And his wise men and
sorcerers said unto him, That if the blood of little children were put into
the wounds he would be healed.
30 And Pharaoh hearkened to
them, and sent his ministers to Goshen to the children of Israel to take
their little children.
31 And Pharaoh's ministers went
and took the infants of the children of Israel from the bosoms of their
mothers by force, and they brought them to Pharaoh daily, a child each day,
and the physicians killed them and applied them to the plague; thus did they
all the days.
32 And the number of the
children which Pharaoh slew was three hundred and seventy-five.
33 But the Lord hearkened not to
the physicians of the king of Egypt, and the plague went on increasing
mightily.
34 And Pharaoh was ten years
afflicted with that plague, still the heart of Pharaoh was more hardened
against the children of Israel.
35 And at the end of ten years
the Lord continued to afflict Pharaoh with destructive plagues.
36 And the Lord smote him with a
bad tumor and sickness at the stomach, and that plague turned to a severe
boil.
37 At that time the two
ministers of Pharaoh came from the land of Goshen where all the children of
Israel were, and went to the house of Pharaoh and said to him, We have seen
the children of Israel slacken in their work and negligent in their labor.
38 And when Pharaoh heard the
words of his ministers, his anger was kindled against the children of Israel
exceedingly, for he was greatly grieved at his bodily pain.
39 And he answered and said, Now
that the children of Israel know that I am ill, they turn and scoff at us,
now therefore harness my chariot for me, and I will betake myself to Goshen
and will see the scoff of the children of Israel with which they are deriding
me; so his servants harnessed the chariot for him.
40 And they took and made him
ride upon a horse, for he was not able to ride of himself;
41 And he took with him ten
horsemen and ten footmen, and went to the children of Israel to Goshen.
42 And when they had come to the
border of Egypt, the king's horse passed into a narrow place, elevated in the
hollow part of the vineyard, fenced on both sides, the low, plain country
being on the other side.
43 And the horses ran rapidly in
that place and pressed each other, and the other horses pressed the king's
horse.
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44 And the king's horse fell
into the low plain whilst the king was riding upon it, and when he fell the
chariot turned over the king's face and the horse lay upon the king, and the
king cried out, for his flesh was very sore.
45 And the flesh of the king was
torn from him, and his bones were broken and he could not ride, for this
thing was from the Lord to him, for the Lord had heard the cries of his
people the children of Israel and their affliction.
46 And his servants carried him
upon their shoulders, a little at a time, and they brought him back to Egypt,
and the horsemen who were with him came also back to Egypt.
47 And they placed him in his
bed, and the king knew that his end was come to die, so Aparanith the queen
his wife came and cried before the king, and the king wept a great weeping
with her.
48 And all his nobles and
servants came on that day and saw the king in that affliction, and wept a
great weeping with him.
49 And the princes of the king
and all his counselors advised the king to cause one to reign in his stead in
the land, whomsoever he should choose from his sons.
50 And the king had three sons
and two daughters which Aparanith the queen his wife had borne to him,
besides the king's children of concubines.
51 And these were their names,
the firstborn Othri, the second Adikam, and the third Morion, and their
sisters, the name of the elder Bathia and of the other Acuzi.
52 And Othri the first born of
the king was an idiot, precipitate and hurried in his words.
53 But Adikam was a cunning and
wise man and knowing in all the wisdom of Egypt, but of unseemly aspect,
thick in flesh, and very short in stature; his height was one cubit.
54 And when the king saw Adikam
his son intelligent and wise in all things, the king resolved that he should
be king in his stead after his death.
55 And he took for him a wife
Gedudah daughter of Abilot, and he was ten years old, and she bare unto him
four sons.
56 And he afterward went and
took three wives and begat eight sons and three daughters.
57 And the disorder greatly
prevailed over the king, and his flesh stank like the flesh of a carcass cast
upon the field in summer time, during the heat of the sun.
58 And when the king saw that
his sickness had greatly strengthened itself over him, he ordered his son
Adikam to be brought to him, and they made him king over the land in his
place.
59 And at the end of three
years, the king died, in shame, disgrace, and disgust, and his servants
carried him and buried him in the sepulcher of the kings of Egypt in Zoan
Mizraim.
60 But they embalmed him not as
was usual with kings, for his flesh was putrid, and they could not approach
to embalm him on account of the stench, so they buried him in haste.
61 For this evil was from the
Lord to him, for the Lord had requited him evil for the evil which in his
days he had done to Israel.
62 And he died with terror and
with shame, and his son Adikam reigned in his place.
CHAPTER 77
1 Adikam was twenty years old
when he reigned over Egypt, he reigned four years.
219
2 In the two hundred and sixth
year of Israel's going down to Egypt did Adikam reign over Egypt, but he
continued not so long in his reign over Egypt as his fathers had continued
their reigns.
3 For Melol his father reigned
ninety-four years in Egypt, but he was ten years sick and died, for he had
been wicked before the Lord.
4 And all the Egyptians called
the name of Adikam Pharaoh like the name of his fathers, as was their custom
to do in Egypt.
5 And all the wise men of
Pharaoh called the name of Adikam Ahuz, for short is called Ahuz in the
Egyptian language.
6 And Adikam was exceedingly
ugly, and he was a cubit and a span and he had a great beard which reached to
the soles of his feet.
7 And Pharaoh sat upon his
father's throne to reign over Egypt, and he conducted the government of Egypt
in his wisdom.
8 And whilst he reigned he
exceeded his father and all the preceding kings in wickedness, and he
increased his yoke over the children of Israel.
9 And he went with his servants
to Goshen to the children of Israel, and he strengthened the labor over them
and he said unto them, Complete your work, each day's task, and let not your
hands slacken from our work from this day forward as you did in the days of
my father.
10 And he placed officers over
them from amongst the children of Israel, and over these officers he placed
taskmasters from amongst his servants.
11 And he placed over them a
measure of bricks for them to do according to that number, day by day, and he
turned back and went to Egypt.
12 At that time the task-masters
of Pharaoh ordered the officers of the children of Israel according to the
command of Pharaoh, saying,
13 Thus says Pharaoh, Do your
work each day, and finish your task, and observe the daily measure of bricks;
diminish not anything.
14 And it shall come to pass
that if you are deficient in your daily bricks, I will put your young
children in their stead.
15 And the task-masters of Egypt
did so in those days as Pharaoh had ordered them.
16 And whenever any deficiency
was found in the children of Israel's measure of their daily bricks, the
task-masters of Pharaoh would go to the wives of the children of Israel and
take infants of the children of Israel to the number of bricks deficient,
they would take them by force from their mother's laps, and put them in the
building instead of the bricks;
17 Whilst their fathers and
mothers were crying over them and weeping when they heard the weeping voices
of their infants in the wall of the building.
18 And the task-masters
prevailed over Israel, that the Israelites should place their children in the
building, so that a man placed his son in the wall and put mortar over him,
whilst his eyes wept over him, and his tears ran down upon his child.
19 And the task-masters of Egypt
did so to the babes of Israel for many days, and no one pitied or had
compassion over the babes of the children of Israel.
20 And the number of all the
children killed in the building was two hundred and seventy, some whom they
had built upon instead of the bricks which had been left deficient by their
fathers, and some whom they had drawn out dead from the building.
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21 And the labor imposed upon the
children of Israel in the days of Adikam exceeded in hardship that which they
performed in the days of his father.
22 And the children of Israel
sighed every day on account of their heavy work, for they had said to
themselves, Behold when Pharaoh shall die, his son will rise up and lighten
our work!
23 But they increased the latter
work more than the former, and the children of Israel sighed at this and
their cry ascended to God on account of their labor.
24 And God heard the voice of
the children of Israel and their cry, in those days, and God remembered to
them his covenant which he had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
25 And God saw the burden of the
children of Israel, and their heavy work in those days, and he determined to
deliver them.
26 And Moses the son of Amram
was still confined in the dungeon in those days, in the house of Reuel the
Midianite, and Zipporah the daughter of Reuel did support him with food
secretly day by day.
27 And Moses was confined in the
dungeon in the house of Reuel for ten years.
28 And at the end of ten years
which was the first year of the reign of Pharaoh over Egypt, in the place of
his father,
29 Zipporah said to her father
Reuel, No person inquires or seeks after the Hebrew man, whom thou didst bind
in prison now ten years.
30 Now therefore, if it seem
good in thy sight, let us send and see whether he is living or dead, but her
father knew not that she had supported him.
31 And Reuel her father answered
and said to her, Has ever such a thing happened that a man should be shut up
in a prison without food for ten years, and that he should live?
32 And Zipporah answered her
father, saying, Surely thou hast heard that the God of the Hebrews is great
and awful, and does wonders for them at all times.
33 He it was who delivered
Abraham from Ur of the Chaldeans, and Isaac from the sword of his father, and
Jacob from the angel of the Lord who wrestled with him at the ford of Jabbuk.
34 Also with this man has he
done many things, he delivered him from the river in Egypt and from the sword
of Pharaoh, and from the children of Cush, so also can he deliver him from
famine and make him live.
35 And the thing seemed good in
the sight of Reuel, and he did according to the word of his daughter, and
sent to the dungeon to ascertain what became of Moses.
36 And he saw, and behold the
man Moses was living in the dungeon, standing upon his feet, praising and
praying to the God of his ancestors.
37 And Reuel commanded Moses to
be brought out of the dungeon, so they shaved him and he changed his prison
garments and ate bread.
38 And afterward Moses went into
the garden of Reuel which was behind the house, and he there prayed to the
Lord his God, who had done mighty wonders for him.
39 And it was that whilst he
prayed he looked opposite to him, and behold
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a sapphire stick was placed in
the ground, which was planted in the midst of the garden.
40 And he approached the stick
and he looked, and behold the name of the Lord God of hosts was engraved
thereon, written and developed upon the stick.
41 And he read it and stretched
forth his hand and he plucked it like a forest tree from the thicket, and the
stick was in his hand.
42 And this is the stick with
which all the works of our God were performed, after he had created heaven
and earth, and all the host of them, seas, rivers and all their fishes.
43 And when God had driven Adam
from the garden of Eden, he took the stick in his hand and went and tilled
the ground from which he was taken.
44 And the stick came down to
Noah and was given to Shem and his descendants, until it came into the hand
of Abraham the Hebrew.
45 And when Abraham had given
all he had to his son Isaac, he also gave to him this stick.
46 And when Jacob had fled to
Padan-aram, he took it into his hand, and when he returned to his father he
had not left it behind him.
47 Also when he went down to
Egypt he took it into his hand and gave it to Joseph, one portion above his
brethren, for Jacob had taken it by force from his brother Esau.
48 And after the death of
Joseph, the nobles of Egypt came into the house of Joseph, and the stick came
into the hand of Reuel the Midianite, and when he went out of Egypt, he took
it in his hand and planted it in his garden.
49 And all the mighty men of the
Kinites tried to pluck it when they endeavored to get Zipporah his daughter,
but they were unsuccessful.
50 So that stick remained
planted in the garden of Reuel, until he came who had a right to it and took
it.
51 And when Reuel saw the stick
in the hand of Moses, he wondered at it, and he gave him his daughter
Zipporah for a wife.
CHAPTER 78
1 At that time died Baal Channan
son of Achbor, king of Edom, and was buried in his house in the land of Edom.
2 And after his death the
children of Esau sent to the land of Edom, and took from there a man who was
in Edom, whose name was Hadad, and they made him king over them in the place
of Baal Channan, their king.
3 And Hadad reigned over the
children of Edom forty-eight years.
4 And when he reigned he
resolved to fight against the children of Moab, to bring them under the power
of the children of Esau as they were before, but he was not able, because the
children of Moab heard this thing, and they rose up and hastened to elect a
king over them from amongst their brethren.
5 And they afterward gathered
together a great people, and sent to the children of Ammon their brethren for
help to fight against Hadad king of Edom.
6 And Hadad heard the thing
which the children of Moab had done, and was greatly afraid of them, and
refrained from fighting against them.
7 In those days Moses, the son
of Amram, in Midian, took Zipporah,
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the daughter of Reuel the
Midianite, for a wife.
8 And Zipporah walked in the
ways of the daughters of Jacob, she was nothing short of the righteousness of
Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah.
9 And Zipporah conceived and
bare a son and he called his name Gershom, for he said, I was a stranger in a
foreign land; but he circumcised not his foreskin, at the command of Reuel
his father-in-law.
10 And she conceived again and
bare a son, but circumcised his foreskin, and called his name Eliezer, for
Moses said, Because the God of my fathers was my help, and delivered me from
the sword of Pharaoh.
11 And Pharaoh king of Egypt
greatly increased the labor of the children of Israel in those days, and
continued to make his yoke heavier upon the children of Israel.
12 And he ordered a proclamation
to be made in Egypt, saying, Give no more straw to the people to make bricks
with, let them go and gather themselves straw as they can find it.
13 Also the tale of bricks which
they shall make let them give each day, and diminish nothing from them, for
they are idle in their work.
14 And the children of Israel
heard this, and they mourned and sighed, and they cried unto the Lord on
account of the bitterness of their souls.
15 And the Lord heard the cries
of the children of Israel, and saw the oppression with which the Egyptians
oppressed them.
16 And the Lord was jealous of
his people and his inheritance, and heard their voice, and he resolved to
take them out of the affliction of Egypt, to give them the land of Canaan for
a possession.
CHAPTER 79
1 And in those days Moses was
feeding the flock of Reuel the Midianite his father-in-law, beyond the
wilderness of Sin, and the stick which he took from his father-in-law was in
his hand.
2 And it came to pass one day
that a kid of goats strayed from the flock, and Moses pursued it and it came
to the mountain of God to Horeb.
3 And when he came to Horeb, the
Lord appeared there unto him in the bush, and he found the bush burning with
fire, but the fire had no power over the bush to consume it.
4 And Moses was greatly
astonished at this sight, wherefore the bush was not consumed, and he approached
to see this mighty thing, and the Lord called unto Moses out of the fire and
commanded him to go down to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to send the
children of Israel from his service.
5 And the Lord said unto Moses,
Go, return to Egypt, for all those men who sought thy life are dead, and thou
shalt speak unto Pharaoh to send forth the children of Israel from his land.
6 And the Lord showed him to do
signs and wonders in Egypt before the eyes of Pharaoh and the eyes of his
subjects, in order that they might believe that the Lord had sent him.
7 And Moses hearkened to all
that the Lord had commanded him, and he returned to his father-in-law and
told him the thing, and Reuel said to him, Go in peace.
8 And Moses rose up to go to
Egypt, and he took his wife and sons with him, and he was at an inn in the
road, and an angel of God came down, and sought an occasion against him.
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9 And he wished to kill him on
account of his first born son, because he had not circumcised him, and had
transgressed the covenant which the Lord had made with Abraham.
10 For Moses had hearkened to
the words of his father-in-law which he had spoken to him, not to circumcise
his first born son, therefore he circumcised him not.
11 And Zipporah saw the angel of
the Lord seeking an occasion against Moses, and she knew that this thing was
owing to his not having circumcised her son Gershom.
12 And Zipporah hastened and
took of the sharp rock stones that were there, and she circumcised her son,
and delivered her husband and her son from the hand of the angel of the Lord.
13 And Aaron the son of Amram,
the brother of Moses, was in Egypt walking at the river side on that day.
14 And the Lord appeared to him
in that place, and he said to him, Go now toward Moses in the wilderness, and
he went and met him in the mountain of God, and he kissed him.
15 And Aaron lifted up his eyes,
and saw Zipporah the wife of Moses and her children, and he said unto Moses,
Who are these unto thee?
16 And Moses said unto him, They
are my wife and sons, which God gave to me in Midian; and the thing grieved
Aaron on account of the woman and her children.
17 And Aaron said to Moses, Send
away the woman and her children that they may go to her father's house, and
Moses hearkened to the words of Aaron, and did so.
18 And Zipporah returned with
her children, and they went to the house of Reuel, and remained there until
the time arrived when the Lord had visited his people, and brought them forth
from Egypt from the hand at Pharaoh.
19 And Moses and Aaron came to
Egypt to the community of the children of Israel, and they spoke to them all
the words of the Lord, and the people rejoiced an exceeding great rejoicing.
20 And Moses and Aaron rose up early
on the next day, and they went to the house of Pharaoh, and they took in
their hands the stick of God.
21 And when they came to the
king's gate, two young lions were confined there with iron instruments, and
no person went out or came in from before them, unless those whom the king
ordered to come, when the conjurors came and withdrew the lions by their
incantations, and this brought them to the king.
22 And Moses hastened and lifted
up the stick upon the lions, and he loosed them, and Moses and Aaron came
into the king's house.
23 The lions also came with them
in joy, and they followed them and rejoiced as a dog rejoices over his master
when he comes from the field.
24 And when Pharaoh saw this
thing he was astonished at it, and he was greatly terrified at the report,
for their appearance was like the appearance of the children of God.
25 And Pharaoh said to Moses,
What do you require? and they answered him, saying, The Lord God of the
Hebrews has sent us to thee, to say, Send forth my people that they may serve
me.
26 And when Pharaoh heard their
words he was greatly terrified before them, and he said to them, Go today and
come back to me tomorrow, and they did according to the word of the king.
27 And when they had gone
Pharaoh sent for Balaam the magician and to Jannes and Jambres his sons, and
to all the magicians and conjurors and counsellors which belonged to the
king, and they all came and sat before the king.
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28 And the king told them all
the words which Moses and his brother Aaron had spoken to him, and the
magicians said to the king, But how came the men to thee, on account of the
lions which were confined at the gate?
29 And the king said, Because
they lifted up their rod against the lions and loosed them, and came to me,
and the lions also rejoiced at them as a dog rejoices to meet his master.
30 And Balaam the son of Beor
the magician answered the king, saying, These are none else than magicians
like ourselves.
31 Now therefore send for them,
and let them come and we will try them, and the king did so.
32 And in the morning Pharaoh
sent for Moses and Aaron to come before the king, and they took the rod of
God, and came to the king and spoke to him, saying,
33 Thus said the Lord God of the
Hebrews, Send my people that they may serve me.
34 And the king said to them,
But who will believe you that you are the messengers of God and that you come
to me by his order?
35 Now therefore give a wonder
or sign in this matter, and then the words which you speak will be believed.
36 And Aaron hastened and threw
the rod out of his hand before Pharaoh and before his servants, and the rod
turned into a serpent.
37 And the sorcerers saw this
and they cast each man his rod upon the ground and they became serpents.
38 And the serpent of Aaron's
rod lifted up its head and opened its mouth to swallow the rods of the
magicians.
39 And Balaam the magician
answered and said, This thing has been from the days of old, that a serpent
should swallow its fellow, and that living things devour each other.
40 Now therefore restore it to a
rod as it was at first, and we will also restore our rods as they were at
first, and if thy rod shall swallow our rods, then shall we know that the
spirit of God is in thee, and if not, thou art only an artificer like unto
ourselves.
41 And Aaron hastened and
stretched forth his hand and caught hold of the serpent's tail and it became
a rod in his hand, and the sorcerers did the like with their rods, and they
got hold, each man of the tail of his serpent, and they became rods as at
first.
42 And when they were restored
to rods, the rod of Aaron swallowed up their rods.
43 And when the king saw this
thing, he ordered the book of records that related to the kings of Egypt, to
be brought, and they brought the book of records, the chronicles of the kings
of Egypt, in which all the idols of Egypt were inscribed, for they thought of
finding therein the name of Jehovah, but they found it not.
44 And Pharaoh said to Moses and
Aaron, Behold I have not found the name of your God written in this book, and
his name I know not.
45 And the counsellors and wise
men answered the king, We have heard that the God of the Hebrews is a son of
the wise, the son of ancient kings.
46 And Pharaoh turned to Moses
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and Aaron and said to them, I
know not the Lord whom you have declared, neither will I send his people.
47 And they answered and said to
the king, The Lord God of Gods is his name, and he proclaimed his name over
us from the days of our ancestors, and sent us, saying, Go to Pharaoh and say
unto him, Send my people that they may serve me.
48 Now therefore send us, that
we may take a journey for three days in the wilderness, and there may
sacrifice to him, for from the days of our going down to Egypt, he has not
taken from our hands either burnt offering, oblation or sacrifice, and if
thou wilt not send us, his anger will be kindled against thee, and he will
smite Egypt either with the plague or with the sword.
49 And Pharaoh said to them,
Tell me now his power and his might; and they said to him, He created the
heaven and the earth, the seas and all their fishes, he formed the light,
created the darkness, caused rain upon the earth and watered it, and made the
herbage and grass to sprout, he created man and beast and the animals of the
forest, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea, and by his mouth they
live and die.
50 Surely he created thee in thy
mother's womb, and put into thee the breath of life, and reared thee and
placed thee upon the royal throne of Egypt, and he will take thy breath and
soul from thee, and return thee to the ground whence thou wast taken.
51 And the anger of the king was
kindled at their words, and he said to them, But who amongst all the Gods of
nations can do this? my river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.
52 And he drove them from him,
and he ordered the labor upon Israel to be more severe than it was yesterday
and before.
53 And Moses and Aaron went out
from the king's presence, and they saw the children of Israel in an evil
condition for the task-masters had made their labor exceedingly heavy.
54 And Moses returned to the
Lord and said, Why hast thou ill treated thy people? for since I came to
speak to Pharaoh what thou didst send me for, he has exceedingly ill used the
children of Israel.
55 And the Lord said to Moses,
Behold thou wilt see that with an outstretched hand and heavy plagues,
Pharaoh will send the children of Israel from his land.
56 And Moses and Aaron dwelt
amongst their brethren the children of Israel in Egypt.
57 And as for the children of
Israel the Egyptians embittered their lives, with the heavy work which they
imposed upon them.
CHAPTER 80
1 And at the end of two years,
the Lord again sent Moses to Pharaoh to bring forth the children of Israel,
and to send them out of the land of Egypt.
2 And Moses went and came to the
house of Pharaoh, and he spoke to him the words of the Lord who had sent him,
but Pharaoh would not hearken to the voice of the Lord, and God roused his
might in Egypt upon Pharaoh and his subjects, and God smote Pharaoh and his
people with very great and sore plagues.
3 And the Lord sent by the hand
of Aaron and turned all the waters of Egypt into blood, with all their
streams and rivers.
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4 And when an Egyptian came to
drink and draw water, he looked into his pitcher, and behold all the water
was turned into blood; and when he came to drink from his cup the water in
the cup became blood.
5 And when a woman kneaded her
dough and cooked her victuals, their appearance was turned to that of blood.
6 And the Lord sent again and
caused all their waters to bring forth frogs, and all the frogs came into the
houses of the Egyptians.
7 And when the Egyptians drank,
their bellies were filled with frogs and they danced in their bellies as they
dance when in the river.
8 And all their drinking water
and cooking water turned to frogs, also when they lay in their beds their
perspiration bred frogs.
9 Notwithstanding all this the
anger of the Lord did not turn from them, and his hand was stretched out
against all the Egyptians to smite them with every heavy plague.
10 And he sent and smote their
dust to lice, and the lice became in Egypt to the height of two cubits upon
the earth.
11 The lice were also very
numerous, in the flesh of man and beast, in all the inhabitants of Egypt,
also upon the king and queen the Lord sent the lice, and it grieved Egypt
exceedingly on account of the lice.
12 Notwithstanding this, the
anger of the Lord did not turn away, and his hand was still stretched out
over Egypt.
13 And the Lord sent all kinds
of beasts of the field into Egypt, and they came and destroyed all Egypt, man
and beast, and trees, and all things that were in Egypt.
14 And the Lord sent fiery
serpents, scorpions, mice, weasels, toads, together with others creeping in
dust.
15 Flies, hornets, fleas, bugs
and gnats, each swarm according to its kind.
16 And all reptiles and winged
animals according to their kind came to Egypt and grieved the Egyptians
exceedingly.
17 And the fleas and flies came
into the eyes and ears of the Egyptians.
18 And the hornet came upon them
and drove them away, and they removed from it into their inner rooms, and it
pursued them.
19 And when the Egyptians hid
themselves on account of the swarm of animals, they locked their doors after
them, and God ordered the Sulanuth which was in the sea, to come up and go
into Egypt.
20 And she had long arms, ten
cubits in length of the cubit of a man.
21 And she went upon the roofs
and uncovered the raftering and flooring and cut them, and stretched forth
her arm into the house and removed the lock and the bolt, and opened the
houses of Egypt.
22 Afterward came the swarm of
animals into the houses of Egypt, and the swarm of animals destroyed the
Egyptians, and it grieved them exceedingly.
23 Notwithstanding this the
anger of the Lord did not turn away from the Egyptians, and his hand was yet
stretched forth against them.
24 And God sent the pestilence,
and the pestilence pervaded Egypt, in the horses and asses, and in the
camels, in herds of oxen and sheep and in man.
25 And when the Egyptians rose
up early in the morning to take their cattle to pasture they found all their
cattle dead.
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26 And there remained of the
cattle of the Egyptians only one in ten, and of the cattle belonging to
Israel in Goshen not one died.
27 And God sent a burning
inflammation in the flesh of the Egyptians, which burst their skins, and it
became a severe itch in all the Egyptians from the soles of their feet to the
crowns of their heads.
28 And many boils were in their
flesh, that their flesh wasted away until they became rotten and putrid.
29 Notwithstanding this the
anger of the Lord did not turn away, and his hand was still stretched out
over all Egypt.
30 And the Lord sent a very
heavy hail, which smote their vines and broke their fruit trees and dried
them up that they fell upon them.
31 Also every green herb became
dry and perished, for a mingling fire descended amidst the hail, therefore
the hail and the fire consumed all things.
32 Also men and beasts that were
found abroad perished of the flames of fire and of the hail, and all the
young lions were exhausted.
33 And the Lord sent and brought
numerous locusts into Egypt, the Chasel, Salom, Chargol, and Chagole, locusts
each of its kind, which devoured all that the hail had left remaining.
34 Then the Egyptians rejoiced
at the locusts, although they consumed the produce of the field, and they
caught them in abundance and salted them for food.
35 And the Lord turned a mighty
wind of the sea which took away all the locusts, even those that were salted,
and thrust them into the Red Sea; not one locust remained within the
boundaries of Egypt.
36 And God sent darkness upon
Egypt, that the whole land of Egypt and Pathros became dark for three days,
so that a man could not see his hand when he lifted it to his mouth.
37 At that time died many of the
people of Israel who had rebelled against the Lord and who would not hearken
to Moses and Aaron, and believed not in them that God had sent them.
38 And who had said, We will not
go forth from Egypt lest we perish with hunger in a desolate wilderness, and
who would not hearken to the voice of Moses.
39 And the Lord plagued them in
the three days of darkness, and the Israelites buried them in those days,
without the Egyptians knowing of them or rejoicing over them.
40 And the darkness was very
great in Egypt for three days, and any person who was standing when the
darkness came, remained standing in his place, and he that was sitting
remained sitting, and he that was lying continued lying in the same state,
and he that was walking remained sitting upon the ground in the same spot;
and this thing happened to all the Egyptians, until the darkness had passed
away.
41 And the days of darkness
passed away, and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron to the children of Israel,
saying, Celebrate your feast and make your Passover, for behold I come in the
midst of the night amongst all the Egyptians, and I will smite all their
first born, from the first born of a man to the first born of a beast, and
when I see your Passover, I will pass over you.
42 And the children of Israel
did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, thus did
they in that night.
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43 And it came to pass in the
middle of the night, that the Lord went forth in the midst of Egypt, and
smote all the first born of the Egyptians, from the first born of man to the
first born of beast.
44 And Pharaoh rose up in the
night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great
cry throughout Egypt in that night, for there was not a house in which there
was not a corpse.
45 Also the likenesses of the
first born of Egypt, which were carved in the walls at their houses, were
destroyed and fell to the ground.
46 Even the bones of their first
born who had died before this and whom they had buried in their houses, were
raked up by the dogs of Egypt on that night and dragged before the Egyptians
and cast before them.
47 And all the Egyptians saw
this evil which had suddenly come upon them, and all the Egyptians cried out
with a loud voice.
48 And all the families of Egypt
wept upon that night, each man for his son and each man for his daughter,
being the first born, and the tumult of Egypt was heard at a distance on that
night.
49 And Bathia the daughter of
Pharaoh went forth with the king on that night to seek Moses and Aaron in
their houses, and they found them in their houses, eating and drinking and
rejoicing with all Israel.
50 And Bathia said to Moses, Is
this the reward for the good which I have done to thee, who have reared thee
and stretched thee out, and thou hast brought this evil upon me and my
father's house?
51 And Moses said to her, Surely
ten plagues did the Lord bring upon Egypt; did any evil accrue to thee from
any of them? did one of them affect thee? and she said, No.
52 And Moses said to her,
Although thou art the first born to thy mother, thou shalt not die, and no
evil shall reach thee in the midst of Egypt.
53 And she said, What advantage
is it to me, when I see the king, my brother, and all his household and
subjects in this evil, whose first born perish with all the first born of
Egypt?
54 And Moses said to her, Surely
thy brother and his household, and subjects, the families of Egypt, would not
hearken to the words of the Lord, therefore did this evil come upon them.
55 And Pharaoh king of Egypt
approached Moses and Aaron, and some of the children of Israel who were with
them in that place, and he prayed to them, saying,
56 Rise up and take your
brethren, all the children of Israel who are in the land, with their sheep
and oxen, and all belonging to them, they shall leave nothing remaining, only
pray for me to the Lord your God.
57 And Moses said to Pharaoh,
Behold though thou art thy mother's first born, yet fear not, for thou wilt
not die, for the Lord has commanded that thou shalt live, in order to show
thee his great might and strong stretched out arm.
58 And Pharaoh ordered the
children of Israel to be sent away, and all the Egyptians strengthened
themselves to send them, for they said, We are all perishing.
59 And all the Egyptians sent
the Israelites forth, with great riches, sheep and oxen and precious things,
229
according to the oath of the
Lord between him and our Father Abraham.
60 And the children of Israel
delayed going forth at night, and when the Egyptians came to them to bring
them out, they said to them, Are we thieves, that we should go forth at
night?
61 And the children of Israel
asked of the Egyptians, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments,
and the children of Israel stripped the Egyptians.
62 And Moses hastened and rose
up and went to the river of Egypt, and brought up from thence the coffin of
Joseph and took it with him.
63 The children of Israel also
brought up, each man his father's coffin with him, and each man the coffins
of his tribe.
CHAPTER 81
1 And the children of Israel
journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot,
besides the little ones and their wives.
2 Also a mixed multitude went up
with them, and flocks and herds, even much cattle.
3 And the sojourning of the
children of Israel, who dwelt in the land of Egypt in hard labor, was two
hundred and ten years.
4 And at the end of two hundred
and ten years, the Lord brought forth the children of Israel from Egypt with
a strong hand.
5 And the children of Israel
traveled from Egypt and from Goshen and from Rameses, and encamped in Succoth
on the fifteenth day of the first month.
6 And the Egyptians buried all
their first born whom the Lord had smitten, and all the Egyptians buried
their slain for three days.
7 And the children of Israel
traveled from Succoth and encamped in Ethom, at the end of the wilderness.
8 And on the third day after the
Egyptians had buried their first born, many men rose up from Egypt and went
after Israel to make them return to Egypt, for they repented that they had
sent the Israelites away from their servitude.
9 And one man said to his
neighbor, Surely Moses and Aaron spoke to Pharaoh, saying, We will go a three
days' journey in the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God.
10 Now therefore let us rise up
early in the morning and cause them to return, and it shall be that if they
return with us to Egypt to their masters, then shall we know that there is
faith in them, but if they will not return, then will we fight with them, and
make them come back with great power and a strong hand.
11 And all the nobles of Pharaoh
rose up in the morning, and with them about seven hundred thousand men, and
they went forth from Egypt on that day, and came to the place where the
children of Israel were.
12 And all the Egyptians saw and
behold Moses and Aaron and all the children of Israel were sitting before
Pi-hahiroth, eating and drinking and celebrating the feast of the Lord.
13 And all the Egyptians said to
the children of Israel, Surely you said, We will go a journey for three days
in the wilderness and sacrifice to our God and return.
14 Now therefore this day makes
five days since you went, why do you not return to your masters?
15 And Moses and Aaron answered
them, saying, Because the Lord our God has testified in us, saying,
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You shall no more return to
Egypt, but we will betake ourselves to a land flowing with milk and honey, as
the Lord our God had sworn to our ancestors to give to us.
16 And when the nobles of Egypt
saw that the children of Israel did not hearken to them, to return to Egypt,
they girded themselves to fight with Israel.
17 And the Lord strengthened the
hearts of the children of Israel over the Egyptians, that they gave them a
severe beating, and the battle was sore upon the Egyptians, and all the
Egyptians fled from before the children of Israel, for many of them perished
by the hand of Israel.
18 And the nobles of Pharaoh
went to Egypt and told Pharaoh, saying, The children of Israel have fled, and
will no more return to Egypt, and in this manner did Moses and Aaron speak to
us.
19 And Pharaoh heard this thing,
and his heart and the hearts of all his subjects were turned against Israel,
and they repented that they had sent Israel; and all the Egyptians advised
Pharaoh to pursue the children of Israel to make them come back to their
burdens.
20 And they said each man to his
brother, What is this which we have done, that we have sent Israel from our
servitude?
21 And the Lord strengthened the
hearts of all the Egyptians to pursue the Israelites, for the Lord desired to
overthrow the Egyptians in the Red Sea.
22 And Pharaoh rose up and
harnessed his chariot, and he ordered all the Egyptians to assemble, not one
man was left excepting the little ones and the women.
23 And all the Egyptians went
forth with Pharaoh to pursue the children of Israel, and the camp of Egypt
was an exceedingly large and heavy camp, about ten hundred thousand men.
24 And the whole of this camp
went and pursued the children of Israel to bring them back to Egypt, and they
reached them encamping by the Red Sea.
25 And the children of Israel
lifted up their eyes, and beheld all the Egyptians pursuing them, and the
children of Israel were greatly terrified at them, and the children of Israel
cried to the Lord.
26 And on account of the
Egyptians, the children of Israel divided themselves into four divisions, and
they were divided in their opinions, for they were afraid of the Egyptians,
and Moses spoke to each of them.
27 The first division was of the
children of Reuben, Simeon, and Issachar, and they resolved to cast
themselves into the sea, for they were exceedingly afraid of the Egyptians.
28 And Moses said to them, Fear
not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which He will effect this
day for you.
29 The second division was of
the children of Zebulun, Benjamin and Naphtali, and they resolved to go back
to Egypt with the Egyptians.
30 And Moses said to them, Fear
not, for as you have seen the Egyptians this day, so shall you see them no
more for ever.
31 The third division was of the
children of Judah and Joseph, and they resolved to go to meet the Egyptians
to fight with them.
32 And Moses said to them, Stand
in your places, for the Lord will fight for you, and you shall remain silent.
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33 And the fourth division was
of the children of Levi, Gad, and Asher, and they resolved to go into the
midst of the Egyptians to confound them, and Moses said to them, Remain in
your stations and fear not, only call unto the Lord that he may save you out
of their hands.
34 After this Moses rose up from
amidst the people, and he prayed to the Lord and said,
35 O Lord God of the whole
earth, save now thy people whom thou didst bring forth from Egypt, and let
not the Egyptians boast that power and might are theirs.
36 So the Lord said to Moses,
Why dost thou cry unto me? speak to the children of Israel that they shall
proceed, and do thou stretch out thy rod upon the sea and divide it, and the
children of Israel shall pass through it.
37 And Moses did so, and he
lifted up his rod upon the sea and divided it.
38 And the waters of the sea
were divided into twelve parts, and the children of Israel passed through on
foot, with shoes, as a man would pass through a prepared road.
39 And the Lord manifested to
the children of Israel his wonders in Egypt and in the sea by the hand of
Moses and Aaron.
40 And when the children of
Israel had entered the sea, the Egyptians came after them, and the waters of
the sea resumed upon them, and they all sank in the water, and not one man
was left excepting Pharaoh, who gave thanks to the Lord and believed in him,
therefore the Lord did not cause him to perish at that time with the
Egyptians.
41 And the Lord ordered an angel
to take him from amongst the Egyptians, who cast him upon the land of Ninevah
and he reigned over it for a long time.
42 And on that day the Lord
saved Israel from the hand of Egypt, and all the children of Israel saw that
the Egyptians had perished, and they beheld the great hand of the Lord, in
what he had performed in Egypt and in the sea.
43 Then sang Moses and the
children of Israel this song unto the Lord, on the day when the Lord caused
the Egyptians to fall before them.
44 And all Israel sang in
concert, saying, I will sing to the Lord for He is greatly exalted, the horse
and his rider has he cast into the sea; behold it is written in the book of
the law of God.
45 After this the children of
Israel proceeded on their journey, and encamped in Marah, and the Lord gave
to the children of Israel statutes and judgments in that place in Marah, and
the Lord commanded the children of Israel to walk in all his ways and to
serve him.
46 And they journeyed from Marah
and came to Elim, and in Elim were twelve springs of water and seventy date
trees, and the children encamped there by the waters.
47 And they journeyed from Elim
and came to the wilderness of Sin, on the fifteenth day of the second month
after their departure from Egypt.
48 At that time the Lord gave
the manna to the children of Israel to eat, and the Lord caused food to rain
from heaven for the children of Israel day by day.
49 And the children of Israel
ate the manna for forty years, all the days that they were in the wilderness,
until they came to the land of Canaan to possess it.
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50 And they proceeded from the
wilderness of Sin and encamped in Alush.
51 And they proceeded from Alush
and encamped in Rephidim.
52 And when the children of
Israel were in Rephidim, Amalek the son of Eliphaz, the son of Esau, the
brother of Zepho, came to fight with Israel.
53 And he brought with him eight
hundred and one thousand men, magicians and conjurers, and he prepared for
battle with Israel in Rephidim.
54 And they carried on a great
and severe battle against Israel, and the Lord delivered Amalek and his
people into the hands of Moses and the children of Israel, and into the hand
of Joshua, the son of Nun, the Ephrathite, the servant of Moses.
55 And the children of Israel
smote Amalek and his people at the edge of the sword, but the battle was very
sore upon the children of Israel.
56 And the Lord said to Moses,
Write this thing as a memorial for thee in a book, and place it in the hand
of Joshua, the son of Nun, thy servant, and thou shalt command the children
of Israel, saying, When thou shalt come to the land of Canaan, thou shalt
utterly efface the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.
57 And Moses did so, and he took
the book and wrote upon it these words, saying,
58 Remember what Amalek has done
to thee in the road when thou wentest forth from Egypt.
59 Who met thee in the road and
smote thy rear, even those that were feeble behind thee when thou wast faint
and weary.
60 Therefore it shall be when
the Lord thy God shall have given thee rest from all thine enemies round
about in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, to
possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under
heaven, thou shalt not forget it.
61 And the king who shall have
pity on Amalek, or upon his memory or upon his seed, behold I will require it
of him, and I will cut him off from amongst his people.
62 And Moses wrote all these
things in a book, and he enjoined the children of Israel respecting all these
matters.
CHAPTER 82
1 And the children of Israel
proceeded from Rephidim and they encamped in the wilderness of Sinai, in the
third month from their going forth from Egypt.
2 At that time came Reuel the
Midianite, the father-in-law of Moses, with Zipporah his daughter and her two
sons, for he had heard of the wonders of the Lord which he had done to
Israel, that he had delivered them from the hand of Egypt.
3 And Reuel came to Moses to the
wilderness where he was encamped, where was the mountain of God.
4 And Moses went forth to meet
his father-in-law with great honor, and all Israel was with him.
5 And Reuel and his children
remained amongst the Israelites for many days, and Reuel knew the Lord from
that day forward.
6 And in the third month from
the children of Israel's departure from Egypt, on the sixth day thereof, the
Lord gave to Israel the ten commandments on Mount Sinai.
7 And all Israel heard all these
commandments, and all Israel rejoiced exceedingly in the Lord on that day.
8 And the glory of the Lord
rested upon Mount Sinai, and he called to
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Moses, and Moses came in the
midst of a cloud and ascended the mountain.
9 And Moses was upon the mount
forty days and forty nights; he ate no bread and drank no water, and the Lord
instructed him in the statutes and judgments in order to teach the children
of Israel.
10 And the Lord wrote the ten
commandments which he had commanded the children of Israel upon two tablets
of stone, which he gave to Moses to command the children of Israel.
11 And at the end of forty days
and forty nights, when the Lord had finished speaking to Moses on Mount
Sinai, then the Lord gave to Moses the tablets of stone, written with the
finger of God.
12 And when the children of
Israel saw that Moses tarried to come down from the mount, they gathered
round Aaron, and said, As for this man Moses we know not what has become of
him.
13 Now therefore rise up, make
unto us a god who shall go before us, so that thou shalt not die.
14 And Aaron was greatly afraid
of the people, and he ordered them to bring him gold and he made it into a
molten calf for the people.
15 And the Lord said to Moses,
before he had come down from the mount, Get thee down, for thy people whom
thou didst bring forth from Egypt have corrupted themselves.
16 They have made to themselves
a molten calf, and have bowed down to it, now therefore leave me, that I may
consume them from off the earth, for they are a stiffnecked people.
17 And Moses besought the
countenance of the Lord, and he prayed to the Lord for the people on account
of the calf which they had made, and he afterward descended from the mount
and in his hands were the two tablets of stone, which God had given him to
command the Israelites.
18 And when Moses approached the
camp and saw the calf which the people had made, the anger of Moses was
kindled and he broke the tablets under the mount.
19 And Moses came to the camp
and he took the calf and burned it with fire, and ground it till it became
fine dust, and strewed it upon the water and gave it to the Israelites to
drink.
20 And there died of the people
by the swords of each other about three thousand men who had made the calf.
21 And on the morrow Moses said
to the people, I will go up to the Lord, peradventure I may make atonement
for your sins which you have sinned to the Lord.
22 And Moses again went up to
the Lord, and he remained with the Lord forty days and forty nights.
23 And during the forty days did
Moses entreat the Lord in behalf of the children of Israel, and the Lord hearkened to the prayer of Moses, and the
Lord was entreated of him in behalf of Israel.
24 Then spake the Lord to Moses
to hew two stone tablets and to bring them up to the Lord, who would write
upon them the ten commandments.
25 Now Moses did so, and he came
down and hewed the two tablets and went up to Mount Sinai to the Lord, and
the Lord wrote the ten commandments upon the tablets.
26 And Moses remained yet with
the Lord forty days and forty nights, and the Lord instructed him in statutes
and judgments to impart to Israel.
27 And the Lord commanded him
respecting the children of Israel that they should make a sanctuary
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for the Lord, that his name
might rest therein, and the Lord showed him the likeness of the sanctuary and
the likeness of all its vessels.
28 And at the end of the forty
days, Moses came down from the mount and the two tablets were in his hand.
29 And Moses came to the
children of Israel and spoke to them all the words of the Lord, and he taught
them laws, statutes and judgments which the Lord had taught him.
30 And Moses told the children
of Israel the word of the Lord, that a sanctuary should be made for him, to
dwell amongst the children of Israel.
31 And the people rejoiced
greatly at all the good which the Lord had spoken to them, through Moses, and
they said, We will do all that the Lord has spoken to thee.
32 And the people rose up like
one man and they made generous offerings to the sanctuary of the Lord, and
each man brought the offering of the Lord for the work of the sanctuary, and
for all its service.
33 And all the children of
Israel brought each man of all that was found in his possession for the work
of the sanctuary of the Lord, gold, silver and brass, and every thing that
was serviceable for the sanctuary.
34 And all the wise men who were
practiced in work came and made the sanctuary of the Lord, according to all
that the Lord had commanded, every man in the work in which he had been
practiced; and all the wise men in heart made the sanctuary, and its
furniture and all the vessels for the holy service, as the Lord had commanded
Moses.
35 And the work of the sanctuary
of the tabernacle was completed at the end of five months, and the children
of Israel did all that the Lord had commanded Moses.
36 And they brought the
sanctuary and all its furniture to Moses; like unto the representation which
the Lord had shown to Moses, so did the children of Israel.
37 And Moses saw the work, and
behold they did it as the Lord had commanded him, so Moses blessed them.
CHAPTER 83
1 And in the twelfth month, in
the twenty-third day of the month, Moses took Aaron and his sons, and he
dressed them in their garments, and anointed them and did unto them as the
Lord had commanded him, and Moses brought up all the offerings which the Lord
had on that day commanded him.
2 Moses afterward took Aaron and
his sons and said to them, For seven days shall you remain at the door of the
tabernacle, for thus am I commanded.
3 And Aaron and his sons did all
that the Lord had commanded them through Moses, and they remained for seven
days at the door of the tabernacle.
4 And on the eighth day, being
the first day of the first month, in the second year from the Israelites'
departure from Egypt, Moses erected the sanctuary, and Moses put up all the
furniture of the tabernacle and all the furniture of the sanctuary, and he
did all that the Lord had commanded him.
5 And Moses called to Aaron and
his sons, and they brought the burnt offering and the sin offering for
themselves and the children of Israel, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
6 On that day the two sons of
Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, took strange fire and brought it before the Lord
235
who had not commanded them, and
a fire went forth from before the Lord, and consumed them, and they died
before the Lord on that day.
7 Then on the day when Moses had
completed to erect the sanctuary, the princes of the children of Israel began
to bring their offerings before the Lord for the dedication of the altar.
8 And they brought up their
offerings each prince for one day, a prince each day for twelve days.
9 And all the offerings which
they brought, each man in his day, one silver charger weighing one hundred
and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels after the shekel of
the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour, mingled with oil for a meat
offering.
10 One spoon, weighing ten
shekels of gold, full of incense.
11 One young bullock, one ram,
one lamb of the first year for a burnt offering.
12 And one kid of the goats for
a sin offering.
13 And for a sacrifice of peace
offering, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of a year old.
14 Thus did the twelve princes
of Israel day by day, each man in his day.
15 And it was after this, in the
thirteenth day of the month, that Moses commanded the children of Israel to
observe the Passover.
16 And the children of Israel
kept the Passover in its season in the fourteenth day of the month, as the
Lord had commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.
17 And in the second month, on
the first day thereof, the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
18 Number the heads of all the
males of the children of Israel from twenty years old and upward, thou and
thy brother Aaron and the twelve princes of Israel.
19 And Moses did so, and Aaron
came with the twelve princes of Israel, and they numbered the children of
Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.
20 And the numbers of the
children of Israel by the houses of their fathers, from twenty years old and
upward, were six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty.
21 But the children of Levi were
not numbered amongst their brethren the children of Israel.
22 And the number of all the
males of the children of Israel from one month old and upward, was twenty-two
thousand, two hundred and seventy-three.
23 And the number of the
children of Levi from one month old and above, was twenty-two thousand.
24 And Moses placed the priests
and the Levites each man to his service and to his burden to serve the
sanctuary of the tabernacle, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
25 And on the twentieth day of
the month, the cloud was taken away from the tabernacle of testimony.
26 At that time the children of
Israel continued their journey from the wilderness of Sinai, and they took a
journey of three days, and the cloud rested upon the wilderness of Paran;
there the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, for they had provoked
the Lord in asking him for meat, that they might eat.
27 And the Lord hearkened to
their voice, and gave them meat which they ate for one month.
28 But after this the anger of
the Lord was kindled against them, and he smote them with a great slaughter,
and they were buried there in that place.
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29 And the children of Israel
called that place Kebroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people
that lusted flesh.
30 And they departed from
Kebroth Hattaavah and pitched in Hazeroth, which is in the wilderness of
Paran.
31 And whilst the children of
Israel were in Hazeroth, the anger of the Lord was kindled against Miriam on
account of Moses, and she became leprous, white as snow.
32 And she was confined without
the camp for seven days, until she had been received again after her leprosy.
33 The children of Israel
afterward departed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the end of the wilderness of
Paran.
34 At that time, the Lord spoke
to Moses to send twelve men from the children of Israel, one man to a tribe,
to go and explore the land of Canaan.
35 And Moses sent the twelve
men, and they came to the land of Canaan to search and examine it, and they
explored the whole land from the wilderness of Sin to Rechob as thou comest
to Chamoth.
36 And at the end of forty days
they came to Moses and Aaron, and they brought him word as it was in their
hearts, and ten of the men brought up an evil report to the children of Israel,
of the land which they had explored, saying, It is better for us to return to
Egypt than to go to this land, a land that consumes its inhabitants.
37 But Joshua the son of Nun,
and Caleb the son of Jephuneh, who were of those that explored the land,
said, The land is exceedingly good.
38 If the Lord delight in us,
then he will bring us to this land and give it to us, for it is a land
flowing with milk and honey.
39 But the children of Israel
would not hearken to them, and they hearkened to the words of the ten men who
had brought up an evil report of the land.
40 And the Lord heard the
murmurings of the children of Israel and he was angry and swore, saying,
41 Surely not one man of this
wicked generation shall see the land from twenty years old and upward
excepting Caleb the son of Jephuneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
42 But surely this wicked
generation shall perish in this wilderness, and their children shall come to
the land and they shall possess it; so the anger of the Lord was kindled
against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness for forty years
until the end of that wicked generation, because they did not follow the
Lord.
43 And the people dwelt in the
wilderness of Paran a long time, and they afterward proceeded to the
wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.
CHAPTER 84
1 At that time Korah the son of
Jetzer the son of Kehath the son of Levi, took many men of the children of
Israel, and they rose up and quarreled with Moses and Aaron and the whole
congregation.
2 And the Lord was angry with
them, and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, with their
houses and all belonging to them, and all the men belonging to Korah.
3 And after this God made the
people go round by the way of Mount Seir for a long time.
4 At that time the Lord said
unto Moses, Provoke not a war against the children of Esau, for I will not
237
give to you of any thing
belonging to them, as much as the sole of the foot could tread upon, for I
have given Mount Seir for an inheritance to Esau.
5 Therefore did the children of
Esau fight against the children of Seir in former times,
and the Lord had delivered the children of Seir into the hands of the
children of Esau, and destroyed them from before them, and the children of
Esau dwelt in their stead unto this day.
6 Therefore the Lord said to the
children of Israel, Fight not against the children of Esau your brethren, for
nothing in their land belongs to you, but you may buy food of them for money
and eat it, and you may buy water of them for money and drink it.
7 And the children of Israel did
according to the word of the Lord.
8 And the children of Israel
went about the wilderness, going round by the way of Mount Sinai for a long
time, and touched not the children of Esau, and they continued in that
district for nineteen years.
9 At that time died Latinus king
of the children of Chittim, in the forty-fifth year of his reign, which is
the fourteenth year of the children of Israel's departure from Egypt.
10 And they buried him in his
place which he had built for himself in the land of Chittim, and Abimnas
reigned in his place for thirty-eight years.
11 And the children of Israel
passed the boundary of the children of Esau in those days, at the end of
nineteen years, and they came and passed the road of the wilderness of Moab.
12 And the Lord said to Moses,
besiege not Moab, and do not fight against them, for I will give you nothing
of their land.
13 And the children of Israel
passed the road of the wilderness of Moab for nineteen years, and they did
not fight against them.
14 And in the thirty-sixth year
of the children of Israel's departing from Egypt the Lord smote the heart of
Sihon, king of the Amorites, and he waged war, and went forth to fight
against the children of Moab.
15 And Sihon sent messengers to
Beor the son of Janeas, the son of Balaam, counsellor to the king of Egypt,
and to Balaam his son, to curse Moab, in order that it might be delivered
into the hand of Sihon.
16 And the messengers went and
brought Beor the son of Janeas, and Balaam his son, from Pethor in
Mesopotamia, so Beor and Balaam his son came to the city of Sihon and they
cursed Moab and their king in the presence of Sihon king of the Amorites.
17 So Sihon went out with his
whole army, and he went to Moab and fought against them, and he subdued them,
and the Lord delivered them into his hands, and Sihon slew the king of Moab.
18 And Sihon took all the cities
of Moab in the battle; he also took Heshbon from them, for Heshbon was one of
the cities of Moab, and Sihon placed his princes and his nobles in Heshbon,
and Heshbon belonged to Sihon in those days.
19 Therefore the parable
speakers Beor and Balaam his son uttered these words, saying, Come unto
Heshbon, the city of Sihon will be built and established.
20 Woe unto thee Moab! thou art
lost, O people of Kemosh! behold it is written upon the book of the law of
God.
21 And when Sihon had conquered
Moab, he placed guards in the cities which he had taken from
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Moab, and a considerable number
of the children of Moab fell in battle into the hand of Sihon, and he made a
great capture of them, sons and daughters, and he slew their king; so Sihon
turned back to his own land.
22 And Sihon gave numerous
presents of silver and gold to Beor and Balaam his son, and he dismissed
them, and they went to Mesopotamia to their home and country.
23 At that time all the children
of Israel passed from the road of the wilderness of Moab, and returned and
surrounded the wilderness of Edom.
24 So the whole congregation
came to the wilderness of Sin in the first month of the fortieth year from
their departure from Egypt, and the children of Israel dwelt there in Kadesh,
of the wilderness of Sin, and Miriam died there and she was buried there.
25 At that time Moses sent
messengers to Hadad king of Edom, saying, Thus says thy brother Israel, Let
me pass I pray thee through thy land, we will not pass through field or
vineyard, we will not drink the water of the well; we will walk in the king's
road.
26 And Edom said to him, Thou
shalt not pass through my country, and Edom went forth to meet the children
of Israel with a mighty people.
27 And the children of Esau
refused to let the children of Israel pass through their land, so the
Israelites removed from them and fought not against them.
28 For before this the Lord had
commanded the children of Israel, saying, You shall not fight against the
children of Esau, therefore the Israelites removed from them and did not
fight against them.
29 So the children of Israel departed
from Kadesh, and all the people came to Mount Hor.
30 At that time the Lord said to
Moses, Tell thy brother Aaron that he shall die there, for he shall not come
to the land which I have given to the children of Israel.
31 And Aaron went up, at the command
of the Lord, to Mount Hor, in the fortieth year, in the fifth month, in the
first day of the month.
32 And Aaron was one hundred and
twenty-three years old when he died in Mount Hor.
CHAPTER 85
1 And king Arad the Canaanite,
who dwelt in the south, heard that the Israelites had come by the way of the
spies, and he arranged his forces to fight against the Israelites.
2 And the children of Israel
were greatly afraid of him, for he had a great and heavy army, so the
children of Israel resolved to return to Egypt.
3 And the children of Israel
turned back about the distance of three days' journey unto Maserath Beni
Jaakon, for they were greatly afraid on account of the king Arad.
4 And the children of Israel
would not get back to their places, so they remained in Beni Jaakon for
thirty days.
5 And when the children of Levi
saw that the children of Israel would not turn back, they were jealous for
the sake of the Lord, and they rose up and fought against the Israelites
their brethren, and slew of them a great body, and forced them to turn back
to their place, Mount Hor.
6 And when they returned, king
Arad was still arranging his host for battle against the Israelites.
239
7 And Israel vowed a vow,
saying, If thou wilt deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly
destroy their cities.
8 And the Lord hearkened to the
voice of Israel, and he delivered the Canaanites into their hand, and he
utterly destroyed them and their cities, and he called the name of the place
Hormah.
9 And the children of Israel
journeyed from Mount Hor and pitched in Oboth, and they journeyed from Oboth
and they pitched at Ije-abarim, in the border of Moab.
10 And the children of Israel
sent to Moab, saying, Let us pass now through thy land into our place, but
the children of Moab would not suffer the children of Israel to pass through
their land, for the children of Moab were greatly afraid lest the children of
Israel should do unto them as Sihon king of the Amorites had done to them,
who had taken their land and had slain many of them.
11 Therefore Moab would not
suffer the Israelites to pass through his land, and the Lord commanded the
children of Israel, saying, That they should not fight against Moab, so the
Israelites removed from Moab.
12 And the children of Israel
journeyed from the border of Moab, and they came to the other side of Arnon,
the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites, and they pitched in the
border of Sihon, king of the Amorites, in the wilderness of Kedemoth.
13 And the children of Israel
sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying,
14 Let us pass through thy land,
we will not turn into the fields or into the vineyards, we will go along by
the king's highway until we shall have passed thy border, but Sihon would not
suffer the Israelites to pass.
15 So Sihon collected all the
people of the Amorites and went forth into the wilderness to meet the
children of Israel, and he fought against Israel in Jahaz.
16 And the Lord delivered Sihon
king of the Amorites into the hand of the children of Israel, and Israel
smote all the people of Sihon with the edge of the sword and avenged the
cause of Moab.
17 And the children of Israel
took possession of the land of Sihon from Aram unto Jabuk, unto the children
of Ammon, and they took all the spoil of the cities.
18 And Israel took all these
cities, and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites.
19 And all the children of
Israel resolved to fight against the children of Ammon, to take their land
also.
20 So the Lord said to the
children of Israel, Do not besiege the children of Ammon, neither stir up
battle against them, for I will give nothing to you of their land, and the
children of Israel hearkened to the word of the Lord, and did not fight
against the children of Ammon.
21 And the children of Israel
turned and went up by the way of Bashan to the land of Og, king of Bashan,
and Og the king of Bashan went out to meet the Israelites in battle, and he
had with him many valiant men, and a very strong force from the people of the
Amorites.
22 And Og king of Bashan was a
very powerful man, but Naaron his son was exceedingly powerful, even stronger
than he was.
23 And Og said in his heart,
Behold now the whole camp of Israel
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takes up a space of three parsa,
now will I smite them at once without sword or spear.
24 And Og went up Mount Jahaz,
and took therefrom one large stone, the length of which was three parsa, and
he placed it on his head, and resolved to throw it upon the camp of the
children of Israel, to smite all the Israelites with that stone.
25 And the angel of the Lord
came and pierced the stone upon the head of Og, and the stone fell upon the
neck of Og that Og fell to the earth on account of the weight of the stone
upon his neck.
26 At that time the Lord said to
the children of Israel, Be not afraid of him, for I have given him and all
his people and all his land into your hand, and you shall do to him as you
did to Sihon.
27 And Moses went down to him
with a small number of the children of Israel, and Moses smote Og with a
stick at the ankles of his feet and slew him.
28 The children of Israel
afterward pursued the children of Og and all his people, and they beat and
destroyed them till there was no remnant left of them.
29 Moses afterward sent some of
the children of Israel to spy out Jaazer, for Jaazer was a very famous city.
30 And the spies went to Jaazer
and explored it, and the spies trusted in the Lord, and they fought against
the men of Jaazer.
31 And these men took Jaazer and
its villages, and the Lord delivered them into their hand, and they drove out
the Amorites who had been there.
32 And the children of Israel
took the land of the two kings of the Amorites, sixty cities which were on
the other side of Jordan, from the brook of Arnon unto Mount Herman.
33 And the children of Israel
journeyed and came into the plain of Moab which is on this side of Jordan, by
Jericho.
34 And the children of Moab
heard all the evil which the children of Israel had done to the two kings of
the Amorites, to Sihon and Og, so all the men of Moab were greatly afraid of
the Israelites.
35 And the elders of Moab said,
Behold the two kings of the Amorites, Sihon and Og, who were more powerful
than all the kings of the earth, could not stand against the children of
Israel, how then can we stand before them?
36 Surely they sent us a message
before now to pass through our land on their way, and we would not suffer
them, now they will turn upon us with their heavy swords and destroy us; and
Moab was distressed on account of the children of Israel, and they were
greatly afraid of them, and they counselled together what was to be done to
the children of Israel.
37 And the elders of Moab
resolved and took one of their men, Balak the son of Zippor the Moabite, and
made him king over them at that time, and Balak was a very wise man.
38 And the elders of Moab rose
up and sent to the children of Midian to make peace with them, for a great
battle and enmity had been in those days between Moab and Midian, from the
days of Hadad the son of Bedad king of Edom, who smote Midian in the field of
Moab, unto these days.
39 And the children of Moab sent
to the children of Midian, and they made peace with them, and the
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elders of Midian came to the
land of Moab to make peace in behalf of the children of Midian.
40 And the elders of Moab
counselled with the elders of Midian what to do in order to save their lives
from Israel.
41 And all the children of Moab
said to the elders of Midian, Now therefore the children of Israel lick up
all that are round about us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field, for
thus did they do to the two kings of the Amorites who are stronger than we
are.
42 And the elders of Midian said
to Moab, We have heard that at the time when Sihon king of the Amorites
fought against you, when he prevailed over you and took your land, he had
sent to Beor the son of Janeas and to Balaam his son from Mesopotamia, and
they came and cursed you; therefore did the hand of Sihon prevail over you,
that he took your land.
43 Now therefore send you also
to Balaam his son, for he still remains in his land, and give him his hire,
that he may come and curse all the people of whom you are afraid; so the
elders of Moab heard this thing, and it pleased them to send to Balaam the
son of Beor.
44 So Balak the son of Zippor
king of Moab sent messengers to Balaam, saying,
45 Behold there is a people come
out from Egypt, behold they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over
against me.
46 Now therefore come and curse
this people for me, for they are too mighty for me, peradventure I shall
prevail to fight against them, and drive them out, for I heard that he whom
thou blessest is blessed, and whom thou cursest is cursed.
47 So the messengers of Balak
went to Balaam and brought Balaam to curse the people to fight against Moab.
48 And Balaam came to Balak to
curse Israel, and the Lord said to Balaam, Curse not this people for it is
blessed.
49 And Balak urged Balaam day by
day to curse Israel, but Balaam hearkened not to Balak on account of the word
of the Lord which he had spoken to Balaam.
50 And when Balak saw that
Balaam would not accede to his wish, he rose up and went home, and Balaam
also returned to his land and he went from there to Midian.
51 And the children of Israel
journeyed from the plain of Moab, and pitched by Jordan from Beth-jesimoth
even unto Abel-shittim, at the end of the plains of Moab.
52 And when the children of
Israel abode in the plain of Shittim, they began to commit whoredom with the
daughters of Moab.
53 And the children of Israel
approached Moab, and the children of Moab pitched their tents opposite to the
camp of the children of Israel.
54 And the children of Moab were
afraid of the children of Israel, and the children of Moab took all their
daughters and their wives of beautiful aspect and comely appearance, and
dressed them in gold and silver and costly garments.
55 And the children of Moab
seated those women at the door of their tents, in order that the children of
Israel might see them and turn to them, and not fight against Moab.
56 And all the children of Moab
did this thing to the children of Israel, and every man placed his wife and
daughter at the door of his tent, and all the children of Israel saw the act
of
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the children of Moab, and the
children of Israel turned to the daughters of Moab and coveted them, and they
went to them.
57 And it came to pass that when
a Hebrew came to the door of the tent of Moab, and saw a daughter of Moab and
desired her in his heart, and spoke with her at the door of the tent that
which he desired, whilst they were speaking together the men of the tent
would come out and speak to the Hebrew like unto these words:
58 Surely you know that we are
brethren, we are all the descendants of Lot and the descendants of Abraham
his brother, wherefore then will you not remain with us, and wherefore will
you not eat our bread and our sacrifice?
59 And when the children of Moab
had thus overwhelmed him with their speeches, and enticed him by their
flattering words, they seated him in the tent and cooked and sacrificed for
him, and he ate of their sacrifice and of their bread.
60 They then gave him wine and
he drank and became intoxicated, and they placed before him a beautiful
damsel, and he did with her as he liked, for he knew not what he was doing,
as he had drunk plentifully of wine.
61 Thus did the children of Moab
to Israel in that place, in the plain of Shittim, and the anger of the Lord
was kindled against Israel on account of this matter, and he sent a
pestilence amongst them, and there died of the Israelites twenty-four
thousand men.
62 Now there was a man of the
children of Simeon whose name was Zimri, the son of Salu, who connected
himself with the Midianite Cosbi, the daughter of Zur, king of Midian, in the
sight of all the children of Israel.
63 And Phineas the son of
Elazer, the son of Aaron the priest, saw this wicked thing which Zimri had
done, and he took a spear and rose up and went after them, and pierced them
both and slew them, and the pestilence ceased from the children of Israel.
CHAPTER 86
1 At that time after the
pestilence, the Lord said to Moses, and to Elazer the son of Aaron the
priest, saying,
2 Number the heads of the whole
community of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, all
that went forth in the army.
3 And Moses and Elazer numbered
the children of Israel after their families, and the number of all Israel was
seven hundred thousand, seven hundred and thirty.
4 And the number of the children
of Levi, from one month old and upward, was twenty-three thousand, and
amongst these there was not a man of those numbered by Moses and Aaron in the
wilderness of Sinai.
5 For the Lord had told them
that they would die in the wilderness, so they all died, and not one had been
left of them excepting Caleb the son of Jephuneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
6 And it was after this that the
Lord said to Moses, Say unto the children of Israel to avenge upon Midian the
cause of their brethren the children of Israel.
7 And Moses did so, and the
children of Israel chose from amongst them twelve thousand men, being one
thousand to a tribe, and they went to Midian.
8 And the children of Israel
warred against Midian, and they slew every male, also the five princes of
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Midian, and Balaam the son of
Beor did they slay with the sword.
9 And the children of Israel
took the wives of Midian captive, with their little ones and their cattle,
and all belonging to them.
10 And they took all the spoil
and all the prey, and they brought it to Moses and to Elazer to the plains of
Moab.
11 And Moses and Elazer and all
the princes of the congregation went forth to meet them with joy.
12 And they divided all the
spoil of Midian, and the children of Israel had been revenged upon Midian for
the cause of their brethren the children of Israel.
CHAPTER 87
1 At that time the Lord said to
Moses, Behold thy days are approaching to an end, take now Joshua the son of
Nun thy servant and place him in the tabernacle, and I will command him, and
Moses did so.
2 And the Lord appeared in the
tabernacle in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood at the
entrance of the tabernacle.
3 And the Lord commanded Joshua
the son of Nun and said unto him, Be strong and courageous, for thou shalt
bring the children of Israel to the land which I swore to give them, and I
will be with thee.
4 And Moses said to Joshua, Be
strong and courageous, for thou wilt make the children of Israel inherit the
land, and the Lord will be with thee, he will not leave thee nor forsake
thee, be not afraid nor disheartened.
5 And Moses called to all the
children of Israel and said to them, You have seen all the good which the
Lord your God has done for you in the wilderness.
6 Now therefore observe all the
words of this law, and walk in the way of the Lord your God, turn not from
the way which the Lord has commanded you, either to the right or to the left.
7 And Moses taught the children
of Israel statutes and judgments and laws to do in the land as the Lord had
commanded him.
8 And he taught them the way of
the Lord and his laws; behold they are written upon the book of the law of
God which he gave to the children of Israel by the hand of Moses.
9 And Moses finished commanding
the children of Israel, and the Lord said to him, saying, Go up to the Mount
Abarim and die there, and be gathered unto thy people as Aaron thy brother
was gathered.
10 And Moses went up as the Lord
had commanded him, and he died there in the land of Moab by the order of the
Lord, in the fortieth year from the Israelites going forth from the land of
Egypt.
11 And the children of Israel
wept for Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days, and the days of weeping
and mourning for Moses were completed.
CHAPTER 88
1 And it was after the death of
Moses that the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, saying,
2 Rise up and pass the Jordan to
the land which I have given to the children of Israel, and thou shalt make
the children of Israel inherit the land.
3 Every place upon which the
sole of your feet shall tread shall belong to you, from the wilderness of
Lebanon unto the great river the river of Perath shall be your boundary.
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4 No man shall stand up against
thee all the days of thy life; as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee,
only be strong and of good courage to observe all the law which Moses
commanded thee, turn not from the way either to the right or to the left, in
order that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest.
5 And Joshua commanded the
officers of Israel, saying, Pass through the camp and command the people,
saying, Prepare for yourselves provisions, for in three days more you will
pass the Jordan to possess the land.
6 And the officers of the
children of Israel did so, and they commanded the people and they did all
that Joshua had commanded.
7 And Joshua sent two men to spy
out the land of Jericho, and the men went and spied out Jericho.
8 And at the end of seven days
they came to Joshua in the camp and said to him, The Lord has delivered the
whole land into our hand, and the inhabitants thereof are melted with fear
because of us.
9 And it came to pass after
that, that Joshua rose up in the morning and all Israel with him, and they
journeyed from Shittim, and Joshua and all Israel with him passed the Jordan;
and Joshua was eighty-two years old when he passed the Jordan with Israel.
10 And the people went up from
Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped in Gilgal at
the eastern corner of Jericho.
11 And the children of Israel
kept the Passover in Gilgal, in the plains of Jericho, on the fourteenth day
at the month, as it is written in the law of Moses.
12 And the manna ceased at that
time on the morrow of the Passover, and there was no more manna for the
children of Israel, and they ate of the produce of the land of Canaan.
13 And Jericho was entirely
closed against the children of Israel, no one came out or went in.
14 And it was in the second
month, on the first day of the month, that the Lord said to Joshua, Rise up,
behold I have given Jericho into thy hand with all the people thereof; and
all your fighting men shall go round the city, once each day, thus shall you
do for six days.
15 And the priests shall blow
upon trumpets, and when you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, all the
people shall give a great shouting, that the walls of the city shall fall
down; all the people shall go up every man against his opponent.
16 And Joshua did so according
to all that the Lord had commanded him.
17 And on the seventh day they
went round the city seven times, and the priests blew upon trumpets.
18 And at the seventh round,
Joshua said to the people, Shout, for the Lord has delivered the whole city
into our hands.
19 Only the city and all that it
contains shall be accursed to the Lord, and keep yourselves from the accursed
thing, lest you make the camp of Israel accursed and trouble it.
20 But all the silver and gold
and brass and iron shall be consecrated to the Lord, they shall come into the
treasury of the Lord.
21 And the people blew upon
trumpets and made a great shouting, and the walls of Jericho fell down, and
all the people went up, every man straight before him, and they took the city
and utterly destroyed all that was in it, both man and woman, young and old,
ox and sheep and ass, with the edge of the sword.
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22 And they burned the whole
city with fire; only the vessels of silver and gold, and brass and iron, they
put into the treasury of the Lord.
23 And Joshua swore at that
time, saying, Cursed be the man who builds Jericho; he shall lay the
foundation thereof in his first-born, and in his youngest son shall he set up
the gates thereof.
24 And Achan the son of Carmi,
the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, son of Judah, dealt treacherously in the
accursed thing, and he took of the accursed thing and hid it in the tent, and
the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.
25 And it was after this when
the children of Israel had returned from burning Jericho, Joshua sent men to
spy out also Ai, and to fight against it.
26 And the men went up and spied
out Ai, and they returned and said, Let not all the people go up with thee to
Ai, only let about three thousand men go up and smite the city, for the men
thereof are but few.
27 And Joshua did so, and there
went up with him of the children of Israel about three thousand men, and they
fought against the men of Ai.
28 And the battle was severe against
Israel, and the men of Ai smote thirty-six men of Israel, and the children of
Israel fled from before the men of Ai.
29 And when Joshua saw this
thing, he tore his garments and fell upon his face to the ground before the
Lord, he, with the elders of Israel, and they put dust upon their heads.
30 And Joshua said, Why O Lord
didst thou bring this people over the Jordan? what shall I say after the
Israelites have turned their backs against their enemies?
31 Now therefore all the
Canaanites, inhabitants of the land, will hear this thing, and surround us
and cut off our name.
32 And the Lord said to Joshua,
Why dost thou fall upon thy face? rise, get thee off, for the Israelites have
sinned, and taken of the accursed thing; I will no more be with them unless
they destroy the accursed thing from amongst them.
33 And Joshua rose up and
assembled the people, and brought the Urim by the order of the Lord, and the
tribe of Judah was taken, and Achan the son of Carmi was taken.
34 And Joshua said to Achan,
Tell me my son, what hast thou done, and Achan said, I saw amongst the spoil
a goodly garment of Shinar and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of
gold of fifty shekels weight; I coveted them and took them, and behold they
are all hid in the earth in the midst of the tent.
35 And Joshua sent men who went
and took them from the tent of Achan, and they brought them to Joshua.
36 And Joshua took Achan and
these utensils, and his sons and daughters and all belonging to him, and they
brought them into the valley of Achor.
37 And Joshua burned them there
with fire, and all the Israelites stoned Achan with stones, and they raised
over him a heap of stones, therefore did he call that place the valley of
Achor, so the Lord's anger was appeased, and Joshua afterward came to the
city and fought against it.
38 And the Lord said to Joshua,
Fear not, neither be thou dismayed, behold I have given into thy hand Ai, her
king and her people, and thou shalt do unto them as thou didst to Jericho and
her king, only the spoil thereof and the cattle thereof shall you take for a
prey for yourselves; lay an ambush for the city behind it.
246
39 So Joshua did according to
the word of the Lord, and he chose from amongst the sons of war thirty
thousand valiant men, and he sent them, and they lay in ambush for the city.
40 And he commanded them,
saying, When you shall see us we will flee before them with cunning, and they
will pursue us, you shall then rise out of the ambush and take the city, and
they did so.
41 And Joshua fought, and the
men of the city went out toward Israel, not knowing that they were lying in
ambush for them behind the city.
42 And Joshua and all the
Israelites feigned themselves wearied out before them, and they fled by the
way of the wilderness with cunning.
43 And the men of Ai gathered
all the people who were in the city to pursue the Israelites, and they went
out and were drawn away from the city, not one remained, and they left the
city open and pursued the Israelites.
44 And those who were lying in
ambush rose up out of their places, and hastened to come to the city and took
it and set it on fire, and the men of Ai turned back, and behold the smoke of
the city ascended to the skies, and they had no means of retreating either
one way or the other.
45 And all the men of Ai were in
the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side, and they smote
them so that not one of them remained.
46 And the children of Israel
took Melosh king of Ai alive, and they brought him to Joshua, and Joshua
hanged him on a tree and he died.
47 And the children of Israel
returned to the city after having burned it, and they smote all those that
were in it with the edge of the sword.
48 And the number of those that
had fallen of the men of Ai, both man and woman, was twelve thousand; only
the cattle and the spoil of the city they took to themselves, according to
the word of the Lord to Joshua.
49 And all the kings on this
side Jordan, all the kings of Canaan, heard of the evil which the children of
Israel had done to Jericho and to Ai, and they gathered themselves together
to fight against Israel.
50 Only the inhabitants of
Gibeon were greatly afraid of fighting against the Israelites lest they
should perish, so they acted cunningly, and they came to Joshua and to all
Israel, and said unto them, We have come from a distant land, now therefore
make a covenant with us.
51 And the inhabitants of Gibeon
over-reached the children of Israel, and the children of Israel made a
covenant with them, and they made peace with them, and the princes of the
congregation swore unto them, but afterward the children of Israel knew that
they were neighbors to them and were dwelling amongst them.
52 But the children of Israel
slew them not; for they had sworn to them by the Lord, and they became hewers
of wood and drawers of water.
53 And Joshua said to them, Why
did you deceive me, to do this thing to us? and they answered him, saying,
Because it was told to thy servants all that you had done to all the kings of
the Amorites, and we were greatly afraid of our lives, and we did this thing.
54 And Joshua appointed them on
that day to hew wood and to draw water, and he divided them for
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slaves to all the tribes of
Israel.
55 And when Adonizedek king of
Jerusalem heard all that the children of Israel had done to Jericho and to
Ai, he sent to Hoham king of Hebron and to Piram king at Jarmuth, and to
Japhia king of Lachish and to Deber king of Eglon, saying,
56 Come up to me and help me,
that we may smite the children of Israel and the inhabitants of Gibeon who
have made peace with the children of Israel.
57 And they gathered themselves
together and the five kings of the Amorites went up with all their camps, a
mighty people numerous as the sand of the sea shore.
58 And all these kings came and
encamped before Gibeon, and they began to fight against the inhabitants of
Gibeon, and all the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua, saying, Come up quickly to
us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites have gathered together to
fight against us.
59 And Joshua and all the
fighting people went up from Gilgal, and Joshua came suddenly to them, and
smote these five kings with a great slaughter.
60 And the Lord confounded them
before the children at Israel, who smote them with a terrible slaughter in
Gibeon, and pursued them along the way that goes up to Beth Horon unto
Makkedah, and they fled from before the children of Israel.
61 And whilst they were fleeing,
the Lord sent upon them hailstones from heaven, and more of them died by the
hailstones, than by the slaughter of the children of Israel.
62 And the children of Israel
pursued them, and they still smote them in the road, going on and smiting
them.
63 And when they were smiting,
the day was declining toward evening, and Joshua said in the sight of all the
people, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou moon in the valley of
Ajalon, until the nation shall have revenged itself upon its enemies.
64 And the Lord hearkened to the
voice of Joshua, and the sun stood still in the midst of the heavens, and it
stood still six and thirty moments, and the moon also stood still and
hastened not to go down a whole day.
65 And there was no day like
that, before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened to the voice of a man,
for the Lord fought for Israel.
CHAPTER 89
1 Then spoke Joshua this song,
on the day that the Lord had given the Amorites into the hand of Joshua and
the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of all Israel,
2 Thou hast done mighty things,
O Lord, thou hast performed great deeds; who is like unto thee? my lips shall
sing to thy name.
3 My goodness and my fortress,
my high tower, I will sing a new song unto thee, with thanksgiving will I
sing to thee, thou art the strength of my salvation.
4 All the kings of the earth
shall praise thee, the princes of the world shall sing to thee, the children
of Israel shall rejoice in thy salvation, they shall sing and praise thy
power.
5 To thee, O Lord, did we
confide; we said thou art our God, for thou wast our shelter and strong tower
against our enemies.
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6 To thee we cried and were not
ashamed, in thee we trusted and were delivered; when we cried unto thee, thou
didst hear our voice, thou didst deliver our souls from the sword, thou didst
show unto us thy grace, thou didst give unto us thy salvation, thou didst
rejoice our hearts with thy strength.
7 Thou didst go forth for our
salvation, with thine arm thou didst redeem thy people; thou didst answer us
from the heavens of thy holiness, thou didst save us from ten thousands of
people.
8 The sun and moon stood still
in heaven, and thou didst stand in thy wrath against our oppressors and didst
command thy judgments over them.
9 All the princes of the earth
stood up, the kings of the nations had gathered themselves together, they
were not moved at thy presence, they desired thy battles.
10 Thou didst rise against them
in thine anger, and didst bring down thy wrath upon them; thou didst destroy
them in thine anger, and cut them off in thine heart.
11 Nations have been consumed
with thy fury, kingdoms have declined because of thy wrath, thou didst wound
kings in the day of thine anger.
12 Thou didst pour out thy fury
upon them, thy wrathful anger took hold of them; thou didst turn their
iniquity upon them, and didst cut them off in their wickedness.
13 They did spread a trap, they
fell therein, in the net they hid, their foot was caught.
14 Thine hand was ready for all
thine enemies who said, Through their sword they possessed the land, through
their arm they dwelt in the city; thou didst fill their faces with shame,
thou didst bring their horns down to the ground, thou didst terrify them in
thy wrath, and didst destroy them in thine anger.
15 The earth trembled and shook
at the sound of thy storm over them, thou didst not withhold their souls from
death, and didst bring down their lives to the grave.
16 Thou didst pursue them in thy
storm, thou didst consume them in thy whirlwind, thou didst turn their rain
into hail, they fell in deep pits so that they could not rise.
17 Their carcasses were like
rubbish cast out in the middle of the streets.
18 They were consumed and
destroyed in thine anger, thou didst save thy people with thy might.
19 Therefore our hearts rejoice
in thee, our souls exalt in thy salvation.
20 Our tongues shall relate thy
might, we will sing and praise thy wondrous works.
21 For thou didst save us from
our enemies, thou didst deliver us from those who rose up against us, thou
didst destroy them from before us and depress them beneath our feet.
22 Thus shall all thine enemies
perish O Lord, and the wicked shall be like chaff driven by the wind, and thy
beloved shall be like trees planted by the waters.
23 So Joshua and all Israel with
him returned to the camp in Gilgal, after having smitten all the kings, so
that not a remnant was left of them.
24 And the five kings fled alone
on foot from battle, and hid themselves in a cave, and Joshua sought for them
in the field of battle, and did not find them.
25 And it was afterward told to
Joshua, saying, The kings are found and behold they are hidden in a cave.
249
26 And Joshua said, Appoint men
to be at the mouth of the cave, to guard them, lest they take themselves
away; and the children of Israel did so.
27 And Joshua called to all
Israel and said to the officers of battle, Place your feet upon the necks of
these kings, and Joshua said, So shall the Lord do to all your enemies.
28 And Joshua commanded
afterward that they should slay the kings and cast them into the cave, and to
put great stones at the mouth of the cave.
29 And Joshua went afterward
with all the people that were with him on that day to Makkedah, and he smote
it with the edge of the sword.
30 And he utterly destroyed the
souls and all belonging to the city, and he did to the king and people
thereof as he had done to Jericho.
31 And he passed from there to
Libnah and he fought against it, and the Lord delivered it into his hand, and
Joshua smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls thereof, and he
did to it and to the king thereof as he had done to Jericho.
32 And from there he passed on
to Lachish to fight against it, and Horam king of Gaza went up to assist the
men of Lachish, and Joshua smote him and his people until there was none left
to him.
33 And Joshua took Lachish and all the people thereof, and he did to it as he had
done to Libnah.
34 And Joshua passed from there
to Eglon, and he took that also, and he smote it and all the people thereof
with the edge of the sword.
35 And from there he passed to
Hebron and fought against it and took it and utterly destroyed it, and he
returned from there with all Israel to Debir and fought against it and smote
it with the edge of the sword.
36 And he destroyed every soul
in it, he left none remaining, and he did to it and the king thereof as he
had done to Jericho.
37 And Joshua smote all the
kings of the Amorites from Kadesh-barnea to Azah, and he took their country
at once, for the Lord had fought for Israel.
38 And Joshua with all Israel
came to the camp to Gilgal.
39 When at that time Jabin king
of Chazor heard all that Joshua had done to the kings of the Amorites, Jabin
sent to Jobat king of Midian, and to Laban king of Shimron, to Jephal king of
Achshaph, and to all the kings of the Amorites, saying,
40 Come quickly to us and help
us, that we may smite the children of Israel, before they come upon us and do unto us as they have
done to the other kings of the Amorites.
41 And all these kings hearkened
to the words of Jabin, king of Chazor, and they went forth with all their
camps, seventeen kings, and their people were as numerous as the sand on the
sea shore, together with horses and chariots innumerable, and they came and
pitched together at the waters of Merom, and they were met together to fight
against Israel.
42 And the Lord said to Joshua,
Fear them not, for tomorrow about this time I will deliver them up all slain
before you, thou shalt hough their horses and burn their chariots with fire.
43 And Joshua with all the men
of war came suddenly upon them and smote them, and they fell into their
hands, for the Lord had delivered them into the hands of the children of
Israel.
250
44 So the children of Israel
pursued all these kings with their camps, and smote them until there was none
left of them, and Joshua did to them as the Lord had spoken to him.
45 And Joshua returned at that
time to Chazor and smote it with the sword and destroyed every soul in it and
burned it with fire, and from Chazor, Joshua passed to Shimron and smote it and
utterly destroyed it.
46 From there he passed to
Achshaph and he did to it as he had done to Shimron.
47 From there he passed to
Adulam and he smote all the people in it, and he did to Adulam as he had done
to Achshaph and to Shimron.
48 And he passed from them to
all the cities of the kings which he had smitten, and he smote all the people
that were left of them and he utterly destroyed them.
49 Only their booty and cattle
the Israelites took to themselves as a prey, but every human being they
smote, they suffered not a soul to live.
50 As the Lord had commanded
Moses so did Joshua and all Israel, they failed not in anything.
51 So Joshua and all the
children of Israel smote the whole land
of Canaan as the Lord had commanded them, and smote all their kings,
being thirty and one kings, and the children of Israel took their whole country.
52 Besides the kingdoms of Sihon
and Og which are on the other side Jordan, of which Moses had smitten many
cities, and Moses gave them to the Reubenites and the Gadites and to half the
tribe of Manasseh.
53 And Joshua smote all the
kings that were on this side Jordan to the west, and gave them for an
inheritance to the nine tribes and to the half tribe of Israel.
54 For five years did Joshua
carry on the war with these kings, and he gave their cities to the
Israelites, and the land became tranquil from battle throughout the cities of
the Amorites and the Canaanites.
CHAPTER 90
1 At that time in the fifth year
after the children of Israel had passed over Jordan, after the children of
Israel had rested from their war with the Canaanites, at that time great and
severe battles arose between Edom and the children of Chittim, and the
children of Chittim fought against Edom.
2 And Abianus king of Chittim
went forth in that year, that is in the thirty-first year of his reign, and a
great force with him of the mighty men of the children of Chittim, and he
went to Seir to fight against the children of Esau.
3 And Hadad the king of Edom
heard of his report, and he went forth to meet him with a heavy people and
strong force, and engaged in battle with him in the field of Edom.
4 And the hand of Chittim
prevailed over the children of Esau, and the children of Chittim slew of the
children of Esau, two and twenty thousand men, and all the children of Esau
fled from before them.
5 And the children of Chittim
pursued them and they reached Hadad king of Edom, who was running before them
and they caught him alive, and brought him to Abianus king of Chittim.
6 And Abianus ordered him to be
slain, and Hadad king of Edom died in the forty-eighth year of his reign.
7 And the children of Chittim
continued their pursuit of Edom, and they smote them with a great
251
slaughter and Edom became
subject to the children of Chittim.
8 And the children of Chittim
ruled over Edom, and Edom became under the hand of the children of Chittim
and became one kingdom from that day.
9 And from that time they could
no more lift up their heads, and their kingdom became one with the children
of Chittim.
10 And Abianus placed officers
in Edom and all the children of Edom became subject and tributary to Abianus,
and Abianus turned back to his own land, Chittim.
11 And when he returned he
renewed his government and built for himself a spacious and fortified palace
for a royal residence, and reigned securely over the children of Chittim and
over Edom.
12 In those days, after the
children of Israel had driven away all the Canaanites and the Amorites,
Joshua was old and advanced in years.
13 And the Lord said to Joshua,
Thou art old, advanced in life, and a great part of the land remains to be
possessed.
14 Now therefore divide this
land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and to the half tribe of Manasseh,
and Joshua rose up and did as the Lord had spoken to him.
15 And he divided the whole land
to the tribes of Israel as an inheritance according to their divisions.
16 But to the tribe at Levi he
gave no inheritance, the offerings of the Lord are their inheritance as the
Lord had spoken of them by the hand of Moses.
17 And Joshua gave Mount Hebron
to Caleb the son of Jephuneh, one portion above his brethren, as the Lord had
spoken through Moses.
18 Therefore Hebron became an
inheritance to Caleb and his children unto this day.
19 And Joshua divided the whole
land by lots to all Israel for an inheritance, as the Lord had commanded him.
20 And the children of Israel
gave cities to the Levites from their own inheritance, and suburbs for their
cattle, and property, as the Lord had commanded Moses so did the children of
Israel, and they divided the land by lot whether great or small.
21 And they went to inherit the
land according to their boundaries, and the children of Israel gave to Joshua
the son of Nun an inheritance amongst them.
22 By the word of the Lord did
they give to him the city which he required, Timnath-serach in Mount Ephraim,
and he built the city and dwelt therein.
23 These are the inheritances
which Elazer the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of the
fathers of the tribes portioned out to the children of Israel by lot in
Shiloh, before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle, and they left off
dividing the land.
24 And the Lord gave the land to
the Israelites, and they possessed it as the Lord had spoken to them, and as
the Lord had sworn to their ancestors.
25 And the Lord gave to the
Israelites rest from all their enemies around them, and no man stood up
against them, and the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hands, and
not one thing failed of all the good which the Lord had spoken to the
children of Israel, yea the Lord performed every thing.
26 And Joshua called to all the
children of Israel and he blessed them, and commanded them to serve
252
the Lord, and he afterward sent
them away, and they went each man to his city, and each man to his
inheritance.
27 And the children of Israel
served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and the Lord gave them rest from all
around them, and they dwelt securely in their cities.
28 And it came to pass in those
days, that Abianus king of Chittim died, in the thirty-eighth year of his
reign, that is the seventh year of his reign over Edom, and they buried him
in his place which he had built for himself, and Latinus reigned in his stead
fifty years.
29 And during his reign he
brought forth an army, and he went and fought against the inhabitants of
Britannia and Kernania, the children of Elisha son of Javan, and he prevailed
over them and made them tributary.
30 He then heard that Edom had
revolted from under the hand of Chittim, and Latinus went to them and smote
them and subdued them, and placed them under the hand of the children of
Chittim, and Edom became one kingdom with the children of Chittim all the days.
31 And for many years there was
no king in Edom, and their government was with the children of Chittim and
their king.
32 And it was in the
twenty-sixth year after the children of Israel had passed the Jordan, that is
the sixty-sixth year after the children of Israel had departed from Egypt,
that Joshua was old, advanced in years, being one hundred and eight years old
in those days.
33 And Joshua called to all
Israel, to their elders, their judges and officers, after the Lord had given
to all the Israelites rest from all their enemies round about, and Joshua
said to the elders of Israel, and to their judges, Behold I am old, advanced
in years, and you have seen what the Lord has done to all the nations whom he
has driven away from before you, for it is the Lord who has fought for you.
34 Now therefore strengthen
yourselves to keep and to do all the words of the law of Moses, not to
deviate from it to the right or to the left, and not to come amongst those
nations who are left in the land; neither shall you make mention of the name
of their gods, but you shall cleave to the Lord your God, as you have done to
this day.
35 And Joshua greatly exhorted
the children of Israel to serve the Lord all their days.
36 And all the Israelites said,
We will serve the Lord our God all our days, we and our children, and our
children's children, and our seed for ever.
37 And Joshua made a covenant
with the people on that day, and he sent away the children of Israel, and
they went each man to his inheritance and to his city.
38 And it was in those days,
when the children of Israel were dwelling securely in their cities, that they
buried the coffins of the tribes of their ancestors, which they had brought
up from Egypt, each man in the inheritance of his children, the twelve sons
of Jacob did the children of Israel bury, each man in the possession of his
children.
39 And these are the names of
the cities wherein they buried the twelve sons of Jacob, whom the children of
Israel had brought up from Egypt.
40 And they buried Reuben and
Gad on this side Jordan, in Romia, which Moses had given to their children.
253
41 And Simeon and Levi they
buried in the city Mauda, which he had given to the children of Simeon, and
the suburb of the city was for the children of Levi.
42 And Judah they buried in the
city of Benjamin opposite Bethlehem.
43 And the bones of Issachar and
Zebulun they buried in Zidon, in the portion which fell to their children.
44 And Dan was buried in the
city of his children in Eshtael, and Naphtali and Asher they buried in
Kadesh-naphtali, each man in his place which he had given to his children.
45 And the bones of Joseph they
buried in Shechem, in the part of the field which Jacob had purchased from
Hamor, and which became to Joseph for an inheritance.
46 And they buried Benjamin in
Jerusalem opposite the Jebusite, which was given to the children of Benjamin;
the children of Israel buried their fathers each man in the city of his
children.
47 And at the end of two years,
Joshua the son of Nun died, one hundred and ten years old, and the time which
Joshua judged Israel was twenty-eight years, and Israel served the Lord all
the days of his life.
48 And the other affairs of
Joshua and his battles and his reproofs with which he reproved Israel, and
all which he had commanded them, and the names of the cities which the
children of Israel possessed in his days, behold they are written in the book
of the words of Joshua to the children of Israel, and in the book of the wars
of the Lord, which Moses and Joshua and the children of Israel had written.
49 And the children of Israel
buried Joshua in the border of his inheritance, in Timnath-serach, which was
given to him in Mount Ephraim.
50 And Elazer the son of Aaron
died in those days, and they buried him in a hill belonging to Phineas his
son, which was given him in Mount Ephraim.
CHAPTER 91
1 At that time, after the death
of Joshua, the children of the Canaanites were still in the land, and the Israelites
resolved to drive them out.
2 And the children of Israel
asked of the Lord, saying, Who shall first go up for us to the Canaanites to
fight against them? and the Lord said, Judah shall go up.
3 And the children of Judah said
to Simeon, Go up with us into our lot, and we will fight against the
Canaanites and we likewise will go up with you, in your lot, so the children
of Simeon went with the children of Judah.
4 And the children of Judah went
up and fought against the Canaanites, so the Lord delivered the Canaanites
into the hands of the children of Judah, and they smote them in Bezek, ten
thousand men.
5 And they fought with
Adonibezek in Bezek, and he fled from before them, and they pursued him and
caught him, and they took hold of him and cut off his thumbs and great toes.
6 And Adonibezek said, Three
score and ten kings having their thumbs and great toes cut off, gathered
their meat under my table, as I have done, so God has requited me, and they
brought him to Jerusalem and he died there.
7 And the children of Simeon
went with the children of Judah, and they smote the Canaanites with the edge
of the sword.
254
8 And the Lord was with the
children of Judah, and they possessed the mountain, and the children of
Joseph went up to Bethel, the same is Luz, and the Lord was with them.
9 And the children of Joseph
spied out Bethel, and the watchmen saw a man going forth from the city, and
they caught him and said unto him, Show us now the entrance of the city and
we will show kindness to thee.
10 And that man showed them the
entrance of the city, and the children of Joseph came and smote the City with
the edge of the sword.
11 And the man with his family
they sent away, and he went to the Hittites and he built a city, and he
called the name thereof Luz, so all the Israelites dwelt in their cities, and
the children at Israel dwelt in their cities, and the children of Israel
served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders, who
had lengthened their days after Joshua, and saw the great work of the Lord,
which he had performed for Israel.
12 And the elders judged Israel
after the death of Joshua for seventeen years.
13 And all the elders also
fought the battles of Israel against the Canaanites and the Lord drove the
Canaanites from before the children of Israel, in order to place the
Israelites in their land.
14 And he accomplished all the
words which he had spoken to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the oath which he
had sworn, to give to them and to their children, the land of the Canaanites.
15 And the Lord gave to the
children of Israel the whole land of Canaan, as he had sworn to their
ancestors, and the Lord gave them rest from those around them, and the
children of Israel dwelt securely in their cities.
16 Blessed be the Lord for ever,
amen, and amen.
17 Strengthen yourselves, and
let the hearts of all you that trust in the Lord be of good courage.
THE END
INDEX
A
Aaron
Abihu son of, 234
Amram father of,
198, 223
death of, 238
Elazer son of, 242,
253
false god made by,
233
frogs invade Egypt by
hand of, 226
God told to go to
Moses in wilderness, 223
lice invade Egypt
by hand of, 226
Miriam sister of,
198, 202
Moses brother of,
202, 223
Nadab son of, 234
named Moses Abi
Zanuch, 203
ordination of, 234
prophesied to
children of Israel, 208
rejected by some
Hebrews living in Egypt, 227
rod turned into a
serpent by, 224
told Moses to send
Zipporah to live with her father, 223
was priest, 242
waters of Egypt
turned into blood by, 225-226
went with Moses to
house of Pharaoh and loosened lions with stick of God, 223
Abdon, witnessed transaction of
land Abraham bought for a burial place for Sarah, 65
Abel, 2-3
Abel-shittim, 241
Abi, Uz father of, 57
Abi Zanuch, name Aaron gave
Moses, 203
Abianus
Chittim and Edom
ruled by, 251
death of, 252
king of Chittim,
250, 252
Latinus filled
place of, 252
Abichorof, Uz father of, 83
Abida
Midian father of,
67, 68, 135
Molad son of, 135
sons of, 68
Abigdor, name Kehath gave Moses,
203
Abihen, child of Zimran, 67
Abihu
Aaron father of, 234
death of, 234-235
strange fire
brought before God by, 234-235
Abimael
Hadurah son of, 135
Yoktan father of,
15
Abimelech
Benmalich son of,
66
bier at Sarah's
funeral, 65
came to feast
Abraham gave for Isaac, 53
death of, 66
dream of, 51-52
king of
Philistines, 51, 73
named well dug by
Abraham's servants, Beersheba, 56
Abimnas, king of children of
Chittim, 237
Abiyasaph, Naphish father of, 69
Abraham. See also Abram
angels sent to,
44-45
blessed Isaac and
his children, 71
called Sarah his
sister when they traveled to land of Philistines, 51
circumcision of, 44
city of, 67
commanded by God
not to sacrifice Isaac, 63
commanded by God to
sacrifice Isaac, 59
concubines of, 70
death of, 71
dwelt by Hebron, 56
dwelt in land of
Gerar, 51, 52
feared God, 58
five kings of Elam
destroyed by, 98
generosity of, 56
God commanded to
dwell in land of Canaan, 102
Hagar and Ishmael
cast out by, 53
Isaac advised to
keep commandments by, 70-71, 72
Isaac intended as a
sacrifice by, 58-63, 98-99
Isaac taught ways
of God by, 57-58
Keturah wife of, 67
Medan son of, 76,
128
Meribah, wife of
Ishmael, disrespectful to, 54
Nahor brother of,
67
Nimrod cast in
fire, 98
prophesied about
twins Rebecca was caring, 70
returned to
Beersheba after funeral for Sarah, 65
Sarah's death
mourned by, 64
Satan appeared to,
60-61
Shomron son of, 135
sons of, 67, 76
stick of God given
to Isaac by, 221
traveled to see
Ishmael, 54
Zimran son of, 76
Abram. See also Abraham
Adonizedek blessed,
41
astrologers
interpret birth of, 17-18
birth of, 17
brother of Haram,
30
brought before King
Nimrod, 27-28
cast into fire,
29-30
clothed with spirit
of God, 26
commanded by God to
return to land of Canaan, 35
commanded his household
to call Sarai his sister, 37-38
condemned to die,
28-29
dwelt in plain of
Mamre, 35
fled to house of
Noah and Shem for safety, 32
God appeared to,
33, 34, 35, 42
God makes covenant
with, 44
god's of his father
destroyed by, 26-27
Haran brother of,
19
inheritance given
to, 33, 34, 35, 42
Ishmael son of, 43
King Nimrod gave
gifts to, 31
King Nimrod put in
prison, 28
kings of Elam smote
by, 41
lived in cave for
ten years, 19
lived with Noah and
Shem, 19, 32
Lot separated from,
40
mother of, 25-26
name changed to
Abraham, 44
Pharaoh gave gifts
for Sarai to, 38-39
returned to land of
Canaan from Egypt, 39
returned to land of
Haran, 34-35
sacrificed to false
gods, 25-26
servant's child
killed instead of, 18-19
teaches people of
Haran ways of God, 33, 35
Terah advised to go
to land of Canaan by, 32-33
Terah father of,
17, 22, 25, 33, 34, 44
took wives from
daughters of his brother Haran, 31
traveled to Egypt
because of famine, 37
travels to land of
Haran, 33
went to his father,
Terah, 25
worshiped moon and
sun, 20
Achbor
Baal Chanan son of,
213
Baal Channan son
of, 221
Ache
anger of God was
kindled aganist Israel because of, 245
Carmi father of,
245
children of Israel
destroyed family of, 245
Achi, Benjamin father of, 135,
181
Achlis, Zoba father of, 57
Achon, child of Madai, 14
Achshaph
Jephal king of, 249
Joshua smote, 250
Acuzi, Pharaoh father of, 218
Adah, 4
Bosmath same as, 76
Eliphaz son of, 76,
101
Esau husband of, 76
Lamech husband of,
5
Reuel son of, 101
vexed Isaac and
Rebecca by worshiping false gods, 76
Adam
Adah and Zillah
sons of, 5
advised wives of
Lamech, 5
clothing of, 15
creation of, 1
death of, 6-7
stick of God used
by, 221
Adan, Phut father of, 14
Adbeel
Chamad son of, 68
Ishmael father of,
68
Jabin son of, 68
Adichorom, witnessed transaction
of land Abraham bought for a burial place for Sarah, 65
Adikam
Ahuz was called, 219
children of Israel
oppressed by, 219-220
Gedudah wife of,
218
king of Egypt,
218-219
Melol father of,
219
Pharaoh father of,
218
Adimael, Eber father of, 135
Adinah
daughter of Jobab,
134
Laban husband of,
74, 79
Levi husband of,
134
Admah
city of, 23
from family of Ham,
23
Ado
Lot husband of, 50
turned into salt,
50
Adon
Asher husband of, 135
daughter of Aphlal,
135
death of, 135
Adoniah
Menacrus son of,
216
Moses husband of,
210, 212
Moses rejected, 212
widow of Kikianus,
210, 212
Adonibezek, death of, 253
Adonizedek
Abram blessed by,
41
Joshua trapped in
cave, 248-249
king of Jerusalem,
41, 247
Adulam
Judah took a woman
from, 134
king of, made peace
with sons of Jacob, 115-118
Adullam, cave of, 50
adultery, 91. See also
fornication
committed by judges
and rulers, 9
committed by people
of Sodom and Gomorrah, 45
Joseph resisted sin
of, 129-132, 134
Africa
Angeas king of,
176, 182
Anibal king of, 214
aqueducts built by
Angeas to divert water from Chittim to, 186
Azdrubal king of,
213
Dinhabah same as,
182
male inhabitants
of, assisted Angeas against Zepho, 190
Ahiram
Osnath son of, 147
priest of On, 147
Ahlbamah
daughter of Zebeon,
79
Esau husband of, 79
Ahlibamah
daughter of Anah,
102
sons of, 101
Ahuz, 219. See also
Adikam
Ai
children of Israel
destroyed, 245-246
Joshua sent men to
spy out, 245
king of, made peace
with sons of Jacob, 115-118
Melosh king of, 246
Ajah, Zibeon father of, 101
Akan, child of Ezer, 102
Alad, Chanoch father of, 68
Alah, Yaalam father of, 101
Alib,
son of Laban, 79
Alirun, Epher father of, 68
Aliyath
daughter of Shua,
134
death of, 136
Judah husband of,
136
woman Judah took,
134
Allonbachuth, 100
Almanim, cities built by, 23
Almodad, Yoktan father of, 15
Alparanith, queen of Egypt, 204
Alphanu, 184
altar
Abraham and Isaac
built to sacrifice Isaac on, 62
Abraham sacrificed
ram instead of Isaac on, 63
Abram built, 33
Abram built in land
of Canaan, 34
Abram built in
plains of Mamre, 35
God told Jacob to
go to Bethel and make, 100
Jacob and Laban
made, 83
Nimrod made, 15
Alush, children of Israel camped
at, 231-232
Alvah, Jeush father of, 101
Alvan, Shobal father of, 101
Alyo, Yetur father of, 69
Alyon, Kedar father of, 68
Alyoshub, Chanoch father of, 68
Amalek
came to fight with
children of Israel at Rephidim, 232
Eliphaz father of,
232
God commanded Moses
to write in a book about, 232
Timna father of,
101
Zepho brother of,
232
Amed, Dumah father of, 69
Amida, Medan father of, 67
Amigal, witness transaction of
land Abraham bought for a burial place for Sarah, 65
Ammon
children of Israel
told by God not to war with, 239
descendants of Lot,
51
Amori, Canaan father of, 14
Amorites
afraid of sons of
Jacob, 115
children of Israel
war with, 239
Jacob smote all
kings of, 249
king of, 96
makes war against
sons of Jacob, 96, 102-106
Sihon king of, 237,
239
Amram
Aaron son of, 223
Jochebed wife of,
198
Kehath father of,
198, 203
Miriam daughter of,
198, 202
Moses son of, 202,
221
named Moses Chabar,
203
Amraphel, 24. See also
Nimrod
Amthelo
daughter of
Cornebo, 17
Terah husband of,
17
Amuram
Merimah son of, 135
Uz father of, 135
Uzith daughter of,
135
Anah
children of, 102
Esau gave Marzith
to, 80
Seir father of,
101, 102
Zebeon father of,
80
Zibeon father of,
101
Anamim, child of Mitzraim, 23
Anamlech, son of Kesed, 57
Anar
Arpachshad father of, 14
bier at Sarah's
funeral, 65
helped Abram fight
against kings of Elam and received spoils, 41
Angeas
aqueducts built by,
186
Azdrubal son of, 191, 213, 214
Bela from people
of, 178
death of, 213
feared Zepho, 188
Jania wife of, 184,
185
king of Africa,
176, 182
king of Dinhabah,
176
Lucus brother of,
189-190
Niblos nephew of,
183
Sardunia brother
of, 183
supported sons of
Esau aganist sons of Seir, 176-177
troops of, defeated
by Zepho and children of Chittim, 190-191
Zepho enticed to go
to war aganist sons of Jacob, 182, 184-185
Zepho made captain
by, 182
angel(s)
appeared to Esau so
he wouldn't attack Jacob, 86-87, 88
appeared to Hagar,
42-43
appeared to King
Abimelech in dream, 51-52
came as judge among
wise men of Egypt, 205-206
cared for Hebrew
infants left to die in fields, 201-202
delivered Sarai
from power of Paraoh, 38-39
destroyed cities of
Sodom, 50
Enoch called by, 6,
7
language of
man changed by, 21
languages of Egypt
taught to Joseph by, 145
Moses taken away
from Egypt by, 208
Og killed by, 240
Pharaoh taken to
land of Ninevah by, 231
sent to Abraham,
44-45
sent to help
Eliezer find a wife for Isaac, 66-67
spoke to God on
behalf of Isaac being offered as sacrifice, 62
told Joseph that
his brethren were feeding their flocks in Dothan, 119
wished to kill
Moses, 222-223
Angoli, familles of, 22
Anibal
Angeas father of, 214
Azdrubal brother of, 214
king of Africa, 214
animals, chosen to go on ark,
11-12
Anom
king of Egypt, 35
Mitzraim father of,
14
Anuki, wise servant of King
Nimrod, 31-32
apes, men became like, 21
Aphlal
Adon daughter of,
135
Hadad father of,
135
Aphlaleth
Dan husband of, 134
daughter of
Chamudan, 134
aqueducts, Angeas built to
divert water from Chittim to Africa, 186
Arad, king of Canaanites, 238
Arali, Gad father of, 135
Aram
children of, 24
cities built by,
24, 57
Kemuel father of,
57
Mechalia daughter
of, 135
Moses fought war
aganist, 212-213
Shem father of, 14,
24
sons of, 14
warred with
children of Cush, 208
wives and children
of, 57
Zoba son of, 57,
135
Aram Naherayim, 57
Aram Naherayim, 57
Pethor is in, 237
Aram Zoba, 57
Aran, child of Dishon, 102
Ararat, Mountains of, 13
Arbelan
city of, 109
sons of Jacob
fought aganist people of, 109-110
Areli, Gad father of, 181
Aribath
Benjamin husband
of, 135
Shomron father of,
135
Aridah
daughter of Jobab,
134
Issachar husband
of, 134
Arioch, king of Elasar, 34, 40
Ariphi, son of Tubal, 14
Ariza, city of, 44
ark
animals chosen for,
11-12
Noah commanded to
build, 11
rested upon
mountain of Ararat, 13
Ark of Covenant
Jacob commanded
Levi and his sons to carry, 171
Moses is instructed
to build, 233-234
Arkee, Canaan father of, 14
Arnon
brook of, 240
children of Israel
journeyed to, 239
Arodi
Canaan father of,
14
Gad father of, 135,
181
Arpachshad
city built by, 24
death of, 69
Shelach son of, 15,
74
Shem father of, 14,
24
sons of, 14
Arud
killed by sons of
Jacob, 112
Pildash father of,
57
Ashar, sons of, 14
Ashbel, Benjamin father of, 135,
181
Ashcol
Arpachshad father of, 14
bier at Sarah's
funeral, 65
helped Abram fight
against kings of Elam and received spoils, 41
Asher
Adon wife of, 135
buried in
Kadeshnaphtali, 253
death of, 187
Hadurah and Serach
brought to land of Canaan by, 135
Hadurah wife of,
135
Jacob father of, 81, 101,
181
Ashmua
daughter of
Elishaa, 9
Lamech husband of,
9
Ashur
children of, 24
city built by, 24
Shem father of, 14,
24
Askinaz, Gomer father of, 14
Assyria, dwelling places of
familles of Ishmael, 68
astrology, 17, 82-83
Benjamin used to
locate Joseph in Egypt, 159
atheism, 12
Avi
Eliuram son of, 134
Ephah father of, 68
Ayon, Mored father of, 18
Azah, Jacob smote kings of, 249
Azar
Bilhan father of,
80
Esau gave Puith to,
80
Azathim, 23
Azdrubal
Angeas father of,
191, 213, 214
Anibal brother of,
214
death of, 213, 214
king of Africa, 213
Latinus concurred,
213
Ushpezena daughter
of, 213, 214
Azi, Chanoch father of, 68
Azur, Chadad father of, 69
B
Baal Chanan
Achbor father of,
213
reigned in place of
Saul, king of Edom, 213
Baal Channan
Achbor father of, 221
death of, 221
king of Edom, 221
Baalim, Easu's wives sacrificed
to, 76
Babel
Nimrod built city
of, 24
tower of, 20-22
valley of, 34
Bakdil, witness for transaction
of land Abraham bought for a burial place for Sarah, 65
baker, 142
Joseph interpreted
dream of, 137
Balaam
Beor father of,
185, 191, 224
Book of Law and,
212
counselor to king
of Egypt, 237
death of, 243
fled back to Egypt,
212
fled to land of
Cush, 206
God confused
divination of, 192-193
God told not to
curse Israel, 241
interpreted dream
of Pharaoh and advised to destroy hope of children of Israel, 199
Janeas son of, 237
king of Cush, 208
Moab cursed by,
237-238
Moses sought to
kill, 206
Pharaoh advised to
drown all children born to Hebrews by, 201
Pharaoh advised to
kill Moses by, 204-205
Pharaoh honored,
199
rod of, turned into
a serpent, 224
witchcraft
understood by, 185
Zepho honored, 192
Balak
Balaam was urged to
curse Israel by, 241
king of Moab, 240
Zippor father of,
240
Balgar, family of Tugarma, 22
Bartonim, child of Rephath, 22
Bashan, Og king of, 239
Bathia
daughter of
Pharaoh, 228
Jochebed nurse of,
203
Moses adopted by,
206
Moses found in
river by, 203
Pharaoh father of,
203, 218
plagues didn't
affect, 228
sister to king of
Egypt, 228
battle(s), 15-16. See
also war
city of Erech built
after, 24
prophecy of, 31-32
bdellium, 89
bears, 101
beast, Egypt invaded by, 226
Becher, Benjamin father of, 135,
181
Bedad
Hadad son of, 186,
187, 189, 191, 196, 213
king of Edom, 189
Beeri
Epher father of, 74
Jehudith son of,
74, 79
Beersheba
Abimelech named
well dug by Abraham's servants, 56
Abraham returned
after funeral of Sarah to, 65
Beersheba, Jacob went from, 77
bees, woman killed by, 50
Bela
Benjamin father of,
135, 181
Beor father of, 178
city of, 24
death of, 180
king of children of
Esau, 178
king of Zoar, 40
Benah, Phut father of, 14
Benami, Lot father of, conceived
through incest, 50-51, 66
Beni Jaakon, children of Israel
stayed in, 238
Benib, son of Tiras, 14
Benjamin
Aribath wife of,
135
astrology used by,
159
beaten by brothers
for stealing cup, 159-160
birth of, 100
brought before
Joseph, king of Egypt, 157-159
buried in
Jerusalem, 253
Jacob father of,
101, 118, 181
Joseph takes as
slave, 160-162
Judah buried in
city of, 253
Mechalia wife of,
135
sons of, 135
Benmalich. See also
Abimelech
Abimelech father
of, 66
Benon, Kesed father of, 57
Beor
Balaam son of, 185,
191, 224
Bela son of, 178
birth of, 79
death of, 243
Janeas father of,
237
Laban father of,
79, 83
Moab cursed by,
237-238
Bera, king of Sodom, 40
Berachel, Buz father of, 57
Beriah
Asher father of,
135, 181
Ephraim father of,
214-215
Bersha, king of Gomorrah, 40
Bersheba, well dug by servants
of Abraham, 56
Bethchorin
castle of, 114, 115
desert, 113
war between sons of
Jacob and people of, 114-115
Bethel
children of Joseph
smote, 254
God appeared to
Jacob and told him to go to, 100
Luz same as, 254
Beth-horan
Laban king of, 102
made war with Jacob
and his sons, 102-106
Beth-jesimoth, 241
Bethlehem. See also
Ephrath
also called
Ephrath, 100
city of Benjamin
opposite of, 253
Bethuel
children of, 57
Laban son of, 83
Nahor father of, 57
Rebecca daughter
of, 67, 77, 100
Beyodua, Ishbak father of, 67
Bibentu
cities of children
of Chittim, 184
Turnus king of, 182
Bid, family of Tugarma, 22
bier, 65
Bihah, Rachel's handmaid, 181
Bildad, Shuach father of, 67
Bilhah
Laban gave Rachel,
81
Rachel gave to
Jacob, 81, 100
Rachel's handmaid,
100, 101
sons of, 81, 101
Bilhan
Azar son of, 80
child of Ezer, 102
birth control, 4
birthright
given to Joseph,
100
Jacob bought from
Easu, 72
removed from
Reuben, 100
Bizayo, Lud father of, 14
blessing
of Abraham and his
seed on day he sacrificed ram instead of Isaac, 63
of children of
Israel by Joshua, 251-252
of Esau and Jacob
by Isaac, 75-76
of Esau's sons by
Isaac, 138
of Isaac and his
children by Abraham, 71
of Jacob by Isaac,
77
Jacob took Esau's,
99
of Jacob's
grandchildren by Jacob, 171
of Jacob's sons by
Isaac, 138
of Joseph by Jacob,
119
of Pharaoh by
Jacob, 169
of Serach by Jacob,
167
of sons of Jacob,
written in book of law of Lord, 171
upon Abram by
Adonizedek, 41
upon Ishmael and
his wife by Abraham, 55
Blessing, of Abram by
Adonizedek, 41
blood
flowed like a brook
in city of Gaash, 113
waters of Egypt
turned into, 225-226
Book of Law
Balaam mentioned in, 212
drowning of horse
and rider written in, 231
Book of Law of God
curse of Beor and
Balaam concerning Moab and Kemosh written in, 238
statutes and
judgments and laws written in, 243
Book of Law of Lord, blessings of sons of Jacob written in, 171
Book of Purchases, 65, 139
Book of Records, 224
Book of Words of Joshua, 253
Bordna, land of, 23
Bosmath
Adah same as, 76
daughter of Elon,
76
daughter of
Ishmael, 68, 79
Esau husband of,
76, 79
Britannia, warred aganist
Chittim, 252
brook, Satan turned himself
into, 61
brook of Egypt, 23
Bunah, Simeon took captive from
city of Shechem, 95, 134
butler
Joseph interpreted
dream of, 136-137
Pharaoh told that
Joseph interpreted dreams correctly by, 142
Buz
children of, 57
Nahor father of, 56
Buzar, family of Tugarma, 22
C
Cain
Able killed by, 2-3
curse of, 3
death of, 5
God appeared to, 3
as tiller of soil,
2
Cainan, 4
death of, 10
Mahlallel son of,
5, 10
Calach, city of, 24
Caleb
Hebron inherited
by, 251
Jephuneh father of,
236, 242, 251
Moses sent to
explore land of Canaan, 236
Mount Hebron
inherited by, 251
calf, Aaron makes false god in
form of, 233
Calip, Kedma father of, 69
calling, of Enoch, 6
Calnah, city built by Nimrod, 24
Canaan
Abraham dwelt in,
70
Abram advised by
Terah to go to land of, 32-33
boundaries of, 236
child of Ham, 23
children of Israel
smote land of, 244-250
cities of, 23
generations born to
Esau in, 101
God commanded Isaac
to return to, 74
God commands Abram
to go to, 33
God gives to Abram
as an inheritance, 33, 34, 35, 42
God heard prayers
of children of Israel and resolved to give them land of, 222
Ham father of, 14,
23
Heth son of, 74
Hivi son of, 23
inherited by sons
of Jacob, 138, 139
Jacob dwelt with
Isaac in land of, 102
Jacob went out from
land of, 77
kings of, afraid of
sons of Jacob, 115
Moses sent twelve
men to explore land of, 236
planed to build
city and tower, 20-21
sons of, 14
Canaanites
afraid of sons of
Jacob, 115
Arad king of, 238
destruction of, 239
kings of, made
peace with sons of Jacob, 115-118
Canopia
children of Chittim
occupied, 43
plain of, 43
valley of, 23, 183
Caphturim, child of Mitzraim, 23
Carmi
Achan son of, 245
Reuben father of,
134, 181
Zabdi father of,
245
casdim, fire of, 30
Casloch, children of, 23
Casluchim, child of Mitzraim, 23
cave
Abraham buried in,
71
of Adullam, 50
in city of Sarton,
109
Esau's portion of,
sold to Jacob, 72
Isaac buried in,
138
Jacob made his sons
swear to bury him in, 171
Joshua trapped
Adonizedek in, 248-249
Joshua trapped
kings in, 248-249
Leah buried in, 118
of Machpelah,
Rebecca buried in, 100
Sarah buried in, 65
census
children of Israel
counted in, 235
Moses and Elazer
take, 242
Chabar, name Amram gave Moses,
203
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