Jasher, Chapter 45

1 And it was at that time in that year, which is the year of Yoseph's going down to Egypt after his brothers had sold him, that Reuben the son of Yacob 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 Yahudah went at that time to Adulam, and he came to a man of Adulam, and his name was Hirah, and Yahudah 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 Yahudah, 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 YAHWEH 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 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 Yacob's house.
17 And the damsel was of a comely appearance, and she went in the sanctified ways of the children of Yacob; she lacked nothing, and YAHWEH 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 Yacob 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 Yacob; 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 Yahudah 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 YAHWEH, and YAHWEH slew him.
25 And it was after the death of Er, Yahudah's first born, that Yahudah said unto Onan, go to your brother's wife and marry her as the next of kin, and raise up seed to your brother.
26 And Onan took Tamar for a wife 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 YAHWEH, and he slew him also.
27 And when Onan died, Yahudah said unto Tamar, Remain in your father's house until my son Shiloh shall have grown up, and Yahudah 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 Yahudah died; and Yahudah was comforted for his wife, and after the death of Aliyath, Yahudah went up with his friend Hirah to Timnah to shear their sheep.
30 And Tamar heard that Yahudah had gone up to Timnah to shear the sheep, and that Shiloh was grown up, and Yahudah 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 Yahudah 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.

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Jasher, 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 Yacob 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?
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 Yacob 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 Yacob 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 Yacob 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 YAHWEH liveth, the ALMIGHTY 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.
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 Yacob went and returned, and came upon the slain, and spoiled all their property which was in the city and the field.
30 And while 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 Yacob with vigor.
32 And when Yacob saw all that they had done to the city, and saw the spoil that they took from them, Yacob was very angry at them, and Yacob 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 Yacob and said unto him, Behold we live in the land, and shall Shechem do this to our sister? why are you 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 Yacob and to their children after them, until the day of the sons of Yacob 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 Yacob the Hebrew did to this city 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 Yacob 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 Yacob 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 you 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 you wilt go against them, they will all rise against us and destroy us likewise.
46 But if you 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 Yacob; then wilt you 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 Yacob 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 Yacob 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 Yacob; and Yacob heard that the kings of the Amorites had assembled to fight against his sons, and Yacob was greatly afraid, and it distressed him.
51 And Yacob 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 Yahudah (Judah) answered his father, 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 ALMIGHTY 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 you do this? surely for this my brothers went and smote the city, and YAHWEH delivered it into their hands, because its inhabitants had transgressed the commands of our ALMIGHTY. Is it then for naught that they have done all this?
54 And now why are you afraid or distressed, and why are you displeased at my brothers, and why is your anger kindled against them?
55 Surely our YAHWEH 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 your fears, but trust in YAHWEH our ALMIGHTY, and pray unto him to assist us and deliver us, and deliver our enemies into our hands.
57 And Yahudah 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 Yahudah 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 Yahudah said unto Simeon and Levi, and unto all his brothers, Strengthen yourselves and be sons of valor, for YAHWEH our ALMIGHTY 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; YAHWEH is our ALMIGHTY, He will save us.
61 And they rose up, and each girt on his weapons of war, great and small, eleven sons of Yacob, and all the servants of Yacob with them.
62 And all the servants of Yitschaq who were with Yitschaq in Hebron, all came to them equipped in all sorts of war instruments, and the sons of Yacob and their servants, being one hundred and twelve men, went towards these kings, and Yacob also went with them.
63 And the sons of Yacob sent unto their father Yitschaq the son of Abraham to Hebron, the same is Kireath-arba, saying,
64 Pray we beseech you for us unto YAHWEH our ALMIGHTY, to protect us from the hands of the Canaanites who are coming against us, and to deliver them into our hands.
65 And Yitschaq the son of Abraham prayed unto YAHWEH for his sons, and he said, O YAHWEH the ALMIGHTY, you didst promise my father, saying, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and you didst also promise me, and establish you your 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 YAHWEH the ALMIGHTY, YAHWEH of the whole earth, pervert, I pray you, the counsel of these kings that they may not fight against my sons.
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 your strong hand and outstretched arm deliver my sons and their servants from them, for power and might are in your hands to do all this.
69 And the sons of Yacob and their servants went toward these kings, and they trusted in YAHWEH their ALMIGHTY, and while they were going, Yacob their father also prayed unto YAHWEH and said, O YAHWEH the ALMIGHTY, powerful and exalted YAHWEH, who has reigned from days of old, from thence till now and forever;
70 You are He who stirs up wars and causes them to cease, in your hand are power and might to exalt and to bring down; O may my prayer be acceptable before you that you may turn to me with your 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 your great kindness deliver all those that trust in you, for it is you who canst bring people under us and reduce nations under our power.

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