Book of Jubilees 37, 38

JUBILEES 37

The sons of Esau with Esau make war wit Yacob

1 And on the day that Yitschaq the father of Yacob and Esau died, [2162 A.M.] the sons of Esau heard that Yitschaq had given the portion of the elder to his younger son Yacob and they were very angry.
2 And they strove with their father, saying 'Why has your father given Yacob the portion of the elder and passed over you, although you are the elder and Yacob the younger?'
3 And he said to them 'Because I sold my birthright to Yacob for a small mess of lentils, and on the day my father sent me to hunt and catch and bring him something that he should eat and bless me, he came with guile and brought my father food and drink, and my father blessed him and put me under his hand.
4 And now our father has caused us to swear, me and him, that we shall not mutually devise evil, either against his brother, and that we shall continue in love and in shalom each with his brother and not make our ways corrupt.'
5 And they said to him, 'We shall not hearken unto you to make shalom with him; for our strength is greater than his strength, and we are more powerful than he; we shall go against him and slay him, and destroy him and his sons. And if you will not go with us, we shall do hurt to you also.
6 And now hearken unto us: Let us send to Aram and Philistia and Moab and Ammon, and let us choose for ourselves chosen men who are ardent for battle, and let us go against him and do battle with him, and let us exterminate him from the earth before he grows strong.'
7 And their father said to them, 'Do not go and do not make war with him lest you fall before him.'
8 And they said to him, 'This too, is exactly your mode of action from your youth until this day, and you are putting your neck under his yoke. We shall not hearken to these words.'
9 And they sent to Aram, and to 'Aduram to the friend of their father, and they hired along with them one thousand fighting men, chosen men of war.
10 And there came to them from Moab and from the children of Ammon, those who were hired, one thousand chosen men, and from Philistia, one thousand chosen men of war, and from Edom and from the Horites one thousand chosen fighting men, and from the Kittim mighty men of war.
11 And they said to their father: Go forth with them and lead them, else we shall slay you.'
12 And he was filled with wrath and indignation on seeing that his sons were forcing him to go before them to lead them against Yacob his brother. But afterward he remembered all the evil which lay hidden in his heart against Yacob his brother;
13 And he remembered not the oath which he had sworn to his father and to his mother that he would devise no evil all his days against Yacob his brother.
14 And notwithstanding all this, Yacob knew not that they were coming against him to battle, and he was mourning for Leah, his wife, until they approached very near to the tower with four thousand warriors and chosen men of war.
15 And the men of Hebron sent to him saying, 'Behold your brother has come against you, to fight you, with four thousand girthed with the sword, and they carry shields and weapons'; for they loved Yacob more than Esau. So they told him; for Yacob was a more liberal and merciful man than Esau.
16 But Yacob would not believe until they came very near to the tower.
17 And he closed the gates of the tower; and he stood on the battlements and spoke to his brother Esau and said, 'Noble is the comfort wherewith you have come to comfort me for my wife who has died. Is this the oath that you did swear to your father and again to your mother before they died? You have broken the oath, and on the moment that you did swear to your father were you condemned.'
18 And then Esau answered and said to him, 'Neither the children of men nor the beasts of the earth have any oath of righteousness which in swearing they have sworn (an oath valid) forever; but every day they devise evil one against another, and how each may slay his adversary and foe.
19 And you do hate me and my children forever. And there is no observing the tie of brotherhood with you.
20 Hear these words which I declare unto you, ‘If the boar can change its skin and make its bristles as soft as wool, Or if it can cause horns to sprout forth on its head like the horns of a stag or of a sheep, Then will I observe the tie of brotherhood with you, And if the breasts separated themselves from their mother, for you have not been a brother to me.
21 And if the wolves make shalom with the lambs so as not to devour or do them violence, And if their hearts are towards them for good, Then there shall be shalom in my heart towards you.
22 And if the lion becomes the friend of the ox and makes shalom with him, And if he is bound under one yoke with him and ploughs with him, Then will I make shalom with you.
23 And when the raven becomes white as the raza, Then know that I have loved you And shall make shalom with you, You shall be rooted out, And your sons shall be rooted out, And there shall be no shalom for you'
24 And when Yacob saw that he was (so) evilly disposed towards him with his heart, and with all his soul as to slay him, and that he had come springing like the wild boar which comes upon the spear that pierces and kills it, and recoils not from it;
25 Then he spoke to his own and to his servants that they should attack him and all his companions.

JUBILEES 38

Yacob kills Esau

1 And after that Yahudah spoke to Yacob, his father, and said to him: 'Bend your bow, father, and send forth your arrows and cast down the adversary and slay the enemy; and may you have the power, for we shall not slay your brother, for he is such as you, and he is like you let us give him(this) honor.'
2 Then Yacob bent his bow and sent forth the arrow and struck Esau, his brother (on his right breast) and slew him.
3 And again he sent forth an arrow and struck 'Adoran the Aramaean, on the left breast, and drove him backward and slew him.
4 And then went forth the sons of Yacob, they and their servants, dividing themselves into companies on the four sides of the tower.
5 And Yahudah went forth in front, and Naphtali and Gad with him and fifty servants with him on the south side of the tower, and they slew all they found before them, and not one individual of them escaped.
6 And Levi and Dan and Asher went forth on the east side of the tower, and fifty (men) with them, and they slew the fighting men of Moab and Ammon.
7 And Reuben and Issachar and Zebulon went forth on the north side of the tower, and fifty men with them, and they slew the fighting men of the Philistines.
8 And Simeon and Benjamin and Enoch, Reuben's son, went forth on the west side of the tower, and fifty (men) with them, and they slew of Edom and of the Horites four hundred men, stout warriors; and six hundred fled, and four of the sons of Esau fled with them, and left their father lying slain, as he had fallen on the hill which is in 'Aduram.
9 And the sons of Yacob pursued after them to the mountains of Seir. And Yacob buried his brother on the hill which is in 'Aduram, and he returned to his house.
10 And the sons of Yacob pressed hard upon the sons of Esau in the mountains of Seir, and bowed their necks so that they became servants of the sons of Yacob.
11 And they sent to their father (to inquire) whether they should make shalom with them or slay them.
12 And Yacob sent word to his sons that they should make shalom, and they made shalom with them, and placed the yoke of servitude upon them, so that they paid tribute to Yacob and to his sons always.
13 And they continued to pay tribute to Yacob until the day that he went down into Egypt.
14 And the sons of Edom have not got quit of the yoke of servitude which the twelve sons of Yacob had imposed on them until this day.
15 And these are the kings that reigned in Edom before there reigned any king over the children of Yisrael [until this day] in the land of Edom.
16 And Bela, the son of Beor, reigned in Edom, and the name of his city was Danaba.
17 And Bela died, and Jobab, the son of Zara of Boser, reigned in his stead.
18 And Jobab died, and 'Asam, of the land of Teman, reigned in his stead.
19 And 'Asam died, and 'Adath, the son of Barad, who slew Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead, and the name of his city was Avith.
20 And 'Adath died, and Salman, from 'Amaseqa, reigned in his stead.
21,22 And Salman died, and Saul of Ra'aboth (by the) river, reigned in his stead. And Saul died, and Ba'elunan, the son of Achbor, reigned in his stead.
23 And Ba'elunan, the son of Achbor died, and 'Adath reigned in his stead, and the name of his wife was Maitabith, the daughter of Matarat, the daughter of Metabedza'ab.
25 These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom.

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Book of Jubilees 24, 25

JUBILEES 24

YAHWEH blessed Yitschaq

1 And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that YAHWEH blessed Yitschaq his son, and he arose from Hebron and went and dwelt at the Well of the Vision in the first year of the third week [2073 A.M.] of this jubilee, seven years.
2 And in the first year of the fourth week a famine began in the land, [2080 A.M.] besides the first famine, which had been in the days of Abraham.
3 And Yacob sod lentil pottage, and Esau came from the field hungry. And he said to Yacob his brother: 'Give me of this red pottage.' And Yacob said to him: 'Sell to me your [primogeniture, this] birthright and I will give you bread, and also some of this lentil pottage.'
4 And Esau said in his heart: 'I shall die; of what profit to me is this birthright?
5 'And he said to Yacob: 'I give it to you.' And Yacob said: 'Swear to me, this day,' and he swore unto him.
6 And Yacob gave his brother Esau bread and pottage, and he eat till he was satisfied, and Esau despised his birthright; for this reason was Esau's name called Edom, on account of the red pottage which Yacob gave him for his birthright.
7 And Yacob became the elder, and Esau was brought down from his dignity.
8 And the famine was over the land, and Yitschaq departed to go down into Egypt in the second year of this week, and went to the king of the Philistines to Gerar, unto Abimelech.
9 And YAHWEH appeared unto him and said to him: 'Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land that I shall tell you of, and sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and bless you.
10 For to you and to your seed will I give all this land, and I will establish My oath which I swore unto Abraham your father, and I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and will give unto your seed all this land.
11 And in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because your father obeyed My voice, and kept My charge and My commandments, and My laws, and My ordinances, and My covenant; and now obey My voice and dwell in this land.'
12 And he dwelt in Gelar three weeks of years.
13 And Abimelech charged concerning him, [2080-2101 A.M.] and concerning all that was his, saying: 'Any man that shall touch him or aught that is his shall surely die.'
14 And Yitschaq waxed strong among the Philistines, and he got many possessions, oxen and sheep and camels and asses and a great household.
15 And he sowed in the land of the Philistines and brought in a hundred-fold, and Yitschaq became exceedingly great, and the Philistines envied him.
16 Now all the wells which the servants of Abraham had dug during the life of Abraham, the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham, and filled them with earth.
17 And Abimelech said to Yitschaq: 'Go from us, for you are much mightier than we', and Yitschaq departed there in the first year of the seventh week, and sojourned in the valleys of Gerar.
18 And they digged again the wells of water which the servants of Abraham, his father, had digged, and which the Philistines had closed after the death of Abraham his father, and he called their names as Abraham his father had named them.
19 And the servants of Yitschaq dug a well in the valley, and found living water, and the shepherds of Gerar strove with the shepherds of Yitschaq, saying: 'The water is ours'; and Yitschaq called the name of the well 'Perversity', because they had been perverse with us.
20 And they dug a second well, and they strove for that also, and he called its name 'Enmity'. And he arose from thence and they digged another well, and for that they strove not, and he called the name of it 'Room', and Yitschaq said: 'Now YAHWEH has made room for us, and we have increased in the land.'
21 And he went up from there to the “Well of the Oath” in the first year of the first week in the [2108 A.M.] forty-fourth jubilee.
22 And YAHWEH appeared to him that night, on the new month of the first month, and said to him: 'I am YAHWEH the ALMIGHTY of Abraham your father; fear not, for I am with you, and shall bless you and shall surely multiply your seed as the sand of the earth, for the sake of Abraham my servant.'
23 And he built an altar there, which Abraham his father had first built, and he called upon the NAME of YAHWEH, and he offered sacrifice to the ALMIGHTY of Abraham his father.
24 And they digged a well and they found living water.
25 And the servants of Yitschaq digged another well and did not find water, and they went and told Yitschaq that they had not found water, and Yitschaq said: 'I have sworn this day to the Philistines and this thing has been announced to us.'
26 And he called the name of that place the “Well of the Oath”; for there he had sworn to Abimelech and Ahuzzath his friend and Phicol the prefect Or his host.
27 And Yitschaq knew that day that under constraint he had sworn to them to make shalom with them.
28 And Yitschaq on that day cursed the Philistines and said: 'Cursed be the Philistines unto the day of wrath and indignation from the midst of all nations; may YAHWEH make them a derision and a curse and an object of wrath and indignation in the hands of the sinners the Gentiles and in the hands of the Kittim.
29 And whoever escapes the sword of the enemy and the Kittim, may the righteous nation root out in judgment from under heaven; for they shall be the enemies and foes of my children throughout their generations upon the earth.
30 And no remnant shall be left to them, Nor one that shall be saved on the day of the wrath of judgment; For destruction and rooting out and expulsion from the earth is the whole seed of the Philistines (reserved), And there shall no longer be left for these Caphtorim a name or a seed on the earth.
31 For though he ascend unto heaven, There shall he be brought down, And though he make himself strong on earth, There shall he be dragged forth, And though he hide himself amongst the nations, Even from there shall he be rooted out; And though he descend into Sheol, There also shall his condemnation be great, And there also he shall have no shalom.
32 And if he go into captivity, by the hands of those that seek his life shall they slay him on the way, And neither name nor seed shall be left to him on all the earth; for into eternal malediction shall he depart.'
33 And thus is it written and engraved concerning him on the heavenly tablets, to do to him on the Day of Judgment, so that he may be rooted out of the earth.

JUBILEES 25

Rebecca instructs Yacob her son

1 And in the second year of this week in this jubilee, Rebecca called Yacob her son, and spoke to [2109 A.M.] him, saying: 'My son, do not take you a wife of the daughters of Canaan, as Esau, your brother, who took him two wives of the daughters of Canaan, and they have embittered my soul with all their unclean deeds: for all their deeds are fornication and lust, and there is no righteousness with them, for (their deeds) are evil.
2 And I, my son, love you exceedingly, and my heart and my affection bless you every hour of the day and watch of the night.
3 And now, my son, hearken to my voice, and do the will of your mother, and do not take you a wife of the daughters of this land, but only of the house of my father, and of my father's kindred. You shall take you a wife of the house of my father, and the Most High YAHWEH will bless you, and your children shall be a righteous generation and a kodesh seed.'
4 And then spoke Yacob to Rebecca, his mother, and said to her: 'Behold, mother, I am nine weeks of years old, and I neither know nor have I touched any woman, nor have I betrothed myself to any, nor even think of taking me a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
5 For I remember, mother, the words of Abraham, our father, for he commanded me not to take a wife of the daughters of Canaan, but to take me a wife from the seed of my father's house and from my kindred.
6 I have heard before that daughters have been born to Laban, your brother, and I have set my heart on them to take a wife from amongst them.
7 And for this reason I have guarded myself in my spirit against sinning or being corrupted in all my ways throughout all the days of my life; for with regard to lust and fornication, Abraham, my father, gave me many commands.
8 And, despite all that he has commanded me, these two and twenty years my brother has striven with me, and spoken frequently to me and said: 'My brother, take to wife a sister of my two wives'; but I refuse to do as he has done.
9 I swear before you, mother, that all the days of my life I will not take me a wife from the daughters of the seed of Canaan, and I will not act wickedly as my brother has done.
10 Fear not, mother; be assured that I shall do your will and walk in uprightness, and not corrupt my ways forever.'
11 And thereupon she lifted up her face to heaven and extended the fingers of her hands, and opened her mouth and blessed the Most High YAHWEH, who had created the heaven and the earth, and she gave Him thanks and praise.
12 And she said: 'Blessed be YAHWEH ALMIGHTY, and may His Kodesh NAME be blessed forever and ever, who has given me Yacob as a pure son and a kodesh seed; for he is Yours, and Yours shall his seed be continually and throughout all the generations forevermore.
13 Bless him, O YAHWEH, and place in my mouth the blessing of righteousness, that I may bless him.'
14 And at that hour, when the Spirit of righteousness descended into her mouth, she placed both her hands on the head of Yacob, and said:
15 Blessed are you, YAHWEH of righteousness and Sovereign Ruler of the ages, and may He bless you beyond all the generations of men. May He give you, my Son, the path of righteousness, And reveal righteousness to your seed.
16 And may He make your sons many during your life, And may they arise according to the number of the months of the year. And may their sons become many and great beyond the stars of heaven, And their numbers be more than the sand of the sea.
17 And may He give them this goodly land -as He said He would give it to Abraham and to his seed after him always, And may they hold it as a possession forever.
18 And may I see (born) unto you, my son, blessed children during my life, And a blessed and kodesh seed may all your seed be.
19 And as you have refreshed your mother's spirit during her life, The womb of her that bare you blesses you thus, [My affection] and my breasts bless you, And my mouth and my tongue praise you greatly.
20 Increase and spread over the earth, And may your seed be perfect in the joy of heaven and earth forever; And may your seed rejoice, And on the great day of shalom may it have shalom.
21 And may your name and your seed endure to all the ages, And may the Most High YAHWEH be their Sovereign Ruler, And may the ALMIGHTY of righteousness dwell with them, And by them may His sanctuary be built unto all the ages.
22 Blessed be he that blesses you, And all flesh that curses you falsely, may it be cursed.'
23 And she kissed him, and said to him; 'May YAHWEH of the world love you as the heart of your mother and her affection rejoice in you and bless you.' And she ceased from blessing.

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