Showing posts with label Levi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Levi. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Book of Jubilees 33, 34

JUBILEES 33

Reuben laid with Bilhah and he uncovered his father's skirt

1 And Yacob went and dwelt to the south of Magdaladra'ef. And he went to his father Yitschaq, he and Leah his wife, on the new month of the tenth month.
2 And Reuben saw Bilhah, Rachel's maid, the concubine of his father, bathing in water in a secret place, and he loved her.
3 And he hid himself at night, and he entered the house of Bilhah [at night], and he found her sleeping alone on a bed in her house.
4 And he lay with her, and she awoke and saw, and behold Reuben was lying with her in the bed, and she uncovered the border of her covering and seized him, and cried out, and discovered that it was Reuben.
5 And she was ashamed because of him, and released her hand from him, and he fled.
6 And she lamented because of this thing exceedingly, and did not tell it to any one.
7 And when Yacob returned and sought her, she said to him: 'I am not clean for you, for I have been defiled as regards you; for Reuben has defiled me, and has lain with me in the night, and I was asleep, and did not discover until he uncovered my skirt and slept with me.'
8 And Yacob was exceedingly wroth with Reuben because he had lain with Bilhah, because he had uncovered his father's skirt.
9 And Yacob did not approach her again because Reuben had defiled her. And as for any man who uncovers his father's skirt his deed is wicked exceedingly, for he is abominable before YAHWEH.
10 For this reason it is written and ordained on the heavenly tablets that a man should not lie with his father's wife, and should not uncover his father's skirt, for this is unclean: they shall surely die together, the man who lies with his father's wife and the woman also, for they have wrought uncleanness on the earth.
11 And there shall be nothing unclean before YAHWEH our ALMIGHTY in the nation which He has chosen for Himself as a possession.
12 And again, it is written a second time: 'Cursed be he who lies with the wife of his father, for he has uncovered his father's shame'; and all the kodesh ones of YAHWEH said 'So be it; so be it.'
13 And do you, Mosheh, command the children of Yisrael that they observe this word; for it (entails) a punishment of death; and it is unclean, and there is no atonement forever to atone for the man who has committed this, but he is to be put to death and slain, and stoned with stones, and rooted out from the midst of the people of YAHWEH our ALMIGHTY.
14 For to no man who does so in Yisrael is it permitted to remain alive a single day on the earth, for he is abominable and unclean.
15 And let them not say: to Reuben was granted life and forgiveness after he had lain with his father's concubine, and to her also though she had a husband, and her husband Yacob, his father, was still alive.
16 For until that time there had not been revealed the ordinance and judgment and Torah in its completeness for all, but in your days (it has been revealed) as a Torah of seasons and of days, and an everlasting Torah for the everlasting generations.
17 And for this Torah there is no consummation of days, and no atonement for it, but they must both be rooted out in the midst of the nation: on the day whereon they committed it they shall slay them.
18 And do you, Mosheh, write it down for Yisrael that they may observe it, and do according to these words, and not commit a sin unto death; for YAHWEH our ALMIGHTY is judge, who respects not persons and accepts not gifts. And tell them these words of the covenant, that they may hear and observe, and be on their guard with respect to them, and not be destroyed and rooted out of the land; for an uncleanness, and an abomination, and a contamination, and a pollution are all they who commit it on the earth before our Sovereign Ruler.
20 And there is no greater sin than the fornication which they commit on earth; for Yisrael is a kodesh nation unto YAHWEH its Sovereign Ruler, and a nation of inheritance, and a priestly and royal nation and for (His own) possession; and there shall no such uncleanness appear in the midst of the kodesh nation.
21 And in the third year of this sixth week [2145 A.M.] Yacob and all his sons went and dwelt in the house of Abraham, near Yitschaq his father and Rebecca his mother.
22 And these were the names of the sons of Yacob: the first-born Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Yahudah, Issachar, Zebulon, the sons of Leah; and the sons of Rachel, Yoseph and Benjamin; and the sons of Bilhah, Dan and Naphtali; and the sons of Zilpah, Gad and Asher; and Dinah, the daughter of Leah, the only daughter of Yacob.
23 And they came and bowed themselves to Yitschaq and Rebecca, and when they saw them they blessed Yacob and all his sons, and Yitschaq rejoiced exceedingly, for he saw the sons of Yacob, his younger son and he blessed them.

JUBILEES 34

Yacob, his sons and servants slew the kings of the Amorites

1 And in the sixth year of this week of this forty-fourth jubilee [2148 A.M.] Yacob sent his sons to pasture their sheep, and his servants with them to the pastures of Shechem.
2 And the seven kings of the Amorites assembled themselves together against them, to slay them, hiding themselves under the trees, and to take their cattle as a prey.
3 And Yacob and Levi and Yahudah and Yoseph were in the house with Yitschaq their father; for his spirit was sorrowful, and they could not leave him: and Benjamin was the youngest, and for this reason remained with his father.
4 And there came the king[s] of Taphu and the king[s] of 'Aresa, and the king[s] of Seragan, and the king[s] of Selo, and the king[s] of Ga'as, and the king of Bethoron, and the king of Ma'anisakir, and all those who dwell in these mountains (and) who dwell in the woods in the land of Canaan.
5 And they announced this to Yacob saying: 'Behold, the kings of the Amorites have surrounded your sons, and plundered their herds.'
6 And he arose from his house, he and his three sons and all the servants of his father, and his own servants, and he went against them with six thousand men, who carried swords. 7 And he slew them in the pastures of Shechem, and pursued those who fled, and he slew them with the edge of the sword, and he slew 'Aresa and Taphu and Saregan and Selo and 'Amanisakir and Ga[ga]'as, and he recovered his herds.
8 And he prevailed over them, and imposed tribute on them that they should pay him tribute, five fruit products of their land, and he built Robel and Tamnatares.
9 And he returned in shalom, and made shalom with them, and they became his servants, until the day that he and his sons went down into Egypt.
10 And in the seventh year of this week [2149 A.M.] he sent Yoseph to learn about the welfare of his brothers from his house to the land of Shechem, and he found them in the land of Dothan.
11 And they dealt treacherously with him, and formed a plot against him to slay him, but changing their minds, they sold him to Ishmaelite merchants, and they brought him down into Egypt, and they sold him to Potiphar, the eunuch of Pharaoh, the chief of the cooks, priest of the city of 'Elew.
12 And the sons of Yacob slaughtered a kid, and dipped the coat of Yoseph in the blood, and sent it to Yacob their father on the tenth of the seventh month.
13 And he mourned all that night, for they had brought it to him in the evening, and he became feverish with mourning for his death, and he said: 'An evil beast has devoured Yoseph'; and all the members of his house [mourned with him that day, and they] were grieving and mourning with him all that day.
14 And his sons and his daughter rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted for his son.
15 And on that day Bilhah heard that Yoseph had perished, and she died mourning him, and she was living in Qafratef, and Dinah also, his daughter, died after Yoseph had perished.
16 And there came these three mournings upon Yisrael in one month. And they buried Bilhah over against the tomb of Rachel, and Dinah also his daughter, they buried there.
17 And he mourned for Yoseph one year, and did not cease, for he said 'Let me go down to the grave mourning for my son'.
18 For this reason it is ordained for the children of Yisrael that they should afflict themselves on the tenth of the seventh month -on the day that the news which made him weep for Yoseph came to Yacob his father- that they should make atonement for themselves thereon with a young goat on the tenth of the seventh month, once a year, for their sins; for they had grieved the affection of their father regarding Yoseph his son.
19 And this day has been ordained that they should grieve thereon for their sins, and for all their transgressions and for all their errors, so that they might cleanse themselves on that day once a year.
20 And after Yoseph perished, the sons of Yacob took unto themselves wives. The name of Reuben's wife is 'Ada; and the name of Simeon's wife is 'Adlba'a, a Canaanite; and the name of Levi's wife is Melka, of the daughters of Aram, of the seed of the sons of Terah; and the name of Yahudah's wife, Betasu'el, a Canaanite; and the name of Issachar's wife, Hezaqa: and the name of Zabulon's wife, Ni'iman; and the name of Dan's wife, 'Egla; and the name of Naphtali's wife, Rasu'u, of Mesopotamia; and the name of Gad's wife, Maka; and the name of Asher's wife, 'Ijona; and the name of Yoseph's wife, Asenath, the Egyptian; and the name of Benjamin's wife, 'Ijasaka.
21 And Simeon repented, and took a second wife from Mesopotamia as his brothers.


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Book of Jubilees 32

JUBILEES 32

Levi is made the priest of the Most High YAHWEH

1 And he abode that night at Bethel, and Levi dreamed that they had ordained and made him the priest of the Most High YAHWEH, him and his sons forever; and he awoke from his sleep and blessed YAHWEH.
2 And Yacob rose early in the morning, on the fourteenth of this month, and he gave a tithe of all that came with him, both of men and cattle, both of gold and every vessel and garment, yes, he gave tithes of all.
3 And in those days Rachel became pregnant with her son Benjamin. And Yacob counted his sons from him upwards and Levi fell to the portion of YAHWEH, and his father clothed him in the garments of the priesthood and filled his hands.
4 And on the fifteenth of this month, he brought to the altar fourteen oxen from amongst the cattle, and twenty-eight rams, and forty-nine sheep, and seven lambs, and twenty-one kids of the goats as a burnt-offering on the altar of sacrifice, well pleasing for a sweet savor before YAHWEH.
5 This was his offering, in consequence of the vow which he had vowed that he would give a tenth, with their fruit-offerings and their drink offerings.
6 And when the fire had consumed it, he burnt incense on the fire over the fire, and for a thank-offering two oxen and four rams and four sheep, four he- goats, and two sheep of a year old, and two kids of the goats; and thus he did daily for seven days.
7 And he and all his sons and his men were eating (this) with joy there during seven days and blessing and thanking YAHWEH, who had delivered him out of all his tribulation and had given him his vow.
8 And he tithed all the clean animals, and made a burnt sacrifice, but the unclean animals he gave (not) to Levi his son, and he gave him all the souls of the men.
9 And Levi discharged the priestly office at Bethel before Yacob his father in preference to his ten brothers, and he was a priest there, and Yacob gave his vow: thus he tithed again the tithe to YAHWEH and sanctified it, and it became kodesh unto Him.
10 And for this reason it is ordained on the heavenly tablets as a Torah for the tithing again the tithe to eat before YAHWEH from year to year, in the place where it is chosen that His NAME should dwell, and to this Torah there is no limit of days forever.
11 This ordinance is written that it may be fulfilled from year to year in eating the second tithe before YAHWEH in the place where it has been chosen, and nothing shall remain over from it from this year to the year following.
12 For in its year shall the seed be eaten till the days of the gathering of the seed of the year, and the wine till the days of the wine, and the oil till the days of its season.
13 And all that is left thereof and becomes old, let it be regarded as polluted: let it be burnt with fire, for it is unclean.
14 And thus let them eat it together in the sanctuary, and let them not suffer it to become old.
15 And all the tithes of the oxen and sheep shall be kodesh unto YAHWEH, and shall belong to his priests, which they will eat before Him from year to year; for thus is it ordained and engraved regarding the tithe on the heavenly tablets.
16 And on the following night, on the twenty-second day of this month, Yacob resolved to build that place, and to surround the court with a wall, and to sanctify it and make it kodesh forever, for himself and his children after him.
17 And YAHWEH appeared to him by night and blessed him and said to him: 'Your name shall not be called Yacob, but Yisrael shall they name your name.'
18 And He said to him again: 'I am YAHWEH who created the heaven and the earth, and I will increase you and multiply you exceedingly, and kings shall come forth from you, and they shall judge everywhere wherever the foot of the sons of men has trodden.
19 And I will give to your seed all the earth which is under heaven, and they shall judge all the nations according to their desires, and after that they shall get possession of the whole earth and inherit it forever.'
20 And He finished speaking with him, and He went up from him, and Yacob looked till He had ascended into heaven.
21 And he saw in a vision of the night, and behold an malak descended from heaven with seven tablets in his hands, and he gave them to Yacob, and he read them and knew all that was written therein which would befall him and his sons throughout all the ages.
22 And he showed him all that was written on the tablets, and said to him: 'Do not build this place, and do not make it an eternal sanctuary, and do not dwell here; for this is not the place. Go to the house of Abraham your father and dwell with Yitschaq your father until the day of the death of your father.
23 For in Egypt you shall die in shalom, and in this land you shall be buried with honor in the sepulchre of your fathers, with Abraham and Yitschaq.
24 Fear not, for as you have seen and read it, thus shall it all be; and do you write down everything as you have seen and read.'
25 And Yacob said: 'YAHWEH, how can I remember all that I have read and seen? 'And he said to him: 'I will bring all things to your remembrance.'
26 And he went up from him, and he awoke from his sleep, and he remembered everything which he had read and seen, and he wrote down all the words which he had read and seen.
27 And he celebrated there yet another day, and he sacrificed thereon according to all that he sacrificed on the former days, and called its name 'Addition,' for this day was added and the former days he called 'The Feast '.
28 And thus it was manifested that it should be, and it is written on the heavenly tablets: wherefore it was revealed to him that he should celebrate it, and add it to the seven days of the feast.
29 And its name was called 'Addition,' because that it was recorded amongst the days of the feast days, according to the number of the days of the year.
30 And in the night, on the twenty-third of this month, Deborah Rebecca's nurse died, and they buried her beneath the city under the oak of the river, and he called the name of this place, 'The river of Deborah,' and the oak, 'The oak of the mourning of Deborah.'
31 And Rebecca went and returned to her house to his father Yitschaq, and Yacob sent by her hand rams and sheep and he-goats that she should prepare a meal for his father such as he desired.
32 And he went after his mother till he came to the land of Kabratan, and he dwelt there.
33 And Rachel bare a son in the night, and called his name 'Son of my sorrow '; for she suffered in giving him birth: but his father called his name Benjamin, on the eleventh of the eighth month in the first of the sixth week of this jubilee. [2143 A.M.]
34 And Rachel died there and she was buried in the land of Ephrath, the same is Bethlehem, and Yacob built a pillar on the grave of Rachel, on the road above her grave.


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Tuesday, December 17, 2024

Book of Jubilees 31

JUBILEES 31

Yacob went to his father Yitschaq and he blesses him

1 And on the new month of the month Yacob spoke to all the people of his house. saying: 'Purify yourselves and change your garments, and let us arise and go up to Bethel, where I vowed a vow to Him on the day when I fled from the face of Esau my brother, because he has been with me and brought me into this land in shalom, and put you away the strange gods that are among you.'
2 And they gave up the strange gods and that which was in their ears and which was on their necks and the idols which Rachel stole from Laban her father she gave wholly to Yacob. And he burnt and brake them to pieces and destroyed them, and hid them under an oak which is in the land of Shechem.
3 And he went up on the new month of the seventh month to Bethel. And he built an altar at the place where he had slept, and he set up a pillar there, and he sent word to his father Yitschaq to come to him to his sacrifice, and to his mother Rebecca.
4 And Yitschaq said: 'Let my son Yacob come, and let me see him before I die.'
5 And Yacob went to his father Yitschaq and to his mother Rebecca, to the house of his father Abraham, and he took two of his sons with him, Levi and Yahudah, and he came to his father Yitschaq and to his mother Rebecca.
6 And Rebecca came forth from the tower to the front of it to kiss Yacob and embrace him; for her spirit had revived when she heard: 'Behold Yacob your son has come'; and she kissed him.
7 And she saw his two sons, and she recognised them, and said to him: 'Are these your sons, my son?' and she embraced them and kissed them, and blessed them, saying: 'In you shall the seed of Abraham become illustrious, and you shall prove a blessing on the earth.'
8 And Yacob went in to Yitschaq his father, to the chamber where he lay, and his two sons were with him, and he took the hand of his father, and stooping down he kissed him, and Yitschaq clung to the neck of Yacob his son, and wept upon his neck.
9 And the darkness left the eyes of Yitschaq, and he saw the two sons of Yacob, Levi, and Yahudah, and he said: 'Are these your sons, my son? for they are like you.' 10 And he said to him that they were truly his sons: 'And you have truly seen that they are truly my sons'.
11 And they came near to him, and he turned and kissed them and embraced them both together.
12 And the spirit of prophecy came down into his mouth, and he took Levi by his right hand and Yahudah by his left.
13 And he turned to Levi first, and began to bless him first, and said to him: May the ALMIGHTY of all, the very YAHWEH of all the ages, bless you and your children throughout all the ages.
14 And may YAHWEH give to you and to your seed greatness and great splendor, and cause you and your seed, from among all flesh, to approach Him to serve in His sanctuary as the malakim of the presence and as the kodesh ones. (Even) as they, shall the seed of your sons be for splendor and greatness and kodeshness, and may He make them great unto all the ages.
15 And they shall be judges and princes, and chiefs of all the seed of the sons of Yacob; They shall speak the word of YAHWEH in righteousness, And they shall judge all His judgments in righteousness. And they shall declare My ways to Yacob And My paths to Yisrael. The blessing of YAHWEH shall be given in their mouths To bless all the seed of the beloved.
16 Your mother has called your name Levi, And justly has she called your name; You shall be joined to YAHWEH And be the companion of all the sons of Yacob; Let His table be yours, And do you and your sons eat thereof; And may your table be full unto all generations, And your food fail not unto all the ages.
17 And let all who hate you fall down before you, And let all your adversaries be rooted out and perish; And blessed be he that blesses you, And cursed be every nation that curses you.'
18 And to Yahudah he said: 'May YAHWEH give you strength and power To tread down all that hate you; A prince shall you be, you and one of your sons, over the sons of Yacob; May your name and the name of your sons go forth and traverse every land and region.
19 Then shall the Gentiles fear before your face, and all the nations shall quake [And all the peoples shall quake]. In you shall be the help of Yacob, And in you be found the salvation of Yisrael.
20 And when you sit on the throne of honor of your righteousness, There shall be great shalom for all the seed of the sons of the beloved; Blessed be he that blesses you, And all that hate you and afflict you and curse you Shall be rooted out and destroyed from the earth and be accursed.'
21 And turning he kissed him again and embraced him, and rejoiced greatly; for he had seen the sons of Yacob his son in very truth.
22 And he went forth from between his feet and fell down and bowed down to him, and he blessed them and rested there with Yitschaq his father that night, and they eat and drank with joy.
23 And he made the two sons of Yacob sleep, the one on his right hand and the other on his left, and it was counted to him for righteousness.
24 And Yacob told his father everything during the night, how YAHWEH had shown him great mercy, and how he had prospered (him in) all his ways, and protected him from all evil.
25 And Yitschaq blessed YAHWEH the ALMIGHTY of his father Abraham, who had not withdrawn his mercy and his righteousness from the sons of his servant Yitschaq.
26 And in the morning Yacob told his father Yitschaq the vow which he had vowed to YAHWEH, and the vision which he had seen, and that he had built an altar, and that everything was ready for the sacrifice to be made before YAHWEH as he had vowed, and that he had come to set him on an ass.
27 And Yitschaq said to Yacob his son: 'I am not able to go with you; for I am old and not able to bear the way: go, my son, in shalom; for I am one hundred and sixty-five years this day; I am no longer able to journey; set your mother (on an ass) and let her go with you.
28 And I know, my son, that you have come on my account, and may this day be blessed on which you have seen me alive, and I also have seen you, my son.
29 May you prosper and fulfill the vow which you have vowed; and put not off your vow; for you shall be called to account as touching the vow; now therefore make haste to perform it, and may He be pleased who has made all things, to whom you have vowed the vow.'
30 And he said to Rebecca: 'Go with Yacob your son'; and Rebecca went with Yacob her son, and Deborah with her, and they came to Bethel.
31 And Yacob remembered the prayer with which his father had blessed him and his two sons, Levi and Yahudah, and he rejoiced and blessed YAHWEH the ALMIGHTY of his fathers, Abraham and Yitschaq.
32 And he said: 'Now I know that I have an eternal hope, and my sons also, before the ALMIGHTY of all'; and thus is it ordained concerning the two; and they record it as an eternal testimony unto them on the heavenly tablets how Yitschaq blessed them.


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Book of Jubilees 30

JUBILEES 30

Son of Hamor defiles Dinah the daughter of Yacob

1 And in the first year of the sixth week [2143 A.M.] he went up to Salem, to the east of Shechem, in shalom, in the fourth month.
2 And there they carried off Dinah, the daughter of Yacob, into the house of Shechem, the son of Hamor, the Hivite, the prince of the land, and he lay with her and defiled her, and she was a little girl, a child of twelve years.
3 And he besought his father and her brothers that she might be given to him to wife. And Yacob and his sons were wroth because of the men of Shechem; for they had defiled Dinah, their sister, and they spoke to them with evil intent and dealt deceitfully with them and beguiled them.
4 And Simeon and Levi came unexpectedly to Shechem and executed judgment on all the men of Shechem, and slew all the men whom they found in it, and left not a single one remaining in it: they slew all in torments because they had dishonored their sister Dinah.
5 And thus let it not again be done from henceforth that a daughter of Yisrael be defiled; for judgment is ordained in heaven against them that they should destroy with the sword all the men of the Shechemites because they had wrought shame in Yisrael
6. And YAHWEH delivered them into the hands of the sons of Yacob that they might exterminate them with the sword and execute judgment upon them, and that it might not thus again be done in Yisrael that a virgin of Yisrael should be defiled.
7 And if there is any man who wishes in Yisrael to give his daughter or his sister to any man who is of the seed of the Gentiles he shall surely die, and they shall stone him with stones; for he has wrought shame in Yisrael; and they shall burn the woman with fire, because she has dishonored the name of the house of her father, and she shall be rooted out of Yisrael.
8 And let not an adulteress and no uncleanness be found in Yisrael throughout all the days of the generations of the earth; for Yisrael is kodesh unto YAHWEH, and every man who has defiled it shall surely die: they shall stone him with stones.
9 For thus has it been ordained and written in the heavenly tablets regarding all the seed of Yisrael: he who defiles it shall surely die, and he shall be stoned with stones.
10 And to this Torah there is no limit of days, and no remission, nor any atonement: but the man who has defiled his daughter shall be rooted out in the midst of all Yisrael, because he has given of his seed to Moloch, and wrought impiously so as to defile it.
11 And do you, Mosheh, command the children of Yisrael and exhort them not to give their daughters to the Gentiles, and not to take for their sons any of the daughters of the Gentiles, for this is abominable before YAHWEH.
12 For this reason I have written for you in the words of the Torah all the deeds of the Shechemites, which they wrought against Dinah, and how the sons of Yacob spoke, saying: 'We will not give our daughter to a man who is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us.'
13 And it is a reproach to Yisrael, to those who live, and to those that take the daughters of the Gentiles; for this is unclean and abominable to Yisrael.
14 And Yisrael will not be free from this uncleanness if it has a wife of the daughters of the Gentiles, or has given any of its daughters to a man who is of any of the Gentiles.
15 For there will be plague upon plague, and curse upon curse, and every judgment and plague and curse will come: if he do this thing, or hide his eyes from those who commit uncleanness, or those who defile the sanctuary of YAHWEH, or those who profane His kodesh NAME, (then) will the whole nation together be judged for all the uncleanness and profanation of this man.
16 And there will be no respect of persons [and no consideration of persons] and no receiving at his hands of fruits and offerings and burnt-offerings and fat, nor the fragrance of sweet savor, so as to accept it: and so fare every man or woman in Yisrael who defiles the sanctuary.
17 For this reason I have commanded you, saying: 'Testify this testimony to Yisrael: see how the Shechemites fared and their sons: how they were delivered into the hands of two sons of Yacob, and they slew them under tortures, and it was (reckoned) unto them for righteousness, and it is written down to them for righteousness.
18 And the seed of Levi was chosen for the priesthood, and to be Levites, that they might minister before YAHWEH, as we, continually, and that Levi and his sons may be blessed forever; for he was zealous to execute righteousness and judgment and vengeance on all those who arose against Yisrael.
19 And so they inscribe as a testimony in his favour on the heavenly tablets blessing and righteousness before the ALMIGHTY of all:
20 And we remember the righteousness which the man fulfilled during his life, at all periods of the year; until a thousand generations they will record it, and it will come to him and to his descendants after him, and he has been recorded on the heavenly tablets as a friend and a righteous man.
21 All this account I have written for you, and have commanded you to say to the children of Yisrael, that they should not commit sin nor transgress the ordinances nor break the covenant which has been ordained for them, (but) that they should fulfill it and be recorded as friends.
22 But if they transgress and work uncleanness in every way, they will be recorded on the heavenly tablets as adversaries, and they will be destroyed out of the book of life, and they will be recorded in the book of those who will be destroyed and with those who will be rooted out of the earth.
23 And on the day when the sons of Yacob slew Shechem a writing was recorded in their favour in heaven that they had executed righteousness and uprightness and vengeance on the sinners, and it was written for a blessing.
24 And they brought Dinah, their sister, out of the house of Shechem, and they took captive everything that was in Shechem, their sheep and their oxen and their asses, and all their wealth, and all their flocks, and brought them all to Yacob their father.
25 And he reproached them because they had put the city to the sword for he feared those who dwelt in the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
26 And the dread of YAHWEH was upon all the cities which are around about Shechem, and they did not rise to pursue after the sons of Yacob; for terror had fallen upon them.


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Monday, December 16, 2024

Book of Jubilees 27, 28

JUBILEES 27

Rebecca calls Yacob and sends him to Laban

1 And the words of Esau, her elder son, were told to Rebecca in a dream, and Rebecca sent and called Yacob her younger son,
2 And said to him: 'Behold Esau your brother will take vengeance on you so as to kill you.
3 Now, therefore, my son, obey my voice, and arise and flee you to Laban, my brother, to Haran, and tarry with him a few days until your brother's anger turns away, and he remove his anger from you, and forget all that you have done; then I will send and fetch you from there.'
4,5 And Yacob said: 'I am not afraid; if he wishes to kill me, I will kill him.' But she said unto him: 'Let me not be bereft of both my sons on one day.'
6 And Yacob said to Rebecca his mother: 'Behold, you know that my father has become old, and does not see because his eyes are dull, and if I leave him it will be evil in his eyes, because I leave him and go away from you, and my father will be angry, and will curse me. I will not go; when he sends me, then only will I go.'
7 And Rebecca said to Yacob: 'I will go in and speak to him, and he will send you away.'
8 And Rebecca went in and said to Yitschaq: 'I loathe my life because of the two daughters of Heth, whom Esau has taken him as wives; and if Yacob take a wife from among the daughters of the land such as these, for what purpose do I further live, for the daughters of Canaan are evil.'
9 And Yitschaq called Yacob and blessed him, and admonished him and said to him:
10 'Do not take you a wife of any of the daughters of Canaan; arise and go to Mesopotamia, to the house of Bethuel, your mother's father, and take you a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother.
11 And YAHWEH Almighty bless you and increase and multiply you that you may become a company of nations, and give you the blessings of my father Abraham, to you and to your seed after you, that you may inherit the land of your sojournings and all the land which YAHWEH gave to Abraham: go, my son, in shalom.'
12 And Yitschaq sent Yacob away, and he went to Mesopotamia, to Laban the son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebecca, Yacob's mother.
13 And it came to pass after Yacob had arisen to go to Mesopotamia that the spirit of Rebecca was grieved after her son, and she wept.
14 And Yitschaq said to Rebecca: 'My sister, weep not on account of Yacob, my son; for he goes in shalom, and in shalom will he return.
15 The Most High YAHWEH will preserve him from all evil, and will be with him; for He will not forsake him all his days;
16 For I know that his ways will be prospered in all things wherever he goes, until he return in shalom to us, and we see him in shalom.
17 Fear not on his account, my sister, for he is on the upright path and he is a perfect man: and he is faithful and will not perish. Weep not.'
18 And Yitschaq comforted Rebecca on account of her son Yacob, and blessed him.
19 And Yacob went from the “Well of the Oath” to go to Haran on the first year of the second week in the forty-fourth jubilee, and he came to Luz on the mountains, that is, Bethel, on the new month of the first month of this week, [2115 A.M.] and he came to the place at even and turned from the way to the west of the road that night: and he slept there; for the sun had set.
20 And he took one of the stones of that place and laid under the tree, and he was journeying alone, and he slept.
21 And he dreamt that night, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven, and behold, the malakim of YAHWEH ascended and descended on it: and behold, YAHWEH stood upon it.
22 And he spoke to Yacob and said: 'I am YAHWEH ALMIGHTY of Abraham, your father, and the ALMIGHTY of Yitschaq; the land whereon you are sleeping, to you will I give it, and to your seed after you.
23 And your seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and you shall increase to the west and to the east, to the north and the south, and in you and in your seed shall all the families of the nations be blessed.
24 And behold, I will be with you, and will keep you wheresoever’s you go, and I will bring you again into this land in shalom; for I will not leave you until I do everything that I told you of.'
25 And Yacob awoke from his sleep, and said, 'Truly this place is the house of YAHWEH, and I knew it not.' And he was afraid and said: 'Dreadful is this place which is none other than the house of YAHWEH, and this is the gate of heaven.'
26 And Yacob arose early in the morning, and took the stone which he had put under his head and set it up as a pillar for a sign, and he poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of the place was Luz at the first.
27 And Yacob vowed a vow unto YAHWEH, saying: 'If YAHWEH will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and give me bread to eat and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in shalom, then shall YAHWEH be my Sovereign Ruler, and this stone which I have set up as a pillar for a sign in this place, shall be YAHWEH's house, and of all that you give me, I shall give the tenth to you, my ALMIGHTY.'

JUBILEES 28

Laban gives Leah his elder daughter to Yacob as a wife

1 And he went on his journey, and came to the land of the east, to Laban, the brother of Rebecca, and he was with him, and served him for Rachel his daughter one week.
2 And in the first year of the third week [2122 A.M.] he said to him: 'Give me my wife, for whom I have served you seven years '; and Laban said to Yacob: 'I will give you your wife.'
3 And Laban made a feast, and took Leah his elder daughter, and gave (her) to Yacob as a wife, and gave her Zilpah his handmaid for an handmaid; and Yacob did not know, for he thought that she was Rachel.
4 And he went in unto her, and behold, she was Leah; and Yacob was angry with Laban, and said to him: 'Why have you dealt this way with me? Did not I serve you for Rachel and not for Leah? Why have you wronged me?
5 Take your daughter, and I will go; for you have done evil to me.' For Yacob loved Rachel more than Leah; for Leah's eyes were weak, but her form was very handsome; but Rachel had beautiful eyes and a beautiful and very handsome form.
6 And Laban said to Yacob: 'It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the elder.' And it is not right to do this; for thus it is ordained and written in the heavenly tablets, that no one should give his younger daughter before the elder; but the elder, one gives first and after her the younger -and the man who does so, they set down guilt against him in heaven, and none is righteous that does this thing, for this deed is evil before YAHWEH.
7 And command you the children of Yisrael that they do not this thing; let them neither take nor give the younger before they have given the elder, for it is very wicked.
8 And Laban said to Yacob: 'Let the seven days of the feast of this one pass by, and I shall give you Rachel, that you may serve me another seven years, that you may pasture my sheep as you didst in the former week.' And on the day when the seven days of the feast of Leah had passed, Laban gave Rachel to Yacob, that he might serve him another seven years, and he gave to Rachel Bilhah, the sister of Zilpah, as a handmaid.
10 And he served yet other seven years for Rachel, for Leah had been given to him for nothing.
11 And YAHWEH opened the womb of Leah, and she conceived and bare Yacob a son, and he called his name Reuben, on the fourteenth day of the ninth month, in the first year of the third week. [2122 A.M.]
12 But the womb of Rachel was closed, for YAHWEH saw that Leah was hated and Rachel loved.
13 And again Yacob went in unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Yacob a second son, and he called his name Simeon, on the twenty-first of the tenth month, and in the third year of this week. [2124 A.M.]
14 And again Yacob went in unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare him a third son, and he called his name Levi, in the new month of the first month in the sixth year of this week. [2127 A.M.]
15 And again Yacob went in unto her, and she conceived, and bare him a fourth son, and he called his name Yahudah, on the fifteenth of the third month, in the first year of the fourth week. [2129 A.M.]
16 And on account of all this Rachel envied Leah, for she did not bear, and she said to Yacob: 'Give me children'; and Yacob said: 'Have I withheld from you the fruits of your womb? Have I forsaken you?'
17 And when Rachel saw that Leah had borne four sons to Yacob, Reuben and Simeon and Levi and Yahudah, she said to him: 'Go in unto Bilhah my handmaid, and she will conceive, and bear a son unto me.'
18 And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife. And he went in unto her, and she conceived, and bare him a son, and he called his name Dan, on the ninth of the sixth month, in the sixth year of the third week. [2127 A.M.]
19 And Yacob went in again unto Bilhah a second time, and she conceived, and bare Yacob another son, and Rachel called his name Napthali, on the fifth of the seventh month, in the second year of the fourth week. [2130 A.M.]
20 And when Leah saw that she had become sterile and did not bear, she envied Rachel, and she also gave her handmaid Zilpah to Yacob to wife, and she conceived, and bare a son, and Leah called his name Gad, on the twelfth of the eighth month, in the third year of the fourth week. [2131 A.M.]
21 And he went in again unto her, and she conceived, and bare him a second son, and Leah called his name Asher, on the second of the eleventh month, in the fifth year of the fourth week. [2133 A.M.]
22 And Yacob went in unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Issachar, on the fourth of the fifth month, in the fourth year of the fourth week,[2132 A.M.] and she gave him to a nurse.
23 And Yacob went in again unto her, and she conceived, and bare two (children), a son and a daughter, and she called the name of the son Zabulon, and the name of the daughter Dinah, in the seventh of the seventh month, in the sixth year of the fourth week. [2134 A.M.]
24 And YAHWEH was gracious to Rachel, and opened her womb, and she conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Yoseph, on the new month of the fourth month, in the sixth year in this fourth week. [2134 A.M.]
25 And in the days when Yoseph was born, Yacob said to Laban: 'Give me my wives and sons, and let me go to my father Yitschaq, and let me make me an house; for I have completed the years in which I have served you for your two daughters, and I will go to the house of my father.'
26 And Laban said to Yacob: 'Tarry with me for your wages, and pasture my flock for me again, and take your wages.'
27 And they agreed with one another that he should give him as his wages those of the lambs and kids which were born black and spotted and white, (these) were to be his wages.
28 And all the sheep brought forth spotted and speckled and black, variously marked, and they brought forth again lambs like themselves, and all that were spotted were Yacob's and those which were not were Laban's.
29 And Yacob's possessions multiplied exceedingly, and he possessed oxen and sheep and asses and camels, and menservants and maid-servants.
30 And Laban and his sons envied Yacob, and Laban took back his sheep from him, and he observed him with evil intent.


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Monday, September 30, 2024

Jasher, Chapter 69

Year 2383
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 Yisrael 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 Yisrael, 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 Yisrael 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 Yisrael day by day, all the days for a long period.
9 But the tribe of Levi did not at that time work with the Yisraelites their brethren, from the beginning, for the children of Levi knew the cunning of the Egyptians which they exercised at first toward the Yisraelites.

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Saturday, September 28, 2024

Jasher, 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 Yisrael is greater and mightier than we are, and you know all the evil which they did to us in the road when we returned from battle.
4 And you 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 Yisrael 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 Yisrael, 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 Yisrael 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 while you are building, cause a proclamation of this kind to be made throughout Egypt every day at the command of the king.
12 And when some of the children of Yisrael 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 Yisrael, for on account of the fatigue of the building and the work, the children of Yisrael 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 Yisrael 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 Yisrael heard all that the servants of Pharaoh had spoken, there came from the Egyptians, and the children of Yisrael 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 Yisrael as daily hired laborers, and they gave to Yisrael their daily hire at the beginning.
22 And the servants of Pharaoh built with all Yisrael, and were employed in that work with Yisrael for a month.
23 And at the end of the month, all the servants of Pharaoh began to withdraw secretly from the people of Yisrael daily.
24 And Yisrael 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 Yisrael at that time; therefore the Egyptians gave Yisrael 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 Yisrael, so that the children of Yisrael were left alone engaged in the work.
26 And after all the Egyptians had withdrawn from the children of Yisrael they returned and became oppressors and officers over them, and some of them stood over the children of Yisrael as task masters, to receive from them all that they gave them for the pay of their labor.
27 And the Egyptians did in this manner to the children of Yisrael day by day, in order to afflict in their work.
28 And all the children of Yisrael were alone engaged in the labor, and the Egyptians refrained from giving any pay to the children of Yisrael from that time forward.
29 And when some of the men of Yisrael 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 Yisrael all the days.
30 And all the children of Yisrael were greatly afraid of the Egyptians in this matter, and all the children of Yisrael returned and worked alone without pay.
31 And the children of Yisrael built Pithom and Rameses, and all the children of Yisrael did the work, some making bricks, and some building, and the children of Yisrael built and fortified all the land of Egypt and its walls, and the children of Yisrael were engaged in work for many years, until the time came when YAHWEH remembered them and brought them out of Egypt.
32 But the children of Levi were not employed in the work with their brethren of Yisrael, 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 Yisraelites, 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 Yisrael in that work, and the Egyptians made the children of Yisrael work with rigor.
36 And the Egyptians embittered the lives of the children of Yisrael with hard work, in mortar and bricks, and also in all manner of work in the field.
37 And the children of Yisrael 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 Yisrael labor, they exacted with rigor, in order to afflict the children of Yisrael, but the more they afflicted them, the more they increased and grew, and the Egyptians were grieved because of the children of Yisrael.

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Thursday, September 26, 2024

Jasher, Chapter 63

Year 2331
1 And in the ninety-third year died Levi, the son of Yacob, 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 Yacob the brethren of Yoseph were dead, all the Egyptians began to afflict the children of Yacob, 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 Yoseph had given unto them, and all the elegant houses in which the people of Yisrael lived, and all the fat of Egypt, the Egyptians took all from the sons of Yacob in those days.
3 And the hand of all Egypt became more grievous in those days against the children of Yisrael, and the Egyptians injured the Yisraelites until the children of Yisrael were wearied of their lives on account of the Egyptians.
Year 2340
4 And it came to pass in those days, in the hundred and second year of Yisrael'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 Yoseph and his brethren died in those days.
5 And another generation rose up in their stead, which had not known the sons of Yacob 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 Yacob, 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 YAHWEH, for the children of Yisrael, to benefit them in their latter days, in order that all the children of Yisrael might know YAHWEH their ALMIGHTY.
8 And in order to know the signs and mighty wonders which YAHWEH would do in Egypt on account of his people Yisrael, in order that the children of Yisrael might fear YAHWEH the ALMIGHTY of their ancestors, and walk in all his ways, they and their seed after them all the days.
Year 2353
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 your 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 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 Yoseph the son of Yacob king of Egypt, with whom we fought on the other side of Yardan 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 YAHWEH the ALMIGHTY of your ancestors, peradventure he may deliver us from the hand of Angeas and his army, for we have heard that he is a great ALMIGHTY and that he delivers all who trust in him.
23 And Zepho heard their words, and Zepho sought YAHWEH and he said,
24 O YAHWEH the ALMIGHTY of Abraham and Yitschaq my ancestors, this day I know that you are a true ALMIGHTY, and all the gods of the nations are vain and useless.
25 Remember now this day unto me your covenant with Abraham our father, which our ancestors related unto us, and do graciously with me this day for the sake of Abraham and Yitschaq 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 YAHWEH hearkened to the voice of Zepho, and he had regard for him on account of Abraham and Yitschaq, and YAHWEH 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 YAHWEH 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.
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.

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Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Jasher, Chapter 59

1 And these are the names of the sons of Yisrael who dwelt in Egypt, who had come with Yacob, all the sons of Yacob came unto Egypt, every man with his household.
2 The children of Leah were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Yahudah, Issachar and Zebulun, and their sister Dinah.
3 And the sons of Rachel were Yoseph 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 Yacob.
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 Yahudah 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 Yoseph, that were born unto him in Egypt, were Manasseh and Ephraim.
19 And all the souls that went forth from the loins of Yacob, were seventy souls; these are they who came with Yacob their father unto Egypt to dwell there: and Yoseph and all his brethren dwelt securely in Egypt, and they ate of the best of Egypt all the days of the life of Yoseph.
20 And Yoseph lived in the land of Egypt ninety-three years, and Yoseph reigned over all Egypt eighty years.
21 And when the days of Yoseph 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 Yoseph said unto his brethren and unto the whole of his father's household, Behold I die, and YAHWEH 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 YAHWEH shall visit you to bring you up from here to the land of your fathers, then bring up my bones with you from here.
24 And Yoseph made the sons of Yisrael to swear for their seed after them, saying, YAHWEH will surely visit you and you shall bring up my bones with you from here.
Year 2309
25 And it came to pass after this that Yoseph died in that year, the seventy-first year of the Yisraelites going down to Egypt.
26 And Yoseph 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 Yoseph, as was their custom, and his brethren and all Egypt mourned over him for seventy days.
27 And they put Yoseph 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 Yoseph, all the Egyptians began in those days to rule over the children of Yisrael, 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.

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Sunday, September 22, 2024

Jasher, Chapter 56

Year 2255
1 And Yacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years, and the days of Yacob, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty seven years.
2 At that time Yacob was attacked with that illness of which he died and he sent and called for his son Yoseph from Egypt, and Yoseph his son came from Egypt and Yoseph came unto his father.
3 And Yacob said unto Yoseph and unto his sons, Behold I die, and YAHWEH the ALMIGHTY of your ancestors will visit you, and bring you back to the land, which YAHWEH 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 Yacob 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 YAHWEH your ALMIGHTY, for he who delivered your fathers will also deliver you from all trouble.
6 And Yacob said, Call all your children unto me, and all the children of Yacob's sons came and sat before him, and Yacob blessed them, and he said unto them, YAHWEH the ALMIGHTY 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 Yacob's sons went forth on that day after he had blessed them.
7 And on the next day Yacob again called for his sons, and they all assembled and came to him and sat before him, and Yacob 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 YAHWEH appertaining to Yisrael.
8 And Yacob said unto Yahudah, I know my son that you are a mighty man for your brethren; reign over them, and your sons shall reign over their sons forever.
9 Only teach your 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 Yacob 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 Yahudah, 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 YAHWEH with the Yisraelites in the camp, neither let Yoseph my son carry, for as a king so let his splendor 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 YAHWEH 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 YAHWEH the ALMIGHTY 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 YAHWEH your ALMIGHTY, to go in all his ways.
17 And you, Yoseph my son, forgive I pray you the prongs of your brethren and all their misdeeds in the injury that they heaped upon you, for YAHWEH intended it for your and your children's benefit.
18 And O my son leave not your brethren to the inhabitants of Egypt, neither hurt their feelings, for behold I consign them to the hand of YAHWEH and in your hand to guard them from the Egyptians; and the sons of Yacob answered their father saying, O, our father, all that you hast commanded us, so will we do; may YAHWEH only be with us.
19 And Yacob said unto his sons, So may YAHWEH 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 YAHWEH and he will save you from all trouble.
21 And it shall come to pass when you shall go after YAHWEH to serve him and will teach your children after you, and your children's children, to know YAHWEH, then will YAHWEH raise up unto you and your children a servant from amongst your children, and YAHWEH 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 Yacob ceased commanding his sons, and he drew his feet into the bed, he died and was gathered to his people.
23 And Yoseph 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 Yacob, and they wept over him, and cried in a very loud voice concerning Yacob.
25 And all the sons of Yacob 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 Yoseph'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 Yacob. 27 And also all the people of Egypt who knew Yacob 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 Yacob was dead, and they wept for him in Egypt for seventy days.
29 And it came to pass after this that Yoseph commanded his servants the doctors to embalm his father with myrrh and frankincense and all manner of incense and perfume, and the doctors embalmed Yacob as Yoseph 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 Yacob, and all his sons and the children of his household lamented and mourned over their father Yacob many days.
31 And after the days of his weeping had passed away, at the end of seventy days, Yoseph 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 Yoseph, saying, Go up and bury your father as he said, and as he made you swear; and Yoseph rose up with all his brethren to go to the land of Canaan to bury their father Yacob as he had commanded them.
33 And Pharaoh commanded that it should be proclaimed throughout Egypt, saying, Whoever goes not up with Yoseph and his brethren to the land of Canaan to bury Yacob, 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 Yoseph, and all the officers and nobles of Pharaoh went up as the servants of Yoseph, and they went to bury Yacob in the land of Canaan.
35 And the sons of Yacob 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 Yoseph placed upon the head of his father Yacob 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 Yoseph, 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 Yoseph and his household went together near the bier barefooted and weeping, and the rest of Yoseph'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 Yacob'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 Yacob that carried the bier walked upon the perfumery, and the servants of Yacob went before them strewing the perfume along the road.
42 And Yoseph 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 Yardan, 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 Yacob.
44 And all these kings beheld Yacob's bier, and behold Yoseph'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 Yacob and Egypt over Yacob, for all the kings of Canaan knew the valor of Yacob and his sons.
46 And the report reached Esau, saying, Yacob died in Egypt, and his 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 Yacob.
48 And it came to pass, when Esau came he mourned for his brother Yacob, and all Egypt and all Canaan again rose up and mourned a great mourning with Esau over Yacob in that place
49 And Yoseph and his brethren brought their father Yacob from that place, and they went to Hebron to bury Yacob 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 Yoseph and his brethren as a hindrance in the cave, saying, Yacob shall not be buried therein, for it belongs to us and to our father.
51 And Yoseph and his brethren heard the words of Esau's sons, and they were exceedingly wroth, and Yoseph approached unto Esau, saying, What is this thing which they have spoken? surely my father Yacob bought it from you for great riches after the death of Yitschaq, now five and twenty years ago, and also all the land of Canaan he bought from you and from your sons, and your seed after you.
52 And Yacob bought it for his sons and his seed after him for an inheritance for ever, and why speak you these things this day?
53 And Esau answered, saying, You speak falsely and utter lies, for I sold not anything belonging to me in all this land, as you sayest, neither did my brother Yacob buy aught belonging to me in this land.
54 And Esau spoke these things in order to deceive Yoseph with his words, for Esau knew that Yoseph was not present in those days when Esau sold all belonging to him in the land of Canaan to Yacob.
55 And Yoseph said unto Esau, Surely my father inserted these things with you 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 you wilt find in the record, so will we do.
57 And Yoseph called unto Naphtali his brother, and he said, Hasten quickly, stay not, and run I pray you 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 you.
58 And you shall 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 Yoseph 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 Yoseph and his brethren to battle.
61 And all the sons of Yacob 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 Yacob, and the sons of Yacob slew of Esau's people forty men.
62 And Chushim the son of Dan, the son of Yacob, was at that time with Yacob's sons, but he was about a hundred cubits distant from the place of battle, for he remained with the children of Yacob's sons by Yacob'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 Yacob prevailed over the sons of Esau, and the sons of Yacob buried their father Yacob by force in the cave, and the sons of Esau beheld it.
66 And Yacob 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 Yoseph paid unto his father at his death, for he buried him with great honor like unto the burial of kings.
68 And Yoseph and his brethren made a mourning of seven days for their father.

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Saturday, September 21, 2024

Jasher, Chapter 53

1 And the sons of Yacob rose up and took Benjamin and the whole of the presents, and they went and came to Egypt and they stood before Yoseph.
2 And Yoseph beheld his brother Benjamin with them and he saluted them, and these men came to Yoseph's house.
3 And Yoseph commanded the superintendent of his house to give to his brethren to eat, and he did so unto them.
4 And at noon time Yoseph sent for the men to come before him with Benjamin, and the men told the superintendent of Yoseph'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 Yahudah took Benjamin by the hand, and they came before Yoseph, and they bowed down to him to the ground.
7 And the men gave the present unto Yoseph and they all sat before him, and Yoseph 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 Yahudah took the record which Yacob had sent and gave it into the hand of Yoseph.
8 And Yoseph 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 Yoseph, and Yoseph placed his hand upon his head and he said unto him, May YAHWEH be gracious unto you my son.
10 And when Yoseph 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 Yoseph had a cup from which he drank, and it was of silver beautifully inlaid with onyx stones and bdellium, and Yoseph struck the cup in the sight of his brethren while they were sitting to eat with him.
12 And Yoseph said unto the men, I know by this cup that Reuben the first born, Simeon and Levi and Yahudah, 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 Yoseph and sat upon the throne, and the men beheld the acts of Yoseph, and they were astonished at them; and the men ate and drank at that time with Yoseph, and he then gave presents unto them, and Yoseph 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 Yoseph brought them out wine to drink, and they would not drink, and they said, From the day on which Yoseph was lost we have not drunk wine, nor eaten any delicacies.
16 And Yoseph swore unto them, and he pressed them hard, and they drank plentifully with him on that day, and Yoseph afterward turned to his brother Benjamin to speak with him, and Benjamin was still sitting upon the throne before Yoseph.
17 And Yoseph said unto him, Hast you begotten any children? and he said, Your 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 Yoseph knew all the times, and Yoseph said unto Benjamin, I have heard that the Hebrews are acquainted with all wisdom, dost you know anything of this?
19 And Benjamin said, Your servant is knowing also in all the wisdom which my father taught me, and Yoseph said unto Benjamin, Look now at this instrument and understand where your brother Yoseph 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 Yoseph, and Benjamin wondered greatly, and when Yoseph saw that his brother Benjamin was so much astonished, he said unto Benjamin, What hast you seen, and why are you astonished?
21 And Benjamin said unto Yoseph, I can see by this that Yoseph my brother sits here with me upon the throne, and Yoseph said unto him, I am Yoseph your brother, reveal not this thing unto your brethren; behold I will send you with them when they go away, and I will command them to be brought back again into the city, and I will take you away from them.
22 And if they dare their lives and fight for you, 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 you when I take you, then shall you 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 Yoseph 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 Yoseph 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 Yoseph's officer rose up and he reached them, and he spoke unto them all the words of Yoseph; and when they heard this thing they became exceedingly wroth, and they said, He with whom your 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 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 Yoseph.
28 And Yahudah'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 Yoseph's house, and they found Yoseph sitting upon his throne, and all the mighty men standing at his right and left.
30 And Yoseph 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 Yahudah said, What shall we say to our lord, what shall we speak and how shall we justify ourselves, YAHWEH has this day found the iniquity of all your servants, therefore has he done this thing to us this day.
32 And Yoseph 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 Yoseph 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.

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