Jasher, Chapter 85

1 And king Arad the Canaanite, who dwelt in the south, heard that the Yisraelites had come by the way of the spies, and he arranged his forces to fight against the Yisraelites.
2 And the children of Yisrael were greatly afraid of him, for he had a great and heavy army, so the children of Yisrael resolved to return to Egypt.
3 And the children of Yisrael turned back about the distance of three days' journey unto Maserath Beni Jaakon, for they were greatly afraid on account of the king Arad.
4 And the children of Yisrael would not get back to their places, so they remained in Beni Jaakon for thirty days.
5 And when the children of Levi saw that the children of Yisrael would not turn back, they were jealous for the sake of YAHWEH, and they rose up and fought against the Yisraelites their brethren, and slew of them a great body, and forced them to turn back to their place, Mount Hor.
6 And when they returned, king Arad was still arranging his host for battle against the Yisraelites.
7 And Yisrael vowed a vow, saying, If you wilt deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.
8 And YAHWEH hearkened to the voice of Yisrael, and he delivered the Canaanites into their hand, and he utterly destroyed them and their cities, and he called the name of the place Hormah.
9 And the children of Yisrael journeyed from Mount Hor and pitched in Oboth, and they journeyed from Oboth and they pitched at Ije-abarim, in the border of Moab.
10 And the children of Yisrael sent to Moab, saying, Let us pass now through your land into our place, but the children of Moab would not suffer the children of Yisrael to pass through their land, for the children of Moab were greatly afraid lest the children of Yisrael should do unto them as Sihon king of the Amorites had done to them, who had taken their land and had slain many of them.
11 Therefore Moab would not suffer the Yisraelites to pass through his land, and YAHWEH commanded the children of Yisrael, saying, That they should not fight against Moab, so the Yisraelites removed from Moab.
12 And the children of Yisrael journeyed from the border of Moab, and they came to the other side of Arnon, the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites, and they pitched in the border of Sihon, king of the Amorites, in the wilderness of Kedemoth.
13 And the children of Yisrael sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying,
14 Let us pass through your land, we will not turn into the fields or into the vineyards, we will go along by the king's highway until we shall have passed your border, but Sihon would not suffer the Yisraelites to pass.
15 So Sihon collected all the people of the Amorites and went forth into the wilderness to meet the children of Yisrael, and he fought against Yisrael in Jahaz.
16 And YAHWEH delivered Sihon king of the Amorites into the hand of the children of Yisrael, and Yisrael smote all the people of Sihon with the edge of the sword and avenged the cause of Moab.
17 And the children of Yisrael took possession of the land of Sihon from Aram unto Jabuk, unto the children of Ammon, and they took all the spoil of the cities.
18 And Yisrael took all these cities, and Yisrael dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites.
19 And all the children of Yisrael resolved to fight against the children of Ammon, to take their land also.
20 So YAHWEH said to the children of Yisrael, Do not besiege the children of Ammon, neither stir up battle against them, for I will give nothing to you of their land, and the children of Yisrael hearkened to the word of YAHWEH, and did not fight against the children of Ammon.
21 And the children of Yisrael turned and went up by the way of Bashan to the land of Og, king of Bashan, and Og the king of Bashan went out to meet the Yisraelites in battle, and he had with him many valiant men, and a very strong force from the people of the Amorites.
22 And Og king of Bashan was a very powerful man, but Naaron his son was exceedingly powerful, even stronger than he was.
23 And Og said in his heart, Behold now the whole camp of Yisrael takes up a space of three parsa, now will I smite them at once without sword or spear.
24 And Og went up Mount Jahaz, and took therefrom one large stone, the length of which was three parsa, and he placed it on his head, and resolved to throw it upon the camp of the children of Yisrael, to smite all the Yisraelites with that stone.
25 And the heavenly messenger of YAHWEH came and pierced the stone upon the head of Og, and the stone fell upon the neck of Og that Og fell to the earth on account of the weight of the stone upon his neck.
26 At that time YAHWEH said to the children of Yisrael, Be not afraid of him, for I have given him and all his people and all his land into your hand, and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon.
27 And Mosheh went down to him with a small number of the children of Yisrael, and Mosheh smote Og with a stick at the ankles of his feet and slew him.
28 The children of Yisrael afterward pursued the children of Og and all his people, and they beat and destroyed them till there was no remnant left of them.
29 Mosheh afterward sent some of the children of Yisrael to spy out Jaazer, for Jaazer was a very famous city.
30 And the spies went to Jaazer and explored it, and the spies trusted in YAHWEH, and they fought against the men of Jaazer.
31 And these men took Jaazer and its villages, and YAHWEH delivered them into their hand, and they drove out the Amorites who had been there.
32 And the children of Yisrael took the land of the two kings of the Amorites, sixty cities which were on the other side of Yardan, from the brook of Arnon unto Mount Herman.
33 And the children of Yisrael journeyed and came into the plain of Moab which is on this side of Yardan, by Jericho.
34 And the children of Moab heard all the evil which the children of Yisrael had done to the two kings of the Amorites, to Sihon and Og, so all the men of Moab were greatly afraid of the Yisraelites.
35 And the elders of Moab said, Behold the two kings of the Amorites, Sihon and Og, who were more powerful than all the kings of the earth, could not stand against the children of Yisrael, how then can we stand before them?
36 Surely they sent us a message before now to pass through our land on their way, and we would not suffer them, now they will turn upon us with their heavy swords and destroy us; and Moab was distressed on account of the children of Yisrael, and they were greatly afraid of them, and they counselled together what was to be done to the children of Yisrael.
37 And the elders of Moab resolved and took one of their men, Balak the son of Zippor the Moabite, and made him king over them at that time, and Balak was a very wise man.
38 And the elders of Moab rose up and sent to the children of Midian to make peace with them, for a great battle and enmity had been in those days between Moab and Midian, from the days of Hadad the son of Bedad king of Edom, who smote Midian in the field of Moab, unto these days.
39 And the children of Moab sent to the children of Midian, and they made peace with them, and the elders of Midian came to the land of Moab to make peace in behalf of the children of Midian.
40 And the elders of Moab counselled with the elders of Midian what to do in order to save their lives from Yisrael.
41 And all the children of Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now therefore the children of Yisrael lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field, for thus did they do to the two kings of the Amorites who are stronger than we are.
42 And the elders of Midian said to Moab, We have heard that at the time when Sihon king of the Amorites fought against you, when he prevailed over you and took your land, he had sent to Beor the son of Janeas and to Balaam his son from Mesopotamia, and they came and cursed you; therefore did the hand of Sihon prevail over you, that he took your land.
43 Now therefore send you also to Balaam his son, for he still remains in his land, and give him his hire, that he may come and curse all the people of whom you are afraid; so the elders of Moab heard this thing, and it pleased them to send to Balaam the son of Beor.
44 So Balak the son of Zippor king of Moab sent messengers to Balaam, saying,
45 Behold there is a people come out from Egypt, behold they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me.
46 Now therefore come and curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me, peradventure I shall prevail to fight against them, and drive them out, for I heard that he whom you bless is blessed, and whom you curse is cursed.
47 So the messengers of Balak went to Balaam and brought Balaam to curse the people to fight against Moab.
48 And Balaam came to Balak to curse Yisrael, and YAHWEH said to Balaam, Curse not this people for it is blessed.
49 And Balak urged Balaam day by day to curse Yisrael, but Balaam hearkened not to Balak on account of the word of YAHWEH which he had spoken to Balaam.
50 And when Balak saw that Balaam would not accede to his wish, he rose up and went home, and Balaam also returned to his land and he went from there to Midian.
51 And the children of Yisrael journeyed from the plain of Moab, and pitched by Yardan from Beth- jesimoth even unto Abel-shittim, at the end of the plains of Moab.
52 And when the children of Yisrael abode in the plain of Shittim, they began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
53 And the children of Yisrael approached Moab, and the children of Moab pitched their tents opposite to the camp of the children of Yisrael.
54 And the children of Moab were afraid of the children of Yisrael, and the children of Moab took all their daughters and their wives of beautiful aspect and comely appearance, and dressed them in gold and silver and costly garments.
55 And the children of Moab seated those women at the door of their tents, in order that the children of Yisrael might see them and turn to them, and not fight against Moab.
56 And all the children of Moab did this thing to the children of Yisrael, and every man placed his wife and daughter at the door of his tent, and all the children of Yisrael saw the act of the children of Moab, and the children of Yisrael turned to the daughters of Moab and coveted them, and they went to them.
57 And it came to pass that when a Hebrew came to the door of the tent of Moab, and saw a daughter of Moab and desired her in his heart, and spoke with her at the door of the tent that which he desired, while they were speaking together the men of the tent would come out and speak to the Hebrew like unto these words:
58 Surely you know that we are brethren, we are all the descendants of Lot and the descendants of Abraham his brother, wherefore then will you not remain with us, and wherefore will you not eat our bread and our sacrifice?
59 And when the children of Moab had thus overwhelmed him with their speeches, and enticed him by their flattering words, they seated him in the tent and cooked and sacrificed for him, and he ate of their sacrifice and of their bread.
60 They then gave him wine and he drank and became intoxicated, and they placed before him a beautiful damsel, and he did with her as he liked, for he knew not what he was doing, as he had drunk plentifully of wine.
61 Thus did the children of Moab to Yisrael in that place, in the plain of Shittim, and the anger of YAHWEH was kindled against Yisrael on account of this matter, and he sent a pestilence amongst them, and there died of the Yisraelites twenty-four thousand men.
62 Now there was a man of the children of Simeon whose name was Zimri, the son of Salu, who connected himself with the Midianite Cosbi, the daughter of Zur, king of Midian, in the sight of all the children of Yisrael.
63 And Phineas the son of Elazer, the son of Aaron the priest, saw this wicked thing which Zimri had done, and he took a spear and rose up and went after them, and pierced them both and slew them, and the pestilence ceased from the children of Yisrael.

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Jasher, Chapter 76

1 And Mosheh (Moses) the son of Amram was still king in the land of Cush in those days, and he prospered in his kingdom, and he conducted the government of the children of Cush in justice, in righteousness, and integrity.
2 And all the children of Cush loved Mosheh all the days that he reigned over them, and all the inhabitants of the land of Cush were greatly afraid of him.
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3 And in the fortieth year of the reign of Mosheh over Cush, Mosheh was sitting on the royal throne while Adoniah the queen was before him, and all the nobles were sitting around him.
4 And Adoniah the queen said before the king and the princes, What is this thing which you, the children of Cush, have done for this long time?
5 Surely you know that for forty years that this man has reigned over Cush he has not approached me, nor has he served the gods of the children of Cush.
6 Now therefore hear, O ye children of Cush, and let this man no more reign over you as he is not of our flesh.
7 Behold Menacrus my son is grown up, let him reign over you, for it is better for you to serve the son of your lord, than to serve a stranger, slave of the king of Egypt.
8 And all the people and nobles of the children of Cush heard the words which Adoniah the queen had spoken in their ears.
9 And all the people were preparing until the evening, and in the morning they rose up early and made Menacrus, son of Kikianus, king over them.
10 And all the children of Cush were afraid to stretch forth their hand against Mosheh, for YAHWEH was with Mosheh, and the children of Cush remembered the oath which they swore unto Mosheh, therefore they did no harm to him.
11 But the children of Cush gave many presents to Mosheh, and sent him from them with great honor.
12 So Mosheh went forth from the land of Cush, and went home and ceased to reign over Cush, and Mosheh was sixty-six years old when he went out of the land of Cush, for the thing was from YAHWEH, for the period had arrived which he had appointed in the days of old, to bring forth Yisrael from the affliction of the children of Ham.
13 So Mosheh went to Midian, for he was afraid to return to Egypt on account of Pharaoh, and he went and sat at a well of water in Midian.
14 And the seven daughters of Reuel the Midianite went out to feed their father's flock.
15 And they came to the well and drew water to water their father's flock.
16 So the shepherds of Midian came and drove them away, and Mosheh rose up and helped them and watered the flock.
17 And they came home to their father Reuel, and told him what Mosheh did for them.
18 And they said, An Egyptian man has delivered us from the hands of the shepherds, he drew up water for us and watered the flock.
19 And Reuel said to his daughters, And where is he? wherefore have you left the man?
20 And Reuel sent for him and fetched him and brought him home, and he ate bread with him.
21 And Mosheh related to Reuel that he had fled from Egypt and that he reigned forty years over Cush, and that they afterward had taken the government from him, and had sent him away in peace with honor and with presents.
22 And when Reuel had heard the words of Mosheh, Reuel said within himself, I will put this man into the prison house, whereby I shall conciliate the children of Cush, for he has fled from them.
23 And they took and put him into the prison house, and Mosheh was in prison ten years, and while Mosheh was in the prison house, Zipporah the daughter of Reuel took pity over him, and supported him with bread and water all the time.
24 And all the children of Yisrael were yet in the land of Egypt serving the Egyptians in all manner of hard work, and the hand of Egypt continued in severity over the children of Yisrael in those days.
25 At that time YAHWEH smote Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he afflicted with the plague of leprosy from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head; owing to the cruel treatment of the children of Yisrael was this plague at that time from YAHWEH upon Pharaoh king of Egypt.
26 For YAHWEH had hearkened to the prayer of his people the children of Yisrael, and their cry reached him on account of their hard work.
27 Still his anger did not turn from them, and the hand of Pharaoh was still stretched out against the children of Yisrael, and Pharaoh hardened his neck before YAHWEH, and he increased his yoke over the children of Yisrael, and embittered their lives with all manner of hard work.
28 And when YAHWEH had inflicted the plague upon Pharaoh king of Egypt, he asked his wise men and sorcerers to cure him.
29 And his wise men and sorcerers said unto him, That if the blood of little children were put into the wounds he would be healed.
30 And Pharaoh hearkened to them, and sent his ministers to Goshen to the children of Yisrael to take their little children.
31 And Pharaoh's ministers went and took the infants of the children of Yisrael from the bosoms of their mothers by force, and they brought them to Pharaoh daily, a child each day, and the physicians killed them and applied them to the plague; thus did they all the days.
32 And the number of the children which Pharaoh slew was three hundred and seventy-five.
33 But YAHWEH hearkened not to the physicians of the king of Egypt, and the plague went on increasing mightily.
34 And Pharaoh was ten years afflicted with that plague, still the heart of Pharaoh was more hardened against the children of Yisrael.
35 And at the end of ten years YAHWEH continued to afflict Pharaoh with destructive plagues.
36 And YAHWEH smote him with a bad tumor and sickness at the stomach, and that plague turned to a severe boil.
37 At that time the two ministers of Pharaoh came from the land of Goshen where all the children of Yisrael were, and went to the house of Pharaoh and said to him, We have seen the children of Yisrael slacken in their work and negligent in their labor.
38 And when Pharaoh heard the words of his ministers, his anger was kindled against the children of Yisrael exceedingly, for he was greatly grieved at his bodily pain.
39 And he answered and said, Now that the children of Yisrael know that I am ill, they turn and scoff at us, now therefore harness my chariot for me, and I will betake myself to Goshen and will see the scoff of the children of Yisrael with which they are deriding me; so his servants harnessed the chariot for him.
40 And they took and made him ride upon a horse, for he was not able to ride of himself;
41 And he took with him ten horsemen and ten footmen, and went to the children of Yisrael to Goshen.
42 And when they had come to the border of Egypt, the king's horse passed into a narrow place, elevated in the hollow part of the vineyard, fenced on both sides, the low, plain country being on the other side.
43 And the horses ran rapidly in that place and pressed each other, and the other horses pressed the king's horse.
44 And the king's horse fell into the low plain while the king was riding upon it, and when he fell the chariot turned over the king's face and the horse lay upon the king, and the king cried out, for his flesh was very sore.
45 And the flesh of the king was torn from him, and his bones were broken and he could not ride, for this thing was from YAHWEH to him, for YAHWEH had heard the cries of his people the children of Yisrael and their affliction.
46 And his servants carried him upon their shoulders, a little at a time, and they brought him back to Egypt, and the horsemen who were with him came also back to Egypt.
47 And they placed him in his bed, and the king knew that his end was come to die, so Aparanith the queen his wife came and cried before the king, and the king wept a great weeping with her.
48 And all his nobles and servants came on that day and saw the king in that affliction, and wept a great weeping with him.
49 And the princes of the king and all his counselors advised the king to cause one to reign in his stead in the land, whomsoever he should choose from his sons.
50 And the king had three sons and two daughters which Aparanith the queen his wife had borne to him, besides the king's children of concubines.
51 And these were their names, the firstborn Othri, the second Adikam, and the third Morion, and their sisters, the name of the elder Bathia and of the other Acuzi.
52 And Othri the first born of the king was an idiot, precipitate and hurried in his words.
53 But Adikam was a cunning and wise man and knowing in all the wisdom of Egypt, but of unseemly aspect, thick in flesh, and very short in stature; his height was one cubit.
54 And when the king saw Adikam his son intelligent and wise in all things, the king resolved that he should be king in his stead after his death.
55 And he took for him a wife Gedudah daughter of Abilot, and he was ten years old, and she bare unto him four sons.
56 And he afterward went and took three wives and begat eight sons and three daughters.
57 And the disorder greatly prevailed over the king, and his flesh stank like the flesh of a carcass cast upon the field in summer time, during the heat of the sun.
58 And when the king saw that his sickness had greatly strengthened itself over him, he ordered his son Adikam to be brought to him, and they made him king over the land in his place.
59 And at the end of three years, the king died, in shame, disgrace, and disgust, and his servants carried him and buried him in the sepulcher of the kings of Egypt in Zoan Mizraim.
60 But they embalmed him not as was usual with kings, for his flesh was putrid, and they could not approach to embalm him on account of the stench, so they buried him in haste.
61 For this evil was from YAHWEH to him, for YAHWEH had requited him evil for the evil which in his days he had done to Yisrael.
62 And he died with terror and with shame, and his son Adikam reigned in his place.

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Jasher, Chapter 25

1 And it was at that time that Abraham again took a wife in his old age, and her name was Keturah, from the land of Canaan.
2 And she bare unto him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuach, being six sons. And the children of Zimran were Abihen, Molich and Narim.
3 And the sons of Jokshan were Sheba and Dedan, and the sons of Medan were Amida, Joab, Gochi, Elisha and Nothach; and the sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Chanoch, Abida and Eldaah.
4 And the sons of Ishbak were Makiro, Beyodua and Tator.
5 And the sons of Shuach were Bildad, Mamdad, Munan and Meban; all these are the families of the children of Keturah the Canaanitish woman which she bare unto Abraham the Hebrew.
6 And Abraham sent all these away, and he gave them gifts, and they went away from his son Yitschaq to dwell wherever they should find a place.
7 And all these went to the mountain at the east, and they built themselves six cities in which they dwelt unto this day.
8 But the children of Sheba and Dedan, children of Jokshan, with their children, did not dwell with their brethren in their cities, and they journeyed and encamped in the countries and wildernesses unto this day.
9 And the children of Midian, son of Abraham, went to the east of the land of Cush, and they there found a large valley in the eastern country, and they remained there and built a city, and they dwelt therein, that is the land of Midian unto this day.
10 And Midian dwelt in the city which he built, he and his five sons and all belonging to him.
11 And these are the names of the sons of Midian according to their names in their cities, Ephah, Epher, Chanoch, Abida and Eldaah.
12 And the sons of Ephah were Methach, Meshar, Avi and Tzanua, and the sons of Epher were Ephron, Zur, Alirun and Medin, and the sons of Chanoch were Reuel, Rekem, Azi, Alyoshub and Alad.
13 And the sons of Abida were Chur, Melud, Kerury, Molchi; and the sons of Eldaah were Miker, and Reba, and Malchiyah and Gabol; these are the names of the Midianites according to their families; and afterward the families of Midian spread throughout the land of Midian.
14 And these are the generations of Ishmael the son Abraham, whom Hagar, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham.
15 And Ishmael took a wife from the land of Egypt, and her name was Ribah, the same is Meribah.
16 And Ribah bare unto Ishmael Nebayoth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam and their sister Bosmath.
17 And Ishmael cast away his wife Ribah, and she went from him and returned to Egypt to the house of her father, and she dwelt there, for she had been very bad in the sight of Ishmael, and in the sight of his father Abraham.
18 And Ishmael afterward took a wife from the land of Canaan, and her name was Malchuth, and she bare unto him Nishma, Dumah, Masa, Chadad, Tema, Yetur, Naphish and Kedma.
19 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, being twelve princes according to their nations; and the families of Ishmael afterward spread forth, and Ishmael took his children and all the property that he had gained, together with the souls of his household and all belonging to him, and they went to dwell where they should find a place.
20 And they went and dwelt near the wilderness of Paran, and their dwelling was from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt as you come toward Assyria.
21 And Ishmael and his sons dwelt in the land, and they had children born to them, and they were fruitful and increased abundantly.
22 And these are the names of the sons of Nebayoth the first born of Ishmael; Mend, Send, Mayon; and the sons of Kedar were Alyon, Kezem, Chamad and Eli.
23 And the sons of Adbeel were Chamad and Jabin; and the sons of Mibsam were Obadiah, Ebedmelech and Yeush; these are the families of the children of Ribah the wife of Ishmael.
24 And the sons of Mishma the son of Ishmael were Shamua, Zecaryon and Obed; and the sons of Dumah were Kezed, Eli, Machmad and Amed.
25 And the sons of Masa were Melon, Mula and Ebidadon; and the sons of Chadad were Azur, Minzar and Ebedmelech; and the sons of Tema were Seir, Sadon and Yakol.
26 And the sons of Yetur were Merith, Yaish, Alyo, and Pachoth; and the sons of Naphish were Ebed- Tamed, Abiyasaph and Mir; and the sons of Kedma were Calip, Tachti, and Omir; these were the children of Malchuth the wife of Ishmael according to their families.
27 All these are the families of Ishmael according to their generations, and they dwelt in those lands wherein they had built themselves cities unto this day.
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28 And Rebecca the daughter of Bethuel, the wife of Abraham's son Yitschaq, was barren in those days, she had no offspring; and Yitschaq dwelt with his father in the land of Canaan; and YAHWEH was with Yitschaq; and Arpachshad the son of Shem the son of Noah died in those days, in the forty-eighth year of the life of Yitschaq, and all the days that Arpachshad lived were four hundred and thirty-eight years, and he died.

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