Book of Jubilees 44

JUBILEES 44

Yisrael goes down into Egypt

1 And Yisrael took his journey from Haran from his house on the new month of the third month, and he went on the way of the Well of the Oath, and he offered a sacrifice to YAHWEH the ALMIGHTY of his father Yitschaq on the seventh of this month.
2 And Yacob remembered the dream that he had seen at Bethel, and he feared to go down into Egypt.
3 And while he was thinking of sending word to Yoseph to come to him, and that he would not go down, he remained there seven days, if perchance he could see a vision as to whether he should remain or go down.
4 And he celebrated the harvest festival of the first-fruits with old grain, for in all the land of Canaan there was not a handful of seed [in the land], for the famine was over all the beasts and cattle and birds, and also over man.
5 And on the sixteenth YAHWEH appeared to him, and said to him, 'Yacob, Yacob'; and he said, 'Here am I.'
6 And He said to him: 'I am YAHWEH the ALMIGHTY of your fathers, the ALMIGHTY of Abraham and Yitschaq; fear not to go down into Egypt, for I will there make of you a great nation I will go down with you, and I will bring you up (again), and in this land shall you be buried, and Yoseph shall put his hands upon your eyes. Fear not; go down into Egypt.'
7 And his sons rose up, and his sons' sons, and they placed their father and their possessions upon wagons.
8 And Yisrael rose up from the Well of the Oath on the sixteenth of this third month, and he went to the land of Egypt.
9 And Yisrael sent Yahudah before him to his son Yoseph to examine the Land of Goshen, for Yoseph had told his brothers that they should come and dwell there that they might be near him.
10 And this was the goodliest (land) in the land of Egypt, and near to him, for all (of them) and also for the cattle.
11 And these are the names of the sons of Yacob who went into Egypt with Yacob their father Reuben, the First-born of Yisrael;
12 And these are the names of his sons Enoch, and Pallu, and Hezron and Carmi-five.
13 Simeon and his sons; and these are the names of his sons: Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul, the son of the Zephasite woman-seven.
14 Levi and his sons; and these are the names of his sons: Gershon, and Kohas, and Merari-four. Yahudah and his sons; and these are the names of his sons: Shela, and Perez, and Zerah-four.
15 Issachar and his sons; and these are the names of his sons: Tola, and Phua, and Jasub, and Shimron-five.
17 Zebulon and his sons; and these are the names of his sons: Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel-four.
18 And these are the sons of Yacob and their sons whom Leah bore to Yacob
in Mesopotamia, six, and their one sister, Dinah and all the souls of the sons of Leah, and their sons, who went with Yacob their father into Egypt, were twenty- nine, and Yacob their father being with them, they were thirty.
19 And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, the wife of Yacob, who bore unto Yacob Gad and Ashur.
20 And there are the names of their sons who went with him into Egypt. The sons of Gad: Ziphion, and Haggi, and Shuni, and Ezbon, (and Eri, and Areli, and Arodi-eight.
21 And the sons of Asher: Imnah, and Ishvah, (and Ishvi), and Beriah, and Serah, their one sister-six.
22 All the souls were fourteen, and all those of Leah were forty-four.
23 And the sons of Rachel, the wife of Yacob: Yoseph and Benjamin.
24 And there were born to Yoseph in Egypt before his father came into Egypt, those whom Asenath, daughter of Potiphar priest of Heliopolis bare unto him, Manasseh, and Ephraim-three.
25 And the sons of Benjamin: Bela and Becher and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, and Ehi, and Rosh, and Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard-eleven. 26 And all the souls of Rachel were fourteen.
27 And the sons of Bilhah, the handmaid of Rachel, the wife of Yacob, whom she bare to Yacob, were Dan and Naphtali.
28 And these are the names of their sons who went with them into Egypt. And the sons of Dan were Hushim, and Samon, and Asudi, and 'Ijaka, and Salomon- six.
29 And they died the year in which they entered into Egypt, and there was left to Dan Hushim alone.
30 And these are the names of the sons of Naphtali Jahziel, and Guni and Jezer, and Shallum, and 'Iv.
31 And 'Iv, who was born after the years of famine, died in Egypt.
32 And all the souls of Rachel were twenty-six.
33 And all the souls of Yacob which went into Egypt were seventy souls. These are his children and his children's children, in all seventy, but five died in Egypt before Yoseph, and had no children.
34 And in the land of Canaan two sons of Yahudah died, Er and Onan, and they had no children, and the children of Yisrael buried those who perished, and they were reckoned among the seventy Gentile nations.

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Book of Jubilees 42

JUBILEES 42

Seven years of famine

1 And in the first year of the third week of the forty-fifth jubilee the famine began to come into the [2171 A.M.] land, and the rain refused to be given to the earth, for none whatever fell.
2 And the earth grew barren, but in the land of Egypt there was food, for Yoseph had gathered the seed of the land in the seven years of plenty and had preserved it.
3 And the Egyptians came to Yoseph that he might give them food, and he opened the store-houses where was the grain of the first year, and he sold it to the people of the land for gold.
4 And Yacob heard that there was food in Egypt, and he sent his ten sons that they should procure food for him in Egypt; but Benjamin he did not send, and arrived among those that went (there).
5 And Yoseph recognized them, but they did not recognise him, and he spoke unto them and questioned them, and he said to them; 'Are you not spies and have you not come to explore the approaches of the land?'
6 And he put them in ward. And after that he set them free again, and detained Simeon alone and sent off his nine brothers.
7 And he filled their sacks with corn, and he put their gold in their sacks, and they did not know.
8 And he commanded them to bring their younger brother, for they had told him their father was living and their younger brother.
9 And they went up from the land of Egypt and they came to the land of Canaan; and they told their father all that had befallen them, and how the lord of the country had spoken roughly to them, and had seized Simeon till they should bring Benjamin.
10 And Yacob said: 'Me have you bereaved of my children! Yoseph is not and Simeon also is not, and you will take Benjamin away. On me has your wickedness come.'
11 And he said: 'My son will not go down with you lest perchance he fall sick; for their mother gave birth to two sons, and one has perished, and this one also you will take from me. If perchance he took a fever on the road, you would bring down my old age with sorrow unto death.'
12 For he saw that their money had been returned to every man in his sack, and for this reason he feared to send him.
13 And the famine increased and became sore in the land of Canaan, and in all lands save in the land of Egypt, for many of the children of the Egyptians had stored up their seed for food from the time when they saw Yoseph gathering seed together and putting it in storehouses and preserving it for the years of famine.
14 And the people of Egypt fed themselves thereon during the first year of their famine.
15 But when Yisrael saw that the famine was very sore in the land, and that there was no deliverance, he said to his sons: 'Go again, and procure food for us that we die not.'
16 And they said: 'We shall not go; unless our youngest brother go with us, we shall not go.'
17 And Yisrael saw that if he did not send him with them, they should all perish by reason of the famine
18 And Reuben said: 'Give him into my hand, and if I do not bring him back to you, slay my two sons instead of his soul.'
19 And he said to him: 'He shall not go with you.' And Yahudah came near and said: 'Send him with me, and if I do not bring him back to you, let me bear the blame before you all the days of my life.'
20 And he sent him with them in the second year of this week on the [2172 A.m.] first day of the month, and they came to the land of Egypt with all those who went, and (they had) presents in their hands, stacte and almonds and terebinth nuts and pure honey.
21 And they went and stood before Yoseph, and he saw Benjamin his brother, and he knew him, and said to them: ‘Is this your youngest brother?' And they said to him: 'It is he.' And he said ‘YAHWEH be kind to you, my son!'
22 And he sent him into his house and he brought forth Simeon to them and he made a feast for them, and they presented to him the gift which they had brought in their hands.
23 And they eat before him and he gave them all a portion, but the portion of Benjamin was seven times larger than that of any of theirs.
24 And they eat and drank and arose and remained with their asses.
25 And Yoseph devised a plan whereby he might learn their thoughts as to whether thoughts of shalom prevailed amongst them, and he said to the steward who was over his house: 'Fill all their sacks with food, and return their money unto them into their vessels, and my cup, the silver cup out of which I drink, put it in the sack of the youngest, and send them away.'

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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 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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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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Jasher, Chapter 61

1 And it came to pass at that time Pharaoh king of Egypt commanded all his people to make for him a strong palace in Egypt.
2 And he also commanded the sons of Yacob to assist the Egyptians in the building, and the Egyptians made a beautiful and elegant palace for a royal habitation, and he dwelt therein and he renewed his government and he reigned securely.
Year 2310
3 And Zebulun the son of Yacob died in that year, that is the seventy-second year of the going down of the Yisraelites to Egypt, and Zebulun died a hundred and fourteen years old, and was put into a coffin and given into the hands of his children.
Year 2313
4 And in the seventy-fifth year died his brother Simeon, he was a hundred and twenty years old at his death, and he was also put into a coffin and given into the hands of his children.
5 And Zepho the son of Eliphaz the son of Esau, captain of the host to Angeas king of Dinhabah, was still daily enticing Angeas to prepare for battle to fight with the sons of Yacob in Egypt, and Angeas was unwilling to do this thing, for his servants had related to him all the might of the sons of Yacob, what they had done unto them in their battle with the children of Esau.
6 And Zepho was in those days daily enticing Angeas to fight with the sons of Yacob in those days.
7 And after some time Angeas hearkened to the words of Zepho and consented to him to fight with the sons of Yacob in Egypt, and Angeas got all his people in order, a people numerous as the sand which is upon the sea shore, and he formed his resolution to go to Egypt to battle.
8 And amongst the servants of Angeas was a youth fifteen years old, Balaam the son of Beor was his name and the youth was very wise and understood the art of witchcraft.
9 And Angeas said unto Balaam, Conjure for us, I pray you, with the witchcraft, that we may know who will prevail in this battle to which we are now proceeding.
10 And Balaam ordered that they should bring him wax, and he made thereof the likeness of chariots and horsemen representing the army of Angeas and the army of Egypt, and he put them in the cunningly prepared waters that he had for that purpose, and he took in his hand the boughs of myrtle trees, and he exercised his cunning, and he joined them over the water, and there appeared unto him in the water the resembling images of the hosts of Angeas falling before the resembling images of the Egyptians and the sons of Yacob.
11 And Balaam told this thing to Angeas, and Angeas despaired and did not arm himself to go down to Egypt to battle, and he remained in his city.
12 And when Zepho the son of Eliphaz saw that Angeas despaired of going forth to battle with the Egyptians, Zepho fled from Angeas from Africa, and he went and came unto Chittim.
13 And all the people of Chittim received him with great honor, and they hired him to fight their battles all the days, and Zepho became exceedingly rich in those days, and the troops of the king of Africa still spread themselves in those days, and the children of Chittim assembled and went to Mount Cuptizia on account of the troops of Angeas king of Africa, who were advancing upon them.
14 And it was one day that Zepho lost a young heifer, and he went to seek it, and he heard it lowing round about the mountain.
15 And Zepho went and he saw and behold there was a large cave at the bottom of the mountain, and there was a great stone there at the entrance of the cave, and Zepho split the stone and he came into the cave and he looked and behold, a large animal was devouring the ox; from the middle upward it resembled a man, and from the middle downward it resembled an animal, and Zepho rose up against the animal and slew it with his swords.
16 And the inhabitants of Chittim heard of this thing, and they rejoiced exceedingly, and they said, What shall we do unto this man who has slain this animal that devoured our cattle?
17 And they all assembled to consecrate one day in the year to him, and they called the name thereof Zepho after his name, and they brought unto him drink offerings year after year on that day, and they brought unto him gifts.
18 At that time Jania the daughter of Uzu wife of king Angeas became ill, and her illness was heavily felt by Angeas and his officers, and Angeas said unto his wise men, What shall I do to Jania and how shall I heal her from her illness? And his wise men said unto him, Because the air of our country is not like the air of the land of Chittim, and our water is not like their water, therefore from this has the queen become ill.
19 For through the change of air and water she became ill, and also because in her country she drank only the water which came from Purmah, which her ancestors had brought up with bridges.
20 And Angeas commanded his servants, and they brought unto him in vessels of the waters of Purmah belonging to Chittim, and they weighed those waters with all the waters of the land of Africa, and they found those waters lighter than the waters of Africa.
21 And Angeas saw this thing, and he commanded all his officers to assemble the hewers of stone in thousands and tens of thousands, and they hewed stone without number, and the builders came and they built an exceedingly strong bridge, and they conveyed the spring of water from the land of Chittim unto Africa, and those waters were for Jania the queen and for all her concerns, to drink from and to bake, wash and bathe therewith, and also to water therewith all seed from which food can be obtained, and all fruit of the ground.
22 And the king commanded that they should bring of the soil of Chittim in large ships, and they also brought stones to build therewith, and the builders built palaces for Jania the queen, and the queen became healed of her illness.
23 And at the revolution of the year the troops of Africa continued coming to the land of Chittim to plunder as usual, and Zepho son of Eliphaz heard their report, and he gave orders concerning them and he fought with them, and they fled before him, and he delivered the land of Chittim from them.
Year 2317
24 And the children of Chittim saw the valor of Zepho, and the children of Chittim resolved and they made Zepho king over them, and he became king over them, and while he reigned they went to subdue the children of Tubal, and all the surrounding islands.
25 And their king Zepho went at their head and they made war with Tubal and the islands, and they subdued them, and when they returned from the battle they renewed his government for him, and they built for him a very large palace for his royal habitation and seat, and they made a large throne for him, and Zepho reigned over the whole land of Chittim and over the land of Italia fifty years.

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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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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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Jasher, Chapter 54

1 And when Yahudah saw the dealings of Yoseph with them, Yahudah approached him and broke open the door, and came with his brethren before Yoseph.
2 And Yahudah said unto Yoseph, Let it not seem grievous in the sight of my lord, may your servant I pray you speak a word before you? and Yoseph said unto him, Speak.
3 And Yahudah spoke before Yoseph, and his brethren were there standing before them; and Yahudah said unto Yoseph, Surely when we first came to our lord to buy food, you didst consider us as spies of the land, and we brought Benjamin before you, and you still make sport of us this day.
4 Now therefore let the king hear my words, and send I pray you our brother that he may go along with us to our father, lest your soul perish this day with all the souls of the inhabitants of Egypt.
5 Dost you not know what two of my brethren, Simeon and Levi, did unto the city of Shechem, and unto seven cities of the Amorites, on account of our sister Dinah, and also what they would do for the sake of their brother Benjamin?
6 And I with my strength, who am greater and mightier than both of them, come this day upon you and your land if you are unwilling to send our brother.
7 Hast you not heard what YAHWEH our ALMIGHTY who made choice of us did unto Pharaoh on account of Sarah our mother, whom he took away from our father, that he smote him and his household with heavy plagues, that even unto this day the Egyptians relate this wonder to each other? so will our YAHWEH do unto you on account of Benjamin whom you hast this day taken from his father, and on account of the evils which you this day heap over us in your land; for our YAHWEH will remember his covenant with our father Abraham and bring evil upon you, because you hast grieved the soul of our father this day.
8 Now therefore hear my words that I have this day spoken unto you, and send our brother that he may go away lest you and the people of your land die by the sword, for you cannot all prevail over me.
9 And Yoseph answered Yahudah, saying, Why hast you opened wide your mouth and why dost you boast over us, saying, Strength is with you? as Pharaoh liveth, if I command all my valiant men to fight with you, surely you and these your brethren would sink in the mire.
10 And Yahudah said unto Yoseph, Surely it becomes you and your people to fear me; as YAHWEH lives if I once draw my sword I shall not sheathe it again until I shall this day have slain all Egypt, and I will commence with you and finish with Pharaoh your master.
11 And Yoseph answered and said unto him, Surely strength belongs not alone to you; I am stronger and mightier than you, surely if you draw your sword I will put it to your neck and the necks of all your brethren.
12 And Yahudah said unto him, Surely if I this day open my mouth against you I would swallow you up that you be destroyed from off the earth and perish this day from your kingdom. And Yoseph said, Surely if you open your mouth I have power and might to close your mouth with a stone until you shall not be able to utter a word; see how many stones are before us, truly I can take a stone, and force it into your mouth and break your jaws.
13 And Yahudah said, YAHWEH is witness between us, that we have not hitherto desired to battle with you, only give us our brother and we will go from you; and Yoseph answered and said, As Pharaoh liveth, if all the kings of Canaan came together with you, you should not take him from my hand.
14 Now therefore go your way to your father, and your brother shall be unto me for a slave, for he has robbed the king's house. And Yahudah said, What is it to you or to the character of the king, surely the king sends forth from his house, throughout the land, silver and gold either in gifts or expenses, and you still talk about your cup which you didst place in our brother's bag and saye that he has stolen it from you?
15 YAHWEH forbid that our brother Benjamin or any of the seed of Abraham should do this thing to steal from you, or from any one else, whether king, prince, or any man.
16 Now therefore cease this accusation lest the whole earth hear your words, saying, For a little silver the king of Egypt wrangled with the men, and he accused them and took their brother for a slave.
17 And Yoseph answered and said, Take unto you this cup and go from me and leave your brother for a slave, for it is the judgment of a thief to be a slave.
18 And Yahudah said, Why are you not ashamed of your words, to leave our brother and to take your cup? Surely if you give us your cup, or a thousand times as much, we will not leave our brother for the silver which is found in the hand of any man, that we will not die over him.
19 And Yoseph answered, And why did you forsake your brother and sell him for twenty pieces of silver unto this day, and why then will you not do the same to this your brother?
20 And Yahudah said, YAHWEH is witness between me and you that we desire not your battles; now therefore give us our brother and we will go from you without quarreling.
21 And Yoseph answered and said, If all the kings of the land should assemble they will not be able to take your brother from my hand; and Yahudah said, What shall we say unto our father, when he sees that our brother comes not with us, and will grieve over him?
22 And Yoseph answered and said, This is the thing which you shall tell unto your father, saying, The rope has gone after the bucket.
23 And Yahudah said, Surely you are a king, and why speak you these things, giving a false judgment? woe unto the king who is like unto you.
24 And Yoseph answered and said, There is no false judgment in the word that I spoke on account of your brother Yoseph, for all of you sold him to the Midianites for twenty pieces of silver, and you all denied it to your father and said unto him, An evil beast has devoured him, Yoseph has been torn to pieces.
25 And Yahudah said, Behold the fire of Shem burns in my heart, now I will burn all your land with fire; and Yoseph answered and said, Surely your sister-in-law Tamar, who killed your sons, extinguished the fire of Shechem.
26 And Yahudah said, If I pluck out a single hair from my flesh, I will fill all Egypt with its blood.
27 And Yoseph answered and said, Such is your custom to do as you did to your brother whom you sold, and you dipped his coat in blood and brought it to your father in order that he might say an evil beast devoured him and here is his blood.
28 And when Yahudah heard this thing he was exceedingly wroth and his anger burned within him, and there was before him in that place a stone, the weight of which was about four hundred shekels, and Yahudah's anger was kindled and he took the stone in one hand and cast it to the heavens and caught it with his left hand.
29 And he placed it afterward under his legs, and he sat upon it with all his strength and the stone was turned into dust from the force of Yahudah.
30 And Yoseph saw the act of Yahudah and he was very much afraid, but he commanded Manassah his son and he also did with another stone like unto the act of Yahudah, and Yahudah said unto his brethren, Let not any of you say, this man is an Egyptian, but by his doing this thing he is of our father's family.
31 And Yoseph said, Not to you only is strength given, for we are also powerful men, and why will you boast over us all? and Yahudah said unto Yoseph, Send I pray you our brother and ruin not your country this day.
32 And Yoseph answered and said unto them, Go and tell your father, an evil beast hath devoured him as you said concerning your brother Yoseph.
33 And Yahudah spoke to his brother Naphtali, and he said unto him, Make haste, go now and number all the streets of Egypt and come and tell me; and Simeon said unto him, Let not this thing be a trouble to you; now I will go to the mount and take up one large stone from the mount and level it at every one in Egypt, and kill all that are in it.
34 And Yoseph heard all these words that his brethren spoke before him, and they did not know that Yoseph understood them, for they imagined that he knew not to speak Hebrew.
35 And Yoseph was greatly afraid at the words of his brethren lest they should destroy Egypt, and he commanded his son Manasseh, saying, Go now make haste and gather unto me all the inhabitants of Egypt, and all the valiant men together, and let them come to me now upon horseback and on foot and with all sorts of musical instruments, and Manasseh went and did so.
36 And Naphtali went as Yahudah had commanded him, for Naphtali was lightfooted as one of the swift stags, and he would go upon the ears of corn and they would not break under him.
37 And he went and numbered all the streets of Egypt, and found them to be twelve, and he came hastily and told Yahudah, and Yahudah said unto his brethren, Hasten you and put on every man his sword upon his loins and we will come over Egypt, and smite them all, and let not a remnant remain.
38 And Yahudah said, Behold, I will destroy three of the streets with my strength, and you shall each destroy one street; and when Yahudah was speaking this thing, behold the inhabitants of Egypt and all the mighty men came toward them with all sorts of musical instruments and with loud shouting.
39 And their number was five hundred cavalry and ten thousand infantry, and four hundred men who could fight without sword or spear, only with their hands and strength.
40 And all the mighty men came with great storming and shouting, and they all surrounded the sons of Yacob and terrified them, and the ground quaked at the sound of their shouting.
41 And when the sons of Yacob saw these troops they were greatly afraid of their lives, and Yoseph did so in order to terrify the sons of Yacob to become tranquilized.
42 And Yahudah, seeing some of his brethren terrified, said unto them, Why are you afraid while the free unmerited pardon and favor of YAHWEH is with us? and when Yahudah saw all the people of Egypt surrounding them at the command of Yoseph to terrify them, only Yoseph commanded them, saying, Do not touch any of them.
43 Then Yahudah hastened and drew his sword, and uttered a loud and bitter scream, and he smote with his sword, and he sprang upon the ground and he still continued to shout against all the people.
44 And when he did this thing YAHWEH caused the terror of Yahudah and his brethren to fall upon the valiant men and all the people that surrounded them.
45 And they all fled at the sound of the shouting, and they were terrified and fell one upon the other, and many of them died as they fell, and they all fled from before Yahudah and his brethren and from before Yoseph.
46 And while they were fleeing, Yahudah and his brethren pursued them unto the house of Pharaoh, and they all escaped, and Yahudah again sat before Yoseph and roared at him like a lion, and gave a great and tremendous shriek at him.
47 And the shriek was heard at a distance, and all the inhabitants of Succoth heard it, and all Egypt quaked at the sound of the shriek, and also the walls of Egypt and of the land of Goshen fell in from the shaking of the earth, and Pharaoh also fell from his throne upon the ground, and also all the pregnant women of Egypt and Goshen miscarried when they heard the noise of the shaking, for they were terribly afraid.
48 And Pharaoh sent word, saying, What is this thing that has this day happened in the land of Egypt? and they came and told him all the things from beginning to end, and Pharaoh was alarmed and he wondered and was greatly afraid.
49 And his fright increased when he heard all these things, and he sent unto Yoseph, saying, You hast brought unto me the Hebrews to destroy all Egypt; what wilt you do with that thievish slave? send him away and let him go with his brethren, and let us not perish through their evil, even we, you and all Egypt.
50 And if you desire not to do this thing, cast off from you all my valuable things, and go with them to their land, if you delight in it, for they will this day destroy my whole country and slay all my people; even all the women of Egypt have miscarried through their screams; see what they have done merely by their shouting and speaking, moreover if they fight with the sword, they will destroy the land; now therefore choose that which you desirest, whether me or the Hebrews, whether Egypt or the land of the Hebrews.
51 And they came and told Yoseph all the words of Pharaoh that he had said concerning him, and Yoseph was greatly afraid at the words of Pharaoh and Yahudah and his brethren were still standing before Yoseph indignant and enraged, and all the sons of Yacob roared at Yoseph, like the roaring of the sea and its waves.
52 And Yoseph was greatly afraid of his brethren and on account of Pharaoh, and Yoseph sought a pretext to make himself known unto his brethren, lest they should destroy all Egypt.
53 And Yoseph commanded his son Manasseh, and Manasseh went and approached Yahudah, and placed his hand upon his shoulder, and the anger of Yahudah was stilled.
54 And Yahudah said unto his brethren, Let no one of you say that this is the act of an Egyptian youth for this is the work of my father's house.
55 And Yoseph seeing and knowing that Yahudah's anger was stilled, he approached to speak unto Yahudah in the language of mildness.
56 And Yoseph said unto Yahudah, Surely you speak truth and have this day verified your assertions concerning your strength, and may your ALMIGHTY who delights in you, increase your welfare; but tell me truly why from amongst all your brethren dost you wrangle with me on account of the lad, as none of them have spoken one word to me concerning him.
57 And Yahudah answered Yoseph, saying, Surely you must know that I was security for the lad to his father, saying, If I brought him not unto him I should bear his blame forever.
58 Therefore have I approached you from amongst all my brethren, for I saw that you wast unwilling to suffer him to go from you; now therefore may I find free unmerited pardon and favor in your sight that you shall send him to go with us, and behold I will remain as a substitute for him, to serve you in whatever you desirest, for wheresoever you shall send me I will go to serve you with great energy.
59 Send me now to a mighty king who has rebelled against you, and you shall know what I will do unto him and unto his land; although he may have cavalry and infantry or an exceeding mighty people, I will slay them all and bring the king's head before you.
60 Dost you not know or hast you not heard that our father Abraham with his servant Eliezer smote all the kings of Elam with their hosts in one night, they left not one remaining? and ever since that day our father's strength was given unto us for an inheritance, for us and our seed forever.
61 And Yoseph answered and said, You speak truth, and falsehood is not in your mouth, for it was also told unto us that the Hebrews have power and that YAHWEH their ALMIGHTY delights much in them, and who then can stand before them?
62 However, on this condition will I send your brother, if you will bring before me his brother the son of his mother, of whom you said that he had gone from you down to Egypt; and it shall come to pass when you bring unto me his brother I will take him in his stead, because not one of you was security for him to your father, and when he shall come unto me, I will then send with you his brother for whom you have been security.
63 And Yahudah's anger was kindled against Yoseph when he spoke this thing, and his eyes dropped blood with anger, and he said unto his brethren, How doth this man this day seek his own destruction and that of all Egypt!
64 And Simeon answered Yoseph, saying, Did we not tell you at first that we knew not the particular spot to which he went, and whether he be dead or alive, and wherefore speaks my lord like unto these things?
65 And Yoseph observing the countenance of Yahudah discerned that his anger began to kindle when he spoke unto him, saying, Bring unto me your other brother instead of this brother.
66 And Yoseph said unto his brethren, Surely you said that your brother was either dead or lost, now if I should call him this day and he should come before you, would you give him unto me instead of his brother?
67 And Yoseph began to speak and call out, Yoseph, Yoseph, come this day before me, and appear to your brethren and sit before them.
68 And when Yoseph spoke this thing before them, they looked each a different way to see from whence Yoseph would come before them.
69 And Yoseph observed all their acts, and said unto them, Why do you look here and there? I am Yoseph whom you sold to Egypt, now therefore let it not grieve you that you sold me, for as a support during the famine did YAHWEH send me before you.
70 And his brethren were terrified at him when they heard the words of Yoseph, and Yahudah was exceedingly terrified at him.
71 And when Benjamin heard the words of Yoseph he was before them in the inner part of the house, and Benjamin ran unto Yoseph his brother, and embraced him and fell upon his neck, and they wept.
72 And when Yoseph's brethren saw that Benjamin had fallen upon his brother's neck and wept with him, they also fell upon Yoseph and embraced him, and they wept a great weeping with Yoseph.
73 And the voice was heard in the house of Yoseph that they were Yoseph's brethren, and it pleased Pharaoh exceedingly, for he was afraid of them lest they should destroy Egypt.
74 And Pharaoh sent his servants unto Yoseph to congratulate him concerning his brethren who had come to him, and all the captains of the armies and troops that were in Egypt came to rejoice with Yoseph, and all Egypt rejoiced greatly about Yoseph's brethren.
75 And Pharaoh sent his servants to Yoseph, saying, Tell your brethren to fetch all belonging to them and let them come unto me, and I will place them in the best part of the land of Egypt, and they did so.
76 And Yoseph commanded him that was set over his house to bring out to his brethren gifts and garments, and he brought out to them many garments being robes of royalty and many gifts, and Yoseph divided them amongst his brethren.
77 And he gave unto each of his brethren a change of garments of gold and silver, and three hundred pieces of silver, and Yoseph commanded them all to be dressed in these garments, and to be brought before Pharaoh.
78 And Pharaoh seeing that all Yoseph's brethren were valiant men, and of beautiful appearance, he greatly rejoiced.
79 And they afterward went out from the presence of Pharaoh to go to the land of Canaan, to their father, and their brother Benjamin was with them.
80 And Yoseph rose up and gave unto them eleven chariots from Pharaoh, and Yoseph gave unto them his chariot, upon which he rode on the day of his being crowned in Egypt, to fetch his father to Egypt; and Yoseph sent to all his brothers' children, garments according to their numbers, and a hundred pieces of silver to each of them, and he also sent garments to the wives of his brethren from the garments of the king's wives, and he sent them.
81 And he gave unto each of his brethren ten men to go with them to the land of Canaan to serve them, to serve their children and all belonging to them in coming to Egypt.
82 And Yoseph sent by the hand of his brother Benjamin ten suits of garments for his ten sons, a portion above the rest of the children of the sons of Yacob.
83 And he sent to each fifty pieces of silver, and ten chariots on the account of Pharaoh, and he sent to his father ten asses laden with all the luxuries of Egypt, and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and nourishment for his father, and to all that were with him as provisions for the road.
84 And he sent to his sister Dinah garments of silver and gold, and frankincense and myrrh, and aloes and women's ornaments in great plenty, and he sent the same from the wives of Pharaoh to the wives of Benjamin.
85 And he gave unto all his brethren, also to their wives, all sorts of onyx stones and bdellium, and from all the valuable things amongst the great people of Egypt, nothing of all the costly things was left but what Yoseph sent of to his father's household.
86 And he sent his brethren away, and they went, and he sent his brother Benjamin with them.
87 And Yoseph went out with them to accompany them on the road unto the borders of Egypt, and he commanded them concerning his father and his household, to come to Egypt.
88 And he said unto them, Do not quarrel on the road, for this thing was from YAHWEH to keep a great people from starvation, for there will be yet five years of famine in the land.
89 And he commanded them, saying, When you come unto the land of Canaan, do not come suddenly before my father in this affair, but act in your wisdom.
90 And Yoseph ceased to command them, and he turned and went back to Egypt, and the sons of Yacob went to the land of Canaan with joy and cheerfulness to their father Yacob.
91 And they came unto the borders of the land, and they said to each other, What shall we do in this matter before our father, for if we come suddenly to him and tell him the matter, he will be greatly alarmed at our words and will not believe us.
92 And they went along until they came nigh unto their houses, and they found Serach, the daughter of Asher, going forth to meet them, and the damsel was very good and subtle, and knew how to play upon the harp.
93 And they called unto her and she came before them, and she kissed them, and they took her and gave unto her a harp, saying, Go now before our father, and sit before him, and strike upon the harp, and speak these words.
94 And they commanded her to go to their house, and she took the harp and hastened before them, and she came and sat near Yacob.
95 And she played well and sang, and uttered in the sweetness of her words, Yoseph my uncle is living, and he rules throughout the land of Egypt, and is not dead.
96 And she continued to repeat and utter these words, and Yacob heard her words and they were agreeable to him.
97 He listened while she repeated them twice and thrice, and joy entered the heart of Yacob at the sweetness of her words, and the spirit of YAHWEH was upon him, and he knew all her words to be true.
98 And Yacob blessed Serach when she spoke these words before him, and he said unto her, My daughter, may death never prevail over you, for you hast revived my spirit; only speak yet before me as you hast spoken, for you hast gladdened me with all your words.
99 And she continued to sing these words, and Yacob listened and it pleased him, and he rejoiced, and the spirit of YAHWEH was upon him.
100 Whilst he was yet speaking with her, behold his sons came to him with horses and chariots and royal garments and servants running before them.
101 And Yacob rose up to meet them, and saw his sons dressed in royal garments and he saw all the treasures that Yoseph had sent to them.
102 And they said unto him, Be informed that our brother Yoseph is living, and it is he who rules throughout the land of Egypt, and it is he who spoke unto us as we told you.
103 And Yacob heard all the words of his sons, and his heart palpitated at their words, for he could not believe them until he saw all that Yoseph had given them and what he had sent him, and all the signs which Yoseph had spoken unto them.
104 And they opened out before him, and showed him all that Yoseph had sent, they gave unto each what Yoseph had sent him, and he knew that they had spoken the truth, and he rejoiced exceedingly an account of his son.
105 And Yacob said, It is enough for me that my son Yoseph is still living, I will go and see him before I die.
106 And his sons told him all that had befallen them, and Yacob said, I will go down to Egypt to see my son and his offspring.
107 And Yacob rose up and put on the garments which Yoseph had sent him, and after he had washed, and shaved his hair, he put upon his head the turban which Yoseph had sent him.
108 And all the people of Yacob's house and their wives put on the garments which Yoseph had sent to them, and they greatly rejoiced at Yoseph that he was still living and that he was ruling in Egypt,
109 And all the inhabitants of Canaan heard of this thing, and they came and rejoiced much with Yacob that he was still living.
110 And Yacob made a feast for them for three days, and all the kings of Canaan and nobles of the land ate and drank and rejoiced in the house of Yacob.

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