Reuben: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7
Simeon: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9
Levi: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11 – 12 – 13 – 14 – 15 – 16 – 17 – 18 – 19
Judah: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11 – 12 – 13 – 14 – 15 – 16 – 17 – 18 – 19 – 20 – 21 – 22 – 23 – 24 – 25 – 26
Issachar: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7
Zebulun: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10
Dan: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7
Naphtali: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9
Gad: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8
Asher: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8
Joseph: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11 – 12 – 13 – 14 – 15 – 16 – 17 – 18 – 19 – 20
Benjamin: 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11 – 12
The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs is an apocryphal work purporting to contain the last words of the twelve sons of Jacob. It is part of the Oskan Armenian Orthodox Bible. Fragments of similar writings were found at Qumran and scholarship maintains that the Testaments were written in Hebrew or Greek, possibly in the 2nd century BC, and reached their final form in the 2nd century AD.
The copy of the Testament of Reuben, even the commands which he gave his sons before he died in the one hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life. Two years after the death of his brother Joseph, when Reuben fell sick, his sons and his sons’ sons were gathered together to visit him. And he said to them, “My children, behold, I am dying, and I go the way of my fathers.” And seeing his brothers Judah, and Gad, and Asher there, he said to them, “Raise me up, that I may tell to my brothers and to my children what things I have hidden in my heart, for behold, now at length I am passing away.” And he arose and kissed them, and said to them, “Hear, my brothers, and my children, give ear to your father Reuben in the commands which I give to you. And behold, I call the God of Heaven to witness against you this day, that you may not walk in the sins of youth and fornication, wherein I was poured out, and defiled the bed of my father Jacob. And I tell you that He struck me with a sore plague in my loins for seven months, and had my father Jacob not prayed for me to the Lord, the Lord would have destroyed me. For I was thirty years old when I worked the evil thing before the Lord, and I was sick to death for seven months. And after this I converted with set purpose of my soul for seven years before the Lord. And I did not drink wine and strong drink, and flesh did not enter into my mouth, and I did not eat pleasant food; but I mourned over my sin, for it was great—such as had not been in Israel.”
“And now hear me, my children, what things I saw concerning the seven spirits of deceit, when I converted. Therefore seven spirits are appointed against man, and they are the leaders in the works of youth. [[3 And seven other spirits are given to him at his creation, that through them should be done every work of man. The first is the spirit of life, with which the constitution [of man] is created. The second is the sense of sight, with which arises desire. The third is the sense of hearing, with which comes teaching. The fourth is the sense of smell, with which tastes are given to draw air and breath. The fifth is the power of speech, with which comes knowledge. The sixth is the sense of taste, with which comes the eating of meats and drinks; and by it strength is produced, for in food is the foundation of strength. The seventh is the power of procreation and sexual intercourse, with which through love of pleasure sins enter in. For what reason it is the last in order of creation, and the first in that of youth, because it is filled with ignorance, and leads the youth as a blind man to a pit, and as a beast to a precipice.”
“Besides all these there is an eighth spirit of sleep, with which is brought about the trance of nature and the image of death. With these spirits are mingled the spirits of error.]] First, the spirit of fornication is seated in the nature and in the senses; the second, the spirit of insatiableness, in the belly; the third, the spirit of fighting, in the liver and gall; the fourth is the spirit of groveling and trickery, that through overbearing attention one may [falsely] seem fair; the fifth is the spirit of pride, that one may be boastful and arrogant; the sixth is the spirit of lying, to practice deceits in perdition and jealousy, and concealments from kindred and friends; the seventh is the spirit of injustice, with which are thefts and acts of rapacity, that a man may fulfill the desire of his heart; for injustice works together with the other spirits by the taking of gifts. And with all these the spirit of sleep is joined which is [that] of error and fantasy. And so perishes every young man, darkening his mind from the truth, and not understanding the Law of God, nor obeying the admonitions of his fathers as also befell me in my youth. And now, my children, love the truth, and it will preserve you: hear the words of your father Reuben. Pay no heed to the face of a woman, nor associate with another man’s wife, nor meddle with affairs of womankind. For had I not seen Bilhah bathing in a covered place, I would not have fallen into this great iniquity. For my mind, taking in the thought of the woman’s nakedness, did not permit me to sleep until I had worked the abominable thing. For while our father Jacob had gone to his father Isaac, when we were in Eder, near to Ephrath in Beth-Lehem, Bilhah became drunk and was asleep uncovered in her chamber. Therefore, having gone in and beheld [her] nakedness, I worked the impiety without her perceiving it, and leaving her sleeping, I departed. And immediately a messenger of God revealed to my father concerning my impiety, and he came and mourned over me, and touched her no longer.”
“Pay no heed, therefore, my children, to the beauty of women, nor set your mind on their affairs; but walk in singleness of heart in the fear of the Lord, and expend labor on good works, and on study, and on your flocks, until the Lord gives you a wife, whom He will, that you do not permit as I did. For until my father’s death, I did not have boldness to look in his face, or to speak to any of my brothers, because of the reproach. Even until now, my conscience causes me anguish on account of my impiety. And yet my father comforted me much and prayed for me to the Lord, that the anger of the Lord might pass from me, even as the Lord showed. And from then until now, I have been on my guard and have not sinned. Therefore, my children, I say to you: observe all things, whatever I command you, and you will not sin. For the sin of fornication is a pit to the soul, separating it from God, and bringing it near to idols, because it deceives the mind and understanding, and leads young men into Hades before their time. For fornication has destroyed many, because, though a man may be old or noble, or rich or poor, he brings reproach on himself with the sons of men and derision with Belial. For you heard regarding Joseph how he guarded himself from a woman, and purged his thoughts from all fornication, and found favor in the sight of God and men. For the Egyptian woman did many things to him, and summoned magicians, and offered him love potions, but the purpose of his soul admitted no evil desire. Therefore the God of your fathers delivered him from every evil [and] hidden death. For if fornication does not overcome your mind, neither can Belial overcome you.”
“For women are evil, my children; and since they have no power or strength over man, they use schemes by outward attractions, that they may draw him to themselves. And whom they cannot bewitch by outward attractions, they overcome him by craft. For moreover, concerning them, the messenger of the Lord told me, and taught me, that women are overcome by the spirit of fornication more than men, and they plot against men in their heart; and by means of their adornment they first deceive their minds, and by the glance of the eye instill the poison, and then through the accomplished act, they take them captive. For a woman cannot force a man openly, but by a harlot’s bearing she deceives him. Flee, therefore, fornication, my children, and command your wives and your daughters, that they do not adorn their heads and faces to deceive the mind, because every woman who uses these schemes has been reserved for continuous punishment; for thus they allured the Watchers who were before the flood; for as these continually beheld them, they lusted after them, and they conceived the act in their mind; for they changed themselves into the shape of men, and appeared to them when they were with their husbands. And the women, lusting in their minds after their forms, gave birth to giants, for the Watchers appeared to them as reaching even to Heaven.”
“Beware, therefore, of fornication; and if you wish to be pure in mind, guard your senses from every woman. And likewise command the women not to associate with men, that they may also be pure in mind. For constant meetings, even though the ungodly deed is not worked, are an irremediable disease to them, and to us a destruction of Belial and a continuous reproach. For in fornication there is neither understanding nor godliness, and all jealousy dwells in the lust thereof. Therefore, I say to you then: you will be jealous against the sons of Levi and will seek to be exalted over them, but you will not be able. For God will avenge them, and you will die by an evil death. For God gave the sovereignty to Levi, [[and to Judah with him, and to me also, and to Dan and Joseph, that we should be for rulers;]] therefore I command you to listen to Levi, because he will know the Law of the Lord, and will give ordinances for judgment, and will sacrifice for all Israel until the consummation of the times, as the anointed chief priest, of whom the Lord spoke, I adjure you by the God of Heaven to do truth—each one to his neighbor, and to entertain love—each one for his brother. And draw near to Levi in humbleness of heart, that you may receive a blessing from his mouth. For he will bless Israel and Judah, because the Lord has chosen him to be king over all the nation. And bow down before his seed, for on our behalf it will die in wars, visible and invisible, and will be among you [as] a perpetual king.”
And Reuben died, having given these commands to his sons. And they placed him in a coffin until they carried him up from Egypt and buried him in Hebron in the cave where his father was.
The copy of the words of Simeon, the things which he spoke to his sons before he died, in the one hundred and twentieth year of his life, at which time his brother Joseph died. For when Simeon was sick, his sons came to visit him, and he strengthened himself and sat up and kissed them, and said:
“Listen, my children, to your father Simeon, and I will declare to you what things I have in my heart. I was born of Jacob as my father’s second son; and my mother Leah called me Simeon, because the Lord had heard her prayer. Moreover, I became exceedingly strong; I shrank from no achievement, nor was I afraid of anything. For my heart was hard, and my liver was immovable, and my bowels [were] without compassion, because valor has also been given from the Most High to men in soul and body. For in the time of my youth I was jealous in many things of Joseph, because my father loved him beyond all. And I set my mind against him to destroy him, because the prince of deceit sent forth the spirit of jealousy and blinded my mind, so that I did not regard him as a brother, nor did I even spare my father Jacob. But his God and the God of his fathers sent forth His messenger and delivered him out of my hands. For when I went to Shechem to bring ointment for the flocks, and Reuben to Dothan, where our necessities and all our stores were, my brother Judah sold him to the Ishmaelites. And when Reuben heard these things, he was grieved, for he wished to restore him to his father. But on hearing this I was exceedingly angry against Judah in that he let him go away alive, and for five months I continued being wrathful against him. But the Lord restrained me and withheld from me the power of my hands, for my right hand was half withered for seven days. And I knew, my children, that this had befallen me because of Joseph, and I converted and wept; and I implored the Lord God that my hand might be restored, and that I might hold aloof from all pollution, and envy, and from all folly. For I knew that I had devised an evil thing before the Lord and my father Jacob, on account of my brother Joseph, in that I envied him.”
“And now, my children, listen to me and beware of the spirit of deceit and envy. For envy rules over the whole mind of a man and permits him neither to eat, nor to drink, nor to do any good thing. But it always suggests [to him] to destroy him that he envies; and so long as he that is envied flourishes, he that envies fades away. Therefore, I afflicted my soul with fasting in the fear of the Lord [for] two years, and I learned that deliverance from envy comes by the fear of God. For if a man flees to the Lord, the evil spirit runs away from him, and his mind is lightened. And henceforward he sympathizes with him whom he envied and forgives those who are hostile to him, and so ceases from his envy.”
“And my father asked concerning me, because he saw that I was sad; and I said to him, I am pained in my liver. For I mourned more than all of them, because I was guilty of the selling of Joseph. And when we went down into Egypt, and he bound me as a spy, I knew that I was suffering justly, and I did not grieve. Now Joseph was a good man and had the Spirit of God within him: being compassionate and pitiful, he bore no malice against me, but loved me even as the rest of his brothers. Beware, therefore, my children, of all jealousy and envy, and walk in singleness of soul and with good heart, keeping in mind Joseph, your father’s brother, that God may also give you grace and glory, and blessing on your heads, even as you saw in Joseph’s case. All his days he did not reproach us concerning this thing, but loved us as his own soul, and glorified us beyond his own sons, and gave us riches, and cattle, and fruits. You also, my children, must love his brother—each one—with a good heart, and the spirit of envy will withdraw from you. For this [[(envy)]] makes the soul savage and destroys the body; it causes anger and war in the mind, and stirs up to deeds of blood, and leads the mind into frenzy, and does not permit prudence to act in men; moreover, it takes away sleep, [[and causes tumult to the soul and trembling to the body]]. For even in sleep, some malicious jealousy, deluding him, gnaws and with wicked spirits disturbs his soul, and causes the body to be troubled, and wakes the mind from sleep in confusion; and as a wicked and poisonous spirit, so it appears to men.”
“Therefore Joseph was handsome in appearance and attractive to look on, because no wickedness dwelt in him; for the face manifests some of the trouble of the spirit. And now, my children, make your hearts good before the Lord and your ways straight before men, and you will find grace before the Lord and men. Beware, therefore, of fornication, for fornication is a mother of all evils, separating from God and bringing near to Belial. For I have seen it inscribed in the writing of Enoch that your sons will be corrupted in fornication, and will do harm to the sons of Levi with the sword. But they will not be able to withstand Levi; for he will wage the war of the Lord and will conquer all your hosts. And they will be few in number, divided in Levi and Judah, and there will be none of you for sovereignty, even as our father also prophesied in his blessings.”
“Behold, I have told you all things that I may be acquitted of your sin. Now, if you remove your envy and all stiff-neckedness from yourselves, || My bones will flourish in Israel as a rose, || And my flesh in Jacob as a lily, || And my fragrance will be as the fragrance of Libanus; And holy ones will be multiplied from me as cedars forever, || And their branches will stretch far off. Then the seed of Canaan will perish, || And a remnant will not be to Amalek, || And all the Cappadocians will perish, || And all the Hittites will be utterly destroyed. Then the land of Ham will fail, || And all the people will perish. Then all the earth will rest from trouble, || And all the world under Heaven from war. Then the Mighty One of Israel will glorify Shem, || For the Lord God will appear on earth, || And [He] Himself will save men. Then all the spirits of deceit will be given to be trodden under foot, || And men will rule over wicked spirits. Then I will arise in joy, || And will bless the Most High because of His marvelous works, [[|| Because God has taken a body and eaten with men and saved men.]]”
“And now, my children, obey Levi and Judah, and do not be lifted up against these two tribes, for from them the salvation of God will arise to you. For the Lord will raise up from Levi as it were a Chief Priest, and from Judah as it were a King—[[God and man;]] He will save all [[the nations and]] the race of Israel. Therefore I give you these commands that you may also command your children that they may observe them throughout their generations.”
And when Simeon had made an end of commanding his sons, he slept with his fathers, being one hundred and twenty years old. And they laid him in a wooden coffin, to take up his bones to Hebron. And they took them up secretly during a war of the Egyptians. For the Egyptians guarded the bones of Joseph in the tombs of the kings. For the sorcerers told them that on the departure of the bones of Joseph there should be darkness and gloom throughout all the land, and an exceedingly great plague to the Egyptians, so that even with a lamp a man should not recognize his brother.
And the sons of Simeon lamented their father. And they were in Egypt until the day of their departure by the hand of Moses.
The copy of the words of Levi, the things which he ordained to his sons, according to all that they should do, and what things should befall them until the Day of Judgment. He was sound in health when he called them to himself; for it had been revealed to him that he should die. And when they were gathered together, he said to them:
“I, Levi, was born in Haran, and I came with my father to Shechem. And I was young, about twenty years of age, when, with Simeon, I worked vengeance on Hamor for our sister Dinah. And when I was feeding the flocks in Abel-Maul, the spirit of understanding of the Lord came on me, and I saw all men corrupting their way, and that unrighteousness had built walls for itself, and lawlessness sat on towers. And I was grieving for the race of the sons of men, and I prayed to the Lord that I might be saved. Then there fell on me a sleep, and I beheld a high mountain, and I was on it. And behold, the heavens were opened and a messenger of God said to me, Levi, enter. And I entered from the first heaven, and I saw a great sea hanging there. And further, I saw a second heaven far brighter and more brilliant, for there was a boundless light also therein. And I said to the messenger, Why is this so? And the messenger said to me, Do not marvel at this, for you will see another heaven more brilliant and incomparable. And when you have ascended there, you will stand near the Lord, and will be His minister, and will declare His mysteries to men, and will proclaim concerning Him who will redeem Israel. And by you and Judah the Lord will appear among men, saving every race of men. And from the Lord’s portion will be your life, and He will be your field, and vineyard, and fruits, gold, and silver.”
l “Hear, therefore, regarding the heavens which have been shown to you. The lowest is for this reason gloomy to you, in that it beholds all the unrighteous deeds of men. And it has fire, snow, and ice made ready for the Day of Judgment, in the righteous judgment of God; for in it are all the spirits of the retributions for vengeance on men. And in the second are the hosts of the armies which are ordained for the Day of Judgment, to work vengeance on the spirits of deceit and of Belial. And above them are the holy ones. And in the highest of all dwells the Great Glory, far above all holiness. In [[the heaven next to]] it are the chief-messengers, who minister and make propitiation to the Lord for all the sins of ignorance of the righteous, offering a sweet-smelling savor to the Lord, a reasonable and a bloodless offering. And [[in the heaven below this]] are the messengers who bear answers to the messengers of the presence of the Lord. And in the heaven next to this are thrones and dominions, in which they always offer praise to God. When, therefore, the Lord looks on us, all of us are shaken; yes, the heavens, and the earth, and the abysses are shaken at the presence of His majesty. But the sons of men, having no perception of these things, sin and provoke the Most High.”
“Now, therefore, know that the Lord will execute judgment on the sons of men. Because when the rocks are being split, and the sun quenched, and the waters dried up, and the fire cowering, and all creation troubled, and the invisible spirits melting away, and Hades takes spoils through the visitations of the Most High, men will be unbelieving and persist in their iniquity. On this account they will be judged with punishment. Therefore the Most High has heard your prayer, to separate you from iniquity, and that you should become a son to Him, and a servant, and a minister of His presence. You will light the light of knowledge in Jacob, and you will be as the sun to all the seed of Israel. And a blessing will be given to you and to all your seed until the Lord will visit all the nations in His tender mercies forever. And therefore counsel and understanding have been given to you that you might instruct your sons concerning this, because they that bless Him will be blessed, and they that curse Him will perish.”
“And thereon the Messenger opened the gates of Heaven to me, and I saw the holy temple, and the Most High on a throne of glory. And He said to me, Levi, I have given you the blessings of the priesthood until I come and sojourn in the midst of Israel. Then the Messenger brought me down to the earth, and gave me a shield and a sword, and said to me, Execute vengeance on Shechem because of your sister Dinah, and I will be with you because the Lord has sent Me. And I destroyed the sons of Hamor at that time, as it is written in the heavenly tablets. And I said to Him, Please, O Lord, tell me Your Name, that I may call on You in a day of tribulation. And He said, I am the Messenger who intercedes for the nation of Israel that they may not be utterly smitten, for every evil spirit attacks it. And after these things I awoke, and blessed the Most High and the Messenger who intercedes for the nation of Israel and for all the righteous.”
“And when I was going to my father, I found a brazen shield—also for what reason the name of the mountain is Aspis, which is near Gebal, to the south of Abila. And I kept these words in my heart. And after this I counseled my father and my brother Reuben to command the sons of Hamor not to be circumcised, for I was zealous because of the abomination which they had worked on my sister. And I slew Shechem first, and Simeon slew Hamor. And after this my brothers came and struck that city with the edge of the sword. And my father heard these things and was angry, and he was grieved in that they had received the circumcision, and after that had been put to death, and in his blessings he looked wrongly on us. For we sinned because we had done this thing against his will, and he was sick on that day. But I saw that the sentence of God was for evil on Shechem, for they sought to do to Sarah and Rebekah as they had done to our sister Dinah, but the Lord prevented them. And they persecuted our father Abraham when he was a stranger, and they vexed his flocks when they were big with young; and Eblaen, who was born in his house, they most shamefully handled. And thus they did to all strangers, taking away their wives by force, and they banished them. But the wrath of the Lord came on them to the uttermost.”
“And I said to my father Jacob, By you the Lord will plunder the Canaanites, and will give their land to you and to your seed after you. For from this day forward Shechem will be called a city of imbeciles; for as a man mocks a fool, so we mocked them. Because they had also worked folly in Israel by defiling my sister. And we departed and came to Bethel.”
“And there again I saw a vision as the former, after we had spent seventy days there. And I saw seven men in white raiment saying to me, Arise, put on the robe of the priesthood, and the crown of righteousness, and the breastplate of understanding, and the garment of truth, and the plate of faith, and the turban of the head, and the ephod of prophecy. And they carried [these things] separately, and put [them] on me, and said to me, From now on become a priest of the Lord—you and your seed forever. And the first anointed me with holy oil and gave the staff of judgment to me. The second washed me with pure water, and fed me with bread and wine (the most holy things), and clad me with a holy and glorious robe. The third clothed me with a linen vestment like an ephod. The fourth put a girdle around me like to purple. The fifth gave me a branch of rich olive. The sixth placed a crown on my head. The seventh placed a diadem of priesthood on my head and filled my hands with incense that I might serve as priest to the Lord God. And they said to me, Levi, your seed will be divided into three offices for a sign of the glory of the Lord who is to come: and the first portion will be great; yes, there will be none greater than it; the second will be in the priesthood; and the third will be called by a new name, because a King will arise in Judah, and will establish a new priesthood, after the fashion of the nations [[or to all the nations]]. And His presence is beloved, as a prophet of the Most High, of the seed of our father Abraham. Therefore, every desirable thing in Israel will be for you and for your seed, and you will eat everything fair to look on, and your seed will apportion the table of the Lord. And some of them will be high priests, and judges, and scribes, for the holy place will be guarded by their mouth. And when I awoke, I understood that this [dream] was like the first dream. And I also hid this in my heart and did not tell it to any man on the earth.”
“And after two days Judah and I went up with our father Jacob to Isaac, our father’s father. And my father’s father blessed me according to all the words of the visions which I had seen. And he would not come with us to Bethel. And when we came to Bethel, my father saw a vision concerning me, that I should be their priest to God. And he rose up early in the morning, and paid tithes of all to the Lord through me. And so we came to Hebron to dwell there. And Isaac called me continually to put me in remembrance of the Law of the Lord, even as the Messenger of the Lord showed to me. And he taught me the law of the priesthood, of sacrifices, whole burnt-offerings, first-fruits, freewill-offerings, peace-offerings. And each day he was instructing me, and was busy on my behalf before the Lord, and said to me, Beware of the spirit of fornication, for this will continue and will pollute the holy place by your seed. Therefore, take a wife for yourself without blemish or pollution, while you are yet young, and not of the race of strange nations. And before entering into the holy place, bathe; and when you offer the sacrifices, wash; and again, when you finish the sacrifice, wash; of twelve trees having leaves, offer to the Lord as Abraham also taught me. And of every clean beast and bird, offer a sacrifice to the Lord. And of all your first-fruits and of wine, offer the first as a sacrifice to the Lord God; and you will salt every sacrifice with salt.”
“Now, therefore, observe whatever I command you, children, for whatever things I have heard from my fathers I have declared to you. And behold, I am clear from your ungodliness and transgression, which you will commit in the end of the ages [[against the Savior of the world, Christ, acting godlessly]], deceiving Israel, and stirring up against it great calamities from the Lord. And you will deal lawlessly together with Israel, so He will not bear with Jerusalem because of your wickedness; but the veil of the temple will be torn, so as not to cover your shame. And you will be scattered as captives among the nations and will be for a reproach and for a curse there. For the house which the Lord will choose will be called Jerusalem, as is contained in the scroll of Enoch the righteous.”
“Therefore, when I took a wife, I was twenty-eight years old, and her name was Melcha. And she conceived and bore a son, and I called his name Gershom, for we were sojourners in our land. And I saw concerning him that he would not be in the first rank. And Kohath was born in the thirty-fifth year of my life, toward sunrise. And I saw in a vision that he was standing on high in the midst of all the congregation, therefore I called his name Kohath [[(which is, beginning of majesty and instruction)]]. And she bore me a third son, in the fortieth year of my life; and since his mother bore him with difficulty, I called him Merari (which is, my bitterness), because he was also like to death. And Jochebed was born in Egypt, in my sixty-fourth year, for I was renowned then in the midst of my brothers.”
“And Gershom took a wife, and she bore Lomni and Semei to him. And the sons of Kohath: Ambram, Issachar, Hebron, and Ozeel. And the sons of Merari: Mooli and Mouses. And in the ninety-fourth year, Ambram took my daughter Jochebed to himself to be [his] wife, for they were born in one day, he and my daughter. I was eight years old when I went into the land of Canaan, and [was] eighteen years when I slew Shechem, and at nineteen years I became priest, and at twenty-eight years I took a wife, and at forty-eight I went into Egypt. And behold, my children, you are a third generation. In my one hundred and eighteenth year Joseph died.”
“And now, my children, I command you: fear the Lord your God with your whole heart and walk in simplicity according to all His law. And also teach your children letters that they may have understanding all their life, reading the Law of God unceasingly. For everyone that knows the Law of the Lord will be honored, || And will not be a stranger wherever he goes. Yes, he will gain many more friends than his parents, || And many men will desire to serve him, || And to hear the Law from his mouth. Work righteousness, therefore, my children, on the earth, || That you may have [it] as a treasure in Heaven. And sow good things in your souls, || That you may find them in your life. But if you sow evil things, || You will reap every trouble and affliction. Get wisdom in the fear of God with diligence; For though there is a leading into captivity, || And cities and lands are destroyed, || And gold, and silver, and every possession perish, || Nothing can take away the wisdom of the wise, || Save the blindness of ungodliness, and the callousness of sin. For if one keeps oneself from these evil things, || Then even among his enemies wisdom will be a glory to him, || And in a strange country a fatherland, || And in the midst of foes will prove a friend. Whosoever teaches noble things and does them, || Will be enthroned with kings, || As was also my brother Joseph.”
“Therefore, my children, I have learned that at the end of the ages you will transgress against the Lord, stretching out hands to wickedness [[against Him]]; and you will become a scorn to all the nations. For our father Israel is pure from the transgressions of the chief priests [[who will lay their hands on the Savior of the world]]. For as the Heaven is purer in the Lord’s sight than the earth, so also are you, the lights of Israel, [purer] than all the nations. But if you are darkened through transgressions, what, therefore, will all the nations do living in blindness? Yes, you will bring a curse on our race, because the light of the Law which was given to lighten every man—this you desire to destroy by teaching commandments contrary to the ordinances of God. You will rob the offerings of the Lord, and you will steal choice portions from His portion, eating [them] contemptuously with harlots. And out of covetousness you will teach the commandments of the Lord; you will pollute wedded women, and you will defile the virgins of Jerusalem, and you will be joined with harlots and adulteresses, and you will take the daughters of the nations to be [your] wives, purifying them with an unlawful purification; and your union will be like to Sodom and Gomorrah. And you will be puffed up because of your priesthood, lifting yourselves up against men, and not only so, but also against the commands of God. For you will despise the holy things with jests and laughter.”
“Therefore the temple, which the Lord will choose, will be laid waste through your uncleanness, and you will be captives throughout all nations. And you will be an abomination to them, and you will receive reproach and everlasting shame from the righteous judgment of God. And all who hate you will rejoice at your destruction. And if you were not to receive mercy through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, our fathers, not one of our seed should be left on the earth.
And now I have learned that for seventy weeks you will go astray, and profane the priesthood, and pollute the sacrifices. And you will make the Law void, and set at nothing the words of the prophets by evil perverseness. And you will persecute righteous men and hate the godly; you will abhor the words of the faithful. [[4 And a man who renews the Law in the power of the Most High, you will call a deceiver; and at last you will rush [on him] to slay him, not knowing his dignity, taking innocent blood through [the] wickedness on your heads.]] And your holy places will be laid waste even to the ground because of him. And you will have no place that is clean, but you will be a curse and a dispersion among the nations until He will again visit you and in pity will receive you [[through faith and water]].”
“And whereas you have heard concerning the seventy weeks, hear also concerning the priesthood. For in each jubilee there will be a priesthood. And in the first jubilee, the first who is anointed to the priesthood will be great and will speak to God as to a father. And his priesthood will be perfect with the Lord, [[and in the day of his gladness he will arise for the salvation of the world]]. In the second jubilee, he that is anointed will be conceived in the sorrow of beloved ones; and his priesthood will be honored and will be glorified by all. And the third priest will be taken hold of by sorrow. And the fourth will be in pain, because unrighteousness will gather itself against him exceedingly, and all Israel will hate his neighbor—each one. The fifth will be taken hold of by darkness. Likewise also the sixth and the seventh. And in the seventh will be such pollution as I cannot express before men, for they will know it who do these things. Therefore they will be taken captive and become a prey, and their land and their substance will be destroyed. And in the fifth week they will return to their desolate country and will renew the house of the Lord. And in the seventh week they will become priests, [who are] idolaters, adulterers, lovers of money, proud, lawless, lascivious, abusers of children and beasts.”
“And after their punishment will have come from the Lord, the priesthood will fail. Then the Lord will raise up a new priest. And to him all the words of the Lord will be revealed; And He will execute a righteous judgment on the earth for a multitude of days. And His star will arise in Heaven as of a King—Lighting up the light of knowledge as the sun [lights] the day, || And He will be magnified in the world. He will shine forth as the sun on the earth, || And will remove all darkness from under Heaven, || And there will be peace in all the earth. The heavens will exult in His days, || And the earth will be glad, || And the clouds will rejoice, || And the knowledge of the Lord will be poured forth on the earth, || As the water of the seas; And the messengers of the glory of the presence of the Lord will be glad in Him. The heavens will be opened, || And sanctification will come on Him from the temple of glory, || With the Father’s voice as from Abraham to Isaac. And the glory of the Most High will be uttered over Him, || And the Spirit of understanding and sanctification will rest on Him [in the water]. For He will give the majesty of the Lord to His sons in truth forevermore; And none will succeed Him for all generations forever. And in His priesthood the nations will be multiplied in knowledge on the earth, || And enlightened through the grace of the Lord: In His priesthood sin will come to an end, || And the lawless will cease to do evil, [[And the just will rest in Him.]] And He will open the gates of paradise, || And will remove the threatening sword against Adam. And He will give to the saints to eat from the Tree of Life, || And the Spirit of holiness will be on them. And Belial will be bound by Him, || And He will give power to His children to tread on the evil spirits. And the Lord will rejoice in His children, || And be well pleased in His beloved ones forever. Then Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob will exult, || And I will be glad, || And all the saints will clothe themselves with joy.”
“And now, my children, you have heard all; therefore, choose for yourselves either the light or the darkness, either the Law of the Lord or the works of Belial.” And his sons answered him, saying, “We will walk before the Lord according to His law.” And their father said to them, “The Lord is a witness, and His messengers are witnesses, and you are witnesses, and I am a witness, concerning the word of your mouth.” And his sons said to him, “We are witnesses.” And thus Levi ceased commanding his sons; and he stretched out his feet on the bed, and was gathered to his fathers, after he had lived one hundred and thirty-seven years. And they laid him in a coffin, and afterward they buried him in Hebron, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The copy of the words of Judah, what things he spoke to his sons before he died. They gathered themselves together, therefore, and came to him, and he said to them, “Listen, my children, to your father Judah. I was the fourth son born to my father Jacob; and my mother Leah named me Judah, saying, I give thanks to the Lord, because He has given me a fourth son also. I was swift in my youth, and obedient to my father in everything. And I honored my mother and my mother’s sister. And it came to pass, when I became a man, that my father blessed me, saying, You will be a king, prospering in all things.”
“And the Lord showed me favor in all my works, both in the field and in the house. I know that I raced a doe, and caught it, and prepared the meat for my father, and he ate. And I used to master the roes in the chase and overtake all that were in the plains. I overtook a wild mare, and caught it, and tamed it. I slew a lion and plucked a kid out of its mouth. I took a bear by its paw and hurled it down the cliff, and it was crushed. I outran the wild boar, and seizing it as I ran, I tore it apart. A leopard in Hebron leaped on my dog, and I caught it by the tail, and hurled it on the rocks, and it was broken in half. I found a wild ox feeding in the fields, and seizing it by the horns, and whirling it around and stunning it, I cast it from myself and slew it.”
“And when the two kings of the Canaanites came sheathed in armor against our flocks, and many people with them, I rushed on the king of Hazor single-handedly, and struck him on the greaves, and dragged him down, and so I slew him. And the other, the king of Tappuah, as he sat on his horse, [[I slew, and so I scattered all his people. Achor the king,]] a man of giant stature, I found hurling javelins before and behind as he sat on horseback, and I took up a stone of sixty pounds weight, and hurled it, and struck his horse, and killed it. And I fought with [this] other for two hours; and I cleaved his shield in half, and I chopped off his feet, and killed him. And as I was stripping off his breastplate, behold, nine men, his companions, began to fight with me. And I wound my garment on my hand; and I slung stones at them, and killed four of them, and the rest fled. And my father Jacob slew Beelesath, king of all the kings, a giant in strength—twelve cubits high. And fear fell on them, and they ceased warring against us. Therefore my father was free from anxiety in the wars when I was with my brothers. For he saw in a vision concerning me that a messenger of might followed me everywhere, that I should not be overcome.”
“And in the south, there came on us a greater war than that in Shechem; and I joined in battle array with my brothers, and pursued one thousand men, and slew of them two hundred men and four kings. And I went up on the wall, and I slew four mighty men. And so we captured Hazor and took all the spoil.”
“On the next day we departed to Aretan, a city strong, and walled, and inaccessible, threatening us with death. But Gad and I approached on the east side of the city, and Reuben and Levi on the west. And they that were on the wall, thinking that we were alone, were drawn down against us. And so my brothers secretly climbed up the wall on both sides by stakes and entered the city while the men did not know it. And we took it with the edge of the sword. And as for those who had taken refuge in the tower, we set fire to the tower and took both it and them. And as we were departing, the men of Tappuah set on our spoil, and delivering it up to our sons, we fought with them as far as Tappuah. And we slew them, and burned their city, and took all that was in it as spoil.”
“And when I was at the waters of Kozeba, the men of Jobel came against us to battle. And we fought with them and routed them, and we slew their allies from Shiloh, and we did not leave them power to come in against us. And the men of Makir came on us the fifth day to seize our spoil; and we attacked them and overcame them in fierce battle, for there was a host of mighty men among them, and we slew them before they had gone up the ascent. And when we came to their city, their women rolled stones on us from the brow of the hill on which the city stood, and Simeon and I hid ourselves behind the town, and seized on the heights, and destroyed this city also.”
“And the next day it was told to us that the king of the city of Gaash was coming against us with a mighty host. Therefore Dan and I pretended we were Amorites and went into their city as [if] allies. And in the depth of night our brothers came and we opened the gates to them; and we destroyed all the men and their substance, and we took all that was theirs for a prey, and we cast down their three walls. And we drew near to Thamna, where all the substance of the hostile kings was. Then being insulted by them, I was therefore angry, and rushed against them to the summit; and they kept slinging stones and darts against me. And had my brother Dan not aided me, they would have slain me. We came on them, therefore, with wrath, and they all fled; and passing by another way, they implored my father, and he made peace with them. And we did no harm to them, and they became tributary to us, and we restored their spoil to them. And I built Thamna, and my father built Pabael. I was twenty years old when this war occurred. And the Canaanites feared me and my brothers.”
“And I had many cattle, and I had Iram the Adullamite for [my] chief herdsman. And when I went to him, I saw Parsaba, king of Adullam, and he spoke to us, and he made us a feast; and when I was heated, he gave me his daughter Bathshua to be [my] wife. She bore me Er, and Onan, and Shelah; and the Lord struck two of them, for Shelah lived, and you are his children.”
“And [for] eighteen years my father abode in peace with his brother Esau, and his sons with us, after we had come from Mesopotamia, from Laban. And when eighteen years were fulfilled, in the fortieth year of my life, Esau, the brother of my father, came on us with a mighty and strong people. And Jacob struck Esau with an arrow, and he was taken up wounded on Mount Seir, and as he went, he died at Anoniram, and we pursued after the sons of Esau. Now they had a city with walls of iron and gates of brass; and we could not enter into it, and we encamped around, and besieged it. And when they did not open to us in twenty days, I set up a ladder in the sight of all, and I went up with my shield on my head, sustaining the assault of stones—upwards of three talents weight; and I slew four of their mighty men. And Reuben and Gad slew six others. Then they asked [for] terms of peace from us; and having taken counsel with our father, we received them as tributaries. And they gave us five hundred cors of wheat, five hundred baths of oil, five hundred measures of wine, until the famine, when we went down into Egypt.”
“And after these things my son Er took Tamar, from Mesopotamia, a daughter of Aram, to be [his] wife. Now Er was wicked, and he was in need concerning Tamar, because she was not of the land of Canaan. And on the third night a messenger of the Lord struck him. And he had not known her according to the evil craftiness of his mother, for he did not wish to have children by her. In the days of the wedding-feast I gave Onan to her in marriage; and he also in wickedness did not know her, though he spent a year with her. And when I threatened him, he went in to her, but he spilled the seed on the ground, according to the command of his mother, and he also died through wickedness. And I wished to give Shelah to her also, but his mother did not permit it; for she worked evil against Tamar, because she was not of the daughters of Canaan, as she also herself was.”
“And I knew that the race of the Canaanites was wicked, but the impulse of youth blinded my mind. And when I saw her pouring out wine, owing to the intoxication of wine, I was deceived and took her although my father had not counseled [it]. And while I was away, she went and took a wife for Shelah from Canaan. And when I knew what she had done, I cursed her in the anguish of my soul. And she also died through her wickedness together with her sons.”
“And after these things, while Tamar was a widow, she heard after two years that I was going up to shear my sheep, and adorned herself in bridal array, and sat in the city Enaim by the gate. For it was a law of the Amorites that she who was about to marry should sit in fornication seven days by the gate. Therefore being drunk with wine, I did not recognize her; and her beauty deceived me, through the fashion of her adorning. And I turned aside to her, and said, Let me go in to you. And she said, What will you give me? And I gave her my staff, and my girdle, and the diadem of my kingdom in pledge. And I went in to her, and she conceived. And not knowing what I had done, I wished to slay her; but she privily sent my pledges and put me to shame. And when I called her, I also heard the secret words which I spoke when lying with her in my drunkenness; and I could not slay her, because it was from the Lord. For I said, Lest perhaps she did it in subtlety, having received the pledge from another woman. But I did not come near her again while I lived, because I had done this abomination in all Israel. Moreover, they who were in the city said there was no harlot in the gate, because she came from another place, and sat for a while in the gate. And I thought that no one knew that I had gone in to her. And after this, we came into Egypt to Joseph, because of the famine. And I was forty-six years old, and I lived in Egypt seventy-three years.”
“And now I command you, my children, listen to your father Judah, and keep my sayings to perform all the ordinances of the Lord, and to obey the commands of God. And do not walk after your lusts, nor in the imaginations of your thoughts in haughtiness of heart; and do not glory in the deeds and strength of your youth, for this is also evil in the eyes of the Lord. Since I also gloried that in wars no beautiful woman’s face ever enticed me, and reproved my brother Reuben concerning Bilhah, the wife of my father, the spirits of jealousy and of fornication arrayed themselves against me until I lay with Bathshua the Canaanite, and Tamar, who was espoused to my sons. For I said to my father-in-law, I will take counsel with my father, and so I will take your daughter. And he was unwilling, but he showed me a boundless store of gold in his daughter’s behalf, for he was a king. And he adorned her with gold and pearls and caused her to pour out wine for us at the feast with the beauty of women. And the wine turned my eyes aside, and pleasure blinded my heart. And I became enamored, and I laid with her, and transgressed the commandment of the Lord and the commandment of my fathers, and I took her to be [my] wife. And the Lord rewarded me according to the imagination of my heart, inasmuch as I had no joy in her children.”
“And now, my children, I say to you: do not be drunk with wine, for wine turns the mind away from the truth, and inspires the passion of lust, and leads the eyes into error. For the spirit of fornication has wine as a minister to give pleasure to the mind; for these two also take away the mind of man. For if a man drinks wine to drunkenness, it disturbs the mind with filthy thoughts leading to fornication and heats the body to carnal union; and if the occasion of the lust is present, he works the sin, and is not ashamed. Such is the inebriated man, my children; for he who is drunken reveres no man. For behold, it also made me to err, so that I was not ashamed of the multitude in the city, in that I turned aside to Tamar before the eyes of all, and I worked a great sin, and I uncovered the covering of my sons’ shame. After I had drunk wine, I did not revere the commandment of God, and I took a woman of Canaan to be [my] wife. For the man who drinks wine needs much discretion, my children; and herein is discretion in drinking wine: a man may drink so long as he preserves modesty. But if he goes beyond this limit, the spirit of deceit attacks his mind, and it makes the drunkard to talk filthily, and to transgress and not to be ashamed, but even to glory in his shame, and to account himself honorable.”
“He that commits fornication is not aware when he suffers loss and is not ashamed when put to dishonor. For even though a man is a king and commits fornication, he is stripped of his kingship by becoming the slave of fornication, as I myself also suffered. For I gave my staff, that is, the stay of my tribe; and my girdle, that is, my power; and my diadem, that is, the glory of my kingdom. And I indeed converted of these things; I did not eat wine and flesh until my old age, nor did I behold any joy. And the messenger of God showed me that women bear rule over king and beggar alike forever. And from the king they take away his glory, and from the valiant man his might, and from the beggar even that little which is the stay of his poverty.”
“Therefore observe, my children, the right limit in wine; for there are four evil spirits in it: of lust, of hot desire, of profligacy, [and] of shameful gain. If you drink wine in gladness, be modest in the fear of God. For if in [your] gladness the fear of God departs, then drunkenness arises and shamelessness steals in. But if you would live soberly, do not touch wine at all, lest you sin in words of outrage, and in fightings and slanders, and transgressions of the commandments of God, and you perish before your time. Moreover, wine reveals the mysteries of God and men, even as I also revealed the commandments of God and the mysteries of my father Jacob to the Canaanite woman Bathshua, which God commanded me not to reveal. And wine is a cause both of war and confusion.”
“And now, I command you, my children, not to love money, nor to gaze on the beauty of women, because for the sake of money and beauty I was led astray to Bathshua the Canaanite. [[2 For I know that because of these two things my race will fall into wickedness. For they will even mar wise men among my sons and will cause the kingdom of Judah to be diminished, which the Lord gave me because of my obedience to my father. For I never caused grief to my father Jacob, for all things, whatever he commanded, I did. And Isaac, the father of my father, blessed me to be king in Israel, and Jacob further blessed me in like manner. And I know that the kingdom will be established from me.”
“And I know what evils you will do in the last days.]] Beware, therefore, my children, of fornication, and the love of money, and listen to your father Judah. For these things withdraw you from the Law of God, || And blind the inclination of the soul, || And teach arrogance, || And do not permit a man to have compassion on his neighbor. They rob his soul of all goodness, || And oppress him with toils and troubles, || And drive away sleep from him, || And devour his flesh. And he hinders the sacrifices of God; And he does not remember the blessing of God, || He does not listen to a prophet when he speaks, || And resents the words of godliness. For he is a slave to two contrary passions, || And cannot obey God, || Because they have blinded his soul, || And he walks in the day as in the night.”
“My children, the love of money leads to idolatry, because, when led astray through money, men name as gods those who are not gods, and it causes him who has it to fall into madness. For the sake of money I lost my children and did not have my conversion and my humiliation; and had the prayers of my father [not] been accepted, I should have died childless. But the God of my fathers had mercy on me, because I did it in ignorance. And the prince of deceit blinded me, and I sinned as a man and as flesh, being corrupted through sins; and I learned my own weakness while thinking myself invincible.”
“Know, therefore, my children, that two spirits wait on man: the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit. And in the midst is the spirit of understanding of the mind, to which it belongs to turn wherever it will. And the works of truth and the works of deceit are written on the hearts of men, and the Lord knows each one of them. And there is no time at which the works of men can be hid, for on the heart itself they have been written down before the Lord. And the Spirit of truth testifies all things and accuses all; and the sinner is burned up by his own heart and cannot raise his face to the Judge.”
“And now, my children, I command you: love Levi, that you may abide, and do not exalt yourselves against him, lest you be utterly destroyed. For the Lord gave the kingdom to me, and the priesthood to him, and He set the kingdom beneath the priesthood. He gave the things on the earth to me [and] the things in the heavens to him. As the Heaven is higher than the earth, so is the priesthood of God higher than the earthly kingdom, unless it falls away through sin from the Lord and is dominated by the earthly kingdom. For the messenger of the Lord said to me, The Lord chose him rather than you to draw near to Him, and to eat of His table, and to offer Him the first-fruits of the choice things of the sons of Israel, but you will be king of Jacob. And you will be among them as the sea. For as, on the sea, [both] just and unjust are tossed around—some taken into captivity while some are enriched—so also will every race of men be in you; some will be impoverished, being taken captive, and others will grow rich by plundering the possessions of others. For the kings will be as sea-monsters; They will swallow men like fishes, || They will enslave the sons and daughters of free men, || They will plunder houses, lands, flocks, money, And with the flesh of many they will wrongfully feed the ravens and the cranes; And they will advance in evil, uplifted in covetousness, And there will be false prophets like tempests, || And they will persecute all righteous men.”
“And the Lord will bring on them divisions against one another. And there will be continual wars in Israel; And from among men of another race my kingdom will be brought to an end, || Until the salvation of Israel will come, || Until the appearing of the God of righteousness, || That Jacob [[and all the nations]] may rest in peace. And He will guard the might of my kingdom forever; For the Lord swore to me with an oath || That He would not destroy the kingdom from my seed forever.”
“Now I have much grief, my children, because of your lewdness, and witchcrafts, and idolatries which you will practice against the kingdom, following them that have familiar spirits, diviners, and demons of error. You will make your daughters singing girls and harlots, and you will mingle in the abominations of the nations. For which things’ sake the Lord will bring on you famine and pestilence, death and the sword, besieging by enemies, and revilings of friends, the slaughter of children, the rape of wives, the plundering of possessions, the burning of the temple of God, the laying waste of the land, the enslavement of yourselves among the nations. And they will make some of you eunuchs for their wives, until the Lord visits you, when with perfect heart you convert and walk in all His commandments, and He brings you up from captivity among the nations.”
“And after these things a star will arise to you from Jacob in peace, || And a Man will arise [[from my seed]], || Like the Sun of Righteousness, || Walking with the sons of men in meekness and righteousness; And no sin will be found in Him. And the heavens will be open to Him, || To pour out the Spirit, || [Even] the blessing of the Holy Father; And He will pour out the Spirit of grace on you; And you will be to Him sons in truth, || And you will walk in His commandments first and last— [[4 This Branch of God Most High, || And this Fountain giving life to all.]] Then the scepter of my kingdom will shine forth; And a stem will arise from your root; And a rod of righteousness will grow from it to the nations, || To judge and to save all that call on the Lord.”
“And after these things Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob will arise to life, and my brothers and I will be chiefs of the tribes of Israel: Levi first, I the second, Joseph third, Benjamin fourth, Simeon fifth, Issachar sixth, and so all in order. And the Lord blessed Levi; and the Messenger of the Presence, me; the powers of glory, Simeon; the Heaven, Reuben; the earth, Issachar; the sea, Zebulun; the mountains, Joseph; the Dwelling Place, Benjamin; the luminaries, Dan; Eden, Naphtali; the sun, Gad; the moon, Asher. And you will be the people of the Lord and have one tongue, and there will be no spirit of deceit of Belial there, for he will be cast into the fire forever. And they who have died in grief will arise in joy, || And they who were poor for the Lord’s sake will be made rich, || And they who are put to death for the Lord’s sake will awake to life. And the deer of Jacob will run in joyfulness, || And the eagles of Israel will fly in gladness; And all the people will glorify the Lord forever.”
“Therefore observe, my children, all the Law of the Lord, for there is hope for all them who hold fast to His ways.” And he said to them, “Behold, I die before your eyes this day—one hundred and nineteen years old. Let no one bury me in costly apparel, nor tear open my bowels, for this is what they who are kings do; and carry me up to Hebron with you.” And Judah, when he had said these things, fell asleep; and his sons did according to everything he commanded them, and they buried him in Hebron, with his fathers.
The copy of the words of Issachar. For he called his sons and said to them, “Listen, my children, to your father Issachar; give ear to the words of him who is beloved of the Lord. I was born the fifth son to Jacob, by way of hire for the mandrakes. For my brother Reuben brought in mandrakes from the field, and Rachel met him and took them. And Reuben wept, and at his voice my mother Leah came forth. Now these [mandrakes] were sweet-smelling apples which were produced in the land of Haran below a ravine of water. And Rachel said, I will not give them to you, but they will be to me instead of children. For the Lord has despised me, and I have not borne children to Jacob. Now there were two apples, and Leah said to Rachel, Is it enough for you that you have taken my husband? Will you take these also? And Rachel said to her, You will have Jacob this night for the mandrakes of your son. And Leah said to her, Jacob is mine, for I am the wife of his youth. But Rachel said, Do not boast, and do not vaunt yourself; for he espoused me before you, and he served our father fourteen years for my sake. And had craft not increased on the earth and had the wickedness of men [not] prospered, you would not now see the face of Jacob.”
“Then a messenger of the Lord appeared to Jacob, saying, Rachel will bear two children, inasmuch as she has refused company with her husband, and has chosen continency. And had my mother Leah not paid for the two apples for the sake of his company, she would have borne eight sons; for this reason, she bore six, and Rachel bore the two. For on account of the mandrakes the Lord visited her. For He knew that for the sake of children she wished to company with Jacob, and not for lust of pleasure. For also on the next day she again gave up Jacob. Because of the mandrakes, therefore, the Lord listened to Rachel. For though she desired them, she did not eat them, but offered them in the house of the Lord, presenting them to who was the priest of the Most High at that time.”
“When, therefore, I grew up, my children, I walked in uprightness of heart, and I became a farmer for my father and my brothers, and I brought in fruits from the field according to their season. And my father blessed me, for he saw that I walked in rectitude before him. And I was not a busybody in my doings, nor envious and malicious against my neighbor. I never slandered anyone, nor did I censure the life of any man, walking as I did in singleness of eye. Therefore, when I was thirty-five years old, I took a wife for myself, for my labor wore away my strength, and I never thought on pleasure with women, but owing to my toil, sleep overcame me. And my father always rejoiced in my rectitude, because I offered all first-fruits through the priest to the Lord—then to my father also. And the Lord increased ten thousandfold His benefits in my hands; and also Jacob, my father, knew that God aided my singleness. For on all the poor and oppressed I bestowed the good things of the earth in the singleness of my heart.”
“And now, listen to me, my children, || And walk in singleness of your heart, || For I have seen in it all that is well-pleasing to the Lord. The single-[minded] man does not covet gold, || He does not overreach his neighbor, || He does not long after manifold delicacies, || He does not delight in varied apparel. He does not desire to live a long life, || But only waits for the will of God. And the spirits of deceit have no power against him, || For he does not look on the beauty of women, || Lest he should pollute his mind with corruption. There is no envy in his thoughts; [[No malicious person makes his soul to pine away, ||]] Nor worry with insatiable desire in his mind. For he walks in singleness of soul, || And beholds all things in uprightness of heart, || Shunning eyes [made] evil through the error of the world, || Lest he should see the perversion of any of the commandments of the Lord.”
“Therefore, my children, keep the Law of God, || And get singleness. And walk in guilelessness, || Not playing the busybody with the business of your neighbor, But love the Lord and your neighbor, || Have compassion on the poor and weak. Bow down your back to farming, || And toil in labors in all manner of farming, || Offering gifts to the Lord with thanksgiving. For the Lord will bless you with the first-fruits of the earth, even as He blessed all the saints from Abel even until now. For no other portion is given to you than of the fatness of the earth, whose fruits are raised by toil. For our father Jacob blessed me with blessings of the earth and of first-fruits. And Levi and Judah were glorified by the Lord even among the sons of Jacob, for the Lord gave them an inheritance: indeed, He gave the priesthood to Levi and the kingdom to Judah. And you must therefore obey them and walk in the singleness of your father, [[for it has been given to Gad to destroy the troops that are coming on Israel]].”
“Therefore, my children, know that in the last times Your sons will forsake singleness, || And will cleave to insatiable desire; And leaving guilelessness will draw near to malice; And forsaking the commandments of the Lord, || They will cleave to Belial. And leaving farming, || They will follow after their own wicked devices, || And they will be dispersed among the nations, || And will serve their enemies. And, therefore, give these commands to your children, that, if they sin, they may [even] more quickly return to the Lord; for He is merciful, and will deliver them, even to bring them back into their land.”
“Behold, therefore, as you see, I am one hundred and twenty-six years old and am not conscious of committing any sin. I have not known any woman except my wife; I never committed fornication by the uplifting of my eyes. I did not drink wine to be led astray thereby; I did not covet any desirable thing that was my neighbor’s. Guile did not arise in my heart; A lie did not pass through my lips. If any man was in distress, || I joined my sighs with his, || And I shared my bread with the poor. I worked godliness, || [And] all my days I kept truth. I loved the Lord; Likewise also every man with all my heart. So you must also do these things, my children, || And every spirit of Belial will flee from you, || And no deed of wicked men will rule over you; And you will subdue every wild beast || Since you have the God of the heavens and earth with you; [And] walk with men in singleness of heart.” And having said these things, he commanded his sons that they should carry him up to Hebron, and bury him there in the cave with his fathers. And he stretched out his feet and died at a good old age; with every limb sound, and with strength unabated, he slept the continuous sleep.
The copy of the words of Zebulun, which he enjoined on his sons before he died in the one hundred and fourteenth year of his life, two years after the death of Joseph. And he said to them, “Listen to me, you sons of Zebulun, attend to the words of your father. I, Zebulun, was born [as] a good gift to my parents. For when I was born my father was increased very exceedingly, both in flocks and herds, when with the straked rods he had his portion. I am not conscious that I have sinned all my days, save in thought. Nor yet do I remember that I have done any iniquity, except the sin of ignorance which I committed against Joseph; for I covenanted with my brothers not to tell my father what had been done. But I wept [for] many days in secret on account of Joseph, for I feared my brothers, because they had all agreed that if anyone should declare the secret, he should be slain. But when they wished to kill him, I adjured them much with tears not to be guilty of this sin.”
“For Simeon and Gad came against Joseph to kill him, and he said to them with tears: Pity me, my brothers, have mercy on the bowels of our father Jacob. Do not lay your hands on me to shed innocent blood, for I have not sinned against you. And if I have indeed sinned, discipline me with disciplining, my brothers, but do not lay your hand on me for the sake of our father Jacob. And as he spoke these words, wailing as he did so, I was unable to bear his lamentations, and began to weep, and my liver was poured out, and all the substance of my bowels was loosened. And I wept with Joseph, and my heart sounded, and the joints of my body trembled, and I was not able to stand. And when Joseph saw me weeping with him, and them coming against him to slay him, he fled behind me, imploring them. But meanwhile Reuben arose and said, Come, my brothers, let us not slay him, but let us cast him into one of these dry pits, which our fathers dug and found no water. For this reason the Lord forbade that water should rise up in them, in order that Joseph should be preserved. And they did so, until they sold him to the Ishmaelites.”
“For I had no share in his price, my children. But Simeon, and Gad, and six other of our brothers took the price of Joseph, and bought sandals for themselves, and their wives, and their children, saying, We will not eat of it, for it is the price of our brother’s blood, but we will assuredly tread it under foot, because he said that he would be king over us, and so let us see what will become of his dreams. Therefore it is written in the writing of the Law of Moses that whosoever will not raise up seed to his brother, his sandal should be unloosed, and they should spit in his face. And the brothers of Joseph did not wish that their brother should live, and the Lord loosed from them the sandal which they wore against Joseph their brother. For when they came into Egypt they were unloosed by the servants of Joseph outside the gate, and so they paid respect to Joseph after the fashion of King Pharaoh. And not only did they pay respect to him, but were also spit on, falling down before him immediately, and so they were put to shame before the Egyptians. For after this the Egyptians heard all the evils that they had done to Joseph.”
“And after he was sold, my brothers sat down to eat and drink. But I, through pity for Joseph, did not eat, but watched the pit, since Judah feared lest Simeon, Dan, and Gad should rush off and slay him. But when they saw that I did not eat, they set me to watch him, until he was sold to the Ishmaelites. And when Reuben came and heard that [Joseph] had been sold while he was away, he tore his garments, [and] mourning, said, How will I look on the face of my father Jacob? And he took the money and ran after the merchants, but as he failed to find them, he returned grieving. But the merchants had left the broad road and marched through the Troglodytes by a short cut. But Reuben was grieved and ate no food that day. Therefore Dan came to him and said, Do not weep, neither grieve; for we have found what we can say to our father Jacob. Let us slay a kid of the goats and dip the coat of Joseph in it; and let us send it to Jacob, saying, Know, is this the coat of your son? And they did so. For they stripped off from Joseph his coat when they were selling him and put the garment of a slave on him. Now Simeon took the coat, and would not give it up, for he wished to tear it with his sword, as he was angry that Joseph lived and that he had not slain him. Then we all rose up and said to him, If you do not give up the coat, we will say to our father that you alone did this evil thing in Israel. And so he gave it to them, and they did even as Dan had said.”
“And now, my children, I bid you to keep the commands of the Lord, and to show mercy to your neighbors, and to have compassion toward all, not toward men only, but also toward beasts. For all this thing’s sake the Lord blessed me, and when all my brothers were sick, I escaped without sickness, for the Lord knows the purposes of each. Therefore, have compassion in your hearts, my children, because even as a man does to his neighbor, even so will the Lord do to him also. For the sons of my brothers were getting sick and dying on account of Joseph, because they did not show mercy in their hearts; but my sons were preserved without sickness, as you know. And when I was in the land of Canaan, by the seacoast, I made a catch of fish for my father Jacob; and when many were drowned in the sea, I continued unharmed.”
“I was the first to make a boat to sail on the sea, for the Lord gave me understanding and wisdom therein. And I let down a rudder behind it, and I stretched a sail on another upright piece of wood in the midst. And I sailed therein along the shores, catching fish for the house of my father until we came to Egypt. [[And through compassion I shared my catch with every stranger. And if a man was a stranger, or sick, or aged, I boiled the fish, and dressed them well, and offered them to all men, as every man had need, grieving with and having compassion on them. For this reason the Lord also satisfied me with abundance of fish when catching fish; for he that shares with his neighbor receives manifold more from the Lord.]] For five years I caught fish [[and gave thereof to every man whom I saw, and enough for all the house of my father]]. And in the summer I caught fish, and in the winter I kept sheep with my brothers.”
[[1 “Now I will declare to you what I did: I saw a man in distress through nakedness in wintertime, and had compassion on him, and secretly stole a garment from my father’s house, and gave it to him who was in distress. Therefore, my children, from that which God bestows on you, show compassion and mercy without hesitation to all men, and give to every man with a good heart. And if you do not have the means to give to him that needs, have compassion for him in yearnings of mercy. I know that my hand did not find the means to give to him that needed, and I walked with him weeping for seven furlongs, and my bowels yearned toward him in compassion.”
“Have, therefore, yourselves also, my children, compassion toward every man with mercy, that the Lord may also have compassion and mercy on you. Because also in the last days God will send His compassion on the earth, and wheresoever He finds yearnings of mercy He dwells in him. For in the degree in which a man has compassion on his neighbors, in the same degree the Lord also has [compassion] on him.]] And when we went down into Egypt, Joseph bore no malice against us. To whom taking heed, you also, my children, must approve yourselves without malice, and love one another; and do not set down in account—each one of you—evil against his brother. For this breaks unity and divides all kindred, and troubles the soul, and wears away the countenance.”
“Therefore, observe the waters and know when they flow together—they sweep along stones, trees, earth, and other things. But if they are divided into many streams, the earth swallows them up, and they vanish away. So you will also be if you are divided. Do not be, therefore, divided into two heads, for everything which the Lord made has but one head, and two shoulders, two hands, two feet, and all the remaining members. For I have learned in the writing of my fathers that you will be divided in Israel, and will follow two kings, and will work every abomination. And your enemies will lead you captive, and you will be treated evil among the nations with many infirmities and tribulations. And after these things you will remember the Lord, and convert, [[And He will cause you to return]]; for He is merciful and compassionate. And He does not set down in account evil to the sons of men, because they are flesh, and the spirits of deceit deceive them in all their deeds. And after these things the Lord Himself will arise to you—the Light of righteousness—[[and healing and compassion will be in His wings. He will redeem all the captivity of the sons of men from Belial, and every spirit of deceit will be trodden down]]. And He will bring back all the nations into zeal for Him. And you will return to your land. And you will see Him in Jerusalem, for His Name’s sake. And again through the wickedness of your works you will provoke Him to anger, and you will be cast away by Him to the time of consummation.”
“And now, my children, do not grieve that I am dying, nor be cast down in that I am coming to my end. For I will rise again in the midst of you, as a ruler in the midst of his sons; and I will rejoice in the midst of my tribe, as many as will keep the Law of the Lord and the commandments of their father Zebulun. But the Lord will bring continuous fire on the ungodly and destroy them throughout all generations. But I am now hastening away to my rest, as my fathers also did. But fear the Lord our God with all your strength all the days of your life.” And when he had said these things, he fell asleep at a good old age. And his sons laid him in a wooden coffin. And afterward they carried him up and buried him in Hebron with his fathers.
The copy of the words of Dan, which he spoke to his sons in his last days, in the one hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life. For he called together his family, and said, “Listen to my words, you sons of Dan; and give heed to the words of your father. I have proved in my heart, and in my whole life, that truth with just dealing is good and well pleasing to God, and that lying and anger are evil, because they teach man all wickedness. I confess, therefore, this day to you, my children, that in my heart I resolved on the death of my brother Joseph, the true and good man. [[5 And I rejoiced that he was sold, because his father loved him more than us.]] For the spirit of jealousy and vainglory said to me, You yourself are also his son. And one of the spirits of Belial stirred me up, saying, Take this sword, and slay Joseph with it, so your father will love you when he is dead. Now this is the spirit of anger that persuaded me to crush Joseph as a leopard crushes a kid. But the God of my fathers did not permit him to fall into my hands, so that I should find him alone and slay him and cause a second tribe to be destroyed in Israel.”
“And now, my children, behold, I am dying, and I tell you of a truth, that unless you keep yourselves from the spirit of lying and of anger, and love truth and longsuffering, you will perish. For anger is blindness and does not permit one to see the face of any man with truth. For though it may be a father or a mother, he behaves toward them as enemies; though it may be a brother, he does not know him; though it may be a prophet of the Lord, he disobeys him; though a righteous man, he does not regard him; though a friend, he does not acknowledge him. For the spirit of anger encompasses him with the net of deceit, and blinds his eyes, and through lying, darkens his mind, and gives him its own peculiar vision. And with which encompasses it—his eyes? With hatred of heart, so as to be envious of his brother.”
“For anger is an evil thing, my children, for it troubles even the soul itself. And it makes the body of the angry man its own, and it gets the mastery over his soul, and it bestows power on the body that it may work all iniquity. And when the body does all these things, the soul justifies what is done, since it does not see right. Therefore he that is wrathful, if he is a mighty man, has a threefold power in his anger: one by the help of his servants; and a second by his wealth, whereby he persuades and overcomes wrongfully; and thirdly, having his own natural power, he thereby works the evil. And though the wrathful man may be weak, yet he has a power twofold of that which is by nature, for wrath always aids such in lawlessness. This spirit always goes with lying at the right hand of Satan, that with cruelty and lying his works may be worked.”
“Therefore, understand the power of wrath, that it is vain. For it first of all gives provocation by word; then by deeds it strengthens him who is angry, and with sharp losses disturbs his mind, and so stirs up his soul with great wrath. Therefore, when anyone speaks against you, do not be moved to anger, [[and if any man praises you as holy men, do not be uplifted: do not be moved either to delight or to disgust]]. For first it pleases the hearing, and so makes the mind keen to perceive the grounds for provocation; and then being enraged, he thinks that he is justly angry. If you fall into any loss or ruin, my children, do not be afflicted, for this very spirit makes [a man] desire that which is perishable in order that he may be enraged through the affliction. And if you suffer loss voluntarily, or involuntarily, do not be vexed, for from vexation arises wrath with lying. Moreover, a twofold mischief is wrath with lying; and they assist one another in order to disturb the heart; and when the soul is continually disturbed, the Lord departs from it, and Belial rules over it.”
“Therefore observe, my children, the commandments of the Lord, and keep His law. Depart from wrath and hate lying, that the Lord may dwell among you and Belial may flee from you. Speak truth, each one, with his neighbor; so you will not fall into wrath and confusion, but you will be in peace, having the God of peace, so no war will prevail over you. Love the Lord throughout all your life, and [love] one another with a true heart. I know that in the last days you will depart from the Lord, and provoke Levi to anger, and fight against Judah, but you will not prevail against them, for a messenger of the Lord will guide them both; for by them Israel will stand. And whenever you depart from the Lord, you will walk in all evil and work the abominations of the nations, going whoring after women of the lawless ones while the spirits of wickedness work in you with all wickedness. [[6 For I have read in the scroll of Enoch, the righteous, that your prince is Satan, and that all the spirits of wickedness and pride will conspire to attend constantly on the sons of Levi, to cause them to sin before the Lord. And my sons will draw near to Levi, and sin with them in all things. And the sons of Judah will be covetous, plundering other men’s goods like lions.]] Therefore you will be led away [with them] into captivity, || And you will receive all the plagues of Egypt there, || And all the evils of the nations. And so when you return to the Lord you will obtain mercy, || And He will bring you into His sanctuary, || And He will give you peace. And there will arise to you from the tribe of [[Judah and of]] Levi the Salvation of the Lord; And He will make war against Belial || And execute an everlasting vengeance on our enemies; And He will take the captivity from Belial—[[the souls of the saints]], || And turn disobedient hearts to the Lord, || And give continuous peace to them that call on Him. And the saints will rest in Eden, || And the righteous will rejoice in the New Jerusalem, || And it will be to the glory of God forever. And Jerusalem will no longer endure desolation, || Nor will Israel be led captive, || For the Lord will be in the midst of it [[living among men]], || And the Holy One of Israel will reign over it [[in humility and in poverty; And he who believes on Him will reign among men in truth]].”
“And now, fear the Lord, my children, and beware of Satan and his spirits. Draw near to God and to the Messenger that intercedes for you, for He is a mediator between God and man, and for the peace of Israel He will stand up against the kingdom of the enemy. Therefore the enemy is eager to destroy all that call on the Lord. For he knows that on the day on which Israel will convert, the kingdom of the enemy will be brought to an end. For this very Messenger of peace will strengthen Israel, that it does not fall into the extremity of evil. And it will be in the time of the lawlessness of Israel that the Lord will not depart from them, but will transform them into a nation that does His will, for none of the messengers will be equal to Him. And His Name will be in every place in Israel and among the nations. Therefore keep yourselves, my children, from every evil work, and cast away wrath and all lying, and love truth and long-suffering. And also impart to your children the things which you have heard from your father [[that the Savior of the nations may receive you, for He is true and long-suffering, meek and lowly, and teaches the Law of God by His works]]. Therefore, depart from all unrighteousness, and cleave to the righteousness of God, and your race will be saved forever. And bury me near my fathers.”
And when he had said these things, he kissed them and fell asleep at a good old age. And his sons buried him, and after that they carried up his bones, and placed them near Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. [[3 Nevertheless, Dan prophesied to them that they should forget their God and should be alienated from the land of their inheritance, and from the race of Israel, and from the family of their seed.]]
The copy of the testament of Naphtali, which he ordained at the time of his death in the one hundred and thirtieth year of his life. When his sons were gathered together in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, while still in good health, he made them a feast of food and wine. And after he was awake in the morning, he said to them, “I am dying”; and they did not believe him. And as he glorified the Lord, he grew strong and said that after yesterday’s feast he should die. And he then began to say, “Hear, my children—you sons of Naphtali—hear the words of your father. I was born from Bilhah, and because Rachel dealt craftily, and gave Bilhah in place of herself to Jacob, and she conceived and bore me on Rachel’s knees, therefore she called my name Naphtali. For Rachel loved me very much because I was born on her lap; and when I was still young, she was accustomed to kiss me, and say, May I have a brother of yours from my own womb, like to you. From where also Joseph was like to me in all things, according to the prayers of Rachel. Now my mother was Bilhah, daughter of Rotheus, the brother of Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, who was born on one and the same day with Rachel. And Rotheus was of the family of Abraham, a Chaldean, God-fearing, free-born, and noble. And he was taken captive and was bought by Laban; and he gave him his handmaid Euna to be [his] wife, and she bore a daughter and called her name Zilpah after the name of the village in which he had been taken captive. And next she bore Bilhah, saying, My daughter hastens after what is new, for as soon as she was born she seized the breast and hastened to suck it.”
“And I was swift on my feet like the deer, and my father Jacob appointed me for all messages, and he gave me his blessing as a deer. For as the potter knows how much the vessel is to contain, and brings clay accordingly, so also the Lord makes the body after the likeness of the spirit, and He implants the spirit according to the capacity of the body. And the one does not fall short of the other by a third part of a hair; for by weight, and measure, and rule was all the creation made. And as the potter knows the use of each vessel, what it is appropriate for, so also the Lord knows the body, how far it will persist in goodness, and when it begins in evil. For there is no inclination or thought which the Lord does not know, for He created every man after His own image. As a man’s strength, so also is his work; and as his mind, so also is his skill; and as his purpose, so also is his achievement; and as his heart, so also is his mouth; as his eye, so also is his sleep; as his soul, so also is his word, either in the Law of the Lord or in the works of Belial. And as there is a division between light and darkness, between seeing and hearing, so also is there a division between man and man, and between woman and woman; and it is not to be said that the one is like the other, either in face or in mind. For God made all things good in their order: the five senses in the head (and He joined the neck to the head, also adding the hair to it for comeliness and glory), then the heart for understanding, the belly for excrement, and the stomach for [grinding], the windpipe for taking in [the breath], the liver for wrath, the gall for bitterness, the spleen for laughter, the reins for prudence, the muscles of the loins for power, the lungs for drawing in, the loins for strength, and so forth. So then, my children, let all your works be done in order with good intent in the fear of God, and do nothing disorderly in scorn or out of its due season. For if you command the eye to hear, it cannot; so neither can you do the works of light while you are in darkness.”
“Therefore, do not be eager to corrupt your doings through covetousness or to deceive your souls with vain words, because if you keep silence in purity of heart, you will understand how to hold fast the will of God and to cast away the will of Belial. Sun, and moon, and stars do not change their order; so you also must not change the Law of God in the disorderliness of your doings. The nations went astray, and forsook the Lord, and changed their order, and obeyed stocks and stones, spirits of deceit. But you will not be so, my children, recognizing in the expanse, in the earth, and in the sea, and in all created things, the Lord who made all things, that you do not become as Sodom, which changed the order of nature. In like manner the Watchers also changed the order of their nature, whom the Lord cursed at the flood, on whose account He made the earth without inhabitants and fruitless.”
“These things I say to you, my children, for I have read in the writing of Enoch that you yourselves will also depart from the Lord, walking according to all the lawlessness of the nations, and you will do according to all the wickedness of Sodom. And the Lord will bring captivity on you, and there you will serve your enemies, and you will be bowed down with every affliction and tribulation, until the Lord has consumed you all. And after you have become diminished and made few, you will return and acknowledge the Lord your God, and He will bring you back into your land, according to His abundant mercy. And it will be that after they come into the land of their fathers, they will again forget the Lord and become ungodly. And the Lord will scatter them on the face of all the earth, until the Compassion of the Lord will come—a Man working righteousness and working mercy to all of them that are far off, and to them that are near.”
“For in the fortieth year of my life, I saw a vision on the Mount of Olives, on the east of Jerusalem, that the sun and the moon were standing still. And behold, Isaac, the father of my father, said to us, Run and lay hold of them, each one according to his strength; and the sun and moon will belong to him that seizes them. And all of us ran together, and Levi laid hold of the sun, and Judah outstripped the others and seized the moon, and both of them were lifted up with them. And when Levi became as [the] sun, behold, a certain young man gave twelve palm branches to him; and Judah was bright as the moon, and under their feet were twelve rays. [[6 And the two, Levi and Judah, ran, and laid hold of them,]] and a bull on the earth, with two great horns, and an eagle’s wings on its back; and we wished to seize him, but could not. But Joseph came, and seized him, and ascended up with him on high. And I saw, for I was there, and behold, a holy writing appeared to us, saying, Assyrians, Medes, Persians, [[Chaldeans,]] [and] Syrians will possess in captivity the twelve tribes of Israel.”
“And again after seven days I saw our father Jacob standing by the Sea of Jamnia, and we were with him. And behold, there came a ship sailing by, without sailors or pilot; and there was written on the ship: The Ship of Jacob. And our father said to us, Come, let us embark on our ship. And when he had gone on board, there arose a vehement storm, and a mighty tempest of wind; and our father, who was holding the helm, departed from us. And we, being tossed with the tempest, were borne along over the sea; and the ship was filled with water, [and was] pounded by mighty waves, until it was broken up. And Joseph fled away on a little boat, and we were all divided on nine planks, and Levi and Judah were together. And we were all scattered to the ends of the earth. Then Levi, girt around with sackcloth, prayed for us all to the Lord. And when the storm ceased, the ship reached the land as it were in peace. And our father came, and we all rejoiced with one accord.”
“I told these two dreams to my father; and he said to me, These things must be fulfilled in their season, after Israel has endured many things. Then my father says to me, I believe God that Joseph lives, for I see that the Lord always numbers him with you. And he said, weeping, Ah me! My son Joseph, you live, though I do not see you, and you do not see Jacob who begot you. He caused me also, therefore, to weep by these words, and I burned in my heart to declare that Joseph had been sold, but I feared my brothers.”
“And behold, my children, I have shown the last times to you, how everything will come to pass in Israel. Therefore, also charge your children that they should be united to Levi and to Judah: For salvation will arise to Israel through them, || And Jacob will be blessed in them. For through their tribes God will appear [dwelling among men] on earth, || To save the race of Israel, || And to gather together the righteous from among the nations. If you work that which is good, my children, || Both men and messengers will bless you; And God will be glorified among the nations through you, || And the Devil will flee from you, || And the wild beasts will fear you, || And the Lord will love you, || [[And the messengers will cleave to you]]. As a man who has trained a child well is kept in kindly remembrance, || So also for a good work there is a good remembrance before God. But him that does not [do] that which is good, || Both messengers and men will curse, || And God will be dishonored among the nations through him, || And the Devil will make him as his own peculiar instrument, || And every wild beast will master him, || And the Lord will hate him. For the commandments of the Law are twofold, || And through prudence they must be fulfilled. For there is a season for a man to embrace his wife, || And a season to abstain from that for his prayer. So then, there are two commandments, and unless they are done in due order, they bring very great sin on men. So it is also with the other commandments. Therefore, be wise in God, my children, and prudent, understanding the order of His commandments and the laws of every word that the Lord may love you.”
And when he had charged them with many such words, he exhorted them that they should remove his bones to Hebron, and that they should bury him with his fathers. And when he had eaten and drunken with a merry heart, he covered his face and died. And his sons did according to all that their father Naphtali had commanded them.
The copy of the testament of Gad, what things he spoke to his sons in the one hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life, saying to them, “Listen, my children. I was the ninth son born to Jacob, and I was valiant in keeping the flocks. Accordingly, I guarded the flock at night; and whenever the lion came, or the wolf, or any wild beast against the fold, I pursued it, and overtaking [it], I seized its foot with my hand and hurled it about a stone’s throw, and so killed it. Now my brother Joseph was feeding the flock with us for upwards of thirty days, and being young, he fell sick by reason of the heat. And he returned to Hebron to our father, who made him lie down near him, because he loved him greatly. And Joseph told our father that the sons of Zilpah and Bilhah were slaying the best of the flock and eating them against the judgment of Reuben and Judah. For he saw that I had delivered a lamb out of the mouth of a bear and put the bear to death, but had slain the lamb, being grieved concerning it that it could not live, and that we had eaten it. And regarding this matter, I was angry with Joseph until the day that he was sold, and the spirit of hatred was in me, and I did not wish either to hear of Joseph with the ears or see him with the eyes, because he rebuked us to our faces, saying that we were eating of the flock without Judah. For whatever things he told our father, he believed him.”
“I now confess my sin, my children, that oftentimes I wished to kill him, because I hated him from my heart. Moreover, I hated him even more for his dreams; and I wished to lick him out of the land of the living, even as an ox licks up the grass of the field. Therefore Simeon and I sold him to the Ishmaelites [[for thirty pieces of gold, and ten of them we hid, and showed the twenty to our brothers]] And thus we were bent on slaying him through covetousness. And the God of my fathers delivered him from my hands, that I should not work lawlessness in Israel.”
“And now, my children, listen to the words of truth to work righteousness, and all the Law of the Most High, and do not go astray through the spirit of hatred, for it is evil in all the doings of men. Whatever a man does, the hater abominates himself: and though a man works the Law of the Lord, he does not praise Him; though a man fears the Lord, and takes pleasure in that which is righteous, he does not love Him. He disparages the truth, he envies him that prospers, he welcomes evil-speaking, he loves arrogance, for hatred blinds his soul—as I also then looked on Joseph.”
“Therefore, beware of hatred, my children, for it even works lawlessness against the Lord Himself. For it will not hear the words of His commandments concerning the loving of one’s neighbor, and it sins against God. For if a brother stumbles, it immediately delights to proclaim it to all men, and is urgent that he should be judged for it, and be punished, and be put to death. And if it is a servant, it stirs him up against his master, and with every affliction it devises against him [that], if it were possible, he can be put to death. For hatred also works with envy against them that prosper; so long as it hears of or sees their success, it always languishes. For as love would even give life to the dead and would call back them that are condemned to die, so hatred would slay the living, and it would not permit those that had sinned to live. For the spirit of hatred works together with Satan, through hastiness of spirit, in all things to men’s death; but the spirit of love works together with the Law of God in long-suffering to the salvation of men.”
“Therefore hatred is evil, for it constantly mates with lying, speaking against the truth; and it makes small things to be great, and causes the light to be darkness, and calls the sweet bitter, and teaches slander, and kindles wrath, and stirs up war, and violence, and all covetousness; it fills the heart with evils and devilish poison. Therefore, I say these things to you from experience, my children, that you may drive hatred away, which is of the Devil, and cleave to the love of God. Righteousness casts out hatred, humility destroys envy. For he that is just and humble is ashamed to do what is unjust, not being reproved by another, but by his own heart, because the Lord looks on his inclination. He does not speak against a holy man, because the fear of God overcomes hatred. For fearing lest he should offend the Lord, he will not do wrong to any man, even in thought. I learned these things at last, after I had converted concerning Joseph. For true conversion after a godly sort [[destroys ignorance, and]] drives away the darkness, and enlightens the eyes, and gives knowledge to the soul, and leads the mind to salvation. And those things which it has not learned from man, it knows through conversion. For God brought a disease of the liver on me; and had the prayers of my father Jacob not aided me, my spirit would have surely departed. For by what things a man transgresses, by the same he is also punished. Since, therefore, my liver was mercilessly set against Joseph, I too suffered in my liver mercilessly, and was judged for eleven months, for so long a time as I had been angry against Joseph.”
“And now, my children, I exhort each one of you to love his brother and put away hatred from your hearts. Love one another in deed, and in word, and in the inclination of the soul. For I spoke peaceably to Joseph in the presence of my father, and when I had gone out, the spirit of hatred darkened my mind, and stirred up my soul to slay him. Therefore love one another from the heart; and if a man sins against you, cast out the poison of hate and speak peaceably to him, and do not hold guile in your soul; and if he confesses and converts, forgive him. But if he denies it, do not get into a passion with him, lest catching the poison from you, he takes to swearing and so you sin doubly. [[5 Do not let another man hear your secrets when engaged in legal strife, lest he comes to hate you, and becomes your enemy, and commits a great sin against you; for oftentimes he addresses you cunningly or busies himself concerning you with wicked intent.]] And though he denies it and yet has a sense of shame when reproved, give over reproving him. For he who denies may convert so as not to wrong you again; yes, he may also honor you, and be at peace with you. And if he is shameless and persists in his wrongdoing, even so forgive him from the heart, and leave the avenging to God.”
“If a man prospers more than you, do not be vexed, but also pray for him, that he may have perfect prosperity. For so it is expedient for you. And if he is further exalted, do not be envious of him, remembering that all flesh will die; and offer praise to God, who gives good and profitable things to all men. Seek out the judgments of the Lord and your mind will rest and be at peace. And though a man becomes rich by evil means, even as Esau, the brother of my father, do not be jealous, but wait for the end from the Lord. For if he takes away [from a man] wealth (gotten by evil means), He forgives him if he converts, but the unconverted is reserved for continuous punishment. For the poor man, if free from envy, pleases the Lord in all things—he is blessed beyond all men, because he does not have the travail of vain men. Therefore put away jealousy from your souls and love one another with uprightness of heart.”
“Therefore, tell these things to your children, that they may honor Judah and Levi, for the Lord will raise up salvation to Israel from them. [[2 For I know that at the end your children will depart from Him, and will walk in all wickedness, and affliction, and corruption before the Lord.]]” And when he had rested for a little while, he said again, “My children, obey your father, and bury me near to my fathers.” And he drew up his feet and fell asleep in peace. And after five years they carried him up to Hebron and laid him with his fathers.
The copy of the Testament of Asher, what things he spoke to his sons in the one hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life. For while he was still in health, he said to them, “Listen, you children of Asher, to your father, and I will declare to you all that is upright in the sight of the Lord. God has given two ways to the sons of men, and two inclinations, and two kinds of action, and two modes [of action], and two issues. Therefore all things are by twos—one over against the other. For there are two ways of good and evil, and with these are the two inclinations in our breasts discriminating them. Therefore if the soul takes pleasure in the good [inclination], all its actions are in righteousness; and if it sins it immediately converts. For, having its thoughts set on righteousness, and casting away wickedness, it immediately overthrows the evil, and uproots the sin. But if it inclines to the evil inclination, all its actions are in wickedness, and it drives away the good, and cleaves to the evil, and is ruled by Belial; even though it works what is good, he perverts it to evil. For whenever it begins to do good, he forces the issue of the action into evil for him, seeing that the treasure of the inclination is filled with an evil spirit.”
“A person may then with words help the good for the sake of the evil, yet the issue of the action leads to mischief. There is a man who shows no compassion on him who serves his turn in evil; and this thing has two aspects, but the whole is evil. And there is a man that loves him that works evil, because he would prefer even to die in evil for his sake; and concerning this it is clear that it has two aspects, but the whole is an evil work. Though indeed he has love, yet he is wicked who conceals what is evil for the sake of the good name, but the end of the action tends to evil. Another steals, does unjustly, plunders, defrauds, and moreover pities the poor: this too has a twofold aspect, but the whole is evil. He who defrauds his neighbor provokes God, and swears falsely against the Most High, and yet pities the poor: he sets the Lord who commands the Law at nothing and provokes [Him], and yet he refreshes the poor. He defiles the soul, and makes the body happy; he kills many, and pities a few: this, too, has a twofold aspect, but the whole is evil. Another commits adultery and fornication, and abstains from meats, and when he fasts, he does evil, and by the power of his wealth overwhelms many; and notwithstanding his excessive wickedness, he does the commandments: this, too, has a twofold aspect, but the whole is evil. Such men are hares—clean, like those that divide the hoof, but in very deed are unclean. For God has thus declared in the tablets of the commandments.”
“But do not, my children, wear two faces like to them—of goodness and of wickedness; but cleave to goodness only, for God has His habitation therein, and men desire it. But flee away from wickedness, destroying the [evil] inclination by your good works; for they that are double-faced do not serve God, but their own lusts, so that they may please Belial and men like to themselves.”
“For good men, even they that are of single face, though they are thought by them that are double-faced to sin, are just before God. For many in killing the wicked do two works, of good and evil; but the whole is good, because he has uprooted and destroyed that which is evil. One man hates the merciful and unjust man, and the man who commits adultery and fasts: this, too, has a twofold aspect, but the whole work is good, because he follows the Lord’s example, in that he does not accept the seemingly good as the genuine good. Another does not desire to see a good day with them that riot, lest he defile his body and pollute his soul: this, too, is double-faced, but the whole is good. For such men are like to stags and to hinds, because in the manner of wild animals they seem to be unclean, but they are altogether clean, because they walk in zeal for the Lord and abstain from what God also hates and forbids by His commandments, warding off the evil from the good.”
“You see, my children, how that there are two in all things—one against the other, and the one is hidden by the other: in wealth [is hidden] covetousness, in conviviality drunkenness, in laughter grief, in wedlock profligacy. Death succeeds to life, dishonor to glory, night to day, and darkness to light; [[and all things are under the day, just things under life, unjust things under death;]] for what reason also, continuous life awaits death. Nor may it be said that truth is a lie, nor right wrong, for all truth is under the light, even as all things are under God. All these things, therefore, I proved in my life, and I did not wander from the truth of the Lord, and I searched out the commandments of the Most High, walking according to all my strength with singleness of face to that which is good.”
“Therefore, you also take heed, my children, to the commandments of the Lord, following the truth with singleness of face. For they that are double-faced are guilty of a twofold sin, for they both do the evil thing and they have pleasure in them that do it, following the example of the spirits of deceit, and striving against mankind. Therefore, my children, keep the Law of the Lord and do not give heed to evil as to good, but look to the thing that is really good and keep it in all commandments of the Lord, having your conversation therein, and resting therein. For the latter ends of men show their righteousness [[or unrighteousness]], when they meet the messengers of the Lord and of Satan. For when the soul departs troubled, it is tormented by the evil spirit which it also served in lusts and evil works. But if he is peaceful with joy, he meets the messenger of peace, and he leads him into continuous life.”
“Do not become, my children, as Sodom, which sinned against the messengers of the Lord, and perished forever. For I know that you will sin, and be delivered into the hands of your enemies, and your land will be made desolate, and your holy places destroyed, and you will be scattered to the four corners of the earth. And you will be set at nothing in the dispersion, vanishing away as water until the Most High will visit the earth, coming Himself [[as a Man, eating and drinking with men, and breaking the head of the dragon in the water. He will save Israel and all the nations—God speaking in the person of [this] Man. Therefore you also, my children, tell these things to your children that they do not disobey Him. For I have known that you will assuredly be disobedient, and assuredly act ungodly, not giving heed to the Law of God, but to the commandments of men, being corrupted through wickedness. And therefore you will be scattered as my brothers Gad and Dan, and you will not know your lands, tribe, and tongue. But the Lord will gather you together in faith through His tender mercy, and for the sake of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.]]”
And when he had said these things to them, he commanded them, saying, “Bury me in Hebron.” And he fell asleep and died at a good old age. And his sons did as he had commanded them, and they carried him up to Hebron and buried him with his fathers.
The copy of the Testament of Joseph. When he was about to die, he called his sons and his brothers together and said to them, “My brothers and my children, || Listen to Joseph, the beloved of Israel; Give ear, my sons, to your father. I have seen in my life envy and death, || Yet I did not go astray, but persevered in the truth of the Lord. These brothers of mine hated me, but the Lord loved me; They wished to slay me, but the God of my fathers guarded me; They let me down into a pit, and the Most High brought me up again; I was sold into slavery, and the Lord of all made me free; I was taken into captivity, and His strong hand aided me; I was beset with hunger, and the Lord Himself nourished me; I was alone, and God comforted me; I was sick, and the Lord visited me; I was in prison, and my God showed favor to me; In bonds, and He released me; Slandered, and He pleaded my cause; Bitterly spoken against by the Egyptians, and He delivered me; Envied by my fellow-slaves, and He exalted me.”
“And this chief captain of Pharaoh entrusted his house to me. And I struggled against a shameless woman, urging me to transgress with her, but the God of my father Israel delivered me from the burning flame. I was cast into prison, I was beaten, I was mocked, but the Lord granted me to find mercy in the sight of the keeper of the prison. For the Lord does not forsake them that fear Him, || Neither in darkness, nor in bonds, nor in tribulations, nor in necessities. For God is not put to shame as a man, || Nor as the son of man is He afraid, || Nor as one that is earth-born is He [weak or] frightened. But in all those things He gives protection, || And He comforts in various ways, || [Though] for a short time He departs to try the inclination of the soul. In ten temptations He showed me approved, || And in all of them I endured; For endurance is a mighty charm, || And patience gives many good things.”
“How often did the Egyptian woman threaten me with death! How often did she give me over to punishment, and then call me back and threaten me, and when I was unwilling to company with her, she said to me, You will be lord of me, and all that is in my house, if you will give yourself to me, and you will be as our master. But I remembered the words of my father, and going into my chamber, I wept and prayed to the Lord. And I fasted in those seven years, and I appeared to the Egyptians as one living delicately, for they that fast for God’s sake receive beauty of face. And if my lord was away from home, I drank no wine; nor for three days did I take my food, but I gave it to the poor and sick. And I sought the Lord early, and I wept for the Egyptian woman of Memphis, for she troubled me very unceasingly, for she also came to me at night under pretense of visiting me. And because she had no male child, she pretended to regard me as a son, and so I prayed to the Lord, and she bore a male child. And for a time she embraced me as a son, and I did not know it, but later, she sought to draw me into fornication. And when I perceived it, I sorrowed to death; and when she had gone out, I came to myself, and lamented for her many days, because I recognized her guile and her deceit. And I declared the words of the Most High to her, if perhaps she would turn from her evil lust.”
“Therefore, she often flattered me with words as a holy man, and guilefully in her talk praised my chastity before her husband, while desiring to ensnare me when we were alone. For she lauded me openly as chaste, and in secret she said to me, Do not fear my husband, for he is persuaded concerning your chastity. For even should one tell him concerning us, he would not believe [it]. Owing to all these things, I lay on the ground, and implored God that the Lord would deliver me from her deceit. And when she had not prevailed thereby, she came to me again under the plea of instruction, that she might learn the word of God. And she said to me, If you will that I should leave my idols, lie with me, and I will persuade my husband to depart from his idols, and we will walk in the Law of your Lord. And I said to her, The Lord does not will that those who revere Him should be in uncleanness, nor does He take pleasure in them that commit adultery, but in those that approach Him with a pure heart and undefiled lips. But she held her peace, longing to accomplish her evil desire. And I gave myself even more to fasting and prayer, that the Lord might deliver me from her.”
“And again, at another time she said to me, If you will not commit adultery, I will kill my husband by poison and take you to be my husband. I therefore, when I heard this, tore my garments, and said to her, Woman, revere God, and do not do this evil deed, lest you be destroyed; for indeed know that I will declare this scheme of yours to all men. She therefore, being afraid, implored that I would not declare this scheme. And she departed, soothing me with gifts, and sending to me every delight of the sons of men.”
“And afterward she sent me food mingled with enchantments. And when the eunuch who brought it came, I looked up and beheld a terrible man giving me a sword with the dish, and I perceived that [her] scheme was to deceive me. And when he had gone out, I wept, nor did I taste that or any other of her food. So then after one day she came to me and observed the food, and said to me, Why is it that you have not eaten of the food? And I said to her, It is because you have filled it with deadly enchantments; and how you said, I do not come near to idols, but to the Lord alone. Now therefore know that the God of my father has revealed your wickedness to me by His messenger, and I have kept it to convict you, if perhaps you may see and convert. But that you may learn that the wickedness of the ungodly has no power over them that worship God with chastity, behold, I will take of it and eat before you. And having said so, I prayed thus: The God of my fathers and the Messenger of Abraham, be with me; and [then] I ate. And when she saw this she fell on her face at my feet, weeping; and I raised her up and admonished her. And she promised to do this iniquity no longer.”
“But her heart was still set on evil, and she looked around [regarding] how to ensnare me, and sighing deeply, she became downcast, though she was not sick. And when her husband saw her, he said to her, Why is your countenance fallen? And she said to him, I have a pain at my heart, and the groanings of my spirit oppress me; and so he comforted her who was not sick. Then, accordingly seizing an opportunity, she rushed to me while her husband was still outside, and said to me, I will hang myself or cast myself over a cliff if you will not lie with me. And when I saw the spirit of Belial was troubling her, I prayed to the Lord and said to her, Why, wretched woman, are you troubled and disturbed, blinded through sins? Remember that if you kill yourself, Asteho, the concubine of your husband, your rival, will beat your children, and you will destroy your memorial from off the earth. And she said to me, Behold, then you love me; let this be enough for me: only strive for my life and my children, and I expect that I will also enjoy my desire. But she did not know that I spoke this because of my lord, and not because of her. For if a man has fallen before the passion of a wicked desire and become enslaved by it even as she, whatever good thing he may hear with regard to that passion, he receives it with a view to his wicked desire.”
“Therefore, I declare to you, my children, that it was about the sixth hour when she departed from me; and I knelt before the Lord all day, and all the night; and about dawn I arose, weeping and praying for a release from her. At last, then, she laid hold of my garments, forcibly dragging me to have relations with her. Therefore, when I saw that in her madness she was holding fast to my garment, I left it behind, and fled away naked. And holding fast to the garment, she falsely accused me, and when her husband came, he cast me into [the] prison in his house; and on the next day he scourged me and sent me into Pharaoh’s prison. And when I was in bonds, the Egyptian woman was oppressed with grief, and she came and heard how I gave thanks to the Lord and sang praises in the abode of darkness, and with glad voice rejoiced, glorifying my God that I was delivered from the lustful desire of the Egyptian woman.”
“And often she sent to me, saying, Consent to fulfill my desire, and I will release you from your bonds, and I will free you from the darkness. And not even in thought did I incline to her. For God loves him who in a den of wickedness combines fasting with chastity, rather than the man who in kings’ chambers combines luxury with license. And if a man lives in chastity, and also desires glory, and the Most High knows that it is expedient for him, He also bestows this on me. How often, though she were sick, did she come down to me at [the] unwatched times, and listened to my voice as I prayed! And when I heard her groanings I held my peace. For when I was in her house, she was accustomed to bare her arms, and breasts, and legs, that I might lie with her, for she was very beautiful, splendidly adorned in order to deceive me. And the Lord guarded me from her devices.”
“You see, therefore, my children, how great things patience works, and prayer with fasting. So you too, if you follow after chastity and purity with patience and prayer, with fasting in humility of heart, the Lord will dwell among you, because He loves chastity. And wheresoever the Most High dwells, even though envy, or slavery, or slander befalls [a man], the Lord who dwells in him, for the sake of his chastity, not only delivers him from evil, but also exalts him even as me. For in every way the man is lifted up, whether in deed, or in word, or in thought. My brothers knew how my father loved me, and yet I did not exalt myself in my mind; although I was a child, I had the fear of God in my heart, for I knew that all things would pass away. And I did not raise myself [against them] with evil intent, but I honored my brothers; and out of respect for them, even when I was being sold, I refrained from telling the Ishmaelites that I was a son of Jacob, a great and mighty man.”
“My children, have the fear of God in all your works before your eyes, and honor your brothers. For everyone who does the Law of the Lord will be loved by Him. And when I came to the Indocolpitae with the Ishmaelites, they asked me, saying, Are you a slave? And I said that I was a homeborn slave, that I might not put my brothers to shame. And the eldest of them said to me, You are not a slave, for even your appearance makes it manifest. But I said that I was their slave. Now when we came into Egypt, they strove concerning me, which of them should buy me and take me. Therefore it seemed good to all that I should remain in Egypt with the merchant of their trade, until they should return bringing merchandise. And the Lord gave me favor in the eyes of the merchant, and he entrusted his house to me. And God blessed him by my means and increased him in gold, and silver, and in household servants. And I was with him three months and five days.”
“And about that time the Memphian woman, the wife of Potiphar, came down in a chariot with great pomp, because she had heard from her eunuchs concerning me. And she told her husband that the merchant had become rich by means of a young Hebrew, and they say that he had assuredly been stolen out of the land of Canaan. Now therefore, render justice to him, and take the youth away to your house, so the God of the Hebrews will bless you, for grace from Heaven is on him.”
“And Potiphar was persuaded by her words, and commanded the merchant to be brought, and said to him, What is this that I hear concerning you, that you steal persons out of the land of Canaan and sell them for slaves? But the merchant fell at his feet and implored him, saying, I implore you, my lord, I do not know what you say. And Potiphar said to him, From where, then, is the Hebrew slave? And he said, The Ishmaelites entrusted him to me until they should return. But he did not believe him, but commanded him to be stripped and beaten. And when he persisted in this statement, Potiphar said, Let the youth be brought. And when I was brought in, I paid respect to Potiphar (for he was third in rank of the officers of Pharaoh). And he took me apart from him, and said to me, Are you a slave or free? And I said, A slave. And he said, Whose? And I said, The Ishmaelites. And he said, How did you become their slave? And I said, They bought me out of the land of Canaan. And he said to me, You truly lie; and immediately he commanded me to be stripped and beaten.”
“Now the Memphian woman was looking through a window at me while I was being beaten, for her house was near, and she sent to him, saying, Your judgment is unjust, for you punish a free man who has been stolen, as though he were a transgressor. And when I made no change in my statement, though I was beaten, he ordered me to be imprisoned, until, he said, the owners of the boy should come. And the woman said to her husband, For what reason do you detain the captive and well-born youth in bonds, who ought rather to be set at liberty, and be waited on? For she wished to see me out of a desire of sin, but I was ignorant concerning all these things. And he said to her, It is not the custom of the Egyptians to take that which belongs to others before proof is given. This, therefore, he said concerning the merchant; [and he said,] But as for the youth, he must be imprisoned.”
“Now after twenty-four days the Ishmaelites came, for they had heard that my father Jacob was mourning much concerning me. And they came and said to me, How is it that you said that you were a slave? And behold, we have learned that you are the son of a mighty man in the land of Canaan, and your father still mourns for you in sackcloth and ashes. When I heard this, my bowels were dissolved, and my heart melted, and I greatly desired to weep, but I restrained myself, that I should not put my brothers to shame. And I said to them, I do not know, I am a slave. Then, therefore, they took counsel to sell me, that I should not be found in their hands. For they feared my father, lest he [should come and] execute on them a grievous vengeance. For they had heard that he was mighty with God and with men. Then the merchant said to them, Release me from the judgment of Potiphar. And they came and requested me, saying, Say that you were bought by us with money, and he will set us free.”
“Now the Memphian woman said to her husband, Buy the youth; for I hear, she said, that they are selling him. And she immediately sent a eunuch to the Ishmaelites and asked them to sell me. But since the eunuch would not agree to buy me [at their price], he returned, having made trial of them, and he made known to his mistress that they requested a large price for their slave. And she sent another eunuch, saying, Even though they demand two minas, give [it to] them, do not spare the gold; only buy the boy, and bring him to me. The eunuch therefore went and gave them eighty pieces of gold, and he received me; but he said to the Egyptian woman, I have given one hundred. And though I knew [this], I held my peace, lest the eunuch should be put to shame.”
“You see, therefore, my children, what great things I endured that I should not put my brothers to shame. You also, therefore, love one another, and with long-suffering hide one another’s faults. For God delights in the unity of brothers, and in the purpose of a heart that takes pleasure in love. And when my brothers came into Egypt, they learned that I had returned their money to them and had not scolded them, and I comforted them. And I loved them more abundantly after the death of my father Jacob; and all things, whatever he commanded, I did very abundantly for them, and I did not allow them to be afflicted in the smallest matter; and I gave all that was in my hand to them. And their children were my children, and my children as their servants; and their life was my life, and all their suffering was my suffering, and all their sickness was my infirmity. My land was their land, and their counsel my counsel. And I did not exalt myself among them in arrogance because of my worldly glory, but I was among them as one of the least.”
“Therefore, if you also walk in the commandments of the Lord, my children, He will exalt you there, and will bless you with good things forever and ever. And if anyone seeks to do evil to you, do well to him, and pray for him, and you will be redeemed of the Lord from all evil. Behold, you see that out of my humility and long-suffering I took the daughter of the priest of Heliopolis to be [my] wife. And one hundred talents of gold were given to me with her, and the Lord made them to serve me. And He also gave me beauty as a flower beyond the beautiful ones of Israel; and He preserved me to old age in strength and in beauty, because I was like in all things to Jacob.”
“Therefore, hear my vision which I saw: I saw twelve deer feeding. And nine of them were dispersed. Now the three were preserved, but on the following day they were also dispersed. And I saw that the three deer became three lambs, and they cried to the Lord, and He brought them forth into a flourishing and well-watered place, yes, He brought them out of darkness into light. And there they cried to the Lord until there gathered together to them the nine deer, and they became as twelve sheep, and after a short time they increased and became many flocks. And after these things I saw and behold, twelve bulls were sucking one cow, which produced a sea of milk, and there drank thereof the twelve flocks and innumerable herds. And the horns of the fourth bull went up to Heaven and became as a wall for the flocks, and in the midst of the two horns there grew another horn. And I saw a bull calf which surrounded them twelve times, and it became a help to all the bulls. And I saw in the midst of the horns a virgin [[wearing a many-colored garment, and from her]] went forth a lamb; and on his right [[was as it were a lion; and]] all the beasts and all the reptiles rushed [against him], and the lamb overcame them and destroyed them. And the bulls rejoiced because of him, and the cow [and the deer] exulted together with them. And these things must come to pass in their season. Therefore, my children, observe the commandments of the Lord, and honor Levi and Judah; for from them will arise to you [[the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world]]—One who saves [[all the nations and]] Israel. For His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, which will not pass away; but my kingdom among you will come to an end as a watcher’s hammock, which disappears after the summer.”
“For I know that after my death the Egyptians will afflict you, but God will avenge you, and will bring you into that which He promised to your fathers. But you will carry up my bones with you; for when my bones are being taken up there, the Lord will be with you in light, and Belial will be in darkness with the Egyptians. And carry your mother Asenath to the Hippodrome and bury her near your mother Rachel.” And when he had said these things, he stretched out his feet and died at a good old age. And all Israel mourned for him, and all Egypt, with a great mourning. And when the sons of Israel went out of Egypt, they took the bones of Joseph with them, and they buried him in Hebron with his fathers, and the years of his life were one hundred and ten years.
The copy of the words of Benjamin, which he commanded his sons to observe after he had lived one hundred and twenty-five years. And he kissed them, and said, “As Isaac was born to Abraham in his old age, so was I also to Jacob. And since my mother Rachel died in giving me birth, I had no milk; therefore I was suckled by her handmaid Bilhah. For Rachel remained barren for twelve years after she had borne Joseph; and she prayed [to] the Lord with fasting [for] twelve days, and she conceived and bore me. For my father loved Rachel dearly, and prayed that he might see two sons born from her. Therefore I was called Benjamin, that is, a son of days.”
“And when I went into Egypt, to Joseph, and my brother recognized me, he said to me, What did they tell my father when they sold me? And I said to him, They dabbled your coat with blood and sent it, and said, Do you know whether this is your son’s coat? And Joseph said to me, Even so, brother, the Canaanite merchants stole me by force, and it came to pass that as they went on their way they concealed my garment as though a wild beast had met me and slain me. And so his associates sold me to the Ishmaelites. And they did not lie in saying this. For he wished to conceal the deeds of my brothers from me. And he called his brothers to himself and said, Do not tell my father what you have done to me, but tell him as I have told Benjamin. And let the thoughts among you be such, and do not let these things come to the heart of my father.”
“Therefore, my children, you must also love the Lord God of the heavens and earth, and keep His commandments, following the example of the good and holy man Joseph. And let your mind be to good, even as you know me; for he that has his mind right sees all things rightly. Fear the Lord and love your neighbor; and even though the spirits of Belial claim you to afflict you with every evil, yet they will not have dominion over you, even as they did not have [dominion] over my brother Joseph. How many men wished to slay him, and God shielded him! For he that fears God and loves his neighbor cannot be smitten by the spirit of Belial, being shielded by the fear of God. Nor can he be ruled over by the device of men or beasts, for he is helped by the Lord through the love which he has toward his neighbor. For Joseph also implored our father that he would pray for his brothers, that the Lord would not impute to them as sin whatever evil they had done to him. And thus Jacob cried out: My good child, you have prevailed over the yearnings of your father Jacob. And he embraced him, and kissed him for two hours, saying, In you the prophecy of Heaven will be fulfilled [[concerning the Lamb of God, and Savior of the world]], and that a blameless One will be delivered up for lawless men, and a sinless One will die for ungodly men [[in the blood of the covenant, for the salvation of the nations and of Israel, and will destroy Belial and his servants]].”
“Therefore, my children, do you see the end of the good man? Be followers of his compassion, therefore, with a good mind, that you may also wear crowns of glory. For the good man does not have a dark eye, for he shows mercy to all men, even though they are sinners. And though they devise with evil intent concerning him, by doing good he overcomes evil, being shielded by God: and he loves the righteous as his own soul. If anyone is glorified, he does not envy him; if anyone is enriched, he is not jealous; if anyone is valiant, he praises him; he praises the virtuous man; he has mercy on the poor man; he has compassion on the weak; he sings praises to God. As for him who has the fear of God, he protects him as with a shield; he helps him that loves God; he admonishes and turns back him that rejects the Most High; and he loves him that has the grace of a good spirit as his own soul.”
“Therefore, if you also have a good mind, then will both wicked men be at peace with you, and the profligate will revere you and turn to good; and the covetous will not only cease from their inordinate desire, but even give the objects of their covetousness to them that are afflicted. If you do well, even the unclean spirits will flee from you, and the beasts will dread you. For where there is reverence for good works and light in the mind, even darkness flees away from him. For if anyone does violence to a holy man, he converts; for the holy man is merciful to his reviler and holds his peace. And if anyone betrays a righteous man, the righteous man prays: though for a little while he is humbled, yet not long after he appears far more glorious, as was my brother Joseph.”
“The inclination of the good man is not in the power of the deceit of the spirit of Belial, for the messenger of peace guides his soul. And he does not gaze passionately on corruptible things, nor gathers together riches through a desire of pleasure. He does not delight in pleasure, [[he does not grieve for what is his neighbor’s]], he does not satisfy himself with luxuries, he does not err in the uplifting of the eyes; the Lord is his portion. The good inclination does not receive glory nor dishonor from men, and it does not know any guile, or lie, or fighting, or reviling; for the Lord dwells in him and lights up his soul, and he always rejoices toward all men. The good mind does not have two tongues, of blessing and of cursing, of insolence and of honor, of sorrow and of joy, of quietness and of confusion, of hypocrisy and of truth, [[of poverty and of wealth]], but it has one disposition, uncorrupt and pure, concerning all men. It has no double sight, nor double hearing, for in everything which he does, or speaks, or sees, he knows that the Lord looks on his soul. And he cleanses his mind that he may not be condemned by men as well as by God. And in like manner, the works of Belial are twofold, and there is no singleness in them.”
“Therefore, my children, I tell you: flee the malice of Belial, for he gives a sword to them that obey him. And the sword is the mother of seven evils: first the mind conceives through Belial, and first there is bloodshed; secondly, ruin; thirdly, tribulation; fourthly, exile; fifthly, scarcity; sixthly, panic; seventhly, destruction. Therefore Cain was also delivered over to seven vengeances by God, for in every hundred years the Lord brought one plague on him. And when he was two hundred years old, he began to suffer, and in the nine-hundredth year he was destroyed. For on account of his brother Abel, he was judged with all the evils—but Lamech with seventy times seven. Because those who are like Cain in envy and hatred of brothers, will be punished with the same judgment forever.”
“And you, my children, must flee evildoing, envy, and hatred of brothers, and cleave to goodness and love. He that has a pure mind in love does not look after a woman with a view to fornication, for he has no defilement in his heart, because the Spirit of God rests on him. For as the sun is not defiled by shining on dung and mire, but rather dries up both and drives away the evil smell, so also the pure mind, though encompassed by the defilements of earth, rather cleanses [them] and is not itself defiled.”
“And I believe that there will also be evildoings among you, according to the words of Enoch the righteous—that you will commit fornication with the fornication of Sodom, and will perish, all except a few, and will renew wanton deeds with women; and the Kingdom of the Lord will not be among you, for He will immediately take it away. Nevertheless, the temple of God will be in your portion, and the last [temple] will be more glorious than the first. And the twelve tribes will be gathered together there, and all the nations, until the Most High will send forth His salvation in the visitation of an only begotten Prophet. [[3 And He will enter into the temple, and there the Lord will be treated with outrage, and He will be lifted up on a tree. And the veil of the temple will be torn, and the Spirit of God will pass on to the nations as fire poured forth. And He will ascend from Hades and will pass from earth into Heaven. And I know how lowly He will be on earth, and how glorious in Heaven.]]”
“Now when Joseph was in Egypt, I longed to see his figure and the form of his countenance, and through the prayers of my father Jacob I saw him while awake in the daytime, even his entire figure exactly as he was. And when he had said these things, he said to them, Therefore, my children, know that I am dying. Therefore, do truth and righteousness, each one to his neighbor, and judgment to confirmation, and keep the Law of the Lord and His commandments. For I leave you these things instead of an inheritance. Therefore, you must also give them to your children for an everlasting possession, for so did both Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. For they gave us all these things for an inheritance, saying, Keep the commandments of God until the Lord will reveal His salvation to all nations. And then you will see Enoch, Noah, and Shem, and Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, rising on the right hand in gladness. Then we will also rise, each one over our tribe, worshiping the King of Heaven [[who appeared on earth in the form of a Man in humility. And as many as believe on Him will rejoice with Him on the earth]]. Then all men will also rise, some to glory and some to shame. And the Lord will judge Israel first, for their unrighteousness, [[for when He appeared as God in the flesh to deliver them they did not believe Him]]. And then He will judge all the nations, [[as many as did not believe Him when He appeared on earth]]. And He will convict Israel through the chosen ones of the nations, even as He reproved Esau through the Midianites, who deceived their brothers, [[so that they fell into fornication, and idolatry; and they were alienated from God]], therefore becoming children in the portion of them that fear the Lord. If you therefore, my children, walk in holiness according to the commandments of the Lord, you will again dwell securely with me, and all Israel will be gathered to the Lord.”
“And I will no longer be called a ravening wolf on account of your ravages, but [[a worker of the Lord, distributing food to them that work what is good. And there will rise up from my seed in the latter times One]] beloved of the Lord, [[hearing His voice on the earth,]] and a doer of the good pleasure of His will, [[enlightening all the nations with new knowledge, even the light of knowledge, bursting in on Israel for salvation, and tearing away from them like a wolf, and giving to the synagogue of the nations. Until the consummation of the age He will be in the synagogues of the nations, and among their rulers, as a strain of music in the mouth of all. And He will be inscribed in the holy scrolls, both His work and His word, and He will be [the] Chosen One of God forever. And through them He will go to and fro as my father Jacob, saying, He will fill up that which lacks of your tribe]].”
1 And when he finished his words, he said, “I command you, my children, carry up my bones out of Egypt, and bury me at Hebron, near my fathers.” 2 So Benjamin died one hundred and twenty-five years old, at a good old age, and they placed him in a coffin. 3 And in the ninety-first year from the entrance of the sons of Israel into Egypt, they and their brothers secretly brought up the bones of their fathers during the Canaanite war, and they buried them in Hebron by the feet of their fathers. 4 And they returned from the land of Canaan and dwelt in Egypt until the day of their departure from the land of Egypt.