The Book of the Upright
CHAPTER 41:1 At the revolution of the year the sons of Yaacob
[Jacob, grandson of Abraham] journeyed from Shechem. They
came to Hebron, to their father Yitzchaq [Isaac], and they dwelt there. Their flocks and herds they
fed daily in Shechem, for there was there in those days good and fat pasture. Yaacob,
his sons, and all their household, dwelt in the valley of Hebron.
2 It was in those days, in that year, being the hundred and sixth year of the life of Yaacob,
in the tenth year of Yaacob's coming from Padan-aram [Syria], that Leah the wife of Yaacob died. She
was fifty-one years old when she died in Hebron.
3 Yaacob and his sons buried her in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which is in
Hebron, which Abraham bought from the children of Heth for the possession of a burial place.
4 The sons of Yaacob dwelt with their father in the valley of Hebron. All the inhabitants
of the land knew their strength, and their fame went throughout the land.
5 Yahusef [Joseph] the son of Yaacob, and his brother Benjamin, the sons of Rachel, the wife of
Yaacob, were yet young in those days, and did not go out with their brothers during their
battles in all the cities of the Amorites.
6 When Yahusef saw the strength of his brothers, and their greatness, he praised them
and extolled them, but he ranked himself greater than them, and extolled himself above
them. Yaacob, his father, also loved him more than any of his sons, for he was a son of
his old age, and through his love toward him he made him a coat of many colors.
7 When Yahusef saw that his father loved him more than his brothers, he continued to
exalt himself above his brothers, and he brought to his father evil reports concerning them.
8 The sons of Yaacob saw the whole of Yahusef's conduct toward them, and that their
father loved him more than any of them. They hated him, and could not speak peaceably to
him all the days.
9 Yahusef was seventeen years old, he was still magnifying himself above his
brothers, and thought of raising himself above them.
10 At that time he dreamed a dream. He came to his brothers, told them his
dream, and he said to them: I dreamed a dream. Behold, we were all binding sheaves
in the field. My sheaf rose, and placed itself upon the ground. Your sheaves
surrounded it, and bowed down to it.
11 His brothers answered him, and said to him: What does this dream mean that you
dreamed? Did you imagine in your heart to reign or rule over us?
12 He still came, and told the thing to his father Yaacob. Yaacob kissed Yahusef when
he heard these words from his mouth, and Yaacob blessed Yahusef.
13 When the sons of Yaacob saw that their father blessed Yahusef, kissed
him, and that he loved him exceedingly, they became jealous of him, and hated him the more.
14 After this Yahusef dreamed another dream, and related the dream to his father in the
presence of his brothers. Yahusef said to his father and brothers: Behold, I have again
dreamed a dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.
15 His father heard the words of Yahusef and his dream, and saw that his brothers
hated Yahusef on account of this matter. Yaacob therefore rebuked Yahusef before his brothers
on account of this thing, saying: What does this dream mean which you dreamed, and
this magnifying yourself before your brothers who are older than you are?
16 Did you imagine in your heart that I, your mother, and your eleven brothers will come
and bow down to you, that you speak these things?
17 His brothers were jealous of him on account of his words and dreams, and they
continued to hate him. Yaacob reserved the dreams in his heart.
18 The sons of Yaacob went one day to feed their father's flock in Shechem, for they were
still herdsmen in those days. While the sons of Yaacob were that day feeding in Shechem
they delayed. The time of gathering in the cattle was passed, and they had not arrived.
19 Yaacob saw that his sons were delayed in Shechem, and Yaacob said within himself:
Peradventure the people of Shechem rose up to fight against them, therefore they
are delayed coming today.
20 Yaacob called Yahusef his son, and commanded him, saying: Behold, your brothers are
feeding in Shechem today. Behold, they have not yet come back. Go now, therefore,
see where they are, bring me word back concerning the welfare of your brothers, and the
welfare of the flock.
21 Yaacob sent his son Yahusef to the valley of Hebron. Yahusef came for his brothers
to Shechem, and could not find them. Yahusef went about the field which was near
Shechem, to see where his brothers had turned. He missed his road in the wilderness,
and did not know which way he should go.
22 A malak of Yahwah found him wandering in the road toward the field, and Yahusef
said to the malak of Yahwah: I seek my brothers, have you not heard where they are
feeding? The malak of Yahwah said to Yahusef: I saw your brothers feeding here, and I
heard them say they would go to feed in Dothan.
23 Yahusef hearkened to the voice of the malak of Yahwah. He went to his brothers
in Dothan, and he found them in Dothan feeding the flock.
24 Yahusef advanced to his brothers, and before he came near to them, they had
resolved to slay him.
25 Simeon said to his brothers: Behold, the man of dreams is coming to us today.
Now therefore, come, let us kill him, and cast him in one of the pits that are in the
wilderness. When his father seeks him from us, we will say an evil beast
devoured him.
26 Reuben heard the words of his brothers concerning Yahusef, and he said to them:
You should not do this thing, for how can we look up to our father Yaacob? Cast him into this
pit to die there, but do not stretch forth a hand upon him to spill his blood. Reuben said this
in order to deliver him from their hand, to bring him back to his father.
27 When Yahusef came to his brothers he sat before them. They rose upon him,
seized him, smote him to the earth, and stripped the coat of many colors which he had on.
28 They took him and cast him into a pit. In the pit there was no water, only serpents
and scorpions. Yahusef was afraid of the serpents and scorpions that were in the pit.
Yahusef cried out with a loud voice. Yahwah hid the serpents and scorpions in the sides
of the pit, and they did no harm to Yahusef.
29 Yahusef called out from the pit to his brothers, and said to them: What did I do
to you, and in what have I sinned? Why do you not fear Yahwah concerning me? Am I not
of your bones and flesh, and is not Yaacob your father, my father? Why do you do this thing
to me today, and how will you be able to look up to our father Yaacob?
30 He continued to cry out and call to his brothers from the pit, and he said: O Yahudah,
Simeon, and Levi, my brothers, lift me up from the place of darkness in which you have
placed me. Come today to have compassion on me, you children of Yahwah, and sons
of Yaacob my father. If I sinned to you, are you not the sons of Abraham, Yitzchaq,
and Yaacob? If they saw an orphan they had compassion over him, or one that was hungry,
they gave him bread to eat, or one that was thirsty, they gave him water to drink, or one that
was naked, they covered him with garments!
31 How then will you withhold your pity from your brother, for I am of your flesh and
bones? If I have sinned to you, surely you will do this on account of my father!
32 Yahusef spoke these words from the pit, and his brothers could not listen to him, nor
incline their ears to the words of Yahusef. Yahusef was crying and weeping in the pit.
33 Yahusef said: O that my father knew, today, the act which my brothers do
to me, and the words which they spoke to me today.
34 All his brothers heard his cries and weeping in the pit, so his brothers went and
removed themselves from the pit, so that they would not hear the cries of Yahusef, and his
weeping in the pit.
CHAPTER 42:1 They went and sat on the opposite side,
about the distance of a bow-shot. They sat
there to eat bread, and while they were eating, they held counsel together what was to be
done with him, whether to slay him, or to bring him back to his father.
2 They were holding the counsel, when they lifted up their eyes, and saw. Behold, there
was a company of Ishmaelites coming at a distance by the road of Gilead, going down to Egypt.
3 Yahudah said to them: What gain will it be to us if we slay our brother? Peradventure
Yahwah will require him from us. This then is the counsel proposed concerning him, which you
will do to him: Behold this company of Ishmaelites going down to Egypt,
4 Now therefore, come let us dispose of him to them, and let our hand not be upon him.
They will lead him along with them, and he will be lost among the people of the land, we
will not put him to death with our own hands. The proposal pleased his brothers, and they
did according to the word of Yahudah.
5 While they were discoursing about this matter, and before the company of Ishmaelites
had come up to them, seven trading men of Midian passed by them. As they passed
they were thirsty, they lifted up their eyes, and saw the pit in which Yahusef was immured.
They looked, and behold, every species of bird was upon him.
6 These Midianites ran to the pit to drink water, for they thought that it contained water.
On coming before the pit they heard the voice of Yahusef crying and weeping in the pit.
They looked down into the pit, and they saw, behold, there was a youth of comely
appearance and well favored.
7 They called to him, and said: Who are you, who brought you here, and who
placed you in this pit, in the wilderness? They all assisted to raise up Yahusef. They
drew him out, brought him up from the pit, took him, went away on their journey,
and passed by his brothers.
8 These said to them: Why do you do this, to take our servant from us, and to go
away? Surely we placed this youth in the pit because he rebelled against us, now you come,
bring him up, and lead him away. Now then give us back our servant.
9 The Midianites answered, and said to the sons of Yaacob: Is this your servant, or does
this man attend you? Peradventure you are all his servants, for he is more comely and well
favored than any of you, and why do you all speak falsely to us?
10 Now therefore we will not listen to your words, nor attend to you, for we found the youth in
the pit in the wilderness, and we took him. We will therefore go on.
11 All the sons of Yaacob approached them, rose up to them, and said to them: Give
us back our servant, why will you all die by the edge of the sword? The Midianites
cried out against them, they drew their swords, and approached to fight with the sons of Yaacob.
12 Behold, Simeon rose up from his seat against them, sprang upon the ground,
drew his sword, and approached the Midianites. He gave a terrible shout before them, so
that his shouting was heard at a distance, and the earth shook at Simeon's shouting.
13 The Midianites were terrified on account of Simeon, and the noise of his shouting.
They fell upon their faces, and were excessively alarmed.
14 Simeon said to them: Verily I am Simeon, the son of Yaacob the Hebrew, who have,
only with my brother, destroyed the city of Shechem, and the cities of the Amorites. So will
Yahwah moreover do to me, that if all your brothers the people of Midian, and also the kings of
Canaan, were to come with you, they could not fight against me.
15 Now therefore give us back the youth whom you took, lest I give your flesh to the
birds of the skies and the beasts of the earth.
16 The Midianites were more afraid of Simeon. They approached the sons of Yaacob
with terror, fright, and with pathetic words, saying:
17 Surely you said the young man is your servant, that he rebelled against
you, and therefore you placed him in the pit. What then will you do with a servant who rebels
against his master? Now therefore sell him to us, and we will give you all that you require
for him. Yahwah was pleased to do this in order that the sons of Yaacob should not slay
their brother.
18 The Midianites saw that Yahusef was of a comely appearance, and well-favored. They
desired him in their hearts, and were urgent to purchase him from his brothers.
19 The sons of Yaacob hearkened to the Midianites. They sold their brother Yahusef to
them for twenty pieces of silver, and Reuben their brother was not with them. The
Midianites took Yahusef, and continued their journey to Gilead.
20 They were going along the road, and the Midianites repented of what they did, in
having purchased the young man, and one said to the other: What is this thing that we
did, in taking this youth from the Hebrews, who is of comely appearance and well favored.
21 Perhaps this youth is stolen from the land of the Hebrews, and why then did we do
this thing? If he should be sought for and found in our hands we will die through him.
22 Now surely hardy and powerful men sold him to us, the strength of one of whom you
saw today. Perhaps they stole him from his land with their might, and with their powerful
arm, and then sold him to us for the small value which we gave to them.
23 While they were thus discoursing together, they looked. Behold, the company of
Ishmaelites which was coming at first, and which the sons of Yaacob saw, was advancing
toward the Midianites. The Midianites said to each other: Come let us sell this youth to
the company of Ishmaelites who are coming toward us, we will take for him the little that
we gave for him, and we will be delivered from his evil.
24 They did so, they reached the Ishmaelites, and the Midianites sold Yahusef to the
Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver which they gave for him to his brothers.
25 The Midianites went on their road to Gilead. The Ishmaelites took Yahusef, they
let him ride upon one of the camels, and they were leading him to Egypt.
26 Yahusef heard that the Ishmaelites were proceeding to Egypt, and Yahusef lamented
and wept at this thing that he was to be so far removed from the land of Canaan, from his
father. He wept bitterly while he was riding upon the camel. One of their men
observed him, made him go down from the camel, and walk on foot. Notwithstanding
this Yahusef continued to cry and weep, and he said: O my father, my father.
27 One of the Ishmaelites rose up, smote Yahusef upon the cheek, and still he
continued to weep. Yahusef was fatigued in the road, and was unable to proceed on
account of the bitterness of his soul. They all smote him, afflicted him in the road, and
they terrified him in order that he might cease from weeping.
28 Yahwah saw the ambition of Yahusef and his trouble. Yahwah brought down
upon those men darkness and confusion, and the hand of every one that smote him became withered.
29 They said to each other: What is this thing that GOD did to us in the road? And
they did not know that this befell them on account of Yahusef. The men proceeded on the
road, and they passed along the road of Ephrath where Rachel was buried.
30 Yahusef reached his mother's grave. Yahusef hastened, ran to his mother's
grave, fell upon the grave, and wept.
31 Yahusef cried aloud upon his mother's grave, and he said: O my mother, my mother,
O you who gave me birth, awake now, rise, see your son, how he was sold
for a slave, and no one to pity him.
32 O rise, see your son, weep with me on account of my troubles, and see the heart of my
brothers.
33 Arouse my mother, arouse, awake from your sleep for me, and direct your battles against my
brothers. O how they stripped me of my coat, sold me already twice for a slave,
separated me from my father, and there is no one to pity me.
34 Arouse, lay your cause against them before Yahwah, see whom Yahwah will justify in the
judgment, and whom He will condemn.
35 Rise, O my mother, rise, awake from your sleep, see my father how his soul is with me
today, comfort him, and ease his heart.
36 Yahusef continued to speak these words. Yahusef cried aloud and wept bitterly
upon his mother's grave. He ceased speaking, and from bitterness of heart he became
still as a stone upon the grave.
37 Yahusef heard a voice speaking to him from beneath the ground, which answered him
with bitterness of heart, with a voice of weeping and praying, in these words:
38 My son, my son Yahusef, I heard the voice of your weeping, and the voice of your
lamentation. I see your tears. I know your troubles, my son, and it grieves me for your
sake, abundant grief is added to my grief.
39 Now therefore my son, Yahusef my son, hope to Yahwah, wait for Him, and do not fear,
for Yahwah is with you, He will deliver you from all trouble.
40 Rise my son, go down to Egypt with your masters, and do not fear, for Yahwah is with
you, my son. She continued to speak words like to these to Yahusef, and she was still.
41 Yahusef heard this, he wondered greatly at this, and he continued to weep.
After this one of the Ishmaelites observed him crying and weeping upon the grave, and his
anger was kindled against him. He drove him from there, he smote him, and cursed him.
42 Yahusef said to the men: May I find grace in your sight to take me back to my
father's house, and he will give you abundance of riches.
43 They answered him, saying: Are you not a slave, and where is your father? If you
had a father you would not already have been sold twice for a slave for so little value.
Their anger was still roused against him, they continued to smite him, to chastise
him, and Yahusef wept bitterly.
44 Yahwah saw Yahusef's affliction. Yahwah smote these men again, and chastised
them. Yahwah caused darkness to envelope them upon the earth. The lightning
flashed, the thunder roared, the earth shook at the voice of the thunder and of the
mighty wind, so the men were terrified, and did not know where they should go.
45 The beasts and camels stood still, and they led them, but they would not go. They
smote them, and they crouched upon the ground. The men said to each other: What is
this that God did to us? What are our transgressions, and what are our sins that this
thing is befallen us?
46 One of them answered, and said to them: Perhaps on account of the sin of afflicting
this slave that this thing happened to us today. Now therefore implore him strongly to
forgive us, and then we will know on whose account this evil befalls us. If God will
have compassion over us, then we will know that all this comes to us on account of the sin
of afflicting this slave.
47 The men did so, they supplicated Yahusef, and pressed him to forgive them.
They said: We have sinned to God, and to you. Now therefore promise to request of your
God that He will put away this death from among us, for we have sinned to Him.
48 Yahusef did according to their words, and Yahwah hearkened to Yahusef. Yahwah
put away the plague which He had inflicted upon those men on account of Yahusef. The
beasts rose up from the ground, they conducted them, they went on, the raging
storm abated, the earth became tranquilized, the men proceeded on their journey to
go down to Egypt, and the men knew that this evil befell them on account of Yahusef.
49 They said to each other: Behold, we know it was on account of his affliction that
this evil befell us. Now therefore, why will we bring this death upon our souls? Let us hold
counsel what to do to this slave.
50 One answered, and said: Surely he told us to bring him back to his father. Now
therefore come, let us take him back. We will go to the place that he will tell us, take
from his family the price that we gave for him, and we will then go away.
51 One answered again, and said: Behold, this counsel is very good, but we cannot do so
for the way is very far from us, and we cannot go out of our road.
52 One more answered, and said to them: This is the counsel to be adopted, we will
not swerve from it. Behold, we are going to Egypt today. When we come to
Egypt, we will sell him there at a high price, and we will be delivered from his evil.
53 This thing pleased the men, and they did so. They continued their journey to Egypt
with Yahusef.
CHAPTER 43:1 When the sons of Yaacob had sold their brother
Yahusef to the Midianites, their hearts
were smitten on account of him. They repented of their acts, and they sought for him to
bring him back, but could not find him.
2 Reuben returned to the pit in which Yahusef had been put, in order to lift him out, and
restore him to his father. Reuben stood by the pit, and he did not hear a word, so he
called out: Yahusef! Yahusef! No one answered or uttered a word.
3 Reuben said: Yahusef died through fright, or some serpent has caused his death.
Reuben descended into the pit, he searched for Yahusef, could not find him in
the pit, and he came out again.
4 Reuben tore his garments, and he said: The child is not there, and how will I reconcile
my father about him if he is dead? He went to his brothers, found them grieving on
account of Yahusef, and counseling together how to reconcile their father about him.
Reuben said to his brothers: I came to the pit, behold, Yahusef was not there. What then
will we say to our father, for my father will only seek the lad from me.
5 His brothers answered him, saying: Thus and thus we did, and our hearts afterward
smote us on account of this act, so now we sit to seek a pretext how we will reconcile our
father to it.
6 Reuben said to them: What is this you did to bring down the grey hairs of
our father in sorrow to the grave? The thing is not good, that you did.
7 Reuben sat with them. They all rose up, swore to each other to not tell this
thing to Yaacob, and they all said: The man who will tell this to our father or his household,
or who will report this to any of the children of the land, we will all rise up against him, and
slay him with the sword.
8 The sons of Yaacob feared each other in this matter, from the youngest to the oldest,
and no one spoke a word, they concealed the thing in their hearts.
9 They afterward sat down to determine and invent something to say to their father
Yaacob concerning all these things.
10 Issachar said to them: Here is an advice for you if it seem good in your eyes to do
this thing. Take the coat which belongs to Yahusef, tear it, kill a kid of the goats, and
dip it in its blood.
11 Send it to our father, and when he sees it he will say an evil beast devoured him.
Therefore tear his coat, and behold, his blood will be upon his coat, and by your doing this
we will be free of our father's murmurings.
12 Issachar's advice pleased them, they hearkened to him, and they did according
to the word of Issachar which he counselled them.
13 They hastened, took Yahusef's coat, tore it, they killed a kid of the goats,
dipped the coat in the blood of the kid, and then trampled it in the dust. They sent the
coat to their father Yaacob by the hand of Naphtali, and they commanded him to say these words:
14 We gathered in the cattle, and came as far as the road to Shechem, and farther,
when we found this coat upon the road in the wilderness dipped in blood and in dust. Now
therefore know whether it is your son's coat or not.
15 Naphtali went, he came to his father, he gave him the coat, and he spoke
to him all the words which his brothers commanded him.
16 Yaacob saw Yahusef's coat, and he knew it. He fell upon his face to the ground, and
became as still as a stone. Afterward he rose up, cried out with a loud and weeping
voice, and he said: It is the coat of my son Yahusef!
17 Yaacob hastened, sent one of his servants to his sons, who went to them, and
found them coming along the road with the flock.
18 The sons of Yaacob came to their father about evening, and behold, their garments
were torn, dust was upon their heads, and they found their father crying out and weeping
with a loud voice.
19 Yaacob said to his sons: Tell me truly what evil you suddenly brought
upon me today? They answered their father Yaacob, saying: We were coming along today
after the flock was gathered in. We came as far as the city of Shechem by the road
in the wilderness, we found this coat filled with blood upon the ground, we knew it,
and we sent to you if you could know it.
20 Yaacob heard the words of his sons, he cried out with a loud voice, and he said: It
is the coat of my son, an evil beast has devoured him. Yahusef is rent in pieces, for I sent him
today to see whether it was well with you, well with the flocks, and to bring me word
again from you. He went as I commanded him, and this happened to him today
while I thought my son was with you.
21 The sons of Yaacob answered, and said: He did not come to us, neither did we see
him from the time of our going out from you until now.
22 When Yaacob heard their words he cried out aloud again. He rose up, tore his
garments, he put sackcloth upon his loins, he wept bitterly, he mourned,
lifted up his voice in weeping, exclaimed, and said these words:
23 Yahusef my son, O my son Yahusef, I sent you today after the welfare of your brothers,
and behold, you are torn in pieces. Through my hand did this happen to my son.
24 It grieves me for you Yahusef my son, it grieves me for you. How sweet you were to me
during life, and now how exceedingly bitter is your death to me.
25 O that I had died in your stead Yahusef my son, for it grieves me sadly for you my son, O
my son, my son. Yahusef my son, where are you, and where were you drawn? Arouse,
arouse from your place, come, and see my grief for you, O my son Yahusef.
26 Come now, number the tears gushing from my eyes down my cheeks, and bring them
up before Yahwah, that His anger may turn from me.
27 O Yahusef my son, how did you fall, by the hand of one by whom no one fell from
the beginning of the world to today. For you were put to death by the smiting of an
enemy, inflicted with cruelty, but surely I know that this happened to you on account of
the multitude of my sins.
28 Arouse now, and see how bitter is my trouble for you my son. Although I did not rear you,
nor fashion you, nor give you breath and soul, but it was Yahwah who formed you, built your
bones, covered them with flesh, breathed the breath of life in your nostrils, and then
He gave you to me.
29 Now truly Yahwah who gave you to me, He took you from me, and such then is
befallen you.
30 Yaacob continued to speak words like to these concerning Yahusef, and he wept
bitterly. He fell to the ground, and became still.
31 All the sons of Yaacob saw their father's trouble. They repented of what they
did, and they also wept bitterly.
32 Yahudah rose up, lifted his father's head from the ground, placed it upon his lap,
and he wiped his father's tears from his cheeks. Yahudah wept an exceeding great
weeping, while his father's head was reclining upon his lap, still as a stone.
33 The sons of Yaacob saw their father's trouble, they lifted up their voices,
continued to weep, and Yaacob was yet lying upon the ground still as a stone.
34 All his sons, his servants, and his servant's children, rose up, stood round him
to comfort him, and he refused to be comforted.
35 The whole household of Yaacob rose up, mourned a great mourning on account of
Yahusef and their father's trouble. The knowledge reached Yitzchaq, the son of Abraham, the
father of Yaacob. He wept bitterly on account of Yahusef, he and all his household. He
went from the place where he dwelt in Hebron, his men with him, and he comforted
Yaacob his son, but he refused to be comforted.
36 After this, Yaacob rose up from the ground, his tears were running down his
cheeks, and he said to his sons: Rise up, take your swords and your bows, go
forth into the field, seek whether you can find my son's body, and bring it to me that I
may bury it.
37 Seek also, I pray you, among the beasts. Hunt them, and that which comes before you the
first seize, and bring it to me. Perhaps Yahwah will pity my affliction today,
and prepare before you that which did tear my son in pieces. Bring it to me, and I will
avenge the cause of my son.
38 His sons did as their father commanded them. They rose up early in the
morning, each took his sword and his bow in his hand, and they went forth into the field
to hunt the beasts.
39 Yaacob was still crying aloud, weeping, walking to and fro in the house, and
smiting his hands together, saying: Yahusef my son, Yahusef my son.
40 The sons of Yaacob went into the wilderness to seize the beasts. Behold, a wolf
came toward them. They seized him, brought him to their father, and they said
to him: This is the first we found, so we brought him to you as you did
command us, and your son's body we could not find.
41 Yaacob took the beast from the hands of his sons. He cried out with a loud and
weeping voice, holding the beast in his hand, and he spoke with a bitter heart to the beast:
Why did you devour my son Yahusef, how did you have no fear of the Creator of the
earth, or of my trouble for my son Yahusef?
42 You did devour my son for nothing, because he committed no violence, and did
thereby render me culpable on his account, therefore Yahwah will require him that is persecuted.
43 Yahwah opened the mouth of the beast in order to comfort Yaacob with its words, so
it answered Yaacob, and spoke these words to him:
44 As Yahwah lives who created us in the earth, and as your soul lives, my lord, I did not see your
son, neither did I tear him to pieces. But from a distant land I also came to seek my son who
went from me today, and I do not know whether he is living or dead.
45 I came into the field today to seek my son. Your sons found me, seized me,
increased my grief, brought me before you today, and I have now spoken all my words to you.
46 Now therefore, O son of man, I am in your hands. Do to me today as it may
seem good in your sight, but by the life of Yahwah who created me, I did not see your son, nor did I
tear him to pieces, neither has the flesh of man entered my mouth all the days of my life.
47 When Yaacob heard the words of the beast he was greatly astonished, he sent forth
the beast from his hand, and she went her way.
48 Yaacob was still crying aloud and weeping for Yahusef day after day, he mourned
for his son many days.
CHAPTER 44:1 The sons of Ishmael who bought Yahusef from
the Midianites, who bought him
from his brothers, went to Egypt with Yahusef. They came upon the borders of Egypt, and
when they came near to Egypt, they met four men of the sons of Medan the son of
Abraham, who had gone forth from the land of Egypt on their journey.
2 The Ishmaelites said to them: Do you desire to purchase this slave from us? And
they said: Deliver him over to us. They delivered Yahusef over to them, and they beheld
him, that he was a very comely youth, so they purchased him for twenty shekels.
3 The Ishmaelites continued their journey to Egypt, and the Medanim also returned that
day to Egypt. The Medanim said to each other: Behold, we heard that Potiphar, an
officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, seeks a good servant who will stand before him
to attend him, to make him overseer over his house, and all belonging to him.
4 Now therefore, come let us sell him to him for what we may desire, if he is able to give to
us that which we will require for him.
5 These Medanim went, came to the house of Potiphar, and said to him: We
heard that you seek a good servant to attend you. Behold, we have a servant that will
please you, and if you can give to us that which we may desire, we will sell him to you.
6 Potiphar said: Bring him before me, and I will see him. If he please me I will give
to you that which you may require for him.
7 The Medanim went, brought Yahusef, and placed him before Potiphar. He saw
him, and he pleased him exceedingly. Potiphar said to them: Tell me what you require
for this youth?
8 They said: Four hundred pieces of silver we desire for him. Potiphar said: I will give
it you if you bring me the record of his sale to you, and will tell me his history, for perhaps he
may be stolen, for this youth is neither a slave, nor the son of a slave, but I observe in him
the appearance of a goodly and handsome person.
9 The Medanim went, brought to him the Ishmaelites who had sold him to them,
and they told him, saying: He is a slave, we sold him to them.
10 Potiphar heard the words of the Ishmaelites in his giving the silver to the Medanim.
The Medanim took the silver, went on their journey, and the Ishmaelites also returned home.
11 Potiphar took Yahusef, and brought him to his house that he might serve him.
Yahusef found favor in the sight of Potiphar. He placed confidence in him, made him
overseer over his house, and all that belonged to him he delivered over into his hand.
12 Yahwah was with Yahusef, and he became a prosperous man. Yahwah blessed
the house of Potiphar for the sake of Yahusef.
13 Potiphar left all that he had in the hand of Yahusef. Yahusef was one that caused
things to come in and go out, and everything was regulated by his wish in the house of Potiphar.
14 Yahusef was eighteen years old, a youth with beautiful eyes, of comely
appearance, and like to him was not in the whole land of Egypt.
15 At that time while he was in his master's house, going in and out of the house, and
attending his master, Zelicah, his master's wife, lifted up her eyes toward Yahusef. She
looked at him, and behold, he was a youth comely, well favored.
16 She coveted his beauty in her heart, her soul was fixed upon Yahusef, and she
enticed him day after day. Zelicah persuaded Yahusef daily, but Yahusef did not lift up his
eyes to behold his master's wife.
17 Zelicah said to him: How goodly are your appearance and form, truly I have looked
at all the slaves, and have not seen so beautiful a slave as you are. Yahusef said to
her: Surely he who created me in my mother's womb created all mankind.
18 She said to him: How beautiful are your eyes, with which you have dazzled all the
inhabitants of Egypt, men and women. He said to her: How beautiful they are while
we are alive, but should you behold them in the grave, surely you would move away from them.
19 She said to him: How beautiful and pleasing are all your words. Take now, I pray
you, the harp which is in the house, play with your hands, and let us hear your words.
20 He said to her: How beautiful and pleasing are my words when I speak the praise
of Yahwah, and His glory. She said to him: How very beautiful is the hair of your head,
behold the golden comb which is in the house, take it I pray you, and curl the hair of your head.
21 He said to her: How long will you speak these words? Cease to utter these words
to me, rise, and attend to your domestic affairs.
22 She said to him: There is no one in my house, and there is nothing to attend to but
to your words, to your wish. Yet in spite of all this she could not bring Yahusef to
her, neither did he place his eye upon her, but directed his eyes below to the ground.
23 Zelicah desired Yahusef in her heart, that he should have sex with her. At the time that
Yahusef was sitting in the house doing his work, Zelicah came and sat before him. She
enticed him daily with her discourse to lie with her, or even to look at her, but Yahusef would
not hearken to her.
24 She said to him: If you will not do according to my words, I will chastise you with
the punishment of death, and put an iron yoke upon you.
25 Yahusef said to her: Surely Yahwah who created man looses the fetters of prisoners,
it is He who will deliver me from your prison, and from your judgment.
26 When she could not prevail over him, to persuade him, and her soul being still fixed
upon him, her desire threw her into a grievous sickness.
27 All the women of Egypt came to visit her, and they said to her: Why are you in this
declining state? You who lacks nothing. Surely your husband is a great and esteemed prince
in the sight of the king, should you lack anything of what your heart desires?
28 Zelicah answered them, saying: Today it will be made known to you where this
disorder springs in which you see me. She commanded her maid servants to prepare
food for all the women, she made a banquet for them, and all the women ate in the
house of Zelicah.
29 She gave them knives to peel the citrons to eat them, and she commanded that they
should dress Yahusef in costly garments, that he should appear before them. Yahusef
came before their eyes. All the women looked on Yahusef, and could not take their eyes
from off him. They all cut their hands with the knives that they had in their hands, and all
the citrons that were in their hands were filled with blood.
30 They did not know what they did, but they continued to look at the beauty of
Yahusef, and did not turn their eyelids from him.
31 Zelicah saw what they did, and she said to them: What is this work that you
do? Behold I gave you citrons to eat, and you have all cut your hands.
32 All the women saw their hands, and behold, they were full of blood, their blood
flowed down upon their garments, and they said to her: This slave in your house has
overcome us, we could not turn our eyelids from him on account of his beauty.
33 She said to them: Surely this happened to you in the moment that you looked at
him, and you could not contain yourselves from him. How then can I refrain when he is
constantly in my house, and I see him day after day going in and out of my house? How then
can I keep from declining or even from perishing on account of this?
34 They said to her: The words are true, for who can see this beautiful form in the
house, and refrain from him? Is he not your slave, attendant in your house, why did
you not tell him that which is in your heart, and allow your soul to perish through this matter?
35 She said to them: I am daily trying to persuade him, and he will not consent
to my wishes. I promised him everything that is good, and yet I could meet with no return
from him. I am therefore in a declining state as you see.
36 Zelicah became very ill on account of her desire toward Yahusef, and she was
desperately lovesick on account of him. All the people of the house of Zelicah, and her
husband, knew nothing of this matter, that Zelicah was ill on account of her love to Yahusef.
37 All the people of her house asked her, saying: Why are you ill and declining, and
lack nothing? She said to them: I do not know this thing which is increasing upon me daily.
38 All the women and her friends came daily to see her, and they spoke with her.
She said to them: This can only be through the love of Yahusef. They said to her:
Entice him, seize him secretly, perhaps he may hearken to you, and put off this death
from you.
39 Zelicah became worse from her love to Yahusef, and she continued to decline, till she
had barely enough strength to stand.
40 On a certain day Yahusef was doing his master's work in the house. Zelicah came
secretly, and fell upon him suddenly. Yahusef rose up against her, he was more
powerful than she, and he brought her down to the ground.
41 Zelicah wept on account of the desire of her heart toward him, and she supplicated
him with weeping. Her tears flowed down her cheeks, and she spoke to him in a voice
of supplication, in bitterness of soul, saying:
42 Have you ever heard, seen, or known of so beautiful a woman as I am, or better than
myself, who speak daily to you, fall into a decline through love for you, confer all this
honor upon you, and still you will not hearken to my voice?
43 If it is through fear of your master lest he punish you, as the king lives no harm will
come to you from your master through this thing. Now therefore, pray listen to me, and
consent for the sake of the honor which I confer upon you, and put off this death
from me, why should I die for your sake? She ceased to speak.
44 Yahusef answered her, saying: Refrain from me, and leave this matter to my master.
Behold, my master does not know what there is with me in the house, for all that belongs to
him he has delivered into my hand, and how will I do these things in my master's house?
45 For he has also greatly honored me in his house, he also made me overseer
over his house, he exalted me, and there is no one greater in this house than I am.
My master refrained nothing from me, excepting you who are his wife, how then
can you speak these words to me? How can I do this great evil, to sin to Yahwah and
to your husband?
46 Now therefore refrain from me, and speak no more such words as these, for I will not
hearken to your words. But Zelicah would not hearken to Yahusef when he spoke these words
to her, she daily enticed him to listen to her.
47 It was after this that the brook of Egypt was filled above all its sides, and all the
inhabitants of Egypt went forth. Also the king and princes went forth with timbrels and
dances, for it was a great rejoicing in Egypt, a holiday at the time of the inundation of the
sea Sihor, and they went there to rejoice all the day.
48 When the Egyptians went out to the river to rejoice, as was their custom, all the
people of the house of Potiphar went with them. But Zelicah would not go with them, for she
said: I am indisposed. She remained alone in the house, and no other person was with
her in the house.
49 She rose up, ascended to her temple in the house, dressed herself in princely
garments, she placed upon her head precious stones of onyx stones, inlaid with silver
and gold, she beautified her face and skin with all sorts of women's purifying liquids,
she perfumed the temple and the house with cassia and frankincense, she spread myrrh
and aloes, and afterward she sat in the entrance of the temple, in the passage of the house,
through which Yahusef passed to do his work. Behold, Yahusef came from the field, and
entered the house to do his master's work.
50 He came to the place through which he had to pass, and he saw all the work of
Zelicah, so he turned back.
51 Zelicah saw Yahusef turning back from her, and she called out to him, saying: What
ails you Yahusef? Come to your work, and behold, I will make room for you until you
pass to your seat.
52 Yahusef returned, came to the house, passed from there to the place of his
seat, and he sat down to do his master's work as usual. Behold, Zelicah came to him,
stood before him in princely garments, and the scent from her clothes was spread to a
distance.
53 She hastened, caught hold of Yahusef and his garments, and she said to him:
As the king lives if you will not perform my request you will die today. She
hastened, stretched forth her other hand, drew a sword from beneath her garments,
she placed it upon Yahusef's neck, and she said: Rise, perform my request, and if not
you die today.
54 Yahusef was afraid of her at her doing this thing, so he rose up to flee from her.
She seized the front of his garments, and in the terror of his flight the garment which Zelicah
seized was torn. Yahusef left the garment in the hand of Zelicah, he fled and got out,
for he was in fear.
55 When Zelicah saw that Yahusef's garment was torn, and that he had left it in her hand
when he fled, she was afraid of her life, lest the report should spread concerning her. She
rose up, acted with cunning, put off the garments in which she was dressed, and she
put on her other garments.
56 She took Yahusef's garment, she laid it beside her, she went, seated
herself in the place where she had sat in her illness, before the people of her house
went out to the river. She called a young lad who was in the house then, and she
ordered him to call the people of the house to her.
57 When she saw them she said to them with a loud voice and lamentation: See what
a Hebrew your master brought to me in the house, for he came today to lie with me.
58 For when you went out he came to the house, and seeing that there was no person
in the house, he came to me, and caught hold of me, with intent to lie with me.
59 I seized his garments, tore them, and called out against him with a loud voice.
When I lifted up my voice he was afraid of his life, left his garment before me, and fled.
60 The people of her house spoke nothing, but their wrath was very much kindled
against Yahusef. They went to his master, and told him the words of his wife.
61 Potiphar came home enraged, and his wife cried out to him, saying: What is this thing
that you did to me in bringing a Hebrew servant into my house, for he came to
me today to sport with me. Thus did he do to me today.
62 Potiphar heard the words of his wife. He ordered Yahusef to be punished with
severe stripes, and they did so to him.
63 While they were smiting him, Yahusef called out with a loud voice, he lifted up his
eyes to heaven, and he said: O Yahwah, you know that I am innocent of all these
things, and why will I die today through falsehood, by the hand of these uncircumcised
wicked men, whom you know?
64 While Potiphar's men were beating Yahusef, he continued to cry out and weep.
There was a child there eleven months old, and Yahwah opened the mouth of the child, and
he spoke these words before Potiphar's men, who were smiting Yahusef, saying:
65 What do you want of this man, and why do you do this evil to him? My mother speaks
falsely, and utters lies. Thus was the transaction.
66 The child told them accurately all that happened, and all the words of Zelicah to
Yahusef day after day did he declare to them.
67 All the men heard the words of the child, and they wondered greatly at the child's
words, but the child ceased to speak, and became still.
68 Potiphar was very much ashamed at the words of his son, he commanded his
men to not beat Yahusef any more, and the men ceased beating Yahusef.
69 Potiphar took Yahusef and ordered him to be brought to justice before the priests, who
were judges belonging to the king, in order to judge him concerning this affair.
70 Potiphar and Yahusef came before the priests who were the king's judges, and he
said to them: Decide I pray you, what judgment is due to a servant, for thus did he do.
71 The priests said to Yahusef: Why did you do this thing to your master? Yahusef
answered them, saying: Not so my lords, thus was the matter. Potiphar said to
Yahusef: Surely I entrusted in your hands all that belongs to me. I withheld nothing from
you but my wife, and how could you do this evil?
72 Yahusef answered, saying: Not so my lord, as Yahwah lives, and as your soul lives,
my lord, the word which you did hear from your wife is untrue, for thus was the affair today.
73 A year has elapsed to me since I have been in your house. Have you seen any iniquity in
me, or any thing which might cause you to demand my life?
74 The priests said to Potiphar: Send, we pray you, and let them bring before us
Yahusef's torn garment, and let us see the tear in it. If it is that the tear is in front of
the garment, then his face must have been opposite to her, and she must have caught hold of
him, to come to her, and with deceit did your wife do all that she spoke.
75 They brought Yahusef's garment before the priests who were judges, and they saw,
behold, the tear was in front of Yahusef. All the judging priests knew that she had
pressed him, and they said: The judgment of death is not due to this slave for he did
nothing, but his judgment is that he be placed in the prison house on account of the report,
which through him went forth against your wife.
76 Potiphar heard their words, and he placed him in the prison house, the place where
the king's prisoners are confined, and Yahusef was in the house of confinement twelve years.
77 Notwithstanding this, his master's wife did not turn from him, and she did not cease
from speaking to him day after day to hearken to her. At the end of three months Zelicah
continued going to Yahusef to the house of confinement day by day, and she enticed him to
hearken to her. Zelicah said to Yahusef: How long will you remain in this house? But
hearken now to my voice, and I will bring you out of this house.
78 Yahusef answered her, saying: It is better for me to remain in this house than to
hearken to your words, to sin against Yahwah. She said to him: If you will not perform my
wish, I will pluck out your eyes, add fetters to your feet, and will deliver you into the hands of
those whom you did not know before.
79 Yahusef answered her, and said: Behold, the Father of the whole earth is able to deliver
me from all that you can do to me, for He opens the eyes of the blind, looses
those that are bound, and preserves all strangers who are unacquainted with the land.
80 When Zelicah was unable to persuade Yahusef to hearken to her, she left off going to
entice him. Yahusef was still confined in the house of confinement. Yaacob the father
of Yahusef, and all his brothers who were in the land of Canaan still mourned and wept in
those days on account of Yahusef, for Yaacob refused to be comforted for his son Yahusef.
Yaacob cried aloud, wept, and mourned, all those days.
CHAPTER 45:1 It was at that time in that year, which is
the year of Yahusef's going down to Egypt after
his brothers sold him, that Reuben the son of Yaacob went to Timnah, took to him Eliuram
for a wife, the daughter of Avi the Canaanite, and he came to her.
2 Eliuram the wife of Reuben conceived, and bore him Hanoch, Palu, Chetzron, and
Carmi, four sons. Simeon his brother took his sister Dinah for a wife, and she bore to
him Memuel, Yamin, Ohad, Jachin, and Zochar, five sons.
3 He afterward came to Bunah the Canaanitish woman, the same is Bunah whom
Simeon took captive from the city of Shechem. Bunah was before Dinah, and attended
upon her. Simeon came to her, and she bore to him Saul.
4 Yahudah went at that time to Adulam, and he came to a man of Adulam, and his name
was Hirah. Yahudah saw there the daughter of a man from Canaan, and her name was
Aliyath, the daughter of Shua. He took her, came to her, and Aliyath bore to
Yahudah: Er, Onan, and Shiloh; three sons.
5 Levi and Issachar went to the land of the east, and they took to themselves for
wives the daughters of Jobab the son of Yoktan, the son of Eber. Jobab the son of
Yoktan had two daughters: the name of the elder was Adinah, and the name of the younger
was Aridah.
6 Levi took Adinah, and Issachar took Aridah, and they came to the land of Canaan, to
their father's house. Adinah bore to Levi: Gershon, Kehas, and Merari; three sons.
7 Aridah bore to Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Job, and Shomron; four sons. Dan went to
the land of Moab and took Aphlaleth for a wife, the daughter of Chamudan the Moabite, and
he brought her to the land of Canaan.
8 Aphlaleth was barren, she had no offspring. Yahwah afterward remembered Aphlaleth
the wife of Dan, so she conceived, bore a son, and she called his name Chushim.
9 Gad and Naphtali went to Haran and took from there the daughters of Amuram the
son of Uz, the son of Nahor, for wives.
10 These are the names of the daughters of Amuram: the name of the elder was
Merimah, and the name of the younger Uzith. Naphtali took Merimah, Gad took
Uzith, and brought them to the land of Canaan, to their father's house.
11 Merimah bore to Naphtali: Yachzeel, Guni, Jazer, and Shalem, four sons. Uzith
bore to Gad Zephion, Chagi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Arali, seven sons.
12 Asher went forth and took Adon the daughter of Aphlal, the son of Hadad, the son of
Ishmael, for a wife, and he brought her to the land of Canaan.
13 Adon the wife of Asher died in those days, she had no offspring. It was after the
death of Adon that Asher went to the other side of the river and took for a wife Hadurah the
daughter of Abimael, the son of Eber, the son of Shem.
14 The young woman was of a comely appearance, a woman of sense, and she had
been the wife of Malkiel the son of Elam, the son of Shem.
15 Hadurah bore a daughter to Malkiel, and he called her name Serach. Malkiel
died after this, so Hadurah went, and remained in her father's house.
16 After the death of the wife of Asher he went, took Hadurah for a wife, and brought
her to the land of Canaan. Serach her daughter he also brought with them, she was
three years old, and the damsel was brought up in Yaacob's house.
17 The damsel was of a comely appearance, and she went in the sanctified ways of the
children of Yaacob. She lacked nothing, Yahwah gave her wisdom and understanding.
18 Hadurah the wife of Asher conceived and bore to him: Yimnah, Yishvah, Yishvi, and
Beriah; four sons.
19 Zebulun went to Midian, and took for a wife Merishah the daughter of Molad, the son
of Abida, the son of Midian, and brought her to the land of Canaan.
20 Merushah bore to Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Yachleel; three sons.
21 Yaacob sent to Aram, the son of Zoba, the son of Terah, and he took for his son
Benjamin Mechalia the daughter of Aram, and she came to the land of Canaan to the house
of Yaacob. Benjamin was ten years old when he took Mechalia the daughter of Aram for a wife.
22 Mechalia conceived, and bore to Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, and
Naaman, five sons. Benjamin went afterward and took for a wife Aribath, the daughter of
Shomron, the son of Abraham, in addition to his first wife, when he was eighteen years old.
Aribath bore to Benjamin: Achi, Vosh, Mupim, Chupim, and Ord; five sons.
23 In those days Yahudah went to the house of Shem and took Tamar the daughter of
Elam, the son of Shem, for a wife for his first born Er.
24 Er came to his wife Tamar, and she became his wife. When he came to her he
outwardly destroyed his seed. His work was evil in the sight of Yahwah, and Yahwah
killed him.
25 It was after the death of Er, Yahudah's first born, that Yahudah said to Onan: Go to your
brother's wife, marry her as the next of kin, and raise up seed to your brother.
26 Onan took Tamar for a wife, he came to her, and Onan also did like to the work
of his brother. His work was evil in the sight of Yahwah, and He killed him also.
27 When Onan died, Yahudah said to Tamar: Remain in your father's house until my son
Shiloh is grown up. Yahudah did not delight in Tamar, to give her to Shiloh,
for he said: Peradventure he will also die like his brothers.
28 Tamar rose up, went, remained in her father's house, and Tamar was in her
father's house for some time.
29 At the revolution of the year, Aliyath the wife of Yahudah died. Yahudah was comforted
for his wife, and after the death of Aliyath, Yahudah went up with his friend Hirah to Timnah to
shear their sheep.
30 Tamar heard that Yahudah went up to Timnah to shear the sheep, and that Shiloh
was grown up, and Yahudah did not delight in her.
31 Tamar rose up, put off the garments of her widowhood, she put a veil upon
her, she entirely covered herself, and she went and sat in the public thoroughfare, which
is upon the road to Timnah.
32 Yahudah passed, saw her, took her, he came to her, and she conceived by
him. At the time of being delivered, behold, there were twins in her womb, and he called
the name of the first Perez, and the name of the second Zarah.
CHAPTER 46:1 In those days Yahusef was still confined in the prison
house in the land of Egypt.
2 At that time the attendants of Pharaoh were standing before him, the chief of the butlers
and the chief of the bakers which belonged to the king of Egypt.
3 The butler took wine and placed it before the king to drink. The baker placed bread
before the king to eat. The king drank of the wine and ate of the bread, he and his
servants and ministers that ate at the king's table.
4 While they were eating and drinking, the butler and the baker remained there.
Pharaoh's ministers found many flies in the wine, which the butler had brought, and stones of
nitre were found in the baker's bread.
5 The captain of the guard placed Yahusef as an attendant on Pharaoh's officers, and
Pharaoh's officers were in confinement one year.
6 At the end of the year, they both dreamed dreams in one night, in the place of
confinement where they were. In the morning Yahusef came to them to attend upon them
as usual, and he saw them. Behold, their countenances were dejected and sad.
7 Yahusef asked them: Why are your countenances sad and dejected today? They
said to him: We dreamed a dream, and there is no one to interpret it. Yahusef said to
them: I pray you, relate your dream to me, and Yahwah will give you an answer of peace as
you desire.
8 The butler related his dream to Yahusef, and he said: I saw in my dream, and behold,
a large vine was before me. Upon that vine I saw three branches, the vine speedily
blossomed, reached a great height, its clusters were ripened, and became grapes.
9 I took the grapes, pressed them in a cup, placed it in Pharaoh's hand, and he
drank. Yahusef said to him: The three branches that were upon the vine are three days.
10 Yet within three days, the king will order you to be brought out. He will restore you to
your office, and you will give the king his wine to drink as at first when you were his butler.
But let me find favor in your sight, that you will remember me to Pharaoh when it is well
with you, and do kindness to me. Get me brought forth from this prison, for I was
stolen away from the land of Canaan, and was sold for a slave in this place.
11 Also that which was told you concerning my master's wife is false, for they placed
me in this dungeon for nothing. The butler answered Yahusef, saying: If the king deal well
with me as at first, as you last interpreted to me, I will do all that you desire, and get you
brought out of this dungeon.
12 The baker saw that Yahusef had accurately interpreted the butler's dream, he also
approached, and related the whole of his dream to Yahusef.
13 He said to him: In my dream I saw, and behold, three white baskets upon my head.
I looked, and behold, there were in the upper-most basket all manner of baked meats for
Pharaoh. Behold, the birds were eating them from off my head.
14 Yahusef said to him: The three baskets which you did see are three days, yet
within three days Pharaoh will take off your head, hang you upon a tree, and the birds will
eat your flesh from off you, as you saw in your dream.
15 In those days the queen was about to be delivered, and upon that day she bore a son
to the king of Egypt. They proclaimed that the king got his first born son, and all
the people of Egypt together with the officers and servants of Pharaoh rejoiced greatly.
16 Upon the third day of his birth Pharaoh made a feast for his officers and servants, for
the hosts of the land of Zoar and of the land of Egypt.
17 All the people of Egypt and the servants of Pharaoh came to eat and drink with the
king at the feast of his son, and to rejoice at the king's rejoicing.
18 All the officers of the king and his servants were rejoicing at that time for eight days at
the feast. They made merry with all sorts of musical instruments, with timbrels, and with
dances in the king's house for eight days.
19 The butler, to whom Yahusef had interpreted his dream, forgot Yahusef, and he did not
mention him to the king as he had promised, for this thing was from Yahwah in order to
punish Yahusef because he had trusted in man.
20 Yahusef remained after this in the prison house two years, until he had completed
twelve years.
CHAPTER 47:1 Yitzchaq the son of Abraham was still living in
those days in the land of Canaan. He was
very aged, one hundred and eighty years old. Esau his son, the brother of Yaacob, was in
the land of Edom, he and his sons had possessions in it among the children of Seir.
2 Esau heard that his father's time was drawing near to die, and he and his sons and
household came to the land of Canaan, to his father's house. Yaacob and his sons
went forth from the place where they dwelt in Hebron, and they all came to their father Yitzchaq,
so they found Esau and his sons in the tent.
3 Yaacob and his sons sat before his father Yitzchaq, and Yaacob was still mourning for his
son Yahusef.
4 Yitzchaq said to Yaacob: Bring me here your sons and I will bless them. Yaacob
brought his eleven children before his father Yitzchaq.
5 Yitzchaq placed his hands upon all the sons of Yaacob. He took hold of them,
embraced them, and kissed them one by one. Yitzchaq blessed them on that day, and he
said to them: May the Father of your fathers bless you, and increase your seed like the stars
of heaven for number.
6 Yitzchaq also blessed the sons of Esau, saying: May Yahwah cause you to be a dread and a
terror to all that will behold you, and to all your enemies.
7 Yitzchaq called Yaacob and his sons, and they all came and sat before Yitzchaq. Yitzchaq
said to Yaacob: Yahwah of the whole earth said to me: Unto your seed I give this
land for an inheritance. If your children keep my statutes and my ways, I will perform to
them the oath which I swore to your father Abraham.
8 Now therefore my son, teach your children and your children's children to fear Yahwah, and to
go in the good way which pleases Yahwah your Father. For if you keep the ways of Yahwah
and His statutes Yahwah will also keep to you His covenant with Abraham, and will do well
with you and your seed all the days.
9 When Yitzchaq had finished commanding Yaacob and his children, he gave up the spirit,
died, and was gathered to his people.
10 Yaacob and Esau fell upon the face of their father Yitzchaq, and they wept. Yitzchaq was
one hundred and eighty years old when he died in the land of Canaan, in Hebron. His
sons carried him to the cave of Machpelah, which Abraham had bought from the children of
Heth for a possession of a burial place.
11 All the kings of the land of Canaan went with Yaacob and Esau to bury Yitzchaq, and all
the kings of Canaan showed Yitzchaq great honor at his death.
12 The sons of Yaacob and the sons of Esau went barefooted round about, walking and
lamenting until they reached Kireath-arba.
13 Yaacob and Esau buried their father Yitzchaq in the cave of Machpelah, which is in
Kireath-arba in Hebron, and they buried him with very great honor, as at the funeral of kings.
14 Yaacob, his sons, Esau, his sons, and all the kings of Canaan, made a
great and heavy mourning, they buried him, and mourned for him many days.
15 At the death of Yitzchaq, he left his cattle and his possessions and all belonging to him
to his sons. Esau said to Yaacob: Behold, I pray you, all that our father has left we will
divide it in two parts, and I will have the choice. Yaacob said: We will do so.
16 Yaacob took all that Yitzchaq left in the land of Canaan, the cattle and the property,
and he placed them in two parts before Esau and his sons. He said to Esau: Behold, all
this is before you, choose you to yourself the half which you will take.
17 Yaacob said to Esau: Hear you I pray you what I will speak to you, saying, The
Father of heaven and earth spoke to our fathers Abraham and Yitzchaq, saying: Unto your
seed I give this land for an inheritance forever.
18 Now therefore, all that our father has left is before you, and behold, all the land is before
you. Choose you from them what you desire.
19 If you desire the whole land take it for you and your children forever, and I will take these
riches. But if you desire the riches take it to you, and I will take this land for me and for
my children to inherit it forever.
20 Nebayoth, the son of Ishmael, was then in the land with his children. Esau went
on that day, and consulted with him, saying:
21 Thus did Yaacob say to me, and thus did he answer me, now give your advice and
we will hear.
22 Nebayoth said: What is this that Yaacob spoke to you? Behold, all the children
of Canaan are dwelling securely in their land, and Yaacob says he will inherit it with his seed
all the days.
23 Go now therefore, take all your father's riches, leave Yaacob your brother in the land,
as he said.
24 Esau rose up, returned to Yaacob, and did all that Nebayoth the son of Ishmael
advised. Esau took all the riches that Yitzchaq had left, the souls, the beasts, the cattle,
the property, and all the riches. He gave nothing to his brother Yaacob. Yaacob took all
the land of Canaan, from the brook of Egypt to the river Euphrates, and he took it for an
everlasting possession, for his children and for his seed after him forever.
25 Yaacob also took from his brother Esau the cave of Machpelah, which is in Hebron, which
Abraham bought from Ephron for a possession of a burial place for him and his seed
forever.
26 Yaacob wrote all these things in the book of purchase, he signed it, and he
testified all this with four faithful witnesses.
27 These are the words which Yaacob wrote in the book, saying: The land of Canaan and
all the cities of the Hittites, the Hivites, the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, and the
Gergashites, all the seven nations from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates.
28 The city of Hebron Kireath-arba, and the cave which is in it, the whole did Yaacob buy
from his brother Esau for value, for a possession, and for an inheritance for his seed after him
forever.
29 Yaacob took the book of purchase with the signature, the command, the statutes,
and the revealed book. He placed them in an earthen vessel in order that they should
remain for a long time, and he delivered them into the hands of his children.
30 Esau took all that his father had left him after his death from his brother Yaacob. He
took all the property, from man and beast, camel and ass, ox and lamb, silver and gold,
stones and bdellium, and all the riches which had belonged to Yitzchaq the son of Abraham.
There was nothing left which Esau did not take to himself, from all that Yitzchaq had left after
his death.
31 Esau took all this, and he and his children went home to the land of Seir the Horite,
away from his brother Yaacob and his children.
32 Esau had possessions among the children of Seir, and Esau did not return to the
land of Canaan from that day forward.
33 The whole land of Canaan became an inheritance to the children of Yisrayah [Yaacob] for an
everlasting inheritance. Esau with all his children inherited the mountain of Seir.
CHAPTER 48:1 In those days, after the death of Yitzchaq, Yahwah
commanded, and caused a famine upon the whole earth.
2 At that time Pharaoh king of Egypt was sitting upon his throne in the land of Egypt, and lay
in his bed and dreamed dreams. Pharaoh saw in his dream that he was standing by the
side of the river of Egypt.
3 While he was standing he saw, and behold, seven fat-fleshed and well-favored pigs
came up out of the river.
4 Seven other pigs, lean-fleshed and ill-favored, came up after them. The seven ill-favored
ones swallowed up the well-favored ones, and still their appearance was ill as at first.
5 He awoke, he slept again, and he dreamed a second time. He saw, and behold,
seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. Seven thin ears blasted with
the east wind sprang up after them, and the thin ears swallowed up the full ones, then
Pharaoh awoke out of his dream.
6 In the morning the king remembered his dreams, and his spirit was sadly troubled on
account of his dreams. The king hastened, sent, called for all the magicians of
Egypt, and the wise men, so they came and stood before Pharaoh.
7 The king said to them: I dreamed dreams, and there is none to interpret them.
They said to the king: Relate your dreams to your servants, let us hear them.
8 The king related his dreams to them. They all answered, and said with one voice to
the king: May the king live forever. This is the interpretation of your dreams.
9 The seven good pigs which you saw denote seven daughters that will be born to
you in the latter days. The seven pigs which you saw come up after them, and
swallowed them up, are for a sign that the daughters which will be born to you will all die
in the life-time of the king.
10 That which you saw in the second dream of seven full good ears of corn coming
up upon one stalk, this is their interpretation, that you will build to yourself in the latter days
seven cities throughout the land of Egypt. That which you saw of the seven blasted
ears of corn springing up after them and swallowing them up while you did behold them
with your eyes, is for a sign that the cities which you will build will all be destroyed in the
latter days, in the life-time of the king.
11 When they spoke these words the king did not incline his ear to their words, neither
did he fix his heart upon them, for the king knew in his wisdom that they did not give a proper
interpretation of the dreams. When they were finished speaking before the king, the king
answered them, saying: What is this thing that you said to me? Surely you
uttered falsehood, and spoke lies. Therefore now give the proper interpretation of my
dreams, that you may not die.
12 The king commanded after this, he sent, called again for other wise men, and
they came and stood before the king. The king related his dreams to them, and they all
answered him according to the first interpretation. The king's anger was kindled, he
was very angry, and the king said to them: Surely you speak lies and utter falsehood in
what you say.
13 The king commanded that a proclamation should be issued throughout the land of
Egypt, saying: It is resolved by the king and his great men, that any wise man who knows
and understands the interpretation of dreams, and will not come before the king today,
will die.
14 The man that will declare to the king the proper interpretation of his dreams, there
will be given to him all that he will require from the king. All the wise men of the land
of Egypt came before the king, together with all the magicians and sorcerers that were in
Egypt, in Goshen, in Rameses, in Tachpanches, in Zoar, and in all the places on the
borders of Egypt, and they all stood before the king.
15 All the nobles, the princes, and the attendants belonging to the king, came
together from all the cities of Egypt. They all sat before the king, and the king related his
dreams before the wise men and the princes. All that sat before the king were
astonished at the vision.
16 All the wise men who were before the king were greatly divided in their interpretation
of his dreams. Some of them interpreted them to the king, saying: The seven good pigs are
seven kings, who from the king's issue will be raised over Egypt.
17 The seven bad pigs are seven princes, who will stand up against them in the latter
days and destroy them. The seven ears of corn are the seven great princes belonging to
Egypt, who will fall in the hands of the seven less powerful princes of their enemies, in the
wars of our lord the king.
18 Some of them interpreted to the king in this manner, saying: The seven good pigs are
the strong cities of Egypt, and the seven bad pigs are the seven nations of the land of
Canaan, who will come against the seven cities of Egypt in the latter days and destroy them.
19 That which you saw in the second dream, of seven good and bad ears of corn, is
a sign that the government of Egypt will again return to your seed as at first.
20 In his reign the people of the cities of Egypt will turn against the seven cities of
Canaan who are stronger than they are, will destroy them, and the government of Egypt
will return to your seed.
21 Some of them said to the king: This is the interpretation of your dreams. The seven
good pigs are seven queens, whom you will take for wives in the latter days, and the seven
bad pigs denote that those women will all die in the lifetime of the king.
22 The seven good and bad ears of corn which you did see in the second dream are
fourteen children, and it will be in the latter days that they will stand up and fight among
themselves, and seven of them will smite the seven that are more powerful.
23 Some of them said these words to the king, saying: The seven good pigs denote
that seven children will be born to you, and they will slay seven of your children's children in
the latter days. The seven good ears of corn which you did see in the second dream,
are those princes against whom seven other less powerful princes will fight and destroy them
in the latter days, and avenge your children's cause, and the government will again return to
your seed.
24 The king heard all the words of the wise men of Egypt and their interpretation of his
dreams, and none of them pleased the king.
25 The king knew in his wisdom that they did not altogether speak correctly in all these
words. For this was from Yahwah to frustrate the words of the wise men of Egypt, in order
that Yahusef might go forth from the house of confinement, and in order that he should
become great in Egypt.
26 The king saw that none among all the wise men and magicians of Egypt spoke
correctly to him. The king's wrath was kindled, and his anger burned within him.
27 The king commanded that all the wise men and magicians should go out from before
him, and they all went out from before the king with shame and disgrace.
28 The king commanded that a proclamation be sent throughout Egypt to slay all the
magicians that were in Egypt, and not one of them should be allowed to live.
29 The captains of the guards belonging to the king rose up, each man drew his
sword, and they began to smite the magicians of Egypt, with the wise men.
30 After this Merod, chief butler to the king, came, bowed down before the king, and
sat before him.
31 The butler said to the king: May the king live forever, and his government be
exalted in the land.
32 You were angry with your servant in those days, now two years past, did place me
in the ward, and I was for some time in the ward, I and the chief of the bakers.
33 There was with us a Hebrew servant belonging to the captain of the guard, his name
is Yahusef, for his master was angry with him and placed him in the house of
confinement, and he attended us there.
34 In some time after when we were in the ward, we dreamed dreams in one night, I and
the chief of the bakers. We dreamed, each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
35 We came in the morning, and told them to that servant. He interpreted to us our
dreams, to each man according to his dream he did correctly interpret.
36 It came to pass as he interpreted to us, so was the event. There fell to the ground not
any of his words.
37 Now therefore my lord and king do not slay the people of Egypt for nothing. Behold,
that slave is still confined in the house by the captain of the guard his master, in the house of
confinement.
38 If it pleases the king, let him send for him that he may come before you, and he will make
known to you the correct interpretation of the dream which you did dream.
39 The king heard the words of the chief butler, and the king ordered that the wise men
of Egypt should not be slain.
40 The king ordered his servants to bring Yahusef before him. The king said to
them: Go to him, do not terrify him, lest he is confused and will not know to speak properly.
41 The servants of the king went to Yahusef, and they brought him hastily out of the
dungeon. The king's servants shaved him, changed his prison garment, and he
came before the king.
42 The king was sitting upon his royal throne in a princely dress girt around with a golden
ephod. The fine gold which was upon it sparkled, and the carbuncle, the ruby, the
emerald, together with all the precious stones that were upon the king's head, dazzled the
eye. Yahusef wondered greatly at the king.
43 The throne upon which the king sat was covered with gold, silver, and with onyx
stones, and it had seventy steps.
44 It was their custom throughout the land of Egypt, that every man who came to speak
to the king, if he was a prince or one that was estimable in the sight of the king, he ascended
to the king's throne as far as the thirty-first step, and the king would descend to the thirtysixth
step, and speak with him.
45 If he was one of the common people, he ascended to the third step, and the king would
descend to the fourth and speak to him. Their custom was, moreover, that any man who
understood to speak in all the seventy languages, he ascended the seventy steps, went
up, and spoke till he reached the king.
46 Any man who could not complete the seventy, he ascended as many steps as the
languages which he knew to speak in.
47 It was customary in those days in Egypt that no one should reign over them, but who
understood to speak in the seventy languages.
48 When Yahusef came before the king he bowed down to the ground before the king,
and he ascended to the third step. The king sat upon the fourth step, and spoke with
Yahusef.
49 The king said to Yahusef: I dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter to interpret
it properly. I commanded today that all the magicians of Egypt and the wise men
thereof should come before me. I related my dreams to them, and no one has properly
interpreted them to me.
50 After this I heard concerning you, that you are a wise man, and can
correctly interpret every dream that you hear.
51 Yahusef answered Pharaoh, saying: Let Pharaoh relate his dreams that he dreamed,
surely the interpretations belong to Yahwah. Pharaoh related his dreams to Yahusef, the
dream of the pigs, the dream of the ears of corn, and the king left off speaking.
52 Yahusef was then clothed with the spirit of Yahwah before the king, and he knew all the
things that would befall the king from that day forward. He knew the proper interpretation
of the king's dreams, and he spoke before the king.
53 Yahusef found favor in the sight of the king. The king inclined his ears and his
heart, and he heard all the words of Yahusef. Yahusef said to the king: Do not imagine
that they are two dreams, for it is only one dream, for what Yahwah chose to do
throughout the land he showed to the king in his dream. This is the proper
interpretation of your dream:
54 The seven good pigs and ears of corn are seven years, and the seven bad pigs and ears
of corn are also seven years: it is one dream.
55 Behold, in the seven years that are coming there will be a great plenty throughout the land,
and after that the seven years of famine will follow them, a very grievous famine. All the
plenty will be forgotten from the land, and the famine will consume the inhabitants of the land.
56 The king dreamed one dream, the dream was repeated to Pharaoh
because the thing is established by Yahwah, and Yahwah will shortly bring it to pass.
57 Now therefore I will give you counsel to deliver your soul and the souls of the inhabitants
of the land from the evil of the famine, that you seek throughout your kingdom for a man very
discreet and wise, who knows all the affairs of government, and appoint him to superintend
over the land of Egypt.
58 Let the man whom you place over Egypt appoint officers under him, that they
gather in all the food of the good years that are coming, let them lay up corn, and deposit
it in your appointed stores.
59 Let them keep that food for the seven years of famine, that it may be found for you,
your people, and your whole land, that you and your land are not cut off by the famine.
60 Let all the inhabitants of the land be also ordered that they gather in, every man the
produce of his field, of all sorts of food, during the seven good years, and that they place it in
their stores, that it may be food for them in the days of the famine, that they may live
upon it.
61 This is the proper interpretation of your dream, and this is the counsel given to save your
soul, and the souls of all your subjects.
62 The king answered, and said to Yahusef: Who says and who knows that your
words are correct? He said to the king: This is a sign for you respecting all my
words, that they are true, and that my advice is good for you.
63 Behold, today your wife sits upon the stool of delivery. She will bear you a son, and
you will rejoice with him. When your child is gone forth from his mother's womb, your
first born son that was born these two years back will die, and you will be comforted
in the child that is born to you today.
64 Yahusef finished speaking these words to the king, he bowed down to the king,
and he went out. When Yahusef went out from the king's presence, those signs which
Yahusef spoke to the king came to pass on that day.
65 The queen bore a son on that day, the king heard the glad tidings about his son,
and he rejoiced. When the reporter went forth from the king's presence, the king's
servants found the first born son of the king fallen dead upon the ground.
66 There was great lamentation and noise in the king's house, and the king heard it.
He said: What is the noise and lamentation that I hear in the house? They told the
king that his first born son had died. Then the king knew that all Yahusef's words that he
spoke were correct, and the king was consoled for his son by the child that was born to him
on that day as Yahusef said.
CHAPTER 49:1 After these things the king sent, assembled
all his officers, servants, with all the
princes and nobles belonging to the king, and they all came before the king.
2 The king said to them: Behold, you saw and heard all the words of this Hebrew
man, and all the signs which he declared would come to pass, and not any of his words
fell to the ground.
3 You know that he gave a proper interpretation of the dream, and it will surely come to
pass. Now therefore take counsel, know what you will do, and how the land will be
delivered from the famine.
4 Seek now, see whether the like can be found, in whose heart there is wisdom and
knowledge, and I will appoint him over the land.
5 For you heard what the Hebrew man advised concerning this to save the land
therewith from the famine. I know that the land will not be delivered from the famine but
with the advice of the Hebrew man, him who advised me.
6 They all answered the king, and said: The counsel which the Hebrew gave
concerning this is good. Now therefore, our lord and king, behold the whole land is in your
hand, do that which seems good in your sight.
7 Him whom you choose, and whom you in your wisdom know to be wise and capable of
delivering the land with his wisdom, him will the king appoint to be under him over the land.
8 The king said to all the officers: I have thought that since Yahwah made known to the
Hebrew man all that he spoke, there is none so discreet and wise in the whole land as
he is. If it seem good in your sight I will place him over the land, for he will save the land with
his wisdom.
9 All the officers answered the king, and said: But surely it is written in the laws of Egypt,
and it should not be violated, that no man will reign over Egypt, nor be the second to the
king, but one who has knowledge in all the languages of the sons of men.
10 Now therefore our lord and king, behold, this Hebrew man can only speak the Hebrew
language. How then can he be over us the second under government, a man who does not
even know our language?
11 Now we pray you send for him, and let him come before you. Prove him in all things,
and do as you see fit.
12 The king said: It will be done tomorrow, the thing that you spoke is good.
All the officers came on that day before the king.
13 On that night Yahwah sent one of his ministering malaks, and he came into the land of
Egypt to Yahusef. The malak of Yahwah stood over Yahusef. Behold, Yahusef was
lying in the bed at night in his master's house in the dungeon, for his master had put him
back into the dungeon on account of his wife.
14 The malak roused him from his sleep. Yahusef rose up, stood upon his legs,
and behold, the malak of Yahwah was standing in front of him. The malak of Yahwah
spoke with Yahusef. He taught him all the languages of man in that night, and he called
his name: Yahusef.
15 The malak of Yahwah went from him. Yahusef returned, lay upon his bed, and
Yahusef was astonished at the vision which he saw.
16 It came to pass in the morning that the king sent for all his officers and servants, and
they all came and sat before the king. The king ordered Yahusef to be brought, and the
king's servants went and brought Yahusef before Pharaoh.
17 The king came forth, ascended the steps of the throne, and Yahusef spoke to
the king in all languages. Yahusef went up to him, spoke to the king until he arrived
before the king in the seventieth step, and he sat before the king.
18 The king greatly rejoiced on account of Yahusef, and all the king's officers rejoiced
greatly with the king when they heard all the words of Yahusef.
19 The thing seemed good in the sight of the king and the officers, to appoint Yahusef to
be second to the king over the whole land of Egypt. The king spoke to Yahusef, saying:
20 Now you did give me counsel to appoint a wise man over the land of Egypt, in order
with his wisdom to save the land from the famine. Now therefore, since Yahwah made all this
known to you, and all the words which you spoke, there is not throughout the land a
discreet and wise man like to you.
21 Your name will not be called Yahusef anymore, but Zaphnath Paaneah is your name.
You are second to me, and all the affairs of my
government will be according to your word. At your word my people will go out and come in.
22 Also from under your hand my servants and officers will receive their salary which is given
to them monthly, and to you all the people of the land will bow down. Only in my throne will
I be greater than you.
23 The king took off his ring from his hand, put it upon the hand of Yahusef, the
king dressed Yahusef in a princely garment, he put a golden crown upon his head, and
he put a golden chain upon his neck.
24 The king commanded his servants, and they made him ride in the second chariot
belonging to the king, that went opposite to the king's chariot. He caused him to ride
upon a great and strong horse from the king's horses, and to be conducted through the
streets of the land of Egypt.
25 The king commanded that all those that played upon timbrels, harps, and other
musical instruments should go forth with Yahusef; one thousand timbrels, one thousand
mecholoth, and one thousand nebalim went after him.
26 Five thousand men, with drawn swords glittering in their hands, and they went
marching and playing before Yahusef. Twenty thousand of the great men of the king clothed
with girdles of skin covered with gold, marched at the right hand of Yahusef, and twenty
thousand at his left. All the women and damsels went upon the roofs or stood in the
streets playing and rejoicing at Yahusef, and gazed at the appearance of Yahusef, at his
beauty.
27 The king's people went before him and behind him, perfuming the road with
frankincense, with cassia, and with all sorts of fine perfume, and scattered myrrh and
aloes along the road. Twenty men proclaimed these words before him throughout the
land in a loud voice:
28 Do you see this man whom the king chose to be his second? All the affairs of
government are regulated by him. He who transgresses his orders, or who does not
bow down before him to the ground, will die, for he rebels against the king and his second.
29 When the heralds ceased proclaiming, all the people of Egypt bowed down to the
ground before Yahusef, and said: May the king live, also may his second live. All the
inhabitants of Egypt bowed down along the road, and when the heralds approached them,
they bowed down. They rejoiced with all sorts of timbrels, mechol, and nebal before Yahusef.
30 Yahusef upon his horse lifted up his eyes to heaven, called out, and said: He
raises the poor man from the dust, He lifts up the needy from the dunghill. O Yahwah of
Hosts, happy is the man who trusts in you! [1Samuel 2:6]
31 Yahusef passed throughout the land of Egypt with Pharaoh's servants and officers.
They showed him the whole land of Egypt, and all the king's treasures.
32 Yahusef returned, came on that day before Pharaoh, and the king gave to
Yahusef a possession in the land of Egypt, a possession of fields and vineyards. The king
gave to Yahusef three thousand talents of silver, one thousand talents of gold, onyx
stones, bdellium, and many gifts.
33 On the next day the king commanded all the people of Egypt to bring to Yahusef
offerings and gifts, and that he who violated the command of the king should die. They
made a high place in the street of the city, and they spread out garments there. Whoever
brought anything to Yahusef put it into the high place.
34 All the people of Egypt cast something into the high place, one man a golden earring,
the other rings and ear-rings, different vessels of gold and silver work,
onyx stones and bdellium did he cast upon the high place. Everyone gave something of what
he possessed.
35 Yahusef took all these and placed them in his treasuries. All the officers and
nobles belonging to the king exalted Yahusef, and they gave him many gifts, seeing that the
king chose him to be his second.
36 The king sent to Potiphera, the son of Ahiram priest of On. He took his young
daughter Osnath, and gave her to Yahusef for a wife.
37 The damsel was very comely, a virgin, one whom man had not known, and Yahusef
took her for a wife. The king said to Yahusef: I am Pharaoh, and beside you none will
dare to lift up his hand or his foot to regulate my people throughout the land of Egypt.
38 Yahusef was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh. Yahusef went out
from before the king, and he became the king's second in Egypt.
39 The king gave Yahusef a hundred servants to attend him in his house. Yahusef
also sent and purchased many servants, and they remained in the house of Yahusef.
40 Yahusef then built for himself a very magnificent house like to the houses of kings,
before the court of the king's palace. In the house he made a large temple, very elegant
in appearance, convenient for his residence. Three years was Yahusef in erecting his house.
41 Yahusef made to himself a very elegant throne of abundance of gold and silver, and
he covered it with onyx stones and bdellium. He made upon it the likeness of the whole
land of Egypt, and the likeness of the river of Egypt that waters the whole land of Egypt.
Yahusef sat securely upon his throne in his house, and Yahwah increased Yahusef's wisdom.
42 All the inhabitants of Egypt, Pharaoh's servants, and his princes, loved Yahusef
exceedingly, for this thing was from Yahwah to Yahusef.
43 Yahusef had an army that made war, going out in hosts and troops to the number of
forty thousand six hundred men, capable of bearing arms to assist the king and Yahusef
against the enemy, besides the king's officers and his servants and inhabitants of Egypt
without number.
44 Yahusef gave to his mighty men (and to all his host) shields and javelins, caps
and coats of mail, and stones for slinging.
CHAPTER 50:1 At that time the children of Tarshish came against
the sons of Ishmael, and made war with
them. The children of Tarshish spoiled the Ishmaelites for a long time.
2 The children of Ishmael were small in number in those days. They could not prevail
over the children of Tarshish, and they were sorely oppressed.
3 The old men of the Ishmaelites sent a record to the king of Egypt, saying: Send to your
servants, I pray you, officers and hosts to help us to fight against the children of Tarshish,
for we have been consuming away for a long time.
4 Pharaoh sent Yahusef, with the mighty men and host which were with him, and also his
mighty men from the king's house.
5 They went to the land of Havilah to the children of Ishmael, to assist them against the
children of Tarshish. The children of Ishmael fought with the children of Tarshish.
Yahusef smote the Tarshishites, he subdued all their land, and the children of Ishmael
dwell therein to this day.
6 When the land of Tarshish was subdued, all the Tarshishites ran away, and came on
the border of their brothers the children of Yavan. Yahusef returned to Egypt with all his mighty men and
host, not one man of them missing.
7 At the revolution of the year, in the second year of Yahusef's reigning over Egypt, Yahwah
gave great plenty throughout the land for seven years as Yahusef said. Yahwah
blessed all the produce of the earth in those days for seven years, so they ate and
were greatly satisfied.
8 Yahusef had officers under him at that time, they collected all the food of the good
years, heaped corn year by year, and they placed it in the treasuries of Yahusef.
9 At any time when they gathered the food Yahusef commanded that they should bring
the corn in the ears, and also bring with it some of the soil of the field, that it should not spoil.
10 Yahusef did according to this year by year. He heaped up corn like the sand of the
sea for abundance, for his stores were immense and could not be numbered for abundance.
11 Also all the inhabitants of Egypt gathered all sorts of food in their stores in great
abundance during the seven good years, but they did not do to it as Yahusef did.
12 All the food which Yahusef and the Egyptians had gathered during the seven years of
plenty was secured for the land in stores for the seven years of famine, for the support of the
whole land.
13 The inhabitants of Egypt, each man filled his store and his concealed place with corn,
to be for support during the famine.
14 Yahusef placed all the food that he gathered in all the cities of Egypt, he
closed all the stores, and placed sentinels over them.
15 Yahusef's wife Osnath the daughter of Potiphera bore him two sons: Manasseh and
Ephrayim. Yahusef was thirty-four years old when he begat them.
16 The lads grew up, and they went in his ways, in his instructions. They did not
deviate from the way which their father taught them, either to the right or left.
17 Yahwah was with the lads. They grew up with understanding and skill in all
wisdom, and in all the affairs of government. All the king's officers and his great men of
the inhabitants of Egypt exalted the lads, and they were brought up among the king's children.
18 The seven years of plenty that were throughout the land were at an end. The
seven years of famine came after them as Yahusef said, and the famine was
throughout the land.
19 All the people of Egypt saw that the famine had commenced in the land of Egypt.
All the people of Egypt opened their stores of corn, for the famine prevailed over them.
20 They found all the food that was in their stores full of vermin, and not fit to eat. The
famine prevailed throughout the land, so all the inhabitants of Egypt came and cried before
Pharaoh, for the famine was heavy upon them.
21 They said to Pharaoh: Give food to your servants, why will we die
through hunger before your eyes, even we and our little ones?
22 Pharaoh answered them, saying: Why do you cry to me? Did Yahusef not
command that the corn should be laid up during the seven years of plenty for the years of
famine? Why did you not hearken to his voice?
23 The people of Egypt answered the king, saying: As your soul lives, our lord, your
servants did all that Yahusef ordered. Your servants also gathered in all the produce
of their fields during the seven years of plenty, and laid it in the stores till today.
24 When the famine prevailed over your servants we opened our stores. Behold, all
our produce is filled with vermin, not fit for food.
25 When the king heard all that befell the inhabitants of Egypt, the king was
greatly afraid on account of the famine, and he was much terrified. The king answered
the people of Egypt, saying: Since all this has happened to you, go to Yahusef, do
whatever he says to you, do not transgress his commands.
26 All the people of Egypt went forth, came to Yahusef, and said to him: Give
to us food, why will we die before you through hunger? For we gathered in our
produce during the seven years as you did command, we put it in store, and thus it is
befallen us.
27 Yahusef heard all the words of the people of Egypt, and what befell them.
Yahusef opened all his stores of the produce, and he sold it to the people of Egypt.
28 The famine prevailed throughout the land, and the famine was in all countries, but in
the land of Egypt there was produce for sale.
29 All the inhabitants of Egypt came to Yahusef to buy corn, for the famine prevailed
over them, and all their corn was spoiled. Yahusef daily sold it to all the people of Egypt.
30 All the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, the Philistines, those beyond the
Yordan [Jordan River], the children of the east, and all the cities of the lands far and near, heard that
there was corn in Egypt. They all came to Egypt to buy corn, for the famine prevailed
over them.
31 Yahusef opened the stores of corn, and placed officers over them. They stood daily,
and sold to all who came.
32 Yahusef knew that his brothers would also come to Egypt to buy corn, for the famine
prevailed throughout the earth. Yahusef commanded all his people that they should
cause it to be proclaimed throughout the land of Egypt, saying:
33 It is the pleasure of the king, of his second, and of their great men, that any person who
wishes to buy corn in Egypt will not send his servants to Egypt to purchase, but his sons.
Also any Egyptian or Canaanite, who comes from any of the stores from buying corn
in Egypt, and will go and sell it throughout the land, he will die, for no one will buy but for
the support of his household.
34 Any man leading two or three beasts will die, for a man will lead his own beast only.
35 Yahusef placed sentinels at the gates of Egypt, and commanded them, saying: Any
person who may come to buy corn, do not allow him to enter until his name, the name of
his father, and the name of his father's father are written down. And whatever is written by
day, send their names to me in the evening that I may know their names.
36 Yahusef placed officers throughout the land of Egypt, and he commanded them to do
all these things.
37 Yahusef did all these things, and made these statutes, in order that he might know
when his brothers should come to Egypt to buy corn. Yahusef's people caused it to
be proclaimed in Egypt daily according to these words and statutes which Yahusef commanded.
38 All the inhabitants of the east and west country, and of all the earth, heard of the
statutes and regulations which Yahusef enacted in Egypt. The inhabitants of the
extreme parts of the earth came, they bought corn in Egypt day after day, and then went away.
39 All the officers of Egypt did as Yahusef commanded, and all that came to Egypt to
buy corn, the gate keepers would write their names, with their fathers' names, and daily bring
them in the evening before Yahusef.
CHAPTER 51:1 Yaacob afterward heard that there was corn in
Egypt, and he called to his sons to go to Egypt to buy corn, for upon them also did the
famine prevail. He called to his sons, saying:
2 Behold, I hear there is corn in Egypt, and all the people of the earth go there to
purchase. Now therefore, why will you show yourselves satisfied before the whole earth? Go
also down to Egypt, buy us a little corn among those that come there, that we may not die.
3 The sons of Yaacob hearkened to the voice of their father, they rose up to go down
to Egypt in order to buy corn among the rest that came there.
4 Yaacob their father commanded them, saying: When you come into the city do not enter
together in one gate, on account of the inhabitants of the land.
5 The sons of Yaacob went forth, they went to Egypt, and the sons of Yaacob did all as
their father commanded them. Yaacob did not send Benjamin, for he said: Lest an
accident might befall him on the road like his brother. Ten of Yaacob's sons went forth.
6 While the sons of Yaacob were going on the road, they repented of what they did
to Yahusef, and they spoke to each other, saying: We know that our brother Yahusef went
down to Egypt. Now we will seek him where we go, and if we find him we will take him
from his master for a ransom, and if not, by force. We will die for him.
7 The sons of Yaacob agreed to this thing, strengthened themselves on account of
Yahusef, to deliver him from the hand of his master, and the sons of Yaacob went to Egypt.
When they came near to Egypt they separated from each other, and they came through ten
gates of Egypt. The gate keepers wrote their names on that day, and brought them to
Yahusef in the evening.
8 Yahusef read the names from the hand of the gate-keepers of the city, and he found
that his brothers had entered at the ten gates of the city. At that time Yahusef
commanded that it should be proclaimed throughout the land of Egypt, saying:
9 Go forth all you store guards, and close all the corn stores. Let only one remain open, that
those who come may purchase from it.
10 All the officers of Yahusef did so at that time, they closed all the stores, and left
only one open.
11 Yahusef gave the written names of his brothers to him that was set over the open
store, and he said to him: Whosoever comes to you to buy corn, ask his name.
When men of these names come before you, seize them, and send them. They did so.
12 When the sons of Yaacob came into the city, they joined together in the city to seek
Yahusef before they bought themselves corn.
13 They went to the walls of the harlots, and they sought Yahusef in the walls of the
harlots for three days. They thought that Yahusef would come in the walls of the harlots, for
Yahusef was very comely, and well favored. The sons of Yaacob sought Yahusef for three
days, and they could not find him.
14 The man who was set over the open store sought for those names which Yahusef
gave him, and he did not find them.
15 He sent to Yahusef, saying: These three days have passed, and those men whose
names you gave to me have not come. Yahusef sent servants to seek the men in
all Egypt, and to bring them before Yahusef.
16 Yahusef's servants went, came into Egypt, could not find them, went to
Goshen, they were not there, then went to the city of Rameses, and could not find them.
17 Yahusef continued to send sixteen servants to seek his brothers. They went, and
spread themselves in the four corners of the city. Four of the servants went into the
house of the harlots, and they found the ten men there seeking their brother.
18 Those four men took them, brought them before him, and they bowed down to him
to the ground. Yahusef was sitting upon his throne in his temple, clothed with princely
garments. Upon his head was a large crown of gold, and all the mighty men were sitting
around him.
19 The sons of Yaacob saw Yahusef. His figure, comeliness, and dignity of
countenance, seemed wonderful in their eyes, and they again bowed down to him to the ground.
20 Yahusef saw his brothers, and he knew them, but they did not know him, for Yahusef was
very great in their eyes, therefore they did not know him.
21 Yahusef spoke to them, saying: Where do you come from? They all answered, and
said: Your servants come from the land of Canaan to buy corn, for the famine prevails
throughout the earth. Your servants heard there is corn in Egypt, so we
came among the other comers to buy corn for our support.
22 Yahusef answered them, saying: If you came to purchase as you say, why do
you come through ten gates of the city? It can only be that you came to spy through the land.
23 They all together answered Yahusef, and said: Not so my lord, we are right, your
servants are not spies, but we came to buy corn, for your servants are all brothers, the
sons of one man in the land of Canaan. Our father commanded us, saying: When you
come to the city do not enter together at one gate on account of the inhabitants of the land.
24 Yahusef again answered them, and said: That is the thing which I spoke to you, you
came to spy through the land, therefore you all came through ten gates of the city. You
came to see the nakedness of the land.
25 Surely everyone that comes to buy corn goes his way, and you are already three days
in the land, and what do you do in the walls of harlots in which you have been for these three
days? Surely spies do like to these things.
26 They said to Yahusef: Far be it from our lord to speak thus, for we are twelve
brothers, the sons of our father Yaacob, in the land of Canaan, the son of Yitzchaq, the son of
Abraham, the Hebrew. Behold, the youngest is with our father today in the land of
Canaan. One is not, for he was lost from us. We thought perhaps he might be in this
land, so we are seeking him throughout the land, and have come even to the houses of
harlots to seek him there.
27 Yahusef said to them: Have you then sought him throughout the earth, that
there only remained Egypt for you to seek him in? What also should your brother do in
the houses of harlots, although he were in Egypt? Did you not say you are from the
sons of Yitzchaq, the son of Abraham. What will the sons of Yaacob do then in the houses of
harlots?
28 They said to him: Because we heard that Ishmaelites stole him from us, and it was
told to us that they sold him in Egypt. Your servant, our brother, is very comely and well
favored, so we thought he would surely be in the houses of harlots, therefore your servants
went there to seek him and give ransom for him.
29 Yahusef still answered them, saying: Surely you speak falsely, and utter lies, to say of
yourselves that you are the sons of Abraham. As Pharaoh lives you are spies, therefore
you came to the houses of harlots, that you should not be known.
30 Yahusef said to them: Now if you find him, and his master requires of you a
great price, will you give it for him? They said: It will be given.
31 He said to them: If his master will not consent to part with him for a great price,
what will you do to him on his account? They answered him, saying: If he will not give
him to us we will slay him, take our brother, and go away.
32 Yahusef said to them: That is the thing which I said to you. You are spies,
for you are come to slay the inhabitants of the land. For we heard that two of your brothers
smote all the inhabitants of Shechem, in the land of Canaan, on account of your sister, and
now you come to do the like in Egypt on account of your brother.
33 Only by this will I know that you are true men: if you will send home one from among
you to fetch your youngest brother from your father, and to bring him here to me. By
doing this thing I will know that you are right.
34 Yahusef called to seventy of his mighty men, and he said to them: Take these men,
bring them into the ward.
35 The mighty men took the ten men, they laid hold of them, put them into the ward,
and they were in the ward three days.
36 On the third day Yahusef had them brought out of the ward, and he said to them: Do
this for yourselves, if you are true men, so that you may live. One of your brothers will be
confined in the ward while you go, take home the corn for your household to the land of
Canaan, fetch your youngest brother, and bring him here to me, that I may know that
you are true men when you do this thing.
37 Yahusef went out from them, came into the chamber, wept a great weeping,
for his pity was excited for them, then he washed his face, and returned to them again.
He took Simeon from them, and ordered him to be bound. Simeon was not willing to be
done so, for he was a very powerful man, and they could not bind him.
38 Yahusef called to his mighty men, seventy valiant men came before him with
drawn swords in their hands, and the sons of Yaacob were terrified at them.
39 Yahusef said to them: Seize this man, confine him in prison until his brothers
come to him. Yahusef's valiant men hastened, and they all laid hold of Simeon to bind
him. Simeon gave a loud and terrible shriek, and the cry was heard at a distance.
40 All the valiant men of Yahusef were terrified at the sound of the shriek, that they fell
upon their faces, they were greatly afraid, and fled.
41 All the men that were with Yahusef fled, for they were greatly afraid of their lives, and
only Yahusef and Manasseh his son remained there. Manassah the son of Yahusef saw
the strength of Simeon, and he was exceedingly angry.
42 Manassah the son of Yahusef rose up to Simeon. Manassah smote Simeon a
heavy blow with his fist against the back of his neck, and Simeon was stilled of his rage.
43 Manassah laid hold of Simeon, he seized him violently, he bound him,
brought him into the house of confinement, and all the sons of Yaacob were astonished at the
act of the youth.
44 Simeon said to his brothers: None of you can say this is the smiting of an
Egyptian, but it is the smiting of the house of my father.
45 After this Yahusef ordered him who was set over the storehouse to be called, to fill
their sacks with corn as much as they could carry, to restore every man's money into his
sack, to give them provision for the road, and thus he did to them.
46 Yahusef commanded them, saying: Take heed lest you transgress my orders to bring
your brother as I told you. It will be when you bring your brother here to me,
then I will know you are true men, and you will traffic in the land. I will restore your brother to
you, and you will return in peace to your father.
47 They all answered, and said: According as our lord speaks so we will do, and they
bowed down to him to the ground.
48 Every man lifted his corn upon his ass, and they went out to go to the land of Canaan
to their father. They came to the inn. Levi spread his sack to give provender to his
ass, when he saw, behold, his money in full weight was still in his sack.
49 The man was greatly afraid, and he said to his brothers: My money is restored,
lo, it is even in my sack. The men were greatly afraid, and they said: What is this that
Yahwah did to us?
50 They all said: Where is Yahwah's kindness with our fathers, with Abraham, Yitzchaq,
and Yaacob, that Yahwah has today delivered us into the hands of the king of Egypt to
contrive against us?
51 Yahudah said to them: Surely we are guilty sinners before Yahwah our Father in having
sold our brother, our own flesh. Why do you say: Where is Yahwah's kindness with
our fathers?
52 Reuben said to them: Did I not say to you; Do not sin against the lad; and you
would not listen to me? Now Yahwah requires him from us, and how dare you say: Where is Yahwah's
kindness with our fathers; while you have sinned to Yahwah?
53 They tarried overnight in that place, they rose up early in the morning, laded
their asses with their corn, they led them, went on, and came to their father's house in
the land of Canaan.
54 Yaacob and his household went out to meet his sons. Yaacob saw, behold, their
brother Simeon was not with them. Yaacob said to his sons: Where is your brother
Simeon, whom I do not see? His sons told him all that befell them in Egypt.
CHAPTER 52:1 They entered their house, and every man
opened his sack. They saw, behold,
every man's bundle of money was there, at which they and their father were greatly terrified.
2 Yaacob said to them: What is this that you did to me? I sent your brother
Yahusef to inquire after your welfare, and you said to me: A wild beast devoured him.
3 Simeon went with you to buy food, and you say the king of Egypt confined him in
prison. You wish to take Benjamin to cause his death also, to bring down my grey hairs
with sorrow to the grave on account of Benjamin, and his brother Yahusef.
4 Now therefore my son will not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left
alone. Mischief may befall him by the way in which you go, as it befell his brother.
5 Reuben said to his father: You will slay my two sons if I do not bring your son, and
place him before you. Yaacob said to his sons: Abide here, do not go down to
Egypt, for my son will not go down with you to Egypt, nor die like his brother.
6 Yahudah said to them: Refrain from him until the corn is finished. He will then
say: Take down your brother, when he finds his own life and the life of his household in
danger from the famine.
7 In those days the famine was sore throughout the land, all the people of the earth
went, and came to Egypt to buy food, for the famine prevailed greatly among them. The
sons of Yaacob remained in Canaan a year and two months until their corn was finished.
8 It came to pass after their corn was finished, the whole household of Yaacob was
pinched with hunger. All the infants of the sons of Yaacob came together, they
approached Yaacob, they all surrounded him, and they said to him: Give us bread,
why will we all perish through hunger in your presence?
9 Yaacob heard the words of his son's children, he wept a great weeping, and his pity was
roused for them. Yaacob called to his sons, they all came, and sat before him.
10 Yaacob said to them: Did you see how your children were weeping
over me today, saying; Give us bread. There is none? Now therefore return, and
buy a little food for us.
11 Yahudah answered, and said to his father: If you will send our brother with us we will
go down, and buy corn for you. If you will not send him then we will not go down, for
surely the king of Egypt particularly enjoined us, saying: You will not see my face unless
your brother is with you, for the king of Egypt is a strong and mighty king. Behold, if we
go to him without our brother we will all be put to death.
12 Did you not know, have you not heard, this king is very powerful and wise, and
there is not like to him in all the earth? Behold we have seen all the kings of the earth, and
we have not seen one like that king, the king of Egypt. Surely among all the kings of the
earth there is none greater than Abimelech king of the Philistines, yet the king of Egypt is
greater and mightier than he. Abimelech can only be compared to one of his officers.
13 Father, you have not seen his palace, his throne, and all his servants standing before
him. You have not seen that king upon his throne in his pomp and royal appearance, dressed
in his kingly robes with a large golden crown upon his head. You have not seen the honor
and glory which Yahwah gave to him, for there is not like to him in all the earth.
14 Father, you did not seen the wisdom, the understanding, and the knowledge which Yahwah
put in his heart, nor hear his sweet voice when he spoke to us.
15 We do not know, father, who made him acquainted with our names, and all that befell us. Yet
he asked after you also, saying: Is your father still living, and is it well with him?
16 You have not seen the affairs of the government of Egypt regulated by him, without
inquiring of Pharaoh his lord. You have not seen the awe and fear which he impressed upon
all the Egyptians.
17 Also when we went from him, we threatened to do to Egypt like to the rest of the
cities of the Amorites, and we were exceedingly angry against all his words which he spoke
concerning us as spies. Now when we will again come before him his terror will fall
upon us all, and not one of us will be able to speak to him either a little or a great thing.
18 Now therefore father, we pray you, send the lad with us, we will go down, buy
you food for our support, and not die through hunger. Yaacob said: Why did you deal
so ill with me to tell the king you had a brother? What is this thing that you did to me?
19 Yahudah said to Yaacob his father: Give the lad into my care. We will rise up,
go down to Egypt, buy corn, then return, and it will be when we return if the lad is
not with us, then let me bear your blame forever.
20 Have you seen all our infants weeping over you through hunger, and there is no power in
your hand to satisfy them? Now let your pity be roused for them, send our brother with us,
and we will go.
21 For how will Yahwah's kindness to our ancestors be manifested to you when you said
that the king of Egypt will take away your son? As Yahwah lives I will not leave him until I
bring him, and place him before you. But pray for us to Yahwah, that He may deal kindly
with us, to cause us to be received favorably and kindly before the king of Egypt and his
men. Had we not delayed, surely by now we would have returned a second time with your son.
22 Yaacob said to his sons: I trust in Yahwah that He may deliver you, give you
favor in the sight of the king of Egypt, and in the sight of all his men.
23 Now therefore rise up, and go to the man. Take for him in your hands a present from
what can be obtained in the land, and bring it before him. May the Almighty Yahwah give you
mercy before him, that he may send Benjamin and Simeon your brothers with you.
24 All the men rose up, they took their brother Benjamin, they took in their
hands a large present of the best of the land, and they also took a double portion of silver.
25 Yaacob strictly commanded his sons concerning Benjamin, saying: Take heed of him
in the way in which you are going, and do not separate yourselves from him in the road,
neither in Egypt.
26 Yaacob rose up from his sons, spread forth his hands, and he prayed to Yahwah
on account of his sons, saying: O Yahwah of heaven and earth, remember your covenant
with our father Abraham, remember it with my father Yitzchaq, and deal kindly with my sons, do
not deliver them into the hands of the king of Egypt. Do it I pray you O Yahwah for the sake of
your mercies. Redeem all my children, rescue them from Egyptian power, and send
them their two brothers.
27 All the wives of the sons of Yaacob and their children lifted up their eyes to heaven.
They all wept before Yahwah, and cried to Him to deliver their fathers from the hand of the
king of Egypt.
28 Yaacob wrote a record to the king of Egypt, and gave it into the hand of Yahudah, into
the hands of his sons for the king of Egypt, saying:
29 From your servant Yaacob, son of Yitzchaq, son of Abraham the Hebrew, the prince of Yahwah, to
the powerful and wise king, the revealer of secrets, king of Egypt, greeting.
30 Be it known to my lord the king of Egypt, the famine was sore upon us in the land of
Canaan, and I sent my sons to you to buy us a little food from you for our support.
31 For my sons surrounded me, and I being very old cannot see with my eyes, for my eyes
have become very heavy through age, as well as with daily weeping for my son, for Yahusef
who was lost from before me. I commanded my sons that they should not enter the
gates of the city when they came to Egypt, on account of the inhabitants of the land.
32 I also commanded them to go about Egypt to seek for my son Yahusef, perhaps they
might find him there. They did so, and you did consider them as spies of the land.
33 Did we not hear concerning you that you did interpret Pharaoh's dream, and did
speak truly to him? How then did you not know in your wisdom whether my sons are spies or not?
34 Now therefore, my lord and king, behold, I send my son before you, as you did
speak to my sons. I beg you to put your eyes upon him [take care of him] until he is returned to me in
peace with his brothers.
35 For did you not know, or did you not hear that which Yahwah did to Pharaoh when
he took my mother Sarah, what He did to Abimelech king of the Philistines on account
of her, and also what our father Abraham did to the nine kings of Elam, how he smote
them all with a few men that were with him?
36 Also what my two sons Simeon and Levi did to the eight cities of the Amorites, how
they destroyed them on account of their sister Dinah?
37 Also on account of their brother Benjamin they consoled themselves for the loss of
his brother Yahusef. What then will they do for him when they see the hand of any people
prevailing over them, for his sake?
38 Did you not know, O king of Egypt, that the power of Yahwah is with us, that also Yahwah
ever hears our prayers, and does not forsake us all the days?
39 When my sons told me of your dealings with them, I did not call to Yahwah on
account of you, for then you would have perished with your men before my son Benjamin
came before you. But I thought that as Simeon my son was in your house, perhaps you
might deal kindly with him, therefore I did not do this thing to you.
40 Now therefore behold, Benjamin my son comes to you with my sons. Take heed of him,
and put your eyes upon him. Then Yahwah will place His eyes over you, and throughout your
kingdom.
41 Now I have told you all that is in my heart. Behold, my sons are coming to you with
their brother, examine the face of the whole earth for their sake, and send them back in peace
with their brothers.
42 Yaacob gave the record to his sons into the care of Yahudah to give it to the king of
Egypt.
CHAPTER 53:1 The sons of Yaacob rose up, took Benjamin,
the whole of the presents, they went, came to Egypt, and they stood before Yahusef.
2 Yahusef beheld his brother Benjamin with them, he saluted them, and these men
came to Yahusef's house.
3 Yahusef commanded the superintendent of his house to give to his brothers to eat, and
he did so to them.
4 At noon time Yahusef sent for the men to come before him with Benjamin, and the men
told the superintendent of Yahusef's house concerning the silver that was returned in their
sacks. He said to them: It will be well with you, do not fear. He brought their brother
Simeon to them.
5 Simeon said to his brothers: The God of the Egyptians acted very kindly to
me, he did not keep me bound, as you saw with your eyes. For when you went out from the
city he let me free, and dealt kindly with me in his house.
6 Yahudah took Benjamin by the hand, they came before Yahusef, and they bowed
down to him to the ground.
7 The men gave the present to Yahusef. They all sat before him, and Yahusef said
to them: Is it well with you, is it well with your children, is it well with your aged father? And
they said: It is well. Yahudah took the record which Yaacob sent, and gave it into the
hand of Yahusef.
8 Yahusef read the letter, knew his father's writing, and he wished to weep. He
went into an inner room, and he wept a great weeping. He went out.
9 He lifted up his eyes, beheld his brother Benjamin, and he said: Is this your brother
of whom you spoke to me? Benjamin approached Yahusef. Yahusef placed his
hand upon his head, and he said to him: May Yahwah be gracious to you my son.
10 When Yahusef saw his brother, the son of his mother, he again wished to weep.
He entered the chamber, he wept there, he washed his face, went out, and
refrained from weeping. He said: Prepare food.
11 Yahusef had a cup from which he drank, it was of silver beautifully inlaid with
onyx stones and bdellium, and Yahusef struck the cup in the sight of his brothers while they
were sitting to eat with him.
12 Yahusef said to the men: I know by this cup that Reuben the first born, Simeon,
Levi, Yahudah, Issachar, and Zebulun are children from one mother, seat yourselves to eat
according to your births.
13 He also placed the others according to their births, and he said: I know that this your
youngest brother has no brother. I, like him, have no brother. He will therefore sit down
to eat with me.
14 Benjamin went up before Yahusef, and sat upon the throne. The men beheld the
acts of Yahusef, and they were astonished at them. The men ate and drank at that time
with Yahusef. He then gave presents to them, and Yahusef gave one gift to Benjamin.
Manasseh and Ephrayim saw the acts of their father, and they also gave presents to
him. Osnath gave him one present, so there were five presents in the hand of Benjamin.
15 Yahusef brought them out wine to drink, and they would not drink, they said: From
the day on which Yahusef was lost we have not drunk wine, nor eaten any delicacies.
16 Yahusef swore to them, and he pressed them hard, so they drank plentifully with
him on that day. Yahusef afterward turned to his brother Benjamin to speak with him, and
Benjamin was still sitting upon the throne before Yahusef.
17 Yahusef said to him: Have you begotten any children? He said: Your servant
has ten sons, and these are their names: Bela, Becher, Ashbal, Gera, Naaman, Achi, Rosh,
Mupim, Chupim, and Ord. I called their names after my brother whom I have not seen.
18 He ordered them to bring before him his map of the stars, whereby Yahusef knew all
the times. Yahusef said to Benjamin: I have heard the Hebrews are acquainted
with all wisdom, do you know anything of this?
19 Benjamin said: Your servant is also knowing in all the wisdom which my father taught
me. Yahusef said to Benjamin: Look now at this instrument, understand where your
brother Yahusef is in Egypt, who you said went down to Egypt.
20 Benjamin beheld that instrument with the map of the stars of heaven, he was
wise, and looked therein to know where his brother was. Benjamin divided the whole land
of Egypt into four divisions, and he found that he who was sitting upon the throne before him
was his brother Yahusef! Benjamin wondered greatly. When Yahusef saw that his
brother Benjamin was so much astonished, he said to Benjamin: What do you see,
why are you astonished?
21 Benjamin said to Yahusef: I can see by this that Yahusef my brother sits here with
me upon the throne. Yahusef said to him: I am Yahusef your brother, do not reveal this thing
to your brothers. Behold, I will send you with them when they go away. I will command
them to be brought back again into the city, and I will take you away from them.
22 If they dare their lives, and fight for you, then I will know they have repented of
what they did to me, and I will make myself known to them. If they forsake you when I
take you, then you will remain with me. I will wrangle with them, they will go
away, and I will not become known to them.
23 At that time Yahusef commanded his officer to fill their sacks with food, to put each
man's money into his sack, to put the cup in the sack of Benjamin, to give them
provision for the road, and they did so to them.
24 On the next day the men rose up early in the morning, they loaded their asses
with their corn, they went forth with Benjamin, and they went to the land of Canaan with
their brother Benjamin.
25 They had not gone far from Egypt when Yahusef commanded him who was set over his
house, saying: Rise, pursue these men before they get too far from Egypt. Say to
them: Why did you steal my master's cup?
26 Yahusef's officer rose up, he reached them, and he spoke to them all the words
of Yahusef. When they heard this thing they became exceedingly angry, and they said: He
with whom your master's cup is found will die, and we will also become slaves.
27 They hastened, each man brought down his sack from his ass, they looked in
their bags, and the cup was found in Benjamin's bag. They all tore their garments, and
they returned to the city. They smote Benjamin in the road, continually smiting him until
he came into the city, and they stood before Yahusef.
28 Yahudah's anger was kindled, and he said: This man has only brought me back to
destroy Egypt today.
29 The men came to Yahusef's house, and they found Yahusef sitting upon his throne, with
all the mighty men standing at his right and left.
30 Yahusef said to them: What is this act that you did, that you took away my
silver cup, and went away? But I know that you took my cup in order to know thereby in what
part of the land your brother was.
31 Yahudah said: What will we say to our lord? What will we speak, how will we
justify ourselves? Today Yahwah found the iniquity of all your servants, therefore He
did this thing to us today.
32 Yahusef rose up, caught hold of Benjamin, and took him from his brothers with
violence. He came to the house, and locked the door at them. Yahusef commanded
him that was set over his house that he should say to them: Thus says the king: Go in
peace to your father, behold, I took the man in whose hand my cup was found.
CHAPTER 54:1 When Yahudah saw the dealings of Yahusef
with them, Yahudah approached him, broke open the door, and came with his brothers before Yahusef.
2 Yahudah said to Yahusef: Let it not seem grievous in the sight of my lord, may your
servant I pray you speak a word before you? Yahusef said to him: Speak.
3 Yahudah spoke before Yahusef, and his brothers were there standing before them.
Yahudah said to Yahusef: Surely when we first came to our lord to buy food, you did
consider us as spies of the land, so we brought Benjamin before you, and you still make
sport of us today.
4 Now therefore let the king hear my words, I pray you, and send our brother that he may go
along with us to our father, lest your soul perish today with all the souls of the inhabitants of
Egypt.
5 Did you not know what two of my brothers, Simeon and Levi, did to the city of
Shechem, and to seven cities of the Amorites, on account of our sister Dinah, and also
what they would do for the sake of their brother Benjamin?
6 I with my strength, who am greater and mightier than both of them, come
upon you and your land today if you are unwilling to send our brother.
7 Have you not heard what Yahwah who made choice of us did to Pharaoh on account of
Sarah our mother, whom he took away from our father, that He smote him and his household
with heavy plagues, that even to this day the Egyptians relate this wonder to each other?
So will Yahwah do to you on account of Benjamin whom you take from his
father today, and on account of the evils which you heap over us in your land. For
Yahwah will remember His covenant with our father Abraham, and bring evil upon you, because
you grieve the soul of our father today.
8 Now therefore, hear my words that I say to you today, send our brother
that he may go away lest you and the people of your land die by the sword, for all of you cannot
prevail over me.
9 Yahusef answered Yahudah, saying: Why do you open your mouth wide, and why do
you boast over us, saying: Strength is with you? As Pharaoh lives, if I command all my
valiant men to fight with you, surely you and these your brothers would sink in the mire.
10 Yahudah said to Yahusef: Surely it becomes you and your people to fear me. As
Yahwah lives if I once draw my sword I will not sheathe it again until I slay
all Egypt. I will commence with you, and finish with Pharaoh your master.
11 Yahusef answered, and said to him: Surely strength does not belong to you alone. I
am stronger and mightier than you. Surely if you draw your sword I will put it to your neck,
and the necks of all your brothers.
12 Yahudah said to him: Surely if I open my mouth against you today I would swallow
you up, that you be destroyed from off the earth, and perish today from your kingdom.
Yahusef said: Surely if you open your mouth I have power and might to close your mouth
with a stone, until you will not be able to utter a word. See how many stones are before us,
truly I can take a stone, force it into your mouth, and break your jaws.
13 Yahudah said: Yahwah is witness between us, that we have not ever desired to battle
with you, only give us our brother, and we will go from you. Yahusef answered, and said:
As Pharaoh lives, if all the kings of Canaan came together with you, you should not take him
from my hand.
14 Now therefore, go your way to your father, and your brother will be to me for a slave,
for he robbed the king's house. Yahudah said: What is it to you or to the character of
the king, surely the king sends forth from his house, throughout the land, silver and gold
either in gifts or expenses, and you still talk about your cup which you did place in our
brother's bag, and say that he stole it from you?
15 Yahwah forbid that our brother Benjamin, or any of the seed of Abraham, should do this thing
to steal from you, or from anyone else, whether king, prince, or any man.
16 Now therefore cease this accusation lest the whole earth hear your words, saying: For a
little silver the king of Egypt wrangled with the men, he accused them, and took their
brother for a slave.
17 Yahusef answered, and said: Take to you this cup, go from me, and leave your
brother for a slave, for it is the judgment of a thief to be a slave.
18 Yahudah said: Why are you not ashamed of your words, to leave our brother, and to take
your cup? Surely if you give us your cup, or a thousand times as much, we will not leave our
brother for the silver which is found in the hand of any man, that we will not die over him.
19 Yahusef answered: Why did you forsake your [other] brother, and sell him for twenty
pieces of silver to today? Why then will you not do the same to this your brother?
20 Yahudah said: Yahwah is witness between me and you that we do not desire your battles.
Now therefore give us our brother, and we will go from you without quarreling.
21 Yahusef answered, and said: If all the kings of the land should assemble they will not
be able to take your brother from my hand. Yahudah said: What will we say to our
father, when he sees that our brother does not come with us, and will grieve over him?
22 Yahusef answered, and said: This is the thing which you will tell to your father,
saying: The rope went after the bucket.
23 Yahudah said: Surely you are a king, and why do you speak these things, giving a false
judgment? Woe to the king who is like to you.
24 Yahusef answered, and said: There is no false judgment in the word that I spoke on
account of your brother Yahusef, for all of you sold him to the Midianites for twenty pieces of
silver. You all denied it to your father, and said to him: An evil beast devoured him,
Yahusef was torn to pieces.
25 Yahudah said: Behold the fire of Shem burns in my heart, now I will burn all your land
with fire. Yahusef answered, and said: Surely your sister-in-law Tamar, who killed your
sons, extinguished the fire of Shechem.
26 Yahudah said: If I pluck out a single hair from my flesh, I will fill all Egypt with its blood.
27 Yahusef answered, and said: Such is your custom to do as you did to your brother
whom you sold, you dipped his coat in blood, brought it to your father in order that he
might say an evil beast devoured him, and here is his blood.
28 When Yahudah heard this thing he was exceedingly wroth, and his anger burned within
him. There was a stone before him in that place, the weight of which was about four
hundred shekels. Yahudah's anger was kindled, he took the stone in one hand, cast
it to the heavens, and caught it with his left hand.
29 He placed it afterward under his legs, he sat upon it with all his strength, and the
stone was turned into dust from the force of Yahudah.
30 Yahusef saw the act of Yahudah, and he was very much afraid. But he commanded
Manassah his son, and he also did with another stone like to the act of Yahudah. Yahudah
said to his brothers: Do not let any of you say this man is an Egyptian, but by his doing this
thing he is of our father's family.
31 Yahusef said: Not to you only is strength given, for we are also powerful men, and
why will you boast over us all? Yahudah said to Yahusef: Send our brother, I pray you,
and not ruin your country today.
32 Yahusef answered, and said to them: Go, tell your father, an evil beast
devoured him, as you said concerning your brother Yahusef.
33 Yahudah spoke to his brother Naphtali, and he said to him: Make haste, go now,
number all the streets of Egypt, come, and tell me. Simeon said to him: Do not let this
thing be a trouble to you. Now I will go to the mount, take up one large stone from the
mount, level it at everyone in Egypt, and kill all that are in it.
34 Yahusef heard all these words that his brothers spoke before him, and they did not
know that Yahusef understood them, for they imagined that he did not know to speak Hebrew.
35 Yahusef was greatly afraid at the words of his brothers, lest they should destroy Egypt.
He commanded his son Manasseh, saying: Go now, make haste, gather to me all
the inhabitants of Egypt, and all the valiant men together. Let them come to me now upon
horseback and on foot, with all sorts of musical instruments, so Manasseh went, and did so.
36 Naphtali went as Yahudah commanded him, for Naphtali was lightfooted as one of
the swift stags, he would go upon the ears of corn, and they would not break under him.
37 He went, numbered all the streets of Egypt, found them to be twelve, he
came hastily, and told Yahudah. Yahudah said to his brothers: Hasten you, every
man put on his sword upon his loins, we will come over Egypt, smite them all, and not let a
remnant remain.
38 Yahudah said: Behold, I will destroy three of the streets with my strength, and you will
each destroy one street. When Yahudah was speaking this thing, behold, the inhabitants of
Egypt and all the mighty men came toward them with all sorts of musical instruments, and
with loud shouting.
39 Their number was five hundred cavalry, ten thousand infantry, and four hundred
men who could fight without sword or spear, only with their hands and strength.
40 All the mighty men came with great storming and shouting, they all surrounded
the sons of Yaacob, and terrified them, the ground quaked at the sound of their shouting.
41 When the sons of Yaacob saw these troops they were greatly afraid of their lives, and
Yahusef did so in order to terrify the sons of Yaacob to become tranquilized.
42 Yahudah, seeing some of his brothers terrified, said to them: Why are you afraid
while the grace of Yahwah is with us? When Yahudah saw all the people of Egypt surrounding
them at the command of Yahusef to terrify them, only Yahusef commanded them, saying: Do
not touch any of them.
43 Then Yahudah hastened, drew his sword, and uttered a loud and bitter scream. He
smote with his sword, he sprang upon the ground, and he still continued to shout against
all the people.
44 When he did this thing Yahwah caused the terror of Yahudah and his brothers to fall
upon the valiant men, and all the people that surrounded them.
45 They all fled at the sound of the shouting. They were terrified, fell one upon the
other, many of them died as they fell, and they all fled from before Yahudah, his
brothers, and from before Yahusef.
46 While they were fleeing, Yahudah and his brothers pursued them to the house of
Pharaoh, and they all escaped. Yahudah again sat before Yahusef, roared at him like a
lion, and gave a great and tremendous shriek at him.
47 The shriek was heard at a distance, and all the inhabitants of Succoth heard it. All
Egypt quaked at the sound of the shriek, also the walls of Egypt and of the land of
Goshen fell in from the shaking of the earth, Pharaoh also fell from his throne upon the
ground, and also all the pregnant women of Egypt and Goshen miscarried when they heard
the noise of the shaking, for they were terribly afraid.
48 Pharaoh sent word, saying: What is this thing that happened today in the land
of Egypt? They came, told him all the things from beginning to end, and Pharaoh was
alarmed. He wondered, and was greatly afraid.
49 His fright increased when he heard all these things, and he sent to Yahusef, saying:
You have brought the Hebrews to me to destroy all Egypt. What will you do with that
thievish slave? Send him away, let him go with his brothers, and let us not perish through
their evil, even we, you, and all Egypt.
50 If you desire to not do this thing, cast off from you all my valuable things, and go
with them to their land, if you delight in it, for they will destroy my whole country today,
and slay all my people. Even all the women of Egypt have miscarried through their screams.
See what they did merely by their shouting and speaking, moreover if they fight with
the sword, they will destroy the land. Now therefore, choose that which you desire, whether
me or the Hebrews, whether Egypt or the land of the Hebrews.
51 They came, told Yahusef all the words of Pharaoh that he said concerning him,
and Yahusef was greatly afraid at the words of Pharaoh. Yahudah and his brothers were still
standing before Yahusef indignant and enraged, and all the sons of Yaacob roared at Yahusef,
like the roaring of the sea and its waves.
52 Yahusef was greatly afraid of his brothers on account of Pharaoh, and Yahusef
sought a pretext to make himself known to his brothers, lest they should destroy all Egypt.
53 Yahusef commanded his son Manasseh. Manasseh went, approached Yahudah,
placed his hand upon his shoulder, and the anger of Yahudah was stilled.
54 Yahudah said to his brothers: Let no one of you say that this is the act of an Egyptian
youth, for this is the work of my father's house.
55 Yahusef saw, and knew Yahudah's anger was stilled. He approached to speak
to Yahudah in the language of mildness.
56 Yahusef said to Yahudah: Surely you speak truth, and have today verified your
assertions concerning your strength, may Yahwah who delights in you increase your
welfare. But tell me truly why from among all your brothers did you wrangle with me on
account of the lad, as none of them spoke one word to me concerning him.
57 Yahudah answered Yahusef, saying: Surely you must know that I was security for the
lad to his father, saying: If I do not bring him to him I should bear his blame forever.
58 Therefore I approached you from among all my brothers, for I saw that you were
unwilling to allow him to go from you. Now therefore, may I find grace in your sight, that you
will send him to go with us. Behold, I will remain as a substitute for him, to serve you in
whatever you desire, for wheresoever you send me I will go to serve you with great energy.
59 Send me now to a mighty king who rebels against you, and you will know what I
will do to him, and to his land. Although he may have cavalry and infantry, or an
exceeding mighty people, I will kill them all, and bring the king's head before you.
60 Did you not know or have you not heard that our father Abraham with his servant
Eliezer smote all the kings of Elam with their armies in one night, they left not one remaining?
Ever since that day our father's strength was given to us for an inheritance, for us and
our seed forever.
61 Yahusef answered, and said: You speak truth, and falsehood is not in your mouth, for
it was also told to us that the Hebrews have power, that Yahwah their Father delights
much in them, and who then can stand before them?
62 However, on this condition I will send your brother, if you will bring before me his brother
the son of his mother, of whom you said that he went from you down to Egypt. It
will come to pass when you bring to me his brother I will take him in his stead, because
not one of you was security for him to your father. When he comes to me, I will
then send with you his brother for whom you are security.
63 Yahudah's anger was kindled against Yahusef when he spoke this thing, his eyes
dropped blood with anger, and he said to his brothers: How does this man seek
his own destruction today, and that of all Egypt!
64 Simeon answered Yahusef, saying: Did we not tell you at first that we do not know the
particular spot to which he went, and whether he is dead or alive?
So why does my lord say like to these things?
65 Yahusef observed the countenance of Yahudah, and discerned that his anger began to kindle
when he spoke to him, saying: Bring to me your other brother instead of this brother.
66 Yahusef said to his brothers: Surely you said that your brother was either dead or
lost, now if I should call him today, and he should come before you, would you give him
to me instead of his brother?
67 Yahusef began to speak, and call out: Yahusef, Yahusef, come before me today,
appear to your brothers, and sit before them.
68 When Yahusef spoke this thing before them, they looked each a different way to see
from where Yahusef would come before them.
69 Yahusef observed all their acts, and said to them: Why do you look here and there?
I am Yahusef whom you sold to Egypt! Now, do not let it grieve you that you sold me, for
Yahwah sent me before you as a support during the famine.
70 His brothers were terrified at him when they heard the words of Yahusef, and Yahudah
was exceedingly terrified at him.
71 When Benjamin heard the words of Yahusef he was before them in the inner part of
the house. Benjamin ran to Yahusef his brother, embraced him, fell upon his
neck, and they wept.
72 When Yahusef's brothers saw that Benjamin fell upon his brother's neck and
wept with him, they also fell upon Yahusef, embraced him, and they wept a great weeping
with Yahusef.
73 The voice was heard in the house of Yahusef that they were Yahusef's brothers, and it
pleased Pharaoh exceedingly, for he was afraid of them lest they should destroy Egypt.
74 Pharaoh sent his servants to Yahusef to congratulate him concerning his brothers
who came to him. All the captains of the armies and troops that were in Egypt came
to rejoice with Yahusef, and all Egypt rejoiced greatly about Yahusef's brothers.
75 Pharaoh sent his servants to Yahusef, saying: Tell your brothers to fetch all belonging
to them, let them come to me, and I will place them in the best part of the land of
Egypt. They did so.
76 Yahusef commanded him who was set over his house to bring out to his brothers gifts
and garments. He brought out to them many garments being robes of royalty, and many
gifts, and Yahusef divided them among his brothers.
77 He gave to each of his brothers a change of garments of gold and silver, and three
hundred pieces of silver. Yahusef commanded them all to be dressed in these garments,
and to be brought before Pharaoh.
78 Pharaoh saw that all Yahusef's brothers were valiant men, of beautiful
appearance, and he greatly rejoiced.
79 They afterward went out from the presence of Pharaoh to go to the land of Canaan, to
their father, and their brother Benjamin was with them.
80 Yahusef rose up and gave to them eleven chariots from Pharaoh. Yahusef gave
to them his chariot, upon which he rode on the day of his being crowned in Egypt, to fetch
his father to Egypt. Yahusef sent to all his brothers' children garments according to their
numbers, and a hundred pieces of silver to each of them. He also sent garments to the
wives of his brothers from the garments of the king's wives, and he sent them.
81 He gave to each of his brothers ten men to go with them to the land of Canaan to
serve them, to serve their children, and all belonging to them, in coming to Egypt.
82 Yahusef sent by the hand of his brother Benjamin ten suits of garments for his ten
sons, a portion above the rest of the children of the sons of Yaacob.
83 He sent to each fifty pieces of silver, and ten chariots on the account of Pharaoh.
He sent to his father ten asses laden with all the luxuries of Egypt, and ten she asses laden
with corn, bread, and nourishment for his father, and to all that were with him as
provisions for the road.
84 He sent to his sister Dinah garments of silver and gold, frankincense and myrrh,
aloes and women's ornaments in great plenty, and he sent the same from the wives of
Pharaoh to the wives of Benjamin.
85 He gave to all his brothers, also to their wives, all sorts of onyx stones and
bdellium, and from all the valuable things among the great people of Egypt. Nothing of all
the costly things was left but what Yahusef sent of to his father's household.
86 He sent his brothers away, and they went. He sent his brother Benjamin with them.
87 Yahusef went out with them to accompany them on the road to the borders of
Egypt, and he commanded them concerning his father and his household, to come to Egypt.
88 He said to them: Do not quarrel on the road, for this thing was from Yahwah to
keep a great people from starvation, for there will be yet five years of famine in the land.
89 He commanded them, saying: When you come to the land of Canaan, do not come
suddenly before my father in this affair, but act in your wisdom.
90 Yahusef ceased to command them, he turned, and went back to Egypt. The
sons of Yaacob went to the land of Canaan with joy and cheerfulness to their father Yaacob.
91 They came to the borders of the land, and they said to each other: What will we
do in this matter before our father, for if we come suddenly to him and tell him the matter, he
will be greatly alarmed at our words, and will not believe us.
92 They went along until they came near to their houses, and they found Serach, the
daughter of Asher, going forth to meet them. The damsel was very good and subtle, and
knew how to play upon the harp.
93 They called to her, she came before them, and she kissed them. They took
her, and gave to her a harp, saying: Go now before our father, sit before him,
strike upon the harp, and speak these words.
94 They commanded her to go to their house, she took the harp, hurried
before them, she came, and sat near Yaacob.
95 She played well and sang, and uttered in the sweetness of her words: Yahusef my
uncle is living, he rules throughout the land of Egypt, and is not dead.
96 She continued to repeat and utter these words, Yaacob heard her words, and they
were agreeable to him.
97 He listened while she repeated them twice and thrice, and joy entered the heart of Yaacob
at the sweetness of her words. The spirit of Yahwah was upon him, and he knew all her
words to be true.
98 Yaacob blessed Serach when she spoke these words before him, and he said to
her: My daughter, may death never prevail over you, for you have revived my spirit. Continue to
speak before me as you have, for you gladden me with all your words.
99 She continued to sing these words, and Yaacob listened. It pleased him, he
rejoiced, and the spirit of Yahwah was upon him.
100 While he was yet speaking with her, behold, his sons came to him with horses,
chariots, royal garments, and servants running before them.
101 Yaacob rose up to meet them, saw his sons dressed in royal garments, and he
saw all the treasures that Yahusef sent to them.
102 They said to him: Be informed that our brother Yahusef is living, it is he who
rules throughout the land of Egypt, and it is he who spoke to us as we told you.
103 Yaacob heard all the words of his sons, and his heart palpitated at their words, for he
could not believe them until he saw all that Yahusef gave them, what he sent
him, and all the signs which Yahusef spoke to them.
104 They opened out before him, and showed him all that Yahusef sent. They gave
to each what Yahusef sent him, and he knew that they spoke the truth. He
rejoiced exceedingly on account of his son.
105 Yaacob said: It is enough for me that my son Yahusef is still living, I will go and see
him before I die.
106 His sons told him all that befell them, and Yaacob said: I will go down to Egypt
to see my son, and his offspring.
107 Yaacob rose up and put on the garments which Yahusef sent him. After he
washed, and shaved his hair, he put upon his head the turban which Yahusef sent him.
108 All the people of Yaacob's house, and their wives, put on the garments which Yahusef
sent to them. They greatly rejoiced at Yahusef that he was still living, and that he was
ruling in Egypt.
109 All the inhabitants of Canaan heard of this thing, they came, and rejoiced much
with Yaacob that he was still living.
110 Yaacob made a feast for them for three days, all the kings of Canaan and nobles
of the land ate, drank, and rejoiced in the house of Yaacob.
CHAPTER 55:1 It came to pass after this that Yaacob
said: I will go, see my son in Egypt, and will
then come back to the land of Canaan of which Yahwah spoke to Abraham, for I cannot
leave the land of my birth-place.
2 Behold, the Word of Yahwah came to him, saying: Go down to Egypt with all your
household, and remain there. Do not fear to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there.
3 Yaacob said within himself: I will go and see my son, whether the fear of Yahwah is yet in
his heart amid all the inhabitants of Egypt.
4 Yahwah said to Yaacob: Do not fear about Yahusef, for he still retains his integrity to
serve me, as will seem good in your sight. Yaacob rejoiced exceedingly concerning his son.
5 At that time Yaacob commanded his sons and household to go to Egypt according to the
Word of Yahwah to him. Yaacob rose up with his sons, and all his household. He
went out from the land of Canaan from Beersheba, with joy and gladness of heart, and they
went to the land of Egypt.
6 It came to pass when they came near Egypt, Yaacob sent Yahudah before him to Yahusef,
that he might show him a place in Egypt. Yahudah did according to the word of his
father. He hurried, ran, came to Yahusef, and they assigned a place in
the land of Goshen for them, for all his household. Yahudah returned, and came along the road to his father.
7 Yahusef harnessed the chariot, he assembled all his mighty men, his servants,
and all the officers of Egypt, in order to go and meet his father Yaacob. Yahusef's mandate
was proclaimed in Egypt, saying: All that do not go to meet Yaacob will die.
8 On the next day Yahusef went forth with all Egypt, a great and mighty host, all dressed
in garments of fine linen and purple, with instruments of silver and gold, and with their
instruments of war with them.
9 They all went to meet Yaacob with all sorts of musical instruments, with drums and
timbrels, strewing myrrh and aloes all along the road, and they all went after this fashion, and
the earth shook at their shouting.
10 All the women of Egypt went upon the roofs of Egypt, and upon the walls, to meet
Yaacob. Upon the head of Yahusef was Pharaoh's regal crown, for Pharaoh sent it
to him to put on at the time of his going to meet his father.
11 When Yahusef came within fifty cubits of his father, he alighted from the chariot, and he
walked toward his father. When all the officers of Egypt and her nobles saw that Yahusef
went on foot toward his father, they also alighted, and walked on foot toward Yaacob.
12 When Yaacob approached the camp of Yahusef, Yaacob observed the camp that was
coming toward him with Yahusef, and it gratified him. Yaacob was astonished at it.
13 Yaacob said to Yahudah: Who is that man whom I see in the camp of Egypt dressed in
kingly robes, with a very red garment upon him, and a royal crown upon his head, who
alighted from his chariot and is coming toward us? Yahudah answered his father, saying:
He is your son, Yahusef the king! Yaacob rejoiced in seeing the glory of his son.
14 Yahusef came near to his father, and he bowed to his father. All the men of the
camp bowed to the ground with him before Yaacob.
15 Behold, Yaacob ran, hastened to his son Yahusef, fell upon his neck, kissed
him, and they wept. Yahusef also embraced his father, kissed him, and they wept. And
all the people of Egypt wept with them.
16 Yaacob said to Yahusef: Now I will die cheerfully after I see your face, that you
are still living, and with glory.
17 The sons of Yaacob, their wives, their children, their servants, and all the
household of Yaacob, wept exceedingly with Yahusef, they kissed him and wept greatly with him.
18 Yahusef and all his people returned home to Egypt. Yaacob, his sons,
and all the children of his household, came to Egypt with Yahusef. Yahusef placed them in
the best part of Egypt, in the land of Goshen.
19 Yahusef said to his father, and to his brothers: I will go up and tell Pharaoh,
saying; My brothers, my father's household, and all belonging to them, are come to
me, and behold, they are in the land of Goshen.
20 Yahusef did so. He took from his brothers Reuben, Issachar, Zebulun, and his brother
Benjamin, and he placed them before Pharaoh.
21 Yahusef spoke to Pharaoh, saying: My brothers, my father's household, and all
belonging to them, together with their flocks and cattle, are come to me from the land of
Canaan, to sojourn in Egypt, for the famine was sore upon them.
22 Pharaoh said to Yahusef: Place your father and brothers in the best part of the land,
do not withhold from them all that is good, cause them to eat of the fat of the land.
23 Yahusef answered, saying: Behold, I have stationed them in the land of Goshen, for
they are shepherds, therefore let them remain in Goshen to feed their flocks apart from the
Egyptians.
24 Pharaoh said to Yahusef: Do with your brothers all that they say to you.
The sons of Yaacob bowed down to Pharaoh, and they went forth from him in peace.
Yahusef afterward brought his father before Pharaoh.
25 Yaacob came, and bowed down to Pharaoh. Yaacob blessed Pharaoh, and he then
went out. Yaacob, all his sons, and all his household, dwelt in the land of Goshen.
26 In the second year, that is in the hundred and thirtieth year of the life of Yaacob, Yahusef
maintained his father, his brothers, and all his father's household, with bread according to
their little ones, all the days of the famine they lacked nothing.
27 Yahusef gave to them the best part of the whole land. They had the best of Egypt all
the days of Yahusef. Yahusef also gave to them, and to the whole of his father's
household, clothes and garments year by year. The sons of Yaacob remained securely in
Egypt all the days of their brother.
28 Yaacob always ate at Yahusef's table, Yaacob and his sons did not leave Yahusef's table
day or night, besides what Yaacob's children consumed in their houses.
29 All Egypt ate bread during the days of the famine from the house of Yahusef, for all the
Egyptians sold all belonging to them on account of the famine.
30 Yahusef purchased all the lands and fields of Egypt for bread on the account of
Pharaoh. Yahusef supplied all Egypt with bread all the days of the famine. Yahusef
collected all the silver and gold that came to him for the corn which they bought throughout
the land, and he accumulated much gold and silver, besides an immense quantity of onyx
stones, bdellium, and valuable garments which they brought to Yahusef from every part of
the land when their money was spent.
31 Yahusef took all the silver and gold that came into his hand, about seventy two talents
of gold and silver, and also onyx stones and bdellium in great abundance. Yahusef went
and concealed them in four parts. He concealed one part in the wilderness near the Red
Sea, and one part by the river Perath, and the third and fourth parts he concealed in the desert
opposite to the wilderness of Persia and Media.
32 He took part of the gold and silver that was left, and gave it to all his brothers,
to all his father's household, and to all the women of his father's household. The rest
he brought to the house of Pharaoh, about twenty talents of gold and silver.
33 Yahusef gave all the gold and silver that was left to Pharaoh. Pharaoh placed it
in the treasury. The days of the famine ceased in the land after that. They sowed and
reaped in the whole land, and they obtained their usual quantity year by year, they lacked nothing.
34 Yahusef dwelt securely in Egypt, and the whole land was under his advice. His
father and all his brothers dwelt in the land of Goshen, and took possession of it.
35 Yahusef was very aged, advanced in days. His two sons, Ephrayim and Manasseh,
remained constantly in the house of Yaacob, together with the children of the sons of Yaacob
their brothers, to learn the ways of Yahwah and His law.
36 Yaacob and his sons dwelt in the land of Egypt in the land of Goshen. They took
possession in it, they were fruitful and multiplied in it.
CHAPTER 56:1 Yaacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen
years. The days of Yaacob, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty seven years.
2 At that time Yaacob was attacked with that illness of which he died. He sent, and called
for his son Yahusef from Egypt. Yahusef his son came from Egypt, and Yahusef came to his father.
3 Yaacob said to Yahusef, and to his sons: Behold, I die. The Father of your
ancestors will visit you, and bring you back to the land which Yahwah swore to give to you
and to your children after you. Now therefore when I am dead, bury me in the cave which
is in Machpelah in Hebron in the land of Canaan, near my ancestors.
4 Yaacob made his sons swear to bury him in Machpelah, in Hebron. His sons swore
to him concerning this thing.
5 He commanded them, saying: Serve Yahwah your Father, for He who delivered your
fathers will also deliver you from all trouble.
6 Yaacob said: Call all your children to me. All the children of Yaacob's sons came
and sat before him. Yaacob blessed them, and he said to them: Yahwah of your
fathers will grant you a thousand times as much, and bless you, may He give you the
blessing of your father Abraham. All the children of Yaacob's sons went forth on that day
after he blessed them.
7 On the next day Yaacob called for his sons again, they all assembled, came to
him, and sat before him. Yaacob on that day blessed his sons before his death, each man
did he bless according to his blessing. Behold, it is written in the book of the law of Yahwah
appertaining to Yisrayah.
8 Yaacob said to Yahudah: I know my son that you are a mighty man for your brothers.
Reign over them, and your sons will reign over their sons forever.
9 Only teach your sons the bow and all the weapons of war, in order that they may fight the
battles of their brother who will rule over his enemies.
10 Yaacob again commanded his sons on that day, saying: Behold, today I will be
gathered to my people. Carry me up from Egypt, and bury me in the cave of Machpelah as
I commanded you.
11 Howbeit take heed I pray you that none of your sons carry me, only yourselves, and this is
the manner you will do to me, when you carry my body to go with it to the land of Canaan
to bury me;
12 Yahudah, Issachar, and Zebulun will carry my bier at the eastern side. Reuben, Simeon, and
Gad at the south. Ephrayim, Manasseh, and Benjamin at the west. Dan, Asher, and Naphtali at
the north.
13 Do not let Levi carry with you, for he and his sons will carry the ark of the covenant of
Yahwah with the Yisrayahites in the camp. Neither let Yahusef my son carry, for as a king so let his
glory be. However, Ephrayim and Manasseh will be in their stead.
14 Thus you will do to me when you carry me away. Do not neglect anything of all that I
command you. It will come to pass when you do this to me, that Yahwah will
remember you favorably, and your children after you forever.
15 You my sons, honor each his brother and his relative, command your children
and your children's children after you to serve Yahwah of your ancestors all the days.
16 In order that you may prolong your days in the land, you and your children and your
children's children forever, when you do what is good and upright in the sight of Yahwah
your Father, to go in all His ways.
17 You, Yahusef my son, I pray you forgive the prongs of your brothers, and all their
misdeeds in the injury which they heaped upon you, for Yahwah intended it for you and your
children's benefit.
18 O my son, do not leave your brothers to the inhabitants of Egypt, neither hurt their
feelings. For behold, I consign them to the hand of Yahwah, and in your hand, to guard them from
the Egyptians. The sons of Yaacob answered their father, saying: O, our father, all that you
have commanded us, so we will do. Only may Yahwah be with us.
19 Yaacob said to his sons: So Yahwah may be with you when you keep all His ways. Do not turn
from His ways either to the right or the left in performing what is good and upright in His
sight.
20 For I know that many and grievous troubles will befall you in the latter days in the land,
yea your children and children's children. Serve Yahwah only, and He will save you from all
trouble.
21 It will come to pass when you go after Yahwah to serve Him, and will teach your
children after you, and your children's children, to know Yahwah, then Yahwah will raise up
to you and your children a servant [Moshe] from among your children. Yahwah will deliver
you from all affliction through his hand, bring you out of Egypt, and bring you back to the
land of your fathers to inherit it securely.
22 Yaacob ceased commanding his sons, and he drew his feet into the bed. He died, and
was gathered to his people.
23 Yahusef fell upon his father. He cried out, wept over him, he kissed him,
he called out in a bitter voice, and he said: O my father, my father.
24 His son's wives and all his household came and fell upon Yaacob. They wept over
him, and cried in a very loud voice concerning Yaacob.
25 All the sons of Yaacob rose up together, they tore their garments, they all put
sackcloth upon their loins, they fell upon their faces, and they cast dust upon their heads
toward the heavens.
26 The thing was told to Osnath Yahusef's wife. She rose up, put on a sack, so
she with all the Egyptian women with her came and mourned and wept for Yaacob.
27 Also all the people of Egypt who knew Yaacob came all on that day when they heard
this thing, and all Egypt wept for many days.
28 Also from the land of Canaan did the women come to Egypt when they heard that
Yaacob was dead, and they wept for him in Egypt for seventy days.
29 It came to pass after this that Yahusef commanded his servants the doctors to
embalm his father with myrrh, frankincense, all manner of incense, and perfume, and
the doctors embalmed Yaacob as Yahusef commanded them.
30 All the people of Egypt, the elders, and all the inhabitants of the land of Goshen
wept and mourned over Yaacob. All his sons and the children of his household lamented
and mourned over their father Yaacob many days.
31 After the days of his weeping passed away, at the end of seventy days, Yahusef
said to Pharaoh: I will go up, bury my father in the land of Canaan as he made me
swear, and then I will return.
32 Pharaoh sent Yahusef, saying: Go up, bury your father as he said, as he made
you swear. Yahusef rose up with all his brothers to go to the land of Canaan to bury their
father Yaacob, as he commanded them.
33 Pharaoh commanded that it should be proclaimed throughout Egypt, saying:
Whoever does not go up with Yahusef and his brothers to the land of Canaan to bury Yaacob, will die.
34 All Egypt heard of Pharaoh's proclamation, and they all rose up together. All the
servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt went
up with Yahusef. All the officers and nobles of Pharaoh went up as the servants of
Yahusef, they went to bury Yaacob in the land of Canaan.
35 The sons of Yaacob carried the bier upon which he lay. According to all that their father
commanded them, so his sons did to him.
36 The bier was of pure gold, it was inlaid round about with onyx stones and
bdellium. The covering of the bier was gold woven work, joined with threads, and over
them were hooks of onyx stones and bdellium.
37 Yahusef placed a large golden crown upon the head of his father Yaacob, he put a
golden scepter in his hand, and they surrounded the bier as was the custom of kings during
their lives.
38 All the troops of Egypt went before him in this array, at first all the mighty men of
Pharaoh, then the mighty men of Yahusef, and after them the rest of the inhabitants of Egypt.
They were all girded with swords, equipped with coats of mail, and the trappings of
war were upon them.
39 All the weepers and mourners went at a distance opposite to the bier, going,
weeping, and lamenting, and the rest of the people went after the bier.
40 Yahusef and his household went together near the bier barefooted and weeping, and
the rest of Yahusef's servants went around him. Each man had his ornaments upon him, and
they were all armed with their weapons of war.
41 Fifty of Yaacob's servants went in front of the bier, they strewed along the road
myrrh, aloes, and all manner of perfume. All the sons of Yaacob that carried the bier
walked upon the perfumery, and the servants of Yaacob went before them strewing the
perfume along the road.
42 Yahusef went up with a heavy camp, and they did after this manner every day until
they reached the land of Canaan. They came to the threshing floor of Atad, which was on
the other side of Yordan, and they mourned an exceeding great and heavy mourning in that place.
43 All the kings of Canaan heard of this thing, and they all went forth, each man from his
house, thirty-one kings of Canaan. They all came with their men to mourn and weep over Yaacob.
44 All these kings beheld Yaacob's bier, and behold, Yahusef's crown was upon it. They
also put their crowns upon the bier, and encircled it with crowns.
45 All these kings made in that place a great and heavy mourning with the sons of Yaacob
and Egypt over Yaacob, for all the kings of Canaan knew the valor of Yaacob and his sons.
46 The report reached Esau, saying: Yaacob died in Egypt, his sons and all Egypt are
conveying him to the land of Canaan to bury him.
47 Esau heard this thing, and he was dwelling in mount Seir. He rose up with his
sons, all his people, and all his household, a people exceedingly great, and they came to
mourn and weep over Yaacob.
48 It came to pass, when Esau came he mourned for his brother Yaacob. All Egypt
and all Canaan rose up again and mourned a great mourning with Esau over Yaacob in that place.
49 Yahusef and his brothers brought their father Yaacob from that place, and they went to
Hebron to bury Yaacob in the cave by his fathers.
50 They came to Kireath-arba, to the cave. As they came Esau stood with his
sons against Yahusef and his brothers as a hindrance to the cave, saying: Yaacob will not be
buried therein, for it belongs to us and to our father.
51 Yahusef and his brothers heard the words of Esau's sons, and they were exceedingly
angry. Yahusef approached to Esau, saying: What is this thing which they
said? Surely my father Yaacob bought it from you for great riches after the death of Yitzchaq,
now five and twenty years ago. Also all the land of Canaan he bought from you and
from your sons, and your seed after you.
52 Yaacob bought it for his sons and his seed after him for an inheritance forever, and
why do you speak these things today?
53 Esau answered, saying: You speak falsely and utter lies, for I did not sell
anything belonging to me in all this land, as you said, neither did my brother Yaacob buy
anything belonging to me in this land.
54 Esau spoke these things in order to deceive Yahusef with his words, for Esau knew
that Yahusef was not present in those days when Esau sold all belonging to him in the land of
Canaan to Yaacob.
55 Yahusef said to Esau: Surely my father inserted these things with you in the record
of purchase, and testified the record with witnesses, behold, it is with us in Egypt.
56 Esau answered, saying to him: Bring the record, and all that you find in the record,
so we will do.
57 Yahusef called to Naphtali his brother, and he said: Hasten quickly, do not stay,
I pray you, run to Egypt, and bring all the records. The record of the purchase, the sealed
record, the open record, and also all the first records in which all the transactions of the
birth-right are written, fetch.
58 You will bring them to us here, that we may know from them all the words of
Esau and his sons which they spoke today.
59 Naphtali hearkened to the voice of Yahusef, he hastened, and ran to go down to
Egypt. Naphtali was lighter on foot than any of the stags that were upon the wilderness,
for he would go upon ears of corn without crushing them.
60 When Esau saw that Naphtali went to fetch the records, he and his sons
increased their resistance against the cave. Esau and all his people rose up against
Yahusef and his brothers to battle.
61 All the sons of Yaacob and the people of Egypt fought with Esau and his men. The
sons of Esau and his people were smitten before the sons of Yaacob, and the sons of Yaacob
slew of Esau's people forty men.
62 Chushim the son of Dan, the son of Yaacob, was at that time with Yaacob's sons, but he
was about a hundred cubits distant from the place of battle, for he remained with the children
of Yaacob's sons by Yaacob's bier to guard it.
63 Chushim was dumb and deaf, still he understood the voice of consternation among men.
64 He asked, saying: Why do you not bury the dead, and what is this great
consternation? They answered him the words of Esau and his sons. He ran to Esau
in the middle of the battle, and he killed Esau with a sword. He cut off his head, and it
sprang to a distance, so Esau fell among the people of the battle.
65 When Chushim did this thing the sons of Yaacob prevailed over the sons of Esau.
The sons of Yaacob buried their father Yaacob in the cave by force, and the sons of Esau beheld it.
66 Yaacob was buried in Hebron, in the cave of Machpelah which Abraham bought
from the sons of Heth for the possession of a burial place, and he was buried in very costly
garments.
67 No king had such honor paid him as Yahusef paid to his father at his death, for he
buried him with great honor like to the burial of kings.
68 Yahusef and his brothers made a mourning of seven days for their father.
CHAPTER 57:1 It was after this that the sons of Esau
waged war with the sons of Yaacob, and the sons
of Esau fought with the sons of Yaacob in Hebron. Esau was still lying dead, and not buried.
2 The battle was heavy between them, and the sons of Esau were smitten before the
sons of Yaacob. The sons of Yaacob slew eighty men of the sons of Esau, and not one died
of the people of the sons of Yaacob. The hand of Yahusef prevailed over all the people of
the sons of Esau. He took captive Zepho, the son of Eliphaz, the son of Esau, and fifty of his
men. He bound them with chains of iron, and gave them into the hand of his
servants to bring them to Egypt.
3 It came to pass when the sons of Yaacob took Zepho and his people captive, all
those that remained from the house of Esau were greatly afraid of their lives, lest they should
also be taken captive. They all fled with Eliphaz the son of Esau and his people, with
Esau's body, and they went on their road to Mount Seir.
4 They came to Mount Seir, and they buried Esau in Seir. But they did not bring his
head with them to Seir, for it was buried in that place where the battle was in Hebron.
5 It came to pass when the sons of Esau fled from before the sons of Yaacob, the
sons of Yaacob pursued them to the borders of Seir, but they did not slay a single man from
among them when they pursued them, for Esau's body which they carried with them
excited their confusion. So they fled, the sons of Yaacob turned back from them, and came
up to the place where their brothers were in Hebron. They remained there on that day,
and on the next day, until they rested from the battle.
6 It came to pass on the third day the [children of Esau] assembled all the sons of Seir the Horite, and
they assembled all the children of the east, a multitude of people like the sand of the sea.
They went, and came down to Egypt to fight with Yahusef and his brothers, in order to
deliver their brothers.
7 Yahusef and all the sons of Yaacob heard that the sons of Esau and the children of the
east came upon them to battle in order to deliver their brothers.
8 Yahusef, his brothers, and the strong men of Egypt, went forth and fought in the city
of Rameses. Yahusef and his brothers dealt out a tremendous blow among the sons of
Esau and the children of the east.
9 They killed six hundred thousand men of them, and they killed among them all the
mighty men of the children of Seir the Horite, there were only a few of them left. They
also killed a great many of the children of the east, and of the children of Esau. Eliphaz
the son of Esau, and the children of the east, all fled before Yahusef and his brothers.
10 Yahusef and his brothers pursued them until they came to Succoth, and they yet
killed thirty men of them in Succoth. The rest escaped, and they each fled to his city.
11 Yahusef, his brothers, and the mighty men of Egypt, turned back from them with joy
and cheerfulness of heart, for they smote all their enemies.
12 Zepho the son of Eliphaz and his men were still slaves in Egypt to the sons of Yaacob,
and their pains increased.
13 When the sons of Esau and the sons of Seir returned to their land, the sons of Seir
saw that they had all fallen into the hands of the sons of Yaacob, and the people of Egypt, on
account of the battle of the sons of Esau.
14 The sons of Seir said to the sons of Esau: You see, therefore you know that
this camp was on your account, and not one mighty man or an adept in war remains.
15 Now therefore, go forth from our land, go from us to the land of Canaan to the land of the
dwelling of your fathers. Why should your children inherit the effects of our children in
latter days?
16 The children of Esau would not listen to the children of Seir, and the children of Seir
considered to make war with them.
17 The children of Esau sent secretly to Angeas king of Africa, the same is Dinhabah,
saying:
18 Send to us some of your men, let them come to us, and we will fight together with
the children of Seir the Horite, for they have resolved to fight with us to drive us away from
the land.
19 Angeas king of Dinhabah did so, for he was in those days friendly to the children of
Esau. Angeas sent five hundred valiant infantry to the children of Esau, and eight
hundred cavalry.
20 The children of Seir sent to the children of the east, and to the children of Midian,
saying: You saw what the children of Esau did to us, upon whose account
we are almost all destroyed, in their battle with the sons of Yaacob.
21 Now therefore come to us, and assist us. We will fight them together, we will
drive them from the land, and be avenged of the cause of our brothers who died for their
sakes in their battle with their brothers the sons of Yaacob.
22 All the children of the east listened to the children of Seir, and they came to them
about eight hundred men with drawn swords. The children of Esau fought with the
children of Seir at that time in the wilderness of Paran.
23 The children of Seir prevailed then over the sons of Esau, and the children of Seir
killed on that day of the children of Esau in that battle about two hundred men of the people of
Angeas king of Dinhabah.
24 On the second day the children of Esau came again to fight a second time with the
children of Seir. The battle was sore upon the children of Esau this second time, and it
troubled them greatly on account of the children of Seir.
25 When the children of Esau saw that the children of Seir were more powerful than they
were, some men of the children of Esau turned, and assisted the children of Seir their enemies.
26 There fell yet of the people of the children of Esau in the second battle fifty-eight men
of the people at Angeas king of Dinhabah.
27 On the third day the children of Esau heard that some of their brothers had turned
from them to fight against them in the second battle. The children of Esau mourned when
they heard this thing.
28 They said: What will we do to our brothers who turned from us to assist the
children of Seir our enemies? The children of Esau again sent to Angeas king of
Dinhabah, saying:
29 Send to us again other men that with them we may fight with the children of Seir, for
they have already twice been heavier than we were.
30 Angeas again sent to the children of Esau about six hundred valiant men, and they
came to assist the children of Esau.
31 In ten days time the children of Esau again waged war with the children of Seir in the
wilderness of Paran, and the battle was very severe upon the children of Seir. The
children of Esau prevailed at this time over the children of Seir. The children of Seir were
smitten before the children of Esau, and the children of Esau slew from them about two
thousand men.
32 All the mighty men of the children of Seir died in this battle, and there only remained
their young children that were left in their cities.
33 All Midian and the children of the east betook themselves to flight from the battle,
they left the children of Seir, and fled when they saw that the battle was severe upon them.
The children of Esau pursued all the children of the east until they reached their land.
34 The children of Esau slew yet of them about two hundred and fifty men, and from the
people of the children of Esau there fell in that battle about thirty men, but this evil came
upon them through their brothers turning from them to assist the children of Seir the Horite.
The children of Esau again heard of the evil doings of their brothers, and they again
mourned on account of this thing.
35 It came to pass after the battle, the children of Esau turned back, and came home
to Seir. The children of Esau killed those who remained in the land of the children
of Seir. They also killed their wives and little ones, they left not a soul alive except fifty young
lads and damsels whom they allowed to live, and the children of Esau did not put them to
death. The lads became their slaves, and the damsels they took for wives.
36 The children of Esau dwelt in Seir in the place of the children of Seir, they
inherited their land, and took possession of it.
37 The children of Esau took all belonging to the children of Seir in the land, also their
flocks, their bulls, their goods, and all belonging to the children of Seir, did the
children of Esau take. The children of Esau dwelt in Seir in the place of the children of
Seir to this day. The children of Esau divided the land into divisions to the five sons of
Esau, according to their families.
38 It came to pass in those days, that the children of Esau resolved to crown a king over
them in the land of which they became possessed. They said to each other: Not so, for
he will reign over us in our land, we will be under his counsel, and he will fight our
battles against our enemies. They did so.
39 All the children of Esau swore, saying: That none of their brothers should ever reign
over them, but a strange man who is not of their brothers, for the souls of all the children of
Esau were embittered every man against his son, brother, and friend, on account of the evil
they sustained from their brothers when they fought with the children of Seir.
40 Therefore the sons of Esau swore, saying: From that day forward they would not choose
a king from their brothers, but one from a strange land, to this day.
41 There was a man there from the people of Angeas king of Dinhabah. His name was
Bela the son of Beor, who was a very valiant man, beautiful, comely, wise in all
wisdom, a man of sense and counsel. There was none of the people of Angeas like
to him.
42 All the children of Esau took him, anointed him, they crowned him for a king,
they bowed down to him, and they said to him: May the king live, may the king live.
43 They spread out the sheet, and each man brought him earrings of gold and silver,
or rings, or bracelets, and they made him very rich in silver and in gold, in onyx stones, and
bdellium. They made him a royal throne, they placed a regal crown upon his head,
they built a palace for him, he dwelt therein, and he became king over all the children
of Esau.
44 The people of Angeas took their hire for their battle from the children of Esau, so
they went, and returned at that time to their master in Dinhabah.
45 Bela reigned over the children of Esau thirty years, the children of Esau dwelt in
the land instead of the children of Seir, and they dwelt securely in their place to this day.
CHAPTER 58:1 It came to pass in the thirty-second year of
the Yisrayahites going down to Egypt, that is
in the seventy-first year of the life of Yahusef, in that year Pharaoh king of Egypt died, and
Magron his son reigned in his stead.
2 Pharaoh commanded Yahusef before his death to be a father to his son, Magron,
that Magron should be under the care of Yahusef, and under his counsel.
3 All Egypt consented to this thing that Yahusef should be king over them, for all the
Egyptians loved Yahusef as before, only Magron the son of Pharaoh sat upon his
father's throne, and he became king in those days in his father's stead.
4 Magron was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and forty years he reigned in
Egypt. All Egypt called his name Pharaoh after the name of his father, as it was their
custom to do in Egypt to every king that reigned over them.
5 It came to pass when Pharaoh reigned in his father's stead, he placed the laws of
Egypt and all the affairs of government in the hand of Yahusef, as his father commanded him.
6 Yahusef became king over Egypt, for he superintended over all Egypt. All Egypt
was under his care and under his counsel, for all Egypt inclined to Yahusef after the death of
Pharaoh, and they loved him exceedingly to reign over them.
7 But there were some people among them who did not like him, saying: No stranger will
reign over us. Still the whole government of Egypt devolved in those days upon Yahusef, after
the death of Pharaoh, he being the regulator, doing as he liked throughout the land without
anyone interfering.
8 All Egypt was under the care of Yahusef. Yahusef made war with all his surrounding
enemies, and he subdued them. Also all the land, and all the Philistines, to the borders of
Canaan, did Yahusef subdue. They were all under his power, and they gave a yearly tax
to Yahusef.
9 Pharaoh king of Egypt sat upon his throne in his father's stead, but he was under the
control and counsel of Yahusef, as he was at first under the control of his father.
10 Neither did he reign but in the land of Egypt only, under the counsel of Yahusef, but
Yahusef reigned over the whole country at that time, from Egypt to the great river Perath.
11 Yahusef was successful in all his ways, and Yahwah was with him. Yahwah gave
Yahusef additional wisdom, honor, glory, and love toward him in the hearts of the
Egyptians and throughout the land. Yahusef reigned over the whole country forty years.
12 All the countries of the Philistines, Canaan, Zidon, and on the other side of
Yordan, brought presents to Yahusef all his days. The whole country was in the hand of
Yahusef, and they brought to him a yearly tribute as it was regulated, for Yahusef fought
against all his surrounding enemies and subdued them. The whole country was in the
hand of Yahusef, and Yahusef sat securely upon his throne in Egypt.
13 Also all his brothers the sons of Yaacob dwelt securely in the land, all the days of
Yahusef. They were fruitful, multiplied exceedingly in the land, and they served
Yahwah all their days, as their father Yaacob commanded them.
14 It came to pass at the end of many days and years, when the children of Esau were
dwelling quietly in their land with Bela their king, that the children of Esau were fruitful, and
multiplied in the land. They resolved to go and fight with the sons of Yaacob, and all Egypt,
to deliver their brother Zepho, the son of Eliphaz, and his men, for they were yet in those
days slaves to Yahusef.
15 The children of Esau sent to all the children of the east, and they made peace with
them. All the children of the east came to them to go with the children of Esau to Egypt
to battle.
16 There came also to them of the people of Angeas, king of Dinhabah. They also
sent to the children of Ishmael, and they also came to them.
17 All this people assembled and came to Seir to assist the children of Esau in their
battle. This camp was very large and heavy with people, numerous as the sand of the
sea, about eight hundred thousand men, infantry and cavalry. All these troops went
down to Egypt to fight with the sons of Yaacob, and they encamped by Rameses.
18 Yahusef went forth with his brothers with the mighty men of Egypt, about six hundred
men, and they fought with them in the land of Rameses. The sons of Yaacob at that time
again fought with the children of Esau, in the fiftieth year of the sons of Yaacob going down to
Egypt, that is the thirtieth year of the reign of Bela over the children of Esau in Seir.
19 Yahwah gave all the mighty men of Esau and the children of the east into the hand of
Yahusef and his brothers, so the people of the children of Esau and the children of the east
were smitten before Yahusef.
20 Of the people of Esau and the children of the east that were slain, there fell before the
sons of Yaacob about two hundred thousand men, and their king Bela the son of Beor fell with
them in the battle. When the children of Esau saw that their king fell in battle, and
was dead, their hands became weak in the combat.
21 Yahusef, his brothers, and all Egypt, were still smiting the people of the house of
Esau. All Esau's people were afraid of the sons of Yaacob, and fled from before them.
22 Yahusef, his brothers, and all Egypt, pursued them a day's journey, and they killed
yet from them about three hundred men, continuing to smite them in the road.
Afterward they turned back from them.
23 Yahusef and all his brothers returned to Egypt, not one man was missing from them,
but of the Egyptians there fell twelve men.
24 When Yahusef returned to Egypt he ordered Zepho and his men to be additionally
bound, they bound them in irons, and they increased their grief.
25 All the people of the children of Esau, and the children of the east, returned in shame
each to his city, for all the mighty men that were with them had fallen in battle.
26 When the children of Esau saw that their king died in battle they hastened, and
took a man from the people of the children of the east. His name was Jobab the son of
Zarach, from the land of Botzrah, and they caused him to reign over them instead of Bela
their king.
27 Jobab sat upon the throne of Bela as king in his stead, and Jobab reigned ten years in Edom
over all the children of Esau. The children of Esau did not go to fight with
the sons of Yaacob from that day forward, for the sons of Esau knew the valor of the sons of
Yaacob, and they were greatly afraid of them.
28 But from that day forward the children of Esau hated the sons of Yaacob, the hatred
and enmity were very strong between them all the days, to this day.
29 It came to pass after this, at the end of ten years, Jobab, the son of Zarach, from
Botzrah, died. The children of Esau took a man whose name was Chusham, from the
land of Teman, and they made him king over them instead of Jobab. Chusham reigned
in Edom over all the children of Esau for twenty years.
30 Yahusef, king of Egypt, his brothers, and all the children of Yisrayah dwelt securely
in Egypt in those days, together with all the children of Yahusef and his brothers, having no
hindrance or evil accident. The land of Egypt was at that time at rest from war in the days
of Yahusef and his brothers.
CHAPTER 59:1 These are the names of the sons of Yisrayah [Israel, Yaacob, Jacob]
who dwelt in Egypt, who came with
Yaacob. All the sons of Yaacob came to Egypt, every man with his household.
2 The children of Leah were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Yahudah, Issachar, Zebulun, and their
sister Dinah.
3 The sons of Rachel were Yahusef and Benjamin.
4 The sons of Zilpah, the handmaid of Leah, were Gad and Asher.
5 The sons of Bilhah, the handmaid of Rachel, were Dan and Naphtali.
6 These were their offspring that were born to them in the land of Canaan, before they
came to Egypt with their father Yaacob.
7 The sons of Reuben were Chanoch, Pallu, Chetzron, and Carmi.
8 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zochar, and Saul, the son of
the Canaanitish woman.
9 The children of Levi were Gershon, Kehas, Merari, and their sister Jochebed, who
was born to them in their going down to Egypt.
10 The sons of Yahudah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zarach.
11 Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez were Chezron and
Chamul.
12 The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puvah, Job, and Shomron.
13 The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jachleel. The son of Dan was
Chushim.
14 The sons of Naphtali were Jachzeel, Guni, Jetzer, and Shilam.
15 The sons of Gad were Ziphion, Chaggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.
16 The children of Asher were Jimnah, Jishvah, Jishvi, Beriah, and their sister Serach.
The sons of Beriah were Cheber and Malchiel.
17 The sons of Benjamin were Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Achi, Rosh, Mupim,
Chupim, and Ord.
18 The sons of Yahusef, who were born to him in Egypt, were Manasseh and Ephrayim.
19 All the souls that went forth from the loins of Yaacob were seventy souls. These are
those who came with Yaacob their father to Egypt to dwell there. Yahusef and all his
brothers dwelt securely in Egypt, and they ate of the best of Egypt all the days of the life of
Yahusef.
20 Yahusef lived in the land of Egypt ninety-three years, and Yahusef reigned over all
Egypt eighty years.
21 When the days of Yahusef drew near that he should die, he sent and called for his
brothers and all his father's household, so they all came together and sat before him.
22 Yahusef said to his brothers, and to the whole of his father's household: Behold, I
die. Yahwah will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land which He swore
to your fathers to give to them.
23 It will be when Yahwah will visit you to bring you up from here to the land of your
fathers, then bring up my bones with you from here.
24 Yahusef made the sons of Yisrayah to swear for their seed after them, saying: Yahwah will
surely visit you, and you will bring up my bones with you from here.
25 It came to pass after this that Yahusef died in that year, the seventy-first year of the
Yisrayahites going down to Egypt.
26 Yahusef was one hundred and ten years old when he died in the land of Egypt. All
his brothers and all his servants rose up, they embalmed Yahusef, as was their custom,
and his brothers and all Egypt mourned over him for seventy days.
27 They put Yahusef in a coffin filled with spices and all sorts of perfume, and they buried
him by the side of the river, that is Sihor. His sons, all his brothers, and the whole of
his father's household, made a seven day's mourning for him.
28 It came to pass after the death of Yahusef, all the Egyptians began in those days to
rule over the children of Yisrayah. Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who reigned in his father's stead,
took all the laws of Egypt and conducted the whole government of Egypt under his counsel,
and he reigned securely over his people.
CHAPTER 60:1 When the year came round, being the
seventy-second year from the Yisrayahites going
down to Egypt, after the death of Yahusef, Zepho, the son of Eliphaz, the son of Esau, fled
from Egypt, he and his men, and they went away.
2 He came to Africa, which is Dinhabah, to Angeas king of Africa. Angeas received
them with great honor, and he made Zepho the captain of his host.
3 Zepho found favor in the sight of Angeas, and in the sight of his people. Zepho
was captain of the host to Angeas king of Africa for many days.
4 Zepho enticed Angeas king of Africa to collect all his army to go and fight with the
Egyptians, and with the sons of Yaacob, to avenge of them the cause of his brothers.
5 But Angeas would not listen to Zepho to do this thing, for Angeas knew the strength of the
sons of Yaacob, and what they did to his army in their warfare with the children of Esau.
6 Zepho was in those days very great in the sight of Angeas, and in the sight of all his
people. He continually enticed them to make war against Egypt, but they would not.
7 It came to pass in those days there was in the land of Kittim a man in the city of
Puzimna, whose name was Uzu. He became degenerately deified by the children of
Kittim. The man died, and had no son, only one daughter whose name was Jania.
8 The damsel was exceedingly beautiful, comely, and intelligent, there was none seen
like to her for beauty and wisdom throughout the land.
9 The people of Angeas king of Africa saw her, and they came and praised her to him.
Angeas sent to the children of Kittim, he requested to take her to himself for a
wife, and the people of Kittim consented to give her to him for a wife.
10 When the messengers of Angeas were going forth from the land of Kittim to take
their journey, behold the messengers of Turnus king of Bibentu came to Kittim. For
Turnus king of Bibentu also sent his messengers to request Jania for him, to take to
himself for a wife, for all his men had also praised her to him, therefore he sent all his
servants to her.
11 The servants of Turnus came to Kittim, and they asked for Jania, to be taken to
Turnus their king for a wife.
12 The people of Kittim said to them: We cannot give her, because Angeas king of
Africa desired her to take her to him for a wife before you came, and that we should give
her to him. Now therefore we cannot do this thing to deprive Angeas of the damsel in
order to give her to Turnus.
13 For we are greatly afraid of Angeas lest he come in battle against us, to destroy us, and
Turnus your master will not be able to deliver us from his hand.
14 When the messengers of Turnus heard all the words of the children of Kittim, they
turned back to their master, and told him all the words of the children of Kittim.
15 The children of Kittim sent a memorial to Angeas, saying: Behold, Turnus sent
for Jania to take her to him for a wife, and thus did we answer him. We hear
he has collected his whole army to go to war against you. He intends to pass by the
road of Sardunia to fight against your brother Lucus, and after that he will come to fight against you.
16 Angeas heard the words of the children of Kittim which they sent to him in the
record, and his anger was kindled. He rose up, assembled his whole army, and came
through the islands of the sea, the road to Sardunia, to his brother Lucus king of Sardunia.
17 Niblos, the son of Lucus, heard that his uncle Angeas was coming. He went out
to meet him with a heavy army, he kissed him, and embraced him. Niblos said to
Angeas: When you ask my father after his welfare, when I will go with you to fight with
Turnus, ask of him to make me captain of his host. Angeas did so. He came to his
brother, his brother came to meet him, and he asked him after his welfare.
18 Angeas asked his brother Lucus after his welfare, and to make his son Niblos captain
of his host. Lucus did so. Angeas and his brother Lucus rose up, and they went
toward Turnus to battle, and there was a great army and a heavy people with them.
19 He came in ships, and they came into the province of Ashtorash. Behold, Turnus
came toward them, for he went forth to Sardunia, intending to destroy it, and afterward to
pass on from there to Angeas to fight with him.
20 Angeas and Lucus his brother met Turnus in the valley of Canopia, and the battle
was strong and mighty between them in that place.
21 The battle was severe upon Lucus king of Sardunia, all his army fell, and Niblos
his son also fell in that battle.
22 His uncle Angeas commanded his servants, they made a golden coffin for Niblos,
and they put him into it. Angeas again waged battle toward Turnus. Angeas was
stronger than he, and he killed him. He smote all his people with the edge of the sword,
and Angeas avenged the cause of Niblos his brother's son, and the cause of the army of his
brother Lucus.
23 When Turnus died, the hands of those that survived the battle became weak, and
they fled from before Angeas and Lucus his brother.
24 Angeas and his brother Lucus pursued them to the highroad, which is between
Alphanu and Romah. They slew the whole army of Turnus with the edge of the sword.
25 Lucus king of Sardunia commanded his servants that they should make a coffin of
brass, and that they should place therein the body of his son Niblos, and they buried him in
that place.
26 They built upon it a high tower there upon the highroad, and they called its name after
the name of Niblos to this day. They also buried Turnus king of Bibentu there in that
place with Niblos.
27 Behold, upon the highroad between Alphanu and Romah the grave of Niblos is on one
side, the grave of Turnus on the other, and a pavement between them to this day.
28 When Niblos was buried, Lucus his father returned with his army to his land Sardunia.
Angeas his brother king of Africa went with his people to the city of Bibentu, that is the
city of Turnus.
29 The inhabitants of Bibentu heard of his fame, and they were greatly afraid of him.
They went forth to meet him with weeping and supplication, and the inhabitants of Bibentu
entreated of Angeas not to kill them, nor destroy their city. He did so, for Bibentu was in
those days reckoned as one of the cities of the children of Kittim, therefore he did not
destroy the city.
30 But from that day forward the troops of the king of Africa would go to Kittim to spoil and
plunder it, and whenever they went, Zepho the captain of the host of Angeas would go with them.
31 It was after this that Angeas turned with his army, and they came to the city of
Puzimna. Angeas then took Jania the daughter of Uzu for a wife, and brought her to
his city to Africa.
CHAPTER 61:1 It came to pass at that time Pharaoh king
of Egypt commanded all his people to make for him a strong palace in Egypt.
2 He also commanded the sons of Yaacob to assist the Egyptians in the building, and the
Egyptians made a beautiful and elegant palace for a royal habitation. He dwelt therein,
he renewed his government, and he reigned securely.
3 Zebulun the son of Yaacob died in that year, that is the seventy-second year of the
going down of the Yisrayahites to Egypt. Zebulun died a hundred and fourteen years old,
was put into a coffin, and given into the hands of his children.
4 In the seventy-fifth year his brother Simeon died, he was a hundred and twenty years
old at his death. He was also put into a coffin, and given into the hands of his children.
5 Zepho the son of Eliphaz the son of Esau, captain of the host to Angeas king of
Dinhabah, was still daily enticing Angeas to prepare for battle to fight with the sons of Yaacob
in Egypt. Angeas was unwilling to do this thing, for his servants had related to him all the
might of the sons of Yaacob, what they did to them in their battle with the children of Esau.
6 Zepho was in those days daily enticing Angeas to fight with the sons of Yaacob in those days.
7 After some time Angeas hearkened to the words of Zepho, and consented to him to
fight with the sons of Yaacob in Egypt. Angeas got all his people in order, a people
numerous as the sand which is upon the sea shore. He formed his resolution to go to
Egypt to battle.
8 Among the servants of Angeas was a youth fifteen years old. Balaam the son of Beor
was his name. The youth was very wise, and understood the art of witchcraft.
9 Angeas said to Balaam: Conjure for us, I pray you, with the witchcraft, that we may
know who will prevail in this battle to which we are now proceeding.
10 Balaam ordered that they should bring him wax, and he made thereof the likeness of
chariots and horsemen representing the army of Angeas and the army of Egypt. He put
them in the cunningly prepared waters that he had for that purpose. He took in his hand
the boughs of myrtle trees, and he exercised his cunning, and he joined them over the water.
There appeared to him in the water the resembling images of the hosts of Angeas
falling before the resembling images of the Egyptians and the sons of Yaacob.
11 Balaam told this thing to Angeas. Angeas despaired, did not arm himself to
go down to Egypt to battle, and he remained in his city.
12 When Zepho the son of Eliphaz saw that Angeas despaired of going forth to battle
with the Egyptians, Zepho fled from Angeas from Africa, he went, and came to Kittim.
13 All the people of Kittim received him with great honor, and they hired him to fight
their battles all the days. Zepho became exceedingly rich in those days. The troops
of the king of Africa still spread themselves in those days. The children of Kittim
assembled, and went to Mount Cuptizia on account of the troops of Angeas king of Africa,
who were advancing upon them.
14 It was one day that Zepho lost a young heifer, and he went to seek it, he heard it
lowing round about the mountain.
15 Zepho went, and he saw. Behold, there was a large cave at the bottom of the
mountain, and there was a great stone there at the entrance of the cave. Zepho split the
stone, he came into the cave, and he looked. Behold, a large animal was devouring
the ox. From the middle upward it resembled a man, and from the middle downward it
resembled an animal. Zepho rose up against the animal, and killed it with his swords.
16 The inhabitants of Kittim heard of this thing, and they rejoiced exceedingly. They
said: What will we do to this man who killed this animal that devoured our cattle?
17 They all assembled to consecrate one day in the year to him, and they called the
name thereof Zepho after his name. They brought to him drink offerings year after year
on that day, and they brought to him gifts.
18 At that time Jania the daughter of Uzu wife of king Angeas became ill, and her illness was
heavily felt by Angeas and his officers. Angeas said to his wise men: What will I do
to Jania, how will I heal her from her illness? His wise men said to him: Because
the air of our country is not like the air of the land of Kittim, and our water is not like their
water, therefore from this is the queen become ill.
19 For through the change of air and water she became ill, and also because in her country
she drank only the water which came from Purmah, which her ancestors brought up with bridges.
20 Angeas commanded his servants, and they brought to him in vessels of the waters
of Purmah belonging to Kittim. They weighed those waters with all the waters of the
land of Africa, and they found those waters lighter than the waters of Africa.
21 Angeas saw this thing. He commanded all his officers to assemble the hewers of
stone in thousands and tens of thousands, and they hewed stone without number. The
builders came, and they built an exceedingly strong bridge. They conveyed the spring of
water from the land of Kittim to Africa. Those waters were for Jania the queen, for
all her concerns, to drink from, to bake, wash, and bathe therewith; and also to water
therewith all seed from which food can be obtained, and all fruit of the ground.
22 The king commanded that they should bring of the soil of Kittim in large ships, and
they also brought stones to build therewith. The builders built palaces for Jania the
queen, and the queen became healed of her illness.
23 At the revolution of the year the troops of Africa continued coming to the land of
Kittim to plunder as usual, and Zepho son of Eliphaz heard their report. He gave orders
concerning them, he fought with them, they fled before him, and he delivered the
land of Kittim from them.
24 The children of Kittim saw the valor of Zepho, and the children of Kittim resolved.
They made Zepho king over them, and he became king over them. While he reigned
they went to subdue the children of Tubal, and all the surrounding islands.
25 Their king Zepho went at their head, they made war with Tubal and the islands,
and they subdued them. When they returned from the battle they renewed his
government for him, and they built for him a very large palace for his royal habitation and
seat. They made a large throne for him. Zepho reigned over the whole land of
Kittim, and over the land of Italia, fifty years.
CHAPTER 62:1 In that year, being the seventy-ninth year
of the Yisrayahites going down to Egypt, Reuben the son of Yaacob died in the land of
Egypt. Reuben was a hundred and twenty-five years old when he died. They put him
into a coffin, and he was given into the hands of his children.
2 In the eightieth year his brother Dan died. He was a hundred and twenty years at his
death. He was also put into a coffin, and given into the hands of his children.
3 In that year Chusham king of Edom died, and after him Hadad the son of
Bedad reigned for thirty-five years. In the eighty-first year Issachar the son of Yaacob died, in
Egypt. Issachar was a hundred and twenty-two years old at his death, he was put
into a coffin in Egypt, and given into the hands of his children.
4 In the eighty-second year Asher his brother died, he was a hundred and twenty-three
years old at his death. He was placed in a coffin in Egypt, and given into the hands of his
children.
5 In the eighty-third year Gad died, he was a hundred and twenty-five years old at his
death. He was put into a coffin in Egypt, and given into the hands of his children.
6 It came to pass in the eighty-fourth year, that is the fiftieth year of the reign of Hadad,
son of Bedad, king of Edom, that Hadad assembled all the children of Esau. He got his
whole army in readiness, about four hundred thousand men, and he directed his way to the
land of Moab. He went to fight with Moab, to make them tributary to him.
7 The children of Moab heard this thing, and they were very much afraid. They sent
to the children of Midian to assist them in fighting with Hadad, son of Bedad, king of Edom.
8 Hadad came to the land of Moab. Moab and the children of Midian went out to
meet him, and they placed themselves in battle array against him in the field of Moab.
9 Hadad fought with Moab, and there fell of the children of Moab and the children of
Midian many slain ones, about two hundred thousand men.
10 The battle was very severe upon Moab, and when the children of Moab saw that the
battle was sore upon them, they weakened their hands, turned their backs, and left the
children of Midian to carry on the battle.
11 The children of Midian did not know the intentions of Moab. They strengthened
themselves in battle, fought with Hadad and all his host, and all Midian fell before him.
12 Hadad smote all Midian with a heavy smiting, and he slew them with the edge of the
sword, he left none remaining of those who came to assist Moab.
13 When all the children of Midian were perished in battle, and the children at Moab had
escaped, Hadad made all Moab at that time tributary to him. They became under his
hand, and they gave a yearly tax as it was ordered. Hadad turned, and went back to his land.
14 At the revolution of the year, the rest of the people of Midian that were in the
land heard that all their brothers fell in battle with Hadad for the sake of Moab,
because the children of Moab turned their backs in battle, and left Midian to fight.
Five of the princes of Midian resolved with the rest of their brothers who remained in their
land to fight with Moab to avenge the cause of their brothers.
15 The children of Midian sent to all their brothers the children of the east. All their
brothers, and all the children of Keturah, came to assist Midian to fight with Moab.
16 The children of Moab heard this thing, and they were greatly afraid that all the children
of the east had assembled together against them for battle. They the children of Moab
sent a memorial to the land of Edom to Hadad the son of Bedad, saying:
17 Come now to us, assist us, and we will smite Midian, for they all assembled together
and came against us with all their brothers the children of the east to battle, to avenge
the cause of Midian that fell in battle.
18 Hadad, son of Bedad, king of Edom, went forth with his whole army, and went to the
land of Moab to fight with Midian. Midian and the children of the east fought with Moab in
the field of Moab, and the battle was very fierce between them.
19 Hadad smote all the children of Midian and the children of the east with the edge of
the sword, and Hadad at that time delivered Moab from the hand of Midian. Those that
remained of Midian and of the children of the east fled before Hadad and his army.
Hadad pursued them to their land, smote them with a very heavy slaughter, and the slain
fell in the road.
20 Hadad delivered Moab from the hand of Midian, for all the children of Midian
fell by the edge of the sword. Hadad turned, and went back to his land.
21 From that day forth, the children of Midian hated the children of Moab, because they
fell in battle for their sake, and there was a great and mighty enmity between them all
the days.
22 All that were found of Midian in the road of the land of Moab perished by the sword of
Moab, and all that were found of Moab in the road of the land of Midian, perished by the
sword of Midian. Thus did Midian to Moab and Moab to Midian for many days.
23 It came to pass at that time that Yahudah the son of Yaacob died in Egypt, in the eightysixth
year of Yaacob's going down to Egypt. Yahudah was a hundred and twenty-nine years
old at his death. They embalmed him, put him into a coffin, and he was given into the
hands of his children.
24 In the eighty-ninth year Naphtali died, he was a hundred and thirty-two years old.
He was put into a coffin, and given into the hands of his children.
25 It came to pass in the ninety-first year of the Yisrayahites going down to Egypt, that is in
the thirtieth year of the reign of Zepho the son of Eliphaz, the son of Esau, over the children
of Kittim, the children of Africa came upon the children of Kittim to plunder them as usual.
But they had not come upon them for these thirteen years.
26 They came to them in that year, and Zepho the son of Eliphaz went out to them with
some of his men, and smote them desperately. The troops of Africa fled from before
Zepho, and the slain fell before him. Zepho and his men pursued them, going on,
smiting them until they were near to Africa.
27 Angeas king of Africa heard the thing which Zepho did, and it vexed him
exceedingly. Angeas was afraid of Zepho all the days.
CHAPTER 63:1 In the ninety-third year Levi, the son of
Yaacob, died in Egypt. Levi was a hundred and thirty-seven years old when he died. They
put him into a coffin, and he was given into the hands of his children.
2 It came to pass after the death of Levi, when all Egypt saw that the sons of Yaacob the
brothers of Yahusef were dead, all the Egyptians began to afflict the children of Yaacob, and to
embitter their lives from that day to the day of their going forth from Egypt. They took
from their hands all the vineyards and fields which Yahusef gave to them, all the
elegant houses in which the people of Yisrayah lived, and all the fat of Egypt. The Egyptians took
all from the sons of Yaacob in those days.
3 The hand of all Egypt became more grievous in those days against the children of
Yisrayah. The Egyptians injured the Yisrayahites until the children of Yisrayah were wearied of their
lives on account of the Egyptians.
4 It came to pass in those days, in the hundred and second year of Yisrayah's going down
to Egypt, that Pharaoh king of Egypt died, and Melol his son reigned in his stead. All the
mighty men of Egypt, and all that generation which knew Yahusef and his brothers, died in those days.
5 Another generation rose up in their stead, which did not know the sons of Yaacob,
all the good which they did to them, and all their might in Egypt.
6 Therefore all Egypt began from that day forth to embitter the lives of the sons of Yaacob, and
to afflict them with all manner of hard labor, because they did not know their ancestors who
delivered them in the days of the famine.
7 This was also from Yahwah, for the children of Yisrayah, to benefit them in their latter
days, in order that all the children of Yisrayah might know Yahwah their Father.
8 In order to know the signs and mighty wonders which Yahwah would do in Egypt on
account of his people Yisrayah, in order that the children of Yisrayah might fear Yahwah of
their ancestors, and walk in all His ways, they and their seed after them all the days.
9 Melol was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned ninety-four years.
All Egypt called his name Pharaoh after the name of his father, as it was their custom to do to
every king who reigned over them in Egypt.
10 At that time all the troops of Angeas king of Africa went forth to spread along the land of
Kittim as usual for plunder.
11 Zepho the son of Eliphaz the son of Esau heard their report, so he went forth to
meet them with his army, and he fought them there in the road.
12 Zepho smote the troops of the king of Africa with the edge of the sword, and left none
remaining of them, not even one returned to his master in Africa.
13 Angeas heard of this which Zepho the son of Eliphaz did to all his troops, that
he destroyed them. Angeas assembled all his troops, all the men of the land of
Africa, a people numerous like the sand by the sea shore.
14 Angeas sent to Lucus his brother, saying: Come to me with all your men, help me
to smite Zepho and all the children of Kittim who destroyed my men. Lucus came
with his whole army, a very great force, to assist Angeas his brother to fight with Zepho and
the children of Kittim.
15 Zepho and the children of Kittim heard this thing, and they were greatly afraid, a
great terror fell upon their hearts.
16 Zepho also sent a letter to the land of Edom to Hadad the son of Bedad king of Edom,
and to all the children of Esau, saying:
17 I hear that Angeas king of Africa is coming to us with his brother for battle against
us, and we are greatly afraid of him, for his army is very great, particularly as he comes
against us with his brother and his army likewise.
18 Now therefore, you also come up with me and help me, and we will fight together against
Angeas and his brother Lucus. You will save us out of their hands, but if not, know
that we will all die.
19 The children of Esau sent a letter to the children of Kittim, and to Zepho their king,
saying: We cannot fight against Angeas and his people for a covenant of peace is
between us these many years, from the days of Bela the first king, and from the days of
Yahusef the son of Yaacob king of Egypt, with whom we fought on the other side of Yordan
when he buried his father.
20 When Zepho heard the words of his brothers the children of Esau he refrained from
them, and Zepho was greatly afraid of Angeas.
21 Angeas and Lucus his brother arrayed all their forces, about eight hundred thousand
men, against the children of Kittim.
22 All the children of Kittim said to Zepho: Pray for us to the God of your ancestors.
Peradventure He may deliver us from the hand of Angeas and his army, for we heard
that He is a great God, and that He delivers all who trust in Him.
23 Zepho heard their words. Zepho sought Yahwah, and he said:
24 O Father of Abraham and Yitzchaq my ancestors, today I know that you are a true Father,
and all the gods of the nations are vain and useless.
25 Remember now to me today your covenant with Abraham our father, which our
ancestors related to us. Do graciously with me today for the sake of Abraham and
Yitzchaq our fathers, and save me and the children of Kittim from the hand of the king of Africa
who comes against us for battle.
26 Yahwah hearkened to the voice of Zepho, and He had regard for him on account of
Abraham and Yitzchaq. Yahwah delivered Zepho and the children of Kittim from the hand
of Angeas and his people.
27 Zepho fought Angeas king of Africa and all his people on that day, and Yahwah gave
all the people of Angeas into the hands of the children of Kittim.
28 The battle was severe upon Angeas. Zepho smote all the men of Angeas and
Lucus his brother with the edge of the sword, and there fell from them to the evening of
that day about four hundred thousand men.
29 When Angeas saw that all his men perished, he sent a letter to all the inhabitants of
Africa to come to him, to assist him in the battle. He wrote in the letter, saying: All who
are found in Africa let them come to me from ten years old and upward. Let them all come
to me, and behold, if he does not come he will die. All that he has, with his whole
household, the king will take.
30 All the rest of the inhabitants of Africa were terrified at the words of Angeas, and
there went out of the city about three hundred thousand men and boys, from ten years
upward, and they came to Angeas.
31 At the end of ten days Angeas renewed the battle against Zepho and the children of
Kittim, and the battle was very great and strong between them.
32 From the army of Angeas and Lucus, Zepho sent many of the wounded to his
hand, about two thousand men. Sosiphtar the captain of the host of Angeas fell in that
battle.
33 When Sosiphtar fell, the African troops turned their backs to flee, and they fled.
Angeas and Lucus his brother were with them.
34 Zepho and the children of Kittim pursued them, and they smote them still heavily on
the road, about two hundred men. They pursued Azdrubal the son of Angeas who
fled with his father, and they smote twenty of his men in the road. Azdrubal escaped
from the children of Kittim, and they did not slay him.
35 Angeas and Lucus his brother fled with the rest of their men, they escaped, and
came into Africa with terror and consternation. Angeas feared all the days lest Zepho the
son of Eliphaz should go to war with him.
CHAPTER 64:1 Balaam the son of Beor was at that time with
Angeas in the battle, and when he saw
that Zepho prevailed over Angeas, he fled from there and came to Kittim.
2 Zepho and the children of Kittim received him with great honor, for Zepho knew
Balaam's wisdom. Zepho gave many gifts to Balaam, and he remained with him.
3 When Zepho returned from the war, he commanded all the children of Kittim to
be numbered who went into battle with him, and behold, not one was missed.
4 Zepho rejoiced at this thing, he renewed his kingdom, and he made a feast to all
his subjects.
5 But Zepho did not remember Yahwah, and did not consider that Yahwah helped him in
battle, and that He delivered him and his people from the hand of the king of Africa. But [he]
still walked in the ways of the children of Kittim, and the wicked children of Esau, to serve
other gods which his brothers the children of Esau taught him. It is therefore said: From
the wicked goes forth wickedness.
6 Zepho reigned over all the children of Kittim securely, but did not know Yahwah who
delivered him and all his people from the hand of the king of Africa. The troops of Africa
did not come to Kittim anymore to plunder as usual, for they knew of the power of Zepho who
smote them all at the edge of the sword. So Angeas was afraid of Zepho the son of Eliphaz,
and of the children of Kittim, all the days.
7 At that time when Zepho returned from the war, and when Zepho saw how he
prevailed over all the people of Africa, and smote them in battle at the edge of the
sword, then Zepho advised with the children of Kittim, to go to Egypt to fight with the sons
of Yaacob, and with Pharaoh king of Egypt.
8 For Zepho heard that the mighty men of Egypt were dead, that Yahusef and his brothers
the sons of Yaacob were dead, and that all their children the children of Yisrayah remained in Egypt.
9 Zepho considered to go to fight against them, and all Egypt, to avenge the cause of his
brothers the children of Esau, whom Yahusef with his brothers and all Egypt smote in
the land of Canaan, when they went up to bury Yaacob in Hebron.
10 Zepho sent messengers to Hadad, son of Bedad, king of Edom, and to all his
brothers the children of Esau, saying:
11 Did you say you would not fight against the king of Africa for he is a member of
your covenant? Behold, I fought with him, smote him, and all his people.
12 Now therefore I have resolved to fight against Egypt, and the children of Yaacob who are
there. I will be revenged of them for what Yahusef, his brothers, and ancestors, did to us in
the land of Canaan when they went up to bury their father in Hebron.
13 Now then if you are willing to come to me to assist me in fighting against them and Egypt,
then we will avenge the cause of our brothers.
14 The children of Esau hearkened to the words of Zepho. The children of Esau
gathered themselves together, a very great people. They went to assist Zepho and the
children of Kittim in battle.
15 Zepho sent to all the children of the east, and to all the children of Ishmael, with words
like to these. They gathered themselves, and came to the assistance of Zepho and the
children of Kittim in the war upon Egypt.
16 All these kings (the king of Edom, the children of the east, all the children of
Ishmael, and Zepho the king of Kittim) went forth and arrayed all their hosts in Hebron.
17 The camp was very heavy, extending in length a distance of three days journey, a
people numerous as the sand upon the sea shore which can not be counted.
18 All these kings and their hosts went down, came against all Egypt in battle, and
encamped together in the valley of Pathros.
19 All Egypt heard their report. They also gathered themselves together, all the
people of the land of Egypt, and of all the cities belonging to Egypt, about three hundred
thousand men.
20 The men of Egypt sent also to the children of Yisrayah who were in those days in the
land of Goshen, to come to them in order to go and fight with these kings.
21 The men of Yisrayah assembled, and were about one hundred and fifty men, they
went into battle to assist the Egyptians.
22 The men of Yisrayah and of Egypt went forth, about three hundred thousand men and
one hundred and fifty men. They went toward these kings to battle, and they placed
themselves outside the land of Goshen opposite Pathros.
23 The Egyptians did not believe in Yisrayah to go with them in their camps together for battle,
for all the Egyptians said: Perhaps the children of Yisrayah will deliver us into the hand of the
children of Esau and Ishmael, for they are their brothers.
24 All the Egyptians said to the children of Yisrayah: Remain here together in your
stand, we will go and fight against the children of Esau and Ishmael. If these kings
should prevail over us, then you come altogether upon them, and assist us, so the children
of Yisrayah did so.
25 Zepho the son of Eliphaz the son of Esau king of Kittim, Hadad the son of
Bedad king of Edom, all their camps, all the children of the east, and children of
Ishmael, a people numerous as sand, encamped together in the valley of Pathros opposite
Tachpanches.
26 Balaam the son of Beor the Syrian was there in the camp of Zepho, for he came with
the children of Kittim to the battle. Balaam was a man highly honored in the eyes of
Zepho and his men.
27 Zepho said to Balaam: Try by divination for us that we may know who will prevail
in the battle, we or the Egyptians.
28 Balaam rose up, and tried the art of divination. He was skillful in the knowledge of
it, but he was confused, and the work was destroyed in his hand.
29 He tried it again, but it did not succeed. Balaam despaired of it, left it, and did
not complete it. For this was from Yahwah, in order to cause Zepho and his people to fall into
the hand of the children of Yisrayah, who trusted in Yahwah, the Father of their ancestors, in
their war.
30 Zepho and Hadad put their forces in battle array. All the Egyptians went alone
against them, about three hundred thousand men, and not one man of Yisrayah was with them.
31 All the Egyptians fought with these kings opposite Pathros and Tachpanches, and the
battle was severe against the Egyptians.
32 The kings were stronger than the Egyptians in that battle. About one hundred and
eighty men of Egypt fell on that day, and about thirty men of the forces of the kings. All
the men of Egypt fled from before the kings, so the children of Esau and Ishmael pursued the
Egyptians, continuing to smite them to the place where was the camp of the children of
Yisrayah.
33 All the Egyptians cried to the children of Yisrayah, saying: Hasten to us, assist us,
save us from the hand of Esau, Ishmael, and the children of Kittim.
34 The hundred and fifty men of the children of Yisrayah ran from their station to the camps
of these kings, and the children of Yisrayah cried to Yahwah their Father to deliver them.
35 Yahwah hearkened to Yisrayah, and Yahwah gave all the men of the kings into their
hand. The children of Yisrayah fought against these kings, and the children of Yisrayah smote
about four thousand of the kings' men.
36 Yahwah threw a great consternation in the camp of the kings, so that the fear of the
children of Yisrayah fell upon them.
37 All the hosts of the kings fled from before the children of Yisrayah. The children of
Yisrayah pursued them, continuing to smite them, to the borders of the land of Cush.
38 The children of Yisrayah slew of them in the road yet two thousand men, and of the
children of Yisrayah not one fell.
39 The Egyptians saw that the children of Yisrayah fought with such few men with
the kings, and that the battle was so very severe against them.
40 All the Egyptians were greatly afraid of their lives on account of the strong battle. All
Egypt fled, every man hiding himself from the arrayed forces, they hid themselves in the
road, and they left the Yisrayahites to fight.
41 The children of Yisrayah inflicted a terrible blow upon the kings' men, and they returned
from them after they drove them to the border of the land of Cush.
42 All Yisrayah knew the thing which the men of Egypt did to them, that they fled
from them in battle, and left them to fight alone.
43 So the children of Yisrayah also acted with cunning. As the children of Yisrayah returned
from battle, they found some of the Egyptians in the road and smote them there.
44 While they slew them, they said these words to them:
45 Why did you go from us and leave us, being a few people, to fight against these
kings who had a great people to smite us, that you might thereby deliver your own souls?
46 Of some which the Yisrayahites met on the road, they the children of Yisrayah spoke to
each other, saying: Smite, smite, for he is an Ishmaelite, or an Edomite, or from the children
of Kittim. They stood over him, killed him, and they knew he was an Egyptian.
47 The children of Yisrayah did these things cunningly against the Egyptians, because they
deserted them in battle, and fled from them.
48 The children of Yisrayah slew of the men of Egypt in the road in this manner about two
hundred men.
49 All the men of Egypt saw the evil which the children of Yisrayah did to them. So all
Egypt greatly feared the children of Yisrayah, for they saw their great power, and that not
one man of them had fallen.
50 So all the children of Yisrayah returned with joy on their road to Goshen, and the rest of
Egypt returned each man to his place.
CHAPTER 65:1 It came to pass after these things,
all the counsellors of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and all the elders of Egypt, assembled,
came before the king, bowed down to the ground, and they sat before him.
2 The counsellors and elders of Egypt spoke to the king, saying:
3 Behold, the people of the children of Yisrayah are greater and mightier than we are. You
know all the evil which they did to us in the road when we returned from battle.
4 You also saw their strong power, for this power is to them from their fathers.
But a few men stood up against a people numerous as the sand, and smote them at the
edge of the sword, and of themselves not one fell. If they had been numerous
they would then have utterly destroyed them.
5 Now therefore give us counsel what to do with them, until we gradually destroy them from
among us, lest they become too numerous for us in the land.
6 For if the children of Yisrayah should increase in the land, they will become an obstacle to us.
If any war should happen to take place, they with their great strength will join our enemy
against us, fight against us, destroy us from the land, and go away from it.
7 So the king answered the elders of Egypt, and said to them: This is the plan advised
against Yisrayah, from which we will not depart.
8 Behold, in the land are Pithom and Rameses, cities unfortified against battle, it behooves
you and us to build them, and to fortify them.
9 Now therefore you go and act cunningly toward them, proclaim a voice in Egypt
and in Goshen at the command of the king, saying:
10 All you men of Egypt, Goshen, Pathros, and all their inhabitants! The king has commanded
us to build Pithom and Rameses, and to fortify them for battle. Who among you of all Egypt,
of the children of Yisrayah, and of all the inhabitants of the cities, are willing to build with us, will
each have his wages given to him daily at the king's order. So you go first and do cunningly.
Gather yourselves, come to Pithom and Rameses to build.
11 While you are building, cause a proclamation of this kind to be made throughout
Egypt every day at the command of the king.
12 When some of the children of Yisrayah will come to build with you, you will give them
their wages daily for a few days.
13 After they will have built with you for their daily hire, drag yourselves away from
them daily one by one in secret. Then you will rise up and become their task-masters
and officers. You will leave them afterward to build without wages. Should they
refuse, then force them with all your might to build.
14 If you do this it will be well with us to strengthen our land against the children of
Yisrayah. For on account of the fatigue of the building and the work, the children of Yisrayah will
decrease, because you will deprive them from their wives day by day.
15 All the elders of Egypt heard the counsel of the king. The counsel seemed good in
their eyes, in the eyes of the servants of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all Egypt, so they
did according to the word of the king.
16 All the servants went away from the king. They caused a proclamation to be
made in all Egypt, in Tachpanches, in Goshen, and in all the cities which surrounded
Egypt, saying:
17 You saw what the children of Esau and Ishmael did to us, who came to war against
us, and wished to destroy us.
18 Now therefore, the king commanded us to fortify the land, to build the cities Pithom and
Rameses, and to fortify them for battle, if they should again come against us.
19 Whosoever of you from all Egypt and from the children of Yisrayah will come to build with us,
he will have his daily wages given by the king, as his command is to us.
20 When Egypt and all the children of Yisrayah heard all that the servants of Pharaoh
said, there came [many] from the Egyptians and the children of Yisrayah to build Pithom and
Rameses with the servants of Pharaoh. But none of the children of Levi came with their brothers
to build.
21 All the servants of Pharaoh and his princes came with deceit at first, to build with all
Yisrayah as daily hired laborers. They gave to Yisrayah their daily hire at the beginning.
22 The servants of Pharaoh built with all Yisrayah, and were employed in that work with
Yisrayah for a month.
23 At the end of the month, all the servants of Pharaoh daily began to withdraw secretly from
the people of Yisrayah.
24 Yisrayah went on with the work at that time. But then they received their daily hire,
because some of the men of Egypt were yet carrying on the work with Yisrayah at that time.
Therefore the Egyptians gave Yisrayah their hire in those days, in order that they, the Egyptians
their fellow-workmen, might also take the pay for their labor.
25 At the end of a year and four months all the Egyptians had withdrawn from the
children of Yisrayah, so that the children of Yisrayah were left alone engaged in the work.
26 After all the Egyptians were withdrawn from the children of Yisrayah, they returned, and
became oppressors and officers over them. Some of them stood over the children of
Yisrayah as task masters, to receive from them all that they gave them for the pay of their labor.
27 The Egyptians did in this manner to the children of Yisrayah day by day, in order to afflict
in their work.
28 All the children of Yisrayah were alone engaged in the labor, and the Egyptians refrained
from giving any pay to the children of Yisrayah from that time forward.
29 When some of the men of Yisrayah refused to work on account of the wages not being
given to them, then the exactors and the servants of Pharaoh oppressed them and smote
them with heavy blows, and made them return by force, to labor with their brothers. Thus did
all the Egyptians to the children of Yisrayah all the days.
30 All the children of Yisrayah were greatly afraid of the Egyptians in this matter, so all the
children of Yisrayah returned, and worked alone without pay.
31 The children of Yisrayah built Pithom and Rameses. All the children of Yisrayah did the
work, some making bricks, and some building. The children of Yisrayah built and fortified all
the land of Egypt, and its walls. The children of Yisrayah were engaged in work for many
years, until the time came when Yahwah remembered them, and brought them out of Egypt.
32 But the children of Levi were not employed in the work with their brothers of Yisrayah, from
the beginning to the day of their going forth from Egypt.
33 For all the children of Levi knew that the Egyptians spoke all these words with deceit
to the Yisrayahites, therefore the children of Levi refrained from approaching to the work with
their brothers.
34 The Egyptians did not direct their attention to make the children of Levi work
afterward, since they were not with their brothers at the beginning, therefore the
Egyptians left them alone.
35 The hands of the men of Egypt were directed with continued severity against the
children of Yisrayah in that work, and the Egyptians made the children of Yisrayah work with rigor.
36 The Egyptians embittered the lives of the children of Yisrayah with hard work, in mortar
and bricks, and also in all manner of work in the field.
37 The children of Yisrayah called Melol the king of Egypt: Meror, king of Egypt; because in
his days the Egyptians had embittered their lives with all manner of work.
38 All the work wherein the Egyptians made the children of Yisrayah labor, they exacted
with rigor, in order to afflict the children of Yisrayah. But the more they afflicted them, the more
they increased and grew, and the Egyptians were grieved because of the children of Yisrayah.
CHAPTER 66:1 At that time Hadad the son of Bedad king of
Edom died, and Samlah from Mesrekah, from the country of the children of the east, reigned in his place.
2 In the thirteenth year of the reign of Pharaoh king of Egypt, which was the hundred and
twenty-fifth year of the Yisrayahites going down into Egypt, Samlah had reigned over Edom
eighteen years.
3 When he reigned, he drew forth his hosts to go and fight against Zepho the son of
Eliphaz, and the children of Kittim, because they had made war against Angeas king of
Africa, and they destroyed his whole army.
4 But he did not engage with him, for the children of Esau prevented him, saying: He was
their brother. So Samlah listened to the voice of the children of Esau, turned back with all
his forces to the land of Edom, and did not proceed to fight against Zepho the son of Eliphaz.
5 Pharaoh king of Egypt heard this thing, saying: Samlah king of Edom has resolved to
fight the children of Kittim, and afterward he will come to fight against Egypt.
6 When the Egyptians heard this matter, they increased the labor upon the children of
Yisrayah, lest the Yisrayahites should do to them as they did to them in their war with the
children of Esau in the days of Hadad.
7 So the Egyptians said to the children of Yisrayah: Hasten, do your work, finish your
task, and strengthen the land, lest the children of Esau your brothers should come to fight
against us, for on your account they will come against us.
8 The children of Yisrayah did the work of the men of Egypt day by day, and the Egyptians
afflicted the children of Yisrayah in order to lessen them in the land.
9 But as the Egyptians increased the labor upon the children of Yisrayah, so did the children of
Yisrayah increase and multiply. All Egypt was filled with the children of Yisrayah.
10 In the hundred and twenty-fifth year of Yisrayah's going down into Egypt, all the
Egyptians saw that their counsel did not succeed against Yisrayah, but that they increased and
grew. The land of Egypt and the land of Goshen were filled with the children of Yisrayah.
11 So all the elders of Egypt and its wise men came before the king, bowed down to him,
and sat before him.
12 All the elders of Egypt and the wise men thereof said to the king: May the king live
forever. You did counsel us the counsel against the children of Yisrayah, and we did to
them according to the word of the king.
13 But in proportion to the increase of the labor so do they increase and grow in the land.
Behold, the whole country is filled with them.
14 Now therefore, our lord and king, the eyes of all Egypt are upon you to give them advice
with your wisdom, by which they may prevail over Yisrayah to destroy them, or to diminish them
from the land. The king answered them, saying: You give counsel in this matter, that we
may know what to do to them.
15 An officer, one of the king's counsellors, whose name was Job, from Mesopotamia, in
the land of Uz, answered the king, saying:
16 If it please the king, let him hear the counsel of his servant. The king said to him:
Speak.
17 Job spoke before the king, the princes, and before all the elders of Egypt, saying:
18 Behold the counsel of the king which he advised formerly respecting the labor of the
children of Yisrayah is very good, and you must not remove from them that labor forever.
19 But this is the advice counselled by which you may lessen them, if it seems good to the
king to afflict them.
20 Behold we have feared war for a long time, and we said: When Yisrayah becomes fruitful in
the land, they will drive us from the land if a war should take place.
21 If it please the king, let a royal decree go forth, and let it be written in the laws of Egypt
which will not be revoked, that every male child born to the Yisrayahites, his blood will be
spilled upon the ground.
22 And by your doing this, when all the male children of Yisrayah are dead, the evil of
their wars will cease. Let the king do so, send for all the Hebrew midwives, and order them
in this matter to execute it. So the thing pleased the king and the princes, and the king did
according to the word of Job.
23 The king sent for the Hebrew midwives to be called, of which the name of one was
Shephrah, and the name of the other Puah.
24 The midwives came before the king, and stood in his presence.
25 The king said to them: When you do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women,
and see them upon the stools, if it is a son, then you will kill him; but if it is a daughter,
then she will live.
26 But if you will not do this thing, then will I burn up you and all your houses with fire.
27 But the midwives feared Yahwah, and did not hearken to the king of Egypt, nor to his words.
When the Hebrew women brought forth to the midwife son or daughter, then did the
midwife do all that was necessary to the child, and let it live. Thus the midwives did all the days.
28 This thing was told to the king, he sent, called for the midwives, and he said to
them: Why did you do this thing, to save the children alive?
29 The midwives answered, and spoke together before the king, saying:
30 Do not let the king think that the Hebrew women are as the Egyptian women, for all the
children of Yisrayah are hale. Before the midwife comes to them they are delivered. As
for us your handmaids, for many days no Hebrew woman has brought forth upon us, for all the
Hebrew women are their own midwives, because they are hale.
31 Pharaoh heard their words, and believed them in this matter. The midwives went
away from the king, and Yahwah dealt well with them. The people multiplied, and waxed exceedingly.
CHAPTER 67:1 There was a man in the land of Egypt of the seed of
Levi, whose name was Amram, the son of Kehas, the son of Levi, the son of Yisrayah.
2 This man went and took a wife, namely Jochebed the daughter of Levi his father's
sister. She was one hundred and twenty-six years old, and he came to her.
3 The woman conceived, bore a daughter, and she called her name Miriam, because
in those days the Egyptians had embittered the lives of the children of Yisrayah.
4 She conceived again, bore a son, and she called his name Aaron, for in the days of
her conception, Pharaoh began to spill the blood of the male children of Yisrayah.
5 In those days Zepho the son of Eliphaz, son of Esau, king of Kittim, died, and Janeas
reigned in his stead.
6 The time that Zepho reigned over the children of Kittim was fifty years. He died,
and was buried in the city of Nabna in the land of Kittim.
7 Janeas, one of the mighty men of the children of Kittim, reigned after him, and he
reigned fifty years.
8 It was after the death of the king of Kittim that Balaam the son of Beor fled from the
land of Kittim, he went, and came to Egypt to Pharaoh king of Egypt.
9 Pharaoh received him with great honor, for he had heard of his wisdom. He gave
him presents, made him a counsellor, and aggrandized him.
10 Balaam dwelt in Egypt, in honor with all the nobles of the king, and the nobles
exalted him, because they all coveted to learn his wisdom [occult knowledge].
11 In the hundred and thirtieth year of Yisrayah's going down to Egypt, Pharaoh dreamed
that he was sitting upon his kingly throne, lifted up his eyes, and saw an old man
standing before him. There were scales in the hands of the old man, such scales as are
used by merchants.
12 The old man took the scales, and hung them before Pharaoh.
13 The old man took all the elders of Egypt, all its nobles, and great men. He tied
them together, and put them in one scale.
14 He took a milk kid, put it into the other scale, and the kid preponderated over all.
15 Pharaoh was astonished at this dreadful vision, why the kid should preponderate
over all. Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.
16 Pharaoh rose up early in the morning, called all his servants, related
the dream to them, and the men were greatly afraid.
17 The king said to all his wise men: Interpret, I pray you, the dream which I dreamed, that
I may know it.
18 Balaam the son of Beor answered the king, and said to him: This means nothing
else but a great evil that will spring up against Egypt in the latter days.
19 For a son will be born to Yisrayah who will destroy all Egypt and its inhabitants, and bring
forth the Yisrayahites from Egypt with a mighty hand.
20 Now therefore, O king, take counsel upon this matter, that you may destroy the hope of
the children of Yisrayah, and their expectation, before this evil arise against Egypt.
21 The king said to Balaam: What will we do to Yisrayah? Surely after a certain
manner we did at first counsel against them, and could not prevail over them.
22 Now therefore you also give advice against them, by which we may prevail over them.
23 Balaam answered the king, saying: Send now, call your two counsellors, we
will see what their advice is upon this matter, and afterward your servant will speak.
24 The king sent, called his two counsellors Reuel the Midianite [Exodus 2:16-18]
and Job the Uzite [Job 1:1], so they came, and sat before the king.
25 The king said to them: Behold, you both heard the dream which I dreamed,
and the interpretation thereof. Now therefore give counsel, know and see what is to be
done to the children of Yisrayah, whereby we may prevail over them, before their evil
springs up against us.
26 Reuel the Midianite answered the king, and said: May the king live, may the king live
forever.
27 If it seem good to the king, let him desist from the Hebrews, leave them, and let him
not stretch forth his hand against them.
28 For these are they whom Yahwah chose in days of old, and took as the lot of his
inheritance from among all the nations of the earth, and the kings of the earth. Who is
there that stretched his hand against them with impunity, of whom Yahwah was not avenged?
29 Surely you know that when Abraham went down to Egypt, Pharaoh, the former king of
Egypt, saw Sarah his wife, and took her for a wife, because Abraham said: She is my sister.
For he was afraid, lest the men of Egypt should slay him on account of his wife.
30 When the king of Egypt took Sarah then Yahwah smote him and his household with
heavy plagues, until he restored to Abraham his wife Sarah, then was he healed.
31 Abimelech the Gerarite, king of the Philistines, Yahwah punished on account of Sarah
wife of Abraham, in stopping up every womb from man to beast.
32 Yahwah came to Abimelech in the dream of night and terrified him in order that he
might restore to Abraham Sarah whom he took. Afterward all the people of Gerar
were punished on account of Sarah, and Abraham prayed to Yahwah for them. He was
entreated of him, and He healed them.
33 Abimelech feared all this evil that came upon him and his people, so he returned to
Abraham his wife Sarah, and gave him many gifts with her.
34 He also did so to Yitzchaq when he drove him from Gerar. Yahwah did wonderful
things to him, that all the water courses of Gerar were dried up, and their productive trees did
not bring forth.
35 Abimelech of Gerar, Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Pichol the captain of his
host, went to him, they bent, and bowed down before him to the ground.
36 They requested of him to supplicate for them. He prayed to Yahwah for them.
Yahwah was entreated of him, and He healed them.
37 Yaacob also, the plain man, was delivered through his integrity from the hand of his brother
Esau, and the hand of Laban the Syrian his mother's brother, who sought his life.
Likewise from the hand of all the kings of Canaan who came together against him and his
children to destroy them. Yahwah delivered them out of their hands, that they turned
upon them, and smote them, for who has ever stretched forth his hand against them with impunity?
38 Surely Pharaoh the former, your father's father, raised Yahusef the son of Yaacob above all
the princes of the land of Egypt when he saw his wisdom, for through his wisdom he
rescued all the inhabitants of the land from the famine.
39 After which he ordered Yaacob and his children to come down to Egypt, in order that
through their virtue, the land of Egypt and the land of Goshen might be delivered from the famine.
40 Now therefore, if it seem good in your eyes, cease from destroying the children of Yisrayah.
But if it is your will that they will not dwell in Egypt, send them forth from here, that they may
go to the land of Canaan, the land where their ancestors sojourned.
41 When Pharaoh heard the words of Reuel he was very angry with him, so that he rose
with shame from the king's presence, took Yahusef's stick with him, and went to Midian, his land.
42 The king said to Job the Uzite: What do you say, Job, what is your advice
respecting the Hebrews?
43 So Job said to the king: Behold, all the inhabitants of the land are in your power, let the king
do as it seems good in his eyes.
44 The king said to Balaam: What do you say, Balaam, speak your word that we may
hear it.
45 Balaam said to the king: Of all that the king has counselled against the Hebrews
they will be delivered, and the king will not be able to prevail over them with any counsel.
46 For if you think to lessen them by the flaming fire, you can not prevail over them, for
surely Yahwah delivered Abraham their father from Ur of the Chaldeans. If you think
to destroy them with a sword, surely Yitzchaq their father was delivered from it, and a ram was
placed in his stead.
47 If with hard and rigorous labor you think to lessen them, you will not prevail even
in this, for their father Yaacob served Laban in all manner of hard work, and prospered.
48 Now therefore, O King, hear my words, for this is the counsel which is counselled against
them, by which you will prevail over them, and from which you should not depart.
49 If it please the king let him order all their children which will be born from today
forward to be thrown into the water. For by this you can wipe away their name, for none of
them, nor of their fathers, were tried in this manner.
50 The king heard the words of Balaam, the thing pleased the king and the princes,
and the king did according to the word of Balaam.
51 The king ordered a proclamation to be issued, a law to be made throughout the
land of Egypt, saying: Every male child born to the Hebrews from today forward will be
thrown into the water.
52 Pharaoh called to all his servants, saying: Go now, seek throughout the land of
Goshen where the children of Yisrayah are, and see that every son born to the Hebrews is
cast into the river. But every daughter you will let live.
53 When the children of Yisrayah heard this thing which Pharaoh commanded, to cast
their male children into the river, some of the people separated from their wives and others
adhered to them.
54 From that day forward, when the time of delivery arrived to those women of Yisrayah who
had remained with their husbands, they went to the field to bring forth there. They
brought forth in the field, left their children upon the field, and returned home.
55 Yahwah, who swore to their ancestors to multiply them, sent one of his
ministering malaks which are in heaven to wash each child in water, to anoint and swathe it,
and to put into its hands two smooth stones from one of which it sucked milk and from the
other honey. He caused its hair to grow to its knees, by which it might cover itself; to
comfort it and to cleave to it, through his compassion for it.
56 Yahwah had compassion over them, and desired to multiply them upon the
face of the land. He ordered His earth to receive them to be preserved therein till the time of
their growing up, after which the earth opened its mouth, vomited them forth, and they
sprouted forth from the city like the herb of the earth, and the grass of the forest. They
returned each to his family, to his father's house, and they remained with them.
57 The babes of the children of Yisrayah were upon the earth like the herb of the field,
through Yahwah's grace to them.
58 When all the Egyptians saw this thing, they went forth, each to his field with his yoke
of oxen and his plowshare, and they plowed it up as one plows the earth at seed time.
59 When they plowed they were unable to hurt the infants of the children of Yisrayah, so
the people increased and waxed exceedingly.
60 Pharaoh ordered his officers to go to Goshen daily to seek for the babes of the
children of Yisrayah.
61 When they sought and found one, they took it from its mother's bosom by force,
and threw it into the river, but the female child they left with its mother. Thus did the Egyptians
do to the Yisrayahites all the days.
CHAPTER 68:1 It was at that time the spirit of Yahwah was upon
Miriam the daughter of Amram the sister of Aaron. She went forth, and prophesied about
the house, saying: Behold a son will be born to us from my father and mother this time,
and he will save Yisrayah from the hands of Egypt.
2 When Amram heard the words of his daughter, he went and took his wife back to the
house, after he had driven her away at the time when Pharaoh ordered every male child of
the house of Yaacob to be thrown into the water.
3 So Amram took Jochebed his wife, three years after he drove her away, he came
to her, and she conceived.
4 At the end of seven months from her conception she brought forth a son, and the
whole house was filled with great light as of the light of the sun and moon at the time of their shining.
5 When the woman saw the child that it was good and pleasing to the sight, she hid it for
three months in an inner room.
6 In those days the Egyptians conspired to destroy all the Hebrews there.
7 The Egyptian women went to Goshen where the children of Yisrayah were, and they
carried their young ones upon their shoulders, their babes who could not yet speak.
8 In those days, when the women of the children of Yisrayah brought forth, each woman
hid her son from before the Egyptians, that the Egyptians might not know of their
bringing forth, and might not destroy them from the land.
9 The Egyptian women came to Goshen, and their children who could not speak were
upon their shoulders. When an Egyptian woman came into the house of a Hebrew
woman her babe began to cry.
10 When it cried the child that was in the inner room answered it, so the Egyptian women
went, and told it at the house of Pharaoh.
11 Pharaoh sent his officers to take the children, and kill them. Thus did the Egyptians to
the Hebrew women all the days.
12 It was at that time, about three months from Jochebed's concealment of her son, that
the thing was known in Pharaoh's house.
13 The woman hastened to take away her son before the officers came. She took for
him an ark of bulrushes, daubed it with slime and with pitch, put the child therein,
and she laid it in the flags [reeds] by the river's brink.
14 His sister Miriam stood afar off to know what would be done to him, and what would
become of her words.
15 At that time Yahwah sent forth a terrible heat in the land of Egypt, which burned up the
flesh of man like the sun in his circuit, and it greatly oppressed the Egyptians.
16 All the Egyptians went down to bathe in the river, on account of the consuming heat
which burned up their flesh.
17 Bathia, the daughter of Pharaoh, went also to bathe in the river, owing to the
consuming heat. Her maidens walked at the river side, and all the women of Egypt as well.
18 Bathia lifted up her eyes to the river, she saw the ark upon the water, and sent
her maid to fetch it.
19 She opened it, and saw the child. Behold, the babe wept. She had compassion
on him, and she said: This is one of the Hebrew children.
20 All the women of Egypt walking on the riverside desired to give him suck, but he
would not suck, for this thing was from Yahwah, in order to restore him to his mother's breast.
21 Miriam his sister was at that time among the Egyptian women at the riverside, and
she saw this thing. She said to Pharaoh's daughter: Shall I go and fetch a nurse of the
Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?
22 Pharaoh's daughter said to her: Go. The young woman went, and called the
child's mother.
23 Pharaoh's daughter said to Jochebed: Take this child away, suckle it for me, and
I will pay you your wages, two bits of silver daily. The woman took the child, and nursed it.
24 At the end of two years, when the child grew up, she brought him to the daughter of
Pharaoh. He was to her as a son, and she called his name Moshe [Moses], for she said:
Because I drew him out of the water.
25 Amram his father called his name Chabar, for he said: It was for him that he
associated with his wife whom he had turned away.
26 And Jochebed his mother called his name Jekuthiel. Because, she said, I hoped for
him to the Almighty, and Yahwah restored him to me.
27 Miriam his sister called him Jered, for she descended to the river after him to know
what his end would be.
28 Aaron his brother called his name Abi Zanuch, saying: My father left my mother and
returned to her on his account.
29 Kehas the father of Amram called his name Abigdor, because on his account did
Yahwah repair the breach of the house of Yaacob, that they could no longer throw their male
children into the water.
30 Their nurse called him Abi Socho, saying: In his tabernacle he was hidden for three
months, on account of the children of Ham.
31 All Yisrayah called his name Shemayah, son of Nethanyah, for they said: In his days
Yahwah heard their cries, and rescued them from their oppressors.
32 Moshe was in Pharaoh's house, and was to Bathia, Pharaoh's daughter, as a son.
Moshe grew up among the king's children.
CHAPTER 69:1 The king of Edom died in those days, in the
eighteenth year of his reign, and was
buried in his temple which he built for himself as his royal residence in the land of Edom.
2 The children of Esau sent to Pethor, which is upon the river, they fetched from
there a young man of beautiful eyes and comely aspect, whose name was Saul, and they
made him king over them in the place of Samlah.
3 Saul reigned over all the children of Esau in the land of Edom for forty years.
4 Pharaoh king of Egypt saw that the counsel which Balaam had advised
respecting the children of Yisrayah did not succeed, but still they were fruitful, multiplied, and
increased throughout the land of Egypt.
5 Pharaoh commanded in those days that a proclamation should be issued throughout
Egypt to the children of Yisrayah, saying: No man will diminish anything of his daily labor.
6 The man who is found deficient in his labor which he performs daily, whether in
mortar or in bricks, then his youngest son will be put in their place.
7 The labor of Egypt strengthened upon the children of Yisrayah in those days. Behold, if
one brick was deficient in any man's daily labor, the Egyptians took his youngest boy by force
from his mother, and put him into the building in the place of the brick which his father had
left wanting.
8 The men of Egypt did so to all the children of Yisrayah day by day, all the days for a long
period.
9 But the tribe of Levi did not at that time work with the Yisrayahites their brothers, from the
beginning, for the children of Levi knew the cunning of the Egyptians which they exercised at
first toward the Yisrayahites.
CHAPTER 70:1 In the third year from the birth of Moshe,
Pharaoh was sitting at a banquet.
Alparanith the queen was sitting at his right, Bathia at his left, and the lad Moshe was
lying upon her bosom. Balaam the son of Beor, with his two sons, and all the princes of
the kingdom, were sitting at table in the king's presence.
2 The lad stretched forth his hand upon the king's head, took the crown from the
king's head, and placed it on his own head.
3 When the king and princes saw the work which the boy did, the king and princes
were terrified, and one man expressed astonishment to his neighbor.
4 The king said to the princes who were before him at table: What speak you, and what
say you, O you princes, in this matter. What is to be the judgment against the boy on
account of this act?
5 Balaam the son of Beor the magician answered before the king and princes, and he
said: Remember now, O my lord and king, the dream which you did dream many days
since, and that which your servant interpreted to you.
6 Now therefore this is a child from the Hebrew children, in whom is the spirit of Yahwah. Do not let
my lord the king imagine that this youngster did this thing without knowledge.
7 For he is a Hebrew boy, wisdom and understanding are with him although he is yet a
child. With wisdom he did this, and chose the kingdom of Egypt for himself.
8 For this is the manner of all the Hebrews to deceive kings and their nobles, to do all these
things cunningly, in order to make the kings of the earth and their men tremble.
9 Surely you know Abraham their father acted that way, who deceived the army of
Nimrod king of Babel, Abimelech king of Gerar, that he possessed himself of the
land of the children of Heth, and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
10 He descended into Egypt, and, in order to
mislead Egypt and her king, said of Sarah his wife: she is my sister.
11 His son Yitzchaq also did so when he went to Gerar and dwelt there, his strength
prevailed over the army of Abimelech king of the Philistines.
12 He also thought of making the kingdom of the Philistines stumble, in saying that Rebecca
his wife was his sister.
13 Yaacob also dealt treacherously with his brother, and took from his hand his birthright and
his blessing.
14 He went then to Padan-aram to the house of Laban his mother's brother, and cunningly
obtained from him his daughter, his cattle, and all belonging to him. He fled away, and
returned to the land of Canaan to his father.
15 His sons sold their brother Yahusef, who went down into Egypt, became a slave, and
was placed in the prison house for twelve years.
16 Until the former Pharaoh dreamed dreams, withdrew him from the prison house, and
magnified him above all the princes in Egypt on account of his interpreting his dreams to him.
17 When Yahwah caused a famine throughout the land he sent for, brought his father,
all his brothers, and the whole of his father's household. He supported them without
price or reward, and bought the Egyptians for slaves.
18 Now therefore my lord king, behold, this child is risen up in their stead in Egypt, to do
according to their deeds, and to trifle with every king, prince, and judge.
19 If it please the king, let us now spill his blood upon the ground, lest he grow up, take
away the government from your hand, and the hope of Egypt perish after he reigns.
20 Balaam said to the king: Let us moreover call for all the judges of Egypt, and the wise
men thereof as you did say, let us know if the judgment of death is due to this boy,
and then we will slay him.
21 Pharaoh sent, called for all the wise men of Egypt, and they came before the king.
A malak of Yahwah came among them, and he was like one of the wise men of Egypt.
22 The king said to the wise men: Surely you have heard what this Hebrew boy who is in
the house did, and thus has Balaam judged in the matter.
23 Now you judge also, see what is due to the boy for the act he committed.
24 The malak, who seemed like one of the wise men of Pharaoh, answered before all the
wise men of Egypt, before the king, and the princes, and said as follows:
25 If it please the king let the king send for men who will bring before him an onyx stone,
and a coal of fire, and place them before the child. If the child will stretch forth his hand
and take the onyx stone, then we will know that with wisdom the youth did all that he
did, and we must kill him.
26 But if he stretch forth his hand upon the coal, then we will know that it was not with
knowledge that he did this thing, and he will live.
27 The thing seemed good in the eyes of the king and the princes, so the king did
according to the word of the malak of Yahwah.
28 The king ordered the onyx stone and coal to be brought, and placed before Moshe.
29 They placed the boy before them, and the lad endeavored to stretch forth his hand to
the onyx stone, but the malak of Yahwah took his hand and placed it upon the coal. The
coal became extinguished in his hand, he lifted it up, put it into his mouth,
burned part of his lips and part of his tongue, and so he became heavy in mouth and tongue. [Exodus 4:10]
30 When the king and princes saw this, they knew that Moshe did not act with
wisdom in taking off the crown from the king's head.
31 So the king and princes refrained from killing the child. Moshe remained in Pharaoh's
house, growing up, and Yahwah was with him.
32 While the boy was in the king's house, he was robed in purple and he grew among
the children of the king.
33 When Moshe grew up in the king's house, Bathia the daughter of Pharaoh considered
him as a son, so all the household of Pharaoh honored him, and all the men of Egypt were
afraid of him.
34 He went forth daily, came into the land of Goshen, where his brothers the children
of Yisrayah were, and Moshe saw them daily in shortness of breath and hard labor.
35 Moshe asked them, saying: Why is this labor meted out to you day by day?
36 They told him all that befell them, and all the injunctions which Pharaoh
put upon them before his birth.
37 They told him all the counsels which Balaam the son of Beor counselled against
them. Also what he had counselled against him in order to slay him when he took
the king's crown from off his head.
38 When Moshe heard these things his anger was kindled against Balaam. He
sought to kill him, and he was in ambush for him day by day.
39 Balaam was afraid of Moshe. He and his two sons rose up, went forth from
Egypt, they fled, delivered their souls, and betook themselves to the land of Cush to
Kikianus, king of Cush.
40 Moshe was in the king's house going out and coming in. Yahwah gave him favor in
the eyes of Pharaoh, in the eyes of all his servants, and in the eyes of all the people of
Egypt, so they loved Moshe exceedingly.
41 The day arrived when Moshe went to Goshen to see his brothers, that he saw the
children of Yisrayah in their burdens and hard labor, and Moshe was grieved on their account.
42 Moshe returned to Egypt, came to the house of Pharaoh, came before the
king, and Moshe bowed down before the king.
43 Moshe said to Pharaoh: I pray you my lord, I came to seek a small request
from you, do not turn my face away empty. Pharaoh said to him: Speak.
44 Moshe said to Pharaoh: Let there be given to your servants the children of Yisrayah,
who are in Goshen, one day to rest therein from their labor.
45 The king answered Moshe, and said: Behold, I lift up your face in this thing, to
grant your request.
46 Pharaoh ordered a proclamation to be issued throughout Egypt and Goshen, saying:
47 To you, all the children of Yisrayah, thus says the king, for six days you will do your work
and labor, but on the seventh day you will rest, and will not perform any work. Thus will
you do all the days, as the king and Moshe the son of Bathia command.
48 Moshe rejoiced at this thing which the king granted to him, and all the children of
Yisrayah did as Moshe ordered them.
49 For this thing was from Yahwah to the children of Yisrayah, for Yahwah began to
remember the children of Yisrayah, to save them for the sake of their fathers.
50 Yahwah was with Moshe, and his fame went throughout Egypt.
51 Moshe became great in the eyes of all the Egyptians, and in the eyes of all the
children of Yisrayah, seeking good for his people Yisrayah, speaking words of peace regarding
them to the king.
CHAPTER 71:1 When Moshe was eighteen years old, he desired
to see his father and mother. He
went to them to Goshen. When Moshe came near Goshen, he came to the place
where the children of Yisrayah were engaged in work. He observed their burdens, and he
saw an Egyptian smiting one of his Hebrew brothers.
2 When the man who was beaten saw Moshe he ran to him for help, for the man Moshe
was greatly respected in the house of Pharaoh. He said to him: My lord, attend to me, this
Egyptian came to my house in the night, bound me, raped my wife in my presence,
and now he seeks to take my life away.
3 When Moshe heard this wicked thing, his anger was kindled against the Egyptian.
He turned this way, and the other. When he saw there was no man there he smote the
Egyptian, hid him in the sand, and delivered the Hebrew from the hand of him who smote him.
4 The Hebrew went to his house, and Moshe returned to his home, went forth, and
came back to the king's house.
5 When the man returned home, he thought of repudiating his wife, for it was not
right in the house of Yaacob, for any man to come to his wife after she was defiled.
6 The woman went, told her brothers, and the woman's brothers sought to slay him,
so he fled to his house, and escaped.
7 On the second day Moshe went forth to his brothers, and saw. Behold, two men
were quarreling. He said to the wicked one: Why did you smite your neighbor?
8 He answered him, and said to him: Who set you for a prince and judge over us?
Did you think to kill me as you killed the Egyptian? Moshe was afraid, and he
said: Surely the thing is known?
9 Pharaoh heard of this affair, and he ordered Moshe to be slain. So Yahwah sent His malak,
and he appeared to Pharaoh in the likeness of a captain of the guard.
10 The malak of Yahwah took the sword from the hand of the captain of the guard, and
took his head off with it, for the likeness of the captain of the guard was turned into the
likeness of Moshe.
11 The malak of Yahwah took hold of the right hand of Moshe, brought him forth from
Egypt, and placed him outside the borders of Egypt, a distance of forty days journey.
12 Aaron his brother alone remained in the land of Egypt, and he prophesied to the
children of Yisrayah, saying:
13 Thus says the Father of your ancestors: Each man throw away the abominations of
his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt.
14 The children of Yisrayah rebelled, and would not hearken to Aaron at that time.
15 Yahwah thought to destroy them, were it not that Yahwah remembered the covenant
which He made with Abraham, Yitzchaq, and Yaacob.
16 In those days the hand of Pharaoh continued to be severe against the children of Yisrayah.
He crushed and oppressed them until the time when Yahwah sent forth His Word, and took
notice of them.
CHAPTER 72:1 It was in those days that there was a great
war between the children of Cush, and the children of the east and Aram [Syria], they rebelled
against the king of Cush in whose hands they were.
2 So Kikianus king of Cush went forth with all the children of Cush, a people numerous as
the sand, and he went to fight against Aram and the children of the east, to bring them under
subjection.
3 When Kikianus went out, he left Balaam the magician, with his two sons, to guard the
city, and the lowest sort of the people of the land.
4 So Kikianus went forth to Aram and the children of the east, and he fought against them,
smote them, and they all fell down wounded before Kikianus and his people.
5 He took many of them captives, and he brought them under subjection as at first. And
he encamped upon their land to take tribute from them as usual.
6 When the king of Cush left him to guard the city and the poor of the city,
Balaam the son of Beor rose up, and advised with the people of the land to rebel against king
Kikianus, to not let him enter the city when he should come home.
7 The people of the land hearkened to him, they swore to him, made him king
over them, and his two sons for captains of the army.
8 So they rose up, raised the walls of the city at the two corners, and they built an
exceeding strong building.
9 At the third corner they dug ditches without number, between the city and the river
which surrounded the whole land of Cush, and they made the waters of the river burst forth there.
10 At the fourth corner they collected numerous serpents by their incantations and
enchantments. They fortified the city, dwelt therein, and no one went out or in before them.
11 Kikianus fought against Aram and the children of the east, he subdued them as
before, and they gave him their usual tribute, so he went, and returned to his land.
12 When Kikianus the king of Cush approached his city, all the captains of the forces
with him, they lifted up their eyes, and saw that the walls of the city were built up and greatly
elevated, so the men were astonished at this.
13 They said one to the other: It is because they saw that we were delayed in battle, and
were greatly afraid for us, therefore they did this thing, raised the city walls and
fortified them, so that the kings of Canaan might not come in battle against them.
14 So the king and the troops approached the city door, they looked up, and behold, all
the gates of the city were closed. They called out to the sentinels, saying: Open to us,
that we may enter the city.
15 But the sentinels refused to open to them by the order of Balaam the magician, their king,
they did not allow them to enter their city.
16 So they raised a battle with them opposite the city gate, and one hundred and thirty men
of the army at Kikianus fell on that day.
17 On the next day they continued to fight, and they fought at the side of the river. They
endeavored to pass but were not able, so some of them sank in the pits, and died.
18 So the king ordered them to cut down trees to make rafts, upon which they might pass to
them, and they did so.
19 When they came to the place of the ditches, the waters revolved by mills, and two
hundred men upon ten rafts were drowned.
20 On the third day they came to fight at the side where the serpents were, but they
could not approach there, for the serpents killed one hundred and seventy men of them.
They ceased fighting against Cush, and they besieged Cush for nine years, no person came
out or in.
21 At the time that the war and the siege were against Cush, Moshe fled from Egypt from
Pharaoh who sought to kill him for slaying the Egyptian.
22 Moshe was eighteen years old when he fled from Egypt from the presence of
Pharaoh, he fled, and escaped to the camp of Kikianus, which at that time was besieging Cush.
23 Moshe was nine years in the camp of Kikianus king of Cush, all the time that they
were besieging Cush, Moshe went out and came in with them.
24 The king, princes, and all the fighting men, loved Moshe, for he was great and
worthy, his stature was like a noble lion, his face was like the sun, his strength was like
that of a lion, and he was counsellor to the king.
25 At the end of nine years, Kikianus was seized with a mortal disease, his illness
prevailed over him, and he died on the seventh day.
26 So his servants embalmed him, carried him, and buried him opposite the city gate to
the north of the land of Egypt.
27 They built over him an elegant, strong, and high building, and they placed great stones below.
28 The king's scribes engraved upon those stones all the might of their king Kikianus,
and all his battles which he fought, behold they are written there at this day.
29 Now after the death of Kikianus king of Cush it grieved his men and troops greatly on
account of the war.
30 So they said one to the other: Give us counsel what we are to do at this time, as we have
resided in the wilderness nine years away from our homes.
31 If we say we will fight against the city many of us will fall wounded or killed, and if we
remain here in the siege we will also die.
32 For now all the kings of Aram and of the children of the east will hear that our king is
dead, they will attack us suddenly in a hostile manner, they will fight against us, and
leave no remnant of us.
33 Now therefore, let us go, make a king over us, and let us remain in the siege until the
city is delivered up to us.
34 They wished to choose on that day a man for king from the army of Kikianus, and they
found no object of their choice like Moshe to reign over them.
35 They hastened, stripped off each man his garments, cast them upon the
ground, made a great heap, and placed Moshe thereon.
36 They rose up, blew with trumpets, called out before him, and said: May the
king live, may the king live!
37 All the people and nobles swore to him to give him for a wife Adoniah the queen,
the Cushite, wife of Kikianus, and they made Moshe king over them on that day.
38 All the people of Cush issued a proclamation on that day, saying: Every man must
give something to Moshe of what is in his possession.
39 They spread out a sheet upon the heap, and every man cast into it something of what
he had, one a gold earring, and the other a coin.
40 Also of onyx stones, bdellium, pearls, and marble did the children of Cush cast to
Moshe upon the heap, also silver and gold in great abundance.
41 Moshe took all the silver and gold, all the vessels, the bdellium, and onyx stones,
which all the children of Cush gave to him, and he placed them among his treasures.
42 Moshe reigned over the children of Cush on that day, in the place of Kikianus king of
Cush.
CHAPTER 73:1 In the fifty-fifth year of the reign of Pharaoh king
of Egypt, that is in the hundred and fiftyseventh year of the Yisrayahites going down into Egypt,
Moshe reigned in Cush.
2 Moshe was twenty-seven years old when he began to reign over Cush, and he reigned forty years.
3 Yahwah granted Moshe favor and grace in the eyes of all the children of Cush, and
the children of Cush loved him exceedingly, so Moshe was favored by Yahwah and by men.
4 In the seventh day of his reign, all the children of Cush assembled, came before
Moshe, and bowed down to him to the ground.
5 All the children spoke together in the presence of the king, saying: Give us counsel
that we may see what is to be done to this city.
6 For it is now nine years that we have been besieging round about the city, yet have not
seen our children and our wives.
7 So the king answered them, saying: If you will hearken to my voice in all that I will
command you, then Yahwah will give the city into our hands, and we will subdue it.
8 For if we fight with them as in the former battle which we had with them before the death of
Kikianus, many of us will fall down wounded as before.
9 Now therefore, behold, here is counsel for you in this matter. If you will hearken to my voice,
then the city will be delivered into our hands.
10 So all the forces answered the king, saying: All that our lord commands, that we will do.
11 Moshe said to them: Pass through, proclaim a voice in the whole camp to all
the people.
12 Say: Thus says the king; Go into the forest, bring with you of the young ones of the stork,
each man a young one in his hand.
13 Any person transgressing the word of the king, who will not bring his young one, he
will die, and the king will take all belonging to him.
14 When you bring them they will be in your keeping, you will rear them until
they grow up. You will teach them to dart upon, as is the way of the young ones of the hawk.
15 So all the children of Cush heard the words of Moshe, they rose up, and caused a
proclamation to be issued throughout the camp, saying:
16 Unto you, all the children of Cush, the king's order is that you go all together to the forest,
catch there the young storks each man his young one in his hand, and you will bring them home.
17 Any person violating the order of the king will die, and the king will take all that
belongs to him.
18 All the people did so. They went out to the wood, they climbed the fir trees
and caught, each man a young one in his hand, all the young of the storks. They brought
them into the desert, and reared them by order of the king. They taught them to dart upon,
similar to the young hawks.
19 After the young storks were reared, the king ordered them to be hungered for three
days, and all the people did so.
20 On the third day, the king said to them: Strengthen yourselves, and become valiant
men. Each man put on his armor, gird on his sword upon him, each man ride his
horse, and each take his young stork in his hand.
21 We will rise up, and fight against the city at the place where the serpents are. All
the people did as the king ordered.
22 They took each man his young one in his hand, and they went away. When they
came to the place of the serpents the king said to them: Each man send forth his young stork
upon the serpents.
23 Each man sent forth his young stork at the king's order. The young storks ran
upon the serpents, they devoured them all, and destroyed them out of that place.
24 When the king and people saw that all the serpents were destroyed in that
place, all the people set up a great shout.
25 They approached, fought against the city, took it, subdued it, and they
entered the city.
26 There died on that day one thousand and one hundred men of the people of the city,
all that inhabited the city, but of the people besieging not one died.
27 So all the children of Cush went each to his home, to his wife, children, and to all
belonging to him.
28 Balaam the magician, when he saw that the city was taken, he opened the gate, so
he, his two sons, and eight brothers, fled, and returned to Egypt to Pharaoh king of Egypt.
29 They are the sorcerers and magicians who are mentioned in the book of the law, standing
against Moshe when Yahwah brought the plagues upon Egypt. [Exodus 7:11, Jasher 79:27]
30 So Moshe took the city by his wisdom, and the children of Cush placed him on the throne
instead of Kikianus king of Cush.
31 They placed the royal crown upon his head, and they gave him for a wife Adoniah the
Cushite queen, wife of Kikianus.
32 Moshe feared Yahwah of his fathers, so that he did not come to her, nor did he turn
his eyes to her.
33 For Moshe remembered how Abraham made his servant Eliezer swear, saying to
him: You will not take a woman from the daughters of Canaan for my son Yitzchaq.
34 Also what Yitzchaq did when Yaacob fled from his brother, when he commanded him,
saying: You will not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan, nor make alliance with any
of the children of Ham.
35 For Yahwah our Father gave Ham the son of Noah, with his children, and all his seed, as
slaves to the children of Shem, to the children of Yahphet, and to their seed after them
for slaves, forever.
36 Therefore Moshe did not turn his heart nor his eyes to the wife of Kikianus all the days that
he reigned over Cush.
37 Moshe feared Yahwah his Father all his life. Moshe walked before Yahwah in truth,
with all his heart and soul, he did not turn from the right way all the days of his life. He did not decline
from The Way either to the right or to the left, in which Abraham, Yitzchaq, and Yaacob walked.
38 Moshe strengthened himself in the kingdom of the children of Cush, he guided
the children of Cush with his usual wisdom, and Moshe prospered in his kingdom.
39 At that time Aram and the children of the east heard that Kikianus king of Cush had
died, so Aram and the children of the east rebelled against Cush in those days.
40 Moshe gathered all the children of Cush, a people very mighty, about thirty thousand
men, and he went forth to fight with Aram and the children of the east.
41 They went at first to the children of the east. When the children of the east heard
the report of them, they went to meet them, and engaged in battle with them.
42 The war was severe against the children of the east, so Yahwah gave all the children
of the east into the hand of Moshe, and about three hundred men fell down slain.
43 All the children of the east turned back and retreated, so Moshe and the children of
Cush followed them, subdued them, and put a tax upon them, as was their custom.
44 So Moshe and all the people with him passed from there to the land of Aram for battle.
45 The people of Aram also went to meet them, and they fought against them.
Yahwah delivered them into the hand of Moshe, and many of the men of Aram fell down wounded.
46 Aram also were subdued by Moshe and the people of Cush, and also gave their usual tax.
47 Moshe brought Aram and the children of the east under subjection to the children of
Cush. Moshe and all the people who were with him turned to the land of Cush.
48 Moshe strengthened himself in the kingdom of the children of Cush. Yahwah
was with him, and all the children of Cush were afraid of him.
CHAPTER 74:1 In the end of years Saul king of Edom died, and
Baal Chanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place.
2 In the sixteenth year of the reign of Moshe over Cush, Baal-Chanan
the son of Achbor reigned in the land of Edom over all the children of Edom for thirty-eight years.
3 In his days Moab rebelled against the power of Edom, having been under Edom since the
days of Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote them and Midian, and brought Moab under
subjection to Edom.
4 When Baal-Chanan the son of Achbor reigned over Edom, all the children of Moab
withdrew their allegiance from Edom.
5 Angeas king of Africa died in those days, and Azdrubal his son reigned in his stead.
6 In those days Janeas king of the children of Kittim died, and they buried him in his
temple which he had built for himself in the plain of Canopia for a residence. Latinus
reigned in his stead.
7 In the twenty-second year of the reign of Moshe over the children of Cush, Latinus reigned
over the children of Kittim forty-five years.
8 He also built for himself a great and mighty tower, and he built therein an elegant
temple for his residence, to conduct his government, as was the custom.
9 In the third year of his reign he caused a proclamation to be made to all his skilful men,
who made many ships for him.
10 Latinus assembled all his forces. They came in ships, and went therein to fight
with Azdrubal son of Angeas king of Africa. They came to Africa and engaged in battle
with Azdrubal and his army.
11 Latinus prevailed over Azdrubal. Latinus took from Azdrubal the aqueduct which
his father had brought from the children of Kittim, when he took Janiah the daughter of Uzi
for a wife. Latinus overthrew the bridge of the aqueduct, and smote the whole army of
Azdrubal a severe blow.
12 The remaining strong men of Azdrubal strengthened themselves. Their hearts
were filled with envy, they courted death, and again engaged in battle with Latinus king
of Kittim.
13 The battle was severe upon all the men of Africa, and they all fell wounded before
Latinus and his people. Azdrubal the king also fell in that battle.
14 The king Azdrubal had a very beautiful daughter, whose name was Ushpezena.
All the men of Africa embroidered her likeness on their garments, on account of her great
beauty and comely appearance.
15 The men of Latinus saw Ushpezena, the daughter of Azdrubal, and praised her to
Latinus their king.
16 Latinus ordered her to be brought to him. Latinus took Ushpezena for a wife, and
he turned back on his way to Kittim.
17 It was after the death of Azdrubal son of Angeas, when Latinus had turned back to
his land from the battle, that all the inhabitants of Africa rose up, took Anibal the son of
Angeas, the younger brother of Azdrubal, and made him king instead of his brother over the
whole land at Africa.
18 When he reigned, he resolved to go to Kittim to fight with the children of Kittim, to
avenge the cause of Azdrubal his brother, and the cause of the inhabitants of Africa, so he did so.
19 He made many ships, he came therein with his whole army, and he went to Kittim.
20 So Anibal fought with the children of Kittim. The children of Kittim fell wounded
before Anibal and his army, and Anibal avenged his brother's cause.
21 Anibal continued the war for eighteen years with the children of Kittim. Anibal
dwelt in the land of Kittim, and encamped there for a long time.
22 Anibal smote the children of Kittim very severely. He killed their great men and
princes, and of the rest of the people he smote about eighty thousand men.
23 At the end of days and years, Anibal returned to his land of Africa, and he reigned
securely in the place of Azdrubal his brother.
CHAPTER 75:1 At that time, in the hundred and eightieth year of
the Yisrayahites going down into Egypt, there
went forth from Egypt valiant men, thirty thousand on foot, from the children of Yisrayah, who
were all of the tribe of Yahusef, of the children of Ephrayim the son of Yahusef.
2 For they said the period was completed which Yahwah had appointed to the children of
Yisrayah in the times of old, which He spoke to Abraham.
3 These men girded themselves, each man put his sword at his side, and every
man his armor upon him. They trusted to their strength, and they went out together from
Egypt with a mighty hand.
4 But they brought no provision for the road, only silver and gold, not even bread for that day
did they bring in their hands, for they thought of getting their provision for pay from the
Philistines, and if not they would take it by force.
5 These men were very mighty and valiant men, one man could pursue a thousand and
two could rout ten thousand, so they trusted to their strength and went together as they were.
6 They directed their course toward the land of Gath. They went down, and found the
shepherds of Gath feeding the cattle of the children of Gath.
7 They said to the shepherds: Give us some of the sheep for pay, that we may eat, for
we are hungry, for we have eaten no bread today.
8 The shepherds said: Are they our sheep or cattle that we should give them to you even
for pay? So the children of Ephrayim approached to take them by force.
9 The shepherds of Gath shouted over them that their cry was heard at a distance, so all
the children of Gath went out to them.
10 When the children of Gath saw the evil doings of the children of Ephrayim, they
returned, assembled the men of Gath, each man put on his armor, and came
forth to the children of Ephrayim for battle.
11 They engaged with them in the valley of Gath, and the battle was severe. They
smote from each other a great many on that day.
12 On the second day the children of Gath sent to all the cities of the Philistines that they
should come to their help, saying:
13 Come up to us, help us, that we may smite the children of Ephrayim who came
forth from Egypt to take our cattle, and to fight against us without cause.
14 Now the souls of the children of Ephrayim were exhausted with hunger and thirst, for they
ate no bread for three days. Forty thousand men went forth from the cities of the
Philistines to the assistance of the men of Gath.
15 These men were engaged in battle with the children of Ephrayim, and Yahwah
delivered the children of Ephrayim into the hands of the Philistines.
16 They smote all the children of Ephrayim, all who went forth from Egypt, none were
remaining but ten men who ran away from the engagement.
17 For this evil was from Yahwah against the children of Ephrayim, for they transgressed the
Word of Yahwah in going forth from Egypt before the period arrived which Yahwah in
the days of old appointed to Yisrayah.
18 Of the Philistines also there fell a great many, about twenty thousand men, so their
brothers carried them, and buried them in their cities.
19 The slain of the children of Ephrayim remained forsaken in the valley of Gath for many
days and years, and were not brought to burial, the valley was filled with men's bones. [Ezekial 37:1]
20 The men who escaped from the battle came to Egypt, and told all the children of
Yisrayah all that befell them.
21 Their father Ephrayim mourned over them for many days, and his brothers came to
console him.
22 He came to his wife, she bore a son, and he called his name Beriyah, for she
was unfortunate in his house.
CHAPTER 76:1 Moshe the son of Amram was still king in the
land of Cush in those days, and he prospered in his kingdom. He conducted the government of
the children of Cush in justice, in righteousness, and integrity.
2 All the children of Cush loved Moshe all the days that he reigned over them, yet all the
inhabitants of the land of Cush were greatly afraid of him.
3 In the fortieth year of the reign of Moshe over Cush, Moshe was sitting on the royal
throne while Adoniah the queen was before him, and all the nobles were sitting around him.
4 Adoniah the queen said before the king and the princes: What is this thing which you,
the children of Cush, have done for this long time?
5 Surely you know that for the forty years this man has reigned over Cush he has not
approached me, nor has he served the gods of the children of Cush.
6 Now therefore hear, O you children of Cush, and let this man not reign over you, as he
is not of our flesh.
7 Behold, Menacrus my son is grown up, let him reign over you, for it is better for you to serve
the son of your lord, than to serve a stranger, slave of the king of Egypt.
8 All the people and nobles of the children of Cush heard the words which Adoniah the
queen spoke in their ears.
9 All the people were preparing until the evening. In the morning they rose up early
and made Menacrus, son of Kikianus, king over them.
10 All the children of Cush were afraid to stretch forth their hand against Moshe, for
Yahwah was with Moshe. The children of Cush remembered the oath which they swore to
Moshe, therefore they did no harm to him.
11 But the children of Cush gave many presents to Moshe, and sent him from them with
great honor.
12 So Moshe went forth from the land of Cush, ceased to reign over
Cush, and went home. Moshe was sixty-six years old when he went out of the land of Cush, for the thing
was from Yahwah, for the period had arrived which He had appointed in the days of old, to
bring forth Yisrayah from the affliction of the children of Ham.
13 So Moshe went to Midian, for he was afraid to return to Egypt on account of Pharaoh.
He went, and sat at a well of water in Midian.
14 The seven daughters of Reuel the Midianite went out to feed their father's flock.
15 They came to the well, and drew water to water their father's flock.
16 So the shepherds of Midian came, and drove them away. Moshe rose up, helped
them, and watered the flock.
17 They came home to their father Reuel, and told him what Moshe did for them.
18 They said: An Egyptian man delivered us from the hands of the shepherds, he
drew up water for us, and watered the flock.
19 Reuel said to his daughters: Where is he? Why did you leave the man?
20 Reuel sent for him, fetched him, brought him home, and he ate bread with him.
21 Moshe related to Reuel that he had fled from Egypt, that he reigned forty years
over Cush, that they afterward took the government from him, and sent him
away in peace, with honor and with presents.
22 When Reuel heard the words of Moshe, Reuel said within himself: I will put this
man into the prison house, and so I will conciliate the children of Cush, for he fled from them.
23 They took, put him into the prison house, and Moshe was in prison ten years.
While Moshe was in the prison house, Zipporah the daughter of Reuel took pity over him,
and supported him with bread and water all the time.
24 All the children of Yisrayah were yet in the land of Egypt serving the Egyptians in all
manner of hard work, and the hand of Egypt continued in severity over the children of Yisrayah
in those days.
25 At that time Yahwah smote Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he [was] afflicted with the plague of
leprosy from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. Owing to the cruel treatment of the
children of Yisrayah this plague was at that time from Yahwah upon Pharaoh king of Egypt.
26 For Yahwah hearkened to the prayer of his people the children of Yisrayah, and their cry
reached Him on account of their hard work.
27 Still His anger did not turn from them, and the hand of Pharaoh was still stretched out
against the children of Yisrayah. Pharaoh hardened his neck before Yahwah, he
increased his yoke over the children of Yisrayah, and embittered their lives with all manner of
hard work.
28 When Yahwah inflicted the plague upon Pharaoh king of Egypt, he asked his
wise men and sorcerers to cure him.
29 His wise men and sorcerers said to him: That if the blood of little children were put
into the wounds he would be healed.
30 Pharaoh hearkened to them, and sent his ministers to Goshen to the children of
Yisrayah to take their little children.
31 Pharaoh's ministers went, and took the infants of the children of Yisrayah from the
bosoms of their mothers by force. They brought them to Pharaoh daily, a child each day.
The physicians killed them, and applied them to the plague. Thus did they all the days.
32 The number of the children which Pharaoh slew was three hundred and seventy-five.
33 But Yahwah did not hearken to the physicians of the king of Egypt, and the plague went on
increasing mightily.
34 Pharaoh was ten years afflicted with that plague, still the heart of Pharaoh was more
hardened against the children of Yisrayah.
35 At the end of ten years Yahwah continued to afflict Pharaoh with destructive plagues.
36 Yahwah smote him with a bad tumor, and sickness at the stomach, and that plague
turned to a severe boil.
37 At that time the two ministers of Pharaoh came from the land of Goshen where all the
children of Yisrayah were, went to the house of Pharaoh, and said to him: We see the
children of Yisrayah slacken in their work, negligent in their labor.
38 When Pharaoh heard the words of his ministers, his anger was kindled against the
children of Yisrayah exceedingly, for he was greatly grieved at his bodily pain.
39 He answered, and said: Now that the children of Yisrayah know I am ill, they turn and
scoff at us. Now therefore harness my chariot for me, I will betake myself to Goshen, and
will see the scoff of the children of Yisrayah with which they are deriding me. So his servants
harnessed the chariot for him.
40 They took and made him ride upon a horse, for he was not able to ride by himself.
41 He took with him ten horsemen and ten footmen, and went to the children of Yisrayah to
Goshen.
42 When they came to the border of Egypt, the king's horse passed into a narrow
place, elevated in the hollow part of the vineyard, fenced on both sides, the low, plain country
being on the other side.
43 The horses ran rapidly in that place, and pressed each other, so the other horses
pressed the king's horse.
44 The king's horse fell into the low plain while the king was riding upon it, and when he
fell the chariot turned over the king's face. The horse lay upon the king, and the king cried
out, for his flesh was very sore.
45 The flesh of the king was torn from him, his bones were broken, and he could not
ride. This thing was from Yahwah to him, for Yahwah heard the cries of his people the
children of Yisrayah, and their affliction.
46 His servants carried him upon their shoulders, a little at a time, and they brought him
back to Egypt. The horsemen who were with him also came back to Egypt.
47 They placed him in his bed, and the king knew that his end was come to die. So
Aparanith the queen his wife came, cried before the king, and the king wept a great
weeping with her.
48 All his nobles and servants came on that day, saw the king in that affliction, and
wept a great weeping with him.
49 The princes of the king, and all his counselors, advised the king to cause one to reign
in his place in the land, whomsoever he should choose from his sons.
50 The king had three sons and two daughters which Aparanith the queen his wife had
borne to him, besides the king's children of concubines.
51 These were their names, the firstborn Othri, the second Adikam, and the third Morion,
and their sisters, the name of the elder Bathia and of the other Acuzi.
52 Othri the first born of the king was an idiot, precipitate, and hurried in his words.
53 Adikam was a cunning and wise man, knowing in all the wisdom of Egypt, but of
unseemly aspect, thick in flesh, and very short in stature: his height was one cubit.
54 When the king saw Adikam his son intelligent and wise in all things, the king resolved
that he should be king in his stead after his death.
55 He took for him a wife Gedudah daughter of Abilot, when he was ten years old, and
she bore four sons to him.
56 He afterward went, took three wives, and begat eight sons and three daughters.
57 The disorder greatly prevailed over the king, and his flesh stank like the flesh of a
carcass cast upon the field in summer time during the heat of the sun.
58 When the king saw that his sickness had greatly strengthened itself over him, he
ordered his son Adikam to be brought to him, and they made him king over the land in his place.
59 At the end of three years the king died, in shame, disgrace, and disgust. His
servants carried him, and buried him in the sepulcher of the kings of Egypt in Zoan Mizraim.
60 But they did not embalm him as was usual with kings, for his flesh was putrid, and they
could not approach to embalm him on account of the stench, so they buried him in haste.
61 For this evil was from Yahwah to him, for Yahwah requited him evil for the evil which
he did to Yisrayah in his days.
62 He died with terror, in shame, and his son Adikam reigned in his place.
CHAPTER 77:1 Adikam was twenty years old when he reigned over Egypt,
he reigned four years.
2 In the two hundred and sixth year of Yisrayah's going down to Egypt did Adikam reign over
Egypt, but he continued not so long in his reign over Egypt as his fathers continued their reigns.
3 For Melol his father reigned ninety-four years in Egypt, but he was ten years sick, and died,
for he was wicked before Yahwah.
4 All the Egyptians called the name of Adikam Pharaoh like the name of his fathers, as
was their custom to do in Egypt.
5 All the wise men of Pharaoh called the name of Adikam Ahuz, for 'short' is called 'Ahuz'
in the Egyptian language.
6 Adikam was exceedingly ugly, he was a cubit and a span, and he had a great
beard which reached to the soles of his feet.
7 Pharaoh sat upon his father's throne to reign over Egypt, and he conducted the
government of Egypt in his wisdom.
8 While he reigned he exceeded his father and all the preceding kings in wickedness,
and he increased his yoke over the children of Yisrayah.
9 He went with his servants to Goshen to the children of Yisrayah. He strengthened the
labor over them, and he said to them: Complete your work, each day's task, do not let
your hands slacken from our work from this day forward as you did in the days of my father.
10 He placed officers over them from among the children of Yisrayah, and over these
officers he placed taskmasters from among his servants.
11 He placed over them a measure of bricks for them to do according to that number,
day by day, then he turned back, and went to Egypt.
12 At that time the task-masters of Pharaoh ordered the officers of the children of Yisrayah
according to the command of Pharaoh, saying:
13 Thus says Pharaoh; Do your work each day, finish your task, and observe the daily
measure of bricks. Do not diminish anything.
14 It will come to pass that if you are deficient in your daily bricks, I will put your young
children in the building.
15 The task-masters of Egypt did so in those days as Pharaoh ordered them.
16 Whenever any deficiency was found in the children of Yisrayah's measure of their daily
bricks, the task-masters of Pharaoh would go to the wives of the children of Yisrayah and take
infants of the children of Yisrayah equal to the number of bricks deficient. They would take them by
force from their mother's laps, and put them in the building instead of the bricks.
17 Their fathers and mothers were crying over them, weeping when they heard the
weeping voices of their infants in the wall of the building.
18 The task-masters prevailed over Yisrayah, that the Yisrayahites should place their children
in the building, so that a man placed his son in the wall and put mortar over him, while his
eyes wept over him, and his tears ran down upon his child.
19 The task-masters of Egypt did so to the babes of Yisrayah for many days, and no one
pitied or had compassion over the babes of the children of Yisrayah.
20 The number of all the children killed in the building was two hundred and seventy,
some whom they built upon instead of the bricks which were left deficient by their
fathers, and some whom they drew out dead from the building.
21 The labor imposed upon the children of Yisrayah in the days of Adikam exceeded in
hardship that which they performed in the days of his father.
22 The children of Yisrayah sighed every day on account of their heavy work, for they had
said to themselves: Behold when Pharaoh will die, his son will rise up, and lighten our work!
23 But they increased the latter work more than the former, and the children of Yisrayah sighed
at this. Their cry ascended to Yahwah on account of their labor.
24 Yahwah heard the voice of the children of Yisrayah, and their cry, in those days. Yahwah
remembered His covenant to them which He made with Abraham, Yitzchaq, and Yaacob.
25 Yahwah saw the burden of the children of Yisrayah, and their heavy work in those days.
He determined to deliver them.
26 Moshe the son of Amram was still confined in the dungeon in those days, in the
house of Reuel the Midianite. Zipporah the daughter of Reuel did support him with food
secretly day by day.
27 Moshe was confined in the dungeon in the house of Reuel for ten years.
28 At the end of ten years, which was the first year of the reign of Pharaoh over Egypt in
the place of his father,
29 Zipporah said to her father Reuel: No person inquires or seeks after the Hebrew man,
whom you did bind in prison now ten years.
30 Now therefore, if it seem good in your sight, let us send and see whether he is living or
dead. But her father did not know she had supported him.
31 Reuel her father answered, and said to her: Has ever such a thing happened that a
man should be shut up in a prison without food for ten years, and that he should live?
32 Zipporah answered her father, saying: Surely you heard that the Father of the
Hebrews is great and awful, and does wonders for them at all times.
33 He it was who delivered Abraham from Ur of the Chaldeans, Yitzchaq from the sword of
his father, and Yaacob from the malak of Yahwah who wrestled with him at the ford of Jabbuk.
34 Also with this man He has done many things. He delivered him from the river in Egypt,
from the sword of Pharaoh, and from the children of Cush, so also He can deliver him from
famine, and make him live.
35 The thing seemed good in the sight of Reuel. He did according to the word of his
daughter, and sent to the dungeon to ascertain what became of Moshe.
36 He saw, behold, the man Moshe was living in the dungeon, standing upon his
feet, praising and praying to the Father of his ancestors.
37 Reuel commanded Moshe to be brought out of the dungeon, so they shaved him,
he changed his prison garments, and ate bread.
38 Afterward Moshe went into the garden of Reuel which was behind the house, and there he
prayed to Yahwah his Father, who did mighty wonders for him.
39 It was while he prayed he looked opposite to him, and behold, a sapphire stick
was placed in the ground, which was planted in the middle of the garden.
40 He approached the stick, and he looked, behold, the name of Yahwah of
hosts was engraved thereon, written and developed upon the stick.
41 He read it, stretched forth his hand, he plucked it like a forest tree from the
thicket, and the stick was in his hand.
42 This is the stick with which all the works of Yahwah were performed, when He
created heaven and earth, and all the host of them, seas, rivers, and all their fishes.
43 When Yahwah drove Adam from the garden of Eden, he took the stick in his hand,
went, and tilled the ground from which he was taken.
44 The stick came down to Noah, was given to Shem, and his descendants, until it
came into the hand of Abraham the Hebrew.
45 When Abraham gave all he had to his son Yitzchaq, he also gave to him this stick.
46 When Yaacob fled to Padan-aram, he took it into his hand, and when he returned
to his father he did not leave it behind him.
47 Also when he went down to Egypt he took it into his hand, and gave it to Yahusef, one
portion above his brothers, for Yaacob took it by force from his brother Esau.
48 After the death of Yahusef, the nobles of Egypt came into the house of Yahusef, and
the stick came into the hand of Reuel the Midianite. When he went out of Egypt, he took
it in his hand, and planted it in his garden [Jasher 67:41].
49 All the mighty men of the Kinites tried to pluck it when they endeavored to get
Zipporah his daughter, but they were unsuccessful.
50 So that stick remained planted in the garden of Reuel, until he came who had a right to it,
and took it.
51 When Reuel saw the stick in the hand of Moshe, he wondered at it, and he gave him
his daughter Zipporah for a wife.
CHAPTER 78:1 At that time Baal-Channan son of Achbor died, king of
Edom, and was buried in his house in the land of Edom.
2 After his death the children of Esau sent to the land of Edom, took from there a
man who was in Edom, whose name was Hadad, and they made him king over them in the
place of Baal-Channan, their king.
3 Hadad reigned over the children of Edom forty-eight years.
4 When he reigned he resolved to fight against the children of Moab, to bring them under
the power of the children of Esau as they were before. But he was not able, because the
children of Moab heard this thing, they rose up, and hastened to elect a king over them
from among their brothers.
5 They afterward gathered together a great people, and sent to the children of Ammon
their brothers for help to fight against Hadad king of Edom.
6 Hadad heard the thing which the children of Moab did, was greatly afraid of
them, and refrained from fighting against them.
7 In those days Moshe the son of Amram, in Midian, took Zipporah, the daughter of Reuel
the Midianite, for a wife.
8 Zipporah walked in the ways of the daughters of Yaacob, she was nothing short of the
righteousness of Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah.
9 Zipporah conceived, bore a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said: I
was a stranger in a foreign land. But he did not circumcise his foreskin, at the command of
Reuel his father-in-law.
10 She conceived again, bore a son, but circumcised his foreskin, and called his
name Eliezer, for Moshe said: Because the Father of my fathers was my help, and delivered
me from the sword of Pharaoh.
11 Pharaoh king of Egypt greatly increased the labor of the children of Yisrayah in those
days, and continued to make his yoke heavier upon the children of Yisrayah.
12 He ordered a proclamation to be made in Egypt, saying: Give no more straw to the
people to make bricks with, let them go and gather themselves straw as they can find it.
13 Also the number of bricks which they will make let them give each day, and diminish nothing
from them, for they are idle in their work.
14 When the children of Yisrayah heard this they mourned, sighed, and they cried to
Yahwah on account of the bitterness of their souls.
15 Yahwah heard the cries of the children of Yisrayah, and saw the oppression with which
the Egyptians oppressed them.
16 Yahwah was jealous of His people, His inheritance, and heard their voice. He
resolved to take them out of the affliction of Egypt, to give them the land of Canaan for a
possession.
CHAPTER 79:1 In those days Moshe was feeding the flock of Reuel
the Midianite his father-in-law, beyond the wilderness of Sin, and the stick which he took from his
father-in-law was in his hand.
2 It came to pass one day that a kid of goats strayed from the flock, Moshe pursued
it, and it came to the mountain of Yahwah to Horeb.
3 When he came to Horeb, Yahwah appeared to him there in the bush. He found
the bush burning with fire, but the fire had no power over the bush to consume it.
4 Moshe was greatly astonished at this sight, why the bush was not consumed.
He approached to see this mighty thing. Yahwah called to Moshe out of the fire,
and commanded him to go down to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to send the children of
Yisrayah from his service.
5 Yahwah said to Moshe: Go, return to Egypt, for all those men who sought your life
are dead. You will speak to Pharaoh to send forth the children of Yisrayah from his land.
6 Yahwah showed him to do signs and wonders in Egypt before the eyes of Pharaoh,
and the eyes of his subjects, in order that they might believe that Yahwah sent him.
7 Moshe hearkened to all Yahwah commanded him. He returned to his
father-in-law, told him the thing, and Reuel said to him: Go in peace.
8 Moshe rose up to go to Egypt, and he took his wife and sons with him. He was at
an inn in the road when a malak of Yahwah came down, and sought an occasion against him.
9 He wished to kill him on account of his first born son, because he did not circumcise
him, and had transgressed the covenant which Yahwah made with Abraham.
10 For Moshe had hearkened to the words of his father-in-law which he spoke to him,
to not circumcise his first born son, therefore he did not circumcise him.
11 Zipporah saw the malak of Yahwah seeking an occasion against Moshe, and she
knew that this thing was owing to his having not circumcised her son Gershom.
12 Zipporah hastened, and took of the sharp rock stones that were there. She
circumcised her son, and delivered her husband and her son from the hand of the malak of Yahwah.
13 Aaron the son of Amram, the brother of Moshe, was in Egypt walking at the river side
on that day.
14 Yahwah appeared to him in that place, and He said to him: Go now toward Moshe in
the wilderness. He went, met him in the mountain of Yahwah, and he kissed him.
15 Aaron lifted up his eyes, saw Zipporah the wife of Moshe, and her children, and
he said to Moshe: Who are these to you?
16 Moshe said to him: They are my wife and sons, which Yahwah gave to me in Midian.
The thing grieved Aaron on account of the woman and her children.
17 Aaron said to Moshe: Send away the woman and her children, that they may go to her
father's house. Moshe hearkened to the words of Aaron, and did so.
18 Zipporah returned with her children, they went to the house of Reuel, and
remained there until the time arrived when Yahwah visited His people, and brought them
forth from Egypt from the hand of Pharaoh.
19 Moshe and Aaron came to Egypt to the community of the children of Yisrayah. They
spoke to them all the words of Yahwah, and the people rejoiced an exceeding great rejoicing.
20 Moshe and Aaron rose up early on the next day, they went to the house of
Pharaoh, and they took the stick of Yahwah in their hands.
21 When they came to the king's gate, two young lions were confined there with iron
instruments. No person went out or came in from before them, unless those whom the
king ordered to come, when the conjurors came, withdrew the lions by their incantations,
and this brought them to the king.
22 Moshe hastened, lifted up the stick upon the lions, he loosed them, and
Moshe and Aaron came into the king's house.
23 The lions also came with them in joy, they followed them, and rejoiced as a dog
rejoices over his master when he comes from the field.
24 When Pharaoh saw this thing he was astonished at it, and he was greatly terrified at
the report, for their appearance was like the appearance of the children of Yahwah.
25 Pharaoh said to Moshe: What do you require? They answered him, saying:
Yahwah of the Hebrews sent us to you, to say; Send forth my people that they may serve me.
26 When Pharaoh heard their words he was greatly terrified before them, and he said to
them: Go today, come back to me tomorrow, and they did according to the word of the king.
27 When they were gone Pharaoh sent for Balaam the magician, to Jannes and
Jambres his sons, to all the magicians, conjurors, and counsellors which belonged to
the king, so they all came, and sat before the king. [Jasher 73:28-29, Exodus 7:11]
28 The king told them all the words which Moshe and his brother Aaron spoke to
him. The magicians said to the king: But how did the men come to you, on account of the
lions which were confined at the gate?
29 The king said: Because they lifted up their rod against the lions, loosed them, and
came to me. The lions rejoiced at them as a dog rejoices to meet his master.
30 Balaam the son of Beor the magician answered the king, saying: These are none
else than magicians like ourselves.
31 Now therefore send for them, let them come, we will try them, and the king did so.
32 In the morning Pharaoh sent for Moshe and Aaron to come before the king. They
took the rod of Yahwah, came to the king, and spoke to him, saying:
33 Thus said Yahwah, Father of the Hebrews: Send my people that they may serve me.
34 The king said to them: But who will believe you that you are the messengers of God,
and that you come to me by His order?
35 Now therefore give a wonder or sign in this matter, and then the words which you speak
will be believed.
36 Aaron hastened, threw the rod out of his hand before Pharaoh and before his
servants, and the rod turned into a serpent.
37 The sorcerers saw this, they each man cast his rod upon the ground, and they
became serpents.
38 The serpent of Aaron's rod lifted up its head, and opened its mouth to swallow the rods
of the magicians.
39 Balaam the magician answered, and said: This thing has been from the days of old,
that a serpent should swallow its fellow, that living things devour each other.
40 Now therefore restore it to a rod as it was at first, and we will also restore our rods as they
were at first, and if your rod will swallow our rods, then will we know that the spirit of God is
in you. And if not, you are only an artificer like to ourselves.
41 Aaron hastened, stretched forth his hand, caught hold of the serpent's tail, and
it became a rod in his hand. The sorcerers did the like with their rods, they got hold
each man of the tail of his serpent, and they became rods as at first.
42 When they were restored to rods, the rod of Aaron swallowed up their rods.
43 When the king saw this thing, he ordered the book of records that related to the kings
of Egypt to be brought. They brought the book of records, the chronicles of the kings of
Egypt, in which all the idols of Egypt were inscribed, for they thought of finding therein the
Name of Yahwah, but they did not find it.
44 Pharaoh said to Moshe and Aaron: Behold, I do not find the Name of your God
written in this book, and His Name I do not know.
45 The counsellors and wise men answered the king: We have heard that the God of the
Hebrews is a son of the wise, the son of ancient kings.
46 Pharaoh turned to Moshe and Aaron, and said to them: I do not know Yahwah whom you
declare, neither will I send His people.
47 They answered, and said to the king: Yahwah Master of gods is His Name. He
proclaimed His Name over us from the days of our ancestors. He sent us, saying: Go to
Pharaoh, and say to him; Send my people that they may serve me.
48 Now therefore send us, that we may take a journey for three days in the wilderness, and
there may sacrifice to Him. For from the days of our going down to Egypt He has not taken
from our hands either burnt offering, oblation, or sacrifice. If you will not send us, His
anger will be kindled against you, and He will smite Egypt either with the plague or with the sword.
49 Pharaoh said to them: Tell me now His power and His might. They said to him: He
created the heaven, the earth, the seas, and all their fishes. He formed the light, created
the darkness, caused rain upon the earth, watered it, and made the herbage and grass to
sprout. He created man, beast, the animals of the forest, the birds of the air, the
fish of the sea, and by His mouth they live and die.
50 Surely He created you in your mother's womb, put into you the breath of life,
reared you, and placed you upon the royal throne of Egypt. He will take your breath and
soul from you, and return you to the ground from which you were taken.
51 The anger of the king was kindled at their words, and he said to them: But who
among all the Gods of nations can do this? My river is my own, and I made it for myself.
52 He drove them from him, and he ordered the labor upon Yisrayah to be more severe
than it was yesterday and before.
53 Moshe and Aaron went out from the king's presence, and they saw the children of
Yisrayah in an evil condition, for the task-masters made their labor exceedingly heavy.
54 Moshe returned to Yahwah, and said: Why have you treated your people ill? For since I
came to speak to Pharaoh what you sent me for, he has exceedingly ill-used the
children of Yisrayah.
55 Yahwah said to Moshe: Behold, you will see that with an outstretched hand and
heavy plagues, Pharaoh will send the children of Yisrayah from his land.
56 Moshe and Aaron dwelt among their brothers the children of Yisrayah in Egypt.
57 As for the children of Yisrayah the Egyptians embittered their lives with the heavy work
which they imposed upon them.
CHAPTER 80:1 At the end of two years, Yahwah again sent Moshe
to Pharaoh to bring forth the children of Yisrayah, and to send them out of the land of Egypt.
2 Moshe went, came to the house of Pharaoh, and he spoke to him the words of
Yahwah who sent him. But Pharaoh would not hearken to the voice of Yahwah. Yahwah
roused His might in Egypt upon Pharaoh and his subjects, and Yahwah smote Pharaoh and his
people with very great and sore plagues.
3 Yahwah sent by the hand of Aaron, and turned all the waters of Egypt into blood, with
all their streams and rivers.
4 When an Egyptian came to drink and draw water, he looked into his pitcher, and
behold, all the water was turned into blood. When he came to drink from his cup the water
in the cup became blood.
5 When a woman kneaded her dough, and cooked her victuals, their appearance was
turned to that of blood.
6 Yahwah sent again, caused all their waters to bring forth frogs, and all the frogs
came into the houses of the Egyptians.
7 When the Egyptians drank their bellies were filled with frogs, and they danced in their
bellies as they dance when in the river.
8 All their drinking water and cooking water turned to frogs, also when they lay in their
beds their perspiration bred frogs.
9 Notwithstanding all this the anger of Yahwah did not turn from them, and His hand was
stretched out against all the Egyptians to smite them with every heavy plague.
10 He sent, and smote their dust to lice. The lice became in Egypt to the height of two
cubits upon the earth.
11 The lice were also very numerous in the flesh of man and beast, in all the inhabitants of
Egypt. Also upon the king and queen Yahwah sent the lice, and it grieved Egypt exceedingly
on account of the lice.
12 Notwithstanding this, the anger of Yahwah did not turn away, and His hand was still
stretched out over Egypt.
13 Yahwah sent all kinds of beasts of the field into Egypt. They came, and destroyed
all Egypt: man, beast, trees, and all things that were in Egypt.
14 Yahwah sent fiery serpents, scorpions, mice, weasels, toads, together with others
creeping in dust.
15 Flies, hornets, fleas, bugs, and gnats: each swarm according to its kind.
16 All reptiles and winged animals according to their kind came to Egypt, and grieved the
Egyptians exceedingly.
17 The fleas and flies came into the eyes and ears of the Egyptians.
18 The hornet came upon them, and drove them away. They removed from it into
their inner rooms, and it pursued them.
19 When the Egyptians hid themselves on account of the swarm of animals, they locked
their doors after them. Yahwah ordered the Sulanuth which was in the sea to come up and
go into Egypt.
20 She had long arms, ten cubits in length of the cubit of a man.
21 She went upon the roofs, uncovered the raftering and flooring, cut them,
stretched forth her arm into the house, removed the lock and the bolt, and opened the
houses of Egypt.
22 Afterward the swarm of animals came into the houses of Egypt. The swarm of animals
destroyed the Egyptians, and it grieved them exceedingly.
23 Notwithstanding this the anger of Yahwah did not turn away from the Egyptians, and His
hand was yet stretched forth against them.
24 Yahwah sent the pestilence. The pestilence pervaded Egypt, in the horses and
asses, and in the camels, in herds of oxen and sheep, and in man.
25 When the Egyptians rose up early in the morning to take their cattle to pasture they
found all their cattle dead.
26 There remained of the cattle of the Egyptians only one in ten, and of the cattle
belonging to Yisrayah in Goshen not one died.
27 Yahwah sent a burning inflammation in the flesh of the Egyptians, which burst their skins.
It became a severe itch in all the Egyptians from the soles of their feet to the crowns of
their heads.
28 Many boils were in their flesh, that their flesh wasted away until they became rotten
and putrid.
29 Notwithstanding this the anger of Yahwah did not turn away, and His hand was still
stretched out over all Egypt.
30 Yahwah sent a very heavy hail, which smote their vines, broke their fruit trees,
and dried them up that they fell upon them.
31 Also every green herb became dry and perished, for a mingling fire descended amid the
hail, therefore the hail and the fire consumed all things.
32 Also men and beasts that were found abroad perished of the flames of fire and of the hail,
and all the young lions were exhausted.
33 Yahwah sent, and brought numerous locusts into Egypt: the Chasel, Salom, Chargol,
and Chagole. Locusts each of its kind devoured all that the hail left remaining.
34 Then the Egyptians rejoiced at the locusts, although they consumed the produce of the
field. They caught them in abundance, and salted them for food.
35 Yahwah turned a mighty wind of the sea which took away all the locusts, even those
that were salted, and thrust them into the Red Sea. Not one locust remained within the
boundaries of Egypt.
36 Yahwah sent darkness upon Egypt, that the whole land of Egypt and Pathros became
dark for three days, so that a man could not see his hand when he lifted it to his mouth.
37 At that time many of the people of Yisrayah who rebelled against Yahwah died, also who
would not hearken to Moshe and Aaron, and did not believe in them that Yahwah sent them.
38 They had said: We will not go forth from Egypt lest we perish with hunger in a
desolate wilderness. They would not hearken to the voice of Moshe.
39 Yahwah plagued them in the three days of darkness, and the Yisrayahites buried them
in those days, without the Egyptians knowing of them or rejoicing over them.
40 The darkness was very great in Egypt for three days. Any person who was
standing when the darkness came, remained standing in his place; he that was sitting
remained sitting; he that was lying continued lying in the same state; and he that was
walking remained sitting upon the ground in the same spot. This thing happened to all the
Egyptians, until the darkness passed away.
41 The days of darkness passed away. Yahwah sent Moshe and Aaron to the
children of Yisrayah, saying: Celebrate your feast, and make your Passover. Behold, I come in
the middle of the night among all the Egyptians. I will smite all their first born, from the
first born of a man to the first born of a beast, but when I see your Passover, I will pass over you.
42 The children of Yisrayah did according to all Yahwah commanded Moshe and
Aaron, thus they did in that night.
43 It came to pass in the middle of the night that Yahwah went forth in the midst of
Egypt, and smote all the first born of the Egyptians, from the first born of man to the first born
of beast.
44 Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians. There
was a great cry throughout Egypt in that night, for there was not a house in which there was
not a corpse.
45 Also the likenesses of the first born of Egypt, which were carved in the walls at their
houses, were destroyed and fell to the ground.
46 Even the bones of their first born who had died before this, whom they had buried in
their houses, were raked up by the dogs of Egypt on that night, dragged before the
Egyptians, and cast before them.
47 All the Egyptians saw this evil which suddenly came upon them, and all the
Egyptians cried out with a loud voice.
48 All the families of Egypt wept upon that night, each man for his son and each man for
his daughter, being the first born, and the tumult of Egypt was heard at a distance on that night.
49 Bathia the daughter of Pharaoh went forth with the king on that night to seek Moshe
and Aaron in their houses. They found them in their houses, eating, drinking, and
rejoicing with all Yisrayah.
50 Bathia said to Moshe: Is this the reward for the good which I did to you, who
reared you, stretched you out, and you have brought this evil upon me and my
father's house?
51 Moshe said to her: Surely ten plagues did Yahwah bring upon Egypt. Did any evil
accrue to you from any of them? Did one of them affect you? She said: No.
52 Moshe said to her: Although you are the first born to your mother, you will not die,
and no evil will reach you in the midst of Egypt.
53 She said: What advantage is it to me, when I see the king, my brother, with all his
household and subjects, in this evil, whose first born perish with all the first born of Egypt?
54 Moshe said to her: Surely your brother, his household, and subjects, the families of
Egypt, would not hearken to the words of Yahwah, therefore did this evil come upon them.
55 Pharaoh king of Egypt approached Moshe and Aaron, and some of the children of
Yisrayah who were with them in that place. He prayed to them, saying:
56 Rise up, take your brothers, all the children of Yisrayah who are in the land, with their
sheep and oxen, and all belonging to them, they will leave nothing remaining, only pray for
me to Yahwah your Father.
57 Moshe said to Pharaoh: Behold, though you are your mother's first born, yet do not fear,
for you will not die. Yahwah commanded that you will live, in order to show you
His great might, and strong stretched-out arm.
58 Pharaoh ordered the children of Yisrayah to be sent away, and all the Egyptians
strengthened themselves to send them, for they said: We are all perishing.
59 All the Egyptians sent the Yisrayahites forth, with great riches, sheep, oxen, and
precious things, according to the oath of Yahwah between Him and our Father Abraham.
60 The children of Yisrayah delayed going forth at night, and when the Egyptians came to
them to bring them out, they said to them: Are we thieves, that we should go forth at night?
61 The children of Yisrayah asked of the Egyptians vessels of silver, vessels of gold,
garments, and the children of Yisrayah stripped the Egyptians.
62 Moshe hastened, rose up, went to the river of Egypt, brought up from
there the coffin of Yahusef, and took it with him.
63 The children of Yisrayah also brought up each man his father's coffin with him, and each
man the coffins of his tribe.
CHAPTER 81:1 The children of Yisrayah journeyed from Rameses to
Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides the little ones, and their wives.
2 Also a mixed multitude went up with them, and flocks and herds, even much cattle.
3 The sojourning of the children of Yisrayah, who dwelt in the land of Egypt in hard labor,
was two hundred and ten years.
4 At the end of two hundred and ten years, Yahwah brought forth the children of Yisrayah
from Egypt with a strong hand.
5 The children of Yisrayah traveled from Egypt, from Goshen, and from Rameses, and
encamped in Succoth on the fifteenth day of the first month.
6 The Egyptians buried all their first born whom Yahwah smote, all the
Egyptians buried their slain for three days.
7 The children of Yisrayah traveled from Succoth and encamped in Ethom, at the end of the
wilderness.
8 On the third day after the Egyptians buried their first born, many men rose up from
Egypt, and went after Yisrayah to make them return to Egypt, for they repented that they had
sent the Yisrayahites away from their servitude.
9 One man said to his neighbor: Surely Moshe and Aaron spoke to Pharaoh, saying; We
will go three days journey in the wilderness, and sacrifice to Yahwah our Father.
10 Now therefore, let us rise up early in the morning, and cause them to return. It will be
that if they return with us to Egypt to their masters, then we will know there is faith in
them, but if they will not return, then we will fight with them, and make them come back with
great power and a strong hand.
11 All the nobles of Pharaoh rose up in the morning, and with them about seven hundred
thousand men. They went forth from Egypt on that day, and came to the place where the
children of Yisrayah were.
12 All the Egyptians saw, and behold! Moshe, Aaron, and all the children of Yisrayah were
sitting before Pi-hahiroth, eating, drinking, and celebrating the feast of Yahwah.
13 All the Egyptians said to the children of Yisrayah: Surely you said; We will go a journey
for three days in the wilderness, sacrifice to our god, and return.
14 Now therefore, today makes five days since you went, why do you not return to your
masters?
15 Moshe and Aaron answered them, saying: Because Yahwah our Father testified in
us, saying; You will not return to Egypt. We will take ourselves to a land flowing
with milk and honey, as Yahwah our Father swore to our ancestors to give to us.
16 When the nobles of Egypt saw that the children of Yisrayah did not hearken to them, to
return to Egypt, they girded themselves to fight with Yisrayah.
17 Yahwah strengthened the hearts of the children of Yisrayah over the Egyptians, that
they gave them a severe beating. The battle was sore upon the Egyptians, and all the
Egyptians fled from before the children of Yisrayah, for many of them perished by the hand of Yisrayah.
18 The nobles of Pharaoh went to Egypt, and told Pharaoh, saying: The children of Yisrayah
have fled, will not return to Egypt, and in this manner did Moshe and Aaron speak to us.
19 Pharaoh heard this thing, and his heart and the hearts of all his subjects were turned
against Yisrayah. They repented that they had sent Yisrayah. All the Egyptians advised
Pharaoh to pursue the children of Yisrayah, to make them come back to their burdens.
20 Each man said to his brother: What is this which we did, that we
sent Yisrayah from our servitude?
21 Yahwah strengthened the hearts of all the Egyptians to pursue the Yisrayahites, for
Yahwah desired to overthrow the Egyptians in the Red Sea.
22 Pharaoh rose up, harnessed his chariot, and he ordered all the Egyptians to
assemble, not one man was left excepting the little ones and the women.
23 All the Egyptians went forth with Pharaoh to pursue the children of Yisrayah, and the
camp of Egypt was an exceedingly large and heavy camp, about ten hundred thousand men [1,000,000].
24 The whole of this camp went, pursued the children of Yisrayah to bring them back to
Egypt, and they reached them camping by the Red Sea.
25 The children of Yisrayah lifted up their eyes, and beheld all the Egyptians pursuing them.
The children of Yisrayah were greatly terrified at them, and the children of Yisrayah cried to Yahwah.
26 On account of the Egyptians, the children of Yisrayah divided themselves into four
divisions, and they were divided in their opinions. They were afraid of the Egyptians, and
Moshe spoke to each of them.
27 The first division was of the children of Reuben, Simeon, and Issachar. They resolved
to cast themselves into the sea, for they were exceedingly afraid of the Egyptians.
28 Moshe said to them: Do not fear, stand still, and see the salvation of Yahwah which He
will effect for you today.
29 The second division was of the children of Zebulun, Benjamin, and Naphtali. They
resolved to go back to Egypt with the Egyptians.
30 Moshe said to them: Do not fear, for as you see the Egyptians today, so
you will see them no more forever.
31 The third division was of the children of Yahudah and Yahusef. They resolved to go to
meet the Egyptians, to fight with them.
32 Moshe said to them: Stand in your places, for Yahwah will fight for you, and you will
remain silent.
33 The fourth division was of the children of Levi, Gad, and Asher. They resolved to
go into the midst of the Egyptians to confound them. Moshe said to them: Remain in
your stations and do not fear, only call to Yahwah that He may save you out of their hands.
34 After this Moshe rose up from amid the people, he prayed to Yahwah, and said:
35 O Yahwah of the whole earth, now save your people whom you brought forth from
Egypt, do not let the Egyptians boast that power and might are theirs.
36 So Yahwah said to Moshe: Why do you cry to me? Speak to the children of Yisrayah,
that they will proceed. You stretch out your rod upon the sea, divide it, and the
children of Yisrayah will pass through it.
37 Moshe did so, he lifted up his rod upon the sea, and divided it.
38 The waters of the sea were divided into twelve parts, and the children of Yisrayah passed
through on foot, with shoes, as a man would pass through a prepared road.
39 Yahwah manifested to the children of Yisrayah His wonders in Egypt and in the sea by
the hand of Moshe and Aaron.
40 When the children of Yisrayah entered the sea, the Egyptians came after them.
The waters of the sea resumed upon them, and they all sank in the water. Not one man
was left excepting Pharaoh, who gave thanks to Yahwah, and believed in Him, therefore
Yahwah did not cause him to perish at that time with the Egyptians.
41 Yahwah ordered a malak to take him from among the Egyptians, who cast him
upon the land of Ninevah, and he reigned over it for a long time.
42 On that day Yahwah saved Yisrayah from the hand of Egypt. All the children of Yisrayah
saw that the Egyptians perished, they beheld the great hand of Yahwah, in what He
performed in Egypt, and in the sea.
43 Then Moshe and the children of Yisrayah sang this song to Yahwah, on the day when
Yahwah caused the Egyptians to fall before them:
44 All Yisrayah sang in concert, saying: I will sing to Yahwah for He is greatly exalted, the
horse and his rider He cast into the sea. Behold, it is written in the book of the law of Yahwah.
45 After this the children of Yisrayah proceeded on their journey, and camped in Marah.
Yahwah gave to the children of Yisrayah statutes and judgments in that place in Marah.
Yahwah commanded the children of Yisrayah to walk in all His ways, and to serve Him.
46 They journeyed from Marah, and came to Elim. In Elim were twelve springs of
water, and seventy date trees, so the children camped there by the waters.
47 They journeyed from Elim and came to the wilderness of Sin, on the fifteenth day of
the second month after their departure from Egypt.
48 At that time Yahwah gave the manna to the children of Yisrayah to eat. Yahwah caused
food to rain from heaven for the children of Yisrayah day by day.
49 The children of Yisrayah ate the manna for forty years, all the days that they were in the
wilderness, until they came to the land of Canaan to possess it.
50 They proceeded from the wilderness of Sin, and camped in Alush.
51 They proceeded from Alush, and camped in Rephidim.
52 When the children of Yisrayah were in Rephidim, Amalek the son of Eliphaz, the son of
Esau, the brother of Zepho, came to fight with Yisrayah.
53 He brought with him eight hundred and one thousand men, magicians, and conjurers.
He prepared for battle with Yisrayah in Rephidim.
54 They carried on a great and severe battle against Yisrayah. Yahwah delivered
Amalek and his people into the hands of Moshe and the children of Yisrayah, and into the hand
of Yahshua [Joshua], the son of Nun, the Ephrathite, the servant of Moshe.
55 The children of Yisrayah smote Amalek and his people at the edge of the sword, but the
battle was very sore upon the children of Yisrayah.
56 Yahwah said to Moshe: Write this thing as a memorial for you in a book, and place it
in the hand of Yahshua, the son of Nun, your servant. You will command the children of
Yisrayah, saying: When you come to the land of Canaan, you will utterly efface the
remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.
57 Moshe did so, he took the book, and wrote these words upon it, saying:
58 Remember what Amalek did to you in the road when you went forth from Egypt.
59 He met you in the road, and smote your rear, even those that were feeble behind you
when you were faint and weary.
60 Therefore it will be when Yahwah your Father gives you rest from all your
enemies round about in the land which Yahwah your Father gives you for an inheritance, to
possess it, that you will blot out the descendants of Amalek from under heaven, you
will not forget it.
61 The king who has pity on Amalek, or upon his memory, or upon his seed,
behold, I will require it of him, and I will cut him off from among his people.
62 Moshe wrote all these things in a book, and he enjoined the children of Yisrayah
respecting all these matters.
CHAPTER 82:1 The children of Yisrayah proceeded from Rephidim,
and they camped in the wilderness of Sinai, in the third month from their going forth from Egypt.
2 At that time Reuel the Midianite, the father-in-law of Moshe, came with Zipporah his
daughter and her two sons, for he heard of the wonders of Yahwah which He did
to Yisrayah, that He delivered them from the hand of Egypt.
3 Reuel came to Moshe to the wilderness where he was encamped, where the
mountain of Yahwah is.
4 Moshe went forth to meet his father-in-law with great honor, and all Yisrayah was with him.
5 Reuel and his children remained among the Yisrayahites for many days. Reuel
knew Yahwah from that day forward.
6 In the third month from the children of Yisrayah's departure from Egypt, on the sixth day
thereof, Yahwah gave to Yisrayah the ten commandments on Mount Sinai.
7 All Yisrayah heard all these commandments, and all Yisrayah rejoiced exceedingly in
Yahwah on that day.
8 The Glory of Yahwah rested upon Mount Sinai. He called to Moshe. Moshe
came in the midst of a cloud, and ascended the mountain.
9 Moshe was upon the mount forty days and forty nights. He ate no bread, and drank no
water. Yahwah instructed him in the statutes and judgments in order to teach the
children of Yisrayah.
10 Yahwah wrote the ten commandments which He commanded the children of
Yisrayah upon two tablets of stone, which He gave to Moshe to command the children of Yisrayah.
11 At the end of forty days and forty nights, when Yahwah finished speaking to
Moshe on Mount Sinai, then Yahwah gave to Moshe the tablets of stone, written with the
finger of Yahwah.
12 When the children of Yisrayah saw that Moshe tarried to come down from the mount,
they gathered round Aaron, and said: As for this man Moshe, we do not know what became of him.
13 Now therefore rise up, make to us a god who will go before us, so that you will not die.
14 Aaron was greatly afraid of the people. He ordered them to bring him gold, and he
made it into a molten calf for the people.
15 Yahwah said to Moshe, before he came down from the mount: Get you down,
for your people whom you brought forth from Egypt have corrupted themselves.
16 They made to themselves a molten calf, and bowed down to it. Now therefore
leave me, that I may consume them from off the earth, for they are a stiffnecked people.
17 Moshe beheld the countenance of Yahwah, and he prayed to Yahwah for the
people on account of the calf which they made. He afterward descended from the
mount, and in his hands were the two tablets of stone, which Yahwah gave him to command
the Yisrayahites.
18 Moshe approached the camp, and saw the calf which the people made. The
anger of Moshe was kindled, and he broke the tablets under the mount.
19 Moshe came to the camp, he took the calf, burned it with fire, ground it till
it became fine dust, strewed it upon the water, and gave it to the Yisrayahites to drink.
20 There died of the people by the swords of each other about three thousand men who
had made the calf.
21 The next day Moshe said to the people: I will go up to Yahwah, peradventure I may
make atonement for your sins which you sinned to Yahwah.
22 Moshe went up to Yahwah again, and he remained with Yahwah forty days and forty
nights.
23 During the forty days Moshe entreated Yahwah on behalf of the children of Yisrayah.
Yahwah hearkened to the prayer of Moshe, and Yahwah was entreated of him on behalf
of Yisrayah.
24 Then Yahwah spoke to Moshe to hew two stone tablets, and to bring them up to Yahwah,
who would write upon them the ten commandments.
25 Now Moshe did so. He came down, hewed the two tablets, went up to Mount
Sinai to Yahwah, and Yahwah wrote the ten commandments upon the tablets.
26 Moshe remained yet with Yahwah forty days and forty nights. Yahwah instructed
him in statutes and judgments to impart to Yisrayah.
27 Yahwah commanded him respecting the children of Yisrayah that they should make a
sanctuary for Yahwah, that His Name might rest therein. Yahwah showed him the
likeness of the sanctuary, and the likeness of all its vessels.
28 At the end of the forty days, Moshe came down from the mount, and the two tablets
were in his hand.
29 Moshe came to the children of Yisrayah, and spoke to them all the words of Yahwah.
He taught them laws, statutes, and judgments which Yahwah had taught him.
30 Moshe told the children of Yisrayah the word of Yahwah, that a sanctuary should be
made for Him, to dwell among the children of Yisrayah.
31 The people rejoiced greatly at all the good which Yahwah said to them,
through Moshe, and they said: We will do all that Yahwah said to you.
32 The people rose up like one man, and they made generous offerings to the sanctuary
of Yahwah. Each man brought the offering of Yahwah for the work of the sanctuary, and
for all its service.
33 All the children of Yisrayah brought each man of all that was found in his possession for
the work of the sanctuary of Yahwah: gold, silver, brass, and everything that was
serviceable for the sanctuary.
34 All the wise men who were practiced in work came, and made the sanctuary of
Yahwah, according to all that Yahwah commanded, every man in the work in which he
was practiced. All the wise men in heart made the sanctuary, its furniture, and all
the vessels for the holy service, as Yahwah commanded Moshe.
35 The work of the sanctuary of the tabernacle was completed at the end of five months,
the children of Yisrayah did all that Yahwah commanded Moshe.
36 They brought the sanctuary and all its furniture to Moshe. Like to the image
which Yahwah showed to Moshe, so did the children of Yisrayah.
37 Moshe saw the work, and behold, they did it as Yahwah commanded him, so
Moshe blessed them.
CHAPTER 83:1 In the twelfth month, in the twenty-third day
of the month, Moshe took Aaron and his
sons. He dressed them in their garments, anointed them, and did to them as
Yahwah commanded him. Moshe brought up all the offerings which Yahwah commanded him on
that day.
2 Moshe afterward took Aaron and his sons, and said to them: For seven days you will
remain at the door of the tabernacle, for thus I am commanded.
3 Aaron and his sons did all that Yahwah commanded them through Moshe,
they remained for seven days at the door of the tabernacle.
4 On the eighth day, being the first day of the first month, in the second year from the
Yisrayahites' departure from Egypt, Moshe erected the sanctuary. Moshe put up all the
furniture of the tabernacle, and all the furniture of the sanctuary, he did all that Yahwah
commanded him.
5 Moshe called to Aaron and his sons. They brought the burnt offering, and the sin
offering for themselves and the children of Yisrayah, as Yahwah commanded Moshe.
6 On that day the two sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, took strange fire, and brought it
before Yahwah who did not command them. A fire went forth from before Yahwah,
consumed them, and they died before Yahwah on that day.
7 Then on the day when Moshe completed erecting the sanctuary, the princes of the
children of Yisrayah began to bring their offerings before Yahwah for the dedication of the altar.
8 They brought up their offerings each prince for one day, a prince each day for twelve days.
9 All the offerings which they brought, each man in his day, one silver charger weighing
one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels after the shekel of the
sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour, mingled with oil for a meat offering.
10 One spoon, weighing ten shekels of gold, full of incense.
11 One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year for a burnt offering.
12 One kid of the goats for a sin offering.
13 For a sacrifice of peace offering, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of a
year old.
14 Thus did the twelve princes of Yisrayah day by day, each man in his day.
15 It was after this, in the thirteenth day of the month, that Moshe commanded the
children of Yisrayah to observe the Passover.
16 The children of Yisrayah kept the Passover in its season in the fourteenth day of the
month, as Yahwah commanded Moshe, so the children of Yisrayah did.
17 In the second month, on the first day thereof, Yahwah spoke to Moshe, saying:
18 Number the heads of all the males of the children of Yisrayah from twenty years old and
upward, you, your brother Aaron, and the twelve princes of Yisrayah.
19 Moshe did so. Aaron came with the twelve princes of Yisrayah, and they numbered
the children of Yisrayah in the wilderness of Sinai.
20 The numbers of the children of Yisrayah by the houses of their fathers, from twenty years
old and upward, were six hundred and three thousand, five hundred and fifty.
21 But the children of Levi were not numbered among their brothers the children of Yisrayah.
22 The number of all the males of the children of Yisrayah from one month old and upward,
was twenty-two thousand, two hundred and seventy-three.
23 The number of the children of Levi from one month old and above, was twenty-two
thousand.
24 Moshe placed the priests and the Levites each man to his service and to his burden
to serve the sanctuary of the tabernacle, as Yahwah commanded Moshe.
25 On the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was taken away from the tabernacle of
testimony.
26 At that time the children of Yisrayah continued their journey from the wilderness of Sinai.
They took a journey of three days, and the cloud rested upon the wilderness of Paran. There
the anger of Yahwah was kindled against Yisrayah, for they provoked Yahwah in asking
Him for meat, that they might eat.
27 Yahwah hearkened to their voice, and gave them meat which they ate for one month.
28 But after this the anger of Yahwah was kindled against them. He smote them with a
great slaughter, and they were buried there in that place.
29 The children of Yisrayah called that place Kebroth Hattaavah, because there they buried
the people who lusted flesh.
30 They departed from Kebroth Hattaavah and pitched in Hazeroth, which is in the
wilderness of Paran.
31 While the children of Yisrayah were in Hazeroth, the anger of Yahwah was kindled
against Miriam on account of Moshe, and she became leprous, white as snow.
32 She was confined outside the camp for seven days, until she was received
again after her leprosy.
33 The children of Yisrayah afterward departed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the end of the
wilderness of Paran.
34 At that time, Yahwah spoke to Moshe to send twelve men from the children of Yisrayah, one
man to a tribe, to go and explore the land of Canaan.
35 Moshe sent the twelve men. They came to the land of Canaan to search and
examine it, they explored the whole land from the wilderness of Sin to Rechob as you
came to Chamoth.
36 At the end of forty days they came to Moshe and Aaron, and they brought him word
as it was in their hearts. Ten of the men brought up an evil report to the children of Yisrayah,
of the land which they explored, saying: It is better for us to return to Egypt than to go to
this land, a land that consumes its inhabitants.
37 But Yahshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephuneh, who were of those that
explored the land, said: The land is exceedingly good.
38 If Yahwah delight in us, then He will bring us to this land and give it to us, for it is a land
flowing with milk and honey.
39 But the children of Yisrayah would not hearken to them, they hearkened to the words of
the ten men who brought up an evil report of the land.
40 Yahwah heard the murmurings of the children of Yisrayah. He was angry, and swore, saying:
41 Surely not one man of this wicked generation will see the land from twenty years old and
upward, excepting Caleb the son of Jephuneh and Yahshua the son of Nun.
42 But surely this wicked generation will perish in this wilderness, their children will
come to the land, and they will possess it. So the anger of Yahwah was kindled against
Yisrayah. He made them wander in the wilderness for forty years until the end of that wicked
generation, because they did not follow Yahwah.
43 The people dwelt in the wilderness of Paran a long time, and afterward they
proceeded to the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.
CHAPTER 84:1 At that time Korah the son of Jetzer the son of Kehas
the son of Levi took many men of the children of Yisrayah. They rose up and quarreled with
Moshe, Aaron, and the whole congregation.
2 Yahwah was angry with them. The earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them
up, with their houses, all belonging to them, and all the men belonging to Korah.
3 After this Yahwah made the people go round by the way of Mount Seir for a long time.
4 At that time Yahwah said to Moshe: Do not provoke a war against the children of Esau, for I
will not give to you of any thing belonging to them, as much as the sole of the foot could
tread upon, for I gave Mount Seir to Esau for an inheritance.
5 Therefore did the children of Esau fight against the children of Seir in former times.
Yahwah delivered the children of Seir into the hands of the children of Esau, and destroyed
them from before them, so the children of Esau dwell in their land to this day.
6 Therefore Yahwah said to the children of Yisrayah: Do not fight against the children of Esau your
brothers, for nothing in their land belongs to you. You may buy food of them for money
and eat it, and you may buy water of them for money and drink it.
7 The children of Yisrayah did according to the Word of Yahwah.
8 The children of Yisrayah went about the wilderness, going round by the way of Mount
Sinai for a long time, and did not touch the children of Esau. They continued in that district
for nineteen years.
9 At that time Latinus king of the children of Kittim died, in the forty-fifth year of his reign,
which is the fourteenth year of the children of Yisrayah's departure from Egypt.
10 They buried him in his place which he built for himself in the land of Kittim, and
Abimnas reigned in his place for thirty-eight years.
11 The children of Yisrayah passed the boundary of the children of Esau in those days, at
the end of nineteen years, they came, and passed the road of the wilderness of Moab.
12 Yahwah said to Moshe: Do not besiege Moab, and do not fight against them, for I will
give you nothing of their land.
13 The children of Yisrayah passed the road of the wilderness of Moab for nineteen years,
and they did not fight against them.
14 In the thirty-sixth year of the children of Yisrayah's departing from Egypt Yahwah smote
the heart of Sihon, king of the Amorites. He waged war, and went forth to fight against
the children of Moab.
15 Sihon sent messengers to Beor the son of Janeas, the son of Balaam, counsellor to
the king of Egypt, and to Balaam his son, to curse Moab, in order that it might be delivered
into the hand of Sihon.
16 The messengers went and brought Beor the son of Janeas, and Balaam his son, from
Pethor in Mesopotamia, so Beor [the magician] and Balaam his son came to the city of Sihon. They
cursed Moab and their king in the presence of Sihon king of the Amorites.
17 So Sihon went out with his whole army, he went to Moab, fought against them,
and he subdued them. Yahwah delivered them into his hands. Sihon killed the king
of Moab.
18 Sihon took all the cities of Moab in the battle. He also took Heshbon from them, for
Heshbon was one of the cities of Moab. Sihon placed his princes and his nobles in
Heshbon, and Heshbon belonged to Sihon in those days.
19 Therefore the parable-speakers Beor and Balaam his son uttered these words, saying:
Come to Heshbon, the city of Sihon will be built and established.
20 Woe to you Moab! You are lost, O people of Kemosh! Behold it is written upon the
book of the law of God.
21 When Sihon conquered Moab, he placed guards in the cities which he took
from Moab. A considerable number of the children of Moab fell in battle into the hand of
Sihon. He made a great capture of them, sons and daughters, and he killed their king. So
Sihon turned back to his own land.
22 Sihon gave numerous presents of silver and gold to Beor, and Balaam his son.
He dismissed them, so they went to Mesopotamia to their home and country.
23 At that time all the children of Yisrayah passed from the road of the wilderness of Moab,
returned, and surrounded the wilderness of Edom.
24 So the whole congregation came to the wilderness of Sin in the first month of the fortieth
year from their departure from Egypt, and the children of Yisrayah dwelt there in Kadesh, of the
wilderness of Sin. Miriam died there, and she was buried there.
25 At that time Moshe sent messengers to Hadad king of Edom, saying: Thus says your
brother Yisrayah; Let me pass through your land, I pray you. We will not pass through field or
vineyard, we will not drink the water of the well. We will walk in the king's road.
26 Edom said to him: You will not pass through my country, and Edom went forth to
meet the children of Yisrayah with a mighty people.
27 The children of Esau refused to let the children of Yisrayah pass through their land, so
the Yisrayahites removed from them, and did not fight against them.
28 For before this Yahwah commanded the children of Yisrayah, saying: You will not fight
against the children of Esau. Therefore the Yisrayahites removed from them, and did not fight
against them.
29 So the children of Yisrayah departed from Kadesh, and all the people came to Mount Hor.
30 At that time Yahwah said to Moshe: Tell your brother Aaron that he will die here, for he
will not come to the land which I gave to the children of Yisrayah.
31 Aaron went up, at the command of Yahwah, to Mount Hor, in the fortieth year, in the
fifth month, in the first day of the month.
32 Aaron was one hundred and twenty-three years old when he died in Mount Hor.
CHAPTER 85:1 King Arad the Canaanite, who dwelt in the south,
heard that the Yisrayahites came by the way of the spies, and he arranged his forces to
fight against the Yisrayahites.
2 The children of Yisrayah were greatly afraid of him, for he had a great and heavy army, so
the children of Yisrayah resolved to return to Egypt.
3 The children of Yisrayah turned back about the distance of three days' journey to
Maserath Beni Jaakon, for they were greatly afraid on account of the king Arad.
4 The children of Yisrayah would not get back to their places, so they remained in Beni
Jaakon for thirty days.
5 When the children of Levi saw that the children of Yisrayah would not turn back, they were
jealous for the sake of Yahwah. They rose up, fought against the Yisrayahites their
brothers, killed a great body of them, and forced them to turn back to their place, Mount Hor.
6 When they returned, king Arad was still arranging his host for battle against the Yisrayahites.
7 Yisrayah vowed a vow, saying: If you will deliver this people into my hand, then I will
utterly destroy their cities.
8 Yahwah hearkened to the voice of Yisrayah, and He delivered the Canaanites into their
hand. He utterly destroyed them, and their cities, so he called the name of the place Hormah.
9 The children of Yisrayah journeyed from Mount Hor and pitched in Oboth. They
journeyed from Oboth and they pitched at Ije-abarim, in the border of Moab.
10 The children of Yisrayah sent to Moab, saying: Let us pass through your land into our
place. But the children of Moab would not allow the children of Yisrayah to pass through their
land, for the children of Moab were greatly afraid lest the children of Yisrayah should do to
them as Sihon king of the Amorites did to them, who took their land, and killed many of them.
11 Therefore Moab would not allow the Yisrayahites to pass through his land. Yahwah
commanded the children of Yisrayah, saying that they should not fight against Moab, so the
Yisrayahites removed from Moab.
12 The children of Yisrayah journeyed from the border of Moab, and they came to the other
side of Arnon, the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. They pitched in the
border of Sihon, king of the Amorites, in the wilderness of Kedemoth.
13 The children of Yisrayah sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying:
14 Let us pass through your land, we will not turn into the fields or into the vineyards, we will
go along by the king's highway until we are passed your border. But Sihon would not
allow the Yisrayahites to pass.
15 So Sihon collected all the people of the Amorites, went forth into the wilderness to
meet the children of Yisrayah, and he fought against Yisrayah in Jahaz.
16 Yahwah delivered Sihon king of the Amorites into the hand of the children of Yisrayah.
Yisrayah smote all the people of Sihon with the edge of the sword, and avenged the cause
of Moab.
17 The children of Yisrayah took possession of the land of Sihon from Aram to Jabuk,
to the children of Ammon, and they took all the spoil of the cities.
18 Yisrayah took all these cities, and Yisrayah dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites.
19 All the children of Yisrayah resolved to fight against the children of Ammon, to take their
land also.
20 So Yahwah said to the children of Yisrayah: Do not besiege the children of Ammon, neither
stir up battle against them, for I will give nothing to you of their land. The children of Yisrayah
hearkened to the Word of Yahwah, and did not fight against the children of Ammon.
[Ammonites and Moabites are the family of Lot and his two daughters.]
21 The children of Yisrayah turned, and went up by the way of Bashan to the land of Og, king
of Bashan. Og the king of Bashan went out to meet the Yisrayahites in battle, and he had
with him many valiant men, a very strong force from the people of the Amorites.
22 Og king of Bashan was a very powerful man, but Naaron his son was exceedingly
powerful, even stronger than he was.
23 Og said in his heart: Behold, now the whole camp of Yisrayah takes up a space of three
parsa, now I will smite them at once without sword or spear.
24 Og went up Mount Jahaz, and took one large stone from it, the length of which
was three parsa. He placed it on his head, and resolved to throw it upon the camp of the
children of Yisrayah, to smite all the Yisrayahites with that stone.
25 The malak of Yahwah came, and pierced the stone upon the head of Og. The
stone fell upon the neck of Og. Og fell to the earth on account of the weight of the stone
upon his neck.
26 At that time Yahwah said to the children of Yisrayah: Do not be afraid of him, for I give
him, all his people, and all his land, into your hand, you will do to him as you did to
Sihon.
27 Moshe went down to him with a small number of the children of Yisrayah. Moshe
smote Og with a stick at the ankles of his feet, and killed him.
28 The children of Yisrayah afterward pursued the children of Og, and all his people. They
beat and destroyed them till there was no remnant left of them.
29 Moshe afterward sent some of the children of Yisrayah to spy out Jaazer, for Jaazer was a
very famous city.
30 The spies went to Jaazer and explored it. The spies trusted in Yahwah, and they
fought against the men of Jaazer.
31 These men took Jaazer and its villages. Yahwah delivered them into their hand,
and they drove out the Amorites who were there.
32 The children of Yisrayah took the land of the two kings of the Amorites, sixty cities which
were on the other side of Yordan, from the brook of Arnon to Mount Herman.
33 The children of Yisrayah journeyed, and came into the plain of Moab which is on this side
of Yordan, by Yericho.
34 The children of Moab heard all the evil which the children of Yisrayah did to the
two kings of the Amorites, to Sihon and Og, so all the men of Moab were greatly afraid of the
Yisrayahites.
35 The elders of Moab said: Behold, the two kings of the Amorites, Sihon and Og, who
were more powerful than all the kings of the earth, could not stand against the children of
Yisrayah, how then can we stand before them?
36 Surely they sent us a message before now to pass through our land on their way, and we
would not allow them. Now they will turn upon us with their heavy swords and destroy us.
Moab was distressed on account of the children of Yisrayah, and they were greatly afraid of
them, so they counselled together what was to be done to the children of Yisrayah.
37 The elders of Moab resolved, took one of their men, Balak the son of Zippor the
Moabite, and made him king over them at that time. Balak was a very wise man.
38 The elders of Moab rose up and sent to the children of Midian to make peace with
them, for a great battle and enmity had been in those days between Moab and Midian, from
the days of Hadad the son of Bedad king of Edom, who smote Midian in the field of Moab,
to these days.
39 The children of Moab sent to the children of Midian, and they made peace with them.
The elders of Midian came to the land of Moab to make peace in behalf of the children of Midian.
40 The elders of Moab counselled with the elders of Midian what to do in order to save
their lives from Yisrayah.
41 All the children of Moab said to the elders of Midian: Now therefore the children of
Yisrayah lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field, for thus did
they do to the two kings of the Amorites who are stronger than we are.
42 The elders of Midian said to Moab: We heard that at the time when Sihon king of
the Amorites fought against you, when he prevailed over you and took your land, he sent
to Beor the son of Janeas, and to Balaam his son from Mesopotamia. They came, and
cursed you. Therefore did the hand of Sihon prevail over you, that he took your land.
43 Now therefore, you also send to Balaam his son, for he still remains in his land, and give
him his hire, that he may come and curse all the people of whom you are afraid. So the
elders of Moab heard this thing, and it pleased them to send to Balaam the son of Beor.
44 So Balak the son of Zippor king of Moab sent messengers to Balaam, saying:
45 Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt. Behold, they cover the face of the earth,
and they abide over against me.
46 Now therefore come, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me.
Peradventure I will prevail to fight against them, and drive them out, for I heard that he
whom you bless is blessed, and whom you curse is cursed.
47 So the messengers of Balak went to Balaam and brought Balaam to curse the people to
fight against Moab.
48 Balaam came to Balak to curse Yisrayah. Yahwah said to Balaam: Do not curse this
people, for it is blessed.
49 Balak urged Balaam day by day to curse Yisrayah, but Balaam did not hearken to Balak
on account of the Word of Yahwah which He spoke to Balaam.
50 When Balak saw that Balaam would not accede to his wish, he rose up, and went
home. Balaam also returned to his land, and he went from there to Midian.
51 The children of Yisrayah journeyed from the plain of Moab, and pitched by Yordan from
Beth-jesimoth even to Abel-shittim, at the end of the plains of Moab.
52 When the children of Yisrayah abode in the plain of Shittim, they began to commit
whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
53 The children of Yisrayah approached Moab, and the children of Moab pitched their tents
opposite to the camp of the children of Yisrayah.
54 The children of Moab were afraid of the children of Yisrayah. The children of Moab
took all their daughters and their wives of beautiful aspect and comely appearance, and
dressed them in gold, silver, and costly garments.
55 The children of Moab seated those women at the door of their tents, in order that the
children of Yisrayah might see them, turn to them, and not fight against Moab.
56 All the children of Moab did this thing to the children of Yisrayah. Every man placed
his wife and daughter at the door of his tent, and all the children of Yisrayah saw the act of the
children of Moab. The children of Yisrayah turned to the daughters of Moab, coveted
them, and they had sex with them.
57 It came to pass that when a Hebrew came to the door of the tent of Moab, saw a
daughter of Moab, desired her in his heart, he spoke with her at the door of the tent what
he desired. While they were speaking together the men of the tent would come out,
and speak to the Hebrew like to these words:
58 Surely you know that we are brothers, we are all the descendants of Lot, the
descendants of Abraham his brother, why then will you not remain with us,
why will you not eat our bread, and our sacrifice?
59 When the children of Moab had thus overwhelmed him with their speeches, and
enticed him by their flattering words, they seated him in the tent, cooked and sacrificed
for him, and he ate of their sacrifice and of their bread.
60 Then they gave him wine, he drank, and became intoxicated. They placed before
him a beautiful damsel, and he did with her as he liked, for he did not know what he was doing,
as he had drunk plentifully of wine.
61 Thus the children of Moab did to Yisrayah in that place, in the plain of Shittim. The anger
of Yahwah was kindled against Yisrayah on account of this matter. He sent a pestilence
among them, and there died of the Yisrayahites twenty-four thousand men.
62 Now there was a man of the children of Simeon whose name was Zimri, the son of Salu,
who connected himself with the Midianite Cosbi, the daughter of Zur, king of Midian, in the
sight of all the children of Yisrayah.
63 Phineas the son of Elazer, the son of Aaron the priest, saw this wicked thing which
Zimri did. He took a spear, rose up, went after them, pierced them
both, and slew them, then the pestilence ceased from the children of Yisrayah.
CHAPTER 86:1 At that time after the pestilence, Yahwah said to Moshe,
and to Elazer the son of Aaron the priest, saying:
2 Number the heads of the whole community of the children of Yisrayah, from twenty years old
and upward, all that went forth in the army.
3 Moshe and Elazer numbered the children of Yisrayah after their families, and the number
of all Yisrayah was seven hundred thousand, seven hundred and thirty.
4 The number of the children of Levi, from one month old and upward, was twenty-three
thousand, and among these there was not a man of those numbered by Moshe and Aaron
in the wilderness of Sinai.
5 For Yahwah had told them they would die in the wilderness, so they all died, not
one was left of them excepting Caleb the son of Jephuneh, and Yahshua the son of Nun.
6 It was after this that Yahwah said to Moshe: Say to the children of Yisrayah to avenge
upon Midian the cause of their brothers the children of Yisrayah.
7 Moshe did so. The children of Yisrayah chose from among them twelve thousand
men, being one thousand to a tribe, and they went to Midian.
8 The children of Yisrayah warred against Midian, and they slew every male, also the five
princes of Midian. They slew Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.
9 The children of Yisrayah took the wives of Midian captive, with their little ones, their
cattle, and all belonging to them.
10 They took all the spoil and all the prey. They brought it to Moshe and to Elazer to
the plains of Moab.
11 Moshe and Elazer and all the princes of the congregation went forth to meet them
with joy.
12 They divided all the spoil of Midian, and the children of Yisrayah were revenged
upon Midian for the cause of their brothers the children of Yisrayah.
CHAPTER 87:1 At that time Yahwah said to Moshe: Behold, your days
are approaching to an end. Take your servant Yahshua the son of Nun, place him in the
tabernacle, and I will command him: and Moshe did so.
2 Yahwah appeared in the tabernacle in a pillar of cloud, the pillar of cloud stood at
the entrance of the tabernacle.
3 Yahwah commanded Yahshua the son of Nun, and said to him: Be strong and
courageous, for you will bring the children of Yisrayah to the land which I swore to give them,
and I will be with you.
4 Moshe said to Yahshua: Be strong and courageous, for you will make the children of
Yisrayah inherit the land, and Yahwah will be with you. He will not leave you, nor forsake you,
do not be afraid nor disheartened.
5 Moshe called to all the children of Yisrayah, and said to them: You saw all the good
Yahwah your Father did for you in the wilderness.
6 Now therefore, observe all the words of this law, and walk in the way of Yahwah your Father.
Do not turn from the way Yahwah commanded you, either to the right or to the left.
7 Moshe taught the children of Yisrayah statutes, judgments, and laws to do in the land,
as Yahwah commanded him.
8 He taught them the way of Yahwah, and His laws. Behold, they are written upon the
book of the law of Yahwah which He gave to the children of Yisrayah by the hand of Moshe.
9 Moshe finished commanding the children of Yisrayah. Yahwah said to him, saying:
Go up to the Mount Abarim, die there, and be gathered to your people as Aaron your
brother was gathered.
10 Moshe went up as Yahwah commanded him. He died there in the land of
Moab by the order of Yahwah, in the fortieth year from the Yisrayahites going forth from the land
of Egypt.
11 The children of Yisrayah wept for Moshe in the plains of Moab for thirty days, and the
days of weeping and mourning for Moshe were completed.
CHAPTER 88:1 It was after the death of Moshe that Yahwah said
to Yahshua the son of Nun, saying:
2 Rise up, pass the Yordan to the land which I give to the children of Yisrayah, and
you will make the children of Yisrayah inherit the land.
3 Every place upon which the sole of your feet treads will belong to you, from the
wilderness of Lebanon to the great river, the river of Perath, will be your boundary.
4 No man will stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moshe, so I will be
with you, only be strong and of good courage to observe all the law which Moshe
commanded you. Do not turn from the way either to the right or to the left, in order that you
may prosper in all that you do.
5 Yahshua commanded the officers of Yisrayah, saying: Pass through the camp and
command the people. Say: Prepare provisions for yourselves, for in three days more you
will pass the Yordan [Jordan River] to possess the land.
6 The officers of the children of Yisrayah did so, they commanded the people, and they
did all Yahshua commanded.
7 Yahshua sent two men to spy out the land of Yericho [Jericho], so the men went, and spied out
Yericho.
8 At the end of seven days they came to Yahshua in the camp, and said to him: Yahwah
has delivered the whole land into our hand, and the inhabitants thereof are melted with fear
because of us.
9 It came to pass after that, Yahshua rose up in the morning, and all Yisrayah with him,
and they journeyed from Shittim. Yahshua and all Yisrayah with him passed the Yordan.
Yahshua was eighty-two years old when he passed the Yordan with Yisrayah.
10 The people went up from Yordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they
camped in Gilgal at the eastern corner of Yericho.
11 The children of Yisrayah kept the Passover in Gilgal, in the plains of Yericho, on the
fourteenth day of the month, as it is written in the law of Moshe.
12 The manna ceased at that time on the day after the Passover, and there was no
more manna for the children of Yisrayah, they ate of the produce of the land of Canaan.
13 Yericho was entirely closed against the children of Yisrayah, no one came out or went in.
14 It was in the second month, on the first day of the month, that Yahwah said to
Yahshua: Rise up, behold, I give Yericho into your hand, with all the people thereof. All
your fighting men will go round the city, once each day, thus you will do for six days.
15 [On the seventh day] the priests will blow upon trumpets, and when you hear the sound of the
trumpet, all the people will give a great shouting, and the walls of the city will fall down. All
the people will go up every man against his opponent.
16 Yahshua did so according to all Yahwah commanded him.
17 On the seventh day they went round the city seven times, and the priests blew upon
trumpets.
18 At the seventh round, Yahshua said to the people: Shout, for Yahwah delivers
the whole city into our hands.
19 The city and all that it contains will be accursed to Yahwah. Keep yourselves
from the accursed thing, lest you make the camp of Yisrayah accursed and trouble it.
20 But all the silver, gold, brass, and iron, will be consecrated to Yahwah, they will
come into the treasury of Yahwah.
21 The people blew upon trumpets, made a great shouting, and the walls of Yericho
fell down. All the people went up, every man straight before him. They took the city
and utterly destroyed all that was in it, both man and woman, young and old, ox, sheep
and ass, with the edge of the sword.
22 They burned the whole city with fire. Only the vessels of silver, gold, brass, and
iron, they put into the treasury of Yahwah.
23 Yahshua swore at that time, saying: Cursed is the man who builds Yericho. He will
lay the foundation thereof with his first-born, and with his youngest son he will set up the gates
thereof.
24 Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, son of Yahudah, dealt
treacherously in the accursed thing. He took of the accursed thing, and hid it in the tent,
so the anger of Yahwah was kindled against Yisrayah.
25 It was after this when the children of Yisrayah were returned from burning Yericho, Yahshua
sent men to spy out Ai, and to fight against it.
26 The men went up, spied out Ai, they returned, and said: Do not let all the people
go up with you to Ai, only let about three thousand men go up and smite the city, for the men
thereof are but few.
27 Yahshua did so, there went up with him of the children of Yisrayah about three
thousand men, and they fought against the men of Ai.
28 The battle was severe against Yisrayah. The men of Ai smote thirty-six men of Yisrayah,
and the children of Yisrayah fled from before the men of Ai.
29 When Yahshua saw this thing, he tore his garments, and fell upon his face to the
ground before Yahwah. He, with the elders of Yisrayah, and they put dust upon their heads.
30 Yahshua said: Why, O Yahwah, did you bring this people over the Yordan? What will I
say after the Yisrayahites have turned their backs against their enemies?
31 Now therefore all the Canaanites, inhabitants of the land, will hear this thing,
surround us, and cut off our name.
32 Yahwah said to Yahshua: Why did you fall upon your face? Rise, get you off, for the
Yisrayahites sinned, and took of the accursed thing. I will not be with them unless
they destroy the accursed thing from among them.
33 Yahshua rose up, assembled the people, and brought the Urim by the order of
Yahwah. The tribe of Yahudah was taken, and Achan the son of Carmi was taken.
34 Yahshua said to Achan: Tell me my son, what you did. Achan said: I saw
among the spoil a goodly garment of Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a
wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight. I coveted them, took them, and behold, they are all
hid in the earth in the middle of the tent.
35 Yahshua sent men who went, took them from the tent of Achan, and they brought
them to Yahshua.
36 Yahshua took Achan, these utensils, his sons, daughters, all belonging
to him, and they brought them into the valley of Achor.
37 Yahshua burned them there with fire, and all the Yisrayahites stoned Achan with stones.
They raised a heap of stones over him, therefore he called that place the valley of
Achor. So Yahwah's anger was appeased. Yahshua afterward came to the city, and fought
against it.
38 Yahwah said to Yahshua: Do not fear, neither be you dismayed. Behold, I give Ai into
your hand, her king and her people. You will do to them as you did to Yericho
and her king, only the spoil thereof and the cattle thereof will you take for a prey for
yourselves. Lay an ambush for the city behind it.
39 So Yahshua did according to the Word of Yahwah, and he chose from among the sons of
war thirty thousand valiant men. He sent them, and they lay in ambush for the city.
40 He commanded them, saying: When you see us we will flee before them with
cunning, and they will pursue us. You will then rise out of the ambush and take the city, and
they did so.
41 Yahshua fought, and the men of the city went out toward Yisrayah, not knowing they
were lying in ambush for them behind the city.
42 Yahshua and all the Yisrayahites feigned themselves wearied out before them, and they
fled by the way of the wilderness with cunning.
43 The men of Ai gathered all the people who were in the city to pursue the Yisrayahites.
They went out, and were drawn away from the city, not one remained, they left the
city open, and pursued the Yisrayahites.
44 Those who were lying in ambush rose up out of their places, hastened to come to
the city, took it, and set it on fire. The men of Ai looked back, and behold, the smoke of
the city ascended to the skies. They had no means of retreating either one way or the other.
45 All the men of Ai were in the middle of Yisrayah, some on this side and some on that side.
They smote them so that not one of them remained.
46 The children of Yisrayah took Melosh king of Ai alive, and they brought him to Yahshua.
Yahshua hanged him on a tree, and he died.
47 The children of Yisrayah returned to the city after burning it, and they smote all
those that were in it with the edge of the sword.
48 The number of those that fell of the men of Ai, both man and woman, was
twelve thousand. Only the cattle and the spoil of the city they took to themselves, according
to the Word of Yahwah to Yahshua.
49 All the kings on this side of Yordan, all the kings of Canaan, heard of the evil which the
children of Yisrayah did to Yericho and to Ai, so they gathered themselves together to
fight against Yisrayah.
50 Only the inhabitants of Gibeon were greatly afraid of fighting against the Yisrayahites, lest
they should perish, so they acted cunningly. They came to Yahshua and to all Yisrayah, and
said to them: We came from a distant land, now therefore make a covenant with us.
51 The inhabitants of Gibeon over-reached the children of Yisrayah, and the children of
Yisrayah made a covenant with them. They made peace with them, and the princes of the
congregation swore to them. But afterward the children of Yisrayah knew they were
neighbors to them, and were dwelling among them.
52 But the children of Yisrayah did not slay them, for they swore to them by Yahwah. They
became hewers of wood and drawers of water.
53 Yahshua said to them: Why did you deceive me, to do this thing to us? They
answered him, saying: Because it was told to your servants all that you did to all the
kings of the Amorites, so we were greatly afraid of our lives, and we did this thing.
54 Yahshua appointed them on that day to hew wood and to draw water. He divided
them for slaves to all the tribes of Yisrayah.
55 When Adonizedek king of Jerusalem heard all that the children of Yisrayah did to
Yericho and to Ai, he sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king at Jarmuth, to
Japhia king of Lachish, and to Deber king of Eglon, saying:
56 Come up to me, and help me, that we may smite the children of Yisrayah and the inhabitants
of Gibeon who made peace with the children of Yisrayah.
57 They gathered themselves together, the five kings of the Amorites went up with all
their camps, a mighty people numerous as the sand of the sea shore.
58 All these kings came, camped before Gibeon, and they began to fight against
the inhabitants of Gibeon. All the men of Gibeon sent to Yahshua, saying: Come up
quickly to us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites are gathered together to fight
against us.
59 Yahshua and all the fighting people went up from Gilgal. Yahshua came to
them suddenly, and smote these five kings with a great slaughter.
60 Yahwah confounded them before the children of Yisrayah, who smote them with a
terrible slaughter in Gibeon, and pursued them along the way that goes up to Beth Horon
to Makkedah. They fled from before the children of Yisrayah.
61 While they were fleeing, Yahwah sent upon them hailstones from heaven, and more
of them died by the hailstones than by the slaughter of the children of Yisrayah.
62 The children of Yisrayah pursued them, and they still smote them in the road, going on
and smiting them.
63 When they were smiting, the day was declining toward evening. Yahshua said in
the sight of all the people: Sun, you stand still upon Gibeon, and you moon in the valley of
Ajalon, until the nation has revenged itself upon its enemies.
64 Yahwah hearkened to the voice of Yahshua. The sun stood still in the midst of the
heavens, it stood still six and thirty moments. The moon also stood still, and did not hasten
to go down a whole day.
65 There was no day like that, before it or after it, that Yahwah hearkened to the voice of
a man, for Yahwah fought for Yisrayah. [Joshua 10:9-14]
CHAPTER 89:1 Then Yahshua spoke this song, on the day
Yahwah gave the Amorites into the
hand of Yahshua and the children of Yisrayah, and he said in the sight of all Yisrayah:
2 You do mighty things, O Yahwah, you perform great deeds. Who is like to
you? My lips will sing to your Name.
3 My goodness and my fortress, my high tower, I sing a new song to you, with
thanksgiving I sing to you, you are the strength of my salvation.
4 All the kings of the earth praise you, the princes of the world sing to you, the
children of Yisrayah rejoice in your salvation, they sing and praise your power.
5 To you, O Yahwah, do we confide. We say you are our Father, for you were our shelter and
strong tower against our enemies.
6 To you we cried, and were not ashamed. In you we trusted, and were delivered. When we
cried to you, you heard our voice, you delivered our souls from the sword, you
showed us your grace, you gave us your salvation, you rejoice our
hearts with your strength.
7 You went forth for our salvation, with your arm you redeemed your people. You
answered us from the heavens of your holiness, you saved us from ten thousands of people.
8 The sun and moon stood still in heaven. You stood in your wrath against our
oppressors, and did command your judgments over them.
9 All the princes of the earth stood up, the kings of the nations gathered themselves
together, they were not moved at your presence, they desired your battles.
10 You rose against them in your anger, and brought down your wrath upon them.
You destroyed them in your anger, and cut them off in your heart.
11 Nations were consumed with your fury, kingdoms declined because of your
wrath, you wounded kings in the day of your anger.
12 You poured out your fury upon them, your wrathful anger took hold of them. You
turned their iniquity upon them, and cut them off in their wickedness.
13 They spread a trap, and they fell into it, their foot was caught in the net they hid.
14 Your hand was ready for all your enemies who said: Through their sword they
possessed the land, through their arm they dwell in the city. You filled their faces with
shame, you brought their horns down to the ground, you terrified them in your wrath,
and destroyed them in your anger.
15 The earth trembled and shook at the sound of your storm over them. You did not
withhold their souls from death, you brought their lives down to the grave.
16 You pursued them in your storm, you consumed them in your whirlwind, you
turned their rain into hail, they fell in deep pits so that they could not rise.
17 Their carcasses were like rubbish cast out in the middle of the streets.
18 They were consumed and destroyed in your anger, you saved your people with your might.
19 Therefore our hearts rejoice in you, our souls exalt in your salvation.
20 Our tongues relate your might, we sing and praise your wondrous works.
21 For you saved us from our enemies, you delivered us from those who rose up
against us, you destroyed them from before us, and depressed them beneath our feet.
22 Thus will all your enemies perish, O Yahwah. The wicked will be like chaff driven by
the wind, and your beloved will be like trees planted by the waters.
23 So Yahshua and all Yisrayah with him returned to the camp in Gilgal, after smiting all
the kings so that not a remnant was left of them.
24 The five kings fled alone on foot from battle, and hid themselves in a cave.
Yahshua sought for them in the field of battle, and did not find them.
25 It was told to Yahshua afterward, saying: The kings are found, behold, they are
hidden in a cave.
26 Yahshua said: Appoint men to be at the mouth of the cave to guard them, lest they
take themselves away. The children of Yisrayah did so.
27 Yahshua called to all Yisrayah, and said to the officers of battle: Place your feet upon the
necks of these kings. Yahshua said: So will Yahwah do to all your enemies.
28 Yahshua commanded afterward that they should kill the kings, cast them into the
cave, and to put great stones at the mouth of the cave.
29 Yahshua went afterward with all the people that were with him on that day to
Makkedah, and he smote it with the edge of the sword.
30 He utterly destroyed the souls, and all belonging to the city, he did to the king and
people thereof as he did to Yericho.
31 He passed from there to Libnah, and he fought against it. Yahwah delivered it into
his hand. Yahshua smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls thereof. He
did to it and to the king thereof as he did to Yericho.
32 From there he passed on to Lachish to fight against it. Horam king of Gaza went
up to assist the men of Lachish. Yahshua smote him and his people until there was none
left to him.
33 Yahshua took Lachish, with all the people thereof, and he did to it as he did to Libnah.
34 Yahshua passed from there to Eglon, and he took that also. He smote it and all the
people thereof with the edge of the sword.
35 From there he passed to Hebron, fought against it, took it, and utterly
destroyed it. He returned from there with all Yisrayah to Debir, fought against it, and
smote it with the edge of the sword.
36 He destroyed every soul in it, he left none remaining, he did to it and the king
thereof as he did to Yericho.
37 Yahshua smote all the kings of the Amorites from Kadesh-barnea to Azah, and he took
their country at once, for Yahwah fought for Yisrayah.
38 Yahshua with all Yisrayah came to the camp to Gilgal.
39 When at that time Jabin king of Chazor heard all that Yahshua did to the kings of the
Amorites, Jabin sent to Jobat king of Midian, to Laban king of Shimron, to Jephal king of
Achshaph, and to all the kings of the Amorites, saying:
40 Come quickly to us and help us, that we may smite the children of Yisrayah before they
come upon us and do to us as they did to the other kings of the Amorites.
41 All these kings hearkened to the words of Jabin, king of Chazor. They went forth
with all their camps, seventeen kings, and their people were as numerous as the sand on the
sea shore, together with horses and chariots innumerable. They came, pitched
together at the waters of Merom, and they were met together to fight against Yisrayah.
42 Yahwah said to Yahshua: Do not fear them, for tomorrow about this time I will deliver
them up all slain before you. You will hamstring their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.
43 Yahshua with all the men of war came upon them suddenly, and smote them. They
fell into their hands, for Yahwah delivered them into the hands of the children of Yisrayah.
44 So the children of Yisrayah pursued all these kings with their camps, and smote them until
there was none left of them. Yahshua did to them as Yahwah said to him.
45 Yahshua returned at that time to Chazor, smote it with the sword, destroyed
every soul in it, and burned it with fire. From Chazor, Yahshua passed to Shimron,
smote it, and utterly destroyed it.
46 From there he passed to Achshaph, and he did to it as he did to Shimron.
47 From there he passed to Adulam, and he smote all the people in it, he did to Adulam
as he did to Achshaph and to Shimron.
48 He passed from them to all the cities of the kings which he had smitten, and he smote
all the people that were left of them, he utterly destroyed them.
49 Only their booty and cattle the Yisrayahites took to themselves as a prey, but every human
being they smote, they did not allow a soul to live.
50 As Yahwah had commanded Moshe, so did Yahshua and all Yisrayah. They did not fail in anything.
51 So Yahshua and all the children of Yisrayah smote the whole land of Canaan as Yahwah
commanded them, and smote all their kings, being thirty and one kings. The children of
Yisrayah took their whole country.
52 Moshe smote many cities of the kingdoms of Sihon and Og which are on the other
side of the Yordan, and Moshe gave them to the Reubenites, the Gadites,
and to half of the tribe of Manasseh.
53 Yahshua smote all the kings that were on this side Yordan to the west, and gave them
for an inheritance to the nine tribes and to [the other] half of the tribe of Manasseh.
54 For five years did Yahshua carry on the war with these kings. He gave their cities to the
Yisrayahites, and the land became tranquil from battle throughout the cities of the Amorites and
the Canaanites.
CHAPTER 90:1 At that time, the fifth year after the children
of Yisrayah passed over Yordan, after the
children of Yisrayah rested from their war with the Canaanites, at that time great and severe
battles arose between Edom and the children of Kittim, and the children of Kittim fought
against Edom.
2 Abianus king of Kittim went forth in that year, that is in the thirty-first year of his reign,
and a great force with him of the mighty men of the children of Kittim. He went to Seir to
fight against the children of Esau.
3 Hadad the king of Edom heard of his report. He went forth to meet him with a
heavy people and strong force, and engaged in battle with him in the field of Edom.
4 The hand of Kittim prevailed over the children of Esau, the children of Kittim
slew of the children of Esau two and twenty thousand men, and all the children of Esau fled
from before them.
5 The children of Kittim pursued them, and they reached Hadad king of Edom, who was
running before them. They caught him alive, and brought him to Abianus king of Kittim.
6 Abianus ordered him to be slain, Hadad king of Edom died in the forty-eighth year
of his reign.
7 The children of Kittim continued their pursuit of Edom, and they smote them with a
great slaughter. Edom became subject to the children of Kittim.
8 The children of Kittim ruled over Edom. Edom became under the hand of the
children of Kittim, and became one kingdom from that day.
9 From that time they could not lift up their heads, and their kingdom became one
with the children of Kittim.
10 Abianus placed officers in Edom. All the children of Edom became subject and
tributary to Abianus. Abianus turned back to his own land, Kittim.
11 When he returned he renewed his government, built for himself a spacious and
fortified palace for a royal residence, and reigned securely over the children of Kittim and
over Edom.
12 In those days, after the children of Yisrayah drove away all the Canaanites and the
Amorites, Yahshua was old and advanced in years.
13 Yahwah said to Yahshua: You are old, advanced in life, and a great part of the land
remains to be possessed.
14 Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance to the nine tribes and to the half tribe of
Manasseh. Yahshua rose up, and did as Yahwah spoke to him.
15 He divided the whole land to the tribes of Yisrayah as an inheritance according to their
divisions.
16 But to the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance. The offerings of Yahwah are their
inheritance as Yahwah spoke of them by the hand of Moshe.
17 Yahshua gave Mount Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephuneh, one portion above his
brothers, as Yahwah spoke through Moshe.
18 Therefore Hebron became an inheritance to Caleb and his children to this day.
19 Yahshua divided the whole land by lots to all Yisrayah for an inheritance, as Yahwah
commanded him.
20 The children of Yisrayah gave cities to the Levites from their own inheritance, and
suburbs for their cattle, and property. As Yahwah commanded Moshe, so did the children
of Yisrayah, they divided the land by lot whether great or small.
21 They went to inherit the land according to their boundaries, and the children of Yisrayah
gave to Yahshua the son of Nun an inheritance among them.
22 By the Word of Yahwah they gave to him the city which he required: Timnath-serach in
Mount Ephrayim, so he built the city, and dwelt therein.
23 These are the inheritances which Elazer the priest, Yahshua the son of Nun, and the
heads of the fathers of the tribes, portioned out to the children of Yisrayah by lot in Shiloh, before
Yahwah, at the door of the tabernacle, and they left off dividing the land.
24 Yahwah gave the land to the Yisrayahites, and they possessed it as Yahwah
said to them, as Yahwah swore to their ancestors.
25 Yahwah gave to the Yisrayahites rest from all their enemies around them, and no man
stood up against them. Yahwah delivered all their enemies into their hands, and not one
thing failed of all the good which Yahwah spoke to the children of Yisrayah. Yea, Yahwah
performed every thing.
26 Yahshua called to all the children of Yisrayah, blessed them, and commanded
them to serve Yahwah. Afterward he sent them away, so they went each man to his
city, and each man to his inheritance.
27 The children of Yisrayah served Yahwah all the days of Yahshua. Yahwah gave them
rest from all around them, and they dwelt securely in their cities.
28 It came to pass in those days, that Abianus king of Kittim died, in the thirty-eighth
year of his reign, that is the seventh year of his reign over Edom, and they buried him in his
place which he built for himself. Latinus reigned in his stead fifty years.
29 During his reign he brought forth an army, he went, and fought against the
inhabitants of Britannia and Kernania, the children of Elisha son of Yavan. He prevailed
over them, and made them tributary.
30 Then he heard Edom revolted from under the hand of Kittim. Latinus went
to them, smote them, subdued them, and placed them under the hand of the children
of Kittim. Edom became one kingdom with the children of Kittim all the days.
31 For many years there was no king in Edom, their government was with the
children of Kittim, and their king.
32 It was in the twenty-sixth year after the children of Yisrayah passed the Yordan, that
is the sixty-sixth year after the children of Yisrayah departed from Egypt, that Yahshua was
old, advanced in years, being one hundred and eight years old in those days.
33 Yahshua called to all Yisrayah, to their elders, their judges and officers, after Yahwah
gave to all the Yisrayahites rest from all their enemies round about. Yahshua said to the
elders of Yisrayah, and to their judges: Behold, I am old, advanced in years, and you see
what Yahwah did to all the nations whom he drove away from before you, for it is
Yahwah who fought for you.
34 Now therefore, strengthen yourselves to keep and to do all the words of the law of Moshe,
to not deviate from it to the right or to the left, and to not come among those nations who
are left in the land. Neither will you make mention of the name of their gods, but you will
cleave to Yahwah your Father, as you do today.
35 Yahshua greatly exhorted the children of Yisrayah to serve Yahwah all their days.
36 All the Yisrayahites said: We will serve Yahwah our Father all our days, we, our
children, our children's children, and our seed forever.
37 Yahshua made a covenant with the people on that day. He sent away the children
of Yisrayah, and they went each man to his inheritance, to his city.
38 It was in those days, when the children of Yisrayah were dwelling securely in their cities,
that they buried the coffins of the tribes of their ancestors, which they had brought up from
Egypt. Each man in the inheritance of his children, the twelve sons of Yaacob did the children
of Yisrayah bury, each man in the possession of his children.
39 These are the names of the cities wherein they buried the twelve sons of Yaacob,
whom the children of Yisrayah brought up from Egypt.
40 They buried Reuben and Gad on this side of Yordan, in Romia, which Moshe gave
to their children.
41 Simeon and Levi they buried in the city Mauda, which he gave to the children of
Simeon, and the suburb of the city was for the children of Levi.
42 Yahudah they buried in the city of Benjamin opposite Bethlehem.
43 The bones of Issachar and Zebulun they buried in Zidon, in the portion which fell to
their children.
44 Dan was buried in the city of his children in Eshtael. Naphtali and Asher they
buried in Kadesh-naphtali, each man in his place which he gave to his children.
45 The bones of Yahusef they buried in Shechem, in the part of the field which Yaacob
purchased from Hamor, and which became to Yahusef for an inheritance.
46 They buried Benjamin in Jerusalem opposite the jebus, which was given to the
children of Benjamin. The children of Yisrayah buried their fathers each man in the city of his
children.
47 At the end of two years Yahshua the son of Nun died, one hundred and ten years old.
The time which Yahshua judged Yisrayah was twenty-eight years, and Yisrayah served Yahwah
all the days of his life.
48 The other affairs of Yahshua, his battles, his reproofs with which he reproved
Yisrayah, all which he commanded them, and the names of the cities which the children
of Yisrayah possessed in his days, behold, they are written in the book of the words of Yahshua to
the children of Yisrayah, and in the book of the wars of Yahwah which Moshe, Yahshua, and
the children of Yisrayah wrote.
49 The children of Yisrayah buried Yahshua in the border of his inheritance, in Timnath-serach,
which was given to him in Mount Ephrayim.
50 Elazer the son of Aaron died in those days, and they buried him in a hill belonging to
Phineas his son, which was given him in Mount Ephrayim.
CHAPTER 91:1 At that time, after the death of Yahshua,
the children of the Canaanites were still in the land, and the Yisrayahites resolved to drive them out.
2 The children of Yisrayah asked of Yahwah, saying: Who will go up for us first to the
Canaanites to fight against them? Yahwah said: Yahudah will go up.
3 The children of Yahudah said to Simeon: Go up with us into our lot, and we will fight
against the Canaanites. We likewise will go up with you, in your lot, so the children of
Simeon went with the children of Yahudah.
4 The children of Yahudah went up, fought against the Canaanites, so Yahwah
delivered the Canaanites into the hands of the children of Yahudah, and they smote them in
Bezek, ten thousand men.
5 They fought with Adonibezek in Bezek, and he fled from before them. They pursued
him, caught him, they took hold of him, and cut off his thumbs and great toes.
6 Adonibezek said: Three score and ten kings, having their thumbs and great toes cut
off, gathered their meat under my table. As I did, so Yahwah has requited me. They
brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
7 The children of Simeon went with the children of Yahudah, and they smote the
Canaanites with the edge of the sword.
8 Yahwah was with the children of Yahudah, and they possessed the mountain. The
children of Yahusef went up to Bethel, the same is Luz, and Yahwah was with them.
9 The children of Yahusef spied out Bethel, and the watchmen saw a man going forth
from the city. They caught him, and said to him: Show us the entrance of the city,
and we will show kindness to you.
10 That man showed them the entrance of the city, so the children of Yahusef came, and
smote the city with the edge of the sword.
11 They sent away the man with his family, he went to the Hittites, he built a city,
and he called the name thereof Luz. So all the Yisrayahites dwelt in their cities, and the children
at Yisrayah dwelt in their cities. The children of Yisrayah served Yahwah all the days of Yahshua,
and all the days of the elders who lengthened their days after Yahshua, and saw the
great work of Yahwah, which He performed for Yisrayah.
12 The elders judged Yisrayah after the death of Yahshua for seventeen years.
13 All the elders also fought the battles of Yisrayah against the Canaanites. Yahwah
drove the Canaanites from before the children of Yisrayah, in order to place the Yisrayahites in their
land.
14 He accomplished all the words which He spoke to Abraham, Yitzchaq, and Yaacob:
the oath which He swore, to give to them and to their children the land of the Canaanites.
15 Yahwah gave to the children of Yisrayah the whole land of Canaan, as He swore to
their ancestors. Yahwah gave them rest from those around them, and the children of
Yisrayah dwelt securely in their cities.
16 Blessed is Yahwah forever, amein, and amein.
17 Strengthen yourselves, and let the hearts of all you who trust in Yahwah be of good courage.
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