The Book of the Upright [Sepir Ha Yasher]
a.k.a.: The Upright or Correct Record
or: The Book of Jashar [Yahsher]
or: The Book of the Just
Originally translated by Mr. Samuel
Is this not written in the Book of Yahsher? --Joshua 10:13
Behold, it is written in the Book of Yahsher. --II Samuel 1:18
This is the book of the generations of man whom Yahwah created upon the earth on the day when Yahwah made heaven and earth.
CHAPTER 1:1 Yahwah said: Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Yahwah created man in
his own image.
2 Yahwah formed man from the ground. He blew the breath of life into his nostrils, and
man became a living soul endowed with speech.
3 Yahwah said: It is not good for man to be alone, I will make him a helper.
4 Yahwah caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept. He took away one
of his ribs, He built flesh upon it, formed it, and brought it to Adam. Adam awoke
from his sleep, and behold, a woman was standing before him.
5 He said: This is a bone of my bones. It will be called woman, for this was
taken from man. Adam called her name Hawah [Eve], for she was the mother of all living.
6 Yahwah blessed them, and called their names Adam and Hawah in the day He created
them. Yahwah said: Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth.
7 Yahwah took Adam and his wife, and He placed them in the garden of Eden to
dress it and to keep it. He commanded them, and said to them: From every tree of the
garden you may eat, but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you will not eat, for
in the day you eat thereof you will surely die.
8 When Yahwah had blessed and commanded them, He went from them. Adam and his
wife dwelt in the garden according to the command which Yahwah had commanded them.
9 The serpent, which Yahwah had created with them in the earth, came to them to incite
them to transgress the command of Yahwah which He had commanded them.
10 The serpent enticed and persuaded the woman to eat from the tree of knowledge, and
the woman hearkened to the voice of the serpent. She transgressed the word of Yahwah,
and took from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and she ate. She took from it
and also gave to her husband, and he ate.
11 Adam and his wife transgressed the command of Yahwah which He commanded them,
and Yahwah knew it. His anger was kindled against them, and He cursed them.
12 Yahwah drove them from the garden of Eden that day, to till the ground from
which they were taken. They went, and dwelt at the east of the garden of Eden. Adam
knew his wife Hawah, and she bore two sons and three daughters.
13 She called the name of the first born Cain, saying: I have obtained a man
from Yahwah. The name of the other she called Abel, for she said: In vanity
we came into the earth, and in vanity we will be taken from it.
14 The boys grew up, and their father gave them a possession in the land. Cain was
a tiller of the ground, and Abel a keeper of sheep.
15 It was at the expiration of a few years that they brought an approximating offering to
Yahwah. Cain brought from the fruit of the ground, and Abel brought from the firstlings of
his flock from the fat thereof. Yahwah turned and inclined to Abel and his offering, so a fire from Yahwah
came down from heaven and consumed it.
16 To Cain and his offering Yahwah did not turn, and He did not incline to it, for he had
brought from the inferior fruit of the ground before Yahwah. Cain was jealous against his
brother Abel on account of this, and he sought a pretext to slay him.
17 At some time after, Cain and Abel his brother went one day into the field to do their
work. They were both in the field, Cain tilling and plowing his ground, and Abel feeding
his flock. The flock passed that part which Cain had plowed in the ground, and it sorely
grieved Cain on this account.
18 Cain approached his brother Abel in anger. He said to him: What is there
between me and you, that you came to dwell and bring your flock to feed in my land?
19 Abel answered his brother Cain, and said to him: What is there between me and
you, that you will eat the flesh of my flock, and clothe yourself with their wool?
20 Now therefore, put off the wool of my sheep with which you have clothed yourself, and
recompense me for their fruit and flesh which you ate. When you
do this, I will then go from your land as you said.
21 Cain said to his brother Abel: Surely if I slay you today, who will require your blood
from me?
22 Abel answered Cain, saying: Surely Yahwah who made us in the earth. He will
avenge my cause, and He will require my blood from you should you slay me. For Yahwah
is the judge and arbiter, and it is He who will requite man according to his evil, and the wicked
man according to the wickedness that he may do upon earth.
23 And now, if you should slay me here, surely Yahwah knows your secret views, and will
judge you for the evil which you did declare to do to me today.
24 When Cain heard the words which Abel his brother spoke, behold, the anger of
Cain was kindled against his brother Abel for declaring this thing.
25 Cain hastened, rose up, took the iron part of his plowing instrument, with
which he suddenly smote his brother, and he slew him. Cain spilled the blood of his brother
Abel upon the earth, and the blood of Abel streamed upon the earth before the flock.
26 After this Cain repented having slain his brother, and he was sadly grieved. He
wept over him, and it vexed him exceedingly.
27 Cain rose up, dug a hole in the field, wherein he put his brother's body, and he
turned the dust over it.
28 Yahwah knew what Cain did to his brother. Yahwah appeared to Cain, and
said to him: Where is Abel your brother who was with you?
29 Cain dissembled, and said: I do not know, am I my brother's keeper? Yahwah
said to him: What did you do? The voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the
ground where you killed him.
30 For you killed your brother, dissembled before me, and did imagine in your
heart that I did not see you, nor knew all your actions.
31 But you did this thing, and did slay your brother for nothing, because he spoke
rightly to you. Now, therefore, you are cursed from the ground which opened its mouth
to receive your brother's blood from your hand, and wherein you did bury him.
32 It will be when you will till it, it will no more give you its strength as in the
beginning, for the ground will produce thorns and thistles, and you will be moving and
wandering in the earth until the day of your death.
33 At that time Cain went out from the presence of Yahwah, from the place where he
was, and he went moving and wandering in the land toward the east of Eden, he and all
belonging to him.
34 Cain knew his wife in those days. She conceived, bore a son, and he called
his name Enoch, saying: In that time Yahwah began to give him rest and quiet in the earth.
35 At that time Cain also began to build a city. He built the city and he called the
name of the city Enoch, according to the name of his son, for in those days Yahwah had
given him rest upon the earth, and he did not move about and wander as in the beginning.
36 Irad was born to Enoch, and Irad begat Mechuyael, and Mechuyael begat Methusael.
CHAPTER 2:1 It was in the hundred and thirtieth year of the
life of Adam upon the earth, that he
again knew Hawah his wife. She conceived, and bore a son in his likeness and in his image.
She called his name Seth, saying: Because Yahwah appointed me another seed in the
place of Abel, for Cain slew him.
2 Seth lived one hundred and five years, and he begat a son. Seth called the name
of his son Enosh, saying: Because in that time the sons of men began to multiply, and to
afflict their souls and hearts by transgressing and rebelling against Yahwah.
3 It was in the days of Enosh that the sons of men continued to rebel and transgress
against Yahwah, to increase the anger of Yahwah against the sons of men.
4 The sons of men went and they served gods, and they forgot Yahwah who had
created them in the earth. In those days the sons of men made images of brass and iron,
wood and stone, and they bowed down and served them.
5 Every man made his god, and they bowed down to them. The sons of men forgot
Yahwah all the days of Enosh and his children. The anger of Yahwah was kindled on
account of their works and abominations which they did in the earth.
6 Yahwah caused the waters of the river Gihon to overwhelm them. He destroyed
and consumed them, and He destroyed the third part of the earth. Notwithstanding this,
the sons of men did not turn from their evil ways, and their hands were yet extended to do
evil in the sight of Yahwah.
7 In those days there was neither sowing nor reaping in the earth. There was no food
for the sons of men, and the famine was very great in those days.
8 The seed which they sowed in the ground in those days became thorns, thistles, and
briers. For from the days of Adam was this declaration concerning the earth, of the curse of
Yahwah, which He cursed the earth, on account of the sin which Adam sinned before Yahwah.
9 It was when men continued to rebel and transgress against Yahwah, and to corrupt their
ways, that the earth also became corrupt.
10 Enosh lived ninety years, and he begat Cainan.
11 Cainan grew up, and he was forty years old. He became wise, and had knowledge
and skill in all wisdom. He reigned over all the sons of men, and he led the sons of men
to wisdom and knowledge. For Cainan was a very wise man and had understanding in all
wisdom, and with his wisdom he ruled over spirits and demons.
12 Cainan knew by his wisdom that Yahwah would destroy the sons of men for having
sinned upon earth, and that Yahwah would in the latter days bring upon them the waters of
the flood.
13 In those days Cainan wrote upon tablets of stone what was to take place in time to
come, and he put them in his treasures.
14 Cainan reigned over the whole earth, and he turned some of the sons of men to the
service of Yahwah.
15 When Cainan was seventy years old, he begat three sons and two daughters.
16 These are the names of the children of Cainan. The name of the first born Mahlallel,
the second Enan, and the third Mered, and their sisters were Adah and Zillah. These are the
five children of Cainan who were born to him.
17 Lamech, the son of Methusael, became related to Cainan by marriage, and he took
his two daughters for his wives. Adah conceived, bore a son to Lamech, and she
called his name Jabal.
18 She again conceived, bore a son, and called his name Jubal. Zillah, her
sister, was barren in those days, and had no offspring.
19 For in those days the sons of men began to trespass against Yahwah, and to transgress the
commandments which He had commanded to Adam, to be fruitful and multiply in the earth.
20 Some of the sons of men caused their wives to drink a draft that would render
them barren, in order that they might retain their figures, and whereby their beautiful
appearance might not fade.
21 When the sons of men caused some of their wives to drink, Zillah drank with them.
22 The child-bearing women appeared abominable in the sight of their husbands as
widows, while their husbands lived, for they were attached to the barren ones only.
23 In the end of days and years, when Zillah became old, Yahwah opened her womb.
24 She conceived, bore a son, and she called his name Tubal Cain, saying: After I
had withered away I obtained him from the Almighty Yahwah.
25 She conceived again, bore a daughter, and she called her name Naamah, for she
said: After I had withered away I obtained pleasure and delight.
26 Lamech was old and advanced in years, and his eyes were dim that he could not
see. Tubal Cain, his son, was leading him. It was one day that Lamech went into the
field, and Tubal Cain his son was with him, and while they were walking in the field, Cain the
son of Adam advanced towards them. For Lamech was very old and could not see much, and
Tubal Cain his son was very young.
27 Tubal Cain told his father to draw his bow, and with the arrows he smote Cain, who
was yet far off, and he slew him, for he appeared to them to be an animal.
28 The arrows entered Cain's body although he was distant from them, so he fell to the
ground, and died.
29 Yahwah requited Cain's evil according to his wickedness, which he did to his
brother Abel, according to the Word of Yahwah which he spoke.
30 It came to pass when Cain died, Lamech and Tubal went to see the animal
which they slew. They saw, and behold Cain their grandfather was fallen dead upon
the earth.
31 Lamech was very much grieved at having done this, and in clapping his hands
together he struck his son, and caused his death.
32 The wives of Lamech heard what Lamech did, and they sought to kill him.
33 The wives of Lamech hated him from that day, because he slew Cain and Tubal Cain.
The wives of Lamech separated from him, and would not hearken to him in those days.
34 Lamech came to his wives, and he pressed them to listen to him about this matter.
35 He said to his wives Adah and Zillah: Hear my voice, Oh wives of Lamech, attend to my
words, for now you have imagined and said that I slew a man with my wounds, and a child
with my stripes for their having done no violence. But surely know that I am old and greyheaded,
and that my eyes are heavy through age, and I did this thing unknowingly.
36 The wives of Lamech listened to him in this matter, and they returned to him with the
advice of their father Adam, but they bore no children to him from that time, knowing that
Yahwah's anger was increasing in those days against the sons of men, to destroy them with the
waters of the flood for their evil doings.
37 Mahlallel the son of Cainan lived sixty-five years, and he begat Jared. Jared lived
sixty-two years, and he begat Enoch.
CHAPTER 3:1 Enoch lived sixty-five years, and he begat Methuselah.
Enoch walked with Yahwah
after begetting Methuselah. He served Yahwah, and despised the evil ways of men.
2 The soul of Enoch was wrapped up in the instruction of Yahwah, in knowledge, and in
understanding. He wisely retired from the sons of men, and secreted himself from them
for many days.
3 It was at the expiration of many years, while he was serving Yahwah, and praying
before Him in his house, that a malak of Yahwah called to him from Heaven, and he said:
Here I am.
4 He said: Rise, go forth from your house, from the place where you hid yourself.
Appear to the sons of men, in order that you may teach them the way in which they
should go, and the work which they must accomplish to enter in the ways of Yahwah.
5 Enoch rose up according to the Word of Yahwah, and went forth from his house, from
his place, from the chamber in which he was concealed. He went to the sons of men,
taught them the ways of Yahwah, and at that time assembled the sons of men and
acquainted them with the instruction of Yahwah.
6 He ordered it to be proclaimed in all places where the sons of men dwelt, saying:
Where is the man who wishes to know the ways of Yahwah, and good works? Let him come to Enoch.
7 All the sons of men then assembled to him, for all who desired this thing went to
Enoch. Enoch reigned over the sons of men according to the Word of Yahwah. They
came, bowed to him, and they heard his word.
8 The spirit of Yahwah was upon Enoch. He taught all his men the wisdom of Yahwah, and
His ways. The sons of men served Yahwah all the days of Enoch, and they came to hear
his wisdom.
9 All the kings of the sons of men, both first and last, together with their princes and
judges, came to Enoch when they heard of his wisdom. They bowed down to him, and
they also required of Enoch to reign over them, to which he consented.
10 They assembled in all, one hundred and thirty kings and princes, and they made
Enoch king over them, and they were all under his power and command.
11 Enoch taught them wisdom, knowledge, and the ways of Yahwah. He made
peace among them, and peace was throughout the earth during the life of Enoch.
12 Enoch reigned over the sons of men two hundred and forty-three years. He did
justice and righteousness with all his people, and he led them in the ways of Yahwah.
13 These are the generations of Enoch: Methuselah, Elisha, and Elimelech, three sons;
and their sisters were Melca and Nahmah. Methuselah lived eighty-seven years, and he
begat Lamech.
14 It was in the fifty-sixth year of the life of Lamech when Adam died. Nine hundred and
thirty years old was he at his death. His two sons, with Enoch and Methuselah his son,
buried him with great pomp, as at the burial of kings, in the cave which Yahwah had told him.
15 In that place all the sons of men made a great mourning and weeping on account of
Adam; it has therefore become a custom among the sons of men to this day.
16 Adam died because he ate of the tree of knowledge, he and his children after him, as
Yahwah had spoken.
17 It was in the year of Adam's death which was the two hundred and forty-third year of
the reign of Enoch, in that time Enoch resolved to separate himself from the sons of men, and
to secret himself as at first in order to serve Yahwah.
18 Enoch did so, but did not entirely secret himself from them, but kept away from the
sons of men three days and then went to them for one day.
19 During the three days that he was in his chamber, he prayed to and praised Yahwah
his Father. And the day on which he went and appeared to his subjects he taught them the
ways of Yahwah, and all they asked him about Yahwah he told them.
20 He did in this manner for many years. He afterward concealed himself for six
days, and appeared to his people one day in seven. After that once in a month, and then
once in a year, until all the kings, princes and sons of men sought for him, and desired again
to see the face of Enoch, and to hear his word. But they could not, as all the sons of men
were greatly afraid of Enoch, and they feared to approach him on account of the Yahwah-like awe
that was seated upon his countenance. Therefore no man could look at him, fearing he might
be punished and die.
21 All the kings and princes resolved to assemble the sons of men, and to come to
Enoch, thinking that they might all speak to him at the time when he should come forth
among them, and they did so.
22 The day came when Enoch went forth, and they all assembled and came to him.
Enoch spoke the words of Yahwah to them, he taught them wisdom and knowledge.
They bowed down before him, and they said: May the king live! May the king live!
23 In some time after, when the kings, princes, and the sons of men were speaking
to Enoch, and Enoch was teaching them the ways of Yahwah, behold a malak of Yahwah then
called to Enoch from heaven, and wished to bring him up to heaven to make him reign
there over the sons of Yahwah, as he had reigned over the sons of men upon earth.
24 When at that time Enoch heard this he went and assembled all the inhabitants of the
earth, taught them wisdom, knowledge, and gave them divine instructions. He
said to them: I am required to ascend into heaven, I therefore do not know the day of
my going.
25 And now therefore I will teach you wisdom and knowledge, and will give you instruction
before I leave you, how to act upon earth whereby you may live, and he did so.
26 He taught them wisdom and knowledge, gave them instruction, he reproved
them, he placed before them statutes and judgments to do upon earth, he made
peace among them, he taught them everlasting life, and dwelt with them some time
teaching them all these things.
27 At that time the sons of men were with Enoch, and Enoch was speaking to them.
They lifted up their eyes, the likeness of a great horse descended from heaven, and the
horse paced in the air.
28 They told Enoch what they saw, and Enoch said to them: On my account does
this horse descend upon earth. The time is come when I must go from you, and I will not be seen by you
anymore.
29 The horse descended at that time, and stood before Enoch. All the sons of men
that were with Enoch saw him.
30 Enoch then again ordered a voice to be proclaimed, saying: Where is the man who
delights to know the ways of Yahwah his Father, let him come today to Enoch before he is
taken from us.
31 All the sons of men assembled and came to Enoch that day, and all the kings of the
earth with their princes and counsellors remained with him that day. Enoch then taught
the sons of men wisdom and knowledge, gave them divine instruction, and he bade
them serve Yahwah and walk in His ways all the days of their lives, and he continued to
make peace among them.
32 It was after this that he rose up, and rode upon the horse. He went forth, all
the sons of men went after him, about eight hundred thousand men, and they went with him
one day's journey.
33 The second day he said to them: Return home to your tents, why will you go? Perhaps
you may die. Some of them went from him, and those that remained went with him six
day's journey. Enoch said to them every day: Return to your tents, lest you may die. But
they were not willing to return, and they went with him.
34 On the sixth day some of the men remained and clung to him, and they said to him:
We will go with you to the place where you go. As Yahwah lives, death only will
separate us.
35 They urged so much to go with him, that he ceased speaking to them, so they went
after him, and would not return.
36 When the kings returned they caused a census to be taken, in order to know the
number of remaining men that went with Enoch. It was upon the seventh day that Enoch
ascended into heaven in a whirlwind, with horses and chariots of fire.
37 On the eighth day all the kings that had been with Enoch sent to bring back the
number of men that were with Enoch, in that place from which he ascended into heaven.
38 All those kings went to the place, and they found the earth there filled with snow, and
upon the snow were large stones of snow. One said to the other: Come, let us break
through the snow and see, perhaps the men that remained with Enoch are dead, and are
now under the stones of snow. They searched but could not find him, for he had
ascended into heaven.
CHAPTER 4:1 All the days that Enoch lived upon earth were
three hundred and sixty-five years.
2 When Enoch had ascended into heaven, all the kings of the earth rose, took
Methuselah his son, anointed him, and they caused him to reign over them in the place of
his father.
3 Methuselah acted uprightly in the sight of Yahwah, as his father Enoch had taught him,
and he likewise during the whole of his life taught the sons of men wisdom, knowledge, and
the fear of Yahwah. He did not turn from the good way either to the right or to the left.
4 But in the latter days of Methuselah, the sons of men turned from Yahwah, they corrupted
the earth, they robbed and plundered each other, they rebelled against Yahwah, they
transgressed, they corrupted their ways, and would not hearken to the voice of
Methuselah, but rebelled against him.
5 Yahwah was exceedingly angry with them, and Yahwah continued to destroy the
seed in those days, so that there was neither sowing nor reaping in the earth.
6 For when they sowed the ground in order that they might obtain food for their support,
behold, thorns and thistles were produced which they did not sow.
7 Still the sons of men did not turn from their evil ways, and their hands were still
extended to do evil in the sight of Yahwah. They provoked Yahwah with their evil ways, so
Yahwah was very angry, and repented that He had made man.
8 He thought to destroy and annihilate them. He did so.
9 In those days when Lamech the son of Methuselah was one hundred and sixty years old,
Seth the son of Adam died.
10 All the days that Seth lived, were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.
11 Lamech was one hundred and eighty years old when he took Ashmua, the daughter
of Elishaa the son of Enoch his uncle, and she conceived.
12 At that time the sons of men sowed the ground, and a little food was produced, yet
the sons of men did not turn from their evil ways, they trespassed and rebelled against Yahwah.
13 The wife of Lamech conceived, and bore him a son at that time, at the revolution of the year.
14 Methuselah called his name Noah, saying: The earth was at rest and free
from corruption in his days. Lamech his father called his name Menachem, saying: This one will
comfort us in our works and miserable toil in the earth, which Yahwah had cursed.
15 The child grew up, was weaned, and he went in the ways of his father
Methuselah, perfect and upright with Yahwah.
16 All the sons of men departed from the ways of Yahwah in those days as they
multiplied upon the face of the earth with sons and daughters. They taught one another
their evil practices, and they continued sinning against Yahwah.
17 Every man made to himself a god, and they robbed and plundered every man his
neighbor as well as his relative, and they corrupted the earth, and the earth was filled with
violence.
18 Their judges and rulers went to the daughters of men and took their wives by force
from their husbands according to their choice, and the sons of men in those days took from
the cattle of the earth, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and taught the mixture
of animals of one species with the other, in order therewith to provoke Yahwah. Yahwah saw
the whole earth, and it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon earth, all men
and all animals.
19 Yahwah said: I will blot out man that I created from the face of the earth, yea from
man to the birds of the air, together with cattle and beasts that are in the field for I repent that
I made them.
20 All men who walked in the ways of Yahwah died in those days, before Yahwah
brought the evil upon man which He had declared, for this was from Yahwah, that they
should not see the evil which Yahwah spoke of concerning the sons of men.
21 Noah found grace in the sight of Yahwah, and Yahwah chose him and his children to
raise up seed from them upon the face of the whole earth.
CHAPTER 5:1 It was in the eighty-fourth year of the life of Noah,
that Enosh the son of Seth died, he was nine hundred and five years old at his death.
2 In the one hundred and seventy ninth year of the life of Noah, Cainan the son of Enosh
died. All the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died.
3 In the two hundred and thirty fourth year of the life of Noah, Mahlallel the son of
Cainan died. The days of Mahlallel were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died.
4 Jared the son of Mahlallel died in those days, in the three hundred and thirty-sixth year
of the life of Noah. All the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died.
5 All who followed Yahwah died in those days, before they saw the evil which Yahwah
declared to do upon earth.
6 After the lapse of many years, in the four hundred and eightieth year of the life of
Noah, when all those men who followed Yahwah had died away from among the sons of
men, and only Methuselah was then left, Yahwah said to Noah and Methuselah, saying:
7 Speak, proclaim to the sons of men, saying: Thus says Yahwah, return from your
evil ways and forsake your works, and Yahwah will repent of the evil that He declared to do
to you, so that it will not come to pass.
8 For thus says Yahwah: Behold. I give you a period of one hundred and twenty years. If you
will turn to me and forsake your evil ways, then I will also turn away from the evil which I told
you, and it will not exist: says Yahwah.
9 Noah and Methuselah spoke all the words of Yahwah to the sons of men, day after
day, constantly speaking to them.
10 But the sons of men would not hearken to them, nor incline their ears to their words, and
they were stiffnecked.
11 Yahwah granted them a period of one hundred and twenty years, saying: If they will
return, then Yahwah will repent of the evil, so as not to destroy the earth.
12 Noah the son of Lamech refrained from taking a wife in those days, to beget children, for
he said: Surely now Yahwah will destroy the earth, why then will I beget children?
13 Noah was a just man, he was perfect in his generation, and Yahwah chose him to
raise up seed from his seed upon the face of the earth.
14 Yahwah said to Noah: Take to you a wife, and beget children, for I see
you righteous before me in this generation.
15 You will raise up seed, and your children with you, in the midst of the earth.
Noah went and took a wife, he chose Naamah the daughter of Enoch, and she was five
hundred and eighty years old.
16 Noah was four hundred and ninety-eight years old, when he took Naamah for a wife.
17 Naamah conceived, and bore a son. He called his name Yahphet, saying: Yahwah
has enlarged me in the earth. She conceived again, and bore a son. He called his
name Shem, saying: Yahwah made me a remnant, to raise up seed in the midst of the earth.
18 Noah was five hundred and two years old when Naamah bore Shem. The boys
grew up, and went in the ways of Yahwah, in all that Methuselah and Noah their father taught
them.
19 Lamech the father of Noah died in those days, yet verily he did not go with all his
heart in the ways of his father, and he died in the hundred and ninety-fifth year of the life of
Noah.
20 All the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy years, and he died.
21 All the sons of men who knew Yahwah died in that year before Yahwah brought evil
upon them, for Yahwah willed them to die, so as to not behold the evil that Yahwah would bring
upon their brothers and relatives, as He had so declared to do.
22 In that time, Yahwah said to Noah and Methuselah: Stand forth, proclaim to the sons
of men all the words that I spoke to you in those days. Peradventure they may turn from their
evil ways, so I will then repent of the evil, and will not bring it.
23 Noah and Methuselah stood forth, and said in the ears of the sons of men, all that
Yahwah had spoken concerning them.
24 But the sons of men would not hearken, neither would they incline their ears to all their
declarations.
25 It was after this that Yahwah said to Noah: The end of all flesh is come before me, on
account of their evil deeds. Behold, I will destroy the earth.
26 Take to you gopher wood, go to a certain place, make a large ark,
and place it in that spot.
27 Thus you will make it: three hundred cubits its length, fifty cubits broad, and thirty
cubits high.
28 You will make to you a door, open at its side, and to a cubit you will finish
above, and cover it within and without with pitch.
29 Behold, I will bring the flood of waters upon the earth, and all flesh will be destroyed. From
under the heavens all that is upon earth will perish.
30 You and your household will go and gather two couples of all living things, male and
female, and will bring them to the ark, to raise up seed from them upon earth.
31 Gather to you all food that is eaten by all the animals, that there may be food for
you and for them.
32 You will choose three maidens for your sons, from the daughters of men, and they
will be wives to your sons.
33 Noah rose up, he made the ark in the place where Yahwah commanded him,
and Noah did as Yahwah ordered him.
34 In his five hundred and ninety-fifth year Noah commenced to make the ark, and he made
the ark in five years, as Yahwah commanded.
35 Then Noah took the three daughters of Eliakim, son of Methuselah, for wives for his sons,
as Yahwah had commanded Noah.
36 It was at that time Methuselah the son of Enoch died, nine hundred and sixty years
old was he at his death.
CHAPTER 6:1 At that time, after the death of Methuselah, Yahwah said
to Noah: Go into the ark with your
household. Behold, I will gather to you all the animals of the earth, the beasts of
the field and the fowls of the air, and they will all come and surround the ark.
2 You will go and seat yourself by the doors of the ark, and all the beasts, the animals,
and the fowls, will assemble and place themselves before you, and such of them as will
come and crouch before you, will you take and deliver into the hands of your sons, who
will bring them to the ark, and all that will stand before you you will leave.
3 Yahwah brought this about on the next day, and animals, beasts and fowls came in
great multitudes, and surrounded the ark.
4 Noah went and seated himself by the door of the ark, and of all flesh that crouched
before him, he brought into the ark, and all that stood before him he left upon earth.
5 A lioness came, with her two whelps, male and female, and the three crouched before
Noah. The two whelps rose up against the lioness, smote her, and made her flee
from her place. She went away, so they returned to their places, and crouched upon the
earth before Noah.
6 The lioness ran away, and stood in the place of the lions.
7 Noah saw this, and wondered greatly. He rose, took the two whelps, and
brought them into the ark.
8 Noah brought into the ark from all living creatures that were upon earth, so that there
was none left but which Noah brought into the ark.
9 Two and two came to Noah into the ark, but from the clean animals, and clean fowls, he
brought seven couples, as Yahwah commanded him.
10 All the animals, and beasts, and fowls, were still there, and they surrounded the ark
at every place, and the rain did not descend till seven days after.
11 On that day, Yahwah caused the whole earth to shake, the sun darkened,
the foundations of the world raged, the whole earth was moved violently, the
lightning flashed, the thunder roared, and all the fountains in the earth were broken up,
such as was not known to the inhabitants before. Yahwah did this mighty act in order to
terrify the sons of men, that there might be no more evil upon earth.
12 Still the sons of men would not return from their evil ways, they increased the
anger of Yahwah at that time, and did not even direct their hearts to all this.
13 At the end of seven days, in the six hundredth year of the life of Noah, the waters of
the flood were upon the earth.
14 All the fountains of the deep were broken up, the windows of heaven were
opened, and the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
15 Noah and his household, and all the living creatures that were with him, came into
the ark on account of the waters of the flood, and Yahwah shut him in.
16 All the sons of men that were left upon the earth became exhausted through evil on
account of the rain, for the waters were coming more violently upon the earth, and the
animals and beasts were still surrounding the ark.
17 The sons of men assembled together, about seven hundred thousand men and
women, and they came to Noah to the ark.
18 They called to Noah, saying: Open for us that we may come to you in the ark.
Why will we die?
19 Noah answered them from the ark with a loud voice, saying: Have you not all
rebelled against Yahwah, and said that He does not exist? Therefore Yahwah brought
upon you this evil, to destroy and cut you off from the face of the earth.
20 Is this not the thing that I spoke to you of one hundred and twenty years back, and you
would not hearken to the voice of Yahwah, and now do you desire to live upon earth?
21 They said to Noah: We are ready to return to Yahwah, only open for us that we may
live, and not die.
22 Noah answered them, saying: Behold now that you see the trouble of your souls, you
wish to return to Yahwah. Why did you not return during these hundred and twenty years,
which Yahwah granted you as the determined period?
23 But now you come and tell me this on account of the troubles of your souls, now also
Yahwah will not listen to you, neither will He give ear to you on this day, so that you will not now
succeed in your wishes.
24 The sons of men approached in order to break into the ark, to come in on account of
the rain, for they could not bear the rain upon them.
25 Yahwah sent all the beasts and animals that stood round the ark. The beasts
overpowered them, drove them from that place, so every man went his way and they
again scattered themselves upon the face of the earth.
26 The rain was still descending upon the earth, and it descended forty days and forty
nights, and the waters prevailed greatly upon the earth. All flesh that was upon the earth
or in the waters died, whether men, animals, beasts, creeping things or birds of the air.
There only remained Noah and those that were with him in the ark.
27 The waters prevailed, and they greatly increased upon the earth. They lifted up the
ark, and it was raised from the earth.
28 The ark floated upon the face of the waters, and it was tossed upon the waters so that
all the living creatures within were turned about like pottage in a cauldron.
29 Great anxiety seized all the living creatures that were in the ark, and the ark was like
to be broken.
30 All the living creatures that were in the ark were terrified. The lions roared,
the oxen lowed, the wolves howled, and every living creature in the ark spoke and
lamented in its own language, so that their voices reached to a great distance. Noah and
his sons cried and wept in their troubles. They were greatly afraid they had reached the
gates of death.
31 Noah prayed to Yahwah, and cried to Him on account of this, and he said: O
Yahwah help us, for we have no strength to bear this evil that has encompassed us, for the
waves of the waters surround us, mischievous torrents terrify us, the snares
of death are before us. Answer us, O Yahwah, answer us, light up your countenance
toward us and be gracious to us, redeem us and deliver us.
32 Yahwah hearkened to the voice of Noah, and Yahwah remembered him.
33 A wind passed over the earth, and the waters were still, so the ark rested.
34 The fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain
from heaven was restrained.
35 The waters decreased in those days, and the ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat.
36 Noah then opened the windows of the ark. Noah still called out to Yahwah at that
time, and he said: O Yahwah, who did form the earth, the heavens, and all that are therein,
bring forth our souls from this confinement, and from the prison wherein you placed us,
for I am much wearied with sighing.
37 Yahwah hearkened to the voice of Noah, and said to him: When you will have
completed a full year, then you will go forth.
38 At the revolution of the year, when a full year was completed to Noah's dwelling in the
ark, the waters were dried from off the earth, and Noah put off the covering of the ark.
39 At that time, on the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the earth was dry, but Noah,
his sons, and those that were with him, did not go out from the ark until Yahwah told them.
40 The day came that Yahwah told them to go out, and they all went out from the ark.
41 They went and returned everyone to his way and to his place. Noah and his sons
dwelt in the land Yahwah told them, and they served Yahwah all their days. Yahwah
blessed Noah and his sons on their going out from the ark.
42 He said to them: Be fruitful, and fill all the earth. Become strong, increase
abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.
CHAPTER 7:1 These are the names of the sons of Noah: Yahphet,
Ham [Khem], and Shem. Children were
born to them after the flood, for they had taken wives before the flood.
2 These are the sons of Yahphet: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Yavan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras,
seven sons.
3 The sons of Gomer were Askinaz, Rephath, and Tegarmah.
4 The sons of Magog were Elichanaf, and Lubal.
5 The children of Madai were Achon, Zeelo, Chazoni, and Lot.
6 The sons of Yavan were Elisha, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dudonim.
7 The sons of Tubal were Ariphi, Kesed, and Taari.
8 The sons of Meshech were Dedon, Zaron, and Shebashni.
9 The sons of Tiras were Benib, Gera, Lupirion, and Gilak. These are the sons of Yahphet
according to their families, and their numbers in those days were about four hundred and
sixty men.
10 These are the sons of Ham: Cush, Mitzraim, Phut, and Canaan, four sons. The
sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raama and Satecha. The sons of Raama were
Sheba, and Dedan.
11 The sons of Mitzraim were Lud, Anom and Pathros, Chasloth, and Chaphtor.
12 The sons of Phut were Gebul, Hadan, Benah, and Adan.
13 The sons of Canaan were Zidon, Heth, Amori, Gergashi, Hivi, Arkee, Seni, Arodi,
Zimodi, and Chamothi.
14 These are the sons of Ham [Khem], according to their families. Their numbers in those days
were about seven hundred and thirty men.
15 These are the sons of Shem: Elam, Ashur [Assyria], Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram [Syria], five sons. And
the sons of Elam were Shushan, Machul, and Harmon.
16 The sons of Ashar were Mirus and Mokil. The sons of Arpachshad were Shelach,
Anar, and Ashcol.
17 The sons of Lud were Pethor and Bizayon. The sons of Aram were Uz, Chul,
Gather, and Mash.
18 These are the sons of Shem, according to their families. Their numbers in those days
were about three hundred men.
19 These are the generations of Shem: Shem begat Arpachshad, and Arpachshad begat
Shelach, and Shelach begat Eber, and to Eber were born two children [Hebrew means: children of Eber]. The name of one was
Peleg, for in his days the sons of men were divided, and in the latter days, the earth was divided.
20 The name of the second was Yoktan, meaning that in his day the lives of the sons of
men were diminished and lessened.
21 These are the sons of Yoktan: Almodad, Shelaf, Chazarmoveth, Yerach, Hadurom, Ozel,
Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these are the sons of Yoktan.
22 And Peleg his brother begat Yen, and Yen begat Serug, and Serug begat Nahor, and
Nahor begat Terah, and Terah was thirty-eight years old, and he begat Haran and Nahor.
23 Cush the son of Ham, the son of Noah, took a wife in those days in his old age, and
she bore a son, and they called his name Nimrod, saying: At that time the sons of men again
began to rebel and transgress against Yahwah. The child grew up, and his father loved him
exceedingly, for he was the son of his old age.
24 The garments of skin which Yahwah made for Adam and his wife, when they went out of
the garden, were given to Cush.
25 For after the death of Adam and his wife, the garments were given to Enoch, the son of
Jared, and when Enoch was taken up to Yahwah, he gave them to Methuselah, his son.
26 At the death of Methuselah, Noah took them and brought them to the ark, and they
were with him until he went out of the ark.
27 In their going out, Ham stole those garments from Noah his father. He took them,
and hid them from his brothers.
28 When Ham begat his first born Cush, he gave him the garments in secret, and they
were with Cush many days.
29 Cush also concealed them from his sons and brothers, and when Cush begot
Nimrod, he gave him those garments through his love for him. Nimrod grew up, and
when he was twenty years old he put on those garments.
30 Nimrod became strong when he put on the garments. Yahwah gave him might and
strength, and he was a mighty hunter in the earth, yea, he was a mighty hunter in the field.
He hunted the animals, he built altars, and he offered upon them the animals before
God.
31 Nimrod strengthened himself, he rose up from among his brothers, and he
fought the battles of his brothers against all their enemies round about.
32 God delivered all the enemies of his brothers in his hands. God prospered
him from time to time in his battles, and he reigned upon earth.
33 Therefore it became current in those days, when a man ushered forth those that he had
trained up for battle, he would say to them: Like God did to Nimrod, who was a mighty hunter
in the earth, and who succeeded in the battles that prevailed against his brothers, that he
delivered them from the hands of their enemies, so may God strengthen us and deliver us
this day.
34 When Nimrod was forty years old, at that time there was a war between his brothers
and the children of Yahphet, so that they were in the power of their enemies.
35 Nimrod went forth at that time, and he assembled all the sons of Cush and their
families, about four hundred and sixty men. He also hired about eighty men from some of his friends and
acquaintances, he gave them their hire, and he went with them to
battle. When he was on the road, Nimrod strengthened the hearts of the people that went with him.
36 He said to them: Do not fear, neither be alarmed, for all our enemies will be delivered
into our hands, and you may do with them as you please.
37 All the men that went were about five hundred. They fought against their enemies,
they destroyed them, and subdued them. Nimrod placed standing officers over them
in their respective places.
38 He took some of their children as security, and they were all servants to Nimrod and
to his brothers. Nimrod and all the people that were with him turned homeward.
39 When Nimrod had joyfully returned from battle, after having conquered his enemies,
all his brothers, together with those who knew him before, assembled to make him king over
them, and they placed the regal crown upon his head.
40 He set princes, judges, and rulers, over his subjects and people, as is the custom
among kings.
41 He placed Terah the son of Nahor the prince of his host, he dignified him, and
elevated him above all his princes.
42 While he was reigning according to his heart's desire, after having conquered all his
enemies around, he advised with his counselors to build a city for his palace, and they did so.
43 They found a large valley opposite to the east, and they built him a large and
extensive city, and Nimrod called the name of the city that he built Shinar [Sumer], for God had
vehemently shaken his enemies and destroyed them.
44 Nimrod dwelt in Shinar, and he reigned securely. He fought with his enemies,
he subdued them, he prospered in all his battles, and his kingdom became very great.
45 All nations and tongues heard of his fame, and they gathered themselves to him.
They bowed down to the earth, and they brought him offerings. He became their lord and
king, and they all dwelt with him in the city at Shinar. Nimrod reigned in the earth over all
the sons of Noah, and they were all under his power and counsel.
46 All the earth was of one tongue and words of union, but Nimrod did not go in the
ways of Yahwah. He was more wicked than all the men that were before him, from the
days of the flood until those days.
47 He made gods of wood and stone, and he bowed down to them. He rebelled
against Yahwah, and taught all his subjects and the people of the earth his wicked ways. And
Mardon his son was more wicked than his father.
48 Everyone who heard of the acts of Mardon the son of Nimrod would say, concerning
him: From the wicked goes forth wickedness. Therefore it became a proverb in the whole
earth, saying: From the wicked goes forth wickedness. It was current in the words of
men from that time to this.
49 Terah the son of Nahor, prince of Nimrod's host, was in those days very great in the
sight of the king and his subjects. The king and princes loved him, and they elevated him
very high.
50 Terah took a wife, her name was Amthelo the daughter of Cornebo. The wife
of Terah conceived, and bore him a son in those days.
51 Terah was seventy years old when he begat him, and Terah called the name of his son
that was born to him Abram, because the king had raised him in those days, and dignified
him above all his princes that were with him.
CHAPTER 8:1 It was in the night that Abram was born, that
all the servants of Terah, all the wise
men of Nimrod, and his conjurors, came to eat and drink in the house of Terah, and they
rejoiced with him on that night.
2 When all the wise men and conjurors went out from the house of Terah, they lifted up
their eyes toward heaven that night to look at the stars. They saw, behold, one very
large star came from the east and ran in the heavens, and he swallowed up the four stars
from the four sides of the heavens.
3 All the wise men of the king and his conjurors were astonished at the sight, and the
sages understood this matter, they knew its import.
4 They said to each other: This only betokens the child that was born to Terah this
night, who will grow up, be fruitful, multiply, and possess all the earth, he and his
children forever, and he and his seed will slay great kings, and inherit their lands.
5 The wise men and conjurors went home that night. In the morning all these wise
men and conjurors rose up early, and assembled in an appointed house.
6 They spoke, and said to each other: Behold, the sight that we saw last night is hidden
from the king, it has not been made known to him.
7 Should this thing get known to the king in the latter days, he will say to us: Why did
you conceal this matter from me, and then we will all suffer death. Therefore, now let us
go and tell the king the sight we saw, and the interpretation thereof, and we will then
remain clear.
8 They did so, they all went to the king, bowed down to him to the ground, and
they said: May the king live, may the king live.
9 We heard that a son was born to Terah the son of Nahor, the prince of your host, and last night we
came to his house. We ate, drank, and rejoiced with him that night.
10 When your servants went out from the house of Terah, to go to our respective homes
to abide there for the night, we lifted up our eyes to heaven, and we saw a great star coming
from the east, and the same star ran with great speed, and swallowed up four great stars,
from the four sides of the heavens.
11 Your servants were astonished at the sight which we saw, and were greatly terrified.
We made our judgment upon the sight, and knew by our wisdom the proper interpretation
thereof. This thing applies to the child that is born to Terah, who will grow up, multiply
greatly, become powerful, kill all the kings of the earth, and inherit all their lands, he
and his seed forever.
12 Now our lord and king, behold, we have truly acquainted you with what we saw
concerning this child.
13 If it seems good to the king to give his father value for this child, we will slay him before
he can grow up and increase in the land, and his evil increase against us, that we and our
children perish through his evil.
14 The king heard their words, and they seemed good in his sight. He sent, called
for Terah, and Terah came before the king.
15 The king said to Terah: I am told that a son was born to you last night, and
after this manner was observed in the heavens at his birth.
16 Now therefore give me the child, that we may slay him before his evil springs up
against us, and I will give you for his value, your house full of silver and gold.
17 Terah answered the king, and said to him: My lord and king, I hear your words,
and your servant will do all that his king desires.
18 But my lord and king, I will tell you what happened to me last night, that I may see what
advice the king will give his servant, and then I will answer the king upon what he has just
spoken. The king said: Speak.
19 Terah said to the king: Ayon, son of Mored, came to me last night, saying:
20 Give to me the great and beautiful horse the king gave you. I will give you
silver, gold, straw, and provender for its value. I said to him: Wait till I see the
king concerning your words, and behold, whatever the king says, that I will do.
21 And now my lord and king, behold, I made this thing known to you, and the advice
which my king will give to his servant, that I will follow.
22 The king heard the words of Terah, and his anger was kindled. He considered him
in the light of a fool.
23 The king answered Terah, and he said to him: Are you so silly, ignorant, or deficient in
understanding, to do this thing, to give your beautiful horse for silver and gold, or even for
straw and provender?
24 Are you so short of silver and gold, that you should do this thing, because you can
not obtain straw and provender to feed your horse? What is silver and gold to you, or
straw and provender, that you should give away that fine horse which I gave you, like
which there is none to be had on the whole earth?
25 The king left off speaking, and Terah answered the king, saying: Like to this has the
king spoken to his servant.
26 I beg you, my lord and king, what is this which you did say to me, saying: Give
your son that we may slay him, and I will give you silver and gold for his value. What will I do
with silver and gold after the death of my son? Who will inherit me? Surely then at my death,
the silver and gold will return to my king who gave it.
27 When the king heard the words of Terah, and the parable which he brought
concerning the king, it grieved him greatly, he was vexed at this thing, and his anger
burned within him.
28 Terah saw that the anger of the king was kindled against him, and he answered the
king, saying: All that I have is in the king's power, whatever the king desires to do to his
servant, that let him do, yea, even my son, he is in the king's power, without value in
exchange, he and his two brothers that are older than he.
29 The king said to Terah: No, but I will purchase your younger son for a price.
30 Terah answered the king, saying: I beg you my lord and king to let your servant
speak a word before you, and let the king hear the word of his servant, and Terah said: Let
my king give me three days time till I consider this matter within myself, and consult with my
family concerning the words of my king. He pressed the king greatly to agree to this.
31 The king hearkened to Terah, and he did so. He gave him three days time.
Terah went out from the king's presence, he came home to his family, and spoke to them
all the words of the king. The people were greatly afraid.
32 It was in the third day that the king sent to Terah, saying: Send me your son for a price
as I spoke to you, and should you not do this, I will send and slay all you have in your
house, so that you will not even have a dog remaining.
33 Terah hastened (as the thing was urgent from the king), he took a child from
one of his servants, which his handmaid had born to him that day. Terah brought the
child to the king, and received value for him.
34 Yahwah was with Terah in this matter, that Nimrod might not cause Abram's death.
The king took the child from Terah, and with all his might dashed his head to the ground,
for he thought it was Abram. This was concealed from him from that day, and it was
forgotten by the king, as it was the will of Providence to not allow Abram's death.
35 Terah took Abram his son secretly, together with his mother and nurse. He
concealed them in a cave, and he brought them their provisions monthly.
36 Yahwah was with Abram in the cave. He grew up, and Abram was in the cave ten
years. The king, his princes, soothsayers, and sages, thought the king had killed Abram.
CHAPTER 9:1 Haran, the son of Terah, Abram's oldest brother,
took a wife in those days.
2 Haran was thirty-nine years old when he took her. The wife of Haran conceived and
bore a son, and he called his name Lot.
3 She conceived again, bore a daughter, and she called her name Milca. She
again conceived, bore a daughter, and she called her name Sarai.
4 Haran was forty-two years old when he begat Sarai, which was in the tenth year of the life
of Abram. In those days Abram, his mother, and nurse, went out from the cave, as the
king and his subjects had forgotten the affair of Abram.
5 When Abram came out from the cave, he went to Noah and his son Shem, and he
remained with them to learn the instruction of Yahwah and His ways. No man knew
where Abram was, and Abram served Noah and Shem his son for a long time.
6 Abram was in Noah's house thirty-nine years. Abram knew Yahwah from three
years old, and he went in the ways of Yahwah until the day of his death, as Noah and his son
Shem had taught him. All the sons of the earth in those days greatly transgressed
against Yahwah. They rebelled against Him, they served gods, and they forgot
Yahwah who had created them in the earth. The inhabitants of the earth made to
themselves, at that time, every man his god; gods of wood and stone which could neither
speak, hear, nor deliver. The sons of men served them, and they became their gods.
7 The king, all his servants, and Terah with all his household, were then the first of
those that served gods of wood and stone.
8 Terah had twelve gods of large size, made of wood and stone, after the twelve months
of the year, and he served each one monthly. Every month Terah would bring his meat
offering and drink offering to his gods; thus Terah did all the days.
9 All that generation were wicked in the sight of Yahwah, and they thus made every man
his god, forgetting Yahwah who had created them.
10 There was not a man found in those days in the whole earth who knew Yahwah (for
they served each man his own god) except Noah, his household, and all those who were
under his counsel knew Yahwah in those days.
11 Abram the son of Terah was waxing great in those days in the house of Noah, and
no man knew it. Yahwah was with him.
12 Yahwah gave Abram an understanding heart, and he knew all the works of that
generation were vain, and that all their gods were vain and were of no avail.
13 Abram saw the sun shining upon the earth, and Abram said to himself: Surely now
this sun that shines upon the earth is Yahwah, and I will serve him.
14 Abram served the sun in that day, and he prayed to him. When evening came the
sun set as usual, and Abram said within himself: Surely this cannot be Yahwah?
15 Abram still continued to speak within himself: Who is he who made the heavens and
the earth? Who created upon earth? Where is He?
16 Night darkened over him, and he lifted up his eyes toward the west, north, south, and
east. He saw that the sun had vanished from the earth, and the day became dark.
17 Abram saw the stars and moon before him, and he said: Surely this is Yahwah who
created the whole earth as well as man, and behold these his servants are gods around him.
Abram served the moon and prayed to it all that night.
18 In the morning when it was light and the sun shone upon the earth as usual, Abram
saw all the things that Yahwah had made upon earth.
19 Abram said to himself: Surely these are not gods that made the earth and all
mankind, but these are the servants of Yahwah. Abram remained in the house of Noah and
there knew Yahwah and His ways, and he served Yahwah all the days of his life. All that
generation forgot Yahwah, served gods of wood and stone, and rebelled all their days.
20 King Nimrod reigned securely, all the earth was under his control, and all the
earth was of one tongue and words of union.
21 All the princes of Nimrod and his great men took counsel together: Phut, Mitzraim,
Cush, and Canaan, with their families. They said to each other: Come, let us build
ourselves a city, and in it a strong tower, with its top reaching heaven. We will make
ourselves famed, so that we may reign upon the whole world, in order that the evil of our
enemies may cease from us, that we may reign mightily over them, and that we may not
become scattered over the earth on account of their wars.
22 They all went before the king, they told the king these words, the king agreed
with them in this affair, and he did so.
23 All the families assembled consisting of about six hundred thousand men, and they
went to seek an extensive piece of ground to build the city and the tower. They sought in
the whole earth, but they found none like one valley at the east of the land of Shinar [Sumer], about
two days' walk [from Lubar, where Noah and his ark were], so they journeyed there, and they dwelt there.
24 They began to make bricks and burn fires to build the city and the tower that they had
imagined to complete.
25 The building of the tower was a transgression and a sin to them. They began to
build it, and while they were building against Yahwah of heaven, they imagined in their
hearts to war against Him, and to ascend into heaven.
26 All these people and all the families divided themselves in three parts. The first
said: We will ascend into heaven, and fight against Him. The second said: We will ascend to
heaven, place our own gods there, and serve them. The third part said: We will ascend to
heaven, and smite Him with bows and spears. Yahwah knew all their works and all their evil
thoughts, and He saw the city and the tower which they were building.
27 When they were building they built themselves a great city, and a very high and strong
tower. On account of its height the mortar and bricks did not reach the builders in their
ascent to it until those who went up had completed a full year, and after that, they reached to
the builders and gave them the mortar and the bricks. Thus was it done daily.
28 Behold, these ascended and others descended the whole day. If a brick should
fall from their hands and get broken, they would all weep over it, but if a man fell and died,
none of them would look at him.
29 Yahwah knew their thoughts. It came to pass when they were building they cast
the arrows toward the heavens, and all the arrows fell upon them filled with blood. When
they saw them they said to each other: Surely we have slain all those who are in heaven.
30 For this was from Yahwah in order to cause them to err, and in order to destroy them
from off the face of the ground.
31 They built the tower and the city, and they did this thing daily until many days and
years were elapsed.
32 Yahwah said to the seventy malaks who stood foremost before him, to those who were
near to him, saying: Come, let us descend and confuse their tongues, that one man will not
understand the language of his neighbor, and they did so to them.
33 And from that day following, they forgot each man his neighbor's tongue, and they could
not understand to speak in one tongue. When the builder took from the hands of his
neighbor lime or stone which he did not order, the builder would cast it away and throw it
upon his neighbor, that he would die.
34 They did so many days, and they killed many of them in this manner.
35 Yahwah smote the three divisions that were there, He punished them according
to their works and designs. Those who said: We will ascend to heaven and serve our gods;
became like apes and elephants. Those who said: We will smite the heaven with arrows;
Yahwah killed them, one man through the hand of his neighbor. The third division of
those who said: We will ascend to heaven and fight against Him; Yahwah scattered them
throughout the earth.
36 Those who were left among them, when they knew and understood the evil which
was coming upon them, they abandoned the building, and they also became scattered upon the
face of the whole earth.
37 They ceased building the city and the tower. Therefore he called that place Babel, for
there Yahwah confounded the Language of the whole earth. Behold, it was at the east of the
land of Shinar.
38 As to the tower which the sons of men built, the earth opened its mouth and
swallowed up one third part thereof, and a fire also descended from heaven and burned
another third, and the other third is left to this day, and it is of that part which was aloft, and
its circumference is three days walk.
39 Many of the sons of men died in that tower, a people without number.
CHAPTER 10:1 Peleg the son of Eber died in those days, in
the forty-eighth year of the life of Abram
son of Terah, and all the days of Peleg were two hundred and thirty-nine years.
2 When Yahwah had scattered the sons of men on account of their sin at the tower,
behold, they spread forth into many divisions, and all the sons of men were dispersed into the
four corners of the earth.
3 All the families became each according to its language, its land, or its city.
4 The sons of men built many cities according to their families, in all the places where
they went, and throughout the earth where Yahwah scattered them.
5 Some of them built cities in places from which they were afterward extirpated, and they
called these cities after their own names, or the names of their children, or after their
particular occurrences.
6 The sons of Yahphet the son of Noah went and built themselves cities in the places
where they were scattered, and they called all their cities after their names. The sons of
Yahphet were divided upon the face of the earth into many divisions and languages.
7 These are the sons of Yahphet according to their families: Gomer, Magog, Medai,
Yavan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras; these are the children of Yahphet according to their
generations.
8 The children of Gomer, according to their cities, were the Francum, who dwell in the
land of Franza, by the river Franza, by the river Senah.
9 The children of Rephath are the Bartonim, who dwell in the land of Bartonia by the river
Ledah, which empties its waters in the great sea Gihon, that is, oceanus.
10 The children of Tugarma are ten families, and these are their names: Buzar,
Parzunac, Balgar, Elicanum, Ragbib, Tarki, Bid, Zebuc, Ongal and Tilmaz; all these spread
and rested in the north, and built themselves cities.
11 They called their cities after their own names, those are they who abide by the rivers
Hithlah and Italac to this day.
12 But the families of Angoli, Balgar and Parzunac, they dwell by the great river Dubnee; and
the names of their cities are also according to their own names.
13 The children of Yavan are the Yavanim who dwell in the land of Makdonia, and the
children of Medaiare are the Orelum that dwell in the land of Curson, and the children of
Tubal are those that dwell in the land of Tuskanah by the river Pashiah.
14 The children of Meshech are the Shibashni and the children of Tiras are Rushash,
Cushni, and Ongolis; all these went and built themselves cities; those are the cities that are
situate by the sea Jabus by the river Cura, which empties itself in the river Tragan.
15 The children of Elishah are the Almanim, and they also went and built themselves
cities; those are the cities situate between the mountains of Job and Shibathmo. Of them
were the people of Lumbardi who dwell opposite the mountains of Job and Shibathmo, and
they conquered the land of Italia and remained there to this day.
16 The children of Kittim are the Romim who dwell in the valley of Canopia by the river
Tibreu.
17 The children of Dudonim are those who dwell in the cities of the sea Gihon, in the land
of Bordna.
18 These are the families of the children of Yahphet according to their cities and languages,
when they were scattered after the tower, and they called their cities after their names and
occurrences. These are the names of all their cities according to their families, which they
built in those days after the tower.
19 The children of Ham were Cush, Mitzraim, Phut, and Canaan, according to their
generation and cities.
20 All these went and built themselves cities as they found fit places for them, and they
called their cities after the names of their fathers Cush, Mitzraim, Phut, and Canaan.
21 The children of Mitzraim are the Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuchim, Pathrusim,
Casluchim, and Caphturim [Philistines], seven families.
22 All these dwell by the river Sihor, that is the brook of Egypt. They built themselves
cities and called them after their own names.
23 The children of Pathros and Casloch intermarried together, and from them went forth
the Pelishtim, the Azathim, and the Gerarim, the Githim, and the Ekronim, in all five families.
These also built themselves cities, and they called their cities after the names of their fathers
to this day.
24 The children of Canaan also built themselves cities, and they called their cities after
their names, eleven cities and others without number.
25 Four men from the family of Ham went to the land of the plain; these are the names of
the four men, Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboyim.
26 These men built themselves four cities in the land of the plain, and they called the
names of their cities after their own names.
27 They, their children, and all belonging to them, dwelt in those cities. They were
fruitful, multiplied greatly, and dwelt peaceably.
28 Seir the son of Hur, son of Hivi, son of Canaan, went and found a valley opposite to
Mount Paran. He built a city there, and he and his seven sons and his household dwelt
there. He called the city which he built Seir, according to his name; that is the land of Seir
to this day.
29 These are the families of the children of Ham, according to their languages and cities,
when they were scattered to their countries after the tower.
30 Some of the children of Shem son of Noah, father of all the children of Eber [Hebrews], also
went and built themselves cities in the places wherein they were scattered, and they called
their cities after their names.
31 The sons of Shem were Elam, Ashur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. They built
themselves cities, and called the names of all their cities after their names.
32 Ashur son of Shem and his children and household went forth at that time, a very
large body of them, and they went to a distant land that they found, and they met with a very
extensive valley in the land that they went to, and they built themselves four cities, and they
called them after their own names and occurrences.
33 These are the names of the cities which the children of Ashur [Assyria] built, Ninevah, Resen,
Calach, and Rehobother; and the children of Ashur dwell there to this day.
34 The children of Aram [Syria] also went and built themselves a city, and they called the name
of the city Uz after their eldest brother, and they dwell therein; that is the land of Uz to this
day.
35 In the second year after the tower a man from the house of Ashur, whose name was
Bela, went from the land of Ninevah to sojourn with his household wherever he could find a
place. They came until opposite the cities of the plain against Sodom, and they dwelt
there.
36 The man rose up, built there a small city, and called its name Bela, after his name;
that is the land of Zoar to this day.
37 These are the families of the children of Shem according to their language and cities,
after they were scattered upon the earth after the tower.
38 Every kingdom, city, and family of the families of the children of Noah built
themselves many cities after this.
39 They established governments in all their cities, in order to be regulated by their
orders. So did all the families of the children of Noah forever.
CHAPTER 11:1 Nimrod son of Cush was still in the land of
Shinar [they still spoke the original Sumerian language]. He reigned over it, dwelt there, and he built
cities in the land of Shinar.
2 These are the names of the four cities which he built, and he called their names after
the occurrences that happened to them in the building of the tower.
3 He called the first Babel, saying: Because Yahwah there confounded the language of
the whole earth. The name of the second he called Erech [Uruk of Gilgamesh], because from there Yahwah
dispersed them.
4 The third he called Eched, saying there was a great battle at that place. The fourth
he called Calnah, because his princes and mighty men were consumed there. They
vexed Yahwah, they rebelled and transgressed against Him.
5 When Nimrod had built these cities in the land of Shinar, he placed the
remainder of his people in them, his princes and his mighty men that were left in his kingdom.
6 Nimrod dwelt in Babel, and there he renewed his reign over the rest of his subjects.
He reigned securely, but the subjects and princes of Nimrod called his name Amraphel,
saying that at the tower his princes and men fell through his means.
7 Notwithstanding this, Nimrod did not return to Yahwah, he continued in
wickedness, and teaching wickedness to the sons of men. Mardon, his son, was worse
than his father, and continued to add to the abominations of his father.
8 He caused the sons of men to sin, therefore it is said: From the wicked goes forth
wickedness.
9 At that time there was war between the families of the children of Ham, as they were
dwelling in the cities which they had built.
10 Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, went away from the families of the children of Ham.
He fought with them, and he subdued them. He went to the five cities of the plain, he
fought against them, he subdued them, and they were under his control.
11 They served him twelve years, and they gave him a yearly tax.
12 At that time Nahor died, son of Serug, in the forty-ninth year of the life of Abram son of
Terah.
13 In the fiftieth year of the life of Abram son of Terah, Abram came forth from the house
of Noah, and went to his father's house.
14 Abram knew Yahwah, he went in His ways and instructions, and Yahwah his
Father was with him.
15 Terah his father was in those days still captain of the host of king Nimrod, and he still
followed strange gods.
16 Abram came to his father's house, saw twelve gods standing there in their
temples, and the anger of Abram was kindled when he saw these images in his father's house.
17 Abram said: As Yahwah lives these images will not remain in my father's house, so
will Yahwah who created me do to me if in three days time I do not break them all.
18 Abram went from them, and his anger burned within him. Abram hastened and
went from the chamber to his father's outer court. He found his father sitting in the court,
all his servants with him, so Abram came and sat before him.
19 Abram asked his father, saying: Father, tell me where is Yahwah who created heaven
and earth, all the sons of men upon earth, and who created you and me? Terah
answered his son Abram, and said: Behold those who created us are all with us in the house.
20 Abram said to his father: My lord, show them to me I pray you. Terah brought
Abram into the chamber of the inner court. Abram saw, and behold the whole room was
full of gods of wood and stone, twelve great images, and others less than they without number.
21 Terah said to his son: Behold, these are they which made all you see upon earth,
which created me and you, and all mankind.
22 Terah bowed down to his gods, and then he went away from them. Abram, his
son, went away with him.
23 When Abram went from them he went to his mother, sat before her, and he
said to his mother: Behold, my father showed me those who made heaven and earth, and
all the sons of men.
24 Now, therefore, hasten and fetch a kid from the flock. Make of it savory meat, that I
may bring it to my father's gods as an offering for them to eat. Perhaps I may thereby
become acceptable to them.
25 His mother did so. She fetched a kid, made savory meat thereof, and brought
it to Abram. Abram took the savory meat from his mother, brought it before his
father's gods, and he drew near to them that they might eat. Terah his father did not
know of it.
26 Abram saw, on the day when he was sitting among them, that they had no voice, no
hearing, no motion, and not one of them could stretch forth his hand to eat.
27 Abram mocked them, and said: Surely the savory meat that I prepared does not
please them, or perhaps it is too little for them, and for that reason they would not eat.
Therefore tomorrow I will prepare fresh savory meat, better and more plentiful than this, in
order that I may see the result.
28 It was on the next day that Abram directed his mother concerning the savory meat.
His mother rose, fetched three fine kids from the flock, and she made of them some
excellent savory meat, such as her son was fond of. She gave it to her son Abram, and
Terah his father did not know of it.
29 Abram took the savory meat from his mother, and brought it before his father's gods
into the chamber. He came near to them that they might eat, and he placed it before
them. Abram sat before them all day, thinking perhaps they might eat.
30 Abram viewed them, and behold, they had neither voice nor hearing, nor did one of
them stretch forth his hand to the meat to eat.
31 In the evening of that day in that house Abram was clothed with the spirit of Yahwah.
32 He called out, and said: Woe to my father and this wicked generation, whose hearts
are all inclined to vanity, who serve these idols of wood and stone which can neither eat,
smell, hear, nor speak, who have mouths without speech, eyes without sight, ears without
hearing, hands without feeling, and legs which cannot move. Like them are those who made
them, and who trust in them.
33 When Abram saw all these things his anger was kindled against his father. He
hastened, took a hatchet in his hand, came to the chamber of the gods, and he
broke all his father's gods.
34 When he was done breaking the images, he placed the hatchet in the hand of the
great god which was there before them, and he went out. Terah his father came home,
for he had heard at the door the sound of the striking of the hatchet, so Terah came into the
house to know what this was about.
35 Terah, having heard the noise of the hatchet in the room of images, ran to the room
to the images, and he met Abram going out.
36 Terah entered the room, found all the idols fallen down and broken, and the
hatchet in the hand of the largest, which was not broken, and the savory meat which Abram
his son had made was still before them.
37 When Terah saw this his anger was greatly kindled, he hastened, and went from
the room to Abram.
38 He found Abram his son still sitting in the house, and he said to him: What is this work
you did to my gods?
39 Abram answered Terah his father, and he said: Not so my lord, for I brought savory
meat before them, and when I came near to them with the meat that they might eat, they all
at once stretched forth their hands to eat before the great one had put forth his hand to eat.
40 The large one saw their works that they did before him, and his anger was violently
kindled against them. He went, took the hatchet that was in the house, came to
them, broke them all, and behold, the hatchet is yet in his hand as you see.
41 Terah's anger was kindled against his son Abram when he spoke this. Terah
said to Abram his son in his anger: What is this tale that you have told? You speak lies to me.
42 Is there in these gods spirit, soul, or power, to do all you told me? Are they not wood
and stone, and did I not make them myself, and can you speak such lies, saying that the
large god that was with them smote them? It is you that did place the hatchet in his hands,
and then said he smote them all.
43 Abram answered his father, and said to him: How can you then serve these
idols in whom there is no power to do any thing? Can those idols in which you trust
deliver you? Can they hear your prayers when you call upon them? Can they deliver you
from the hands of your enemies, or will they fight your battles for you against your enemies, that
you should serve wood and stone which can neither speak nor hear?
44 Now surely it is not good for you, nor for the sons of men that are connected with
you, to do these things. Are you so silly, so foolish, or so short of understanding that you will
serve wood and stone, and do after this manner?
45 You forget Yahwah who made heaven and earth, who created you in the earth,
and thereby bring a great evil upon your souls in this matter by serving stone and wood.
46 Did our fathers in days of old not sin in this matter, and Yahwah [An] of the universe
brought the waters of the flood upon them, and destroyed the whole earth?
47 How can you continue to do this, serve gods of wood and stone, who cannot
hear, or speak, or deliver you from oppression, thereby bringing down the anger of the Father
of the universe upon you?
48 Now therefore, my father, refrain from this, do not bring evil upon your soul and the souls of
your household.
49 Abram hastened, sprang from before his father, took the hatchet from his
father's largest idol, with which Abram broke it, and ran away.
50 Terah, seeing all that Abram did, hastened to go from his house, and he went
to the king. He came before Nimrod, stood before him, and he bowed down to the
king. The king said: What did you want?
51 He said: I beg you my lord, to hear me. Now fifty years back a child was born to
me, and thus has he done to my gods, and thus has he spoken. And now therefore, my lord
and king, send for him that he may come before you, and judge him according to the law,
that we may be delivered from his evil.
52 The king sent three men of his servants, and they went and brought Abram before the
king. Nimrod and all his princes and servants were that day sitting before him, and
Terah sat also before them.
53 The king said to Abram: What is this that you did to your father, and to his gods?
Abram answered the king in the words that he spoke to his father, and he said: The
large god that was with them in the house did to them what you heard.
54 The king said to Abram: Had they power to speak, eat, and do as you said?
Abram answered the king, saying: If there is no power in them why do you serve
them, and cause the sons of men to err through your follies?
55 Did you imagine that they can deliver you, or do anything small or great, that you
should serve them? Why will you not sense the Father of the whole universe, who
created you, and in whose power it is to kill and keep alive?
56 O foolish, simple, and ignorant king, woe to you forever.
57 I thought you would teach your servants the upright way, but you did not do this. You
have filled the whole earth with your sins, and the sins of your people who follow your ways.
58 Did you not know, or have you not heard, that this evil which you do, our ancestors
sinned therein in days of old, and the eternal Yahwah brought the waters of the flood upon them
and destroyed them all, and also destroyed the whole earth on their account? Will you
and your people rise up now and do like to this work, in order to bring down the anger of the
Creator of the universe, to bring evil upon you and the whole earth?
59 Now therefore put away this evil deed which you do, and serve the Father of the
universe, as your soul is in His hands, and then it will be well with you.
60 If your wicked heart will not hearken to my words to cause you to forsake your evil
ways, and to serve the eternal Yahwah, then you will die in shame in the latter days, you, your
people, and all who are connected with you, hearing your words or walking in your evil ways.
61 When Abram ceased speaking before the king and princes, Abram lifted up his
eyes to the heavens, and he said: Yahwah sees all the wicked, and He will judge them.
CHAPTER 12:1 When the king heard the words of Abram he
ordered him to be put into prison, and Abram was in prison ten days.
2 At the end of those days the king ordered that all the kings, princes, governors of
different provinces, and the sages, should come before him. They sat before him, and
Abram was still in the house of confinement.
3 The king said to the princes and sages: Did you hear what Abram, the son of Terah,
did to his father? Thus did he do to him, and I ordered him to be brought before me,
and thus he spoke. His heart did not misgive him, neither did he stir in my presence.
Behold, now he is confined in the prison.
4 Therefore decide what judgment is due to this man who reviled the king, who spoke
and did all the things that you heard.
5 They all answered the king, saying: The man who reviled the king should be hanged
upon a tree. But having done all the things that he said, and having despised our gods, he
must therefore be burned to death, for this is the law in this matter.
6 If it pleases the king to do this, let him order his servants to kindle a fire both night and day
in your brick furnace, and then we will cast this man into it. The king did so, he
commanded his servants that they should prepare a fire for three days and three nights in
the king's furnace, that is in Casdim. The king ordered them to take Abram from prison,
and bring him out to be burned.
7 All the king's servants, princes, lords, governors, judges, and all the inhabitants of
the land, about nine hundred thousand men, stood opposite the furnace to see Abram.
8 All the women and little ones crowded upon the roofs and towers to see what was
doing with Abram, and they all stood together at a distance. There was not a man left that
did not come on that day to behold the scene.
9 When Abram came, the conjurors of the king and the sages saw Abram, and they
cried out to the king, saying: Our sovereign lord, surely this is the man whom we know to
be the child at whose birth the great star swallowed the four stars, which we declared
to the king now fifty years since.
10 Behold, now his father has also transgressed your commands, and mocked you by
bringing you another child, which you did kill.
11 When the king heard their words, he was exceedingly angry, and he ordered Terah to
be brought before him.
12 The king said: Did you hear what the conjurors said? Now tell me truly,
how did you, and if you will speak truth you will be acquitted.
13 Seeing that the king's anger was so much kindled, Terah said to the king: My lord and
king, you heard the truth, and what the sages spoke is right. The king said:
How could you do this thing, to transgress my orders, to give me a child that you did
not beget, and to take value for him?
14 Terah answered the king: Because my tender feelings were excited for my son, at
that time, I took a son of my handmaid, and I brought him to the king.
15 The king said: Who advised you to this? Tell me, do not hide anything from me, and then
you will not die.
16 Terah was greatly terrified in the king's presence, and he said to the king: It was
Haran my eldest son who advised me to this. Haran was two and thirty years old in those days when Abram was born.
17 But Haran did not advise his father to anything, for Terah said this to the king in order to
deliver his soul from the king, for he feared greatly. The king said to Terah: Haran your son
who advised you to this will die through fire with Abram, for the sentence of death is upon
him for rebelling against the king's desire in doing this thing.
18 Haran at that time felt inclined to follow the ways of Abram, but he kept it within
himself.
19 Haran said in his heart: Behold, now the king has seized Abram on account of these
things which Abram did, and it will come to pass, that if Abram prevail over the king I will
follow him, but if the king prevail I will go after the king.
20 When Terah had spoken this to the king concerning Haran his son, the king ordered
Haran to be seized with Abram.
21 They brought them both, Abram and Haran his brother, to cast them into the fire.
All the inhabitants of the land, the king's servants, princes, all the women, and little
ones, were there standing over them that day.
22 The king's servants took Abram and his brother, and they stripped them of all their
clothes excepting their lower garments which were upon them.
23 They bound their hands and feet with linen cords. The servants of the king lifted
them up, and cast them both into the furnace.
24 Yahwah loved Abram, and He had compassion over him. Yahwah came down,
delivered Abram from the fire, and he was not burned.
25 But all the cords with which they bound him were burned, while Abram remained and
walked about in the fire.
26 Haran died when they cast him into the fire, and he was burned to ashes, for his
heart was not perfect with Yahwah. Those men who cast him into the fire, the flame of
the fire spread over them, and they were burned: twelve men of them died.
27 Abram walked in the middle of the fire three days and three nights. All the
servants of the king saw him walking in the fire, so they came and told the king, saying:
Behold, we saw Abram walking about in the middle of the fire, and even the lower
garments which are upon him are not burned, but the cord with which he was bound is burned.
28 When the king heard their words his heart fainted, and he would not believe them, so
he sent other faithful princes to see this matter. They went, saw it, and told it to the
king. The king rose to go and see it, and he saw Abram walking to and fro in the middle of
the fire. He saw Haran's body burned, and the king wondered greatly.
29 The king ordered Abram to be taken out from the fire. His servants approached to
take him out and they could not, for the fire was round about, and the flame ascending toward
them from the furnace.
30 The king's servants fled from it, and the king rebuked them, saying: Make haste,
bring Abram out of the fire that you will not die.
31 The servants of the king again approached to bring Abram out, but the flames came
upon them and burned their faces so that eight of them died.
32 When the king saw that his servants could not approach the fire lest they should be
burned, the king called to Abram: O servant of Yahwah who is in heaven, go forth from
amid the fire, and come here before me. Abram hearkened to the voice of the king,
he went forth from the fire, came, and stood before the king.
33 When Abram came out the king and all his servants saw Abram coming before the
king, with his lower garments upon him, for they were not burned, but the cord with which he
was bound was burned.
34 The king said to Abram: How is it that you were not burned in the fire?
35 Abram said to the king: Yahwah, Father of heaven and earth, in whom I trust and who has all
in His power, He delivered me from the fire into which you did cast me.
36 Haran the brother of Abram was burned to ashes; they sought for his body, and
they found it consumed.
37 Haran was eighty-two years old when he died in the fire of Casdim. The king,
princes, and inhabitants of the land, seeing that Abram was delivered from the fire, they
came and bowed down to Abram.
38 Abram said to them: Do not bow down to me, but bow down to Yahwah, Father of the earth,
who made you. Serve Him, and go in His ways. For it is He who delivered me from out of
this fire, it is He who created the souls and spirits of all men, formed man in his
mother's womb, brought him forth into the world, and it is He who will deliver those who
trust in Him from all pain.
39 This thing seemed very wonderful in the eyes of the king and princes, that Abram was
saved from the fire, but Haran was burned. The king gave Abram many presents, and
he gave him his two head servants from the king's house; the name of one was Oni and the
name of the other was Eliezer.
40 All the kings, princes, and servants gave Abram many gifts of silver, gold, and
pearl. The king and his princes sent him away, and he went in peace.
41 Abram went forth from the king in peace, and many of the king's servants followed
him, and about three hundred men joined him.
42 Abram returned on that day and went to his father's house, he and the men who
followed him. Abram served Yahwah his Father all the days of his life, he walked in His
ways, and followed His law.
43 From that day forward Abram inclined the hearts of the sons of men to serve Yahwah.
44 At that time Nahor and Abram took wives to themselves, the daughters of their
brother Haran. The wife of Nahor was Milca, and the name of Abram's wife was Sarai.
Sarai, wife of Abram, was barren; she had no offspring in those days.
45 At the expiration of two years from Abram's going out of the fire, that is in the fiftysecond
year of his life, behold, king Nimrod sat in Babel upon the throne. The king fell
asleep, and dreamed that he was standing with his troops and hosts in a valley opposite the
king's furnace.
46 He lifted up his eyes and saw a man in the likeness of Abram coming forth from the
furnace, and that he came and stood before the king with his drawn sword, and then sprang
to the king with his sword, when the king fled from the man, for he was afraid. While he
was running, the man threw an egg upon the king's head, and the egg became a great river.
47 The king dreamed that all his troops sank in that river and died, but the king took
flight with three men who were before him, and he escaped.
48 The king looked at these men, they were clothed in princely dresses as the
garments of kings, and had the appearance and majesty of kings.
49 While they were running, the river again turned to an egg before the king, and there
came forth from the egg a young bird which came before the king, flew at his head, and
plucked out the king's eye.
50 The king was grieved at the sight. He awoke out of his sleep, his spirit was
agitated, and he felt a great terror.
51 In the morning the king rose from his couch in fear, and he ordered all the wise men
and magicians to come before him, when the king related his dream to them.
52 A wise servant of the king, whose name was Anuki [Anunnaki], answered the king, saying: This
is nothing else but the evil of Abram and his seed which will spring up against my lord and
king in the latter days.
53 Behold, the day will come when Abram, his seed, and the children of his household,
will war with my king, and they will smite all the king's hosts, and his troops.
54 As to what you said concerning three men which you did see like to
yourself, and which did escape; this means that only you will escape with three kings from the
kings of the earth who will be with you in battle.
55 That which you saw of the river which turned to an egg as at first, and the young
bird plucking out your eye; this means nothing else but the seed of Abram which will slay the
king in latter days.
56 This is my king's dream, and this is its interpretation. The dream is true, and the
interpretation which your servant gave you is right.
57 Now therefore my king, surely you know that it is now fifty-two years since your sages
saw this at the birth of Abram, and if my king will allow Abram to live in the earth it will be to
the injury of my lord and king, for all the days that Abram lives neither you nor your kingdom
will be established, for this was known formerly at his birth. Why will my king not slay
him, that his evil may be kept from you in latter days?
58 Nimrod hearkened to the voice of Anuki. He sent some of his servants in secret
to go and seize Abram, and bring him before the king to suffer death.
59 Eliezer, Abram's servant whom the king gave him, was at that time in the
presence of the king. He heard what Anuki advised the king, and what the king
said to cause Abram's death.
60 Eliezer said to Abram: Hasten, rise up, and save your soul, that you may not die
through the hands of the king, for thus did he see in a dream concerning you, and thus did
Anuki interpret it, and thus also did Anuki advise the king concerning you.
61 Abram hearkened to the voice of Eliezer. Abram hastened, and ran for safety to
the house of Noah and his son Shem. He concealed himself there, and found a place of
safety. The king's servants came to Abram's house to seek him, but they could not find
him. They searched throughout the country, but he was not to be found. They went
and searched in every direction, and he was not to be met with.
62 When the king's servants could not find Abram they returned to the king, but the
king's anger against Abram was stilled, as they did not find him, so the king drove this
matter concerning Abram from his mind.
63 Abram was concealed in Noah's house for one month, until the king forgot
this matter, but Abram was still afraid of the king. Terah came to see Abram his son
secretly in the house of Noah, and Terah was very great in the eyes of the king.
64 Abram said to his father: Did you not know that the king thinks to slay me, and to
annihilate my name from the earth by the advice of his wicked counsellors?
65 Now whom do you have here, and what do you have in this land? Arise, let us go together to the
land of Canaan, that we may be delivered from his hand, lest you perish also through him in
the latter days.
66 Did you not know, or have you not heard, that it is not through love Nimrod gives
you all this honor, but it is only for his benefit that he bestows all this good upon you?
67 If he do to you greater good than this, surely these are only vanities of the world,
for wealth and riches cannot avail in the day of wrath and anger.
68 Now therefore hearken to my voice. Let us arise and go to the land of Canaan, out of
the reach of injury from Nimrod. Serve Yahwah who created you in the earth, and it
will be well with you. Cast away all the vain things which you pursue.
69 Abram ceased to speak, then Noah and his son Shem answered Terah, saying:
True is the word which Abram said to you.
70 Terah hearkened to the voice of his son Abram. Terah did all that Abram said,
for this was from Yahwah, that the king should not cause Abram's death.
CHAPTER 13:1 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot,
the son of Haran, Sarai his
daughter-in-law, the wife of his son Abram, all the souls of his household, and went with
them from Ur Casdim to go to the land of Canaan. When they came as far as the land of
Haran they remained there, for it was exceedingly good land for pasture, and of sufficient
extent for those who accompanied them.
2 The people of the land of Haran saw that Abram was good and upright with Yahwah and
men, and that Yahwah his Father was with him. Some of the people of the land of Haran
came and joined Abram. He taught them the instruction of Yahwah, and His ways.
These men remained with Abram in his house, and they adhered to him.
3 Abram remained in the land three years. At the expiration of three years Yahwah
appeared to Abram, and said to him: I am Yahwah who brought you forth from Ur Casdim,
and delivered you from the hands of all your enemies.
4 Now therefore, if you will hearken to my voice, keep my commandments, my
statutes, and my laws, then I will cause your enemies to fall before you. I will multiply your
seed like the stars of heaven, I will send my blessing upon all the works of your hands,
and you will lack nothing.
5 Arise now, take your wife and all belonging to you, go to the land of Canaan and remain
there. I will be to you for a Father there, and I will bless you. Abram rose, took
his wife and all belonging to him. He went to the land of Canaan as Yahwah told
him. Abram was fifty years old when he went from Haran.
6 Abram came to the land of Canaan and dwelt in the midst of the city. He
pitched his tent there among the children of Canaan, inhabitants of the land.
7 Yahwah appeared to Abram when he came to the land of Canaan, and said to him:
This is the land which I gave to you and to your seed after you forever. I will make your
seed like the stars of heaven, and I will give all the lands
which you see to your seed for an inheritance.
8 Abram built an altar in the place where Yahwah spoke to him, and Abram
called upon the Name of Yahwah there.
9 At that time, at the end of three years of Abram's dwelling in the land of Canaan, in that
year Noah died, which was the fifty-eighth year of the life of Abram. All the days that
Noah lived were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died.
10 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, he, his wife, all belonging to him, and all
those that accompanied him, together with those that joined him from the people of the land.
But Nahor, Abram's brother, Terah his father, Lot the son of Haran, and all belonging
to them dwelt in Haran.
11 In the fifth year of Abram's dwelling in the land of Canaan the people of Sodom,
Gomorrah, and all the cities of the plain revolted from the power of Chedorlaomer, king of
Elam. All the kings of the cities of the plain had served Chedorlaomer for twelve years,
and given him a yearly tax, but in those days in the thirteenth year, they rebelled against him.
12 In the tenth year of Abram's dwelling in the land of Canaan there was war between
Nimrod king of Shinar and Chedorlaomer king of Elam. Nimrod came to fight with
Chedorlaomer, to subdue him.
13 For Chedorlaomer was at that time one of the princes of the hosts of Nimrod. When
all the people at the tower were dispersed, and those that remained were also scattered upon
the face of the earth, Chedorlaomer went to the land of Elam, reigned over it, and rebelled
against his lord.
14 In those days when Nimrod saw that the cities of the plain rebelled, he came with
pride and anger to war with Chedorlaomer. Nimrod assembled all his princes and
subjects, about seven hundred thousand men, and went against Chedorlaomer.
Chedorlaomer went out to meet him with five thousand men, and they prepared for battle in
the valley of Babel which is between Elam and Shinar.
15 All those kings fought there. Nimrod and his people were smitten before the
people of Chedorlaomer, and there fell from Nimrod's men about six hundred thousand, and
Mardon the king's son fell among them.
16 Nimrod fled, and returned in shame and disgrace to his land. He was under
subjection to Chedorlaomer for a long time. Chedorlaomer returned to his land, and sent
princes of his host to the kings that dwelt around him, to Arioch king of Elasar, and to Tidal
king of Goyim, and made a covenant with them, and they were all obedient to his commands.
17 It was in the fifteenth year of Abram's dwelling in the land of Canaan, which is the
seventieth year of the life of Abram, Yahwah appeared to Abram in that year. He said
to him: I am Yahwah who brought you out from Ur Casdim to give you this land for an
inheritance.
18 Now therefore walk before me, be perfect, and keep my commands. I give this land to you and to
your seed for an inheritance, from the river Mitzraim to the great river Euphrates.
19 And you will come to your fathers in peace and in good age, and the fourth generation
will return here in this land and will inherit it forever. Abram built an altar, he
called upon the Name of Yahwah who appeared to him, and he brought up sacrifices upon
the altar to Yahwah.
20 At that time Abram returned and went to Haran to see his father and mother, and his
father's household. Abram, his wife, and all belonging to him returned to Haran, and
Abram dwelt in Haran five years.
21 And many of the people of Haran, about seventy-two men, followed Abram. Abram
taught them the instruction of Yahwah, His ways, and he taught them to know Yahwah.
22 In those days Yahwah appeared to Abram in Haran, and He said to him: Behold, I spoke
to you these twenty years back saying:
23 Go forth from your land, from your birth-place, from your father's house, to the land which I
show you to give it to you and to your children, for there in that land I will bless you,
make you a great nation, make your name great, and in you the families of the
earth will be blessed.
24 Now therefore arise, go forth from this place, you, your wife, all belonging to you, also
everyone born in your house, and all the souls you have made in Haran. Bring them out
with you from here, and rise to return to the land of Canaan.
25 Abram arose, took his wife Sarai, all belonging to him, all that were born
to him in his house, the souls which they had made in Haran, and they came out to go to
the land of Canaan.
26 Abram went, and returned to the land of Canaan, according to the Word of Yahwah.
Lot the son of his brother Haran went with him, and Abram was seventy-five years old
when he went forth from Haran to return to the land of Canaan.
27 He came to the land of Canaan according to the Word of Yahwah to Abram. He
pitched his tent and he dwelt in the plain of Mamre, with him was Lot his brother's son,
and all belonging to him.
28 Yahwah again appeared to Abram, and said: To your seed I give this land. He
built an altar there to Yahwah who appeared to him, which is still to this day in the plains of Mamre.
CHAPTER 14:1 In those days there was in the land of Shinar
a wise man who had understanding in all
wisdom, and of a beautiful appearance, but he was poor and indigent. His name was Rikayon,
and he was hard set to support himself.
2 He resolved to go to Egypt, to Oswiris the son of Anom king of Egypt, to show the king
his wisdom; for perhaps he might find grace in his sight, to raise him up and give him
maintenance. And Rikayon did so.
3 When Rikayon came to Egypt he asked the inhabitants of Egypt concerning the king,
and the inhabitants of Egypt told him the custom of the king of Egypt, for it was then the
custom of the king of Egypt that he went from his royal palace and was seen abroad only one
day in the year, and after that the king would return to his palace to remain there.
4 On the day when the king went forth he passed judgment in the land, and everyone
having a suit came before the king that day to obtain his request.
5 When Rikayon heard of the custom in Egypt and that he could not come into the
presence of the king, he grieved greatly, and was very sorrowful.
6 In the evening Rikayon went out and found a house in ruins, formerly a bake house in
Egypt. He abode there all night in bitterness of soul, pinched with hunger, and sleep
was removed from his eyes.
7 Rikayon considered within himself what he should do in the town until the king made
his appearance, and how he might maintain himself there.
8 He rose in the morning, walked about, and met in his way those who sold
vegetables and various sorts of seed with which they supplied the inhabitants.
9 Rikayon wished to do the same in order to get a maintenance in the city, but he was
unacquainted with the custom of the people, he was like a blind man among them.
10 He went and obtained vegetables to sell them for his support. The rabble
assembled about him, ridiculed him, took his vegetables from him, and left him nothing.
11 He rose up from there in bitterness of soul, went sighing to the bake house in
which he had remained all the night before, and he slept there the second night.
12 On that night again he reasoned within himself how he could save himself from
starvation, and he devised a scheme how to act.
13 He rose up in the morning and acted ingeniously. He went and hired thirty strong
men of the rabble, carrying their war instruments in their hands. He led them to the top of
the Egyptian sepulchre, and he placed them there.
14 He commanded them, saying: Thus says the king, Strengthen yourselves and be
valiant men. Let no man be buried here until two hundred pieces of silver are given, and
then he may be buried. Those men did according to the order of Rikayon to the people of
Egypt the whole of that year.
15 In eight months time Rikayon and his men gathered great riches of silver and gold.
Rikayon took a great quantity of horses and other animals, he hired more men,
he gave them horses, and they remained with him.
16 When the year came round, at the time the king went forth into the town, all the
inhabitants of Egypt assembled together to speak to him concerning the work of Rikayon and
his men.
17 The king went forth on the appointed day, so all the Egyptians came before him, and
cried to him, saying:
18 May the king live forever. What is this thing you do in the town to your servants, to not
allow a dead body to be buried until so much silver and gold is given? Was there ever the
like to this done in the whole earth, from the days of former kings, yea, even from the days
of Adam, to this day, that the dead could not be buried except for a set price?
19 We know it to be the custom of kings to take a yearly tax from the living, but you did not
only do this, but from the dead also you exact a tax day by day.
20 Now, O king, we can not bear this, for the whole city is ruined on this account, and
did you not know it?
21 When the king heard all they spoke he was very wroth, and his anger
burned within him at this affair, for he knew nothing of it.
22 The king said: Who and where is he who dares to do this wicked thing in my land
without my command? Surely you will tell me.
23 They told him all the works of Rikayon and his men, and the king's anger was
aroused. He ordered Rikayon and his men to be brought before him.
24 Rikayon took about a thousand children, sons and daughters, clothed them in
silk and embroidery, he set them upon horses, and sent them to the king by means of his
men. He also took a great quantity of silver, gold, precious stones, and a strong
and beautiful horse, as a present for the king, with which he came before the king, and bowed
down to the earth before him. The king, his servants and all the inhabitants of Egypt
wondered at the work of Rikayon, and they saw his riches and the present that he
brought to the king.
25 It greatly pleased the king, and he wondered at it. When Rikayon sat before him
the king asked him concerning all his works. Rikayon spoke all his words wisely before
the king, his servants, and all the inhabitants of Egypt.
26 When the king heard the words of Rikayon and his wisdom, Rikayon found grace in
his sight. He met with grace and kindness from all the servants of the king, and from all
the inhabitants of Egypt, on account of his wisdom and excellent speeches, and from that
time they loved him exceedingly.
27 The king answered, and said to Rikayon: Your name will not be called Rikayon,
but Pharaoh is your name, since you did exact a tax from the dead. He called his
name Pharaoh.
28 The king and his subjects loved Rikayon for his wisdom, and they consulted with all
the inhabitants of Egypt to make him prefect under the king.
29 All the inhabitants of Egypt and its wise men did so, and it was made a law in Egypt.
30 They made Rikayon Pharaoh prefect under Oswiris king of Egypt, and Rikayon
Pharaoh governed over Egypt, daily administering justice to the whole city, but Oswiris the
king would judge the people of the land one day in the year, when he went out to make his
appearance.
31 Rikayon Pharaoh cunningly usurped the government of Egypt, and he exacted a tax
from all the inhabitants of Egypt.
32 All the inhabitants of Egypt greatly loved Rikayon Pharaoh, and they made a decree
to call every king that should reign over them and their seed in Egypt, Pharaoh.
33 Therefore all the kings that reigned in Egypt from that time forward were called Pharaoh
to this day.
CHAPTER 15:1 In that year there was a heavy famine
throughout the land of Canaan, and the
inhabitants of the land could not remain on account of the famine for it was very grievous.
2 Abram and all belonging to him rose and went down to Egypt on account of the
famine. When they were at the brook Mitzraim they remained there some time to rest
from the fatigue of the road.
3 Abram and Sarai were walking at the border of the brook Mitzraim, and Abram beheld
his wife Sarai that she was very beautiful.
4 Abram said to his wife Sarai: Since Yahwah created you with such a beautiful
countenance, I am afraid of the Egyptians, lest they should slay me and take you away, for
the fear of Yahwah is not in these places.
5 Surely then you will do this: Say you are my sister to all that may ask you, in order that it
may be well with me, and that we may live, and not be put to death [he did not trust Yahwah to protect him].
6 Abram commanded the same to all those that came with him to Egypt on account of
the famine. Also his nephew Lot he commanded, saying: If the Egyptians ask you
concerning Sarai, say she is the sister of Abram.
7 And yet with all these orders Abram did not put confidence in them, but he took Sarai,
placed her in a chest, and concealed it among their vessels. For Abram was greatly
concerned about Sarai on account of the wickedness of the Egyptians.
8 Abram and all belonging to him rose up from the brook Mitzraim, and came to Egypt.
They had scarcely entered the gates of the city when the guards stood up to them, saying:
Give tithe to the king from what you have, and then you may come into the town. Abram
and those that were with him did so.
9 Abram with the people that were with him came to Egypt, and when they came they
brought the chest in which Sarai was concealed, and the Egyptians saw the chest.
10 The king's servants approached Abram, saying: What have you here in this chest
which we have not seen? Now open the chest and give tithe to the king of all that it
contains.
11 Abram said: This chest I will not open, but all you demand upon it I will give. And
Pharaoh's officers answered Abram, saying: It is a chest of precious stones, give us the tenth
thereof.
12 Abram said: All that you desire I will give, but you must not open the chest.
13 The king's officers pressed Abram, they reached the chest, opened it with
force, and they saw, behold, a beautiful woman was in the chest.
14 When the officers of the king beheld Sarai they were struck with admiration at her
beauty. All the princes and servants of Pharaoh assembled to see Sarai, for she was
very beautiful. The king's officers ran and told Pharaoh all that they saw, and they
praised Sarai to the king. Pharaoh ordered her to be brought, and the woman came
before the king.
15 Pharaoh beheld Sarai, and she pleased him exceedingly, he was struck with her
beauty. The king rejoiced greatly on her account, and made presents to those who
brought him the tidings concerning her.
16 The woman was then brought to Pharaoh's house. Abram grieved on account of
his wife, and he prayed to Yahwah to deliver her from the hands of Pharaoh.
17 Sarai also prayed at that time, and said: O Yahwah, you did tell my lord Abram to
go from his land and from his father's house to the land of Canaan, and you did promise to
do well with him if he would perform your commands. Now behold, we did that which
you did command us, we left our land and our families, and we went to a strange land,
to a people whom we did not know before.
18 We came to this land to avoid the famine, and this evil accident has befallen me. Now
therefore, O Yahwah, deliver us, save us from the hand of this oppressor, and do well
with me for the sake of your mercy.
19 Yahwah hearkened to the voice of Sarai, and Yahwah sent a malak to deliver Sarai
from the power of Pharaoh.
20 The king came and sat before Sarai. Behold, a malak of Yahwah was standing
over them, he appeared to Sarai, and said to her: Do not fear, for Yahwah heard your
prayer.
21 The king approached Sarai, and said to her: What is that man to you who brought
you here? She said: He is my brother.
22 The king said: It is incumbent upon us to make him great, to elevate him, and to do
to him all the good which you will command us. At that time the king sent to Abram
silver, gold, and precious stones in abundance, together with cattle, men servants, and
maid servants. The king ordered Abram to be brought, and he sat in the court of the
king's house, and the king greatly exalted Abram on that night.
23 The king approached to speak to Sarai, and he reached out his hand to touch her,
when the malak smote him heavily. He was terrified, and he refrained from reaching to her.
24 When the king came near to Sarai, the malak smote him to the ground, and acted thus
to him the whole night, so the king was terrified.
25 The malak smote heavily all the servants of the king on that night, and his whole
household, on account of Sarai, and there was a great lamentation that night among the
people of Pharaoh's house.
26 Pharaoh, seeing the evil that befell him, said: Surely on account of this woman has
this thing happened to me. He removed himself at some distance from her, and spoke
pleasing words to her.
27 The king said to Sarai: Tell me I pray you concerning the man with whom you
came here. Sarai said: This man is my husband. I said to you that he was my
brother for I was afraid, lest you should put him to death through wickedness.
28 The king kept away from Sarai, so the plagues of the malak of Yahwah ceased from
him and his household. Pharaoh knew that he was smitten on account of Sarai, and the
king was greatly astonished at this.
29 In the morning the king called for Abram, and said to him: What is this you did
to me? Why did you say: She is my sister? So I took her to me for a wife,
and this heavy plague has therefore come upon me and my household.
30 Now therefore here is your wife, take her, go from our land lest we all die on her
account. Pharaoh took more cattle, men servants, maid servants, silver, and
gold, to give to Abram, and he returned to him Sarai his wife.
31 The king took a maiden whom he begat by his concubines, and he gave her to Sarai
for a handmaid.
32 The king said to his daughter: It is better for you my daughter to be a handmaid in
this man's house than to be mistress in my house, after we have beheld the evil that befell us
on account of this woman.
33 Abram arose, and he and all belonging to him went away from Egypt. Pharaoh
ordered some of his men to accompany him, and all that went with him.
34 Abram returned to the land of Canaan, to the place where he had made the altar,
where he had pitched his tent at first.
35 Lot the son of Haran, Abram's brother, had a heavy stock of cattle, flocks, herds,
and tents, for Yahwah was bountiful to them on account of Abram.
36 When Abram was dwelling in the land the herdsmen of Lot quarrelled with the
herdsmen of Abram, for their property was too great for them to remain together in the land,
and the land could not bear them on account of their cattle.
37 When Abram's herdsmen went to feed their flock they would not go into the fields of
the people of the land, but the cattle of Lot's herdsmen did otherwise, for they were suffered
to feed in the fields of the people of the land.
38 The people of the land saw this occurrence daily, so they came to Abram and
quarrelled with him on account of Lot's herdsmen.
39 Abram said to Lot: What is this you are doing to me, to make me despicable to the
inhabitants of the land, that you order your herdsman to feed your cattle in the fields of other
people? Did you not know I am a stranger in this land among the children of Canaan,
and why will you do this to me?
40 Abram quarrelled daily with Lot on account of this, but Lot would not listen to Abram.
He continued to do the same, so the inhabitants of the land came and told Abram.
41 Abram said to Lot: How long will you be to me for a stumbling block with the
inhabitants of the land? Now I beg you, let there be no more quarrelling between us, for
we are kinsmen.
42 But I pray you separate from me, go and choose a place where you may dwell with
your cattle and all belonging to you, but keep yourself at a distance from me, you and your
household.
43 Do not be afraid in going from me, for if anyone do an injury to you, let me know, and I
will avenge your cause from him, only remove from me.
44 When Abram had spoken all these words to Lot, then Lot arose, and lifted up his eyes
toward the plain of Yordan.
45 He saw that the whole of this place was well watered, and good for man as well as
affording pasture for the cattle.
46 Lot went from Abram to that place, there he pitched his tent. He dwelt in
Sodom, and they were separated from each other.
47 Abram dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron. He pitched his tent there,
and Abram remained in that place many years.
CHAPTER 16:1 At that time Chedorlaomer king of Elam sent to
all the neighboring kings, to Nimrod, king of
Shinar who was then under his power, to Tidal king of Goyim, and to Arioch king of
Elasar, with whom he made a covenant, saying: Come up to me and assist me, that we may
smite all the towns of Sodom and its inhabitants, for they have rebelled against me these
thirteen years.
2 These four kings went up with all their camps, about eight hundred thousand men, and
they went as they were, and smote every man they found in their road.
3 The five kings of Sodom and Gomorrah (Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of
Zeboyim, Bera king of Sodom, Bersha king of Gomorrah, and Bela king of Zoar) went out to
meet them, and they all joined together in the valley of Siddim.
4 These nine kings made war in the valley of Siddim, and the kings of Sodom and
Gomorrah were smitten before the kings of Elam.
5 The valley of Siddim was full of lime pits. The kings of Elam pursued the kings of
Sodom. The kings of Sodom with their camps fled, and fell into the lime pits. All that
remained went to the mountain for safety. The five kings of Elam came after them,
pursued them to the gates of Sodom, and they took all that there was in Sodom.
6 They plundered all the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. They also took Lot, Abram's
brother's son, and his property. They seized all the goods of the cities of Sodom, and
they went away. Unic, Abram's servant, who was in the battle, saw this. He told Abram
all that the kings did to the cities of Sodom, and that Lot was taken captive by them.
7 Abram heard this, and he rose up with about three hundred and eighteen men that
were with him. That night he pursued these kings and smote them. They all fell before
Abram and his men, there was none remaining but the four kings who fled, and they
went each his own road.
8 Abram recovered all the property of Sodom, and he also recovered Lot and his
property, his wives and little ones and all belonging to him, so that Lot lacked nothing.
9 When he returned from smiting these kings, he and his men passed the valley of
Siddim where the kings had made war together.
10 Bera king of Sodom, and the rest of his men that were with him, went out from the
lime pits into which they had fallen, to meet Abram and his men.
11 Adonizedek [Lord of Righteousness] king of Yerusalem [Jerualem],
the same was Shem, went out with his men to meet
Abram and his people, with bread and wine, and they remained together in the Valley of Melech [Kings].
12 Adonizedek blessed Abram, and Abram gave him a tenth from all that he had
brought from the spoil of his enemies, for Adonizedek was a priest before Yahwah.
13 All the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah who were there, with their servants,
approached Abram and begged of him to return them their servants whom he had made
captive, and to take to himself all the property.
14 Abram answered the kings of Sodom, saying: As Yahwah lives who created heaven
and earth, who redeemed my soul from all affliction, who delivered me today from
my enemies, and gave them into my hand, I will not take anything belonging to you, so you
may not boast tomorrow, saying: Abram became rich from our property that he saved.
15 For Yahwah my Father in whom I trust said to me: You will lack nothing, for I will bless
you in all the works of your hands.
16 Now therefore, behold, here is all belonging to you, take it and go. As Yahwah lives I
will not take from you from a living soul down to a shoetie or thread, excepting the expense
of the food of those who went out with me to battle, as also the portions of the men who went
with me, Anar, Ashcol, and Mamre, they and their men, as well as those also who had
remained to watch the baggage, they will take their portion of the spoil.
17 The kings of Sodom gave Abram according to all he said, and they pressed
him to take of whatever he chose, but he would not.
18 He sent away the kings of Sodom and the remainder of their men, and he gave them
orders about Lot, so they went to their respective places.
19 Lot, his brother's son, he also sent away with his property, and he went with them.
Lot returned to his home, to Sodom. Abram and his people returned to their home to
the plains of Mamre, which is in Hebron.
20 At that time Yahwah again appeared to Abram in Hebron, and He said to him: Do not fear,
your reward is very great before me, for I will not leave you until I have multiplied you,
blessed you, and made your seed like the stars in heaven, which cannot be measured nor numbered.
21 I give to your seed all these lands that you see with your eyes, to them I
give them for an inheritance forever, only be strong and do not fear, walk before me and be perfect.
22 In the seventy-eighth year of the life of Abram, in that year Reu died, the son of
Peleg. All the days of Reu were two hundred and thirty-nine years, and he died.
23 Sarai, the daughter of Haran, Abram's wife, was still barren in those days. She did not
bear to Abram either son or daughter.
24 When she saw that she bore no children she took her handmaid Hagar, whom
Pharaoh gave her, and she gave her to Abram her husband for a wife.
25 For Hagar learned all the ways of Sarai as Sarai taught her, she was not in any way
deficient in following her good ways.
26 Sarai said to Abram: Behold, here is my handmaid Hagar. Go to her that she may
bring forth upon my knees, that I may obtain children through her.
27 At the end of ten years of Abram's dwelling in the land of Canaan, which is the eighty-fifth
year of Abram's life, Sarai gave Hagar to him.
28 Abram hearkened to the voice of his wife Sarai, and he took his handmaid Hagar.
Abram came to her, and she conceived.
29 When Hagar saw that she had conceived she rejoiced greatly, and her mistress was
despised in her eyes, and she said within herself: This can only be that I am better before
Yahwah than Sarai my mistress, for all the days that my mistress has been with my lord, she did
not conceive, but me Yahwah has caused in so short a time to conceive by him.
30 When Sarai saw that Hagar had conceived by Abram, Sarai was jealous of her
handmaid. Sarai said within herself: This is surely nothing else but that she must be
better than I am.
31 Sarai said to Abram: My wrong is upon you, for at the time when you did pray
before Yahwah for children why did you not pray on my account, that Yahwah should give
me seed from you?
32 When I speak to Hagar in your presence, she despises my words, because she has
conceived, and you will say nothing to her. May Yahwah judge between me and you for
what you did to me.
33 Abram said to Sarai: Behold your handmaid is in your hand, do to her as it may seem
good in your eyes. Sarai afflicted her, and Hagar fled from her to the wilderness.
34 A malak of Yahwah found her in the place where she had fled, by a well, and he said
to her: Do not fear, for I will multiply your seed, for you will bear a son. You will call his
name Ishmael. Now then, return to Sarai your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands.
35 Hagar called the place of that well Beer-lahai-roi, it is between Kadesh and the
wilderness of Bered.
36 Hagar at that time returned to her master's house, and at the end of days Hagar bore
a son to Abram. Abram called his name Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old
when he begat him.
CHAPTER 17:1 In those days, in the ninety-first year
of the life of Abram, the children of Kittim made
war with the children of Tubal. When Yahwah scattered the sons of men upon the
face of the earth, the children of Kittim went and embodied themselves in the plain of
Canopia. They built themselves cities there, and dwelt by the river Tibreu.
2 The children of Tubal dwelt in Tuscanah, and their boundaries reached the river Tibreu.
The children of Tubal built a city in Tuscanan, and they called the name Sabinah, after
the name of Sabinah son of Tubal their father, and they dwelt there to this day.
3 It was at that time the children of Kittim made war with the children of Tubal. The
children of Tubal were smitten before the children of Kittim, and the children of Kittim
caused three hundred and seventy men to fall from the children of Tubal.
4 At that time the children of Tubal swore to the children of Kittim, saying: You will not
intermarry among us, and no man will give his daughter to any of the sons of Kittim.
5 For all the daughters of Tubal were in those days fair, for no women were then found in the
whole earth so fair as the daughters of Tubal.
6 All who delighted in the beauty of women went to the daughters of Tubal and took
wives from them. The sons of men, kings and princes, who greatly delighted in the
beauty of women, took wives in those days from the daughters of Tubal.
7 At the end of three years after the children of Tubal had sworn to the children of
Kittim to not give them their daughters for wives, about twenty men of the children of Kittim
went to take some of the daughters of Tubal, but they found none.
8 For the children of Tubal kept their oaths to not intermarry with them, and they would not
break their oaths.
9 In the days of harvest the children of Tubal went into their fields to get in their harvest,
when the young men of Kittim assembled and went to the city of Sabinah. Each man
took a young woman from the daughters of Tubal, and they came to their cities.
10 The children of Tubal heard of it and they went to make war with them. They could
not prevail over them, for the mountain was exceedingly high from them, and when they saw
they could not prevail over them they returned to their land.
11 At the revolution of the year the children of Tubal went and hired about ten thousand
men from those cities that were near them, and they went to war with the children of Kittim.
12 The children of Tubal went to war with the children of Kittim, to destroy their land and
to distress them, and in this engagement the children of Tubal prevailed over the children of
Kittim. The children of Kittim, seeing that they were greatly distressed, lifted up the
children which they had had by the daughters of Tubal, upon the wall which had been built,
to be before the eyes of the children of Tubal.
13 The children of Kittim said to them: Have you come to make war with your own sons
and daughters, and have we not been considered your flesh and bones from that time till now?
14 When the children of Tubal heard this they ceased to make war with the children of
Kittim, and they went away.
15 They returned to their cities, and the children of Kittim at that time assembled and
built two cities by the sea, and they called one Purtu and the other Ariza.
16 Abram the son of Terah was then ninety-nine years old.
17 At that time Yahwah appeared to him, and He said to him: I make my covenant
between me and you, and I will greatly multiply your seed. This is the covenant which I
make between me and you, that every male child be circumcised, you and your seed after you.
18 At eight days old it will be circumcised, and this covenant will be in your flesh for an
everlasting covenant.
19 And now therefore your name will no more be called Abram but Abraham, and your wife
will no more be called Sarai but Sarah.
20 For I bless you both. I will multiply your seed after you that you will become a
great nation, and kings will come forth from you.
CHAPTER 18:1 Abraham rose and did all that Yahwah ordered
him. He took the men of his
household, and those bought with his money, and he circumcised them as Yahwah commanded him.
2 There was not one left whom he did not circumcise, and Abraham and his son Ishmael
were circumcised in the flesh of their foreskin. Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was
circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
3 In the third day Abraham went out of his tent and sat at the door to enjoy the heat of
the sun, during the pain of his flesh.
4 Yahwah appeared to him in the plain of Mamre, and sent three of His ministering
malaks to visit him. He was sitting at the door of the tent. He lifted his eyes and saw,
lo, three men were coming from a distance. He rose up, ran to meet them, he
bowed down to them, and brought them into his house.
5 He said to them: If now I have found favor in your sight, turn in and eat a morsel of
bread. He pressed them, and they turned in. He gave them water and they washed
their feet, and he placed them under a tree at the door of the tent.
6 Abraham ran and took a calf, tender and good. He hastened to kill it, and gave it to
his servant Eliezer to dress.
7 Abraham came to Sarah into the tent, and he said to her: Make ready quickly three
measures of fine meal, knead it and make cakes to cover the pot containing the meat, and
she did so.
8 Abraham hastened and brought before them butter and milk, beef and mutton, and
gave it before them to eat before the flesh of the calf was sufficiently done, and they ate.
9 When they were eating one of them said to him: I will return to you according to
the time of life, and Sarah your wife will have a son.
10 The men afterward departed and went their ways, to the places to which they were sent.
11 In those days all the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, and of the whole five cities, were
exceedingly wicked and sinful against Yahwah. They provoked Yahwah with their
abominations. They strengthened in aging abominably and scornfully before Yahwah,
and their wickedness and crimes were in those days great before Yahwah.
12 They had in their land a very extensive valley, about half a day's walk, and in it there
were fountains of water with a great deal of herbage surrounding the water.
13 All the people of Sodom and Gomorrah went there four times in the year, with their
wives and children and all belonging to them, and they rejoiced there with timbrels and dances.
14 In the time of rejoicing they would all rise and lay hold of their neighbor's wives, and
some, the virgin daughters of their neighbors, and they enjoyed them. Each man saw his
wife and daughter in the hands of his neighbor and did not say a word.
15 They did so from morning to night, and they afterward returned home each man to his
house and each woman to her tent. So they always did four times in the year.
16 Also when a stranger came into their cities and brought goods which he had purchased
with a view to dispose of there, the people of these cities would assemble (men, women and
children, young and old), go to the man, and take his goods by force, giving a little to each
man until there was an end to all the goods of the owner which he had brought into the land.
17 If the owner of the goods quarreled with them, saying: What is this work which you
did to me? They would approach to him one by one, and each would show him
the little which he took, and taunt him, saying: I only took that little which you did give me.
When he heard this from them all, he would arise and go from them in sorrow and
bitterness of soul, when they would all arise and go after him, and drive him out of the city
with great noise and tumult.
18 There was a man from the country of Elam who was leisurely going on the road,
seated upon his ass, which carried a fine mantle of diverse colors, and the mantle was bound
with a cord upon the ass.
19 The man was on his journey passing through the street of Sodom when the sun set in
the evening, and he remained there in order to abide during the night, but no one would let
him into his house. At that time there was in Sodom a wicked and mischievous man, one
skillful to do evil, and his name was Hedad.
20 He lifted up his eyes, and saw the traveler in the street of the city. He came to him,
and said: Where do you come from, and where do you go?
21 The man said to him: I am traveling from Hebron to Elam where I belong, and as I
passed the sun set. No one would allow me to enter his house, though I have bread and
water, also straw and provender for my ass, and am short of nothing.
22 Hedad answered, and said to him: All that you will want will be supplied by me,
but in the street you will not abide all night.
23 Hedad brought him to his house. He took off the mantle from the ass with the
cord, and brought them to his house. He gave the ass straw and provender while the
traveler ate and drank in Hedad's house, and he abode there that night.
24 In the morning the traveler rose up early to continue his journey, when Hedad said to
him: Wait, comfort your heart with a morsel of bread and then go, and the man did so. He
remained with him, and they both ate and drank together during the day, when the man rose
up to go.
25 Hedad said to him: Behold, now the day is declining, you had better remain all night
that your heart may be comforted. He pressed him so that he tarried there all night. On
the second day he rose up early to go away, when Hedad pressed him, saying: Comfort your
heart with a morsel of bread, and then go. He remained, ate with him also the second
day, and then the man rose up to continue his journey.
26 Hedad said to him: Behold now the day is declining, remain with me to comfort your
heart, and in the morning rise up early and go your way.
27 The man would not remain, but rose and saddled his ass. While he was saddling
his ass the wife of Hedad said to her husband: Behold this man has remained with us for two
days eating and drinking, and he has given us nothing, and now will he go away from us
without giving anything? Hedad said to her: Be silent.
28 The man saddled his ass to go, and he asked Hedad to give him the cord and mantle
to tie it upon the ass.
29 Hedad said to him: What did you say? He said to him: That you my lord will
give me the cord and the mantle made with diverse colors which you did conceal with you
in your house to take care of it.
30 Hedad answered the man, saying: This is the interpretation of your dream, the cord
which you did see, means that your life will be lengthened out like a cord, and having seen
the mantle colored with all sorts of colors, means that you will have a vineyard in which
you will plant trees of all fruits.
31 The traveler answered, saying: Not so my lord, for I was awake when I gave you the
cord and also a mantle woven with different colors, which you did take off the ass to put
them by for me. Hedad answered, and said: Surely I told you the interpretation of
your dream, it is a good dream, and this is the interpretation thereof.
32 Now the sons of men give me four pieces of silver, which is my charge for interpreting
dreams, and of you only I require three pieces of silver.
33 The man was provoked at the words of Hedad, and he cried bitterly. He brought
Hedad to Serak judge of Sodom.
34 The man laid his cause before Serak the judge, when Hedad replied, saying: It is not
so, but thus the matter stands. The judge said to the traveler: This man Hedad tells
you truth, for he is famed in the cities for the accurate interpretation of dreams.
35 The man cried at the word of the judge, and he said: Not so my lord, for it was in the
day that I gave him the cord and mantle which was upon the ass, in order to put them by in
his house. They both disputed before the judge, the one saying: Thus the matter was.
The other declaring otherwise.
36 Hedad said to the man: Give me four pieces of silver that I charge for my
interpretations of dreams, I will not make any allowance. And give me the expense of the four
meals that you ate in my house.
37 The man said to Hedad: Truly I will pay you for what I ate in your house, only give me
the cord and mantle which you did conceal in your house.
38 Hedad replied before the judge, and said to the man: Did I not tell you the
interpretation of your dream? The cord means that your days will be prolonged like a cord, and
the mantle, that you will have a vineyard in which you will plant all kinds of fruit trees.
39 This is the proper interpretation of your dream, now give me the four pieces of silver that I
require as a compensation, for I will make you no allowance.
40 The man cried at the words of Hedad, and they both quarreled before the judge.
The judge gave orders to his servants, who drove them rashly from the house.
41 They went away quarreling from the judge, when the people of Sodom heard them.
They gathered about them, they exclaimed against the stranger, and they drove him
rashly from the city.
42 The man continued his journey upon his ass with bitterness of soul, lamenting and
weeping.
43 While he was going along he wept at what had happened to him in the corrupt city of
Sodom.
CHAPTER 19:1 The cities of Sodom had four judges to four
cities, and these were their names, Serak
in the city of Sodom, Sharkad in Gomorrah, Zabnac in Admah, and Menon in Zeboyim.
2 Eliezer Abraham's servant applied different names to them; he converted Serak to
Shakra, Sharkad to Shakrura, Zebnac to Kezobim, and Menon to Matzlodin.
3 And by desire of their four judges the people of Sodom and Gomorrah had beds erected in
the streets of the cities. If a man came to these places they laid hold of him, brought
him to one of their beds, and by force made him to lie in them.
4 As he lay down, three men would stand at his head and three at his feet, and measure
him by the length of the bed. If the man was less than the bed these six men would
stretch him at each end, and when he cried out to them they would not answer him.
5 If he was longer than the bed they would draw together the two sides of the bed at
each end, until the man had reached the gates of death.
6 If he continued to cry out to them, they would answer him, saying: Thus it will be
done to a man that comes into our land.
7 When men heard all these things that the people of the cities of Sodom did, they
refrained from coming there.
8 When a poor man came to their land they would give him silver and gold, and cause a
proclamation in the whole city to not give him a morsel of bread to eat. If the stranger
should remain there some days, and die from hunger, not having been able to obtain a
morsel of bread, then at his death all the people of the city would come and take their silver
and gold which they had given to him.
9 Those that could recognize the silver or gold which they had given him took it back.
At his death they also stripped him of his garments, and they would fight about them,
he that prevailed over his neighbor took them.
10 After that they would carry him, and bury him under some of the shrubs in the deserts. So
they did all the days to anyone that came to them and died in their land.
11 In the course of time Sarah sent Eliezer to Sodom, to see Lot, and inquire after his
welfare.
12 Eliezer went to Sodom, and he met a man of Sodom fighting with a stranger. The
man of Sodom stripped the poor man of all his clothes, and went away.
13 This poor man cried to Eliezer, and supplicated his favor on account of what the man
of Sodom did to him.
14 He said to him: Why did you act thus to the poor man who came to your land?
15 The man of Sodom answered Eliezer, saying: Is this man your brother, or have the
people of Sodom made you a judge today, that you speak about this man?
16 Eliezer strove with the man of Sodom on account of the poor man. When Eliezer
approached to recover the poor man's clothes from the man of Sodom, he hastened and smote Eliezer
in the forehead with a stone.
17 The blood flowed copiously from Eliezer's forehead, and when the man saw the blood
he caught hold of Eliezer, saying: Give me my hire for having rid you of this bad blood that
was in your forehead, for such is the custom and the law in our land.
18 Eliezer said to him: You wounded me, and require me to pay you your hire.
Eliezer would not hearken to the words of the man of Sodom.
19 The man laid hold of Eliezer and brought him to Shakra the judge of Sodom for
judgment.
20 The man spoke to the judge, saying: I beg you my lord, thus did this man do,
for I smote him with a stone that the blood flowed from his forehead, and he is unwilling to
give me my hire.
21 The judge said to Eliezer: This man speaks truth to you, give him his hire, for this is
the custom in our land. Eliezer heard the words of the judge, so he lifted up a stone,
and smote the judge. The stone struck on his forehead, and the blood flowed copiously
from the forehead of the judge. Eliezer said: If this then is the custom in your land, you give
to this man what I should have given him, for this is your decision, you did
decree it.
22 Eliezer left the man of Sodom with the judge, and he went away.
23 When the kings of Elam had made war with the kings of Sodom, the kings of Elam
captured all the property of Sodom, and they took Lot captive, with his property. When it
was told to Abraham he went and made war with the kings of Elam, and he recovered from
their hands all the property of Lot as well as the property of Sodom.
24 At that time the wife of Lot bore him a daughter, and he called her name Paltith, saying:
Because Yahwah delivered him and his whole household from the kings of Elam. And Paltith
daughter of Lot grew up, and one of the men of Sodom took her for a wife.
25 A poor man came into the city to seek a maintenance, and he remained in the city
some days. All the people of Sodom caused a proclamation of their custom to not give
this man a morsel of bread to eat, until he dropped dead upon the earth, and they did so.
26 Paltith the daughter of Lot saw this man lying in the streets starved with hunger,
no one would give him anything to keep him alive, and he was just upon the point of death.
27 Her soul was filled with pity on account of the man, so she fed him secretly with
bread for many days, and the soul of this man was revived.
28 For when she went forth to fetch water she would put the bread in the water pitcher, and
when she came to the place where the poor man was, she took the bread from the pitcher
and gave it to him to eat. So she did many days.
29 All the people of Sodom and Gomorrah wondered how this man could bear starvation
for so many days.
30 They said to each other: This can only be that he eats and drinks, for no man can
bear starvation for so many days or live as this man has, without even his countenance
changing. Three men concealed themselves in a place where the poor man was
stationed, to know who it was that brought him bread to eat.
31 Paltith daughter of Lot went forth that day to fetch water, and she put bread into her
pitcher of water. She went to draw water by the poor man's place, so she took out the
bread from the pitcher, gave it to the poor man, and he ate it.
32 The three men saw what Paltith did to the poor man, and they said to her: It is you
then who have supported him, and therefore he has not starved, nor changed in appearance,
nor died like the rest.
33 The three men went out of the place in which they were concealed, they seized
Paltith, and the bread which was in the poor man's hand.
34 They took Paltith, brought her before their judges, and they said to them: Thus did
she do, and it is she who supplied the poor man with bread, therefore he did not die all this
time. Now therefore declare to us the punishment due to this woman for having transgressed our law.
35 The people of Sodom and Gomorrah assembled, and kindled a fire in the street of the
city. They took the woman, cast her into the fire, and she was burned to ashes.
36 In the city of Admah there was a woman to whom they did the like.
37 For a traveler came into the city of Admah to abide there all night, with the intention of
going home in the morning. He sat opposite the door of the house of the young woman's
father, to remain there, as the sun had set when he reached that place. The young
woman saw him sitting by the door of the house.
38 He asked her for a drink of water, and she said to him: Who are you? He said to
her: I was going on the road today, and reached here when the sun set, so I will abide here
all night, and in the morning I will arise early to continue my journey.
39 The young woman went into the house, and fetched the man bread and water to eat
and drink.
40 This affair became known to the people of Admah, so they assembled, and brought
the young woman before the judges, that they should judge her for this act.
41 The judge said: The judgment of death must pass upon this woman because she
transgressed our law, and this therefore is the decision concerning her.
42 The people of those cities assembled, brought out the young woman, and
anointed her with honey from head to foot, as the judge had decreed. They placed her
before a swarm of bees which were then in their hives, so the bees flew upon her, and stung
her that her whole body was swelled.
43 The young woman cried out on account of the bees, but no one took notice of her, or
pitied her, and her cries ascended to heaven.
44 Yahwah was provoked at this, and at all the works of the cities of Sodom, for they had
abundance of food, and had tranquility among them, yet still would not sustain the poor
and the needy. In those days their evil doings and sins became great before Yahwah.
45 Yahwah sent for two of the malaks that had come to Abraham's house, to destroy
Sodom and its cities.
46 The malaks rose up from the door of Abraham's tent, after they ate and drank,
and they reached Sodom in the evening. Lot was then sitting in the gate of Sodom,
when he saw them he rose to meet them, and he bowed down to the ground.
47 He pressed them greatly, and brought them into his house. He gave them victuals
which they ate, and they abode all night in his house.
48 The malaks said to Lot: Arise, go forth from this place, you and all belonging to you,
lest you are consumed in the iniquity of this city, for Yahwah will destroy this place.
49 The malaks laid hold upon the hand of Lot, upon the hand of his wife, upon
the hands of his children, with all belonging to him. They brought him forth, and set him
outside the cities.
50 They said to Lot: Escape for your life, and he fled with all belonging to him.
51 Then Yahwah rained upon Sodom, upon Gomorrah, and upon all these cities,
brimstone and fire from Yahwah out of heaven. [Genesis 19:24]
52 He overthrew these cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and that
which grew upon the ground. Ado the wife of Lot looked back to see the destruction of
the cities, for her compassion was moved on account of her daughters who remained in
Sodom, for they did not go with her.
53 When she looked back she became a pillar of salt, and it is yet in that place to this day.
54 The oxen which stood in that place daily licked up the salt to the extremities of their
feet, and in the morning it would spring forth afresh, and they again licked it up to this day.
55 Lot and two of his daughters that remained with him fled, escaped to the cave of
Adullam, and they remained there for some time.
56 Abraham rose up early in the morning to see what was done to the cities of
Sodom. He looked, and beheld the smoke of the cities going up like the smoke of a furnace.
57 Lot and his two daughters remained in the cave. They made their father drink
wine, and they lay with him, for they said there was no man upon earth that could raise up
seed from them, for they thought that the whole earth was destroyed.
58 They both lay with their father, and they conceived, and bore sons. The first born
called the name of her son Moab, saying: From my father did I conceive him. He is the father
of the Moabites to this day.
59 The younger also called her son Benami, he is the father of the children of Ammon
to this day.
60 After this Lot and his two daughters went away from there, and he dwelt on the other
side of the Yordan with his two daughters and their sons. The sons of Lot grew up, and
they went and took themselves wives from the land of Canaan. They begat children,
they were fruitful, and multiplied.
CHAPTER 20:1 At that time Abraham journeyed from the plain of
Mamre, and he went to the land of
the Philistines, and he dwelt in Gerar. It was in the twenty-fifth year of Abraham's being in the
land of Canaan, and the hundredth year of the life of Abraham, that he came to Gerar in the
land of the Philistines.
2 When they entered the land he said to Sarah his wife: Say you are my sister, to any
one that will ask you, in order that we may escape the evil of the inhabitants of the land.
3 As Abraham was dwelling in the land of the Philistines, the servants of Abimelech, king
of the Philistines, saw that Sarah was exceedingly beautiful, so they asked Abraham
concerning her, and he said: She is my sister.
4 The servants of Abimelech went to Abimelech, saying: A man from the land of Canaan
is come to dwell in the land, and he has a sister that is exceeding fair.
5 Abimelech heard the words of his servants who praised Sarah to him. Abimelech
sent his officers, and they brought Sarah to the king.
6 Sarah came to the house of Abimelech. The king saw that Sarah was beautiful,
and she pleased him exceedingly.
7 He approached her, and said to her: What is that man to you with whom you did
come to our land? Sarah answered, and said: He is my brother, we came from the
land of Canaan to dwell wherever we could find a place.
8 Abimelech said to Sarah: Behold my land is before you, place your brother in any part
of this land that pleases you. It is our duty to exalt and elevate him above all the
people of the land since he is your brother.
9 Abimelech sent for Abraham, and Abraham came to Abimelech.
10 Abimelech said to Abraham: Behold, I gave orders that you will be honored
as you desire on account of your sister Sarah.
11 Abraham went forth from the king, and the king's present followed him.
12 At evening time, before men lie down to rest, the king was sitting upon his throne, and
a deep sleep fell upon him. He lay upon the throne and slept till morning.
13 He dreamed that a malak of Yahwah came to him with a drawn sword in his hand.
The malak stood over Abimelech, and wished to slay him with the sword. The king
was terrified in his dream, and said to the malak: In what have I sinned against you that you
came to slay me with your sword?
14 The malak answered, and said to Abimelech: Behold, you die on account of the
woman which you brought to your house last night, for she is a married woman, the wife
of Abraham who came to your house. Now therefore return [to] that man his wife, for she is his
wife. Should you not return her, know that you will surely die, you, and all belonging to you.
15 On that night there was a great outcry in the land of the Philistines. The
inhabitants of the land saw the figure of a man standing with a drawn sword in his hand, and
he smote the inhabitants of the land with the sword, yea, he continued to smite them.
16 The malak of Yahwah smote the whole land of the Philistines on that night, there
was a great confusion on that night, and on the following morning.
17 Every womb was closed, and all their issues. The hand of Yahwah was upon
them on account of Sarah, wife of Abraham, whom Abimelech took.
18 In the morning Abimelech rose with terror, confusion, and with a great dread.
He sent, had his servants called in, then he related his dream to them, and the people
were greatly afraid.
19 One man standing among the servants of the king answered the king, saying: O
sovereign king, restore this woman to her husband, for he is her husband, for the like
happened to the king of Egypt when this man came to Egypt.
20 He said concerning his wife: She is my sister. For such is his manner of doing when
he comes to dwell in the land in which he is a stranger.
21 Pharaoh sent and took this woman for a wife. Yahwah brought grievous
plagues upon him until he returned the woman to her husband.
22 Now therefore, O sovereign king, know what happened last night to the whole land, for
there was a very great consternation, great pain, and lamentation. We know that it
was on account of the woman which you took.
23 Now, therefore, restore this woman to her husband, lest it should befall us as it did to
Pharaoh king of Egypt and his subjects, and that we may not die. Abimelech hastened,
called, and had Sarah called for. She came before him, and he had Abraham called
for, and he came before him.
24 Abimelech said to them: What is this work you have been doing in saying you are
brother and sister, and I took this woman for a wife?
25 Abraham said: Because I thought I should suffer death on account of my wife.
Abimelech took flocks, herds, men servants, maid servants, and a thousand
pieces of silver. He gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah to him.
26 Abimelech said to Abraham: Behold, the whole land is before you, dwell in it
wherever you will choose.
27 Abraham and Sarah, his wife, went forth from the king's presence with honor and
respect, and they dwelt in the land, even in Gerar.
28 All the inhabitants of the land of the Philistines and the king's servants were still in
pain, through the plague which the malak had inflicted upon them the whole night on account
of Sarah.
29 Abimelech sent for Abraham, saying: Pray now for your servants to Yahwah your Father,
that He may put away this mortality from among us.
30 Abraham prayed on account of Abimelech and his subjects. Yahwah heard the
prayer of Abraham. He healed Abimelech, and all his subjects.
CHAPTER 21:1 It was at that time at the end of a year
and four months of Abraham's dwelling in the
land of the Philistines in Gerar, that Yahwah visited Sarah. Yahwah remembered her,
she conceived, and bore a son to Abraham.
2 Abraham called the name of the son which was born to him, which Sarah bore to him, Yitzchaq [Isaac].
3 Abraham circumcised his son Yitzchaq at eight days old, as Yahwah had commanded
Abraham to do to his seed after him. Abraham was one hundred, and Sarah ninety
years old, when Yitzchaq was born to them.
4 The child grew up, and he was weaned. Abraham made a great feast upon the day
that Yitzchaq was weaned.
5 Shem, Eber, all the great people of the land, Abimelech king of the
Philistines, his servants, and Phicol, the captain of his host, came to eat, drink, and
rejoice at the feast which Abraham made upon the day of his son Yitzchaq's being weaned.
6 Also Terah, the father of Abraham, and Nahor his brother, came from Haran, they and all
belonging to them, for they greatly rejoiced on hearing that a son was born to Sarah.
7 They came to Abraham, they ate and drank at the feast which Abraham made
upon the day of Yitzchaq's being weaned.
8 Terah and Nahor rejoiced with Abraham, and they remained with him many days in
the land of the Philistines.
9 At that time Serug the son of Reu died, in the first year of the birth of Yitzchaq son of Abraham.
10 All the days of Serug were two hundred and thirty-nine years, and he died.
11 Ishmael the son of Abraham was grown up in those days, he was fourteen years old
when Sarah bore Yitzchaq to Abraham.
12 Yahwah was with Ishmael the son of Abraham. He grew up, he learned to use
the bow, and became an archer.
13 When Yitzchaq was five years old he was sitting with Ishmael at the door of the tent.
14 Ishmael came to Yitzchaq and seated himself opposite to him. He took the bow, put the arrow in it,
drew it, and intended to slay Yitzchaq.
15 Sarah saw the act which Ishmael desired to do to her son Yitzchaq, and it grieved her
exceedingly on account of her son. She sent for Abraham, and said to him: Cast out this
bondwoman and her son, for her son will not be heir with my son, for thus did he seek to do
to him today.
16 Abraham hearkened to the voice of Sarah. He rose up early in the morning,
he took twelve loaves and a bottle of water which he gave to Hagar, and sent her away with
her son. Hagar went with her son to the wilderness, and they dwelt in the wilderness of
Paran with the inhabitants of the wilderness. Ishmael was an archer, and he dwelt in the
wilderness a long time.
17 He and his mother afterward went to the land of Egypt, and they dwelt there.
Hagar took a wife for her son from Egypt, and her name was Meribah.
18 The wife of Ishmael conceived and bore four sons and two daughters. Ishmael,
his mother, his wife, and children afterward went and returned to the wilderness.
19 They made themselves tents in the wilderness, in which they dwelt. They
continued to travel, and then to rest monthly and yearly.
20 Yahwah gave Ishmael flocks, herds, and tents on account of Abraham his father, and
the man increased in cattle.
21 Ishmael dwelt in deserts and in tents, traveling and resting for a long time, and he did
not see the face of his father.
22 In some time after, Abraham said to Sarah his wife: I will go and see my son Ishmael,
for I have a desire to see him, for I have not seen him for a long time.
23 Abraham rode upon one of his camels to the wilderness to seek his son Ishmael, for
he heard that he was dwelling in a tent in the wilderness with all belonging to him.
24 Abraham went to the wilderness, and he reached the tent of Ishmael about noon.
He asked after Ishmael, and he found the wife of Ishmael sitting in the tent with her children.
Ishmael her husband and his mother were not with them.
25 Abraham asked the wife of Ishmael, saying: Where did Ishmael go? She said:
He went to the field to hunt. Abraham was still mounted upon the camel, for he
would not get off to the ground as he had sworn to his wife Sarah that he would not get off
from the camel.
26 Abraham said to Ishmael's wife: My daughter, give me a little water that I may drink,
for I am fatigued from the journey.
27 Ishmael's wife answered, and said to Abraham: We have neither water nor bread.
She continued sitting in the tent and did not notice Abraham, neither did she ask him who he was.
28 But she was beating her children in the tent, and she was cursing them. She also
cursed her husband Ishmael, and reproached him. Abraham heard the words of
Ishmael's wife to her children, he was very angry and displeased.
29 Abraham called to the woman to come out to him from the tent, and the woman came
and stood opposite to Abraham, for Abraham was still mounted upon the camel.
30 Abraham said to Ishmael's wife: When your husband Ishmael returns home say
these words to him,
31 A very old man from the land of the Philistines came here to seek you, and thus was his
appearance and figure. I did not ask him who he was, and seeing you were not here he
spoke to me, and said: When Ishmael your husband returns tell him thus did this man say,
When you come home put away this nail of the tent which you have placed here, and
place another nail in its stead.
32 Abraham finished his instructions to the woman, so he turned, and went off on the
camel homeward.
33 After that Ishmael came from the chase, he and his mother, and returned to the tent.
His wife spoke these words to him:
34 A very old man from the land of the Philistines came to seek you, and thus was his
appearance and figure. I did not ask him who he was, and seeing you were not at home he
said to me, When your husband comes home tell him, thus says the old man: Put away the
nail of the tent which you have placed here, and place another nail in its stead.
35 Ishmael heard the words of his wife. He knew that it was his father, and that his
wife did not honor him.
36 Ishmael understood his father's words that he spoke to his wife. Ishmael
hearkened to the voice of his father. Ishmael cast off that woman, and she went away.
37 Ishmael afterward went to the land of Canaan, and he took another wife. He
brought her to his tent to the place where he then dwelt.
38 At the end of three years Abraham said: I will go again to see Ishmael my son, for I
have not seen him for a long time.
39 He rode upon his camel, went to the wilderness, and he reached the tent of
Ishmael about noon.
40 He asked after Ishmael, and his wife came out of the tent. She said: He is not
here my lord, for he went to hunt in the fields, and to feed the camels. The woman
said to Abraham: Turn in my lord into the tent, and eat a morsel of bread, for your soul must
be wearied on account of the journey.
41 Abraham said to her: I will not stop for I am in haste to continue my journey, but give
me a little water to drink, for I have thirst. The woman hastened, ran into the tent, and
she brought out water and bread to Abraham. She placed it before him, and she urged
him to eat. He ate and drank, and his heart was comforted. He blessed his son Ishmael.
42 He finished his meal, and he blessed Yahwah. He said to Ishmael's wife: When
Ishmael comes home say these words to him;
43 A very old man from the land of the Philistines came here and asked after you, and you
were not here. I brought him out bread and water. He ate, drank, and his heart
was comforted.
44 He spoke these words to me: When Ishmael your husband comes home, say to
him; The nail of the tent which you have is very good, do not put it away from the tent.
45 Abraham finished commanding the woman, and he rode off to his home to the land of
the Philistines. When Ishmael came to his tent his wife went forth to meet him with joy,
and a cheerful heart.
46 She said to him: An old man came here from the land of the Philistines, and thus was
his appearance. He asked after you, but you were not here, so I brought out bread and
water. He ate and drank, and his heart was comforted.
47 He spoke these words to me: When Ishmael your husband comes home say to him;
The nail of the tent which you have is very good, do not put it away from the tent.
48 Ishmael knew it was his father, and that his wife had honored him. Yahwah
blessed Ishmael.
CHAPTER 22:1 Ishmael then rose up, took his wife,
his children, his cattle, and all belonging to him. He journeyed from there, and he
went to his father in the land of the Philistines.
2 Abraham related to Ishmael his son the transaction with the first wife that Ishmael
took, according to what she did.
3 Ishmael and his children dwelt with Abraham many days in that land, and Abraham
dwelt in the land of the Philistines a long time.
4 The days increased and reached twenty six years. After that Abraham with his
servants and all belonging to him went from the land of the Philistines, and removed to a
great distance. They came near to Hebron, and they remained there. The servants of
Abraham dug wells of water, and Abraham and all belonging to him dwelt by the water.
The servants of Abimelech king of the Philistines heard the report that Abraham's servants
had dug wells of water in the borders of the land.
5 They came, quarreled with the servants of Abraham, and they robbed them of the
great well which they had dug.
6 Abimelech king of the Philistines heard of this affair, so he with Phicol the captain of
his host and twenty of his men came to Abraham. Abimelech spoke to Abraham
concerning his servants, and Abraham rebuked Abimelech concerning the well of which his
servants had robbed him.
7 Abimelech said to Abraham: As Yahwah lives who created the whole earth, I did not
hear of the act which my servants did to your servants until today.
8 Abraham took seven ewe lambs and gave them to Abimelech, saying: Take these, I
pray you, from my hands that it may be a testimony for me that I dug this well.
9 Abimelech took the seven ewe lambs which Abraham gave to him, for he had
also given him cattle and herds in abundance. Abimelech swore to Abraham concerning
the well, therefore he called that well Beersheba, for there they both swore concerning it.
10 They both made a covenant in Beersheba. Abimelech rose up with Phicol the
captain of his host and all his men, and they returned to the land of the Philistines.
Abraham and all belonging to him dwelt in Beersheba, and he was in that land a long time.
11 Abraham planted a large grove in Beersheba. He made to it four gates facing the
four sides of the earth, and he planted a vineyard in it. If a traveler came to Abraham
he entered any gate which was in his road, and remained there, ate, drank,
satisfied himself, and then departed.
12 For the house of Abraham was always open to the sons of men that passed and
repassed, who came daily to eat and drink in the house of Abraham.
13 Any man who had hunger and came to Abraham's house, Abraham would give him
bread that he might eat, drink, and be satisfied. Any one that came naked to his
house he would clothe with garments as he might choose, and give him silver and gold, and
make known to him Yahwah who created him in the earth. This Abraham did all his life.
14 Abraham, his children, and all belonging to him, dwelt in Beersheba, and he
pitched his tent as far as Hebron.
15 Abraham's brother Nahor, his father, and all belonging to them, dwelt in Haran, for
they did not come with Abraham to the land of Canaan.
16 Children were born to Nahor which Milca the daughter of Haran, sister to Sarah,
Abraham's wife, bore to him.
17 These are the names of those that were born to him: Uz, Buz, Kemuel, Kesed, Chazo,
Pildash, Tidlaf, and Bethuel, being eight sons, these are the children of Milca which she bore
to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
18 Nahor had a concubine, her name was Reumah, and she also bore to Nahor:
Zebach, Gachash, Tachash and Maacha, being four sons.
19 The children that were born to Nahor were twelve sons besides his daughters, and
they also had children born to them in Haran.
20 The children of Uz the first born of Nahor were Abi, Cheref, Gadin, Melus, and
Deborah their sister.
21 The sons of Buz were Berachel, Naamath, Sheva, and Madonu.
22 The sons of Kemuel were Aram and Rechob.
23 The sons of Kesed were Anamlech, Meshai, Benon, and Yifi. The sons of Chazo
were Pildash, Mechi and Opher.
24 The sons of Pildash were Arud, Chamum, Mered, and Moloch.
25 The sons of Tidlaf were Mushan, Cushan and Mutzi.
26 The children of Bethuel were Sechar, Laban, and their sister Rebecca.
27 These are the families of the children of Nahor, that were born to them in Haran.
Aram the son of Kemuel and Rechob his brother went away from Haran, and they found a
valley in the land by the river Euphrates.
28 They built a city there, and they called the name of the city after the name of Pethor [Peter]
the son of Aram, that is Aram Naherayim to this day.
29 The children of Kesed also went to dwell where they could find a place. They went,
they found a valley opposite to the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there.
30 They there built themselves a city, and they called the name of the city Kesed after
the name of their father. That is the land Kasdim to this day, the Kasdim dwelt in that
land, they were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly.
31 Terah, father of Nahor and Abraham, went and took another wife in his old age, and
her name was Pelilah. She conceived, bore him a son, and he called his name Zoba.
32 Terah lived twenty-five years after he begat Zoba.
33 Terah died in that year, that is in the thirty-fifth year of the birth of Yitzchaq son of
Abraham.
34 The days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and he was buried in Haran.
35 Zoba the son of Terah lived thirty years, and he begat Aram, Achlis, and Merik.
36 Aram son of Zoba son of Terah had three wives, he begat twelve sons and three
daughters. Yahwah gave to Aram the son of Zoba riches, possessions,
abundance of cattle, flocks, and herds, and the man increased greatly.
37 Aram the son of Zoba, his brother, and all his household, journeyed from Haran.
They went to dwell where they should find a place, for their property was too great to
remain in Haran. They could not stop in Haran together with their brothers the children of Nahor.
38 Aram the son of Zoba went with his brothers, they found a valley at a distance
toward the eastern country, and they dwelt there.
39 They also built a city there, they called the name thereof Aram, after the name of
their eldest brother, that is Aram Zoba to this day.
40 Yitzchaq the son of Abraham was growing up in those days. Abraham his father
taught him the way of Yahwah, to know Yahwah, and Yahwah was with him.
41 When Yitzchaq was thirty-seven years old, Ishmael his brother was going about with him
in the tent.
42 Ishmael boasted of himself to Yitzchaq, saying: I was thirteen years old when Yahwah
spoke to my father to circumcise us, and I did according to the Word of Yahwah which he
spoke to my father. I gave my soul to Yahwah, and I did not transgress his word which
he commanded my father.
43 Yitzchaq answered Ishmael, saying: Why did you boast to me about this, about a little
bit of your flesh which you did take from your body, concerning which Yahwah commanded you?
44 As Yahwah lives, the Father of my father Abraham, if Yahwah should say to my father:
Take your son Yitzchaq and bring him up [as] an offering before me, I would not refrain, but I
would joyfully accede to it.
45 Yahwah heard the word that Yitzchaq spoke to Ishmael, and it seemed good in the sight
of Yahwah, and he thought to try Abraham in this matter.
46 The day arrived when the sons of Yahwah came and placed themselves before Yahwah,
and Satan also came with the sons of Yahwah before Yahwah.
47 Yahwah said to Satan: Where have you come from? Satan answered Yahwah, and
said: From going to and fro in the earth, from walking up and down in it.
48 Yahwah said to Satan: What is your word to me concerning all the children of the
earth? Satan answered Yahwah, and said: I saw all the children of the earth who
serve you, and remember you when they require anything from you.
49 When you give them the thing which they require from you, they sit at their ease,
so forget you, and they do not remember you anymore.
50 Have you seen Abraham the son of Terah, who at first had no children? He served
you, erected altars to you wherever he came, he brought up offerings upon them,
and he proclaimed your name continually to all the children of the earth.
51 Now that his son Yitzchaq is born to him, he has forgotten you. He made a great
feast for all the inhabitants of the land, and Yahwah he forgot.
52 For amid all that he has done he brought you no offering: neither burnt offering nor
peace offering, neither ox, lamb nor goat of all that he killed on the day that his son was weaned.
53 Even from the time of his son's birth till now, being thirty-seven years, he built no altar
before you, nor brought any offering to you, for he saw that you did give what he
requested before you, and he therefore forgot you.
54 Yahwah said to Satan: Have you thus considered my servant Abraham? For there is
none like him upon earth, a perfect and an upright man before me, one who fears Yahwah, and
avoids evil. As I live, were I to say to him: Bring up Yitzchaq your son before me, he would
not withhold him from me, much more if I told him to bring up a burnt offering before me from
his flock or herds.
55 Satan answered Yahwah and said: Speak now to Abraham as you said,
and you will see whether he will not transgress and cast aside your words today.
CHAPTER 23:1 At that time the Word of Yahwah came to Abraham,
and he said to him: Abraham. He said: Here I am.
2 He said to him: Take your son, your only son whom you love, even Yitzchaq, and
go to the land of Moriyah. Offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains
which will be shown to you, for there you will see a cloud, and the Glory of Yahwah.
3 Abraham said within himself: How will I separate my son Yitzchaq from Sarah his
mother, in order to bring him up for a burnt offering before Yahwah?
4 Abraham came into the tent, and he sat before Sarah his wife. He spoke these
words to her:
5 My son Yitzchaq is grown up, and he has not for some time studied the service of Yahwah. Now
tomorrow I will go and bring him to Shem, and Eber his son. There he will learn the ways
of Yahwah, for they will teach him to know Yahwah as well as to know that when he prays
continually before Yahwah, He will answer him, therefore there he will know the way of
serving Yahwah his Father.
6 Sarah said: You have spoken well, go my lord and do to him as you say, but do not
remove him at a great distance from me, neither let him remain there too long, for my
soul is bound within his soul.
7 Abraham said to Sarah: My daughter, let us pray to Yahwah our Father that He may
do good with us.
8 Sarah took her son Yitzchaq, and he abode all that night with her. She kissed and
embraced him, and gave him instructions till morning.
9 She said to him: O my son, how can my soul separate itself from you? She still
kissed him and embraced him, and she gave Abraham instructions concerning him.
10 Sarah said to Abraham: O my lord, I pray you take heed of your son, and place your
eyes over him, for I have no other son nor daughter but him.
11 O do not forsake him. If he is hungry give him bread, and if he is thirsty give him water to
drink. Do not let him go on foot, neither let him sit in the sun.
12 Neither let him go by himself in the road, neither force him from whatever he may desire,
but do to him as he may say to you.
13 Sarah wept bitterly the whole night on account of Yitzchaq, and she gave him
instructions till morning.
14 In the morning Sarah selected a very fine and beautiful garment from those garments
which she had in the house, that Abimelech had given to her.
15 She dressed Yitzchaq her son with it, she put a turban upon his head, she
enclosed a precious stone in the top of the turban, she gave them provision for the road,
and they went forth. Yitzchaq went with his father Abraham, and some of their servants
accompanied them to see them off the road.
16 Sarah went out with them, and she accompanied them upon the road to see them off,
so they said to her: Return to the tent.
17 When Sarah heard the words of her son Yitzchaq she wept bitterly. Abraham her
husband wept with her, and their son wept with them a great weeping. Also those who went
with them wept greatly.
18 Sarah caught hold of her son Yitzchaq, she held him in her arms, she
embraced him, and continued to weep with him. Sarah said: Who knows if after this
day I will ever see you again?
19 They still wept together, Abraham, Sarah, Yitzchaq, and all those that accompanied
them on the road wept with them. Sarah afterward turned away from her son, weeping
bitterly, and all her men servants and maid servants returned with her to the tent.
20 Abraham went with Yitzchaq his son to bring him up as an offering before Yahwah, as
He commanded him.
21 Abraham took two of his young men with him, Ishmael the son of Hagar, and Eliezer
his servant. They went together with them, and while they were walking in the road the
young men spoke these words to themselves,
22 Ishmael said to Eliezer: Now my father Abraham is going with Yitzchaq to bring him up
for a burnt offering to Yahwah, as He commanded him.
23 Now when he returns he will give to me all that he possesses, to inherit after him, for
I am his first born.
24 Eliezer answered Ishmael, and said: Surely Abraham did cast you away with your
mother, and swear that you should not inherit anything of all he possesses. To whom
will he give all that he has, with all his treasures, but to me his servant, who has been
faithful in his house, who has served him night and day, and did all that he desired
me? To me he will bequeath all that he possesses at his death.
25 While Abraham was proceeding with his son Yitzchaq along the road, Satan came and
appeared to Abraham in the figure of a very aged man, humble and of contrite spirit. He
approached Abraham, and said to him: Are you silly or brutish, that you go to do this thing
today to your only son?
26 For Yahwah gave you a son in your latter days, in your old age, and will you go and slaughter
him today because he committed no violence, and will you cause the soul of your only
son to perish from the earth?
27 Did you not know and understand that this thing cannot be from Yahwah? For Yahwah
cannot do to man such evil upon earth to say to him: Go slaughter your child.
28 Abraham heard this, and knew that it was the word of Satan who endeavored to draw
him aside from the way of Yahwah. Abraham would not hearken to the voice of Satan,
and Abraham rebuked him so that he went away.
29 Satan returned, and came to Yitzchaq. He appeared to Yitzchaq in the figure of a
young man comely and well favored.
30 He approached Yitzchaq, and said to him: Did you not know and understand that your
old silly father brings you to the slaughter today for nothing?
31 Now therefore, my son, do not listen nor attend to him, for he is a silly old man, and do not let
your precious soul and beautiful figure be lost from the earth.
32 Yitzchaq heard this, and said to Abraham: Have you heard, my father, that which this
man said? Even thus did he say.
33 Abraham answered his son Yitzchaq, and said to him: Take heed of him, do not listen
to his words, nor attend to him, for he is Satan, endeavoring to draw us aside today from
the commands of Yahwah.
34 Abraham still rebuked Satan, and Satan went from them. Seeing he could not
prevail over them he hid himself from them, he went, and passed before them in the
road. He transformed himself to a large brook of water in the road. Abraham,
Yitzchaq, and his two young men reached that place, and they saw a brook large and powerful
as the mighty waters.
35 They entered the brook and passed through it, and the waters at first reached their legs.
36 They went deeper in the brook and the waters reached up to their necks, and they
were all terrified on account of the water. While they were going over the brook Abraham
recognized that place, and he knew that there was no water there before.
37 Abraham said to his son Yitzchaq: I know this place in which there was no brook nor
water, now therefore it is this Satan who does all this to us, to draw us aside today from
the commands of Yahwah.
38 Abraham rebuked him, and said to him: Yahwah rebuke you, O Satan, begone
from us for we go by the commands of Yahwah.
39 Satan was terrified at the voice of Abraham. He went away from them, and the
place again became dry land as it was at first.
40 Abraham went with Yitzchaq toward the place that Yahwah had told him.
41 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place at a distance which
Yahwah had told him of.
42 A pillar of fire appeared to him that reached from the earth to heaven, a cloud of
glory upon the mountain, and the Glory of Yahwah was seen in the cloud.
43 Abraham said to Yitzchaq: My son, do you see in that mountain, which we perceive at
a distance, that which I see upon it?
44 Yitzchaq answered, and said to his father: I see. Lo, a pillar of fire, and a cloud, and
the Glory of Yahwah is seen upon the cloud.
45 Abraham knew that his son Yitzchaq was accepted before Yahwah for a burnt offering.
46 Abraham said to Eliezer and to Ishmael his son: Do you also see that which we
see upon the mountain which is at a distance?
47 They answered, and said: We see nothing more than like the other mountains of the
earth. Abraham knew that they were not accepted before Yahwah to go with them, and
Abraham said to them: Abide here with the ass while I and Yitzchaq my son go to yonder
mount, worship there before Yahwah, and then return to you.
48 Eliezer and Ishmael remained in that place, as Abraham commanded.
49 Abraham took wood for a burnt offering, placed it upon his son Yitzchaq, he took
the fire, and the knife, and they both went to that place.
50 When they were going along Yitzchaq said to his father: Behold, I see here the fire and
wood, and where then is the lamb that is to be the burnt offering before Yahwah?
51 Abraham answered his son Yitzchaq, saying: Yahwah has made choice of you, my son,
to be a perfect burnt offering instead of the lamb.
52 Yitzchaq said to his father: I will do all that Yahwah spoke to you with joy and
cheerfulness of heart.
53 Abraham again said to Yitzchaq his son: Is there in your heart any thought or counsel
concerning this, which is not proper? Tell me my son, I pray you, O my son do not conceal it from me.
54 Yitzchaq answered his father Abraham, and said to him: O my father, as Yahwah
lives and as your soul lives, there is nothing in my heart to cause me to deviate either to the
right or to the left from the word that He spoke to you.
55 Neither limb nor muscle has moved or stirred at this, nor is there in my heart any thought
or evil counsel concerning this.
56 But I am of joyful and cheerful heart in this matter, and I say: Blessed is Yahwah who
chose me to be a burnt offering before Him today.
57 Abraham greatly rejoiced at the words of Yitzchaq, so they went on, and came together
to that place that Yahwah spoke of.
58 Abraham approached to build the altar in that place. Abraham was weeping, and
Yitzchaq took stones and mortar until they had finished building the altar.
59 Abraham took the wood and placed it in order upon the altar which he built.
60 He took his son Yitzchaq and bound him in order to place him upon the wood which was
upon the altar, to slay him for a burnt offering before Yahwah.
61 Yitzchaq said to his father: Bind me securely, and then place me upon the altar lest I
should turn and move, and break loose from the force of the knife upon my flesh, and thereof
profane the burnt offering. Abraham did so.
62 Yitzchaq still said to his father: O my father, when you have slain me and burnt me
for an offering, take with you that which remains of my ashes to bring to Sarah my
mother, and say to her: This is the sweet smelling savor of Yitzchaq. But do not tell her this if
she should sit near a well or upon any high place, lest she should cast her soul after me, and die.
63 Abraham heard the words of Yitzchaq, he lifted up his voice and wept when Yitzchaq
spoke these words. Abraham's tears gushed down upon Yitzchaq his son. Yitzchaq wept
bitterly, and he said to his father: Hasten, O my father, and do with me the will of Yahwah
our Father as He commanded you.
64 The hearts of Abraham and Yitzchaq rejoiced at this thing which Yahwah
commanded them, but the eye wept bitterly while the heart rejoiced.
65 Abraham bound his son Yitzchaq, and placed him on the altar upon the wood. Yitzchaq
stretched forth his neck upon the altar before his father, and Abraham stretched forth his
hand to take the knife to slay his son as a burnt offering before Yahwah.
66 At that time the malaks of mercy came before Yahwah, and spoke to Him concerning
Yitzchaq, saying:
67 O Yahwah, you are a merciful and compassionate King over all that you have created in
heaven and in earth, and you support them all. Give therefore ransom and redemption
instead of your servant Yitzchaq. Pity and have compassion upon Abraham, and Yitzchaq his
son, who are performing your commands today.
68 Do you see, O Yahwah, how Yitzchaq the son of Abraham your servant is bound down to the
slaughter like an animal? Now therefore let your pity be roused for them, O Yahwah.
69 At that time Yahwah appeared to Abraham, and called to him from heaven. He said
to him: Do not lay your hand upon the lad, neither do anything to him, for now I know
that you fear Yahwah in performing this act, and in not withholding your son, your only son, from me.
70 Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw. Behold, a ram was caught in a thicket by his
horns. That was the ram which Yahwah had created in the earth in the day that He made
earth and heaven.
71 For Yahwah had prepared this ram from that day, to be a burnt offering instead of Yitzchaq.
72 This ram was advancing to Abraham when Satan caught hold of him and entangled
his horns in the thicket, that he might not advance to Abraham, in order that Abraham might
slay his son.
73 Abraham saw the ram advancing to him, and Satan withholding him. He fetched him,
and brought him before the altar. He loosened his son Yitzchaq from his binding, and he put
the ram in his stead. Abraham killed the ram upon the altar, and brought it up as an
offering in the place of his son Yitzchaq.
74 Abraham sprinkled some of the blood of the ram upon the altar. He exclaimed
and said: This is in the place of my son, and may this be considered today as the blood of
my son before Yahwah.
75 All that Abraham did on this occasion by the altar, he would exclaim and say: This is
in the room of my son, and may it be considered before Yahwah today in the place of my
son. Abraham finished the whole of the service by the altar, and the service was
accepted before Yahwah. It was accounted as if it had been Yitzchaq. Yahwah blessed
Abraham and his seed on that day.
76 Satan went to Sarah, and he appeared to her in the figure of an old man very humble
and meek, and Abraham was yet engaged in the burnt offering before Yahwah.
77 He said to her: Did you not know all the work that Abraham made with your
only son today? For he took Yitzchaq, built an altar, killed him, and brought him up as
a sacrifice upon the altar. Yitzchaq cried and wept before his father, but he did not look at
him, neither did he have compassion over him.
78 Satan repeated these words, and he went away from her. Sarah heard all the
words of Satan. She imagined him to be an old man from among the sons of men who
was with her son, and had come and told her these things.
79 Sarah lifted up her voice and wept, and cried out bitterly on account of her son.
She threw herself upon the ground, she cast dust upon her head, and she said: O my
son, Yitzchaq my son, O that I had died today instead of you. She continued to weep, and
said: It grieves me for you, O my son, my son Yitzchaq, O that I had died today in your place.
80 She still continued to weep, and said: It grieves me for you after I reared
you, and brought you up. Now my joy is turned into mourning over you, I who had a
longing for you, who cried and prayed to Yahwah till I bore you at ninety years old. And now
you have served today for the knife and the fire, to be made an offering.
81 But I console myself with you, my son, in its being the word of Yahwah, for you did
perform the command of Yahwah. For who can transgress the word of Yahwah, in whose
hands is the soul of every living creature?
82 You are just, O Yahwah our Father, for all your works are good and righteous. For I also am
rejoiced with your word which you did command, and while my eye weeps bitterly my
heart rejoices.
83 Sarah laid her head upon the bosom of one of her handmaids, and she became as
still as a stone.
84 She afterward rose up, and went about making inquiries till she came to Hebron. She
inquired of all those whom she met walking in the road, and no one could tell her what had
happened to her son.
85 She came with her maid servants and men servants to Kireath-arba, which is Hebron,
and she asked concerning her son. She remained there while she sent some of her
servants to seek where Abraham had gone with Yitzchaq. They went to seek him in the house of
Shem and Eber, and they could not find him. They searched throughout the land, and he
was not there.
86 Behold, Satan came to Sarah in the shape of an old man. He came, stood
before her, and he said to her: I spoke falsely to you, for Abraham did not kill his son,
he is not dead. When she heard the word her joy was so exceedingly violent on
account of her son, that her soul went out through joy. She died, and was gathered to her people.
87 When Abraham finished his service he returned with his son Yitzchaq to his young
men. They rose up, went together to Beersheba, and they came home.
88 Abraham sought for Sarah, and could not find her. He made inquiries concerning
her, and they said to him: She went as far as Hebron to seek you both where you had
gone, for thus was she informed.
89 Abraham and Yitzchaq went to her to Hebron. When they found that she was dead
they lifted up their voices, and wept bitterly over her. Yitzchaq fell upon his mother's face,
wept over her, and he said: O my mother, my mother, how did you leave me, and where did
you go? O how, how did you leave me?
90 Abraham and Yitzchaq wept greatly. All their servants wept with them on account of
Sarah, and they mourned over her a great and heavy mourning.
CHAPTER 24:1 The life of Sarah was one hundred and
twenty-seven years, and Sarah died.
Abraham rose up from before his dead to seek a burial place to bury his wife Sarah. He
went and spoke to the children of Heth, the inhabitants of the land, saying:
2 I am a stranger, a sojourner with you in your land. Give me a possession of a burial
place in your land, that I may bury my dead from before me.
3 The children of Heth said to Abraham: Behold the land is before you, bury your dead in the choice
of our sepulchers, for no man will withhold you from burying your dead.
4 Abraham said to them: If you are agreeable to this, go, entreat for me to Ephron,
the son of Zochar, requesting that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which is in the
end of his field. I will purchase it of him for whatever he desire for it.
5 Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth. They went, called for him, and he
came before Abraham. Ephron said to Abraham: Behold, all you require your servant
will do. Abraham said: No, but I will buy the cave and the field which you have for value,
in order that it may be for a possession of a burial place forever.
6 Ephron answered, and said: Behold the field and the cave are before you, give
whatever you desire. Abraham said: Only at full value will I buy it from your hand, and
from the hands of those who go in at the gate of your city, and from the hand of your seed forever.
7 Ephron and all his brothers heard this. Abraham weighed to Ephron four hundred
shekels of silver in the hands of Ephron and in the hands of all his brothers. Abraham
wrote this transaction, he wrote it, and testified it with four witnesses.
8 These are the names of the witnesses: Amigal son of Abishna the Hittite, Adichorom
son of Ashunach the Hivite, Abdon son of Achiram the Gomerite, Bakdil the son of Abudish
the Zidonite.
9 Abraham took the book of the purchase, and placed it in his treasures. These are
the words Abraham wrote in the book, namely:
10 That the cave and the field Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite, and from his seed,
and from those that go out of his city, and from their seed forever, are to be a purchase to
Abraham, to his seed, and to those that go forth from his loins, for a possession of a burial
place forever. He put a signet to it, and testified it with witnesses.
11 The field, the cave that was in it, and all that place, were made sure to Abraham
and to his seed after him, from the children of Heth. Behold, it is before Mamre in Hebron,
which is in the land of Canaan.
12 After this Abraham buried his wife Sarah there, and that place with all its boundary
became to Abraham and to his seed for a possession of a burial place.
13 Abraham buried Sarah with pomp as observed at the interment of kings, she was
buried in very fine and beautiful garments.
14 At her bier was Shem, his sons Eber and Abimelech, together with Anar, Ashcol,
Mamre, and all the grandees of the land followed her bier.
15 The days of Sarah were one hundred and twenty-seven years, and she died.
Abraham made a great and heavy mourning, and he performed the rites of mourning for seven days.
16 All the inhabitants of the land comforted Abraham and Yitzchaq his son on account of Sarah.
17 When the days of their mourning passed by Abraham sent away his son Yitzchaq, and
he [Yitzchaq] went to the house of Shem and Eber, to learn the ways of Yahwah and His instructions.
Abraham remained there three years.
18 At that time Abraham rose up with all his servants, they went, returned homeward
to Beersheba, and Abraham and all his servants remained in Beersheba.
19 At the revolution of the year Abimelech king of the Philistines died in that year, he
was one hundred and ninety-three years old at his death. Abraham went with his people
to the land of the Philistines. They comforted the whole household, and all his servants,
he then turned and went home.
20 It was after the death of Abimelech that the people of Gerar took Benmalich his son,
when he was only twelve years old, and they made him king in the place of his father.
21 They called his name Abimelech after the name of his father, for thus it was their
custom to do in Gerar. Abimelech reigned instead of Abimelech his father, and he sat
upon his throne.
22 Lot the son of Haran also died in those days, in the thirty-ninth year of the life of
Yitzchaq. All the days that Lot lived were one hundred and forty years, and he died.
23 These are the children of Lot, who were born to him by his daughters: the name of the
first born was Moab, and the name of the second was Benami.
24 The two sons of Lot went, took themselves wives from the land of Canaan, and
they bore children to them. The children of Moab were: Ed, Mayon, Tarsus, and Kanvil,
four sons, these are fathers to the children of Moab to this day.
25 All the families of the children of Lot went to dwell wherever they should light upon,
for they were fruitful and increased abundantly.
26 They went, built themselves cities in the land where they dwelt, and they called
the names of the cities which they built after their own names.
27 Nahor the son of Terah, brother to Abraham, died in those days in the fortieth year of
the life of Yitzchaq. All the days of Nahor were one hundred and seventy-two years, he
died, and was buried in Haran.
28 When Abraham heard that his brother was dead he grieved sadly, and he mourned
over his brother many days.
29 Abraham called for Eliezer his head servant, to give him orders concerning his
house, so he came and stood before him.
30 Abraham said to him: Behold, I am old. I do not know the day of my death, for I am
advanced in days. Now therefore rise up, go forth. Do not take a wife for my son from this
place, from this land, from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom we dwell.
31 But go to my land, to my birthplace, and take from there a wife for my son. The
Creator of Heaven and Earth took me from my father's house, brought me to this
place, and said to me: To your seed I give this land for an inheritance forever. He will
send His malak before you and prosper your way, that you may obtain a wife for my son
from my family, from my father's house.
32 The servant answered his master Abraham, and said: Behold I go to your birthplace,
to your father's house, and take a wife for your son from there. But if the woman is not willing to
follow me to this land, will I take your son back to the land of your birthplace?
33 Abraham said to him: Take heed that you do not bring my son there again. Yahwah
before whom I walk will send His malak before you, and prosper your way.
34 Eliezer did as Abraham ordered him. Eliezer swore to Abraham his master
upon this matter. Eliezer rose up, took ten camels of the camels of his master, and
ten men from his master's servants with him. They rose up, and went to Haran, the city of
Abraham and Nahor, in order to fetch a wife for Yitzchaq the son of Abraham. While they
were gone Abraham sent to the house of Shem and Eber, and they brought his
son Yitzchaq from there.
35 Yitzchaq came home to his father's house to Beersheba, while Eliezer and his men
came to Haran. They stopped in the city by the watering place. He made his camels
to kneel down by the water, and they remained there.
36 Eliezer, Abraham's servant, prayed, and said: O Yahwah of Abraham my master, I pray you send
me good speed today. Show kindness to my master, that today you will
appoint a wife for my master's son from his family.
37 Yahwah hearkened to the voice of Eliezer, for the sake of his servant Abraham.
He happened to meet with the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor,
brother to Abraham, and Eliezer came to her house.
38 Eliezer related to them all his concerns, that he was Abraham's servant, and they
greatly rejoiced at him.
39 They all blessed Yahwah who brought this thing about, and they gave him Rebecca,
the daughter of Bethuel, for a wife for Yitzchaq.
40 The young woman was of very comely appearance, she was a virgin, and Rebecca
was ten years old in those days.
41 Bethuel, Laban, and his children, made a feast on that night. Eliezer and his
men came and ate, drank, and rejoiced there on that night.
42 Eliezer rose up in the morning, he and the men who were with him. He called to
the whole household of Bethuel, saying: Send me away that I may go to my master. They
rose up and sent away Rebecca, and her nurse Deborah, the daughter of Uz. They gave
her silver, gold, men servants, maid servants, and they blessed her.
43 They sent Eliezer away with his men. The servants took Rebecca, so he went,
and returned to his master to the land of Canaan.
44 Yitzchaq took Rebecca. She became his wife, and he brought her into the tent.
45 Yitzchaq was forty years old when he took Rebecca, the daughter of his uncle Bethuel,
for a wife.
CHAPTER 25:1 It was at that time that Abraham again took
a wife in his old age, and her name was Keturah, from the land of Canaan.
2 She bore to him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuach, being six
sons. The children of Zimran were Abihen, Molich, and Narim.
3 The sons of Jokshan were Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Medan were Amida,
Joab, Gochi, Elisha, and Nothach. The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Chanoch,
Abida, and Eldaah.
4 The sons of Ishbak were Makiro, Beyodua, and Tator.
5 The sons of Shuach were Bildad, Mamdad, Munan, and Meban. All these are the
families of the children of Keturah the Canaanitish woman which she bore to Abraham the
Hebrew.
6 Abraham sent all these away. He gave them gifts, and they went away from his
son Yitzchaq to dwell wherever they should find a place.
7 All these went to the mountain at the east, and they built themselves six cities in which
they dwelt to this day.
8 But the children of Sheba and Dedan, children of Jokshan, with their children, did not dwell
with their brothers in their cities. They journeyed, and encamped in the countries and
wildernesses to this day.
9 The children of Midian, son of Abraham, went to the east of the land of Cush. They
found a large valley there in the eastern country, they remained there, built a city,
and they dwelt therein, that is the land of Midian to this day.
10 Midian dwelt in the city which he built, he, his five sons, and all belonging to him.
11 These are the names of the sons of Midian according to their names in their cities:
Ephah, Epher, Chanoch, Abida, and Eldaah.
12 The sons of Ephah were Methach, Meshar, Avi, and Tzanua. The sons of Epher
were Ephron, Zur, Alirun, and Medin. The sons of Chanoch were Reuel, Rekem, Azi,
Alyoshub, and Alad.
13 The sons of Abida were Chur, Melud, Kerury, Molchi. The sons of Eldaah were
Miker, Reba, Malchiyah, and Gabol. These are the names of the Midianites according
to their families. Afterward the families of Midian spread throughout the land of Midian.
14 These are the generations of Ishmael the son Abraham, whom Hagar, Sarah's
handmaid, bore to Abraham.
15 Ishmael took a wife from the land of Egypt, and her name was Ribah, the same is
Meribah.
16 Ribah bore to Ishmael Nebayoth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, and their sister Bosmath.
17 Ishmael cast away his wife Ribah. She went from him, returned to Egypt to
the house of her father, and she dwelt there, for she was very bad in the sight of
Ishmael, and in the sight of his father Abraham.
18 Ishmael afterward took a wife from the land of Canaan, and her name was Malchuth.
She bore to him Nishma, Dumah, Masa, Chadad, Tema, Yetur, Naphish, and Kedma.
19 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, being twelve princes
according to their nations. The families of Ishmael afterward spread forth. Ishmael
took his children, all the property that he had gained, together with the souls of his
household, and all belonging to him, and they went to dwell where they should find a place.
20 They went and dwelt near the wilderness of Paran. Their dwelling was from
Havilah to Shur, that is before Egypt as you came toward Assyria.
21 Ishmael and his sons dwelt in the land. They had children born to them, they
were fruitful, and increased abundantly.
22 These are the names of the sons of Nebayoth the first born of Ishmael: Mend, Send,
Mayon. The sons of Kedar were Alyon, Kezem, Chamad, and Eli.
23 The sons of Adbeel were Chamad and Jabin. The sons of Mibsam were Obadyah,
Ebedmelech, and Yeush. These are the families of the children of Ribah the wife of Ishmael.
24 The sons of Mishma the son of Ishmael were Shamua, Zecaryon, and Obed. The
sons of Dumah were Kezed, Eli, Machmad, and Amed.
25 The sons of Masa were Melon, Mula, and Ebidadon. The sons of Chadad were
Azur, Minzar, and Ebedmelech. The sons of Tema were Seir, Sadon, and Yakol.
26 The sons of Yetur were Merith, Yaish, Alyo, and Pachoth. The sons of Naphish
were Ebed-Tamed, Abiyasaph, and Mir. The sons of Kedma were Calip, Tachti, and Omir.
These were the children of Malchuth the wife of Ishmael according to their families.
27 All these are the families of Ishmael according to their generations, and they dwelt in
those lands wherein they had built themselves cities to this day.
28 Rebecca the daughter of Bethuel, the wife of Abraham's son Yitzchaq, was barren in
those days, she had no offspring. Yitzchaq dwelt with his father in the land of Canaan.
Yahwah was with Yitzchaq. Arpachshad the son of Shem the son of Noah died in those
days, in the forty-eighth year of the life of Yitzchaq. All the days that Arpachshad lived were
four hundred and thirty-eight years, and he died.
CHAPTER 26:1 In the fifty-ninth year of the life of Yitzchaq
the son of Abraham, Rebecca his wife was still barren in those days.
2 Rebecca said to Yitzchaq: Truly I have heard, my lord, that your mother Sarah was
barren in her days until my lord Abraham, your father, prayed for her, and she conceived by him.
3 Now therefore stand up, you also pray to Yahwah. He will hear your prayer, and remember
us through His mercies.
4 Yitzchaq answered his wife Rebecca, saying: Abraham has already prayed for me to Yahwah
to multiply his seed, now therefore this barrenness must proceed to us from you.
5 Rebecca said to him: But you also arise now and pray, that Yahwah may hear your
prayer, and grant me children. Yitzchaq hearkened to the words of his wife. Yitzchaq and
his wife rose up and went to the land of Moriyah to pray there, to seek Yahwah. When
they reached that place Yitzchaq stood up and prayed to Yahwah on account of his wife,
because she was barren.
6 Yitzchaq said: O Yahwah of heaven and earth, whose goodness and mercies fill the
earth, you who took my father from his father's house, from his birthplace, and
brought him to this land. You said to him: I give the land to your seed.
You did promise him, and did declare to him: I will multiply your seed as the stars of
heaven, and as the sand of the sea. Now may your words be verified which you spoke
to my father.
7 For you are Yahwah our Father, our eyes are toward you to give us seed of men, as you
did promise us, for you are Yahwah our Father, our eyes are directed toward you only.
8 Yahwah heard the prayer of Yitzchaq the son of Abraham. Yahwah was entreated of
him, and Rebecca his wife conceived.
9 About seven months later the children struggled together within her, and it pained
her greatly that she was wearied on account of them. She said to all the women who
were then in the land: Did such a thing happen to you as it is to me? They said to
her: No.
10 She said to them: Why am I alone in this [suffering] among all the women that were upon
earth? She went to the land of Moriyah to seek Yahwah on account of this. She went
to Shem and Eber his son to make inquiries of them in this matter, and that they should seek
Yahwah in this thing respecting her.
11 She also asked Abraham to seek and inquire of Yahwah about all that had befallen her.
12 They all inquired of Yahwah concerning this matter. They brought her word from
Yahwah, and told her: Two children are in your womb, and two nations will rise from them.
One nation will be stronger than the other, the greater will serve the younger.
13 When her days to be delivered were completed, she knelt down [on the stool], and behold! There
were twins in her womb, as Yahwah said to her.
14 The first came out red all over like a hairy garment, and all the people of the land
called his name Esau, saying: This one was made complete from the womb.
15 After that his brother came, and his hand had hold of Esau's heel, therefore they
called his name Yaacob [Jacob].
16 Yitzchaq, the son of Abraham, was sixty years old when he begat them.
17 The boys grew up to their fifteenth year, and they came among the society of men.
Esau was a designing and deceitful man, an expert hunter in the field. Yaacob was a
man perfect and wise, dwelling in tents, feeding flocks, learning the instructions of Yahwah,
and the commands of his father and mother.
18 Yitzchaq and the children of his household dwelt with his father Abraham in the land of
Canaan, as Yahwah commanded them.
19 Ishmael the son of Abraham went with his children, and all belonging to them.
They returned there to the land of Havilah, and they dwelt there.
20 All the children of Abraham's concubines [Hagar and Keturah] went to dwell in the land of the east, for
Abraham gave them presents, sent them away from his son, and they went away.
21 Abraham gave all he had to his son Yitzchaq, and he also gave him all his treasures.
22 He commanded him, saying: Did you not know and understand Yahwah is Master in
heaven and in earth, and there is no other beside Him?
23 It was He who took me from my father's house, from my birth place, and gave me
all the delights upon earth. He delivered me from the counsel of the wicked, for in Him do I trust.
24 He brought me to this place, and He delivered me from Ur Casdim. He said to
me: To your seed I give all these lands. They will inherit them when they keep my
commandments, my statutes, and my judgments that I have commanded you, and which I
will command them.
25 Now therefore, my son, hearken to my voice. Keep the commandments of Yahwah your
Father, which I commanded you. Do not turn from the right way either to the right or to the left,
in order that it may be well with you and your children after you forever.
26 Remember the wonderful works of Yahwah, and His kindness that He shows
toward us, in having delivered us from the hands of our enemies, when Yahwah our Father
caused them to fall into our hands. Now therefore keep all that I commanded you,
do not turn away from the commandments of Yahwah, and serve none beside Him, in order
that it may be well with you and your seed after you.
27 Teach your children and your seed the instructions of Yahwah, and His
commandments. Teach them the upright way in which they should go, in order that it may
be well with them forever.
28 Yitzchaq answered his father, and said to him: That which my lord has commanded,
that I will do. I will not depart from the commands of Yahwah my Father, I will keep all that
He commanded me. Abraham blessed his son Yitzchaq, and also his children. Abraham
taught Yaacob the instruction of Yahwah, and His ways.
29 It was at that time that Abraham died, in the fifteenth year of the life of Yaacob and
Esau, the sons of Yitzchaq. All the days of Abraham were one hundred and seventy-five
years, he died, and was gathered to his people in good old age, old, satisfied with
days. Yitzchaq and Ishmael his sons buried him.
30 When the inhabitants of Canaan heard Abraham was dead, they all came with
their kings, princes, and all their men, to bury Abraham.
31 All the inhabitants of the land of Haran, all the families of the house of Abraham,
all the princes and grandees, and the sons of Abraham by the concubines, all came
when they heard of Abraham's death. They requited Abraham's kindness, comforted
Yitzchaq his son, and they buried Abraham in the cave which he bought from Ephron the Hittite
and his children, for the possession of a burial place.
32 All the inhabitants of Canaan, and all those who had known Abraham, wept for
Abraham a whole year, men and women mourned over him.
33 All the little children, all the inhabitants of the land wept on account of Abraham,
for Abraham was good to them all, because he was upright with Yahwah and men.
34 There did not arise a man who feared Yahwah like to Abraham, for he feared Yahwah
from his youth, served Yahwah, and went in all His ways during his life, from his
childhood to the day of his death.
35 Yahwah was with him, delivered him from the counsel of Nimrod and his people, and
when he made war with the four kings of Elam he conquered them.
36 He brought all the children of the earth to the service of Yahwah, he taught them the
ways of Yahwah, and caused them to know Yahwah.
37 He formed a grove, and he planted a vineyard therein. He had always prepared in
his tent meat and drink to those who passed through the land, that they might satisfy
themselves in his house.
38 Yahwah delivered the whole earth on account of Abraham.
39 It was after the death of Abraham that Yahwah blessed his son Yitzchaq, and his children.
Yahwah was with Yitzchaq as he had been with his father Abraham, for Yitzchaq kept all the
commandments of Yahwah as Abraham his father commanded him. He did not turn to
the right or to the left from the right path which his father commanded him.
CHAPTER 27:1 Esau at that time, after the death of Abraham,
frequently went in the field to hunt.
2 Nimrod king of Babel, the same was Amraphel, also frequently went with his mighty
men to hunt in the field, and to walk about with his men in the cool of the day.
3 Nimrod was observing Esau all the days, for a jealousy was formed in the heart of
Nimrod against Esau all the days.
4 On a certain day Esau went in the field to hunt, and he found Nimrod walking in the
wilderness with his two men.
5 All his mighty men and his people were with him in the wilderness, but they removed at
a distance from him, and they went from him in different directions to hunt. Esau
concealed himself for Nimrod, and he lurked for him in the wilderness.
6 Nimrod and his men that were with him did not know him. Nimrod and his men
frequently walked about in the field at the cool of the day, to know where his men were
hunting in the field.
7 Nimrod and two of his men that were with him came to the place where they were.
Esau started suddenly from his lurking place, drew his sword, hastened,
ran to Nimrod, and cut off his head.
8 Esau fought a desperate fight with the two men that were with Nimrod, but when they
called out to him, Esau turned to them and smote them to death with his sword.
9 All the mighty men of Nimrod, who had left him to go to the wilderness, heard the cry
at a distance. They knew the voices of those two men, and they ran to know the cause of
it, when they found their king and the two men that were with him lying dead in the wilderness.
10 When Esau saw the mighty men of Nimrod coming at a distance, he fled, and thereby
escaped. Esau took the valuable garments of Nimrod, which Nimrod's father had
bequeathed to Nimrod, and with which Nimrod prevailed over the whole land. He ran, and
concealed them in his house.
11 Esau took those garments, and ran into the city on account of Nimrod's men. He
came to his father's house wearied and exhausted from fight. He was ready to die
through grief when he approached his brother Yaacob, and sat before him.
12 He said to his brother Yaacob: Behold, I will die today, why then do I
want the birthright? Yaacob acted wisely with Esau in this matter, and Esau sold his
birthright to Yaacob, for it was so brought about by Yahwah.
13 Esau's portion in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought from
the children of Heth for the possession of a burial ground, Esau also sold to Yaacob, and
Yaacob bought all this from his brother Esau for value given.
14 Yaacob wrote the whole of this in a book, and he testified the same with witnesses.
He sealed it, and the book remained in the hands of Yaacob.
15 When Nimrod the son of Cush died, his men lifted him up, brought him in
consternation, and buried him in his city. All the days Nimrod lived were two hundred
and fifteen years, and he died.
16 The days Nimrod reigned upon the people of the land were one hundred and
eighty-five years. Nimrod died by the sword of Esau in shame and contempt, so the
seed of Abraham caused his death as he saw in his dream.
17 At the death of Nimrod his kingdom became divided into many divisions. All those
parts that Nimrod reigned over were restored to the respective kings of the land, who
recovered them after the death of Nimrod, and all the people of the house of Nimrod were for
a long time enslaved to all the other kings of the land.
CHAPTER 28:1 In those days, after the death of Abraham,
in that year Yahwah brought a heavy
famine in the land, and while the famine was raging in the land of Canaan, Yitzchaq rose up to
go down to Egypt on account of the famine, as his father Abraham had done.
2 Yahwah appeared that night to Yitzchaq, and He said to him: Do not go down to Egypt, but
rise and go to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines, and remain there till the famine
will cease.
3 Yitzchaq rose up, went to Gerar, as Yahwah commanded him, and he remained there
a full year.
4 When Yitzchaq came to Gerar, the people of the land saw that Rebecca his wife was of a
beautiful appearance, so the people of Gerar asked Yitzchaq concerning his wife, and he said:
She is my sister. For he was afraid to say she was his wife lest the people of the land should
slay him on account of her.
5 The princes of Abimelech went and praised the woman to the king, but he did not answer
them, neither did he attend to their words.
6 But he heard them say that Yitzchaq declared her to be his sister, so the king reserved this
within himself.
7 When Yitzchaq had remained three months in the land, Abimelech looked out at the
window, and he saw. Behold, Yitzchaq was sporting with Rebecca his wife, for Yitzchaq dwelt in
the outer house belonging to the king, so that the house of Yitzchaq was opposite the house of
the king.
8 The king said to Yitzchaq: What is this you did to us in saying of your wife; She is
my sister? How easily might one of the great men of the people have lain with her, and you
would then have brought guilt upon us.
9 Yitzchaq said to Abimelech: Because I was afraid lest I die on account of my wife.
Therefore I said: She is my sister.
10 At that time Abimelech gave orders to all his princes and great men. They took Yitzchaq,
with Rebecca his wife, and brought them before the king.
11 The king commanded that they should dress them in princely garments, make
them ride through the streets of the city, and proclaim before them throughout the land,
saying: This is the man, and this is his wife. Whoever touches this man or his wife will surely
die. Yitzchaq returned with his wife to the king's house. Yahwah was with Yitzchaq, he
continued to wax great, and lacked nothing.
12 Yahwah caused Yitzchaq to find favor in the sight of Abimelech, and in the sight of all
his subjects. Abimelech acted well with Yitzchaq, for Abimelech remembered the oath and
the covenant that existed between his father and Abraham.
13 Abimelech said to Yitzchaq: Behold, the whole earth is before you, dwell wherever it
may seem good in your sight until you will return to your land. Abimelech gave Yitzchaq
fields, vineyards, and the best part of the land of Gerar, to sow, reap, and eat the fruits
of the ground until the days of the famine should pass by.
14 Yitzchaq sowed in that land, received a hundred-fold in the same year, and Yahwah
blessed him.
15 The man waxed great, he had possession of flocks, possession of herds, and
great store of servants.
16 When the days of the famine passed away Yahwah appeared to Yitzchaq, and said
to him: Rise up, go forth from this place, return to your land, to the land of Canaan.
Yitzchaq rose up and returned to Hebron which is in the land of Canaan, he and all belonging to
him as Yahwah commanded him.
17 After this Shelach the son at Arpachshad died in that year, which is the eighteenth
year of the lives of Yaacob and Esau. All the days that Shelach lived were four hundred
and thirty-three years, and he died.
18 At that time Yitzchaq sent his younger son Yaacob to the house of Shem and Eber, and he
learned the instructions of Yahwah. Yaacob remained in the house of Shem and Eber for
thirty-two years. Esau his brother did not go, for he was not willing to go, he
remained in his father's house in the land of Canaan.
19 Esau was continually hunting in the fields to bring home what he could get, so did
Esau all the days.
20 Esau was a designing and deceitful man, one who hunted after the hearts of men
and inveigled them. Esau was a valiant man in the field, and in the course of time went
as usual to hunt. He came as far as the field of Seir, the same is Edom.
21 He remained in the land of Seir hunting in the field a year and four months.
22 Esau saw there in the land of Seir the daughter of a man of Canaan. Her name
was Judith, the daughter of Beeri, son of Epher, from the families of Heth the son of
Canaan.
23 Esau took her for a wife, and he came to her. Forty years old was Esau when he
took her. He brought her to Hebron, the land of his father's dwelling place, and he dwelt
there.
24 It came to pass in those days, in the hundred and tenth year of the life of Yitzchaq, that
is in the fiftieth year of the life of Yaacob, in that year Shem the son of Noah died. Shem was
six hundred years old at his death.
25 When Shem died Yaacob returned to his father to Hebron which is in the land of Canaan.
26 In the fifty-sixth year of the life of Yaacob, people came from Haran, and Rebecca was
told concerning her brother Laban the son of Bethuel.
27 For the wife of Laban was barren in those days, and bore no children, and also all his
handmaids bore none to him.
28 Yahwah afterward remembered Adinah the wife of Laban. She conceived and
bore twin daughters. Laban called the names of his daughters, the name of the elder
Leah, and the name of the younger Rachel.
29 Those people came and told these things to Rebecca. Rebecca rejoiced greatly
that Yahwah visited her brother, and that he got children.
CHAPTER 29:1 Yitzchaq the son of Abraham became old,
advanced in days. His eyes became heavy through age, they were dim, and could not see.
2 At that time Yitzchaq called to Esau his son, saying: Get your weapons I pray you, your quiver
and your bow. Rise up, go forth into the field, and get me some venison. Make me
savory meat and bring it to me, that I may eat in order that I may bless you before my death,
as I have now become old and gray-headed.
3 Esau did so. He took his weapon and went forth into the field to hunt for venison,
as usual, to bring to his father as he ordered him, so that he might bless him.
4 Rebecca heard all the words that Yitzchaq spoke to Esau. She hastened and
called her son Yaacob, saying: Thus did your father speak to your brother Esau, and thus did I
hear, now therefore hurry and make that which I will tell you.
5 Rise up and go, I pray you, to the flock. Fetch me two fine kids of the goats. I will
get the savory meat for your father, and you will bring the savory meat that he may eat
before your brother comes from the chase, in order that your father may bless you.
6 Yaacob hastened, and did as his mother commanded him. He made the savory
meat, and brought it before his father before Esau came from his chase.
7 Yitzchaq said to Yaacob: Who are you, my son? He said: I am your first born, Esau. I
did as you ordered me, now therefore rise up I pray you, and eat of my hunt, in
order that your soul may bless me as you did speak to me.
8 Yitzchaq rose up, he ate, he drank, and his heart was comforted. He blessed
Yaacob, and Yaacob went away from his father. As soon as Yitzchaq had blessed Yaacob and he
went away from him, behold, Esau came from his hunt from the field. He also made
savory meat, and brought it to his father to eat thereof, and to bless him.
9 Yitzchaq said to Esau: Who was he who took venison and brought it to me
before you came, and whom I did bless? Esau knew that his brother Yaacob did
this, and the anger of Esau was kindled against his brother Yaacob that he had acted thus
toward him.
10 Esau said: Is he not rightly called Yaacob? For he has supplanted me twice, he took
away my birthright, and now he took away my blessing. Esau wept greatly.
When Yitzchaq heard the voice of his son Esau weeping, Yitzchaq said to Esau: What can I do,
my son? Your brother came with subtlety, and took away your blessing. Esau hated his
brother Yaacob on account of the blessing that his father gave him, and his anger was
greatly roused against him.
11 Yaacob was very much afraid of his brother Esau, he rose up, fled to the
house of Eber the son of Shem, and he concealed himself there on account of his brother.
Yaacob was sixty-three years old when he went forth from the land of Canaan from
Hebron, and Yaacob was concealed in Eber's house fourteen years on account of his brother
Esau. There he continued to learn the ways of Yahwah, and His commandments.
12 When Esau saw that Yaacob had fled and escaped from him, and that Yaacob had
cunningly obtained the blessing, then Esau grieved exceedingly. He was also vexed at
his father and mother, so he also rose up, took his wife, went away from his father
and mother to the land of Seir, and he dwelt there. Esau saw a woman there from
among the daughters of Heth whose name was Bosmath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite,
and he took her for a wife in addition to his first wife. Esau called her name Adah, saying
the blessing had passed from him in that time.
13 Esau dwelt in the land of Seir six months without seeing his father and mother.
Afterward Esau took his wives and rose up and returned to the land of Canaan, and Esau
placed his two wives in his father's house in Hebron.
14 The wives of Esau vexed and provoked Yitzchaq and Rebecca with their works, for they did not
walk in the ways of Yahwah, but served their father's gods of wood and stone as their
father had taught them, and they were more wicked than their father.
15 They went according to the evil desires of their hearts, they sacrificed and burnt
incense to the Lord. Yitzchaq and Rebecca became weary of them.
16 Rebecca said: I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Yaacob take
a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what
good then is life to me?
17 In those days Adah the wife of Esau conceived, and bore him a son. Esau called
the name of the son that was born to him Eliphaz, and Esau was sixty-five years old when
she bore him.
18 Ishmael the son of Abraham died in those days, in the sixty-forth year of the life of
Yaacob, and all the days that Ishmael lived were one hundred and thirty-seven years, and he died.
19 When Yitzchaq heard that Ishmael was dead he mourned for him, and Yitzchaq lamented
over him many days.
20 At the end of fourteen years of Yaacob's residing in the house of Eber, Yaacob desired
to see his father and mother. Yaacob came to the house of his father and mother to
Hebron. Esau had in those days forgotten what Yaacob did to him in taking
the blessing from him in those days.
21 When Esau saw Yaacob coming to his father and mother he remembered what Yaacob
did to him, so he was greatly incensed against him, and he sought to slay him.
22 Yitzchaq the son of Abraham was old and advanced in days, and Esau said: Now my
father's time is drawing near that he must die, and when he dies I will slay my brother Yaacob.
23 This was told to Rebecca, so she hastened, sent, called for Yaacob her son,
and she said to him: Arise, go, flee to Haran to my brother Laban. Remain there for
some time, until your brother's anger is turned from you, and then you can come back.
24 Yitzchaq called to Yaacob, and said to him: Do not take a wife from the daughters of
Canaan, for thus did our father Abraham command us according to the Word of Yahwah
which He had commanded him, saying: Unto your seed I give this land, if your children keep
my covenant that I made with you, then I will also perform to your children that which I
said to you. I will not forsake them.
25 Now therefore my son, hearken to my voice, to all that I command you. Refrain
from taking a wife from among the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Haran to the house of
Bethuel your mother's father, and take to you a wife from there from the daughters of
Laban your mother's brother.
26 Therefore take heed lest you should forget Yahwah your Father and all His ways in the
land to which you go, should get connected with the people of the land, pursue
vanity, and forsake Yahwah your Father.
27 But when you come to the land serve Yahwah there, do not turn to the right or to the
left from the way which I commanded you, and which you did learn.
28 And may the Almighty Yahwah grant you favor in the sight of the people of the earth, that
you may take a wife there according to your choice, one who is good, upright in the
ways of Yahwah.
29 May Yahwah give to you and your seed the blessing of your father Abraham, and make
you fruitful and multiply you. May you become a multitude of people in the land
where you go. May Yahwah cause you to return to this land, the land of your father's
dwelling, with children, with great riches, with joy, and with pleasure.
30 Yitzchaq finished commanding Yaacob, and blessing him. He gave him many gifts,
together with silver and gold, and he sent him away. Yaacob hearkened to his father and
mother. He kissed them, arose, and went to Padan-aram [Syria]. Yaacob was seventy-seven
years old when he went out from the land of Canaan from Beersheba.
31 When Yaacob went away to go to Haran Esau called to his son Eliphaz, and secretly
spoke to him, saying: Now hasten, take your sword in your hand, pursue Yaacob, pass
before him in the road, lurk for him, slay him with your sword in one of the mountains,
take all belonging to him, and come back.
32 Eliphaz the son of Esau was an active man, expert with the bow as his father had
taught him, and he was a noted hunter in the field, a valiant man.
33 Eliphaz did as his father commanded him. Eliphaz was at that time thirteen
years old. Eliphaz rose up, went, took ten of his mother's brothers with him, and
pursued Yaacob.
34 He followed Yaacob closely, and he lurked for him in the border of the land of Canaan
opposite to the city of Shechem.
35 Yaacob saw Eliphaz and his men pursuing him. Yaacob stood still in the place in
which he was going, in order to know what this was, for he did not know the thing.
Eliphaz drew his sword, and he went on advancing, he and his men, toward Yaacob.
Yaacob said to them: What is to do with you that you came here, and what does it mean
that you pursue with your swords.
36 Eliphaz came near to Yaacob, he answered, and said to him: Thus did my father
command me, and now therefore I will not deviate from the orders which my father gave me.
When Yaacob saw that Esau told Eliphaz to employ force, Yaacob then
approached and supplicated Eliphaz and his men, saying to him:
37 Behold, all that I have and which my father and mother gave to me, that take to you.
Go from me, do not slay me, and may this thing be accounted to you a righteousness.
38 Yahwah caused Yaacob to find favor in the sight of Eliphaz the son of Esau, and his
men. They hearkened to the voice of Yaacob, and they did not put him to death.
Eliphaz and his men took all belonging to Yaacob, together with the silver and gold that he had
brought with him from Beersheba, they left him nothing.
39 Eliphaz and his men went away from him and they returned to Esau to Beersheba.
They told him all that had occurred to them with Yaacob, and they gave him all that they
took from Yaacob.
40 Esau was indignant at Eliphaz his son, and at his men that were with him, because
they did not put Yaacob to death.
41 They answered, and said to Esau: Because Yaacob supplicated us in this matter not
to slay him, our pity was excited toward him, so we took all belonging to him, and brought it
to you. Esau took all the silver and gold which Eliphaz took from Yaacob, and he
put them by in his house.
42 At that time Esau saw that Yitzchaq blessed Yaacob, and commanded him,
saying: You will not take a wife from among the daughters of Canaan. He saw that the
daughters of Canaan were bad in the sight of Yitzchaq and Rebecca.
43 Then he went to the house of Ishmael his uncle, and in addition to his older wives he took
Machlath the daughter of Ishmael, the sister of Nebayoth, for a wife.
CHAPTER 30:1 Yaacob went forth continuing his road to Haran.
He came as far as mount Moriyah,
and he tarried there all night near the city of Luz. Yahwah appeared there to Yaacob on
that night. He said to him: I am Yahwah of Abraham, and the Father of Yitzchaq your
father. The land upon which you lie I give to you and your seed.
2 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go. I will multiply your
seed as the stars of Heaven, and I will cause all your enemies to fall before you. When
they make war with you they will not prevail over you. I will bring you again to
this land with joy, with children, and with great riches.
3 Yaacob awoke from his sleep. He rejoiced greatly at the vision which he saw,
and he called the name of that place Bethel.
4 Yaacob rose up from that place quite rejoiced, and when he walked his feet felt light to
him for joy. He went from there to the land of the children of the East, he returned to
Haran, and he set by the shepherd's well.
5 He found some men going from Haran to feed their flocks, and Yaacob made
inquiries of them. They said: We are from Haran.
6 He said to them: Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor? They said: We know
him, behold, his daughter Rachel is coming along to feed her father's flock.
7 While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel the daughter of Laban came to feed her
father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
8 When Yaacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, he ran,
kissed her, lifted up his voice, and wept.
9 Yaacob told Rachel that he was the son of Rebecca, her father's sister. Rachel ran
and told her father. Yaacob continued to cry because he had nothing with him to bring to
the house of Laban.
10 When Laban heard that his sister's son Yaacob was come, he ran, kissed him,
embraced him, brought him into the house, gave him bread, and he ate.
11 Yaacob related to Laban what his brother Esau did to him, and what his son
Eliphaz did to him in the road.
12 Yaacob resided in Laban's house for one month. Yaacob ate and drank in the house
of Laban, and afterward Laban said to Yaacob: Tell me what will be your wages, for how
can you serve me for nothing?
13 Laban had no sons but only daughters, and his other wives and handmaids were still
barren in those days. These are the names of Laban's daughters which his wife Adinah
bore to him: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was
Rachel. Leah was tender-eyed [shy], but Rachel was beautiful, well favored, and Yaacob loved her.
14 Yaacob said to Laban: I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger
daughter. Laban consented to this. So Yaacob served Laban seven years for his daughter Rachel.
15 In the second year of Yaacob's dwelling in Haran, that is in the seventy ninth year of
the life of Yaacob, in that year Eber the son of Shem died, he was four hundred and sixty-four
years old at his death.
16 When Yaacob heard that Eber was dead he grieved exceedingly, he lamented and
mourned over him many days.
17 In the third year of Yaacob's dwelling in Haran, Bosmath, the daughter of Ishmael, the
wife of Esau, bore a son to him, and Esau called his name Reuel.
18 In the fourth year of Yaacob's residence in the house of Laban, Yahwah visited Laban
and remembered him on account of Yaacob. Sons were born to him, his first born
was Beor, his second was Alib, and the third was Chorash.
19 Yahwah gave Laban riches, honor, sons, and daughters, the man increased
greatly on account of Yaacob.
20 Yaacob in those days served Laban in all manner of work, in the house and in the field,
and the blessing of Yahwah was in all that belonged to Laban in the house and in the field.
21 In the fifth year Judith, the daughter of Beeri, the wife of Esau, died in the land of
Canaan, and she had no sons but daughters only.
22 These are the names of her daughters which she bore to Esau: the name of the elder
was Marzith, and the name of the younger was Puith.
23 When Judith died, Esau rose up, went to Seir to hunt in the field, as usual, and
Esau dwelt in the land of Seir for a long time.
24 In the sixth year Esau took for a wife, in addition to his other wives, Ahlibamah, the
daughter of Zebeon the Hivite, and Esau brought her to the land of Canaan.
25 Ahlibamah conceived and bore to Esau three sons: Yeush, Yaalan, and Korah.
26 In those days, in the land of Canaan, there was a quarrel between the herdsmen of
Esau and the herdsmen of the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, for Esau's cattle and goods
were too abundant for him to remain in the land of Canaan, in his father's house, and the
land of Canaan could not bear him on account of his cattle.
27 When Esau saw that his quarreling increased with the inhabitants of the land of
Canaan, he rose up, took his wives, his sons, his daughters, all belonging to
him, the cattle which he possessed, and all his property that he had acquired in the land
of Canaan, and he went away from the inhabitants of the land to the land of Seir. Esau
and all belonging to him dwelt in the land of Seir.
28 But from time to time Esau would go and see his father and mother in the land of Canaan.
Esau intermarried with the Horites, and he gave his daughters to the sons of Seir, the Horite.
29 He gave his elder daughter Marzith to Anah, the son of Zebeon, his wife's brother,
and Puith he gave to Azar, the son of Bilhan the Horite. Esau dwelt in the mountain, he
and his children, and they were fruitful and multiplied.
CHAPTER 31:1 In the seventh year, Yaacob's service which he
served Laban was completed, and
Yaacob said to Laban: Give me my wife, for the days of my service are fulfilled. Laban
did so, Laban and Yaacob assembled all the people of that place, and they made a feast.
2 In the evening Laban came to the house, and afterward Yaacob came there with the
people of the feast, and Laban extinguished all the lights that were there in the house.
3 Yaacob said to Laban: Why did you do this thing to us? Laban
answered: Such is our custom to act in this land.
4 Afterward Laban took his daughter Leah, and he brought her to Yaacob. He came to
her, and Yaacob did not know that she was Leah.
5 Laban gave his daughter Leah his maid Zilpah for a handmaid.
6 All the people at the feast knew what Laban did to Yaacob, but they did not tell
the thing to Yaacob.
7 All the neighbors came that night to Yaacob's house. They ate, drank,
rejoiced, and played before Leah upon timbrels, with dances, and they responded before
Yaacob, Heleah, Heleah.
8 Yaacob heard their words but did not understand their meaning, but he thought such
might be their custom in this land.
9 The neighbors spoke these words before Yaacob during the night, and all the lights that
were in the house Laban had extinguished that night.
10 In the morning, when daylight appeared, Yaacob turned to his wife. He saw, and
behold, it was Leah that was lying in his bosom. Yaacob said: Behold, now I know
what the neighbors said last night, they said: Heleah. And I did not know it.
11 Yaacob called to Laban, and said to him: What is this that you did to me?
Surely I served you for Rachel, why did you deceive me, and did give me Leah?
12 Laban answered Yaacob, saying: Not so is it done in our place to give the younger
before the elder. Now therefore if you desire to take her sister likewise, take her to you
for the service which you will serve me for another seven years.
13 Yaacob did so, he also took Rachel for a wife, and he served Laban seven years
more. Yaacob also came to Rachel, he loved Rachel more than Leah, and Laban
gave her his maid Bilhah for a handmaid.
14 When Yahwah saw that Leah was hated, Yahwah opened her womb. She
conceived, and bore Yaacob four sons in those days.
15 These are their names: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Yahudah [Judah]. Afterward she stopped bearing.
16 At that time Rachel was barren, she had no offspring. Rachel envied her
sister Leah. When Rachel saw that she bore no children to Yaacob, she took her
handmaid Bilhah, and she bore Yaacob two sons: Dan and Naphtali.
17 When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she also took her handmaid Zilpah, and
she gave her to Yaacob for a wife. Yaacob also came to Zilpah, and she also bore Yaacob
two sons: Gad and Asher.
18 Leah conceived again, and bore two sons and one daughter to Yaacob in those days, and
these are their names: Issachar, Zebulon, and their sister Dinah.
19 Rachel was still barren in those days. Rachel prayed to Yahwah at that time,
and she said: O Yahwah, remember me and visit me, I beg you, for now my husband
will cast me off, for I have borne him no children.
20 Now O Yahwah, hear my supplication before you, see my affliction, and give me
children like one of the handmaids, that I may not bear my reproach anymore.
21 Yahwah heard her, and opened her womb. Rachel conceived, bore a son, and
she said: Yahwah took away my reproach. She called his name Yahusef [Joseph], saying:
May Yahwah add to me another son. Yaacob was ninety-one years old when she bore him.
22 At that time Yaacob's mother, Rebecca, sent her nurse Deborah the daughter of Uz, and
two of Yitzchaq's servants to Yaacob.
23 They came to Yaacob to Haran, and they said to him: Rebecca sent us to you
that you will return to your father's house to the land of Canaan. Yaacob hearkened to
them in this which his mother spoke.
24 At that time, the other seven years which Yaacob served Laban for Rachel were completed.
It was at the end of fourteen years that he had dwelt in Haran that Yaacob said to
Laban: Give me my wives, and send me away, that I may go to my land. Behold, my mother
sent to me from the land at Canaan that I should return to my father's house.
25 Laban said to him: Not so I pray you. If I have found favor in your sight do not leave
me. Appoint me your wages, and I will give them, remain with me.
26 Yaacob said to him: This is what you will give me for wages, that today I will
pass through all your flock and take away from them every lamb that is speckled and spotted,
such as are brown among the sheep and among the goats. If you will do this
thing for me I will return, feed your flock, and keep them as at first.
27 Laban did so, Laban removed from his flock all that Yaacob had said, and gave
them to him.
28 Yaacob placed all that he removed from Laban's flock in the hands of his sons,
and Yaacob was feeding the remainder of Laban's flock.
29 When the servants of Yitzchaq which he sent to Yaacob saw that Yaacob would not
then return with them to the land of Canaan to his father, then they went away from him, and
they returned home to the land of Canaan.
30 Deborah remained with Yaacob in Haran, and she did not return with the servants of
Yitzchaq to the land of Canaan. Deborah resided with Yaacob's wives and children in Haran.
31 Yaacob served Laban six years longer. When the sheep brought forth, Yaacob
removed from them such as were speckled and spotted, as he had determined with Laban.
Yaacob did so at Laban's for six years. The man increased abundantly, he had
cattle, maid servants, men servants, camels, and asses.
32 Yaacob had two hundred drove of cattle, and his cattle were of large size, of
beautiful appearance, and were very productive. All the families of the sons of men
desired to get some of the cattle of Yaacob, for they were exceedingly prosperous.
33 Many of the sons of men came to procure some of Yaacob's flock. Yaacob gave
them a sheep for a man servant or a maid servant, or for an ass or a camel, or whatever
Yaacob desired from them they gave him.
34 Yaacob obtained riches, honor, and possessions, by means of these transactions
with the sons of men, and the children of Laban envied him of this honor.
35 In the course of time he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying: Yaacob took
away all that was our father's. He has acquired all this glory of that which was our father's.
36 Yaacob beheld the countenance of Laban and of his children, and behold, it was not
toward him in those days as it was before.
37 Yahwah appeared to Yaacob at the expiration of the six years, and said to him:
Arise, go forth out of this land, return to the land of your birthplace, and I will be with you.
38 Yaacob rose up at that time, he mounted his children, wives, and all belonging
to him upon camels. He went forth to go to the land of Canaan to his father Yitzchaq.
39 Laban did not know that Yaacob went from him, for Laban was
sheep-shearing that day.
40 Rachel stole her father's [graven] images, she took them, she concealed them upon
the camel upon which she sat, and she went on.
41 This is the manner of the images: in taking a man who is the first born, killing him,
taking the hair off his head, taking salt, salting the head, anointing it in oil,
then taking a small tablet of copper or a tablet of gold and writing the name upon it,
placing the tablet under his tongue, taking the head with the tablet under the tongue and
putting it in the house, lighting up lights before it, and bowing down to it.
42 At the time when they bow down to it, it speaks to them in all matters that they ask
of it, through the power of the name which is written in it.
43 Some make them in the figures of men, of gold and silver, and go to them in times
known to them. The figures receive the influence of the stars [demons], and tell them future things.
In this manner were the images which Rachel stole from her father.
44 Rachel stole these images which were her father's, in order that Laban might not
know where Yaacob went through them.
45 Laban came home, he asked concerning Yaacob and his household, and he was
not to be found. Laban sought his images to know where Yaacob went, and could not
find them. He went to some other images, and he inquired of them. They told him that
Yaacob fled from him to his father, to the land of Canaan.
46 Laban then rose up, he took his brothers, all his servants, and he went forth.
He pursued Yaacob, and he overtook him in Mount Gilead.
47 Laban said to Yaacob: What is this you did to me to flee and deceive me,
to lead my daughters and their children as captives taken by the sword?
48 You did not allow me to kiss them and send them away with joy, you
stole my gods, and went away.
49 Yaacob answered Laban, saying: Because I was afraid lest you would take your
daughters from me by force. And now with whomsoever you find your gods he will die.
50 Laban searched for the images, he examined in all Yaacob's tents and furniture,
but could not find them.
51 Laban said to Yaacob: We will make a covenant together, it is a testimony
between me and you. If you will afflict my daughters, or will take other wives besides my
daughters, even Yahwah will be a witness between me and you in this matter.
52 They took stones, made a heap, and Laban said: This heap is a witness between
me and you. Therefore he called the name thereof Gilead.
53 Yaacob and Laban offered sacrifice upon the mount, they ate there by the heap,
and they tarried in the mount all night. Laban rose up early in the morning, he wept
with his daughters, he kissed them, and he returned to his place.
54 He hastened, sent off his son Beor, who was seventeen years old, with Abichorof
the son of Uz, the son of Nahor, and with them were ten men.
55 They hastened, went, passed on the road before Yaacob, and they came by
another road to the land of Seir.
56 They came to Esau, and said to him: Thus says your brother and relative, your
mother's brother Laban, the son of Bethuel, saying:
57 Have you heard what Yaacob your brother did to me, who first came to me naked
and bare? I went to meet him, brought him to my house with honor, and I made him
great. I gave him my two daughters for wives, and also two of my maids.
58 Yahwah blessed him on my account, he increased abundantly, had sons,
daughters, and maid servants.
59 He also has an immense stock of flocks, herds, camels, asses, also silver and
gold in abundance. When he saw that his wealth increased, he left me while I went to
shear my sheep, he rose up, and fled in secrecy.
60 He lifted his wives and children upon camels, he led away all his cattle and
property which he acquired in my land, and he lifted up his countenance to go to his father
Yitzchaq, to the land of Canaan.
61 He did not allow me to kiss my daughters and their children, he led my
daughters as captives taken by the sword, he also stole my gods, and he fled.
62 And now I have left him in the mountain of the brook of Jabuk, him and all belonging to
him. He lacks nothing.
63 If it is your wish to go to him, go then, you will find him there, you can do to
him as your soul desires. Laban's messengers came, and told Esau all these things.
64 Esau heard all the words of Laban's messengers, and his anger was greatly kindled
against Yaacob. He remembered his hatred, and his anger burned within him.
65 Esau hastened, took his children, servants, and the souls of his household,
being sixty men. He went, assembled all the children of Seir the Horite, and their
people, being three hundred and forty men. He took all this number of four hundred men
with drawn swords, and he went to Yaacob to smite him.
66 Esau divided this number into several parts. He took the sixty men of his children,
servants, and the souls of his household as one head, and gave them in care of Eliphaz
his eldest son.
67 The remaining heads he gave to the care of the six sons of Seir the Horite, and he
placed every man over his generations and children.
68 The whole of this camp went as it was. Esau went among them toward Yaacob,
and he conducted them with speed.
69 Laban's messengers departed from Esau, went to the land of Canaan, and they
came to the house of Rebecca the mother of Yaacob and Esau.
70 They told her saying: Behold your son Esau went against his brother Yaacob with
four hundred men, for he heard that he was coming. He is gone to make war with him,
to smite him, and to take all he has.
71 Rebecca hastened, and sent seventy two men from the servants of Yitzchaq to meet
Yaacob on the road, for she said: Peradventure, Esau may make war in the road when he
meets him.
72 These messengers went on the road to meet Yaacob, and they met him in the road of
the brook on the opposite side of the brook Jabuk. When he saw them Yaacob said: This
camp is destined to me from Yahwah, and Yaacob called the name of that place Machnayim.
73 Yaacob knew all his father's people, he kissed them, embraced them, and
came with them. Yaacob asked them concerning his father and mother, and they said:
They were well.
74 These messengers said to Yaacob: Rebecca your mother sent us to you, saying;
I have heard, my son, that your brother Esau went forth against you on the road with men
from the children of Seir the Horite.
75 Therefore, my son, hearken to my voice, and see with your counsel what you will do.
When he comes up to you, supplicate him, and do not speak rashly to him. Give
him a present from what you possess, from what Yahwah has favored you with.
76 When he asks you concerning your affairs, conceal nothing from him, perhaps he
may turn from his anger against you, and you will save your soul thereby, you and all
belonging to you. It is your duty to honor him, for he is your elder brother.
77 When Yaacob heard the words of his mother which the messengers spoke to
him, Yaacob lifted up his voice, wept bitterly, and then did as his mother commanded him.
CHAPTER 32:1 At that time Yaacob sent messengers to his
brother Esau toward the land of Seir, and he spoke to him words of supplication.
2 He commanded them, saying: Thus you will say to my lord, to Esau; Thus says your
servant Yaacob; Do not let my lord imagine that my father's blessing with which he blessed me
has proven beneficial to me.
3 For I have been these twenty years with Laban. He deceived me, and changed my
wages ten times, as it has all been already told to my lord.
4 I served him in his house very laboriously. Yahwah afterward saw my affliction, my
labor, and the work of my hands, so He caused me to find grace and favor in his sight.
5 I afterward through Yahwah's great mercy and kindness acquired oxen, asses,
cattle, men servants, and maid servants.
6 And now I am coming to my land and my home, to my father and mother, who are in the
land of Canaan. I sent to let my lord know all this in order to find favor in the sight
of my lord, so that he may not imagine that I obtained wealth of myself, or that the
blessing with which my father blessed me has benefited me.
7 Those messengers went to Esau, found him on the borders of the land of Edom
going toward Yaacob, and four hundred men of the children of Seir the Horite were standing
with drawn swords.
8 The messengers of Yaacob told Esau all the words that Yaacob spoke to them
concerning Esau.
9 Esau answered them with pride and contempt, and said to them: Surely I have
heard, and truly it was told to me what Yaacob did to Laban, who exalted him in
his house, gave him his daughters for wives. He begat sons and daughters, and
abundantly increased in wealth and riches in Laban's house through his means.
10 When he saw that his wealth was abundant and his riches great he fled from Laban's house with all
belonging to him, and he led Laban's daughters away from the face of
their father, as captives taken by the sword without telling him of it.
11 And not only to Laban did Yaacob done thus, but also to me he did so, and
twice supplanted me, and will I be silent?
12 Now therefore I have come today with my camps to meet him, and I will do to him
according to the desire of my heart.
13 The messengers returned, came to Yaacob, and said to him: We came to your
brother, to Esau, and we told him all your words. Thus he answered us, behold, he
comes to meet you with four hundred men.
14 Now then know and see what you will do, and pray before Yahwah to deliver you from him.
15 When he heard the words of his brother which he spoke to the messengers of
Yaacob, Yaacob was greatly afraid, and he was distressed.
16 Yaacob prayed to Yahwah his Father, and he said: O Father of my fathers Abraham
and Yitzchaq, you did say to me when I went away from my father's house, saying:
17 I am Yahwah of your father Abraham, and the Father of Yitzchaq, I give this
land to you and your seed after you. I will make your seed as the stars of heaven, you will
spread forth to the four sides of heaven, and in you and in your seed all the families of
the earth will be blessed.
18 And you did establish your words, and did give to me riches, children, and cattle.
You did give to your servant the utmost wishes of my heart, you did give to me all
that I asked from you, so that I lacked nothing.
19 And you did afterward say to me: Return to your parents, to your birth place, and I
will still do well with you.
20 And now that I am come, and you did deliver me from Laban, will I fall in the hands
of Esau who will slay me, yea, together with the mothers of my children?
21 Now therefore, O Yahwah, deliver me, I pray you, also from the hands of my brother
Esau, for I am greatly afraid of him.
22 If there is no righteousness in me, do it for the sake of Abraham and my father Yitzchaq.
23 For I know that through kindness and mercy I have acquired this wealth. Now therefore I
beg you to deliver me today with your kindness, and to answer me.
24 Yaacob ceased praying to Yahwah. He divided the people that were with him with
the flocks and cattle into two camps. He gave the half to the care of Damesek, the son of
Eliezer (Abraham's servant), for a camp, with his children, and the other half he gave to the
care of his brother Elianus the son of Eliezer, to be for a camp with his children.
25 He commanded them, saying: Keep yourselves at a distance with your camps, and
do not come too near each other. If Esau come to one camp and slay it, the other camp
at a distance from it will escape him.
26 Yaacob tarried there that night, during the whole night he gave his servants
instructions concerning the forces, and his children.
27 Yahwah heard the prayer of Yaacob on that day, and Yahwah delivered Yaacob
from the hands of his brother Esau.
28 Yahwah sent three malaks of the malaks of heaven, they went before Esau, and
came to him.
29 These malaks appeared to Esau and his people as two thousand men, riding upon
horses furnished with all sorts of war instruments, and they appeared in the sight of Esau
and all his men to be divided into four camps, with four chiefs to them.
30 One camp went on, they found Esau coming with four hundred men toward his
brother Yaacob. This camp ran toward Esau and his people and terrified them. Esau
fell off the horse in alarm, and all his men separated from him in that place, for they were
greatly afraid.
31 The whole of the camp shouted after them when they fled from Esau, and all the
warlike men answered, saying:
32 Surely we are the servants of Yaacob, who is the servant of Yahwah, who then can stand
against us? Esau said to them: O then, my lord and brother Yaacob is your lord, whom
I have not seen for these twenty years, and now that I come to see him today, do you
treat me in this manner?
33 The malaks answered him, saying: As Yahwah lives, were Yaacob of whom you
speak not your brother, we would not leave one remaining from you and your people, but only on
account of Yaacob we will do nothing to them.
34 This camp passed from Esau and his men, and it went away. Esau and his men
went from them about a league when the second camp came toward him with all sorts of
weapons, and they also did to Esau and his men as the first camp did to them.
35 When they left it to go on, behold the third camp came toward him. They were
all terrified, and Esau fell off the horse. The whole camp cried out, and said: Surely we
are the servants of Yaacob, who is the servant of Yahwah, and who can stand against us?
36 Esau again answered them, saying: O then, Yaacob my lord and your lord is my
brother, and for twenty years I have not seen his countenance. Hearing today that he
was coming, I went today to meet him, and do you treat me in this manner?
37 They answered him, and said to him: As Yahwah lives, were Yaacob not your brother
as you did say, we would not leave a remnant from you and your men, but on account of Yaacob
of whom you speak being your brother, we will not meddle with you or your men.
38 The third camp also passed from them, and he still continued his road with his men
toward Yaacob, when the fourth camp came toward him, and they also did to him and his
men as the others did.
39 When Esau beheld the evil which the four malaks did to him and to his men, he
became greatly afraid of his brother Yaacob, and he went to meet him in peace.
40 Esau concealed his hatred against Yaacob, because he was afraid of his life on
account of his brother Yaacob, and because he imagined that the four camps that he
lit upon were Yaacob's servants.
41 Yaacob tarried that night with his servants in their camps, and he resolved with his
servants to give to Esau a present from all that he had with him, and from all his property.
Yaacob rose up in the morning, he and his men, and they chose from among the cattle a
present for Esau.
42 This is the amount of the present which Yaacob chose from his flock to give to his
brother Esau: he selected two hundred and forty head from the flocks, and he selected
from the camels and asses thirty each, and of the herds he chose fifty pigs.
43 He put them all in ten droves, and he placed each sort by itself. He delivered
them into the hands of ten of his servants, each drove by itself.
44 He commanded them, and said to them: Keep yourselves at a distance from each
other, and put a space between the droves. When Esau and those who are with him
meet you and ask you, saying: Whose are you, where do you go, and to whom
belongs all this before you? You will say to them: We are the servants of Yaacob, and we
come to meet Esau in peace, and behold, Yaacob comes behind us.
45 That which is before us is a present sent from Yaacob to his brother Esau.
46 If they say to you: Why does he delay behind you, from coming to meet his
brother, to see his face? Then you will say to them: Surely he comes joyfully behind
us to meet his brother. For he said: I will appease him with the present that goes to him, and
after this I will see his face, peradventure he will accept of me.
47 So the whole present passed on in the hands of his servants, and went before him on that
day. He lodged that night with his camps by the border of the brook of Jabuk. He
rose up in the middle of the night, he took his wives, his maid servants, all
belonging to him, and that night he passed them over the ford Jabuk.
48 When he passed all belonging to him over the brook, Yaacob was left by himself. A
man met him, and he wrestled with him that night until the breaking of the day. The
hollow of Yaacob's thigh was out of joint through wrestling with him.
49 At the break of day the man left Yaacob there, he blessed him, and went away.
Yaacob passed the brook at the break of day, and he limped upon his thigh.
50 The sun rose upon him when he was passed the brook, and he came up to the place
of his cattle and children.
51 They went on till midday, and while they were going the present was passing on
before them.
52 Yaacob lifted up his eyes, looked, and behold, Esau was at a distance, coming
along with many men, about four hundred. Yaacob was greatly afraid of his brother.
53 Yaacob hastened, divided his children to his wives and his handmaids. His
daughter Dinah he put in a chest, and delivered her into the hands of his servants.
54 He passed before his children and wives to meet his brother, and he bowed down to
the ground, yea he bowed down seven times until he approached his brother. Yahwah
caused Yaacob to find grace and favor in the sight of Esau and his men, for Yahwah heard
the prayer of Yaacob.
55 The fear of Yaacob and his terror fell upon his brother Esau, for Esau was greatly afraid
of Yaacob for what the malaks of Yahwah did to Esau, and Esau's anger against Yaacob was
turned into kindness.
56 When Esau saw Yaacob running toward him, he also ran toward him. He embraced
him, he fell upon his neck, they kissed, and they wept.
57 Yahwah put fear and kindness toward Yaacob in the hearts of the men that came with
Esau, so they also kissed Yaacob and embraced him.
58 Also Eliphaz, the son of Esau, with his four brothers, sons of Esau, wept with Yaacob.
They kissed him and embraced him, for the fear of Yaacob fell upon them all.
59 Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women with their offspring, the children of Yaacob,
walking behind Yaacob, bowing along the road to Esau.
60 Esau said to Yaacob: Who are these with you, my brother? Are they your children or
your servants? Yaacob answered Esau, and said: They are my children which Yahwah
graciously gave to your servant.
61 While Yaacob was speaking to Esau and his men, Esau beheld the whole camp, and
he said to Yaacob: Where did you get the whole of the camp that I met last night?
Yaacob said: To find favor in the sight of my lord, it is that which Yahwah graciously gave to your servant.
62 The present came before Esau, and Yaacob pressed Esau, saying: Take, I pray you,
the present that I brought to my lord. Esau said: Why, is this my purpose?
Keep that which you have to yourself.
63 Yaacob said: It is incumbent upon me to give all this, since I see your face, that
you still live in peace.
64 Esau refused to take the present, and Yaacob said to him: I beg you my lord, if
now I have found favor in your sight, then receive my present at my hand, for I have now
seen your face, as though I had seen a god-like face, because you are pleased with me.
65 Esau took the present, and Yaacob also gave to Esau silver, gold, and bdellium,
for he pressed him so much that he took them.
66 Esau divided the cattle that were in the camp, and he gave the half to the men who
came with him, for they came on hire, and the other half he delivered to the hands
of his children.
67 The silver, gold, and bdellium he gave in the hands of Eliphaz his eldest son.
Esau said to Yaacob: Let us remain with you, and we will go slowly along with you until
you came to my place with me, that we may dwell there together.
68 Yaacob answered his brother, and said: I would do as my lord speaks to me, but
my lord knows that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with their young who
are with me, go but slowly, for if they went swiftly they would all die, for you know their
burdens and their fatigue.
69 Therefore let my lord pass on before his servant. I will go on slowly for the sake of the
children and the flock, until I come to my lord's place to Seir.
70 Esau said to Yaacob: I will place with you some of the people that are with me to
take care of you in the road, and to bear your fatigue and burden. He said: What needs
it my lord, if I may find grace in your sight?
71 Behold, I will come to you to Seir to dwell there together as you spoke, you go
then with your people, for I will follow you.
72 Yaacob said this to Esau in order to remove Esau and his men from him, so that Yaacob
might afterward go to his father's house to the land of Canaan.
73 Esau hearkened to the voice of Yaacob, and Esau returned with the four hundred men
that were with him on their road to Seir. Yaacob and all belonging to him went that day as
far as the extremity of the land of Canaan in its borders, and he remained there some time.
CHAPTER 33:1 In some time after Yaacob went away from the
borders of the land. He came to the land of Shalem, that is the city of Shechem, which is
in the land of Canaan, and he rested in front of the city.
2 He bought a parcel of the field which was there, from the children of Hamor the people
of the land, for five shekels.
3 Yaacob built himself a house there, he pitched his tent there, and he made booths
for his cattle, therefore he called the name of that place Succoth.
4 Yaacob remained in Succoth a year and six months.
5 At that time some of the women of the inhabitants of the land went to the city of Shechem
to dance and rejoice with the daughters of the people of the city. When they went forth
then Rachel and Leah the wives of Yaacob with their families also went to behold the rejoicing
of the daughters of the city.
6 Dinah the daughter of Yaacob also went along with them, and saw the daughters of the
city. They remained there before these daughters while all the people of the city were
standing by them to behold their rejoicings, and all the great people of the city were there.
7 Shechem, the son of Hamor, the prince of the land, was also standing there to see them.
8 Shechem beheld Dinah the daughter of Yaacob sitting with her mother before the
daughters of the city, and the damsel pleased him greatly. He asked his friends
and his people there, saying: Whose daughter is that sitting among the women, whom I do not
know in this city?
9 They said to him: Surely this is the daughter of Yaacob the son of Yitzchaq the Hebrew,
who has dwelt in this city for some time. When it was reported that the daughters of the
land were going forth to rejoice she went with her mother and maid servants to sit among
them as you see.
10 Shechem beheld Dinah the daughter of Yaacob, and when he looked at her his soul
became fixed upon Dinah.
11 He sent, and had her taken by force. Dinah came to the house of Shechem.
He seized her forcibly, lay with her, and humbled her. He loved her exceedingly, and
placed her in his house.
12 They came and told the thing to Yaacob. When Yaacob heard that Shechem
defiled his daughter Dinah, Yaacob sent twelve of his servants to fetch Dinah from the house
of Shechem, and they went and came to the house of Shechem to take away Dinah from there.
13 When they came Shechem went out to them with his men and drove them from his
house, and he would not allow them to come before Dinah. Shechem was sitting with
Dinah kissing and embracing her before their eyes.
14 The servants of Yaacob came back, and told him, saying: When we came, he and his
men drove us away, and thus did Shechem do to Dinah before our eyes.
15 Yaacob knew moreover that Shechem had defiled his daughter, but he said nothing.
His sons were feeding his cattle in the field, and Yaacob remained silent till their return.
16 Before his sons came home Yaacob sent two maidens from his servants' daughters to
take care of Dinah in the house of Shechem, and to remain with her. Shechem sent
three of his friends to his father Hamor the son of Chiddekem, the son of Pered, saying: Get
me this damsel for a wife.
17 Hamor the son of Chiddekem the Hivite came to the house of Shechem his son, and
he sat before him. Hamor said to his son, Shechem: Is there no woman among
the daughters of your people that you will take a Hebrew woman who is not of your people?
18 Shechem said to him: Her only must you get for me, for she is delightful in my sight.
Hamor did according to the word of his son, for he was greatly beloved by him.
19 Hamor went forth to Yaacob to commune with him concerning this matter. When
he had gone from the house of his son Shechem, before he came to Yaacob to speak to
him. Behold, the sons of Yaacob came from the field as soon as they heard the thing
Shechem the son of Hamor did.
20 The men were very much grieved concerning their sister, and they all came home
fired with anger, before the time of gathering in their cattle.
21 They came, sat before their father, and they spoke to him kindled with wrath,
saying: Surely death is due to this man and to his household, because Yahwah of the
whole earth commanded Noah and his children that man will never rob, nor commit
adultery. Now behold Shechem has both ravaged and committed fornication with our sister,
and not one of all the people of the city spoke a word to him.
22 Surely you know and understand that the judgment of death is due to Shechem,
to his father, and to the whole city on account of the thing which he did.
23 While they were speaking before their father in this matter, behold, Hamor the father
of Shechem came to speak to Yaacob the words of his son concerning Dinah. He sat
before Yaacob, and before his sons.
24 Hamor spoke to them, saying: The soul of my son Shechem longs for your
daughter. I pray you give her to him for a wife, and intermarry with us. Give us your
daughters, and we will give you our daughters. You will dwell with us in our land, and we
will be as one people in the land.
25 For our land is very extensive, so dwell and trade therein, and get possessions in it.
Do therein as you desire, and no one will prevent you by saying a word to you.
26 Hamor ceased speaking to Yaacob and his sons. Behold, Shechem his son
came after him, and he sat before them.
27 Shechem spoke before Yaacob and his sons, saying: May I find favor in your sight that
you will give me your daughter, and whatever you say to me that I will do for her.
28 Ask me for abundance of dowry and gift, and I will give it. Whatever you say to
me that I will do, and whoever he is that will rebel against your orders, he will die; only give
me the damsel for a wife.
29 Simeon and Levi answered Hamor and Shechem his son deceitfully, saying: All you
spoke to us we will do for you.
30 Behold, our sister is in your house, but keep away from her until we send to our father
Yitzchaq concerning this matter, for we can do nothing without his consent.
31 For he knows the ways of our father Abraham, and whatever he says to us we will
tell you, we will conceal nothing from you.
32 Simeon and Levi spoke this to Shechem and his father in order to find a pretext,
and to seek counsel what was to be done to Shechem and to his city in this matter.
33 When Shechem and his father heard the words of Simeon and Levi, it seemed good
in their sight, and Shechem and his father came forth to go home.
34 When they were gone, the sons of Yaacob said to their father, saying: Behold, we
know that death is due to these wicked ones and to their city, because they transgressed what
Yahwah commanded to Noah, his children, and his seed after them.
35 Also because Shechem did this thing to our sister Dinah in defiling her, for such
vileness will never be done among us.
36 Now therefore know and see what you will do. Seek counsel and pretext what is to be
done to them, in order to kill all the inhabitants of this city.
37 Simeon said to them: Here is a proper advice for you. Tell them to circumcise every
male among them as we are circumcised, and if they do not wish to do this, we will take
our daughter from them and go away.
38 If they consent to do this and will do it, then when they are sunk down with pain, we
will attack them with our swords, as upon one who is quiet and peaceable, and we will slay
every male person among them.
39 Simeon's advice pleased them, and Simeon and Levi resolved to do to them as it
was proposed.
40 On the next morning Shechem and Hamor his father came again to Yaacob and his
sons, to speak concerning Dinah, and to hear what answer the sons of Yaacob would give to
their words.
41 The sons of Yaacob spoke deceitfully to them, saying: We told our father Yitzchaq all your
words, and your words pleased him.
42 But he spoke to us, saying: Thus did Abraham his father command him from Yahwah the
Creator of the whole earth, that any man who is not of his descendants that should wish to take
one of his daughters, will cause every male belonging to him to be circumcised, as we are
circumcised, and then we may give him our daughter for a wife.
43 Now we have made known to you all our ways that our father spoke to us, for we
cannot do this of which you spoke to us, to give our daughter to an uncircumcised man, for
it is a disgrace to us.
44 But herein we will consent to you, to give you our daughter, and we will also take to
ourselves your daughters, and will dwell among you and be one people as you have
spoken, if you will hearken to us, and consent to be like us, to circumcise every male
belonging to you, as we are circumcised.
45 If you will not hearken to us, to have every male circumcised as we are
circumcised, as we command, then we will come to you, take our daughter from
you, and go away.
46 Shechem and his father Hamor heard the words of the sons of Yaacob, and the thing
pleased them exceedingly. Shechem and his father Hamor hastened to do the wishes of
the sons of Yaacob, for Shechem was very fond of Dinah, and his soul was riveted to her.
47 Shechem and his father Hamor hastened to the gate of the city, and they assembled
all the men of their city. They spoke to them the words of the sons of Yaacob, saying:
48 We came to these men, the sons of Yaacob, and we spoke to them concerning their
daughter. These men will consent to do according to our wishes. Behold, our land is
of great extent for them, they will dwell in it, trade in it, and we will be one people.
We will take their daughters, and our daughters we will give to them for wives.
49 But only on this condition will these men consent to do this thing, that every male among
us be circumcised as they are circumcised, as God commanded them. When we
will have done according to their instructions to be circumcised, then they will dwell
among us, together with their cattle and possessions, and we will be as one people with them.
50 When all the men of the city heard the words of Shechem and his father Hamor, then
all the men of their city were agreeable to this proposal. They obeyed to be circumcised,
for Shechem and his father Hamor were greatly esteemed by them, being the princes of the land.
51 On the next day, Shechem and Hamor his father rose up early in the morning, and
they assembled all the men of their city into the middle of the city. They called for the
sons of Yaacob, who circumcised every male belonging to them on that day and the next.
52 They circumcised Shechem and Hamor his father, and the five brothers of Shechem,
and then everyone rose up and went home, for this thing was from Yahwah against the city
of Shechem. Simeon's counsel in this matter was from Yahwah, in order that Yahwah
might deliver the city of Shechem into the hands of Yaacob's two sons.
CHAPTER 34:1 The number of all the males that were circumcised
were six hundred and forty-five men, and two hundred and forty-six children.
2 But Chiddekem, son of Pered, the father of Hamor, and his six brothers, would not listen
to Shechem and his father Hamor. They would not be circumcised, for the proposal of
the sons of Yaacob was loathsome in their sight, and their anger was greatly roused at this,
that the people of the city did not hearken to them.
3 In the evening of the second day, they found eight small children who were not
circumcised, for their mothers had concealed them from Shechem and his father Hamor, and
from the men of the city.
4 Shechem and his father Hamor sent to have them brought before them to be
circumcised, when Chiddekem and his six brothers sprang at them with their swords, and
sought to slay them.
5 They sought to slay also Shechem and his father Hamor, and they sought to slay Dinah
with them on account of this matter.
6 They said to them: What is this thing that you did? Are there no women
among the daughters of your brothers the Canaanites, that you wish to take to
yourselves daughters of the Hebrews, whom you did not know before, and will do this act which
your fathers never commanded you?
7 Do you imagine that you will succeed through this act which you did? What will
you answer in this affair to your brothers the Canaanites, who will come tomorrow, and ask
you concerning this thing?
8 If your act will not appear just and good in their sight, what will you do for your lives,
and me for our lives, in your having not hearkened to our voices?
9 If the inhabitants of the land, and all your brothers the children of Ham, will hear of
your act, saying:
10 On account of a Hebrew woman did Shechem and Hamor his father, and all the
inhabitants of their city, do that with which they were unacquainted, and which their
ancestors never commanded them, where then will you fly? Where will you conceal your shame, all
your days before your brothers, the inhabitants of the land of Canaan?
11 Now therefore we cannot bear up against this thing which you did, neither can we
be burdened with this yoke upon us, which our ancestors did not command us.
12 Behold, tomorrow we will go and assemble all our brothers, the Canaanitish brothers who
dwell in the land. We will all come and smite you and all those who trust in you, that there
will not be a remnant left from you or them.
13 When Hamor, his son Shechem, and all the people of the city, heard the words of
Chiddekem and his brothers, they were terribly afraid of their lives at their words, and they
repented of what they did.
14 Shechem and his father Hamor answered their father Chiddekem and his brothers,
and they said to them: All the words which you spoke to us are true.
15 Now do not say, nor imagine in your hearts that on account of the love of the Hebrews we
did this thing that our ancestors did not command us.
16 But because we saw that it was not their intention and desire to accede to our wishes
concerning their daughter as to our taking her, except on this condition, so we hearkened to
their voices, and did this act which you saw, in order to obtain our desire from them.
17 When we have obtained our request from them, we will then return to them and
do to them that which you say to us.
18 We beg you then to wait and tarry until our flesh is healed, and we
become strong again. We will then go together against them, and do to them that which is in
your hearts, and in ours.
19 Dinah the daughter of Yaacob heard all these words which Chiddekem and his
brothers spoke, and what Hamor, his son Shechem, and the people of their city had
answered them.
20 She hastened and sent one of her maidens that her father had sent to take care of
her in the house of Shechem, to Yaacob her father, and to her brothers, saying:
21 Thus did Chiddekem and his brothers advise concerning you, and thus did Hamor,
Shechem, and the people of the city answer them.
22 When Yaacob heard these words he was filled with wrath, he was indignant at
them, and his anger was kindled against them.
23 Simeon and Levi swore, and said: As Yahwah lives, the Father of the whole earth, by
this time tomorrow, there will not be a remnant left in the whole city. [missing part]
24 Twenty young men had concealed themselves who were not circumcised, and these
young men fought against Simeon and Levi. Simeon and Levi killed eighteen of them,
but two fled from them, and escaped to some lime pits that were in the city. Simeon and
Levi sought for them, but could not find them.
25 Simeon and Levi continued to go about in the city, they killed all the people of
the city at the edge of the sword, and they left none remaining.
26 There was a great consternation in the midst of the city, the cry of the people of
the city ascended to heaven, and all the women and children cried aloud.
27 Simeon and Levi slew all the city. They did not leave a male remaining in the whole city.
28 They killed Hamor and Shechem his son at the edge of the sword, they brought
away Dinah from the house of Shechem, and they went from there.
29 The sons of Yaacob went, returned, came upon the slain, and spoiled all their
property which was in the city and the field.
30 While they were taking the spoil, three hundred men stood up, threw dust at them,
and struck them with stones. Simeon turned to them and he killed them all with the
edge of the sword. Simeon turned before Levi, and came into the city.
31 They took away their sheep, their oxen, their cattle, also the remainder of
the women and little ones, and they led all these away. They opened a gate, went out,
and came to their father Yaacob with vigor.
32 When Yaacob saw all that they did to the city, and saw the spoil that they took
from them, Yaacob was very angry at them. Yaacob said to them: What is this that you
did to me? Behold, I obtained rest among the Canaanitish inhabitants of the land,
and none of them meddled with me.
33 And now you have done to make me obnoxious to the inhabitants of the land, among
the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am but of a small number, and they will all assemble
against me and slay me when they hear of your work with their brothers. I and my
household will be destroyed.
34 Simeon and Levi and all their brothers with them answered their father Yaacob, and
said to him: Behold, we live in the land, and will Shechem do this to our sister? Why are
you silent at all that Shechem did? Will he deal with our sister as with a harlot in
the streets?
35 The number of women whom Simeon and Levi took captives from the city of
Shechem, whom they did not slay, was eighty-five who had not known man.
36 Among them was a young damsel of beautiful appearance, well favored, whose
name was Bunah, and Simeon took her for a wife. The number of the males which they
took captives and did not slay, was forty-seven men, and the rest they killed.
37 All the young men and women that Simeon and Levi took captives from the city
of Shechem, were servants to the sons of Yaacob and to their children after them, until the day
of the sons of Yaacob going forth from the land of Egypt.
38 When Simeon and Levi went forth from the city, the two young men that were
left, who had concealed themselves in the city, and did not die among the people of the
city, rose up. These young men went into the city, walked about in it, found the
city desolate without man, only women weeping, so these young men cried out, and
said: Behold, this is the evil which the sons of Yaacob the Hebrew did to this city in their
having destroyed one of the Canaanitish cities today, and were not afraid of their lives of
all the land of Canaan.
39 These men left the city, went to the city of Tapnach, they came there, and told
the inhabitants of Tapnach all that had befallen them, all that the sons of Yaacob
did to the city of Shechem.
40 The information reached Jashub king of Tapnach. He sent men to the city of
Shechem to see those young men, for the king did not believe them in this account, saying:
How could two men lay waste such a large town as Shechem?
41 The messengers of Jashub came back, and told him, saying: We came to the city,
and it is destroyed, there is not a man there, only weeping women. Neither is any flock or
cattle there, for all that was in the city the sons of Yaacob took away.
42 Jashub wondered at this, saying: How could two men do this thing, to destroy so
large a city, and not one man able to stand against them?
43 For the like has not been from the days of Nimrod, and not even from the remotest time,
has the like taken place. Jashub, king of Tapnach, said to his people: Be courageous,
we will go and fight against these Hebrews, and do to them as they did to the city,
we will avenge the cause of the people of the city.
44 Jashub, king of Tapnach, consulted with his counsellors about this matter, and his
advisers said to him: Alone you will not prevail over the Hebrews, for they must be
powerful to do this work to the whole city.
45 If two of them laid waste the whole city, and no one stood against them, surely if you will
go against them, they will all rise against us and destroy us likewise.
46 But if you will send to all the kings that surround us, and let them come together, then we
will go with them and fight against the sons of Yaacob. Then will you prevail against them.
47 Jashub heard the words of his counsellors, their words pleased him and his
people, and he did so. Jashub king of Tapnach sent to all the kings of the Amorites that
surrounded Shechem and Tapnach, saying:
48 Go up with me, assist me, we will smite Yaacob the Hebrew, and all his sons, to
destroy them from the earth, for thus did he do to the city of Shechem, and do you not know of it?
49 All the kings of the Amorites heard the evil that the sons of Yaacob did to the city
of Shechem, and they were greatly astonished at them.
50 The seven kings of the Amorites assembled with all their armies, about ten thousand
men with drawn swords, and they came to fight against the sons of Yaacob. Yaacob heard
that the kings of the Amorites were assembled to fight against his sons. Yaacob was
greatly afraid, and it distressed him.
51 Yaacob exclaimed against Simeon and Levi, saying: What is this act that you did? Why
did you injure me, to bring all the children of Canaan against me to destroy me and my
household? For I was at rest, even I and my household, yet you did this thing to me,
and provoked the inhabitants of the land against me by your proceedings.
52 Yahudah answered his father, saying: Was it for nothing my brothers Simeon and Levi
killed all the inhabitants of Shechem? Surely it was because Shechem humbled our
sister, and transgressed the command of Yahwah to Noah and his children, for Shechem
took our sister away by force, and committed adultery with her.
53 Shechem did all this evil, and not one of the inhabitants of his city interfered with him,
to say: Why will you do this? Surely for this my brothers went and smote the city. Yahwah
delivered it into their hands, because its inhabitants transgressed the commands of
Yahwah. Is it then for nothing that they did all this?
54 And now why are you afraid or distressed? Why are you displeased at my brothers,
and why is your anger kindled against them?
55 Surely Yahwah who delivered the city of Shechem and its people into their hand, He will
also deliver into our hands all the Canaanitish kings who are coming against us, and we will
do to them as my brothers did to Shechem.
56 Now be tranquil about them, and cast away your fears. Trust in Yahwah our Father,
pray to Him to assist us and deliver us, and deliver our enemies into our hands.
57 Yahudah called to one of his father's servants: Go now, see where those kings, who
are coming against us, are situated with their armies.
58 The servant went, looked far off, went up opposite Mount Sihon, saw all
the camps of the kings standing in the fields, he returned to Yahudah, and said: Behold, the
kings are situated in the field with all their camps, a people exceedingly numerous, like to
the sand upon the sea shore.
59 Yahudah said to Simeon and Levi, and to all his brothers: Strengthen yourselves
and be sons of valor, for Yahwah our Father is with us, do not fear them.
60 Stand forth each man, girt with his weapons of war, his bow and his sword, so we will go
and fight against these uncircumcised men. Yahwah is our Father, He will save us.
61 They rose up, and each girt on his weapons of war, great and small, eleven sons of
Yaacob, and all the servants of Yaacob with them.
62 All the servants of Yitzchaq who were with Yitzchaq in Hebron, all came to them equipped in
all sorts of war instruments. The sons of Yaacob and their servants, being one hundred
and twelve men, went towards these kings, and Yaacob also went with them.
63 The sons of Yaacob sent to their father Yitzchaq the son of Abraham to Hebron, the
same is Kireath-arba, saying:
64 Pray (we beg you) for us to Yahwah our Father, to protect us from the hands of the
Canaanites who are coming against us, and to deliver them into our hands.
65 Yitzchaq the son of Abraham prayed to Yahwah for his sons, and he said: O Yahwah,
you did promise my father, saying; I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and
you did also promise me. Establish your word, now that the kings of Canaan are
coming together to make war with my children because they committed no violence.
66 Now therefore, O Yahwah, Father of the whole earth, pervert, I pray you, the counsel of
these kings that they may not fight against my sons.
67 Impress the hearts of these kings and their people with the terror of my sons,
bring down their pride, that they may turn away from my sons.
68 With your strong hand and outstretched arm deliver my sons and their servants from
them, for power and might are in your hands to do all this.
69 The sons of Yaacob and their servants went toward these kings, and they trusted in Yahwah
their Father. While they were going, Yaacob their father also prayed to Yahwah, and
said: O Yahwah, powerful and exalted Yahwah, who has reigned from days of old, from then
till now, and forever.
70 You are He who stirs up wars, and causes them to cease. In your hand are power and
might to exalt, and to bring down. O may my prayer be acceptable before you that you
may turn to me with your mercies, to impress the hearts of these kings and their people
with the terror of my sons, and terrify them and their camps. With your great kindness
deliver all those who trust in you, for it is you who can bring people under us, and reduce
nations under our power.
CHAPTER 35:1 All the kings of the Amorites came, and took
their stand in the field to consult with their
counsellors what was to be done with the sons of Yaacob, for they were still afraid of them,
saying: Behold, two of them killed the whole of the city of Shechem.
2 Yahwah heard the prayers of Yitzchaq and Yaacob. He filled the hearts of all these
kings' advisers with great fear and terror, that they unanimously exclaimed:
3 Are you silly today, or is there no understanding in you, that you will fight with the
Hebrews? Why will you take a delight in your own destruction today?
4 Behold, two of them came to the city of Shechem without fear or terror, and they killed all
the inhabitants of the city, that no man stood up against them, and how will you be able to
fight with them all?
5 Surely you know that Yahwah is exceedingly fond of them, and does mighty things for
them, such as have not been done from days of old. Among all the gods of nations,
there is none can do like to His mighty deeds.
6 Surely He delivered their father Abraham, the Hebrew, from the hand of Nimrod, and from
the hand of all his people who had many times sought to slay him.
7 He delivered him also from the fire in which king Nimrod cast him, Yahwah
delivered him from it.
8 Who else can do the like? Surely it was Abraham who killed the five kings of Elam,
when they touched his brother's son who in those days dwelt in Sodom.
9 He took his servant that was faithful in his house, and a few of his men. They pursued
the kings of Elam in one night, killed them, and restored to his brother's son all his
property which they took from him.
10 Surely you know the Father of these Hebrews is much delighted with them, and they
are also delighted with Him, for they know that He delivered them from all their enemies.
11 And behold, through his love toward Yahwah, Abraham took his only and precious son and
intended to bring him up as a burnt offering to Yahwah. Had it not been for Yahwah who
prevented him from doing this, he would then have done it through his love to Yahwah.
12 Yahwah saw all his works, and swore to him. He promised him that He would deliver
his sons and all his seed from every trouble that would befall them, because he did
this thing, through his love to Yahwah stifled his compassion for his child.
13 Have you not heard what Yahwah did to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to Abimelech
king of Gerar, through taking Abraham's wife, who said of her: She is my sister; lest they
might slay him on account of her, and think of taking her for a wife? Yahwah did to them
and their people all that you heard of.
14 Behold, we ourselves saw with our eyes that Esau, the brother of Yaacob, came to him
with four hundred men, with the intention of slaying him, for he called to mind that he
took his father's blessing away from him.
15 He went to meet him when he came from Syria, to smite the mother with the children,
and who delivered him from his hands but Yahwah in whom he trusted? He delivered him
from the hand of his brother, and also from the hands of his enemies, and surely He will
protect them again.
16 Who does not know that it was Yahwah who inspired them with strength to do to the
town of Shechem the evil which you heard of?
17 Could it then be with their own strength that two men could destroy such a large city as
Shechem had it not been for Yahwah in whom they trusted? He said and did to them all
this to slay the inhabitants of the city in their city.
18 And can you then prevail over them who have come forth together from your city to fight
with the whole of them, even if a thousand times as many more should come to your assistance?
19 Surely you know and understand that you do not come to fight with them, but you come to
war with Yahwah who made choice of them, and you have therefore all come to be destroyed today.
20 Now therefore, refrain from this evil which you are endeavoring to bring upon yourselves.
It is better for you to not go to battle with them, although they are but few in
numbers, because Yahwah is with them.
21 When the kings of the Amorites heard all the words of their advisers, their hearts were
filled with terror. They were afraid of the sons of Yaacob, and would not fight against them.
22 They inclined their ears to the words of their advisers, and they listened to all their
words. The words of the counsellors greatly pleased the kings, and they did so.
23 The kings turned and refrained from the sons of Yaacob, for they dared not approach
them to make war with them, for they were greatly afraid of them, and their hearts melted
within them from their fear of them.
24 For this proceeded from Yahwah to them, for He heard the prayers of His servants Yitzchaq
and Yaacob, for they trusted in Him. All these kings returned with their camps on that day,
each to his own city, and they did not at that time fight with the sons of Yaacob.
25 The sons of Yaacob kept their station that day till evening opposite mount Sihon, and
seeing that these kings did not come to fight against them, the sons of Yaacob returned home.
CHAPTER 36:1 At that time Yahwah appeared to Yaacob saying:
Arise, go to Bethel, and remain there. Make an altar there to Yahwah who appears to you,
who delivered you and your sons from affliction.
2 Yaacob rose up, with his sons and all belonging to him, so they went, and came to
Bethel according to the word of Yahwah.
3 Yaacob was ninety-nine years old when he went up to Bethel. Yaacob, his sons,
and all the people that were with him remained in Bethel in Luz. He built an altar there to
Yahwah who appeared to him, then Yaacob and his sons remained in Bethel six months.
4 At that time Deborah the daughter of Uz died, the nurse of Rebecca, who was with
Yaacob. Yaacob buried her beneath Bethel under an oak that was there.
5 Rebecca the daughter of Bethuel, the mother of Yaacob, also died at that time in
Hebron, the same is Kireath-arba, and she was buried in the cave of Machpelah which
Abraham had bought from the children of Heth.
6 The life of Rebecca was one hundred and thirty-three years, and she died. When
Yaacob heard that his mother Rebecca was dead he wept bitterly for his mother. He made a
great mourning for her, and for Deborah her nurse, beneath the oak, and he called the name
of that place Allon-bachuth.
7 Laban the Syrian died in those days, for Yahwah smote him because he transgressed the
covenant that existed between him and Yaacob.
8 Yaacob [Jacob] was a hundred years old when Yahwah appeared to him, blessed him, and
called his name Yisrayah [Israel]. Rachel the wife of Yaacob conceived in those days.
9 At that time Yaacob and all belonging to him journeyed from Bethel to go to his father's
house, to Hebron.
10 While they were going on the road, and there was yet but a little way to come to
Ephrath, Rachel bore a son. She had hard labor, and she died.
11 Yaacob buried her in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem, and he set a pillar upon
her grave, which is there to this day. The days of Rachel were forty-five years, and she
died.
12 Yaacob called the name of his son that was born to him, which Rachel bore to him,
Benjamin, for he was born to him in the land on the right hand.
13 It was after the death of Rachel that Yaacob pitched his tent in the tent of her
handmaid Bilhah.
14 Reuben was jealous for his mother Leah on account of this, and he was filled with
anger. He rose up in his anger, went, entered the tent of Bilhah, and there he
removed his father's bed.
15 At that time the portion of birthright, together with the kingly and priestly offices, was
removed from the sons of Reuben, for he profaned his father's bed. The birthright
was given to Yahusef [Joseph], the kingly office to Yahudah [Judah], and the priesthood to Levi, because
Reuben defiled his father's bed.
16 These are the generations of Yaacob who were born to him in Padan-aram, and the
sons of Yaacob were twelve.
17 The sons of Leah were Reuben the first born, Simeon, Levi, Yahudah, Issachar,
Zebulun, and their sister Dinah. The sons of Rachel were Yahusef and Benjamin.
18 The sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, were Gad and Asher. The sons of Bilhah,
Rachel's handmaid, were Dan and Naphtali. These are the sons of Yaacob which were born to
him in Padan-aram.
19 Yaacob, his sons, and all belonging to him, journeyed and came to Mamre, which is
Kireath-arba, that is in Hebron, where Abraham and Yitzchaq sojourned. Yaacob, with his
sons and all belonging to him, dwelt with his father in Hebron.
20 His brother Esau, his sons, and all belonging to him, went to the land of Seir,
dwelt there, had possessions in the land of Seir, the children of Esau were fruitful
and multiplied exceedingly in the land of Seir.
21 These are the generations of Esau that were born to him in the land of Canaan, and
the sons of Esau were five.
22 Adah bore to Esau his first born Eliphaz, and she also bore to him Reuel. And
Ahlibamah bore to him Jeush, Yaalam, and Korah.
23 These are the children of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan. The sons
of Eliphaz the son of Esau were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, Kenaz, and Amalex. The
sons of Reuel were Nachas, Zerach, Shamah, and Mizzah.
24 The sons of Jeush were Timnah, Alvah, Jetheth. The sons of Yaalam were Alah,
Phinor, and Kenaz.
25 The sons of Korah were Teman, Mibzar, Magdiel, and Eram. These are the families of
the sons of Esau according to their dukedoms in the land of Seir.
26 These are the names of the sons of Seir the Horite, inhabitants of the land of Seir,
Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishan, Ezer, and Dishon, being seven sons.
27 The children of Lotan were Hori, Heman, and their sister Timna. That is Timna who
came to Yaacob and his sons, and they would not give ear to her, so she went, became a
concubine to Eliphaz the son of Esau, and she bore to him Amalek.
28 The sons of Shobal were Alvan, Manahas, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. The sons of
Zibeon were Ajah, and Anah, this was that Anah who found the Yemim in the wilderness
when he fed the asses of Zibeon his father.
29 While he was feeding his father's asses he led them to the wilderness at different
times to feed them.
30 There was a day that he brought them to one of the deserts on the sea shore,
opposite the wilderness of the people. While he was feeding them, behold, a very heavy
storm came from the other side of the sea, rested upon the asses that were feeding
there, and they all stood still.
31 Afterward about one hundred and twenty great and terrible animals came out from
the wilderness at the other side of the sea, they all came to the place where the asses
were, and they placed themselves there.
32 Those animals, from their middle downward, were in the shape of the children of men,
and from their middle upward, some had the likeness of bears, and some the likeness of the
keephas, with tails behind them from between their shoulders reaching down to the earth,
like the tails of the ducheephas. These animals came, mounted, rode upon these
asses, led them away, and they went away to this day.
33 One of these animals approached Anah, smote him with his tail, and then fled
from that place.
34 When he saw this work he was exceedingly afraid of his life, so he fled, and escaped
to the city.
35 He related to his sons and brothers all that happened to him, and many men
went to seek the asses but could not find them. Anah and his brothers went no more to
that place from that day following, for they were greatly afraid of their lives.
36 The children of Anah the son of Seir were Dishon, and his sister Ahlibamah. The
children of Dishon were Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. The children of Ezer were
Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. The children of Dishon were Uz and Aran.
37 These are the families of the children of Seir the Horite, according to their dukedoms in
the land of Seir.
38 Esau and his children dwelt in the land of Seir the Horite, the inhabitant of the land,
and they had possessions in it and were fruitful and multiplied exceedingly. Yaacob,
his children, and all belonging to them, dwelt with their father Yitzchaq in the land of Canaan, as
Yahwah had commanded Abraham their father.
CHAPTER 37:1 In the one hundred and fifth year of the life of
Yaacob, that is the ninth year of Yaacob's
dwelling with his children in the land of Canaan, he came from Padan-aram.
2 In those days Yaacob journeyed with his children from Hebron. They went,
returned to the city of Shechem, they and all belonging to them, and they dwelt there. The
children of Yaacob obtained good and fat pasture land for their cattle in the city of Shechem,
the city of Shechem having then been rebuilt, and there were in it about three hundred men
and women.
3 Yaacob, his children, and all belonging to him, dwelt in the part of the field which
Yaacob bought from Hamor the father of Shechem, when he came from Padan-aram
before Simeon and Levi smote the city.
4 All those kings of the Canaanites and Amorites that surrounded the city of Shechem,
heard that the sons of Yaacob had come to Shechem again, and dwelt there.
5 They said: Will the sons of Yaacob the Hebrew again come to the city, and dwell
therein, after that they smote its inhabitants, and drove them out? Will they now
return, and also drive out those who are dwelling in the city, or slay them?
6 All the kings of Canaan assembled again, and they came together to make war with
Yaacob and his sons.
7 Jashub king of Tapnach sent also to all his neighboring kings, to Elan king of Gaash,
to Ihuri king of Shiloh, to Parathon king of Chazar, to Susi king of Sarton, to
Laban king of Bethchoran, and to Shabir king of Othnay-mah, saying:
8 Come up to me, assist me, let us smite Yaacob the Hebrew, his sons, and all
belonging to him, for they are again come to Shechem to possess it, to slay its
inhabitants as before.
9 All these kings assembled together and came with all their camps, a people
exceedingly plentiful like the sand upon the sea shore, and they were all opposite to Tapnach.
10 Jashub king of Tapnach went forth to them with all his army, and he encamped with
them opposite to Tapnach outside the city. All these kings they divided into seven
divisions, being seven camps against the sons of Yaacob.
11 They sent a declaration to Yaacob, and his son, saying: Come you all forth to us that we
may have an interview together in the plain, to revenge the cause of the men of Shechem
whom you killed in their city, and will you now again return to the city of Shechem, dwell
therein, and slay its inhabitants as before.
12 The sons of Yaacob heard this, and their anger was kindled exceedingly at the words of
the kings of Canaan. Ten of the sons of Yaacob hastened, rose up, each of them
girt on his weapons of war, and there were one hundred and two of their servants with them
equipped in battle array.
13 All these men, the sons of Yaacob with their servants, went toward these kings.
Yaacob their father was with them, and they all stood upon the heap of Shechem.
14 Yaacob prayed to Yahwah for his sons. He spread forth his hands to Yahwah, and
he said: O Yahwah, you are the Almighty Yahwah, you are our Father, you did form us, and we are
the works of your hands. I pray you deliver my sons through your mercy from the hand of
their enemies, who are today coming to fight with them. Save them from their hand, for
in your hand is power and might, to save the few from the many.
15 And give to my sons, your servants, strength of heart and might to fight with their
enemies, to subdue them, and make their enemies fall before them. Do not let my sons and
their servants die through the hands of the children of Canaan.
16 But if it seems good in your eyes to take away the lives of my sons and their servants,
take them in your great mercy through the hands of your ministers, that they may not perish today
by the hands of the kings of the Amorites.
17 When Yaacob ceased praying to Yahwah the earth shook from its place, and the sun
darkened. All these kings were terrified, and a great consternation seized them.
18 Yahwah hearkened to the prayer of Yaacob, and Yahwah impressed the hearts of all
the kings and their hosts with the terror and awe of the sons of Yaacob.
19 For Yahwah caused them to hear the voice of chariots, the voice of mighty horses
from the sons of Yaacob, and the voice of a great army accompanying them.
20 These kings were seized with great terror at the sons of Yaacob, and while they were
standing in their quarters, behold the sons of Yaacob advanced upon them, with one hundred
and twelve men, with a great and tremendous shouting.
21 When the kings saw the sons of Yaacob advancing toward them, they were still more
panic struck, and they were inclined to retreat from before the sons of Yaacob as at first, and
to not fight with them.
22 But they did not retreat, saying: It would be a disgrace to us now to retreat twice from
before the Hebrews.
23 The sons of Yaacob came near, advanced against all these kings and their armies,
and they saw, behold, it was a very mighty people, numerous as the sand of the sea.
24 The sons of Yaacob called to Yahwah, and said: Help us O Yahwah, help us, answer
us, for we trust in you. Do not let us die by the hands of these uncircumcised men, who
come against us today.
25 The sons of Yaacob girt on their weapons of war, they took in their hands each
man his shield and his javelin, and they approached to battle.
26 Yahudah, the son of Yaacob, ran first before his brothers, ten of his servants with
him, and he went toward these kings.
27 Jashub, king of Tapnach, also came forth first with his army before Yahudah. Yahudah
saw Jashub and his army coming toward him. Yahudah's wrath was kindled, his anger
burned within him, and he approached to battle in which Yahudah ventured his life.
28 Jashub and all his army were advancing toward Yahudah, and he was riding upon a
very strong and powerful horse. Jashub was a very valiant man, covered with iron
and brass from head to foot.
29 While he was upon the horse, he shot arrows with both hands from before and
behind, as was his manner in all his battles, and he never missed the place to which he
aimed his arrows.
30 When Jashub came to fight with Yahudah, and was darting many arrows against Yahudah,
Yahwah bound the hand of Jashub, and all the arrows that he shot rebounded upon his own men.
31 Notwithstanding this, Jashub kept advancing toward Yahudah, to challenge him with the
arrows, but the distance between them was about thirty cubits. When Yahudah saw Jashub
darting forth his arrows against him, he ran to him with his wrath-excited might.
32 Yahudah took up a large stone from the ground, and its weight was sixty shekels.
Yahudah ran toward Jashub, and with the stone struck him on his shield, that Jashub was
stunned with the blow, and fell off from his horse to the ground.
33 The shield burst asunder out of the hand of Jashub, and through the force of the blow
sprang to the distance of about fifteen cubits, and the shield fell before the second camp.
34 The kings that came with Jashub saw at a distance the strength of Yahudah, the son of
Yaacob, what he did to Jashub, and they were terribly afraid of Yahudah.
35 They assembled near Jashub's camp, seeing his confusion. Yahudah drew his
sword and smote forty-two men of the camp of Jashub. The whole of Jashub's camp fled
before Yahudah, and no man stood against him. They left Jashub, and fled from him.
Jashub was still prostrate upon the ground.
36 Jashub saw that all the men of his camp fled from him. He hastened, rose up
with terror against Yahudah, and stood upon his legs opposite Yahudah.
37 Jashub had a single combat with Yahudah, placing shield toward shield, and Jashub's
men all fled, for they were greatly afraid of Yahudah.
38 Jashub took his spear in his hand to strike Yahudah upon his head, but Yahudah had
quickly placed his shield to his head against Jashub's spear, so that the shield of Yahudah
received the blow from Jashub's spear, and the shield was split in two.
39 When Yahudah saw that his shield was split, he hastily drew his sword, smote
Jashub at his ankles, and cut off his feet that Jashub fell upon the ground, and the spear fell
from his hand.
40 Yahudah hastily picked up Jashub's spear, with which he severed his head, and cast it
next to his feet.
41 When the sons of Yaacob saw what Yahudah did to Jashub, they all ran into the
ranks of the other kings. The sons of Yaacob fought with the army of Jashub, and the
armies of all the kings that were there.
42 The sons of Yaacob caused fifteen thousand of their men to fall. They smote them
as if smiting at gourds, and the rest fled for their lives.
43 Yahudah was still standing by the body of Jashub, and stripped Jashub of his coat of
mail.
44 Yahudah also took off the iron and brass that was about Jashub, and behold nine men
of the captains of Jashub came along to fight against Yahudah.
45 Yahudah hastened, took up a stone from the ground, and with it smote one of them
upon the head. His skull was fractured, and the body also fell from the horse to the
ground.
46 The eight captains that remained, seeing the strength of Yahudah, were greatly afraid,
and they fled. Yahudah with his ten men pursued them, they overtook them, and killed them.
47 The sons of Yaacob were still smiting the armies of the kings, and they killed many of
them. But those kings daringly kept their stand with their captains, and did not retreat from
their places. They exclaimed against those of their armies that fled from before the sons
of Yaacob, but none would listen to them, for they were afraid of their lives lest they should die.
48 All the sons of Yaacob, after smiting the armies of the kings, returned and came
before Yahudah. Yahudah was still slaying the eight captains of Jashub, and stripping off their
garments.
49 Levi saw Elon, king of Gaash, advancing toward him, with his fourteen captains to
smite him, but Levi did not know it for certain.
50 Elon with his captains approached nearer. Levi looked back and saw that battle
was given him in the rear. Levi ran with twelve of his servants, they went, and slew
Elon and his captains with the edge of the sword.
CHAPTER 38:1 Ihuri king of Shiloh came up to assist Elon,
and he approached Yaacob. Yaacob
drew his bow that was in his hand, and with an arrow struck Ihuri which caused his death.
2 When Ihuri king of Shiloh was dead, the four remaining kings fled from their station
with the rest of the captains, and they endeavored to retreat, saying: We have no more
strength with the Hebrews after their having killed the three kings and their captains who
were more powerful than we are.
3 When the sons of Yaacob saw that the remaining kings had retreated from their station,
they pursued them. Yaacob also came from the heap of Shechem from the place where
he was standing, so they went after the kings, and they approached them with their servants.
4 The kings and the captains with the rest of their armies, seeing that the sons of Yaacob
approached them, were afraid of their lives, and fled till they reached the city of Chazar.
5 The sons of Yaacob pursued them to the gate of the city of Chazar, and they smote a
great smiting among the kings and their armies, about four thousand men. While they
were smiting the army of the kings, Yaacob was occupied with his bow confining himself to
smiting the kings, and he slew them all.
6 He slew Parathon king of Chazar at the gate of the city of Chazar, and he afterward
smote Susi king of Sarton, Laban king of Bethchorin, and Shabir king of Machnaymah.
He killed them all with arrows, an arrow to each of them, and they died.
7 The sons of Yaacob saw that all the kings were dead, that the armies were broken up,
and retreating. So they continued to carry on the battle with the armies of the kings opposite the gate
of Chazar, and they still smote about four hundred of their men.
8 Three men of the servants of Yaacob fell in that battle, and when Yahudah saw that three of
his servants died, it grieved him greatly, and his anger burned within him against the Amorites.
9 All the men that remained of the armies of the kings were greatly afraid of their lives.
They ran, broke the gate of the walls of the city of Chazar, and they all entered the
city for safety.
10 They concealed themselves in the midst of the city of Chazar, for the city of Chazar
was very large and extensive. When all these armies entered the city, the sons of
Yaacob ran after them to the city.
11 Four mighty men, experienced in battle, went forth from the city, and stood against the
entrance of the city, with drawn swords and spears in their hands. They placed
themselves opposite the sons of Yaacob, and would not allow them to enter the city.
12 Naphtali ran, came between them, smote two of them with his sword, and cut
off their heads at one stroke.
13 He turned to the other two, and behold, they had fled. He pursued them, overtook
them, smote them, and killed them.
14 The sons of Yaacob came to the city and saw, behold, there was another wall to the
city. They sought for the gate of the wall, and could not find it. Yahudah sprang upon the
top of the wall. Simeon and Levi followed him, and they all three descended from the
wall into the city.
15 Simeon and Levi killed all the men who ran into the city for safety. They also killed the
inhabitants of the city with their wives and little ones, with the edge of the sword,
and the cries of the city ascended up to heaven.
16 Dan and Naphtali sprang upon the wall to see what caused the noise of lamentation,
for the sons of Yaacob felt anxious about their brothers, and they heard the inhabitants of the
city speaking with weeping and supplications, saying: Take all that we possess in the city,
and go away, only do not put us to death.
17 When Yahudah, Simeon, and Levi ceased smiting the inhabitants of the city, they
ascended the wall, called to Dan and Naphtali, who were upon the wall, and to the rest of
their brothers. Simeon and Levi informed them of the entrance into the city, and all the
sons of Yaacob came to fetch the spoil.
18 The sons of Yaacob took the spoil of the city of Chazar, the flocks, herds, and the
property. They took all that could be captured, and went away that day from the city.
19 On the next day the sons of Yaacob went to Sarton, for they heard that the men of
Sarton who had remained in the city were assembling to fight with them for having slain their
king. Sarton was a very high and fortified city, and it had a deep rampart surrounding the city.
20 The pillar of the rampart was about fifty cubits, its breadth forty cubits, and there
was no place for a man to enter the city on account of the rampart. The sons of Yaacob
saw the rampart of the city, and they sought an entrance in it, but could not find it.
21 For the entrance to the city was at the rear, and every man that wished to come into the
city came by that road, went around the whole city, and he afterwards entered the city.
22 The sons of Yaacob saw they could not find the way into the city, and their anger was
kindled greatly. The inhabitants of the city saw that the sons of Yaacob were coming to
them, were greatly afraid of them, for they had heard of their strength, and what they did
to Chazar.
23 The inhabitants of the city of Sarton could not go out toward the sons of Yaacob after
having assembled in the city to fight against them, lest they might thereby get into the city.
But when they saw that they were coming toward them, they were greatly afraid of them, for
they heard of their strength, and what they did to Chazar.
24 So the inhabitants of Sarton speedily took away the bridge of the road of the city from its
place, before the sons of Yaacob came, and they brought it into the city.
25 The sons of Yaacob came, sought the way into the city, and could not find it. The
inhabitants of the city went up to the top of the wall, and saw, behold, the sons of Yaacob
were seeking an entrance into the city.
26 The inhabitants of the city reproached the sons of Yaacob from the top of the wall, and
they cursed them. The sons of Yaacob heard the reproaches, and they were greatly
incensed, their anger burned within them.
27 The sons of Yaacob were provoked at them, so they all rose and sprang over the
rampart with the force of their strength, and through their might passed the forty cubits
breadth of the rampart.
28 When they were pass the rampart they stood under the wall of the city, and they
found all the gates of the city enclosed with iron doors.
29 The sons of Yaacob came near to break open the doors of the gates of the city, and the
inhabitants did not let them, for from the top of the wall they were casting stones and arrows
upon them.
30 The number of the people that were upon the wall was about four hundred men, and
when the sons of Yaacob saw that the men of the city would not let them open the gates of the
city, they sprang, and ascended the top of the wall. Yahudah went up first to the east part of
the city.
31 Gad and Asher went up after him to the west corner of the city, Simeon and Levi
to the north, and Dan and Reuben to the south.
32 The men who were on the top of the wall, the inhabitants of the city, saw that the
sons of Yaacob were coming up to them. They all fled from the wall, descended into the city,
and concealed themselves in the midst of the city.
33 Issachar and Naphtali that remained under the wall, approached, broke the gates
of the city, kindled a fire at the gates of the city, that the iron melted, and all the sons of
Yaacob came into the city, they and all their men. They fought with the inhabitants of the
city of Sarton, and smote them with the edge of the sword, no man stood up before them.
34 About two hundred men fled from the city, they all went and hid themselves in a
certain tower in the city. Yahudah pursued them to the tower, and he broke down the tower,
which fell upon the men, so they all died.
35 The sons of Yaacob went up the road of the roof of that tower, and they saw,
behold, there was another strong and high tower at a distance in the city, and the top of it
reached to heaven. The sons of Yaacob hastened, descended, went with all their
men to that tower, and found it filled with about three hundred men, women, and little ones.
36 The sons of Yaacob smote a great smiting among those men in the tower, they
ran away, and fled from them.
37 Simeon and Levi pursued them, when twelve mighty and valiant men came out to
them from the place where they had concealed themselves.
38 Those twelve men maintained a strong battle against Simeon and Levi. Simeon
and Levi could not prevail over them, and those valiant men broke the shields of Simeon and
Levi. One of them struck at Levi's head with his sword, when Levi hastily placed his hand
to his head, for he was afraid of the sword. The sword struck Levi's hand, and it wanted
but little to the hand of Levi being cut off.
39 Levi seized the sword of the valiant man in his hand, took it forcibly from the
man, with it he struck at the head of the powerful man, and he severed his head.
40 Eleven men approached to fight with Levi, for they saw that one of them was killed.
The sons of Yaacob fought, but the sons of Yaacob could not prevail over them, for those
men were very powerful.
41 The sons of Yaacob saw that they could not prevail over them. Simeon gave a loud
and tremendous shriek, and the eleven powerful men were stunned at the voice of Simeon's
shrieking.
42 Yahudah at a distance knew the voice of Simeon's shouting. Naphtali and Yahudah
ran with their shields to Simeon and Levi, and found them fighting with those powerful men,
unable to prevail over them as their shields were broken.
43 Naphtali saw that the shields of Simeon and Levi were broken. He took two
shields from his servants, and brought them to Simeon and Levi.
44 Simeon, Levi, and Yahudah on that day fought all three against the eleven mighty men
until the time of sunset, but they could not prevail over them.
45 This was told to Yaacob, and he was sorely grieved. He prayed to Yahwah,
then he and Naphtali his son went against these mighty men.
46 Yaacob approached, drew his bow, came near to the mighty men, and killed
three of their men with the bow. The remaining eight turned back, and behold, the war
waged against them in the front and rear. They were greatly afraid of their lives,
could not stand before the sons of Yaacob, and they fled from before them.
47 In their flight they met Dan and Asher coming toward them, when they suddenly fell
upon them, fought with them, and killed two of them. Yahudah and his brothers pursued
them, smote the remainder of them, and killed them.
48 All the sons of Yaacob returned, and walked about the city, searching if they could find
any men. They found about twenty young men in a cave in the city, and Gad and Asher
smote them all. Dan and Naphtali lighted upon the rest of the men who had fled and
escaped from the second tower, and they smote them all.
49 The sons of Yaacob smote all the inhabitants of the city of Sarton, but the women and
little ones they left in the city, and did not slay them.
50 All the inhabitants of the city of Sarton were powerful men. One of them would pursue
a thousand, and two of them would not flee from ten thousand of the rest of men.
51 The sons of Yaacob slew all the inhabitants of the city of Sarton with the edge of the
sword, that no man stood up against them, and they left the women in the city.
52 The sons of Yaacob took all the spoil of the city, and captured what they desired.
They took flocks, herds, and property from the city. The sons of Yaacob did to Sarton
and its inhabitants as they did to Chazar and its inhabitants, then they turned and went away.
CHAPTER 39:1 When the sons of Yaacob went from the city of
Sarton, they went about two
hundred cubits when they met the inhabitants of Tapnach coming toward them, for they went
out to fight with them, because they smote the king of Tapnach and all his men.
2 So all that remained in the city of Tapnach came out to fight with the sons of Yaacob, and
they thought to retake from them the booty and the spoil which they had captured from
Chazar and Sarton.
3 The rest of the men of Tapnach fought with the sons of Yaacob in that place, and the
sons of Yaacob smote them. They fled before them, and they pursued them to the city of
Arbelan, they all fell before the sons of Yaacob.
4 The sons of Yaacob returned, and came to Tapnach, to take away the spoil of Tapnach.
When they came to Tapnach they heard that the people of Arbelan had gone out to meet
them to save the spoil of their brothers. The sons of Yaacob left ten of their men in
Tapnach to plunder the city, and they went out toward the people of Arbelan.
5 The men of Arbelan went out with their wives to fight with the sons of Yaacob, for their
wives were experienced in battle, and they went out, about four hundred men and women.
6 All the sons of Yaacob shouted with a loud voice, and they all ran toward the inhabitants
of Arbelan, with a great and tremendous voice.
7 The inhabitants of Arbelan heard the noise of the shouting of the sons of Yaacob,
their roaring like the noise of lions, like the roaring of the sea and its waves.
8 Fear and terror possessed their hearts on account of the sons of Yaacob, and they were
terribly afraid of them. They retreated, and fled before them into the city. The sons of
Yaacob pursued them to the gate of the city, and they came upon them in the city.
9 The sons of Yaacob fought with them in the city, and all their women were engaged in
slinging against the sons of Yaacob, and the combat was very severe among them the whole
of that day till evening.
10 The sons of Yaacob could not prevail over them, and the sons of Yaacob had almost
perished in that battle. The sons of Yaacob cried to Yahwah, and greatly gained strength
toward evening. The sons of Yaacob smote all the inhabitants of Arbelan by the edge of
the sword: men, women, and little ones.
11 Also the remainder of the people who had fled from Sarton, the sons of Yaacob smote
them in Arbelan. The sons of Yaacob did to Arbelan and Tapnach as they did to
Chazar and Sarton. When the women saw that all the men were dead, they went upon
the roofs of the city, and smote the sons of Yaacob by showering down stones like rain.
12 The sons of Yaacob hastened, came into the city, seized all the women,
smote them with the edge of the sword, and the sons of Yaacob captured all the spoil,
booty, flocks, herds, and cattle.
13 The sons of Yaacob did to Machnaymah as they did to Tapnach, to Chazar,
and to Shiloh, then they turned from there, and went away.
14 On the fifth day the sons of Yaacob heard that the people of Gaash were gathered
against them to battle, because they killed their king and their captains, for there were
fourteen captains in the city of Gaash, and the sons of Yaacob slew them all in the
first battle.
15 The sons of Yaacob that day girt on their weapons of war, and they marched to battle
against the inhabitants of Gaash. In Gaash there was a strong and mighty people of the
people of the Amorites. Gaash was the strongest and best fortified city of all the cities of
the Amorites, and it had three walls.
16 The sons of Yaacob came to Gaash, and they found the gates of the city locked,
about five hundred men standing at the top of the outer-most wall, and a people numerous
as the sand upon the sea shore were in ambush for the sons of Yaacob outside the city at
the rear of it.
17 The sons of Yaacob approached to open the gates of the city, and while they were
drawing near, behold, those who were in ambush at the rear of the city came forth from their
places, and surrounded the sons of Yaacob.
18 The sons of Yaacob were enclosed between the people of Gaash, and the battle was
both to their front and rear. All the men that were upon the wall were casting
arrows and stones upon them from the wall.
19 Yahudah, seeing that the men of Gaash were getting too heavy for them, gave a most
piercing and tremendous shriek. All the men of Gaash were terrified at the voice of
Yahudah's cry. Men fell from the wall at his powerful shriek, and all those that were
outside and inside the city were greatly afraid of their lives.
20 The sons of Yaacob still came near to break the doors of the city, when the men of
Gaash threw stones and arrows upon them from the top of the wall, and made them flee from the gate.
21 The sons of Yaacob returned against the men of Gaash who were with them from
outside the city, and they smote them terribly, as striking against gourds. They could not
stand against the sons of Yaacob, for fright and terror had seized them at the shriek of Yahudah.
22 The sons of Yaacob killed all those men who were outside the city, and the sons of
Yaacob still drew near to effect an entrance into the city, and to fight under the city walls, but
they could not for all the inhabitants of Gaash who remained in the city had surrounded the
walls of Gaash in every direction, so that the sons of Yaacob were unable to approach the city
to fight with them.
23 The sons of Yaacob came near to one corner to fight under the wall, the inhabitants of
Gaash threw arrows and stones upon them like showers of rain, and they fled from under the wall.
24 The people of Gaash who were upon the wall, seeing that the sons of Yaacob could not
prevail over them from under the wall, reproached the sons of Yaacob in these words, saying:
25 What is the matter with you in the battle that you cannot prevail? Can you then do to the
mighty city of Gaash and its inhabitants as you did to the cities of the Amorites that were not
so powerful? Surely to those weak ones among us you did those things, and killed them in
the entrance of the city, for they had no strength when they were terrified at the sound of
your shouting.
26 Will you now be able to fight in this place? Surely here you will all die, and we
will avenge the cause of those cities that you laid waste.
27 The inhabitants of Gaash greatly reproached the sons of Yaacob, reviled them with
their gods, and continued to cast arrows and stones upon them from the wall.
28 Yahudah and his brothers heard the words of the inhabitants of Gaash, and their anger
was greatly roused. Yahudah was jealous of Yahwah in this matter, so he called out, and
said: O Yahwah, help, send help to us and our brothers.
29 He ran at a distance with all his might, with his drawn sword in his hand, and he
sprang from the earth. By dint of his strength he mounted the wall, and his sword fell from
his hand.
30 Yahudah shouted upon the wall, and all the men that were upon the wall were terrified.
Some of them fell from the wall into the city, and died. Those who were yet upon the
wall, when they saw Yahudah's strength they were greatly afraid, and fled for their lives into the
city for safety.
31 Some were emboldened to fight with Yahudah upon the wall, and they came near to slay
him when they saw there was no sword in Yahudah's hand. They thought of casting him
from the wall to his brothers, and twenty men of the city came up to assist them. They
surrounded Yahudah, they all shouted over him, approached him with drawn swords,
and they terrified Yahudah. Yahudah cried out to his brothers from the wall.
32 Yaacob and his sons drew the bow from under the wall, and smote three of the men
that were upon the top of the wall. Yahudah continued to cry, and he exclaimed: O Yahwah help
us, O Yahwah deliver us. He cried out with a loud voice upon the wall, and the cry was heard
at a great distance.
33 After this cry he again repeated to shout, and all the men who surrounded Yahudah on
the top of the wall were terrified. They each threw his sword from his hand at the sound of
Yahudah's shouting, and his tremor, and fled.
34 Yahudah took the swords which fell from their hands. Yahudah fought with
them, and killed twenty of their men upon the wall.
35 About eighty men and women still ascended the wall from the city, and they all
surrounded Yahudah. Yahwah impressed the fear of Yahudah in their hearts, that they were
unable to approach him.
36 Yaacob and all who were with him drew the bow from under the wall, and they slew ten
men upon the wall. They fell below the wall, before Yaacob and his sons.
37 The people upon the wall saw that twenty of their men had fallen, yet they still ran
toward Yahudah with drawn swords, but they could not approach him for they were greatly
terrified at Yahudah's strength.
38 One of their mighty men whose name was Arud approached to strike Yahudah upon the
head with his sword, when Yahudah hastily put his shield to his head. The sword hit the
shield, and it was split in two.
39 This mighty man ran for his life after he struck Yahudah, at the fear of Yahudah.
His feet slipped upon the wall, he fell among the sons of Yaacob who were below the
wall, and the sons of Yaacob smote him, and killed him.
40 Yahudah's head pained him from the blow of the powerful man, and Yahudah nearly
died from it.
41 Yahudah cried out upon the wall owing to the pain produced by the blow, when Dan
heard him. His anger burned within him, so he also rose up, went at a distance,
ran, sprang from the earth, and mounted the wall with his wrath-excited strength.
42 When Dan came upon the wall near to Yahudah all the men upon the wall fled, who
had stood against Yahudah. They went up to the second wall, and they threw arrows and
stones upon Dan and Yahudah from the second wall, and endeavored to drive them from the wall.
43 The arrows and stones struck Dan and Yahudah, and they were nearly killed upon
the wall. Wherever Dan and Yahudah fled on the wall, they were attacked with arrows and
stones from the second wall.
44 Yaacob and his sons were still at the entrance of the city below the first wall, and they
were not able to draw their bow against the inhabitants of the city, as they could not be seen
by them, being upon the second wall.
45 Dan and Yahudah when they could no longer bear the stones and arrows that fell upon
them from the second wall, they both sprang upon the second wall near the people of the
city. When the people of the city who were upon the second wall saw that Dan and Yahudah
came to them upon the second wall, they all cried out, and descended below between the walls.
46 Yaacob and his sons heard the noise of the shouting from the people of the city, and
they were still at the entrance of the city. They were anxious about Dan and Yahudah, who
were not seen by them, they being upon the second wall.
47 Naphtali went up with his wrath-excited might, and sprang upon the first wall to see
what caused the noise of shouting which they had heard in the city. Issachar and
Zebulun drew near to break the doors of the city, they opened the gates of the city, and
came into the city.
48 Naphtali leaped from the first wall to the second, and came to assist his brothers.
The inhabitants of Gaash who were upon the wall saw that Naphtali was the third who had
come up to assist his brothers. They all fled, and descended into the city. Yaacob, all
his sons, and all their young men, came into the city to them.
49 Yahudah, Dan, and Naphtali descended from the wall into the city and pursued the
inhabitants of the city. Simeon and Levi were outside the city and did not know that the
gate was opened. They went up from there to the wall, and came down to their brothers
into the city.
50 The inhabitants of the city had all descended into the city, and the sons of Yaacob
came to them in different directions. The battle waged against them from the front and
the rear, and the sons of Yaacob smote them terribly. They killed about twenty thousand of them,
men and women. Not one of them could stand up against the sons of Yaacob.
51 The blood flowed plentifully in the city, and it was like a brook of water. The blood
flowed like a brook to the outer part of the city, and reached the desert of Bethchorin.
52 The people of Bethchorin saw at a distance the blood flowing from the city of Gaash.
About seventy men from among them ran to see the blood, and they came to the place
where the blood was.
53 They followed the track of the blood, and came to the wall of the city of Gaash.
They saw the blood issue from the city, they heard the voice of crying from the
inhabitants of Gaash, for it ascended to heaven, and the blood was continuing to flow
abundantly like a brook of water.
54 All the sons of Yaacob were still smiting the inhabitants of Gaash, and were engaged in
slaying them till evening, about twenty thousand men and women. The people of Chorin
said: Surely this is the work of the Hebrews, for they are still carrying on war in all the cities
of the Amorites.
55 Those people hastened, ran to Bethchorin, and each took his weapons of war.
They cried out to all the inhabitants of Bethchorin, who also girt on their weapons of war
to go and fight with the sons of Yaacob.
56 When the sons of Yaacob were done smiting the inhabitants of Gaash, they walked
about the city to strip all the slain. Coming in the innermost part of the city, and farther on,
they met three very powerful men, and there was no sword in their hand.
57 The sons of Yaacob came up to the place where they were, and the powerful men ran
away. One of them took Zebulun, who he saw was a young lad, of short stature,
and with his might dashed him to the ground.
58 Yaacob ran to him with his sword. Yaacob smote him below his loins with the sword,
cut him in two, and the body fell upon Zebulun.
59 The second one approached, and seized Yaacob to fell him to the ground. Yaacob
turned to him, shouted to him, while Simeon and Levi ran and smote him on the hips with
the sword, and felled him to the ground.
60 The powerful man rose up from the ground with wrath-excited might. Yahudah came
to him before he gained his footing, struck him upon the head with the sword, and
his head was split, so he died.
61 The third powerful man, seeing that his companions were killed, ran from before the
sons of Yaacob, and the sons of Yaacob pursued him in the city. While the powerful man
was fleeing he found one of the swords of the inhabitants of the city. He picked it up,
turned to the sons of Yaacob, and fought them with that sword.
62 The powerful man ran to Yahudah to strike him upon the head with the sword, and there
was no shield in the hand of Yahudah. While he was aiming to strike him, Naphtali hastily
took his shield and put it to Yahudah's head. The sword of the powerful man hit the shield of
Naphtali, and Yahudah escaped the sword.
63 Simeon and Levi ran upon the powerful man with their swords, and struck at him
forcibly with their swords. The two swords entered the body of the powerful man and
divided it in two, length-wise.
64 The sons of Yaacob smote the three mighty men at that time, together with all the
inhabitants of Gaash, and the day was about to decline.
65 The sons of Yaacob walked about Gaash and took all the spoil of the city, even the little
ones and women they did not allow to live. The sons of Yaacob did to Gaash as they
did to Sarton and Shiloh.
CHAPTER 40:1 The sons of Yaacob led away all the spoil of
Gaash, and went out of the city by night.
2 They were going out marching toward the castle of Bethchorin, and the inhabitants of
Bethchorin were going to the castle to meet them. On that night the sons of Yaacob fought
with the inhabitants of Bethchorin, in the castle of Bethchorin.
3 All the inhabitants of Bethchorin were mighty men, one of them would not flee from
before a thousand men. They fought on that night upon the castle, their shouts were
heard on that night from afar, and the earth quaked at their shouting.
4 All the sons of Yaacob were afraid of those men, as they were not accustomed to fight in
the dark. They were greatly confounded, and the sons of Yaacob cried to Yahwah,
saying: Give help to us O Yahwah, deliver us that we may not die by the hands of these
uncircumcised men.
5 Yahwah hearkened to the voice of the sons of Yaacob. Yahwah caused great terror
and confusion to seize the people of Bethchorin. They fought among themselves the
one with the other in the darkness of night, and smote each other in great numbers.
6 The sons of Yaacob knew Yahwah brought a spirit of perverseness among
those men, and that they fought each man with his neighbor. They went forth from among the
bands of the people of Bethchorin, went as far as the descent of the castle of Bethchorin,
and farther, so they tarried there securely with their young men on that night.
7 The people of Bethchorin fought the whole night, one man with his brother, and the
other with his neighbor. They cried out in every direction upon the castle, and their cry
was heard at a distance. The whole earth shook at their voice, for they were powerful
above all the people of the earth.
8 All the inhabitants of the cities of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites,
all the kings of Canaan, and also those who were on the other side of the Yordan, heard
the noise of the shouting on that night.
9 They said: Surely these are the battles of the Hebrews who are fighting against the
seven cities, who came near to them. Who can stand against those Hebrews?
10 All the inhabitants of the cities of the Canaanites, and all those who were on the other
side of the Yordan, were greatly afraid of the sons of Yaacob, for they said: Behold the same
will be done to us as was done to those cities, for who can stand against their mighty strength?
11 The cries of the Chorinites were very great on that night, and continued to increase.
They smote each other till morning, and numbers of them were killed.
12 The morning appeared, all the sons of Yaacob rose up at daybreak, went up to
the castle, and they smote those who remained of the Chorinites in a terrible manner,
they were all killed in the castle.
13 The sixth day appeared, all the inhabitants of Canaan saw at a distance all the
people of Bethchorin lying dead in the castle of Bethchorin, and strewed about as the
carcasses of lambs and goats.
14 The sons of Yaacob led all the spoil which they had captured from Gaash, and went to
Bethchorin. They found the city full of people like the sand of the sea, and they fought
with them, the sons of Yaacob smote them there till evening time.
15 The sons of Yaacob did to Bethchorin as they did to Gaash and Tapnach,
as they did to Chazar, to Sarton, and to Shiloh.
16 The sons of Yaacob took with them the spoil of Bethchorin, and all the spoil of the cities,
and on that day they went home to Shechem.
17 The sons of Yaacob came home to the city of Shechem, and they remained outside the
city. They rested there from the war, and tarried there all night.
18 All their servants together with all the spoil that they took from the cities, they
left outside the city, and they did not enter the city, for they said: Peradventure there is
yet more fighting against us, and they may come to besiege us in Shechem.
19 Yaacob, his sons, and their servants, remained on that night and the next day in the
portion of the field which Yaacob had purchased from Hamor for five shekels, and all that they
had captured was with them.
20 All the booty which the sons of Yaacob had captured was in the portion of the field,
immense as the sand upon the sea shore.
21 The inhabitants of the land observed them from afar, and all the inhabitants of the
land were afraid of the sons of Yaacob who did this thing, for no king from the days of
old had ever done the like.
22 The seven kings of the Canaanites resolved to make peace with the sons of Yaacob,
for they were greatly afraid of their lives, on account of the sons of Yaacob.
23 On that day, being the seventh day, Japhia king of Hebron sent secretly to the king of
Ai, to the king of Gibeon, to the king of Shalem, to the king of Adulam, to
the king of Lachish, to the king of Chazar, and to all the Canaanitish kings who were
under their subjection, saying:
24 Go up with me, and come to me that we may go to the sons of Yaacob. I will make
peace with them, and form a treaty with them, lest all your lands be destroyed by the swords
of the sons of Yaacob, as they did to Shechem and the cities around it, as you have heard and seen.
25 When you come to me, do not come with many men, but let every king bring his three
head captains, and every captain bring three of his officers.
26 Come all of you to Hebron, we will go together to the sons of Yaacob, and
supplicate them that they will form a treaty of peace with us.
27 All those kings did as the king of Hebron had sent to them, for they were all under his
counsel and command. All the kings of Canaan assembled to go to the sons of Yaacob, to
make peace with them. The sons of Yaacob returned, went to the portion of the field
that was in Shechem, for they did not put confidence in the kings of the land.
28 The sons of Yaacob returned, remained in the portion of the field ten days, and no
one came to make war with them.
29 When the sons of Yaacob saw that there was no appearance of war, they all
assembled, went to the city of Shechem, and the sons of Yaacob remained in Shechem.
30 At the expiration of forty days, all the kings of the Amorites assembled from all their
places, and came to Hebron, to Japhia, king of Hebron.
31 The number of kings that came to Hebron, to make peace with the sons of Yaacob, was
twenty-one kings, the number of captains that came with them was sixty-nine, their
men were one hundred and eighty-nine, and all these kings and their men rested by Mount Hebron.
32 The king of Hebron went out with his three captains and nine men, and these kings
resolved to go to the sons of Yaacob to make peace.
33 They said to the king of Hebron: Go before us with your men, and speak for us
to the sons of Yaacob. We will come after you and confirm your words, and the king of
Hebron did so.
34 The sons of Yaacob heard that all the kings of Canaan had gathered together, and
rested in Hebron. The sons of Yaacob sent four of their servants as spies, saying: Go,
spy these kings, search, and examine their men whether they are few or many. If
they are but few in number, number them all and come back.
35 The servants of Yaacob went secretly to these kings, and did as the sons of Yaacob
commanded them. On that day they came back to the sons of Yaacob, and said to
them: We came to those kings, and they are but few in number. We numbered them
all, and behold, they were two hundred and eighty-eight, kings and men.
36 The sons of Yaacob said: They are but few in number, therefore we will not all go out to
them. In the morning the sons of Yaacob rose up, chose sixty two of their men, and
ten of the sons of Yaacob went with them. They girt on their weapons of war, for they said:
They are coming to make war with us; for they did not know they were coming to make
peace with them.
37 The sons of Yaacob went with their servants to the gate of Shechem, toward those
kings, and their father Yaacob was with them.
38 When they came forth, behold, the king of Hebron, his three captains and
nine men with him, were coming along the road against the sons of Yaacob. The sons of
Yaacob lifted up their eyes, and saw at a distance Japhia, king of Hebron, with his captains,
coming toward them. The sons of Yaacob took their stand at the place of the gate of
Shechem, and did not proceed.
39 The king of Hebron continued to advance, he and his captains, until he came near to
the sons of Yaacob. He and his captains bowed down to them to the ground, and the king
of Hebron sat with his captains before Yaacob and his sons.
40 The sons of Yaacob said to him: What has befallen you, O king of Hebron? Why have
you come to us today? What did you require from us? The king of Hebron said to
Yaacob: I beg you my lord, all the kings of the Canaanites have come to make
peace with you today.
41 The sons of Yaacob heard the words of the king of Hebron, and they would not consent
to his proposals, for the sons of Yaacob had no faith in him, for they imagined that the king of
Hebron spoke deceitfully to them.
42 The king of Hebron knew from the words of the sons of Yaacob that they did not
believe his words, and the king of Hebron approached nearer to Yaacob, and said to him: I
beg you, my lord, to be assured that all these kings come to you on peaceable
terms, for they do not come with all their men, neither did they bring their weapons of war
with them, for they came to seek peace from my lord and his sons.
43 The sons of Yaacob answered the king of Hebron, saying: Send to all these kings,
and if you speak truth to us, let them each come singly before us. If they come
to us unarmed, then we will know that they seek peace from us.
44 Japhia, king of Hebron, sent one of his men to the kings. They all came before
the sons of Yaacob, and bowed down to them to the ground. These kings sat before Yaacob
and his sons, and they spoke to them, saying:
45 We heard all that you did to the kings of the Amorites with your sword and
exceedingly mighty arm, so that no man could stand up before you, and we were afraid of
you for the sake of our lives, lest it should befall us as it did to them.
46 So we came to you to form a treaty of peace between us, and now therefore
contract with us a covenant of peace and truth, that you will not meddle with us, inasmuch as
we have not meddled with you.
47 The sons of Yaacob knew that they had really come to seek peace from them, so the
sons of Yaacob listened to them, and formed a covenant with them.
48 The sons of Yaacob swore to them that they would not meddle with them, all the
kings of the Canaanites swore also to them, and the sons of Yaacob made them tributary from
that day forward.
49 After this all the captains of these kings came with their men before Yaacob, with
presents in their hands for Yaacob and his sons, and they bowed down to him to the ground.
50 These kings then urged the sons of Yaacob, and begged of them to return all the spoil
they had captured from the seven cities of the Amorites. The sons of Yaacob did so,
they returned all they had captured, the women, the little ones, the cattle, and all the spoil
which they took. They sent them off, and they went away each to his city.
51 All these kings again bowed down to the sons of Yaacob, and they sent or brought
them many gifts in those days. The sons of Yaacob sent off these kings and their men, and
they went peaceably away from them to their cities. The sons of Yaacob also returned to
their home, to Shechem.
52 There was peace from that day forward between the sons of Yaacob and the kings of
the Canaanites, until the children of Yisrayah came to inherit the land of Canaan.
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