The Book Of Jubilees
The Book of Jubilees
[Chapter 39]
1,2 And Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojournings in the
land of Canaan. These are the generations of Jacob. And Joseph was
seventeen years old when they took him down into
3 the land of Egypt, and Potiphar, an eunuch of Pharaoh, the chief
cook bought him. And he set Joseph over all his house and the blessing
of the Lord came upon the house of the Egyptian on
4 account of Joseph, and the Lord prospered him in all that he did.
And the Egyptian committed everything into the hands of Joseph;
for he saw that the Lord was with him, and that the
5 Lord prospered him in all that he did. And Joseph's appearance
was comely [and very beautiful was his appearance], and his master's
wife lifted up her eyes and saw Joseph, and she loved him
6 and besought him to lie with her. But he did not surrender his
soul, and he remembered the Lord and the words which Jacob, his
father, used to read from amongst the words of Abraham, that no
man should commit fornication with a woman who has a husband; that
for him the punishment of death has been ordained in the heavens
before the Most High God, and the sin
7 will be recorded against him in the eternal books continually
before the Lord. And Joseph
8 remembered these words and refused to lie with her. And she besought
him for a year, but he
9 refused and would not listen. But she embraced him and held him
fast in the house in order to force him to lie with her, and closed
the doors of the house and held him fast; but he left
10 his garment in her hands and broke through the door and fled
without from her presence. And the woman saw that he would not lie
with her, and she calumniated him in the presence of his lord, saying
'Thy Hebrew servant, whom thou lovest, sought to force me so that
he might lie with me; and it came to pass when I lifted up my voice
that he fled and left his garment in
11 my hands when I held him, and he brake through the door.' And
the Egyptian saw the garment of Joseph and the broken door, and
heard the words of his wife, and cast Joseph into
12 prison into the place where the prisoners were kept whom the
king imprisoned. And he was there in the prison; and the Lord gave
Joseph favour in the sight of the chief of the prison guards and
compassion before him, for he saw that the Lord was with him, and
that the Lord
13 made all that he did to prosper. And he committed all things
into his hands, and the chief of the prison guards knew of nothing
that was with him, for Joseph did every thing, and the
14 Lord perfected it. And he remained there two years. And in those
days Pharaoh, king of Egypt was wroth against his two eunuchs, against
the chief butler, and against the chief baker, and he put
15 them in ward in the house of the chief cook, in the prison where
Joseph was kept. And the chief of
16 the prison guards appointed Joseph to serve them; and he served
before them. And they both
17 dreamed a dream, the chief butler and the chief baker, and they
told it to Joseph. And as he interpreted to them so it befell them,
and Pharaoh restored the chief butler to his office and the
18 (chief) baker he slew, as Joseph had interpreted to them. But
the chief butler forgot Joseph in the prison, although he had informed
him what would befall him, and did not remember to inform Pharaoh
how Joseph had told him, for he forgot.
[Chapter 40]
1 And in those days Pharaoh dreamed two dreams in one night concerning
a famine which was to be in all the land, and he awoke from his
sleep and called all the interpreters of dreams that were in Egypt,
and magicians, and told them his two dreams, and they were not able
to declare (them).
2 And then the chief butler remembered Joseph and spake of him to
the king, and he brought him
3 forth from the prison, and he to]d his two dreams before him.
And he said before Pharaoh that his two dreams were one, and he
said unto him: 'Seven years shall come (in which there shall be)
plenty over all the land of Egypt, and after that seven years of
famine, such a famine as has not been in all
4 the land. And now let Pharaoh appoint overseers in all the land
of Egypt, and let them store up food in every city throughout the
days of the years of plenty, and there will be food for the seven
5 years of famine, and the land will not perish through the famine,
for it will be very severe.' And the Lord gave Joseph favour and
mercy in the eyes of Pharaoh, and Pharaoh said unto his servants.
We shall not find such a wise and discreet man as this man, for
the spirit of the Lord is with
6 him.' And he appointed him the second in all his kingdom and gave
him authority over all
7 Egypt, and caused him to ride in the second chariot of Pharaoh.
And he clothed him with byssus garments, and he put a gold chain
upon his neck, and (a herald) proclaimed before him ' 'El 'El wa
'Abirer,' and placed a ring on his hand and made him ruler over
all his house, and magnified him, and
8 said unto him. 'Only on the throne shall I be greater than thou.'
And Joseph ruled over all the land of Egypt, and all the princes
of Pharaoh, and all his servants, and all who did the king's business
loved him, for he walked in uprightness, for he was without pride
and arrogance, and he had no respect of persons, and did not accept
gifts, but he judged in uprightness all the people of the land.
9 And the land of Egypt was at peace before Pharaoh because of Joseph,
for the Lord was with him, and gave him favour and mercy for all
his generations before all those who knew him and those who heard
concerning him, and Pharaoh's kingdom was well ordered, and there
was no Satan and no evil
10 person (therein). And the king called Joseph's name Sephantiphans,
and gave Joseph to wife the
11 daughter of Potiphar, the daughter of the priest of Heliopolis,
the chief cook. And on the day that
12 Joseph stood before Pharaoh he was thirty years old [when he
stood before Pharaoh]. And in that year Isaac died. And it came
to pass as Joseph had said in the interpretation of his two dreams,
according as he had said it, there were seven years of plenty over
all the land of Egypt, and the
13 land of Egypt abundantly produced, one measure (producing) eighteen
hundred measures. And Joseph gathered food into every city until
they were full of corn until they could no longer count and measure
it for its multitude.
[Chapter 41]
1 And in the forty-fifth jubilee, in the second week, (and) in the
second year, [2165 A.M.] Judah took for his
2 first-born Er, a wife from the daughters of Aram, named Tamar.
But he hated, and did not lie with her, because his mother was of
the daughters of Canaan, and he wished to take him a wife of the
3 kinsfolk of his mother, but Judah, his father, would not permit
him. And this Er, the first-born of Judah,
4 was wicked, and the Lord slew him. And Judah said unto Onan, his
brother 'Go in unto thy brother's wife and perform the duty of a
husband's brother unto her, and raise up seed unto thy brother.'
And
5 Onan knew that the seed would not be his, (but) his brother's
only, and he went into the house of his brother's wife, and spilt
the seed on the ground, and he was wicked in the eyes of the Lord,
and He slew
6 him. And Judah said unto Tamar, his daughter-in-law: 'Remain in
thy father's house as a widow till
7 Shelah my son be grown up, and I shall give thee to him to wife.'
And he grew up; but Bedsu'el, the wife of Judah, did not permit
her son Shelah to marry. And Bedsu'el, the wife of Judah, died [2168
A.M.]
8 in the fifth year of this week. And in the sixth year Judah went up to shear his sheep at Timnah. [2169 A.M.]
9 And they told Tamar: 'Behold thy father-in-law goeth up
to Timnah to shear his sheep.' And she put off her widow's clothes,
and put on a veil, and adorned herself, and sat in the gate adjoining
the
10 way to Timnah. And as Judah was going along he found her, and
thought her to be an harlot, and he said unto her: 'Let me come
in unto thee'; and she said unto him Come in,' and he went
11 in. And she said unto him: 'Give me my hire'; and he said unto
her: 'I have nothing in my
12 hand save my ring that is on my finger, and my necklace, and
my staff which is in my hand.' And she said unto him 'Give them
to me until thou dost send me my hire', and he said unto her: 'I
will send unto thee a kid of the goats'; and he gave them to her,
13,14 she conceived by him. And Judah went unto his sheep, and she
went to her father's house. And Judah sent a kid of the goats by
the hand of his shepherd, an Adullamite, and he found her not; and
he asked the people of the place, saying: 'Where is the harlot who
was here?' And they said
15 unto him; 'There is no harlot here with us.' And he returned
and informed him, and said unto him that he had not found her: 'I
asked the people of the place, and they said unto me: "There
16 is no harlot here." ' And he said: 'Let her keep (them)
lest we become a cause of derision.' And when she had completed
three months, it was manifest that she was with child, and they
told Judah,
17 saying: 'Behold Tamar, thy daughter-in-law, is with child by
whoredom.' And Judah went to the house of her father, and said unto
her father and her brothers: 'Bring her forth, and let them burn
18 her, for she hath wrought uncleanness in Israel.' And it came
to pass when they brought her forth to burn her that she sent to
her father-in-law the ring and the necklace, and the staff, saying:
19 'Discern whose are these, for by him am I with child.' And Judah
acknowledged, and said: 'Tamar
20 is more righteous than I am. And therefore let them burn her
not' And for that reason she was
21 not given to Shelah, and he did not again approach her And after
that she bare two sons, Perez [2170 A.M.]
22 and Zerah, in the seventh year of this second week. And
thereupon the seven years of fruitfulness
23 were accomplished, of which Joseph spake to Pharaoh. And Judah
acknowledged that the deed which he had done was evil, for he had
lain with his daughter-in-law, and he esteemed it hateful in his
eyes, and he acknowledged that he had transgressed and gone astray,
for he had uncovered the skirt of his son, and he began to lament
and to supplicate before the Lord because of his transgression.
24 And we told him in a dream that it was forgiven him because he
supplicated earnestly, and lamented,
25 and did not again commit it. And he received forgiveness because
he turned from his sin and from his ignorance, for he transgressed
greatly before our God; and every one that acts thus, every one
who lies with his mother-in-law, let them burn him with fire that
he may burn therein, for there is
26 uncleanness and pollution upon them, with fire let them burn
them. And do thou command the children of Israel that there be no
uncleanness amongst them, for every one who lies with his daughter-in-law
or with his mother-in-law hath wrought uncleanness; with fire let
them burn the man who has lain with her, and likewise the woman,
and He will turn away wrath and punishment
27 from Israel. And unto Judah we said that his two sons had not
lain with her, and for this reason
28 his seed was stablished for a second generation, and would not
be rooted out. For in singleness of eye he had gone and sought for
punishment, namely, according to the judgment of Abraham, which
he had commanded his sons, Judah had sought to burn her with fire.
[Chapter 42]
1 And in the first year of the third week of the forty-fifth jubilee
the famine began to come into the [2171 A.M.]
2 land, and the rain refused to be given to the earth, for
none whatever fell. And the earth grew barren, but in the land of
Egypt there was food, for Joseph had gathered the seed of the land
in the
3 seven years of plenty and had preserved it. And the Egyptians
came to Joseph that he might give them food, and he opened the store-houses
where was the grain of the first year, and he sold it to
4 the people of the land for gold.
5 that went (there). And Joseph recognised them, but they did not
recognise him, and he spake unto them and questioned them, and he
said unto them; 'Are ye not spies and have ye not come to
6 explore the approaches of the land? 'And he put them in ward.
And after that he set them free
7 again, and detained Simeon alone and sent off his nine brothers.
And he filled their sacks with corn,
8 and he put their gold in their sacks, and they did not know. And
he commanded them to bring
9 their younger brother, for they had told him their father was
living and their younger brother. And they went up from the land
of Egypt and they came to the land of Canaan; and they told their
father all that had befallen them, and how the lord of the country
had spoken roughly to them, and
10 had seized Simeon till they should bring Benjamin. And Jacob
said: 'Me have ye bereaved of my children! Joseph is not and Simeon
also is not, and ye will take Benjamin away. On me has your
11 wickedness come. 'And he said: 'My son will not go down with
you lest perchance he fall sick; for their mother gave birth to
two sons, and one has perished, and this one also ye will take from
me. If perchance he took a fever on the road, ye would bring down
my old age with sorrow unto death.'
12 For he saw that their money had been returned to every man in
his sack, and for this reason he
13 feared to send him. And the famine increased and became sore
in the land of Canaan, and in all lands save in the land of Egypt,
for many of the children of the Egyptians had stored up their seed
for food from the time when they saw Joseph gathering seed together
and putting it in storehouses
14 and preserving it for the years of famine. And the people of
Egypt fed themselves thereon during
15 the first year of their famine But when Israel saw that the famine
was very sore in the land, and that there was no deliverance, he
said unto his sons: 'Go again, and procure food for us that we die
16 not.' And they said: 'We shall not go; unless our youngest brother
go with us, we shall not go.'
17 And Israel saw that if he did not send him with them, they should
all perish by reason of the famine
18 And Reuben said: 'Give him into my hand, and if I do not bring
him back to thee, slay my two
19 sons instead of his soul.' And he said unto him: 'He shall not
go with thee.' And Judah came near and said: 'Send him with me,
and if I do not bring him back to thee, let me bear the blame before
20 thee all the days of my life.' And he sent him with them in the
second year of this week on the [2172 A.m.] first day of the month,
and they came to the land of Egypt with all those who went, and
(they had)
21 presents in their hands, stacte and almonds and terebinth nuts
and pure honey. And they went and stood before Joseph, and he saw
Benjamin his brother, and he knew him, and said unto them: Is this
your youngest brother?' And they said unto him: 'It is he.' And
he said The Lord be
22 gracious to thee, my son!' And he sent him into his house and
he brought forth Simeon unto them and he made a feast for them,
and they presented to him the gift which they had brought in their
23 hands. And they eat before him and he gave them all a portion,
but the portion of Benjamin was
24 seven times larger than that of any of theirs. And they eat and
drank and arose and remained with
25 their asses. And Joseph devised a plan whereby he might learn
their thoughts as to whether thoughts of peace prevailed amongst
them, and he said to the steward who was over his house: 'Fill all
their sacks with food, and return their money unto them into their
vessels, and my cup, the silver cup out of which I drink, put it
in the sack of the youngest, and send them away.'
[Chapter 43]
1 And he did as Joseph had told him, and filled all their sacks
for them with food and put their
2 money in their sacks, and put the cup in Benjamin's sack. Aud
early in the morning they departed, and it came to pass that, when
they had gone from thence, Joseph said unto the steward of his house:
'Pursue them, run and seize them, saying, "For good ye have
requited me with evil; you have stolen from me the silver cup out
of which my lord drinks." And bring back to me their
3 youngest brother, and fetch (him) quickly before I go forth to
my seat of judgment.' And he ran
4 after them and said unto them according to these words. And they
said unto him: 'God forbid that thy servants should do this thing,
and steal from the house of thy lord any utensil, and the money
also which we found in our sacks the first time, we thy servants
brought back from the land of
5 Canaan. How then should we steal any utensil? Behold here are
we and our sacks search, and wherever thou findest the cup in the
sack of any man amongst us, let him be slain, and we and our
6 asses will serve thy lord.' And he said unto them: 'Not so, the
man with whom I find, him only
7 shall I take as a servant, and ye shall return in peace unto your
house.' And as he was searching in their vessels, beginning with
the eldest and ending with the youngest, it was found in Benjamin's
8 sack. And they rent their garments, and laded their asses, and
returned to the city and came to the
9 house of Joseph, and they all bowed themselves on their faces
to the ground before him. And Joseph said unto them: 'Ye have done
evil.' And they said: 'What shall we say and how shall we defend
ourselves? Our lord hath discovered the transgression of his servants;
behold we are the
10 servants of our lord, and our asses also. 'And Joseph said unto
them: 'I too fear the Lord; as for you, go ye to your homes and
let your brother be my servant, for ye have done evil. Know ye not
11 that a man delights in his cup as I with this cup? And yet ye
have stolen it from me.' And Judah said: 'O my lord, let thy servant,
I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ear two brothers did thy
servant's mother bear to our father: one went away and was lost,
and hath not been found, and he alone is left of his mother, and
thy servant our father loves him, and his life also is bound up
with
12 the life of this (lad). And it will come to pass, when we go
to thy servant our father, and the lad is
13 not with us, that he will die, and we shall bring down our father
with sorrow unto death. Now rather let me, thy servant, abide instead
of the boy as a bondsman unto my lord, and let the lad go with his
brethren, for I became surety for him at the hand of thy servant
our father, and if I do not
14 bring him back, thy servant will hear the blame to our father
for ever.' And Joseph saw that they were all accordant in goodness
one with another, and he could not refrain himself, and he told
them
15 that he was Joseph. And he conversed with them in the Hebrew
tongue and fell on their neck and
16 wept. But they knew him not and they began to weep. And he said
unto them: 'Weep not over me, but hasten and bring my father to
me; and ye see that it is my mouth that speaketh and the
17 eyes of my brother Benjamin see. For behold this is the second
year of the famine, and there are
18 still five years without harvest or fruit of trees or ploughing.
Come down quickly ye and your households, so that ye perish not
through the famine, and do not be grieved for your possessions,
for
19 the Lord sent me before you to set things in order that many
people might live. And tell my father that I am still alive, and
ye, behold, ye see that the Lord has made me as a father to Pharaoh,
20 and ruler over his house and over all the land of Egypt. And
tell my father of all my glory, and
21 all the riches and glory that the Lord hath given me.' And by
the command of the mouth of Pharaoh he gave them chariots and provisions
for the way, and he gave them all many-coloured
21 raiment and silver. And to their father he sent raiment and silver
and ten asses which carried corn,
23 and he sent them away. And they went up and told their father
that Joseph was alive, and was measuring out corn to all the nations
of the earth, and that he was ruler over all the land of Egypt.
24 And their father did not believe it, for he was beside himself
in his mind; but when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent, the
life of his spirit revived, and he said: 'It is enough for me if
Joseph lives; I will go down and see him before I die.'
[Chapter 44]
1 And Israel took his journey from Haran from his house on the new
moon of the third month, and he went on the way of the Well of the
Oath, and he offered a sacrifice to the God of his
2 father Isaac on the seventh of this month. And Jacob remembered
the dream that he had seen
3 at Bethel, and he feared to go down into Egypt. And while he was
thinking of sending word to Joseph to come to him, and that he would
not go down, he remained there seven days, if
4 perchance he could see a vision as to whether he should remain
or go down. And he celebrated the harvest festival of the first-fruits
with old grain, for in all the land of Canaan there was not a handful
of seed [in the land], for the famine was over all the beasts and
cattle and
5 birds, and also over man. And on the sixteenth the Lord appeared
unto him, and said unto him, 'Jacob, Jacob'; and he said, 'Here
am I.' And He said unto him: 'I am the God of thy fathers, the God
of Abraham and Isaac; fear not to go down into Egypt, for I will
there make of thee
6 a great nation I will go down with thee, and I will bring thee
up (again), and in this land shalt thou be buried, and Joseph shall
put his hands upon thy eyes. Fear not; go down into Egypt.'
7 And his sons rose up, and his sons' sons, and they placed their
father and their possessions upon
8 wagons. And Israel rose up from the Well of the Oath on the sixteenth
of this third month, and he
9 went to the land of Egypt. And Israel sent Judah before him to
his son Joseph to examine the Land of Goshen, for Joseph had told
his brothers that they should come and dwell there that they
10 might be near him. And this was the goodliest (land) in the land
of Egypt, and near to him, for all
11 (of them) and also for the cattle. And these are the names of
the sons of Jacob who went into
12 Egypt with Jacob their father Reuben, the First-born of Israel;
and these are the names of his
13 sons Enoch, and Pallu, and Hezron and Carmi-five. Simeon and
his sons; and these are the names of his sons: Jemuel, and Jamin,
and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul, the son
14 of the Zephathite woman-seven. Levi and his sons; and these are
the names of his sons: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari-four. Judah
and his sons; and these are the names of his sons:
15 Shela, and Perez, and Zerah-four. Issachar and his sons; and
these are the names of his sons:
17 Tola, and Phua, and Jasub, and Shimron-five. Zebulon and his
sons; and these are the names of
18 his sons: Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel-four. And these are the
sons of Jacob and their sons whom Leah bore to Jacob in Mesopotamia,
six, and their one sister, Dinah and all the souls of the sons of
Leah, and their sons, who went with Jacob their father into Egypt,
were twenty-nine, and Jacob their
19 father being with them, they were thirty. And the sons of Zilpah,
Leah's handmaid, the wife of
20 Jacob, who bore unto Jacob Gad and Ashur. And there are the names
of their sons who went with him into Egypt. The sons of Gad: Ziphion,
and Haggi, and Shuni, and Ezbon, (and Eri, and Areli,
21 and Arodi-eight. And the sons of Asher: Imnah, and Ishvah, (and
Ishvi), and Beriah, and Serah,
22,23 their one sister-six. All the souls were fourteen, and all
those of Leah were forty-four. And the
24 sons of Rachel, the wife of Jacob: Joseph and Benjamin. And there
were born to Joseph in Egypt before his father came into Egypt,
those whom Asenath, daughter of Potiphar priest of Heliopolis
25 bare unto him, Manasseh, and Ephraim-three. And the sons of Benjamin:
Bela and Becher and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, and Ehi, and Rosh,
and Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard-eleven.
26,27 And all the souls of Rachel were fourteen. And the sons of
Bilhah, the handmaid of Rachel, the
28 wife of Jacob, whom she bare to Jacob, were Dan and Naphtali.
And these are the names of their sons who went with them into Egypt.
And the sons of Dan were Hushim, and Samon, and Asudi.
29 and 'Ijaka, and Salomon-six. And they died the year in which
they entered into Egypt, and there
30 was left to Dan Hushim alone. And these are the names of the
sons of Naphtali Jahziel, and Guni
31 and Jezer, and Shallum, and 'Iv. And 'Iv, who was born after
the years of famine, died in Egypt.
32,33 And all the souls of Rachel were twenty-six. And all the souls
of Jacob which went into Egypt were seventy souls. These are his
children and his children's children, in all seventy, but five died
34 in Egypt before Joseph, and had no children. And in the land
of Canaan two sons of Judah died, Er and Onan, and they had no children,
and the children of Israel buried those who perished, and they were
reckoned among the seventy Gentile nations.
[Chapter 45]
1 And Israel went into the country of Egypt, into the land of Goshen,
on the new moon of the fourth [2172 A.M].
2 month, in the second year of the third week of the forty-fifth
jubilee. And Joseph went to meet his
3 father Jacob, to the land of Goshen, and he fell on his father's
neck and wept. And Israel said unto Joseph: 'Now let me die since
I have seen thee, and now may the Lord God of Israel be blessed
the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac who hath not withheld His
mercy and His grace from
4 His servant Jacob. It is enough for me that I have seen thy face
whilst I am yet alive; yea, true is the vision which I saw at Bethel.
Blessed be the Lord my God for ever and ever, and blessed be
5 His name.' And Joseph and his brothers eat bread before their
father and drank wine, and Jacob rejoiced with exceeding great joy
because he saw Joseph eating with his brothers and drinking before
him, and he blessed the Creator of all things who had preserved
him, and had preserved for him his
6 twelve sons. And Joseph had given to his father and to his brothers
as a gift the right of dwelling in the land of Goshen and in Rameses
and all the region round about, which he ruled over before Pharaoh.
And Israel and his sons dwelt in the land of Goshen, the best part
of the land of Egypt
7 and Israel was one hundred and thirty years old when he came into
Egypt. And Joseph nourished his father and his brethren and also
their possessions with bread as much as sufficed them for the
8 seven years of the famine. And the land of Egypt suffered by reason
of the famine, and Joseph acquired all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh
in return for food, and he got possession of the people
9 and their cattle and everything for Pharaoh. And the years of
the famine were accomplished, and Joseph gave to the people in the
land seed and food that they might sow (the land) in the eighth
10 year, for the river had overflowed all the land of Egypt. For
in the seven years of the famine it had (not) overflowed and had
irrigated only a few places on the banks of the river, but now it
overflowed
11 and the Egyptians sowed the land, and it bore much corn that
year. And this was the first year of [2178 A.M.]
12 the fourth week of the forty-fifth jubilee. And Joseph
took of the corn of the harvest the fifth part for the king and
left four parts for them for food and for seed, and Joseph made
it an ordinance for
13 the land of Egypt until this day. And Israel lived in the land
of Egypt seventeen years, and all the days which he lived were three
jubilees, one hundred and forty-seven years, and he died in the
fourth [2188 A.M.]
14 year of the fifth week of the forty-fifth jubilee. And
Israel blessed his sons before he died and told them everything
that would befall them in the land of Egypt; and he made known to
them what would come upon them in the last days, and blessed them
and gave to Joseph two portions in
15 the land. And he slept with his fathers, and he was buried in
the double cave in the land of Canaan, near Abraham his father in
the grave which he dug for himself in the double cave in
16 the land of Hebron. And he gave all his books and the books of
his fathers to Levi his son that he might preserve them and renew
them for his children until this day.
[Chapter 46]
1 And it came to pass that after Jacob died the children of Israel
multiplied in the land of Egypt, and they became a great nation,
and they were of one accord in heart, so that brother loved brother
and every man helped his brother, and they increased abundantly
and multiplied exceedingly, ten [2242 A.M.]
2 weeks of years, all the days of the life of Joseph And
there was no Satan nor any evil all the days of the life of Joseph
which he lived after his father Jacob, for all the Egyptians honoured
the children
3 of Israel all the days of the life of Joseph. And Joseph died
being a hundred and ten years old; seventeen years he lived in the
land of Canaan, and ten years he was a servant, and three years
in
4 prison, and eighty years he was under the king, ruling all the
land of Egypt. And he died and all
5 his brethren and all that generation. And he commanded the children
of Israel before he died that
6 they should carry his bones with them when they went forth from
the land of Egypt. And he made them swear regarding his bones, for
he knew that the Egyptians would not again bring forth and bury
him in the land of Canaan, for Makamaron, king of Canaan, while
dwelling in the land of Assyria, fought in the valley with the king
of Egypt and slew him there, and pursued after the
7 Egyptians to the gates of 'Ermon. But he was not able to enter,
for another, a new king, had become king of Egypt, and he was stronger
than he, and he returned to the land of Canaan, and the gates of
8 Egypt were closed, and none went out and none came into Egypt.
And Joseph died in the forty-sixth jubilee, in the sixth week, in
the second year, and they buried him in the land of Egypt, and [2242
A.M.]
9 all his brethren died after him. And the king of Egypt
went forth to war with the king of Canaan [2263 A.M.] in the forty-seventh
jubilee, in the second week in the second year, and the children
of Israel brought forth all the bones of the children of Jacob save
the bones of Joseph, and they buried them in the
10 field in the double cave in the mountain. And the most (of them)
returned to Egypt, but a few of
11 them remained in the mountains of Hebron, and Amram thy father
remained with them. And the
12 king of Canaan was victorious over the king of Egypt, and he
closed the gates of Egypt. And he devised an evil device against
the children of Israel of afflicting them and he said unto the people
of
13 Egypt: 'Behold the people of the children of Israel have increased
and multiplied more than we. Come and let us deal wisely with them
before they become too many, and let us afflict them with slavery
before war come upon us and before they too fight against us; else
they will join themselves unto our enemies and get them up out of
our land, for their hearts and faces are towards the land
14 of Canaan.' And he set over them taskmasters to afflict them
with slavery; and they built strong cities for Pharaoh, Pithom,
and Raamses and they built all the walls and all the fortifications
which
15 had fallen in the cities of Egypt. And they made them serve with
rigour, and the more they dealt evilly with them, the more they
increased and multiplied. And the people of Egypt abominated the
children of Israel
[Chapter 47]
1 And in the seventh week, in the seventh year, in the forty-seventh
jubilee, thy father went forth [2303 A.M.] from the land of Canaan,
and thou wast born in the fourth week, in the sixth year thereof,
in the [2330 A.M.]
2 forty-eighth jubilee; this was the time of tribulation
on the children of Israel. And Pharaoh, king of Egypt, issued a
command regarding them that they should cast all their male children
which were
3 born into the river. And they cast them in for seven months until
the day that thou wast born
4 And thy mother hid thee for three months, and they told regarding
her. And she made an ark for thee, and covered it with pitch and
asphalt, and placed it in the flags on the bank of the river, and
she placed thee in it seven days, and thy mother came by night and
suckled thee, and by day
5 Miriam, thy sister, guarded thee from the birds. And in those
days Tharmuth, the daughter of Pharaoh, came to bathe in the river,
and she heard thy voice crying, and she told her maidens to
6 bring thee forth, and they brought thee unto her. And she took
thee out of the ark, and she had
7 compassion on thee. And thy sister said unto her: 'Shall I go
and call unto thee one of the
8 Hebrew women to nurse and suckle this babe for thee?' And she
said (unto her): 'Go.' And she
9 went and called thy mother Jochebed, and she gave her wages, and
she nursed thee. And afterwards, when thou wast grown up, they brought
thee unto the daughter of Pharaoh, and thou didst become her son,
and Amram thy father taught thee writing, and after thou hadst completed
three weeks
10 they brought thee into the royal court. And thou wast three weeks
of years at court until the time [2351-] when thou didst go forth
from the royal court and didst see an Egyptian smiting thy friend
who was [2372 A.M.]
11 of the children of Israel, and thou didst slay him and
hide him in the sand. And on the second day thou didst and two of
the children of Israel striving together, and thou didst say to
him who was
12 doing the wrong: 'Why dost thou smite thy brother?' And he was
angry and indignant, and said: 'Who made thee a prince and a judge
over us? Thinkest thou to kill me as thou killedst the Egyptian
yesterday?' And thou didst fear and flee on account of these words.
[Chapter 48]
1 And in the sixth year of the third week of the forty-ninth jubilee
thou didst depart and dwell (in [2372 A.M.] the land of Midian,
five weeks and one year. And thou didst return into Egypt in the
second week
2 in the second year in the fiftieth jubilee. And thou thyself knowest
what He spake unto thee on [2410 A.M.] Mount Sinai, and what prince
Mastema desired to do with thee when thou wast returning into Egypt
3
4 judgment and vengeance on the Egyptians? And I delivered thee
out of his hand, and thou didst perform the signs and wonders which
thou wast sent to perform in Egypt against Pharaoh, and
5 against all his house, and against his servants and his people.
And the Lord executed a great vengeance on them for Israel's sake,
and smote them through (the plagues of) blood and frogs, lice and
dog-flies, and malignant boils breaking forth in blains; and their
cattle by death; and by hail-stones, thereby He destroyed everything
that grew for them; and by locusts which devoured the residue which
had been left by the hail, and by darkness; and (by the death) of
the first-born of
6 men and animals, and on all their idols the Lord took vengeance
and burned them with fire And everything was sent through thy hand,
that thou shouldst declare (these things) before they were done,
and thou didst speak with the king of Egypt before all his servants
and before his people
7 And everything took place according to thy words; ten great and
terrible judgments came on the
8 land of Egypt that thou mightest execute vengeance on it for Israel.
And the Lord did everything for Israel's sake, and according to
His covenant, which he had ordained with Abraham that He
9 would take vengeance on them as they had brought them by force
into bondage. And the prince Mastema stood up against thee, and
sought to cast thee into the hands of Pharaoh, and he helped
10 the Egyptian sorcerers, and they stood up and wrought before
thee the evils indeed we permitted
11 them to work, but the remedies we did not allow to be wrought
by their hands. And the Lord smote them with malignant ulcers, and
they were not able to stand, for we destroyed them so that
12 they could not perform a single sign. And notwithstanding all
(these) signs and wonders the prince Mastema was not put to shame
because he took courage and cried to the Egyptians to pursue after
thee with all the powers of the Egyptians, with their chariots,
and with their horses, and with all the
13 hosts of the peoples of Egypt. And I stood between the Egyptians
and Israel, and we delivered Israel out of his hand, and out of
the hand of his people, and the Lord brought them through the
14 midst of the sea as if it were dry land. And all the peoples
whom he brought to pursue after Israel, the Lord our God cast them
into the midst of the sea, into the depths of the abyss beneath
the children of Israel, even as the people of Egypt had cast their
children into the river He took vengeance on 1,000,000 of them,
and one thousand strong and energetic men were destroyed on
15 account of one suckling of the children of thy people which they
had thrown into the river. And on the fourteenth day and on the
fifteenth and on the sixteenth and on the seventeenth and on the
eighteenth the prince Mastema was bound and imprisoned behind the
children of Israel that he
16 might not accuse them. And on the nineteenth we let them loose
that they might help the
17 Egyptians and pursue the children of Israel. And he hardened
their hearts and made them stubborn, and the device was devised
by the Lord our God that He might smite the Egyptians and
18 cast them into the sea. And on the fourteenth we bound him that
he might not accuse the children of Israel on the day when they
asked the Egyptians for vessels and garments, vessels of silver,
and vessels of gold, and vessels of bronze, in order to despoil
the Egyptians in return for the bondage in
19 which they had forced them to serve. And we did not lead forth
the children of Israel from Egypt empty handed.
[Chapter 49]
1 Remember the commandment which the Lord commanded thee concerning
the passover, that thou shouldst celebrate it in its season on the
fourteenth of the first month, that thou shouldst kill it before
it is evening, and that they should eat it by night on the evening
of the fifteenth from the
2 time of the setting of the sun. For on this night -the beginning
of the festival and the beginning of the joy- ye were eating the
passover in Egypt, when all the powers of Mastema had been let loose
to slay all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born
of Pharaoh to the first-born
3 of the captive maid-servant in the mill, and to the cattle. And
this is the sign which the Lord gave them: Into every house on the
lintels of which they saw the blood of a lamb of the first year,
into (that) house they should not enter to slay, but should pass
by (it), that all those should be saved that
4 were in the house because the sign of the blood was on its lintels.
And the powers of the Lord did everything according as the Lord
commanded them, and they passed by all the children of Israel, and
the plague came not upon them to destroy from amongst them any soul
either of cattle, or
5 man, or dog. And the plague was very grievous in Egypt, and there
was no house in Egypt
6 where there was not one dead, and weeping and lamentation. And
all Israel was eating the flesh of the paschal lamb, and drinking
the wine, and was lauding, and blessing, and giving thanks to the
Lord God of their fathers, and was ready to go forth from under
the yoke of Egypt, and from
7 the evil bondage. And remember thou this day all the days of thy
life, and observe it from year to year all the days of thy life,
once a year, on its day, according to all the law thereof, and do
not
8 adjourn (it) from day to day, or from month to month. For it is
an eternal ordinance, and engraven on the heavenly tablets regarding
all the children of Israel that they should observe it every year
on its day once a year, throughout all their generations; and there
is no limit of days, for this is ordained
9 for ever. And the man who is free from uncleanness, and does not
come to observe it on occasion of its day, so as to bring an acceptable
offering before the Lord, and to eat and to drink before the Lord
on the day of its festival, that man who is clean and close at hand
shall be cut off: because he offered not the oblation of the Lord
in its appointed season, he shall take the guilt upon himself.
10 Let the children of Israel come and observe the passover on the
day of its fixed time, on the fourteenth day of the first month,
between the evenings, from the third part of the day to the third
part of
1 the night, for two portions of the day are given to the light,
and a third part to the evening. This
12 is that which the Lord commanded thee that thou shouldst observe
it between the evenings. And it is not permissible to slay it during
any period of the light, but during the period bordering on the
evening, and let them eat it at the time of the evening, until the
third part of the night, and whatever is left over of all its flesh
from the third part of the night and onwards, let them burn
13 it with fire. And they shall not cook it with water, nor shall
they eat it raw, but roast on the fire: they shall eat it with diligence,
its head with the inwards thereof and its feet they shall roast
with fire, and not break any bone thereof; for of the children of
Israel no bone shall be crushed.
14 For this reason the Lord commanded the children of Israel to
observe the passover on the day of its fixed time, and they shall
not break a bone thereof; for it is a festival day, and a day commanded,
and there may be no passing over from day to day, and month to month,
but on the day of its
15 festival let it be observed. And do thou command the children
of Israel to observe the passover throughout their days, every year,
once a year on the day of its fixed time, and it shall come for
a memorial well pleasing before the Lord, and no plague shall come
upon them to slay or to smite in that year in which they celebrate
the passover in its season in every respect according to His
16 command. And they shall not eat it outside the sanctuary of the
Lord, but before the sanctuary of the Lord, and all the people of
the congregation of Israel shall celebrate it in its appointed season.
17 And every man who has come upon its day shall eat it in the sanctuary
of your God before the Lord from twenty years old and upward; for
thus is it written and ordained that they should eat it
18 in the sanctuary of the Lord. And when the children of Israel
come into the land which they are to possess, into the land of Canaan,
and set up the tabernacle of the Lord in the midst of the land in
one of their tribes until the sanctuary of the Lord has been built
in the land, let them come and celebrate the passover in the midst
of the tabernacle of the Lord, and let them slay it
19 before the Lord from year to year. And in the days when the house
has been built in the name of the Lord in the land of their inheritance,
they shall go there and slay the passover in the evening, at
20 sunset, at the third part of the day. And they shall offer its
blood on the threshold of the altar, and shall place its fat on
the fire which is upon the altar, and they shall eat its flesh roasted
21 with fire in the court of the house which has been sanctified
in the name of the Lord. And they may not celebrate the passover
in their cities, nor in any place save before the tabernacle of
the Lord, or before His house where His name hath dwelt; and they
shall not go astray from the Lord.
22 And do thou, Moses, command the children of Israel to observe
the ordinances of the passover, as it was commanded unto thee; declare
thou unto them every year and the day of its days, and the festival
of unleavened bread, that they should eat unleavened bread seven
days, (and) that they should observe its festival, and that they
bring an oblation every day during those seven days of
23 joy before the Lord on the altar of your God. For ye celebrated
this festival with haste when ye went forth from Egypt till ye entered
into the wilderness of Shur; for on the shore of the sea ye completed
it.
[Chapter 50]
1 And after this law I made known to thee the days of the Sabbaths
in the desert of Sin[ai], which
2 is between Elim and Sinai. And I told thee of the Sabbaths of
the land on Mount Sinai, and I told thee of the jubilee years in
the sabbaths of years: but the year thereof have I not told thee
till ye
3 enter the land which ye are to possess. And the land also shall
keep its sabbaths while they dwell
4 upon it, and they shall know the jubilee year. Wherefore I have
ordained for thee the year-weeks and the years and the jubilees:
there are forty-nine jubilees from the days of Adam until this day,
[2410 A.M.] and one week and two years: and there are yet forty
years to come (lit. 'distant') for learning the [2450 A.M.] commandments
of the Lord, until they pass over into the land of Canaan, crossing
the Jordan to the
5 west. And the jubilees shall pass by, until Israel is cleansed
from all guilt of fornication, and uncleanness, and pollution, and
sin, and error, and dwells with confidence in all the land, and
there shall be no more a Satan or any evil one, and the land shall
be clean from that time for evermore.
6 And behold the commandment regarding the Sabbaths -I have written
(them) down for thee-
7 and all the judgments of its laws. Six days shalt thou labour,
but on the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it
ye shall do no manner of work, ye and your sons, and your men-
8 servants and your maid-servants, and all your cattle and the sojourner
also who is with you. And the man that does any work on it shall
die: whoever desecrates that day, whoever lies with (his) wife,
or whoever says he will do something on it, that he will set out
on a journey thereon in regard to any buying or selling: and whoever
draws water thereon which he had not prepared for himself on the
sixth day, and whoever takes up any burden to carry it out of his
tent or out of his house
9 shall die. Ye shall do no work whatever on the Sabbath day save
what ye have prepared for yourselves on the sixth day, so as to
eat, and drink, and rest, and keep Sabbath from all work on that
day, and to bless the Lord your God, who has given you a day of
festival and a holy day: and
10 a day of the holy kingdom for all Israel is this day among their
days for ever. For great is the honour which the Lord has given
to Israel that they should eat and drink and be satisfied on this
festival day, and rest thereon from all labour which belongs to
the labour of the children of men save burning frankincense and
bringing oblations and sacrifices before the Lord for days and for
11 Sabbaths. This work alone shall be done on the Sabbath-days in
the sanctuary of the Lord your God; that they may atone for Israel
with sacrifice continually from day to day for a memorial well-pleasing
before the Lord, and that He may receive them always from day to
day according as thou
12 hast been commanded. And every man who does any work thereon,
or goes a journey, or tills (his) farm, whether in his house or
any other place, and whoever lights a fire, or rides on any beast,
or travels by ship on the sea, and whoever strikes or kills anything,
or slaughters a beast or a bird, or
13 whoever catches an animal or a bird or a fish, or whoever fasts
or makes war on the Sabbaths: The man who does any of these things
on the Sabbath shall die, so that the children of Israel shall observe
the Sabbaths according to the commandments regarding the Sabbaths
of the land, as it is written in the tablets, which He gave into
my hands that I should write out for thee the laws of the seasons,
and the seasons according to the division of their days.
Herewith is completed the account of the division of the days.
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