Jasher-Sefer Yahshar Chapters 26-49

Sefer Yahshar Chapters 26-49

Study Notes At Bottom!!

CHAPTER 26 

1 And in the fifty-ninth year of the life of Yitzchak the son of Avraham, Rivkah his wife was still barren in those days.

2 And Rivkah said to Yitzchak, Truly I have heard, my master, that your ema Sarah was barren in her days until my master Avraham, your abba, prayed for her and she conceived by him.

3 Now therefore stand up, pray you also to YHUH and He will hear your prayer and remember us through his mercies.

4 And Yitzchak answered his wife Rivkah, saying, Avraham has already prayed for me to YHUH to multiply his zera, now therefore this barrenness must proceed to us from you.

5 And Rivkah said to him, But arise now you also and pray, that YHUH may hear your prayer and grant me children, and Yitzchak hearkened to the words of his wife, and Yitzchak and his wife rose up and went to the land of Moriyah to pray there and to seek YHUH, and when they had reached that place Yitzchak stood up and prayed to YHUH on account of his wife because she was barren.

6 And Yitzchak said, O YHUH Ahlohim of the shamayim and earth, whose goodness and mercies fill the earth, you who did take my abba from his abba's house and from his birthplace, and did bring him to this land, and did say to him, To your zera will I give the land, and you did promise him and did declare to him, I will multiply your zera as the stars of the shamayim and as the sand of the sea, now may your words be verified which you did speak to my abba.

7 For you are YHUH our YHUH, our eyes are toward you to give us zera of men, as you did promise us, for you are YHUH our YHUH and our eyes are directed toward you only.

8 And YHUH heard the prayer of Yitzchak the son of Avraham, and YHUH was entreated of him and Rivkah his wife conceived.

9 And in about seven months after the children struggled together within her, and it pained her greatly that she was wearied on account of them, and she said to all the women who were then in the land, Did such a thing happen to you as it has to me? And they said to her, No.

10 And she said to them, Why am I alone in this among all the women that were upon earth? And she went to the land of Moriyah to seek YHUH on account of this; and she went to Shem and Ever his son to make inquiries of them in this matter, and that they should seek YHUH in this thing respecting her.

11 And she also asked Avraham to seek and inquire of YHUH about all that had befallen her.

12 And they all inquired of YHUH concerning this matter, and they brought her word from YHUH and told her, Two children are in your womb, and two nations shall rise from them; and one nation shall be stronger than the other, and the greater shall serve the younger.

13 And when her days to be delivered were completed, she knelt down, and behold there were twins in her womb, as YHUH had spoken to her.

14 And the first one came out red all over like a hairy garment, and all the people of the land called his name Esav, saying, That this one was made complete from the womb.

15 And after that came his brother, and his hand took hold of Esav's heel, therefore they called his name Yaakov.

16 And Yitzchak, the son of Avraham, was sixty years old when he begat them.

17 And the boys grew up to their fifteenth year, and they came among the society of men. Esav was a designing and deceitful man, and an expert hunter in the field, and Yaakov was a man perfect and wise, dwelling in tents, feeding flocks and learning the Torot of YHUH, and the commands of his abba and ema.

18 And Yitzchak and the children of his household dwelt with his abba Avraham in the land of Kanaan, as YHUH had commanded them.

19 And Yishmael the son of Avraham went with his children and all belonging to them, and they returned there to the land of Havilah, and they dwelt there.

20 And all the children of Avraham's concubines went to dwell in the land of the east, for Avraham had sent them away from his son, and had given them presents, and they went away.

21 And Avraham gave all that he had to his son Yitzchak, and he also gave him all his treasures.

22 And he commanded him saying, Do you not know and understand YHUH is YHUH in the shamayim and in earth, and there is no other beside Him?

23 And it was He who took me from my abba's house, and from my birth place, and gave me all the delights upon earth; who delivered me from the counsel of the wicked, for in Him did I trust.

24 And He brought me to this place, and He delivered me from Ur Chasdim; and He said to me, To your zera will I give all these lands, and they shall inherit them when they keep my mitzvot, my chukim and my mishpatim that I have commanded you, and which I shall command them.

25 Now therefore my son, listen to my voice, and keep the mitzvot of YHUH your YHUH, which I commanded you, do not turn from the right halacha either to the right or to the left, in order that it may be well with you and your children after you le-olam-va-ed.

26 And remember the wonderful works of YHUH, and His chesed that He has shown toward us, in having delivered us from the hands of our enemies, and YHUH our YHUH caused them to fall into our hands; and now therefore keep all that I have commanded you, and turn not away from the mitzvot of your YHUH, and serve none beside Him, in order that it may be well with you and your zera after you.

27 And teach your children and your zera the Torot of YHUH and His mitzvot, and teach them the upright halacha in which they should go, in order that it may be well with them le-olam-va-ed.

28 And Yitzchak answered his abba and said to him, That which my master has commanded that will I do, and I will not depart from the mitzvoth of YHUH my YHUH, I will keep all that He commanded me; and Avraham blessed his son Yitzchak, and also his children; and Avraham taught Yaakov the Torah of YHUH and His halachot.

29 And it was at that time that Avraham died, in the fifteenth year of the life of Yaakov and Esav, the sons of Yitzchak, and all the days of Avraham were one hundred and seventy-five years, and he died and was gathered to his people in tov old age, old and satisfied with days, and Yitzchak and Yishmael his sons buried him.

30 And when the inhabitants of Kanaan heard that Avraham was dead, they all came with their melechim and princes and all their men to bury Avraham.

31 And all the inhabitants of the land of Charan, and all the families of the house of Avraham, and all the princes and nobles, and the sons of Avraham by the concubines, all came when they heard of Avraham's death, and they repaid Avraham's chesed, and comforted Yitzchak his son, and they buried Avraham in the cave which he bought from Ephron the Hittite and his children, for the possession of a burial place.

32 And all the inhabitants of Kanaan, and all those who had known Avraham, wept for Avraham a whole year, and men and women mourned over him.

33 And all the little children, and all the inhabitants of the land wept on account of Avraham, for Avraham had been tov to them all, and because he had been upright with YHUH and men.

34 And there arose not a man who feared YHUH like Avraham, for he had feared His YHUH from his youth, and had served YHUH, and had gone in all His halachot during his life, from his childhood to the day of his death.

35 And YHUH was with him and delivered him from the counsel of Nimrod and his people, and when he made war with the four melechim of Eylam he conquered them.

36 And he brought all the children of the earth to the service of YHUH, and he taught them the halachot of YHUH, and caused them to know YHUH.

37 And he formed a grove and he planted a vineyard therein, and he had always prepared in his tent meat and drink to those that passed through the land, that they might satisfy themselves in his house.

38 And YHUH Ahlohim delivered the whole earth on account of Avraham.

39 And it was after the death of Avraham that YHUH blessed his son Yitzchak and his children, and YHUH was with Yitzchak as he had been with his abba Avraham, for Yitzchak kept all the mitzvot of YHUH as Avraham his abba had commanded him; he did not turn to the right or to the left from the right path which his abba had commanded him.

CHAPTER 27

1 And Esav at that time, after the death of Avraham, frequently went in the field to hunt.

2 And Nimrod melech of Bavel, 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 And Nimrod was observing Esav all the days, for a jealousy was formed in the heart of Nimrod against Esav all the days.

4 And on a certain day Esav went in the field to hunt, and he found Nimrod walking in the wilderness with his two men.

5 And 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, and Esav concealed himself from Nimrod, and he lurked for him in the wilderness.

6 And Nimrod and his men that were with him did not know him, and Nimrod and his men frequently walked about in the field at the cool of the day, and to know where his men were hunting in the field.

7 And Nimrod and two of his men that were with him came to the place where they were, when Esav started suddenly from his lurking place, and drew his sword, and hurried and ran to Nimrod and cut off his head.

8 And Esav fought a desperate fight with the two men that were with Nimrod, and when they called out to him, Esav turned to them and smote them to death with his sword.

9 And all the mighty men of Nimrod, who had left him to go to the wilderness, heard the cry at a distance, and they knew the voices of those two men, and they ran to know the cause of it, when they found their melech and the two men that were with him lying dead in the wilderness.

10 And when Esav saw the mighty men of Nimrod coming at a distance, he fled, and thereby escaped; and Esav took the valuable garments of Nimrod, which Nimrod's abba had bequeathed to Nimrod, and with which Nimrod prevailed over the whole land, and he ran and concealed them in his house.

11 And Esav took those garments and ran into the city on account of Nimrod's men, and he came to his abba's house wearied and exhausted from fight, and he was ready to die through grief when he approached his brother Yaakov and sat before him.

12 And he said to his brother Yaakov, Behold I shall die this day, and why then do I want the bechor? And Yaakov acted wisely with Esav in this matter, and Esav sold his bechor to Yaakov, for it was so brought about by YHUH.

13 And Esav's portion in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Avraham had bought from the children of Cheth for the possession of a burial ground, Esav also sold to Yaakov, and Yaakov bought all this from his brother Esav for value given.

14 And Yaakov wrote the whole of this in a scroll, and he testified the same with witnesses, and he sealed it, and the scroll remained in the hands of Yaakov.

15 And when Nimrod the son of Cush died, his men lifted him up and brought him in consternation, and buried him in his city, and all the days that Nimrod lived were two hundred and fifteen years and he died.

16 And the days that Nimrod reigned upon the people of the land were one hundred and eighty-five years; and Nimrod died by the sword of Esav in shame and contempt, and the zera of Avraham caused his death as he had seen in his dream.

17 And at the death of Nimrod his malchut became divided into many divisions, and all those parts that Nimrod reigned over were restored to the respective melechim 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 melechim of the land.

CHAPTER 28

1 And in those days, after the death of Avraham, in that year YHUH brought a heavy famine in the land, and while the famine was raging in the land of Kanaan, Yitzchak rose up to go down to Mitzrayim on account of the famine, as his abba Avraham had done.

2 And YHUH appeared that night to Yitzchak and he said to him, Do not go down to Mitzrayim but rise and go to Gerar, to Avimelech melech of the Philistines, and remain there until the famine shall cease.

3 And Yitzchak rose up and went to Gerar, as YHUH commanded him, and he remained there a full year.

4 And when Yitzchak came to Gerar, the people of the land saw that Rivkah his wife was of a beautiful appearance, and the people of Gerar asked Yitzchak 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 And the princes of Avimelech went and praised the woman to the melech, but he answered them not, neither did he attend to their words.

6 But he heard them say that Yitzchak declared her to be his sister, so the melech reserved this within himself.

7 And when Yitzchak had remained three months in the land, Avimelech looked out at the window, and he saw, and behold Yitzchak was sporting with Rivkah his wife, for Yitzchak dwelt in the outer house belonging to the melech, so that the house of Yitzchak was opposite the house of the melech.

8 And the melech said to Yitzchak, What is this you have done 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 And Yitzchak said to Avimelech, Because I was afraid lest I die on account of my wife, therefore I said, She is my sister.

10 At that time Avimelech gave orders to all his princes and great men, and they took Yitzchak and Rivkah his wife and brought them before the melech.

11 And the melech commanded that they should dress them in princely garments, and 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 shall surely die. And Yitzchak returned with his wife to the melech's house, and YHUH was with Yitzchak and he continued to wax great and lacked nothing.

12 And YHUH caused Yitzchak to find favor in the sight of Avimelech, and in the sight of all his subjects, and Avimelech acted well with Yitzchak, for Avimelech remembered the oath and the covenant that existed between his abba and Avraham.

13 And Avimelech said to Yitzchak, Behold the whole earth is before you; dwell wherever it may seem tov in your sight until you shall return to your land; and Avimelech gave Yitzchak fields and vineyards and the best part of the land of Gerar, to sow and reap and eat the fruits of the ground until the days of the famine should have passed by.

14 And Yitzchak sowed in that land, and received a hundred-fold in the same year, and YHUH blessed him.

15 And the man waxed great, and he had possession of flocks and possession of herds and great store of servants.

16 And when the days of the famine had passed away YHUH appeared to Yitzchak and said to him, Rise up, go forth from this place and return to your land, to the land of Kanaan; and Yitzchak rose up and returned to Hevron which is in the land of Kanaan, he and all belonging to him as YHUH commanded him.

17 And after this Shelach the son of Arpachshad died in that year, which is the eighteenth year of the lives of Yaakov and Esav; and all the days that Shelach lived were four hundred and thirty-three years and he died.

18 At that time Yitzchak sent his younger son Yaakov to the house of Shem and Ever, and he learned the Torot of YHUH, and Yaakov remained in the house of Shem and Ever for thirty-two years, and Esav his brother did not go, for he was not willing to go, and he remained in his abba's house in the land of Kanaan.

19 And Esav was continually hunting in the fields to bring home what he could get, so did Esav all the days.

20 And Esav was a designing and deceitful man, one who hunted after the hearts of men and lured them, and Esav was a valiant man in the field, and in the course of time went as usual to hunt; and he came as far as the field of Seir, the same is Edom.

21 And he remained in the land of Seir hunting in the field a year and four months.

22 And Esav there saw in the land of Seir the daughter of a man of Kanaan, and her name was Yehudite, the daughter of Beeri, son of Epher, from the families of Cheth the son of Kanaan.

23 And Esav took her for a wife, and he came to her; forty years old was Esav when he took her, and he brought her to Hevron, the land of his abba's dwelling place, and he dwelt there.

24 And it came to pass in those days, in the hundred and tenth year of the life of Yitzchak, that is in the fiftieth year of the life of Yaakov, in that year died Shem the son of Noach; Shem was six hundred years old at his death.

25 And when Shem died Yaakov returned to his abba to Hevron, which is in the land of Kanaan.

26 And in the fifty-sixth year of the life of Yaakov, people came from Charan, and Rivkah was told concerning her brother Lavan the son of Bethuel.

27 For the wife of Lavan was barren in those days, and bare no children, and also all his handmaids bare none to him.

28 And YHUH afterward remembered Adinah the wife of Lavan, and she conceived and bare twin daughters, and Lavan called the names of his daughters, the name of the zachena Leah, and the name of the younger Rachel.

29 And those people came and told these things to Rivkah, and Rivkah rejoiced greatly that YHUH had visited her brother and that he had gotten children.

CHAPTER 29

1 And Yitzchak the son of Avraham became old and advanced in days, and his eyes became heavy through age; they were dim and could not see.

2 At that time Yitzchak called to Esav his son, saying, Get I beg you your weapons, your quiver and your bow, rise up and go forth into the field and get me some venison, and make me tasty 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 And Esav did so; and he took his weapon and went forth into the field to hunt for venison, as usual, to bring to his abba as he had ordered him, so that he might bless him.

4 And Rivkah heard all the words that Yitzchak had spoken to Esav, and she hurried and called her son Yaakov, saying, This did your abba speak to your brother Esav, and this did I hear, now therefore hurry and make that which I shall tell you.

5 Rise up and go, I beg you, to the flock and fetch me two fine kids of the goats, and I will get the tasty meat for your abba, and you shall bring the tasty meat that he may eat before your brother shall have come from the chase, in order that your abba may bless you.

6 And Yaakov hurried and did as his ema had commanded him, and he made the tasty meat and brought it before his abba before Esav had come from his chase.

7 And Yitzchak said to Yaakov, Who are you, my son? And he said, I am your bechor Esav, I have done as you did order me, now therefore rise up I ask you, and eat of my hunt, in order that your being may bless me as you did speak to me.

8 And Yitzchak rose up and he ate and he drank, and his heart was comforted, and he blessed Yaakov and Yaakov went away from his abba; and as soon as Yitzchak had blessed Yaakov and he had gone away from him, behold Esav came from his hunt from the field, and he also made tasty meat and brought it to his abba to eat of it and to bless him.

9 And Yitzchak said to Esav, And who was he that has taken venison and brought it me before you came and whom I did bless? And Esav knew that his brother Yaakov had done this, and the anger of Esav was kindled against his brother Yaakov that he had acted this way toward him.

10 And Esav said, Is he not rightly called Yaakov? For he has supplanted me twice, he took away my bechor and now he has taken away my blessing; and Esav wept greatly; and when Yitzchak heard the voice of his son Esav weeping, Yitzchak said to Esav, What can I do, my son, your brother came with subtlety and took away your blessing; and Esav hated his brother Yaakov on account of the blessing that his abba had given him, and his anger was greatly roused against him.

11 And Yaakov was very much afraid of his brother Esav, and he rose up and fled to the house of Ever the son of Shem, and he concealed himself there on account of his brother, and Yaakov was sixty-three years old when he went forth from the land of Kanaan from Hevron, and Yaakov was concealed in Ever's house fourteen years on account of his brother Esav, and he there continued to learn the halachot of YHUH and His mitzvot.

12 And when Esav saw that Yaakov had fled and escaped from him, and that Yaakov had cunningly obtained the blessing, then Esav grieved exceedingly, and he was also vexed at his abba and ema; and he also rose up and took his wife and went away from his abba and ema to the land of Seir, and he dwelt there; and Esav saw there a woman from among the daughters of Cheth whose name was Bosmath, the daughter of Eylon the Hittite, and he took her for a wife in addition to his first wife, and Esav called her name Adah, saying the blessing had in that time passed from him.

13 And Esav dwelt in the land of Seir six months without seeing his abba and ema, and afterward Esav took his wives and rose up and returned to the land of Kanaan, and Esav placed his two wives in his abba's house in Hevron.

14 And the wives of Esav vexed and provoked Yitzchak and Rivkah with their works, for they walked not in the halachot of YHUH, but served their abba's ahlohim of wood and stone as their abba had taught them, and they were more wicked than their abba.

15 And they went according to the evil desires of their hearts, and they sacrificed and burnt incense to the Baalim, and Yitzchak and Rivkah became weary of them.

16 And Rivkah said, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Cheth; if Yaakov take a wife of the daughters of Cheth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what tov then is life to me?

17 And in those days Adah the wife of Esav conceived and bare him a son, and Esav called the name of the son that was born to him Eliphaz, and Esav was sixty-five years old when she bare him.

18 And Yishmael the son of Avraham died in those days, in the sixty-forth year of the life of Yaakov, and all the days that Yishmael lived were one hundred and thirty-seven years and he died.

19 And when Yitzchak heard that Yishmael was dead he mourned for him, and Yitzchak lamented over him many days.

20 And at the end of fourteen years of Yaakov's residing in the house of Ever, Yaakov desired to see his abba and ema, and Yaakov came to the house of his abba and ema to Hevron, and Esav had in those days forgotten what Yaakov had done to him in having taken the blessing from him in those days.

21 And when Esav saw Yaakov coming to his abba and ema he remembered what Yaakov had done to him, and he was greatly incensed against him and he sought to slay him.

22 And Yitzchak the son of Avraham was old and advanced in days, and Esav said, Now my abba's time is drawing near that he must die, and when he shall die I will slay my brother Yaakov.

23 And this was told to Rivkah, and she hurried and sent and called for Yaakov her son, and she said to him, Arise, go and flee to Charan to my brother Lavan, and remain there for some time, until your brother's anger be turned from you and then shall you come back.

24 And Yitzchak called to Yaakov and said to him, Take not a wife from the daughters of Kanaan, for this did our abba Avraham command us according to the word of YHUH which He had commanded him, saying, Unto your zera will I give this land; if your children keep my covenant that I have made with you, then will I also perform to your children that which I have spoken to you and I will not forsake them.

25 Now therefore my son listen to my voice, to all that I shall command you, and refrain from taking a wife from among the daughters of Kanaan; arise, go to Charan to the house of Bethuel your ema's abba, and take to you a wife from there from the daughters of Lavan your ema's brother.

26 Therefore take heed lest you should forget YHUH your YHUH and all His halachot in the land to which you go, and should get connected with the people of the land and pursue vanity and forsake YHUH your YHUH.

27 But when you come to the land there serve YHUH, 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 YHUH grant you favor in the sight of the people of the earth, that you may take there a wife according to your choice; one who is tov and upright in the halachot of YHUH.

29 And may YHUH give to you and your zera the blessing of your abba Avraham, and make you fruitful and multiply you, and may you become a multitude of people in the land where you go, and may YHUH cause you to return to this land, the land of your abba's dwelling, with children and with great riches, with joy and with pleasure.

30 And Yitzchak finished commanding Yaakov and blessing him, and he gave him many gifts, together with silver and gold, and he sent him away; and Yaakov hearkened to his abba and ema; he kissed them and arose and went to Padan-Aram; and Yaakov was seventy-seven years old when he went out from the land of Kanaan from Beersheva.

31 And when Yaakov went away to go to Charan, Esav called to his son Eliphaz, and secretly spoke to him, saying, Now hurry, take your sword in your hand and pursue Yaakov and pass before him in the road, and lurk for him, and slay him with your sword in one of the mountains, and take all belonging to him and come back.

32 And Eliphaz the son of Esav was an active man and expert with the bow as his abba had taught him, and he was a noted hunter in the field and a valiant man.

33 And Eliphaz did as his abba had commanded him, and Eliphaz was at that time thirteen years old, and Eliphaz rose up and went and took ten of his ema's brothers with him and pursued Yaakov.

34 And he closely followed Yaakov, and he lurked for him in the border of the land of Kanaan opposite to the city of Shechem.

35 And Yaakov saw Eliphaz and his men pursuing him, and Yaakov stood still in the place in which he was going, in order to know what this was, for he did not know the thing; and Eliphaz drew his sword and he went on advancing, he and his men, toward Yaakov; and Yaakov said to them, What is this to do with you that you have come here, and what means it that you pursue with your swords.

36 And Eliphaz came near to Yaakov and he answered and said to him, This did my abba command me, and now therefore I will not deviate from the orders which my abba gave me; and when Yaakov saw that Esav had spoken to Eliphaz to employ force, Yaakov then approached and supplicated Eliphaz and his men, saying to him,

37 Behold all that I have and which my abba and ema gave to me, that take to you and go from me, and do not slay me, and may this thing be accounted to you a tzedakah.

38 And YHUH caused Yaakov to find favor in the sight of Eliphaz the son of Esav, and his men, and they hearkened to the voice of Yaakov, and they did not put him to death, and Eliphaz and his men took all belonging to Yaakov together with the silver and gold that he had brought with him from Beersheva; they left him nothing.

39 And Eliphaz and his men went away from him and they returned to Esav to Beersheva, and they told him all that had occurred to them with Yaakov, and they gave him all that they had taken from Yaakov.

40 And Esav was indignant at Eliphaz his son, and at his men that were with him, because they had not put Yaakov to death.

41 And they answered and said to Esav, Because Yaakov supplicated us in this matter not to slay him, our pity was excited toward him, and we took all belonging to him and brought it to you; and Esav took all the silver and gold which Eliphaz had taken from Yaakov and he put them by in his house.

42 At that time when Esav saw that Yitzchak had blessed Yaakov, and had commanded him, saying, You shall not take a wife from among the daughters of Kanaan, and that the daughters of Kanaan were bad in the sight of Yitzchak and Rivkah,

43 Then he went to the house of Yishmael his uncle, and in addition to his older wives he took Machlath the daughter of Yishmael, the sister of Nevayoth, for a wife.

CHAPTER 30

1 And Yaakov went forth continuing his road to Charan, and he came as far as mount Moriyah, and he tarried there all night near the city of Luz; and YHUH appeared there to Yaakov on that night, and He said to him, I AM YHUH Ahlohim of Avraham and the YHUH of Yitzchak your abba; the land upon which you lie I will give to you and your zera.

2 And behold I AM with you and will keep you wherever you go, and I will multiply your zera as the stars of ha shamayim, and I will cause all your enemies to fall before you; and when they shall make war with you they shall not prevail over you, and I will bring you again to this land with joy, with children, and with great riches.

3 And Yaakov awoke from his sleep and he rejoiced greatly at the vision that he had seen; and he called the name of that place Bethel.

4 And Yaakov rose up from that place quite rejoiced, and when he walked his feet felt light to him for joy, and he went from there to the land of the children of the East, and he returned to Charan and he sat by the shepherd's well.

5 And he there found some men; going from Charan to feed their flocks, and Yaakov made inquiries of them, and they said, We are from Charan.

6 And he said to them, Do you know Lavan, the son of Nachor? And they said, We know him, and behold his daughter Rachel is coming along to feed her abba's flock.

7 While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel the daughter of Lavan came to feed her abba's sheep, for she was a shepherdess.

8 And when Yaakov saw Rachel, the daughter of Lavan, his ema's brother, he ran and kissed her, and lifted up his voice and wept.

9 And Yaakov told Rachel that he was the son of Rivkah, her abba's sister, and Rachel ran and told her abba, and Yaakov continued to cry because he had nothing with him to bring to the house of Lavan.

10 And when Lavan heard that his sister's son Yaakov had come, he ran and kissed him and embraced him and brought him into the house and gave him bread, and he ate.

11 And Yaakov related to Lavan what his brother Esav had done to him, and what his son Eliphaz had done to him in the road.

12 And Yaakov resided in Lavan's house for one month, and Yaakov ate and drank in the house of Lavan, and afterward Lavan said to Yaakov, Tell me what shall be your wages, for how can you serve me for nothing?

13 And Lavan had no sons but only daughters, and his other wives and handmaids were still barren in those days; and these are the names of Lavan's daughters which his wife Adinah had borne to him; the name of the zachena was Leah and the name of the younger was Rachel; and Leah was tender-eyed, but Rachel was beautiful and well favored, and Yaakov loved her.

14 And Yaakov said to Lavan, I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter; and Lavan consented to this and Yaakov served Lavan seven years for his daughter Rachel.

15 And in the second year of Yaakov's dwelling in Charan, that is in the seventy ninth year of the life of Yaakov, in that year died Ever the son of Shem, he was four hundred and sixty-four years old at his death.

16 And when Yaakov heard that Ever was dead he grieved exceedingly, and he lamented and mourned over him many days.

17 And in the third year of Yaakov's dwelling in Charan, Bosmath, the daughter of Yishmael, the wife of Esav, bare to him a son, and Esav called his name Reuel.

18 And in the fourth year of Yaakov's residence in the house of Lavan, YHUH visited Lavan and remembered him on account of Yaakov, and sons were born to him, and his bechor was Beor, his second was Aliv, and the third was Chorash.

19 And YHUH gave Lavan riches and honor, sons and daughters, and the man increased greatly on account of Yaakov.

20 And Yaakov in those days served Lavan in all manner of work, in the house and in the field, and the blessing of YHUH was in all that belonged to Lavan in the house and in the field.

21 And in the fifth year died Yehudite, the daughter of Beeri, the wife of Esav, in the land of Kanaan, and she had no sons but daughters only.

22 And these are the names of her daughters that she bare to Esav, the name of the zachena was Marzith, and the name of the younger was Puith.

23 And when Yehudite died, Esav rose up and went to Seir to hunt in the field, as usual, and Esav dwelt in the land of Seir for a long time.

24 And in the sixth year Esav took for a wife, in addition to his other wives, Ahlivamah, the daughter of Zeveon the Hivite, and Esav brought her to the land of Kanaan.

25 And Ahlivamah conceived and bare to Esav three sons, Yeush, Yaalan, and Korah.

26 And in those days, in the land of Kanaan, there was a quarrel between the herdsmen of Esav and the herdsmen of the inhabitants of the land of Kanaan, for Esav's cattle and goods were too abundant for him to remain in the land of Kanaan, in his abba's house, and the land of Kanaan could not bear him on account of his cattle.

27 And when Esav saw that his quarreling increased with the inhabitants of the land of Kanaan, he rose up and took his wives and his sons and his daughters, and all belonging to him, and the cattle which he possessed, and all his property that he had acquired in the land of Kanaan, and he went away from the inhabitants of the land to the land of Seir, and Esav and all belonging to him dwelt in the land of Seir.

28 But from time to time Esav would go and see his abba and ema in the land of Kanaan, and Esav intermarried with the Horites, and he gave his daughters to the sons of Seir, the Horite.

29 And he gave his zachena daughter Marzith to Anah, the son of Zeveon, his wife's brother, and Puith he gave to Azar, the son of Bilhan the Horite; and Esav dwelt in the mountain, he and his children, and they were fruitful and multiplied.

CHAPTER 31

1 And in the seventh year, Yaakov's service which he served Lavan was completed, and Yaakov said to Lavan, Give me my wife, for the days of my service are fulfilled; and Lavan did so, and Lavan and Yaakov assembled all the people of that place and they made a feast.

2 And in the evening Lavan came to the house, and afterward Yaakov came there with the people of the feast, and Lavan extinguished all the lights that were there in the house.

3 And Yaakov said to Lavan, Why do you do this thing to us? And Lavan answered, Such is our custom to act in this land.

4 And afterward Lavan took his daughter Leah, and he brought her to Yaakov, and he came to her and Yaakov did not know that she was Leah.

5 And Lavan gave his daughter Leah his maid Zilpah for a handmaid.

6 And all the people at the feast knew what Lavan had done to Yaakov, but they did not tell the thing to Yaakov.

7 And all the neighbors came that night to Yaakov's house, and they ate and drank and rejoiced, and played before Leah upon timbrels, and with dances, and they responded before Yaakov, He-Leah, He-Leah.

8 And Yaakov heard their words but did not understand their meaning, but he thought such might be their custom in this land.

9 And the neighbors spoke these words before Yaakov during the night, and all the lights that were in the house Lavan had that night extinguished.

10 And in the morning, when daylight appeared, Yaakov turned to his wife and he saw, and behold it was Leah that had been lying in his bosom, and Yaakov said, Behold now I know what the neighbors said last night, He-Leah, they said, and I knew it not.

11 And Yaakov called to Lavan, and said to him, What is this that you did to me? Surely I served you for Rachel, and why did you deceive me and did give me Leah?

12 And Lavan answered Yaakov, saying, Not so is it done in our place to give the younger before the zachena; 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 And Yaakov did so, and he also took Rachel for a wife, and he served Lavan seven years more, and Yaakov also came to Rachel, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and Lavan gave her his maid Bilhah for a handmaid.

14 And when YHUH saw that Leah was hated, YHUH opened her womb, and she conceived and bare Yaakov four sons in those days.

15 And these are their names, Reuven Shimeon, Levi, and Yahudah, and she afterward left bearing.

16 And at that time Rachel was barren, and she had no offspring, and Rachel envied her sister Leah, and when Rachel saw that she bare no children to Yaakov, she took her handmaid Bilhah, and she bare Yaakov two sons, Dan and Naphtali.

17 And when Leah saw that she had left bearing, she also took her handmaid Zilpah, and she gave her to Yaakov for a wife, and Yaakov also came to Zilpah, and she also bare Yaakov two sons, Gad and Asher.

18 And Leah again conceived and bare Yaakov in those days’ two sons and one daughter, and these are their names, Yissacher, Zevulon, and their sister Dinah.

19 And Rachel was still barren in those days, and Rachel prayed to YHUH at that time, and she said, O YHUH Ahlohim remember me and visit me, I beseech you, for now my husband will cast me off, for I have borne him no children.

20 Now O YHUH YHUH, hear my supplication before you, and see my affliction, and give me children like one of the handmaids, that I may no more bear my reproach.

21 And YHUH heard her and opened her womb, and Rachel conceived and bare a son, and she said, YHUH has taken away my reproach, and she called his name Yoseph, saying, May YHUH add to me another son; and Yaakov was ninety-one years old when she bare him.

22 At that time Yaakov's ema, Rivkah, sent her nurse Devorah the daughter of Uz, and two of Yitzchak's servants to Yaakov.

23 And they came to Yaakov to Charan and they said to him, Rivkah has sent us to you that you shall return to your abba's house to the land of Kanaan; and Yaakov hearkened to them in this that his ema had spoken.

24 At that time, the other seven years which Yaakov served Lavan for Rachel were completed, and it was at the end of fourteen years that he had dwelt in Charan that Yaakov said to Lavan, give me my wives and send me away, that I may go to my land, for behold my ema did send to me from the land of Kanaan that I should return to my abba's house.

25 And Lavan said to him, Not so I beg you; if I have found favor in your sight do not leave me; appoint me your wages and I will give them, and remain with me.

26 And Yaakov said to him, This is what you shall give me for wages, that I shall this day pass through all your flock and take away from them every lamb that is speckled and spotted and such as are brown among the sheep, and among the goats, and if you will do this thing for me I will return and feed your flock and keep them as at first.

27 And Lavan did so, and Lavan removed from his flock all that Yaakov had said and gave them to him.

28 And Yaakov placed all that he had removed from Lavan's flock in the hands of his sons, and Yaakov was feeding the remainder of Lavan's flock.

29 And when the servants of Yitzchak that he had sent to Yaakov saw that Yaakov would not then return with them to the land of Kanaan to his abba, they then went away from him, and they returned home to the land of Kanaan.

30 And Devorah remained with Yaakov in Charan, and she did not return with the servants of Yitzchak to the land of Kanaan, and Devorah resided with Yaakov's wives and children in Charan.

31 And Yaakov served Lavan six years longer, and when the sheep brought forth, Yaakov removed from them such as were speckled and spotted, as he had determined with Lavan, and Yaakov did so at Lavan's for six years, and the man increased abundantly and he had cattle and maid servants and men servants, camels, and donkeys.

32 And Yaakov had two hundred drove of cattle, and his cattle were of large size and of beautiful appearance and were very productive, and all the families of the sons of men desired to get some of the cattle of Yaakov, for they were exceedingly prosperous.

33 And many of the sons of men came to procure some of Yaakov's flock, and Yaakov gave them a sheep for a man servant or a maid servant or for an donkey or a camel, or whatever Yaakov desired from them they gave him.

34 And Yaakov obtained riches and honor and possessions by means of these transactions with the sons of men, and the children of Lavan envied him because of this honor.

35 And in the course of time he heard the words of Lavan's sons, saying, Yaakov has taken away all that was our abba's, and of that which was our abba's has he acquired all this glory.

36 And Yaakov beheld the countenance of Lavan and of his children, and behold it was not toward him in those days as it had been before.

37 And YHUH appeared to Yaakov at the expiration of the six years, and said to him, Arise, go forth out of this land, and return to the land of your birthplace and I will be with you.

38 And Yaakov rose up at that time and he mounted his children and wives and all belonging to him upon camels, and he went forth to go to the land of Kanaan to his abba Yitzchak.

39 And Lavan did not know that Yaakov had gone from him, for Lavan had been that day sheep shearing.

40 And Rachel stole her abba's images, and she took them and she concealed them upon the camel upon which she sat, and she went on.

41 And this is the manner of the images; in taking a man who is the first born and slaying him and taking the hair off his head, and taking salt and salting the head and anointing it in oil, then taking a small tablet of copper or a tablet of gold and writing the name upon it, and placing the tablet under his tongue, and taking the head with the tablet under the tongue and putting it in the house, and lighting up lights before it and bowing down to it.

42 And 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 that is written in it.

43 And some make them in the figures of men, of gold and silver, and go to them in times known to them, and the figures receive the influence of the stars, and tell them future things, and in this manner were the images which Rachel stole from her abba.

44 And Rachel stole these images that were her abba's, in order that Lavan might not know through them where Yaakov had gone.

45 And Lavan came home and he asked concerning Yaakov and his household, and he was not to be found, and Lavan sought his images to know where Yaakov had gone, and could not find them, and he went to some other images, and he inquired of them and they told him that Yaakov had fled from him to his abba's, to the land of Kanaan.

46 And Lavan then rose up and he took his brothers and all his servants, and he went forth and pursued Yaakov, and he overtook him in mount Gilead.

47 And Lavan said to Yaakov, What is this you have done to me to flee and deceive me, and lead my daughters and their children as captives taken by the sword?

48 And you did not allow me to kiss them and send them away with joy, and you did steal my ahlohim and did go away.

49 And Yaakov answered Lavan, saying, Because I was afraid lest you would take your daughters by force from me; and now with whomsoever you find your ahlohim he shall die.

50 And Lavan searched for the images and he examined in all Yaakov's tents and furniture, but could not find them.

51 And Lavan said to Yaakov, We will make a covenant together and it shall be a testimony between me and you; if you shall afflict my daughters, or shall take other wives besides my daughters, even YHUH shall be a witness between me and you in this matter.

52 And they took stones and made a heap, and Lavan said, This heap is a witness between me and you, therefore he called the name of it Gilead.

53 And Yaakov and Lavan offered sacrifice upon the mount, and they ate there by the heap, and they tarried in the mount all night, and Lavan rose up early in the morning, and he wept with his daughters and he kissed them, and he returned to his place.

54 And he hurried and sent off his son Beor, who was seventeen years old, with Avichorof the son of Uz, the son of Nachor, and with them were ten men.

55 And they hurried and went and passed on the road before Yaakov, and they came by another road to the land of Seir.

56 And they came to Esav and said to him, This says your brother and relative, your ema's brother Lavan, the son of Bethuel, saying,

57 Have you heard what Yaakov your brother has done to me, who first came to me naked and bare, and I went to meet him, and brought him to my house with honor, and I made him great, and I gave him my two daughters for wives and also two of my maids.

58 And YHUH blessed him on my account, and he increased abundantly, and had sons, daughters and maidservants.

59 He has also an immense stock of flocks and herds, camels and donkeys, also silver and gold in abundance; and when he saw that his wealth increased, he left me while I went to shear my sheep, and he rose up and fled in secrecy.

60 And he lifted his wives and children upon camels, and he led away all his cattle and property which he acquired in my land, and he lifted up his countenance to go to his abba Yitzchak, to the land of Kanaan.

61 And he did not allow me to kiss my daughters and their children, and he led my daughters as captives taken by the sword, and he also stole my ahlohim and he fled.

62 And now I have left him in the mountain of the brook of Yavuk, him and all belonging to him; he lacks nothing.

63 If it be your wish to go to him, go then and there will you find him, and you can do to him as your being desires; and Lavan's messengers came and told Esav all these things.

64 And Esav heard all the words of Lavan's messengers, and his anger was greatly kindled against Yaakov, and he remembered his hatred, and his anger burned within him.

65 And Esav hurried and took his children and servants and the beings of his household, being sixty men, and he went and assembled all the children of Seir the Horite and their people, being three hundred and forty men, and took all this number of four hundred men with drawn swords, and he went to Yaakov to smite him.

66 And Esav divided this number into several parts, and he took the sixty men of his children and servants and the beings of his household as one head, and gave them in care of Eliphaz his eldest son.

67 And 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 And the whole of this camp went as it was, and Esav went among them toward Yaakov, and he conducted them with speed.

69 And Lavan's messengers departed from Esav and went to the land of Kanaan, and they came to the house of Rivkah the ema of Yaakov and Esav.

70 And they told her saying, Behold your son Esav has gone against his brother Yaakov with four hundred men, for he heard that he was coming, and he is gone to make war with him, and to smite him and to take all that he has.

71 And Rivkah hurried and sent seventy-two men from the servants of Yitzchak to meet Yaakov on the road; for she said, Perhaps, Esav may make war in the road when he meets him.

72 And these messengers went on the road to meet Yaakov, and they met him in the road of the brook on the opposite side of the brook Yavuk, and Yaakov said when he saw them, This camp is destined to me from YHUH, and Yaakov called the name of that place Machnayim.

73 And Yaakov knew all his abba's people, and he kissed them and embraced them and came with them, and Yaakov asked them concerning his abba and ema, and they said, They were well.

74 And these messengers said to Yaakov, Rivkah your ema has sent us to you, saying, I have heard, my son that your brother Esav has gone forth against you on the road with men from the children of Seir the Horite.

75 And therefore, my son, listen to my voice and see with your counsel what you will do, and when he comes up to you, supplicate him, and do not speak rashly to him, and give him a present from what you possess, and from what YHUH has favored you with.

76 And when he asks you concerning your affairs, conceal nothing from him, perhaps he may turn from his anger against you and you will thereby save your being, you and all belonging to you, for it is your duty to honor him, for he is your zachen brother.

77 And when Yaakov heard the words of his ema that the messengers had spoken to him, Yaakov lifted up his voice and wept bitterly, and did as his ema then commanded him.

CHAPTER 32

1 And at that time Yaakov sent messengers to his brother Esav toward the land of Seir, and he spoke to him words of supplication.

2 And he commanded them, saying, This shall you say to my master, to Esav, This says your servant Yaakov, Let not my master imagine that my abba's blessing with which he did bless me has proved beneficial to me.

3 For I have been these twenty years with Lavan, and he deceived me and changed my wages ten times, as it has all been already told to my master.

4 And I served him in his house very laboriously, and YHUH afterward saw my affliction, my labor and the work of my hands, and He caused me to find rachamim and favor in his sight.

5 And I afterward through YHUH's great chesed and rachamim acquired oxen and donkeys and cattle, and men servants and maidservants.

6 And now I am coming to my land and my home to my abba and ema, who are in the land of Kanaan; and I have sent to let my master know all this in order to find favor in the sight of my master, so that he may not imagine that I have of myself obtained wealth, or that the blessing with which my abba blessed me has benefited me.

7 And those messengers went to Esav, and found him on the borders of the land of Edom going toward Yaakov, and four hundred men of the children of Seir the Horite were standing with drawn swords.

8 And the messengers of Yaakov told Esav all the words that Yaakov had spoken to them concerning Esav.

9 And Esav answered them with pride and contempt, and said to them, Surely I have heard and truly it has been told to me what Yaakov has done to Lavan, who exalted him in his house and gave him his daughters for wives, and he begat sons and daughters, and abundantly increased in wealth and riches in Lavan's house through his means.

10 And when he saw that his wealth was abundant and his riches great he fled with all belonging to him, from Lavan's house, and he led Lavan's daughters away from the face of their abba, as captives taken by the sword without telling him of it.

11 And not only to Lavan has Yaakov done this but also to me has he done so and has twice supplanted me, and shall I be silent?

12 Now therefore I have this day come with my camps to meet him, and I will do to him according to the desire of my heart.

13 And the messengers returned and came to Yaakov and said to him, We came to your brother, to Esav, and we told him all your words, and this has he answered us, and behold he comes to meet you with four hundred men.

14 Now then know and see what you shall do, and pray before YHUH to deliver you from him.

15 And when he heard the words of his brother that he had spoken to the messengers of Yaakov, Yaakov was greatly afraid and he was distressed.

16 And Yaakov prayed to YHUH his YHUH, and he said, O YHUH Ahlohim of my ahvot, Avraham and Yitzchak, you did say to me when I went away from my abba's house, saying,

17 I AM YHUH Ahlohim of your abba Avraham and the YHUH of Yitzchak, to you do I give this land and your zera after you, and I will make your zera as the stars of the shamayim, and you shall spread forth to the four sides of the shamayim, and in you and in your zera shall all the families of the earth be blessed-mixed.

18 And you did establish your words, and did give to me riches and children and cattle, as the utmost wishes of my heart did you give to your servant; 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 and to your birthplace and I will still do well with you.

20 And now that I have come, and you did deliver me from Lavan, I shall fall in the hands of Esav who will slay me, yes, together with the mothers of my children.

21 Now therefore, O YHUH YHUH, deliver me, I pray you, also from the hands of my brother Esav, for I am greatly afraid of him.

22 And if there is no tzedakah in me, do it for the sake of Avraham and my abba Yitzchak.

23 For I know that through chesed and rachamim have I acquired this wealth; now therefore I beseech you to deliver me this day with your chesed and to answer me.

24 And Yaakov ceased praying to YHUH, and he divided the people that were with him with the flocks and cattle into two camps, and he gave the half to the care of Dameshek, the son of Eliezer, Avraham'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 And he commanded them, saying, Keep yourselves at a distance with your camps, and do not come too near each other, and if Esav come to one camp and slay it, the other camp at a distance from it will escape him.

26 And Yaakov tarried there that night, and during the whole night he gave his servants instructions concerning the forces and his children.

27 And YHUH heard the prayer of Yaakov on that day, and YHUH then delivered Yaakov from the hands of his brother Esav.

28 And YHUH sent three malachim of the malachim of the shamayim, and they went before Esav and came to him.

29 And these malachim appeared to Esav and his people as two thousand men, riding upon horses furnished with all sorts of war instruments, and they appeared in the sight of Esav and all his men to be divided into four camps, with four chiefs to them.

30 And one camp went on and they found Esav coming with four hundred men toward his brother Yaakov, and this camp ran toward Esav and his people and terrified them, and Esav fell off the horse in alarm, and all his men separated from him in that place, for they were greatly afraid.

31 And the whole of the camp shouted after them when they fled from Esav, and all the warlike men answered, saying,

32 Surely we are the servants of Yaakov, who is the servant of YHUH, and who then can stand against us? And Esav said to them, O then, my master and brother Yaakov is your master, whom I have not seen for these twenty years, and now that I have this day come to see him, do you treat me in this manner?

33 And the malachim answered him saying, As YHUH lives, were not Yaakov of whom you speak your brother, we had not left one remaining from you and your people, but only on account of Yaakov we will do nothing to them.

34 And this camp passed from Esav and his men and it went away, and Esav and his men had gone from them about a league when the second camp came toward him with all sorts of weapons, and they also did to Esav and his men as the first camp had done to them.

35 And when they had left it to go on, behold the third camp came toward him and they were all terrified, and Esav fell off the horse, and the whole camp cried out, and said, Surely we are the servants of Yaakov, who is the servant of YHUH, and who can stand against us?

36 And Esav again answered them saying, O then, Yaakov my master and your master is my brother, and for twenty years I have not seen his countenance and hearing this day that he was coming, I went this day to meet him, and do you treat me in this manner?

37 And they answered him, and said to him, As YHUH lives, were not Yaakov your brother as you did say, we had not left a remnant from you and your men, but on account of Yaakov of whom you speak being your brother, we will not meddle with you or your men.

38 And the third camp also passed from them, and he still continued his road with his men toward Yaakov, when the fourth camp came toward him, and they also did to him and his men as the others had done.

39 And when Esav beheld the evil that the four malachim had done to him and to his men, he became greatly afraid of his brother Yaakov, and he went to meet him in shalom.

40 And Esav concealed his hatred against Yaakov, because he was afraid of his life on account of his brother Yaakov, and because he imagined that the four camps that he had lighted upon were Yaakov's servants.

41 And Yaakov tarried that night with his servants in their camps, and he resolved with his servants to give to Esav a present from all that he had with him, and from all his property; and Yaakov rose up in the morning, he and his men, and they chose from among the cattle a present for Esav.

42 And this is the amount of the present which Yaakov chose from his flock to give to his brother Esav: and he selected two hundred and forty head from the flocks, and he selected from the camels and donkeys thirty each, and of the herds he chose fifty kine.

43 And he put them all in ten droves, and he placed each sort by itself, and he delivered them into the hands of ten of his servants, each drove by itself.

44 And he commanded them, and said to them, Keep yourselves at a distance from each other, and put a space between the droves, and when Esav and those who are with him shall meet you and ask you, saying, Whose are you, and where do you go, and to whom belongs all this before you, you shall say to them, We are the servants of Yaakov, and we come to meet Esav in shalom, and behold Yaakov comes behind us.

45 And that which is before us is a present sent from Yaakov to his brother Esav.

46 And if they shall say to you, Why does he delay behind you, from coming to meet his brother and to see his face, then you shall 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, perhaps he will accept it from me.

47 So the whole present passed on in the hands of his servants, and went before him on that day, and he lodged that night with his camps by the border of the brook of Yavuk, and he rose up in the midst of the night, and he took his wives and his maid servants, and all belonging to him, and he that night passed them over the ford Yavuk.

48 And when he passed all belonging to him over the brook, Yaakov was left by himself, and a Man met him, and he wrestled with him that night until the breaking of the day, and the hollow of Yaakov's thigh was out of joint through wrestling with Him.

49 And at the break of day the Man left Yaakov there, and He blessed him and went away, and Yaakov passed the brook at the break of day, and he halted upon his thigh.

50 And the sun rose upon him when he had passed the brook, and he came up to the place of his cattle and children.

51 And they went on till midday, and while they were going the present was passing on before them.

52 And Yaakov lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold Esav was at a distance, coming along with many men, about four hundred, and Yaakov was greatly afraid of his brother.

53 And Yaakov hurried and divided his children to his wives and his handmaids, and his daughter Dinah he put in a chest, and delivered her into the hands of his servants.

54 And he passed before his children and wives to meet his brother, and he bowed down to the ground, yes he bowed down seven times until he approached his brother, and YHUH caused Yaakov to find rachamim and favor in the sight of Esav and his men, for YHUH had heard the prayer of Yaakov.

55 And the fear of Yaakov and his terror fell upon his brother Esav, for Esav was greatly afraid of Yaakov for what the malachim of YHUH had done to Esav, and Esav's anger against Yaakov was turned into chesed.

56 And when Esav saw Yaakov running toward him, he also ran toward him and he embraced him, and he fell upon his neck, and they kissed and they wept.

57 And YHUH put fear and chesed toward Yaakov in the hearts of the men that came with Esav, and they also kissed Yaakov and embraced him.

58 And also Eliphaz, the son of Esav, with his four brothers, sons of Esav, wept with Yaakov, and they kissed him and embraced him, for the fear of Yaakov had fallen upon them all.

59 And Esav lifted up his eyes and saw the women with their offspring, the children of Yaakov, walking behind Yaakov and bowing along the road to Esav.

60 And Esav said to Yaakov, Who are these with you, my brother? Are they your children or your servants? And Yaakov answered Esav and said, They are my children, which YHUH has graciously given to your servant.

61 And while Yaakov was speaking to Esav and his men, Esav beheld the whole camp, and he said to Yaakov, Where did you get the whole of the camp that I met last night? And Yaakov said, To find favor in the sight of my master, it is that which YHUH graciously gave to your servant.

62 And the present came before Esav, and Yaakov pressed Esav, saying, Take I beg you the present that I have brought to my master, and Esav said, Why is this my purpose? Keep that which you have to yourself.

63 And Yaakov said, It is incumbent upon me to give all this, since I have seen your face that you still live in shalom.

64 And Esav refused to take the present, and Yaakov said to him, I beseech you my master, if now I have found favor in your sight, then receive my present at my hand, for I have therefore seen your face, as though I had seen an ahlohim-like face, because you were pleased with me.

65 And Esav took the present, and Yaakov also gave to Esav silver and gold and bdellium, for he pressed him so much that he took them.

66 And Esav divided the cattle that were in the camp, and he gave the half to the men who had come with him, for they had come on hire, and the other half he delivered to the hands of his children.

67 And the silver and gold and bdellium he gave in the hands of Eliphaz his eldest son, and Esav said to Yaakov, Let us remain with you, and we will go slowly along with you until you come to my place with me, that we may dwell there together.

68 And Yaakov answered his brother and said, I would do as my master speaks to me, but my master 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 master pass on before his servant, and I will go on slowly for the sake of the children and the flock, until I come to my master's place to Seir.

70 And Esav said to Yaakov, 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, and he said, What needs it my master, if I may find rachamim in your sight?

71 Behold I will come to you to Seir to dwell there together as you have spoken, go you then with your people for I will follow you.

72 And Yaakov said this to Esav in order to remove Esav and his men from him, so that Yaakov might afterward go to his abba's house to the land of Kanaan.

73 And Esav hearkened to the voice of Yaakov, and Esav returned with the four hundred men that were with him on their road to Seir, and Yaakov and all belonging to him went that day as far as the extremity of the land of Kanaan in its borders, and he remained there some time.

CHAPTER 33

1 And in some time after Yaakov went away from the borders of the land, and he came to the land of Shalem, that is the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Kanaan, and he rested in front of the city.

2 And he bought a parcel of the field that was there, from the children of Chamor the people of the land, for five shekels.

3 And Yaakov there built himself a house, and he pitched his tent there, and he made booths for his cattle, therefore he called the name of that place Succoth.

4 And Yaakov 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, and when they went forth then Rachel and Leah the wives of Yaakov with their families also went to behold the rejoicing of the daughters of the city.

6 And Dinah the daughter of Yaakov also went along with them and saw the daughters of the city, and 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 And Shechem the son of Chamor, the prince of the land was also standing there to see them.

8 And Shechem beheld Dinah the daughter of Yaakov sitting with her ema before the daughters of the city, and the damsel pleased him greatly, and he asked his friends and his people, saying, Whose daughter is that sitting among the women, whom I do not know in this city?

9 And they said to him, Surely this is the daughter of Yaakov the son of Yitzchak the Ivri, who has dwelt in this city for some time, and when it was reported that the daughters of the land were going forth to rejoice she went with her ema and maid servants to sit among them as you see.

10 And Shechem beheld Dinah the daughter of Yaakov, and when he looked at her his being became fixed upon Dinah.

11 And he sent and had her taken by force, and Dinah came to the house of Shechem and he seized her forcibly and lay with her and humbled her, and he loved her exceedingly and placed her in his house.

12 And they came and told the thing to Yaakov, and when Yaakov heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah, Yaakov 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 And 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, but Shechem was sitting with Dinah kissing and embracing her before their eyes.

14 And the servants of Yaakov came back and told him, saying; When we came, he and his men drove us away, and this did Shechem do to Dinah before our eyes.

15 And Yaakov knew moreover that Shechem had defiled his daughter, but he said nothing, and his sons were feeding his cattle in the field, and Yaakov remained silent until their return.

16 And before his sons came home Yaakov sent two maidens from his servants' daughters to take care of Dinah in the house of Shechem, and to remain with her, and Shechem sent three of his friends to his abba Chamor the son of Chiddekem, the son of Pered, saying, Get me this damsel for a wife.

17 And Chamor the son of Chiddekem the Hivite came to the house of Shechem his son, and he sat before him, and Chamor said to his son, Shechem, Is there then no woman among the daughters of your people that you will take an Ivri woman who is not of your people?

18 And Shechem said to him, Her only must you get for me, for she is delightful in my sight; and Chamor did according to the word of his son, for he was greatly beloved by him.

19 And Chamor went forth to Yaakov to commune with him concerning this matter, and when he had gone from the house of his son Shechem, before he came to Yaakov to speak to him, behold the sons of Yaakov had come from the field, as soon as they heard the thing that Shechem the son of Chamor had done.

20 And 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 And they came and sat before their abba and they spoke to him kindled with wrath, saying, Surely death is due to this man and to his household, because YHUH Ahlohim of the whole earth commanded Noach and his children that man shall 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 mishpat of death is due to Shechem, and to his abba, and to the whole city on account of the thing that he has done.

23 And while they were speaking before their abba in this matter, behold Chamor the abba of Shechem came to speak to Yaakov the words of his son concerning Dinah, and he sat before Yaakov and before his sons.

24 And Chamor spoke to them, saying, The being of my son Shechem longs for your daughter; I ask you give her to him for a wife and intermarry with us; give us your daughters and we will give you our daughters, and you shall dwell with us in our land and we will be as one people in the land.

25 For our land is very extensive, so you dwell and trade in it and get possessions in it, and do in it as you desire, and no one shall prevent you by saying a word to you.

26 And Chamor ceased speaking to Yaakov and his sons, and behold Shechem his son had come after him, and he sat before them.

27 And Shechem spoke before Yaakov 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 will I do for her.

28 Ask me for abundance of dowry and gift, and I will give it, and whatever you shall say to me that will I do, and whoever he be that will rebel against your orders, he shall die; only give me the damsel for a wife.

29 And Shimeon and Levi answered Chamor and Shechem his son deceitfully, saying, All you have spoken to us we will do for you.

30 And behold our sister is in your house, but keep away from her until we send to our abba Yitzchak concerning this matter, for we can do nothing without his consent.

31 For he knows the halachot of our abba Avraham, and whatever he says to us, we will tell you, we will conceal nothing from you.

32 And Shimeon and Levi spoke this to Shechem and his abba 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 And when Shechem and his abba heard the words of Shimeon and Levi, it seemed tov in their sight, and Shechem and his abba came forth to go home.

34 And when they had gone, the sons of Yaakov said to their abba, saying, Behold, we know that death is due to these wicked ones and to their city, because they transgressed that which YHUH had commanded to Noach and his children and his zera after them.

35 And also because Shechem did this thing to our sister Dinah in defiling her, for such vileness shall never be done among us.

36 Now therefore know and see what you will do, and seek counsel and pretext what is to be done to them, in order to kill all the inhabitants of this city.

37 And Shimeon 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 shall take our daughter from them and go away.

38 And 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 And Shimeon's advice pleased them, and Shimeon and Levi resolved to do to them as it was proposed.

40 And on the next morning Shechem and Chamor his abba came again to Yaakov and his sons, to speak concerning Dinah, and to hear what answer the sons of Yaakov would give to their words.

41 And the sons of Yaakov spoke deceitfully to them, saying, We told our abba Yitzchak all your words, and your words pleased him.

42 But he spoke to us, saying, This did Avraham his abba command him from YHUH YHUH of the whole earth, that any man who is not of his descendants that should wish to take one of his daughters, shall 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 halachot that our abba 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 will we 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 listen to us, and consent to be like us, to circumcise every male belonging to you, as we are circumcised.

45 And if you will not listen to us, to have every male circumcised as we are circumcised, as we have commanded, then we will come to you, and take our daughter from you and go away.

46 And Shechem and his abba Chamor heard the words of the sons of Yaakov, and the thing pleased them exceedingly, and Shechem and his abba Chamor hurried to do the wishes of the sons of Yaakov, for Shechem was very fond of Dinah, and his being was riveted to her.

47 And Shechem and his abba Chamor hurried to the gate of the city, and they assembled all the men of their city and spoke to them the words of the sons of Yaakov, saying,

48 We came to these men, the sons of Yaakov, and we spoke to them concerning their daughter, and these men will consent to do according to our wishes, and behold our land is of great extent for them, and they will dwell in it, and trade in it, and we shall 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 their YHUH commanded them, and when we shall have done according to their instructions to be circumcised, then will they dwell among us, together with their cattle and possessions, and we shall be as one people with them.

50 And when all the men of the city heard the words of Shechem and his abba Chamor, then all the men of their city were agreeable to this proposal, and they obeyed to be circumcised, for Shechem and his abba Chamor were greatly esteemed by them, being the princes of the land.

51 And on the next day, Shechem and Chamor his abba rose up early in the morning, and they assembled all the men of their city into the middle of the city, and they called for the sons of Yaakov, who circumcised every male belonging to them on that day and the next.

52 And they circumcised Shechem and Chamor his abba, and the five brothers of Shechem, and then every one rose up and went home, for this thing was from YHUH against the city of Shechem, and from YHUH was Shimeon's counsel in this matter, in order that YHUH might deliver the city of Shechem into the hands of Yaakov's two sons.

CHAPTER 34

1 And 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 abba of Chamor, and his six brothers, would not listen to Shechem and his abba Chamor, and they would not be circumcised, for the proposal of the sons of Yaakov was loathsome in their sight, and their anger was greatly roused at this, that the people of the city had not hearkened to them.

3 And in the evening of the second day, they found eight small children who had not been circumcised, for their mothers had concealed them from Shechem and his abba Chamor, and from the men of the city.

4 And Shechem and his abba Chamor 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 And they sought to slay also Shechem and his abba Chamor and they sought to slay Dinah with them on account of this matter.

6 And they said to them, What is this thing that you have done? Are there no women among the daughters of your brothers the Kannaim, that you wish to take to yourselves daughters of the Ivrim, whom you knew not before, and will do this act which your ahvot never commanded you?

7 Do you imagine that you will succeed through this act that you have done? And what will you answer in this affair to your brothers the Kannaim, who will come tomorrow and ask you concerning this thing?

8 And if your act shall not appear just and tov in their sight, what will you do for your lives, and me for our lives, in your not having hearkened to our voices?

9 And if the inhabitants of the land and all your brothers the children of Ham, shall hear of your act, saying,

10 On account of an Ivri woman did Shechem and Chamor his abba, and all the inhabitants of their city, do that with which they had been unacquainted and which their ancestors never commanded them, where then will you fly or where conceal your shame, all your days before your brothers, the inhabitants of the land of Kanaan?

11 Now therefore we cannot bear up against this thing that you have done, 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, and we will all come and smite you and all those who trust in you, that there shall not be a remnant left from you or them.

13 And when Chamor and 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 had done.

14 And Shechem and his abba Chamor answered their abba Chiddekem and his brothers, and they said to them, All the words that you spoke to us are emet.

15 Now do not say, nor imagine in your hearts that on account of the love of the Ivrim 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 And when we shall have obtained our request from them, we will then return to them and do to them that which you say to us.

18 We beseech you then to wait and tarry until our flesh shall be healed and we again become strong, and we will then go together against them, and do to them that which is in your hearts and in ours.

19 And Dinah the daughter of Yaakov heard all these words which Chiddekem and his brothers had spoken, and what Chamor and his son Shechem and the people of their city had answered them.

20 And she hurried and sent one of her maidens, that her abba had sent to take care of her in the house of Shechem, to Yaakov her abba and to her brothers, saying:

21 This did Chiddekem and his brothers advise concerning you, and this did Chamor and Shechem and the people of the city answer them.

22 And when Yaakov heard these words he was filled with wrath, and he was indignant at them, and his anger was kindled against them.

23 And Shimeon and Levi swore and said, As YHUH lives, the YHUH of the whole earth, by this time tomorrow, there shall not be a remnant left in the whole city.

24 And twenty young men had concealed themselves who were not circumcised, and these young men fought against Shimeon and Levi, and Shimeon and Levi killed eighteen of them, and two fled from them and escaped to some lime pits that were in the city, and Shimeon and Levi sought for them, but could not find them.

25 And Shimeon and Levi continued to go about in the city, and they killed all the people of the city at the edge of the sword, and they left none remaining.

26 And there was a great consternation in the midst of the city, and the cry of the people of the city ascended to the shamayim, and all the women and children cried aloud.

27 And Shimeon and Levi slew all the city; they left not a male remaining in the whole city.

28 And they slew Chamor and Shechem his son at the edge of the sword, and they brought away Dinah from the house of Shechem and they went from there.

29 And the sons of Yaakov went and returned, and came upon the slain, and spoiled all their property that was in the city and the field.

30 And while they were taking the spoil, three hundred men stood up and threw dust at them and struck them with stones, when Shimeon turned to them and he slew them all with the edge of the sword, and Shimeon turned before Levi, and came into the city.

31 And they took away their sheep and their oxen and their cattle, and also the remainder of the women and little ones, and they led all these away, and they opened a gate and went out and came to their abba Yaakov with vigor.

32 And when Yaakov saw all that they had done to the city, and saw the spoil that they took from them, Yaakov was very angry at them, and Yaakov said to them, What is this that you have done 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 Kannaim and the Perizzites, and 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, and my household and I will be destroyed.

34 And Shimeon and Levi and all their brothers with them answered their abba Yaakov and said to him, Behold we live in the land, and shall Shechem do this to our sister? Why are you silent at all that Shechem has done? And shall he deal with our sister as with a harlot in the streets?

35 And the number of women whom Shimeon and Levi took captives from the city of Shechem, whom they did not slay, was eighty-five who had not known man.

36 And among them was a young damsel of beautiful appearance and well favored, whose name was Bunah, and Shimeon took her for a wife, and the number of the males that they took captives and did not slay, was forty-seven men, and the rest they slew.

37 And all the young men and women that Shimeon and Levi had taken captives from the city of Shechem, were servants to the sons of Yaakov and to their children after them, until the day of the sons of Yaakov going forth from the land of Mitzrayim.

38 And when Shimeon and Levi had gone 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, and these young men went into the city and walked about in it, and found the city desolate without man, and only women weeping, and these young men cried out and said, Behold, this is the evil which the sons of Yaakov the Ivri did to this city in their having this day destroyed one of the Canaanitish cities, and were not afraid of their lives of all the land of Kanaan.

39 And these men left the city and went to the city of Tapnach, and they came there and told the inhabitants of Tapnach all that had befallen them, and all that the sons of Yaakov had done to the city of Shechem.

40 And the information reached Yashuv melech of Tapnach, and he sent men to the city of Shechem to see those young men, for the melech did not believe them in this account, saying, How could two men lay waste such a large town as Shechem?

41 And the messengers of Yashuv 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 Yaakov took away.

42 And Yashuv 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; and Yashub, melech of Tapnach, said to his people, Be courageous and we will go and fight against these Ivrim, and do to them as they did to the city, and we will avenge the cause of the people of the city.

44 And Yashuv, melech of Tapnach, consulted with his counselors about this matter, and his advisers said to him, Alone you will not prevail over the Ivrim, 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 melechim that surround us, and let them come together, then we will go with them and fight against the sons of Yaakov; then will you prevail against them.

47 And Yahshuv heard the words of his counselors, and their words pleased him and his people, and he did so; and Yahshuv melech of Tapnach sent to all the melechim of the Amorites that surrounded Shechem and Tapnach, saying,

48 Go up with me and assist me, and we will smite Yaakov the Ivri and all his sons, and destroy them from the earth, for this did he do to the city of Shechem, and do you not know of it?

49 And all the melechim of the Amorites heard the evil that the sons of Yaakov had done to the city of Shechem, and they were greatly astonished at them.

50 And the seven melechim of the Amorites assembled with all their armies, about ten thousand men with drawn swords, and they came to fight against the sons of Yaakov; and Yaakov heard that the melechim of the Amorites had assembled to fight against his sons, and Yaakov was greatly afraid, and it distressed him.

51 And Yaakov exclaimed against Shimeon and Levi, saying, What is this act that you did? Why have you injured me, to bring against me all the children of Kanaan to destroy me and my household? For I was at rest, even I and my household, and you have done this thing to me, and provoked the inhabitants of the land against me by your proceedings.

52 And Yahudah answered his abba, saying, Was it for nothing my brothers Shimeon and Levi killed all the inhabitants of Shechem? Surely it was because Shechem had humbled our sister, and transgressed the command of our YHUH to Noach and his children, for Shechem took our sister away by force, and committed adultery with her.

53 And 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, and YHUH delivered it into their hands, because its inhabitants had transgressed the mitzvoth of our YHUH. Is it then for nothing that they have done all this?

54 And now why are you afraid or distressed, and why are you displeased at my brothers, and why is your anger kindled against them?

55 Surely our YHUH who delivered into their hand the city of Shechem and its people, he will also deliver into our hands all the Canaanitish melechim 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, but trust in YHUH our YHUH, and pray to him to assist us and deliver us, and deliver our enemies into our hands.

57 And Yahudah called to one of his abba's servants, Go now and see where those melechim, who are coming against us, are situated with their armies.

58 And the servant went and looked far off, and went up opposite Mount Sihon, and saw all the camps of the melechim standing in the fields, and he returned to Yahudah and said, Behold the melechim are situated in the field with all their camps, a people exceedingly numerous, like to the sand upon the seashore.

59 And Yahudah said to Shimeon and Levi, and to all his brothers, Strengthen yourselves and be sons of valor, for YHUH our YHUH is with us, do not fear them.

60 Stand forth each man, girt with his weapons of war, his bow and his sword, and we will go and fight against these uncircumcised men; YHUH is our YHUH, He will save us.

61 And they rose up, and each girt on his weapons of war, great and small, eleven sons of Yaakov, and all the servants of Yaakov with them.

62 And all the servants of Yitzchak who were with Yitzchak in Hevron, all came to them equipped in all sorts of war instruments, and the sons of Yaakov and their servants, being one hundred and twelve men, went towards these melechim, and Yaakov also went with them.

63 And the sons of Yaakov sent to their abba Yitzchak the son of Avraham to Hevron, the same is Kiryath-Arba, saying,

64 Pray we beseech you for us to YHUH our YHUH, to protect us from the hands of the Kannaim who are coming against us, and to deliver them into our hands.

65 And Yitzchak the son of Avraham prayed to YHUH for his sons, and he said, O YHUH YHUH, you did promise my abba, saying, I will multiply your zera as the stars of the shamayim, and you did also promise me, and establish you your word, now that the melechim of Kanaan are coming together, to make war with my children because they committed no violence.

66 Now therefore, O YHUH YHUH, YHUH of the whole earth, pervert, I pray you, the counsel of these melechim that they may not fight against my sons.

67 And impress the hearts of these melechim and their people with the terror of my sons and bring down their pride, and that they may turn away from my sons.

68 And 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 And the sons of Yaakov and their servants went toward these melechim, and they trusted in YHUH their YHUH, and while they were going, Yaakov their abba also prayed to YHUH and said, O YHUH YHUH, powerful and exalted YHUH, who has reigned from days of old, from there till now and le-olam-va-ed;

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 melechim and their people with the terror of my sons, and terrify them and their camps, and with your great chesed deliver all those that trust in You, for it is You who can bring people under us, and reduce nations under our power.

CHAPTER 35

1 And all the melechim of the Amorites came and took their stand in the field to consult with their counselors what was to be done with the sons of Yaakov, for they were still afraid of them, saying, Behold, two of them slew the whole of the city of Shechem.

2 And YHUH heard the prayers of Yitzchak and Yaakov, and he filled the hearts of all these melechim' advisers with great fear and terror that they unanimously exclaimed,

3 Are you silly this day, or is there no understanding in you, that you will fight with the Ivrim, and why will you take a delight in your own destruction this day?

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 their YHUH is exceedingly fond of them, and has done mighty things for them, such as have not been done from days of old, and among all the ahlohim of the goyim, there is none can do like to His mighty deeds.

6 Surely He delivered their abba Avraham, the Ivri, 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 melech Nimrod had cast him, and His YHUH delivered him from it.

8 And who else can do the like? Surely it was Avraham who slew the five melechim of Eylam, when they had touched his brother's son who in those days dwelt in Sedom.

9 And took his servant that was faithful in his house and a few of his men, and they pursued the melechim of Eylam in one night and killed them, and restored to his brother's son all his property which they had taken from him.

10 And surely you know the YHUH of these Ivrim 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 His YHUH, Avraham took his only and precious son and intended to bring him up as a burnt offering to His YHUH, and had it not been for YHUH who prevented him from doing this, he would then have done it through his love to his YHUH.

12 And YHUH saw all his works, and swore to him, and promised him that he would deliver his sons and all his zera from every trouble that would befall them, because he had done this thing, and through his love to his YHUH stifled his rachamim for his child.

13 And have you not heard what their YHUH did to Pharaoh melech of Mitzrayim, and to Avimelech melech of Gerar, through taking Avraham'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? And YHUH did to them and their people all that you heard of.

14 And behold, we ourselves saw with our eyes that Esav, the brother of Yaakov, came to him with four hundred men, with the intention of slaying him, for he called to mind that he had taken away from him his abba's blessing.

15 And he went to meet him when he came from Aram-Syria, to smite the ema with the children, and who delivered him from his hands but his YHUH in whom he trusted? He delivered him from the hand of his brother and also from the hands of his enemies, and surely He again will protect them.

16 Who does not know that it was their YHUH who inspired them with strength to do to the town of Shechem the evil that 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 their YHUH 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 their YHUH who made choice of them, and you have therefore all come this day to be destroyed.

20 Now therefore refrain from this evil which you are endeavoring to bring upon yourselves, and it will be better for you not to go to battle with them, although they are but few in numbers, because their YHUH is with them.

21 And when the melechim of the Amorites heard all the words of their advisers, their hearts were filled with terror, and they were afraid of the sons of Yaakov and would not fight against them.

22 And they inclined their ears to the words of their advisers, and they listened to all their words, and the words of the counselors greatly pleased the melechim, and they did so.

23 And the melechim turned and refrained from the sons of Yaakov, 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 YHUH to them, for He heard the prayers of His servants Yitzchak and Yaakov, for they trusted in Him; and all these melechim returned with their camps on that day, each to his own city, and they did not at that time fight with the sons of Yaakov.

25 And the sons of Yaakov kept their station that day till evening opposite mount Sihon, and seeing that these melechim did not come to fight against them, the sons of Yaakov returned home.

CHAPTER 36

1 At that time YHUH appeared to Yaakov saying, Arise, go to Bethel and remain there, and make there an altar to YHUH who appears to you, who delivered you and your sons from affliction.

2 And Yaakov rose up with his sons and all belonging to him, and they went and came to Bethel according to the word of YHUH.

3 And Yaakov was ninety-nine years old when he went up to Bethel, and Yaakov and his sons and all the people that were with him, remained in Bethel in Luz, and he there built an altar to YHUH who appeared to him, and Yaakov and his sons remained in Bethel six months.

4 At that time died Devorah the daughter of Uz, the nurse of Rivkah, who had been with Yaakov; and Yaakov buried her beneath Bethel under an oak that was there.

5 And Rivkah the daughter of Bethuel, the ema of Yaakov, also died at that time in Hevron, the same is Kiryath-Arba, and she was buried in the cave of Machpelah that Avraham had bought from the children of Cheth.

6 And the life of Rivkah was one hundred and thirty-three years, and she died and when Yaakov heard that his ema Rivkah was dead he wept bitterly for his ema, and made a great mourning for her, and for Devorah her nurse beneath the oak, and he called the name of that place Allon-Bachuth.

7 And Lavan the Aramean-Syrian died in those days, for YHUH smote him because he transgressed the covenant that existed between him and Yaakov.

8 And Yaakov was a hundred years old when YHUH appeared to him, and blessed him and called his name Yisrael, and Rachel the wife of Yaakov conceived in those days.

9 And at that time Yaakov and all belonging to him journeyed from Bethel to go to his abba's house, to Hevron.

10 And while they were going on the road, and there was yet but a little way to come to Ephrath, Rachel bare a son and she had hard labor and she died.

11 And Yaakov buried her in the way to Ephrath, which is Beth Lechem, and he set a pillar upon her grave, which is there to this day; and the days of Rachel were forty-five years and she died.

12 And Yaakov called the name of his son that was born to him, which Rachel bare to him, Binyamin, for he was born to him in the land on the right hand.

13 And it was after the death of Rachel, that Yaakov pitched his tent in the tent of her handmaid Bilhah.

14 And Reuven was jealous for his ema Leah on account of this, and he was filled with anger, and he rose up in his anger and went and entered the tent of Bilhah and he there removed his abba's bed.

15 At that time the portion of bechor, together with the kingly and priestly offices, was removed from the sons of Reuven, for he had profaned his abba's bed, and the bechor was given to Yoseph, the kingly office to Yahudah, and the priesthood to Levi, because Reuven had defiled his abba's bed. 

16 And these are the generations of Yaakov who were born to him in Padan-Aram, and the sons of Yaakov were twelve.

17 The sons of Leah were Reuven the first born, and Shimeon, Levi, Yahudah, Yissacher, Zevulun, and their sister Dinah; and the sons of Rachel were Yoseph and Binyamin.

18 The sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, were Gad and Asher, and the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, were Dan and Naphtali; these are the sons of Yaakov that were born to him in Padan-Aram.

19 And Yaakov and his sons and all belonging to him journeyed and came to Mamre, which is Kiryath-Arba, that is in Hevron, where Avraham and Yitzchak sojourned, and Yaakov with his sons and all belonging to him, dwelt with his abba in Hevron.

20 And his brother Esav and his sons, and all belonging to him went to the land of Seir and dwelt there, and had possessions in the land of Seir, and the children of Esav were fruitful and multiplied exceedingly in the land of Seir.

21 And these are the generations of Esav that were born to him in the land of Kanaan, and the sons of Esav were five.

22 And Adah bare to Esav his bachor Eliphaz, and she also bare to him Reuel, and Ahlivamah bare to him Yeush, Yaalam and Korah.

23 These are the children of Esav who were born to him in the land of Kanaan; and the sons of Eliphaz the son of Esav were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, Kenaz and Amalex, and the sons of Reuel were Nachath, Zerach, Shamah and Mizzah.

24 And the sons of Yeush were Timnah, Alvah, Yetheth; and the sons of Yaalam were Alah, Phinor and Kenaz.

25 And the sons of Korah were Teman, Mibzar, Magdiel and Eram; these are the families of the sons of Esav according to their dukedoms in the land of Seir.

26 And these are the names of the sons of Seir the Horite, inhabitants of the land of Seir, Lotan, Shoval, Ziveon, Anah, Dishan, Ezer and Dishon, being seven sons.

27 And the children of Lotan were Hori, Heman and their sister Timna, that is Timna who came to Yaakov and his sons, and they would not give ear to her, and she went and became a concubine to Eliphaz the son of Esav, and she bare to him Amalek.

28 And the sons of Shoval were Alvan, Manahath, Eval, Shepho, and Onam, and the sons of Ziveon were Ayah, and Anah, this was that Anah who found the Yemim in the wilderness when he fed the donkeys of Ziveon his abba.

29 And while he was feeding his abba's donkeys he led them to the wilderness at different times to feed them.

30 And there was a day that he brought them to one of the deserts on the seashore, opposite the wilderness of the people, and while he was feeding them, behold a very heavy storm came from the other side of the sea and rested upon the donkeys that were feeding there, and they all stood still.

31 And afterward about one hundred and twenty great and terrible animals came out from the wilderness at the other side of the sea, and they all came to the place where the donkeys were, and they placed themselves there.

32 And 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 ducheephath, and these animals came and mounted and rode upon these donkeys, and led them away, and they went away to this day.

33 And one of these animals approached Anah and smote him with his tail, and then fled from that place.

34 And when he saw this work he was exceedingly afraid of his life, and he fled and escaped to the city.

35 And he related to his sons and brothers all that had happened to him, and many men went to seek the donkeys but could not find them, and Anah and his brothers went no more to that place from that day following, for they were greatly afraid of their lives.

36 And the children of Anah the son of Seir, were Dishon and his sister Ahlivamah, and the children of Dishon were Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran and Cheran, and the children of Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan and Akan, and 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 And Esav 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, and Yaakov and his children and all belonging to them, dwelt with their abba Yitzchak in the land of Kanaan, as YHUH had commanded Avraham their abba.

CHAPTER 37

1 And in the one hundred and fifth year of the life of Yaakov, that is the ninth year of Yaakov's dwelling with his children in the land of Kanaan, he came from Padan-Aram.

2 And in those days Yaakov journeyed with his children from Hevron, and they went and returned to the city of Shechem, they and all belonging to them, and they dwelt there, for the children of Yaakov obtained tov 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 And Yaakov and his children and all belonging to him dwelt in the part of the field which Yaakov had bought from Chamor the abba of Shechem, when he came from Padan-Aram before Shimeon and Levi had smitten the city.

4 And all those melechim of the Kannaim and Amorites that surrounded the city of Shechem, heard that the sons of Yaakov had again come to Shechem and dwelt there.

5 And they said, Shall the sons of Yaakov the Ivri again come to the city and dwell therein, after that they have smitten its inhabitants and driven them out? Shall they now return and also drive out those who are dwelling in the city or slay them?

6 And all the melechim of Kanaan again assembled, and they came together to make war with Yaakov and his sons.

7 And Yahshuv melech of Tapnach sent also to all his neighboring melechim, to Eylan melech of Gaash, and to Ihuri melech of Shiloh, and to Parathon melech of Chazar, and to Susi melech of Sarton, and to Lavan melech of Beth Choran, and to Shavir melech of Othnay-Mah, saying,

8 Come up to me and assist me, and let us smite Yaakov the Ivri and his sons, and all belonging to him, for they are again come to Shechem to possess it and to slay its inhabitants as before.

9 And all these melechim assembled together and came with all their camps, a people exceedingly plentiful like the sand upon the seashore, and they were all opposite to Tapnach.

10 And Yahshuv melech of Tapnach went forth to them with all his army, and he encamped with them opposite to Tapnach without the city, and all these melechim they divided into seven divisions, being seven camps against the sons of Yaakov.

11 And they sent a declaration to Yaakov and his son, saying, Come you all forth to us that we may have an interview together in the plain, and revenge the cause of the men of Shechem whom you slew in their city, and you will now again return to the city of Shechem and dwell therein, and slay its inhabitants as before.

12 And the sons of Yaakov heard this and their anger was kindled exceedingly at the words of the melechim of Kanaan, and ten of the sons of Yaakov hurried and rose up, and 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 And all these men, the sons of Yaakov with their servants, went toward these melechim, and Yaakov their abba was with them, and they all stood upon the heap of Shechem.

14 And Yaakov prayed to YHUH for his sons, and he spread forth his hands to YHUH, and he said, O YHUH, you are an Almighty YHUH, you are our Abba, you did form us and we are the works of your hands; I pray you deliver my sons through your chesed from the hand of their enemies, who are this day coming to fight with them and 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, and let not my sons and their servants die through the hands of the children of Kanaan.

16 But if it seems tov in your eyes to take away the lives of my sons and their servants, take them in your great chesed through the hands of your ministers, that they may not perish this day by the hands of the melechim of the Amorites.

17 And when Yaakov ceased praying to YHUH the earth shook from its place, and the sun darkened, and all these melechim were terrified and a great consternation seized them.

18 And YHUH hearkened to the prayer of Yaakov, and YHUH impressed the hearts of all the melechim and their hosts with the terror and awe of the sons of Yaakov.

19 For YHUH caused them to hear the voice of mirkavot, and the voice of mighty horses from the sons of Yaakov, and the voice of a great army accompanying them.

20 And these melechim were seized with great terror at the sons of Yaakov, and while they were standing in their quarters, behold the sons of Yaakov advanced upon them, with one hundred and twelve men, with a great and tremendous shouting.

21 And when the melechim saw the sons of Yaakov advancing toward them, they were still more panic struck, and they were inclined to retreat from before the sons of Yaakov as at first, and not to fight with them.

22 But they did not retreat, saying, It would be a disgrace to us this twice to retreat from before the Ivrim.

23 And the sons of Yaakov came near and advanced against all these melechim and their armies, and they saw, and behold it was a very mighty people, numerous as the sand of the sea.

24 And the sons of Yaakov called to YHUH and said, Help us O YHUH, help us and answer us, for we trust in you, and let us not die by the hands of these uncircumcised men, who this day have come against us.

25 And the sons of Yaakov put on their weapons of war, and they took in their hands each man his shield and his javelin, and they approached to battle.

26 And Yahudah, the son of Yaakov, ran first before his brothers, and ten of his servants with him, and he went toward these melechim.

27 And Yahshuv, melech of Tapnach, also came forth first with his army before Yahudah, and Yahudah saw Yahshuv and his army coming toward him, and Yahudah's wrath was kindled, and his anger burned within him, and he approached to battle in which Yahudah ventured his life.

28 And Yahshuv and all his army were advancing toward Yahudah, and he was riding upon a very strong and powerful horse, and Yahshuv was a very valiant man, and covered with iron and brass from head to foot.

29 And 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 And when Yahshuv came to fight with Yahudah, and was darting many arrows against Yahudah, YHUH bound the hand of Yahshuv, and all the arrows that he shot rebounded upon his own men.

31 And notwithstanding this, Yahshuv kept advancing toward Yahudah, to challenge him with the arrows, but the distance between them was about thirty cubits, and when Yahudah saw Yahshuv darting forth his arrows against him, he ran to him with his wrath-excited might.

32 And Yahudah took up a large stone from the ground, and its weight was sixty shekels, and Yahudah ran toward Yahshuv, and with the stone struck him on his shield, that Yahshuv was stunned with the blow, and fell off from his horse to the ground.

33 And the shield burst asunder out of the hand of Yahshuv, and through the force of the blow sprang to the distance of about fifteen cubits, and the shield fell before the second camp.

34 And the melechim that came with Yahshuv saw at a distance the strength of Yahudah, the son of Yaakov, and what he had done to Yahshuv, and they were terribly afraid of Yahudah.

35 And they assembled near Yahshuv's camp, seeing his confusion, and Yahudah drew his sword and smote forty-two men of the camp of Yahshuv, and the whole of Yahshuv's camp fled before Yahudah, and no man stood against him, and they left Yahshuv and fled from him, and Yahshuv was still prostrate upon the ground.

36 And Yahshuv seeing that all the men of his camp had fled from him, hurried and rose up with terror against Yahudah, and stood upon his legs opposite Yahudah.

37 And Yahshuv had a single combat with Yahudah, placing shield toward shield, and Yahshuv's men all fled, for they were greatly afraid of Yahudah.

38 And Yahshuv took his spear in his hand to strike Yahudah upon his head, but Yahudah had quickly placed his shield to his head against Yahshuv's spear, so that the shield of Yahudah received the blow from Yahshuv's spear, and the shield was split in too.

39 And when Yahudah saw that his shield was split, he hastily drew his sword and smote Yahshuv at his ankles, and cut off his feet that Yahshuv fell upon the ground, and the spear fell from his hand.

40 And Yahudah hastily picked up Yahshuv's spear, with which he severed his head and cast it next to his feet.

41 And when the sons of Yaakov saw what Yahudah had done to Yahshuv, they all ran into the ranks of the other melechim, and the sons of Yaakov fought with the army of Yahshuv, and the armies of all the melechim that were there.

42 And the sons of Yaakov caused fifteen thousand of their men to fall, and they smote them as if smiting at gourds, and the rest fled for their lives.

43 And Yahudah was still standing by the body of Yahshuv, and stripped Yahshuv of his coat of armor.

44 And Yahudah also took off the iron and brass that was around Yahshuv, and behold nine men of the captains of Yahshuv came along to fight against Yahudah.

45 And Yahudah hurried and took up a stone from the ground, and with it smote one of them upon the head, and his skull was fractured, and the body also fell from the horse to the ground.

46 And the eight captains that remained, seeing the strength of Yahudah, were greatly afraid and they fled, and Yahudah with his ten men pursued them, and they overtook them and slew them.

47 And the sons of Yaakov were still smiting the armies of the melechim, and they slew many of them, but those melechim daringly kept their stand with their captains, and did not retreat from their places, and they exclaimed against those of their armies that fled from before the sons of Yaakov, but none would listen to them, for they were afraid of their lives lest they should die.

48 And all the sons of Yaakov, after having smitten the armies of the melechim, returned and came before Yahudah, and Yahudah was still slaying the eight captains of Yahshuv, and stripping off their garments.

49 And Levi saw Eylon, melech of Gaash, advancing toward him, with his fourteen captains to smite him, but Levi did not know it for certain.

50 And Eylon with his captains approached nearer, and Levi looked back and saw that battle was given him in the rear, and Levi ran with twelve of his servants, and they went and slew Eylon and his captains with the edge of the sword.

CHAPTER 38

1 And Ihuri melech of Shiloh came up to assist Eylon, and he approached Yaakov, when Yaakov drew his bow that was in his hand and with an arrow struck Ihuri that caused his death.

2 And when Ihuri melech of Shiloh was dead, the four remaining melechim fled from their station with the rest of the captains, and they endeavored to retreat, saying, We have no more strength with the Ivrim after their having killed the three melechim and their captains who were more powerful than we are.

3 And when the sons of Yaakov saw that the remaining melechim had removed from their station, they pursued them, and Yaakov also came from the heap of Shechem from the place where he was standing, and they went after the melechim and they approached them with their servants.

4 And the melechim and the captains with the rest of their armies, seeing that the sons of Yaakov approached them, were afraid of their lives and fled till they reached the city of Chazar.

5 And the sons of Yaakov pursued them to the gate of the city of Chazar, and they smote a great smiting among the melechim and their armies, about four thousand men, and while they were smiting the army of the melechim, Yaakov was occupied with his bow confining himself to smiting the melechim, and he slew them all.

6 And he slew Parathon melech of Chazar at the gate of the city of Chazar, and he afterward smote Susi melech of Sarton, and Lavan melech of Beth-Chorin, and Shavir melech of Machnaymah, and he slew them all with arrows, an arrow to each of them, and they died.

7 And the sons of Yaakov seeing that all the melechim were dead and that they were broken up and retreating, continued to carry on the battle with the armies of the melechim opposite the gate of Chazar, and they still smote about four hundred of their men.

8 And three men of the servants of Yaakov fell in that battle, and when Yahudah saw that three of his servants had died, it grieved him greatly, and his anger burned within him against the Amorites.

9 And all the men that remained of the armies of the melechim were greatly afraid of their lives, and they ran and broke the gate of the walls of the city of Chazar, and they all entered the city for safety.

10 And they concealed themselves in the midst of the city of Chazar, for the city of Chazar was very large and extensive, and when all these armies had entered the city, the sons of Yaakov ran after them to the city.

11 And 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, and they placed themselves opposite the sons of Yaakov, and would not allow them to enter the city.

12 And Naphtali ran and came between them and with his sword smote two of them, and cut off their heads in one stroke.

13 And he turned to the other two, and behold they had fled, and he pursued them, overtook them, smote them and slew them.

14 And the sons of Yaakov came to the city and saw, and behold there was another wall to the city, and they sought for the gate of the wall and could not find it, and Yahudah sprang upon the top of the wall, and Shimeon and Levi followed him, and they all three descended from the wall into the city.

15 And Shimeon and Levi slew all the men who ran for safety into the city, and also the inhabitants of the city with their wives and little ones, they slew with the edge of the sword, and the cries of the city ascended up to the shamayim.

16 And Dan and Naphtali sprang upon the wall to see what caused the noise of lamentation, for the sons of Yaakov 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 And when Yahudah, Shimeon, and Levi had ceased smiting the inhabitants of the city, they ascended the wall and called to Dan and Naphtali, who were upon the wall, and to the rest of their brothers, and Shimeon and Levi informed them of the entrance into the city, and all the sons of Yaakov came to fetch the spoil.

18 And the sons of Yaakov took the spoil of the city of Chazar, the flocks and herds, and the property, and they took all that could be captured, and went away that day from the city.

19 And on the next day the sons of Yaakov 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 melech, and Sarton was a very high and fortified city, and it had a deep rampart surrounding the city.

20 And the pillar of the rampart was about fifty cubits and its breadth forty cubits, and there was no place for a man to enter the city on account of the rampart, and the sons of Yaakov 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 and went around the whole city, and he afterwards entered the city.

22 And the sons of Yaakov seeing they could not find the way into the city, their anger was kindled greatly, and the inhabitants of the city seeing that the sons of Yaakov were coming to them were greatly afraid of them, for they had heard of their strength and what they had done to Chazar.

23 And the inhabitants of the city of Sarton could not go out toward the sons of Yaakov 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 had heard of their strength and what they had done 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 Yaakov came, and they brought it into the city.

25 And the sons of Yaakov came and sought the way into the city, and could not find it and the inhabitants of the city went up to the top of the wall, and saw, and behold the sons of Yaakov were seeking an entrance into the city.

26 And the inhabitants of the city reproached the sons of Yaakov from the top of the wall, and they cursed them, and the sons of Yaakov heard the reproaches, and they were greatly incensed, and their anger burned within them.

27 And the sons of Yaakov were provoked at them, and 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 And when they had passed the rampart they stood under the wall of the city, and they found all the gates of the city enclosed with iron doors.

29 And the sons of Yaakov 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 And the number of the people that were upon the wall was about four hundred men, and when the sons of Yaakov 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, and Yahudah went up first to the east part of the city.

31 And Gad and Asher went up after him to the west corner of the city, and Shimeon and Levi to the north, and Dan and Reuven to the south.

32 And the men who were on the top of the wall, the inhabitants of the city, seeing that the sons of Yaakov 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 And Yissacher and Naphtali that remained under the wall approached and broke the gates of the city, and kindled a fire at the gates of the city, that the iron melted, and all the sons of Yaakov came into the city, they and all their men, and they fought with the inhabitants of the city of Sarton, and smote them with the edge of the sword, and no man stood up before them.

34 And about two hundred men fled from the city, and they all went and hid themselves in a certain tower in the city, and Yahudah pursued them to the tower and he broke down the tower, which fell upon the men, and they all died.

35 And the sons of Yaakov went up the road of the roof of that tower, and they saw, and behold there was another strong and high tower at a distance in the city, and the top of it reached to the shamayim, and the sons of Yaakov hurried and descended, and went with all their men to that tower, and found it filled with about three hundred men, women and little ones.

36 And the sons of Yaakov smote a great smiting among those men in the tower and they ran away and fled from them.

37 And Shimeon and Levi pursued them, when twelve mighty and valiant men came out to them from the place where they had concealed themselves.

38 And those twelve men maintained a strong battle against Shimeon and Levi, and Shimeon and Levi could not prevail over them, and those valiant men broke the shields of Shimeon and Levi, and 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, and the sword struck Levi's hand, and it wanted but little to the hand of Levi being cut off.

39 And Levi seized the sword of the valiant man in his hand, and took it forcibly from the man, and with it he struck at the head of the powerful man, and he severed his head.

40 And eleven men approached to fight with Levi, for they saw that one of them was killed, and the sons of Yaakov fought, but the sons of Yaakov could not prevail over them, for those men were very powerful.

41 And the sons of Yaakov seeing that they could not prevail over them, Shimeon gave a loud and tremendous shriek, and the eleven powerful men were stunned at the voice of Shimeon's shrieking.

42 And Yahudah at a distance knew the voice of Shimeon's shouting, and Naphtali and Yahudah ran with their shields to Shimeon and Levi, and found them fighting with those powerful men, unable to prevail over them as their shields were broken.

43 And Naphtali saw that the shields of Shimeon and Levi were broken, and he took two shields from his servants and brought them to Shimeon and Levi.

44 And Shimeon, 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 And this was told to Yaakov, and he was sorely grieved, and he prayed to YHUH, and he and Naphtali his son went against these mighty men.

46 And Yaakov approached and drew his bow, and came near to the mighty men, and slew three of their men with the bow, and the remaining eight turned back, and behold, the war waged against them in the front and rear, and they were greatly afraid for their lives, and could not stand before the sons of Yaakov, and they fled from before them.

47 And in their flight they met Dan and Asher coming toward them, and they suddenly fell upon them, and fought with them, and slew two of them, and Yahudah and his brothers pursued them, and smote the remainder of them, and slew them.

48 And all the sons of Yaakov returned and walked around the city, searching if they could find any men, and they found about twenty young men in a cave in the city, and Gad and Asher smote them all, and 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 And the sons of Yaakov 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 And 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 And the sons of Yaakov 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 And the sons of Yaakov took all the spoil of the city, and captured what they desired, and they took flocks and herds and property from the city, and the sons of Yaakov did to Sarton and its inhabitants as they had done to Chazar and its inhabitants, and they turned and went away.

 

CHAPTER 39

1 And when the sons of Yaakov went from the city of Sarton, they had gone about two hundred cubits when they met the inhabitants of Tapnach coming toward them, for they went out to fight with them, because they had smitten the melech of Tapnach and all his men.

2 So all that remained in the city of Tapnach came out to fight with the sons of Yaakov, and they thought to take from them the booty and the spoil that they had captured from Chazar and Sarton.

3 And the rest of the men of Tapnach fought with the sons of Yaakov in that place, and the sons of Yaakov smote them, and they fled before them, and they pursued them to the city of Arvelan, and they all fell before the sons of Yaakov.

4 And the sons of Yaakov returned and came to Tapnach, to take away the spoil of Tapnach, and when they came to Tapnach they heard that the people of Arvelan had gone out to meet them to save the spoil of their brothers, and the sons of Yaakov left ten of their men in Tapnach to plunder the city, and they went out toward the people of Arvelan.

5 And the men of Arvelan went out with their wives to fight with the sons of Yaakov, for their wives were experienced in battle, and they went out, about four hundred men and women.

6 And all the sons of Yaakov shouted with a loud voice, and they all ran toward the inhabitants of Arvelan, and with a great and tremendous voice.

7 And the inhabitants of Arvelan heard the noise of the shouting of the sons of Yaakov, and their roaring like the noise of lions and like the roaring of the sea and its waves.

8 And fear and terror possessed their hearts on account of the sons of Yaakov, and they were terribly afraid of them, and they retreated and fled before them into the city, and the sons of Yaakov pursued them to the gate of the city, and they came upon them in the city.

9 And the sons of Yaakov fought with them in the city, and all their women were engaged in slinging against the sons of Yaakov, and the combat was very severe among them the whole of that day until evening.

10 And the sons of Yaakov could not prevail over them, and the sons of Yaakov had almost perished in that battle, and the sons of Yaakov cried to YHUH and greatly gained strength toward evening, and the sons of Yaakov smote all the inhabitants of Arvelan by the edge of the sword, men, women and little ones.

11 And also the remainder of the people who had fled from Sarton, the sons of Yaakov smote them in Arvelan, and the sons of Yaakov did to Arvelan and Tapnach as they had done to Chazar and Sarton, and when the women saw that all the men were dead, they went upon the roofs of the city and smote the sons of Yaakov by showering down stones like rain.

12 And the sons of Yaakov hurried and came into the city and seized all the women and smote them with the edge of the sword, and the sons of Yaakov captured all the spoil and booty, flocks and herds and cattle.

13 And the sons of Yaakov did to Machnaymah as they had done to Tapnach, to Chazar and to Shiloh, and they turned from there and went away.

14 And on the fifth day the sons of Yaakov heard that the people of Gaash had gathered against them to battle, because they had slain their melech and their captains, for there had been fourteen captains in the city of Gaash, and the sons of Yaakov had slain them all in the first battle.

15 And the sons of Yaakov that day put on their weapons of war, and they marched to battle against the inhabitants of Gaash, and in Gaash there was a strong and mighty people of the people of the Amorites, and Gaash was the strongest and best fortified city of all the cities of the Amorites, and it had three walls.

16 And the sons of Yaakov came to Gaash and they found the gates of the city locked, and about five hundred men standing at the top of the outer-most wall, and a people numerous as the sand upon the seashore were in ambush for the sons of Yaakov from without the city at the rear of it.

17 And the sons of Yaakov 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 Yaakov.

18 And the sons of Yaakov were enclosed between the people of Gaash, and the battle was both to their front and rear, and all the men that were upon the wall, were casting from the wall upon them, arrows and stones.

19 And Yahudah, seeing that the men of Gaash were getting too heavy for them, gave a most piercing and tremendous shriek and all the men of Gaash were terrified at the voice of Yahudah's cry, and men fell from the wall at his powerful shriek, and all those that were from without and within the city were greatly afraid of their lives.

20 And the sons of Yaakov 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 And the sons of Yaakov returned against the men of Gaash who were with them from without the city, and they smote them terribly, as striking against gourds, and they could not stand against the sons of Yaakov, for fright and terror had seized them at the shriek of Yahudah.

22 And the sons of Yaakov slew all those men who were without the city, and the sons of Yaakov 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 Yaakov were unable to approach the city to fight with them.

23 And the sons of Yaakov 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 And the people of Gaash who were upon the wall, seeing that the sons of Yaakov could not prevail over them from under the wall, reproached the sons of Yaakov 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 slew them in the entrance of the city, for they had no strength when they were terrified at the sound of your shouting.

26 And will you now then be able to fight in this place? Surely here you will all die, and we will avenge the cause of those cities that you have laid waste.

27 And the inhabitants of Gaash greatly reproached the sons of Yaakov and reviled them with their ahlohim, and continued to cast arrows and stones upon them from the wall.

28 And Yahudah and his brothers heard the words of the inhabitants of Gaash and their anger was greatly roused, and Yahudah was jealous for his YHUH in this matter, and he called out and said, O YHUH, help, send help to us and our brothers.

29 And he ran at a distance with all his might, with his drawn sword in his hand, and he sprang from the earth and by dint of his strength, mounted the wall, and his sword fell from his hand.

30 And Yahudah shouted upon the wall, and all the men that were upon the wall were terrified, and some of them fell from the wall into the city and died, and 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 And 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, and they thought of casting him from the wall to his brothers, and twenty men of the city came up to assist them, and they surrounded Yahudah and they all shouted over him, and approached him with drawn swords, and they terrified Yahudah, and Yahudah cried out to his brothers from the wall.

32 And Yaakov and his sons drew the bow from under the wall, and smote three of the men that were upon the top of the wall, and Yahudah continued to cry and he exclaimed, O YHUH help us, O YHUH deliver us, and he cried out with a loud voice upon the wall, and the cry was heard at a great distance.

33 And after this cry he again repeated to shout, and all the men who surrounded Yahudah on the top of the wall were terrified, and they each threw his sword from his hand at the sound of Yahudah's shouting and his tremor, and fled.

34 And Yahudah took the swords that had fallen from their hands, and Yahudah fought with them and slew twenty of their men upon the wall.

35 And about eighty men and women still ascended the wall from the city and they all surrounded Yahudah, and YHUH impressed the fear of Yahudah in their hearts, that they were unable to approach him.

36 And Yaakov and all who were with him drew the bow from under the wall, and they slew ten men upon the wall, and they fell below the wall, before Yaakov and his sons.

37 And the people upon the wall seeing that twenty of their men had fallen, they still ran toward Yahudah with drawn swords, but they could not approach him for they were greatly terrified at Yahudah's strength.

38 And 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, and the sword hit the shield, and it was split in two.

39 And this mighty man after he had struck Yahudah ran for his life, at the fear of Yahudah, and his feet slipped upon the wall and he fell among the sons of Yaakov who were below the wall, and the sons of Yaakov smote him and slew him.

40 And Yahudah's head pained him from the blow of the powerful man, and Yahudah had nearly died from it.

41 And Yahudah cried out upon the wall owing to the pain produced by the blow, when Dan heard him, and his anger burned within him, and he also rose up and went at a distance and ran and sprang from the earth and mounted the wall with his wrath-excited strength.

42 And when Dan came upon the wall near to Yahudah all the men upon the wall fled, who had stood against Yahudah, and 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 And the arrows and stones struck Dan and Yahudah, and they had nearly been killed upon the wall, and wherever Dan and Yahudah fled from the wall, they were attacked with arrows and stones from the second wall.

44 And Yaakov 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 And 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, and when the people of the city who were upon the second wall saw that Dan and Yahudah had come to them upon the second wall, they all cried out and descended below between the walls.

46 And Yaakov 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, and they were anxious about Dan and Yahudah who were not seen by them, they being upon the second wall.

47 And 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, and Yissacher and Zevulun drew near to break the doors of the city, and they opened the gates of the city and came into the city.

48 And Naphtali leaped from the first wall to the second, and came to assist his brothers, and the inhabitants of Gaash who were upon the wall, seeing that Naphtali was the third who had come up to assist his brothers, they all fled and descended into the city, and Yaakov and all his sons and all their young men came into the city to them.

49 And Yahudah and Dan and Naphtali descended from the wall into the city and pursued the inhabitants of the city, and Shimeon and Levi were from without the city and knew not that the gate was opened, and they went up from there to the wall and came down to their brothers into the city.

50 And the inhabitants of the city had all descended into the city, and the sons of Yaakov came to them in different directions, and the battle waged against them from the front and the rear, and the sons of Yaakov smote them terribly, and slew about twenty thousand of them men and women, not one of them could stand up against the sons of Yaakov.

51 And the blood flowed plentifully in the city, and it was like a brook of mayim, and the blood flowed like a brook to the outer part of the city, and reached the desert of Beth-Chorin.

52 And the people of Beth-Chorin saw at a distance the blood flowing from the city of Gaash, and about seventy men from among them ran to see the blood, and they came to the place where the blood was.

53 And they followed the track of the blood and came to the wall of the city of Gaash, and they saw the blood issue from the city, and they heard the voice of crying from the inhabitants of Gaash, for it ascended to the shamayim, and the blood was continuing to flow abundantly like a brook of mayim.

54 And all the sons of Yaakov were still smiting the inhabitants of Gaash, and were engaged in slaying them till evening, about twenty thousand men and women, and the people of Chorin said, Surely this is the work of the Ivrim, for they are still carrying on war in all the cities of the Amorites.

55 And those people hurried and ran to Beth-Chorin, and each took his weapons of war, and they cried out to all the inhabitants of Beth-Chorin, who also put on their weapons of war to go and fight with the sons of Yaakov.

56 And when the sons of Yaakov had done smiting the inhabitants of Gaash, they walked around the city to strip all the slain, and 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 And the sons of Yaakov came up to the place where they were, and the powerful men ran away, and one of them had taken Zevulun, who he saw was a young lad and of short stature, and with his might dashed him to the ground.

58 And Yaakov ran to him with his sword and Yaakov smote him below his loins with the sword, and cut him in two, and the body fell upon Zevulun.

59 And the second one approached and seized Yaakov to fell him to the ground, and Yaakov turned to him and shouted to him, while Shimeon and Levi ran and smote him on the hips with the sword and felled him to the ground.

60 And the powerful man rose up from the ground with wrath-excited might, and Yahudah came to him before he had gained his footing, and struck him upon the head with the sword, and his head was split and he died.

61 And the third powerful man, seeing that his companions were killed, ran from before the sons of Yaakov, and the sons of Yaakov pursued him in the city; and while the powerful man was fleeing he found one of the swords of the inhabitants of the city, and he picked it up and turned to the sons of Yaakov and fought them with that sword.

62 And 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; and while he was aiming to strike him, Naphtali hastily took his shield and put it to Yahudah's head, and the sword of the powerful man hit the shield of Naphtali and Yahudah escaped the sword.

63 And Shimeon and Levi ran upon the powerful man with their swords and struck at him forcibly with their swords, and the two swords entered the body of the powerful man and divided it in two, length-wise.

64 And the sons of Yaakov smote the three mighty men at that time, together with all the inhabitants of Gaash, and the day was about to decline.

65 And the sons of Yaakov walked around Gaash and took all the spoil of the city, even the little ones and women they did not suffer to live, and the sons of Yaakov did to Gaash as they had done to Sarton and Shiloh.

CHAPTER 40

1 And the sons of Yaakov 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 Beth-Chorin, and the inhabitants of Beth-Chorin were going to the castle to meet them, and on that night the sons of Yaakov fought with the inhabitants of Beth-Chorin, in the castle of Beth-Chorin.

3 And all the inhabitants of Beth-Chorin were mighty men, one of them would not flee from before a thousand men, and they fought on that night upon the castle, and their shouts were heard on that night from afar, and the earth quaked at their shouting.

4 And all the sons of Yaakov were afraid of those men, as they were not accustomed to fight in the dark, and they were greatly confounded, and the sons of Yaakov cried to YHUH, saying, Give help to us O YHUH, deliver us that we may not die by the hands of these uncircumcised men.

5 And YHUH hearkened to the voice of the sons of Yaakov, and YHUH caused great terror and confusion to seize the people of Beth-Chorin, and they fought among themselves the one with the other in the darkness of night, and smote each other in great numbers.

6 And the sons of Yaakov, knowing that YHUH had brought a ruach of perverseness among those men, and that they fought each man with his neighbor, went forth from among the bands of the people of Beth-Chorin and went as far as the descent of the castle of Beth-Chorin, and farther, and they tarried there securely with their young men on that night.

7 And the people of Beth-Chorin fought the whole night, one man with his brother, and the other with his neighbor, and they cried out in every direction upon the castle, and their cry was heard at a distance, and the whole earth shook at their voice, for they were powerful above all the people of the earth.

8 And all the inhabitants of the cities of the Kannaim, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites and all the melechim of Kanaan, and also those who were on the other side of the Yarden, heard the noise of the shouting on that night.

9 And they said, Surely these are the battles of the Ivrim who are fighting against the seven cities, who came near to them; and who can stand against those Ivrim?

10 And all the inhabitants of the cities of the Kannaim, and all those who were on the other side of the Yarden, were greatly afraid of the sons of Yaakov, 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 And the cries of the Chorinites were very great on that night, and continued to increase; and they smote each other till morning, and numbers of them were killed.

12 And the morning appeared, and all the sons of Yaakov rose up at daybreak and went up to the castle, and they smote those who remained of the Chorinites in a terrible manner, and they were all killed in the castle.

13 And the sixth day appeared, and all the inhabitants of Kanaan saw at a distance all the people of Beth-Chorin lying dead in the castle of Beth-Chorin, and strewed about as the carcasses of lambs and goats.

14 And the sons of Yaakov led all the spoil which they had captured from Gaash and went to Beth-Chorin, and they found the city full of people like the sand of the sea, and they fought with them, and the sons of Yaakov smote them there till evening time.

15 And the sons of Yaakov did to Beth-Chorin as they had done to Gaash and Tapnach, and as they had done to Chazar, to Sarton and to Shiloh.

16 And the sons of Yaakov took with them the spoil of Beth-Chorin and all the spoil of the cities, and on that day they went home to Shechem.

17 And the sons of Yaakov came home to the city of Shechem, and they remained without the city, and they then rested there from the war, and tarried there all night.

18 And all their servants together with all the spoil that they had taken from the cities, they left without the city, and they did not enter the city, for they said, Perhaps there may be yet more fighting against us, and they may come to besiege us in Shechem.

19 And Yaakov and his sons and their servants remained on that night and the next day in the portion of the field which Yaakov had purchased from Chamor for five shekels, and all that they had captured was with them.

20 And all the booty that the sons of Yaakov had captured was in the portion of the field, immense as the sand upon the seashore.

21 And the inhabitants of the land observed them from afar, and all the inhabitants of the land were afraid of the sons of Yaakov who had done this thing, for no melech from the days of old had ever done the like.

22 And the seven melechim of the Kannaim resolved to make shalom with the sons of Yaakov, for they were greatly afraid for their lives, on account of the sons of Yaakov.

23 And on that day, being the seventh day, Yaphia melech of Hevron sent secretly to the melech of Ai, and to the melech of Giveon, and to the melech of Shalem, and to the melech of Adulam, and to the melech of Lachish, and to the melech of Chazar, and to all the Canaanitish melechim who were under their subjection, saying,

24 Go up with me, and come to me that we may go to the sons of Yaakov, and I will make shalom with them, and form a treaty with them, lest all your lands be destroyed by the swords of the sons of Yaakov, as they did to Shechem and the cities around it, as you have heard and seen.

25 And when you come to me, do not come with many men, but let every melech bring his three head captains, and every captain bring three of his officers.

26 And come all of you to Hevron, and we will go together to the sons of Yaakov, and supplicate them that they shall form a treaty of shalom with us.

27 And all those melechim did as the melech of Hevron had sent to them, for they were all under his counsel and command, and all the melechim of Kanaan assembled to go to the sons of Yaakov, to make shalom with them; and the sons of Yaakov returned and went to the portion of the field that was in Shechem, for they did not put confidence in the melechim of the land.

28 And the sons of Yaakov returned and remained in the portion of the field ten days, and no one came to make war with them.

29 And when the sons of Yaakov saw that there was no appearance of war, they all assembled and went to the city of Shechem, and the sons of Yaakov remained in Shechem.

30 And at the expiration of forty days, all the melechim of the Amorites assembled from all their places and came to Hevron, to Yaphiya, melech of Hevron.

31 And the number of melechim that came to Hevron, to make shalom with the sons of Yaakov, was twenty-one melechim, and the number of captains that came with them was sixty-nine, and their men were one hundred and eighty-nine, and all these melechim and their men rested by Mount Hevron.

32 And the melech of Hevron went out with his three captains and nine men, and these melechim resolved to go to the sons of Yaakov to make shalom.

33 And they said to the melech of Hevron, Go before us with your men, and speak for us to the sons of Yaakov, and we will come after you and confirm your words, and the melech of Hevron did so.

34 And the sons of Yaakov heard that all the melechim of Kanaan had gathered together and rested in Hevron, and the sons of Yaakov sent four of their servants as spies, saying, Go and spy these melechim, and search and examine their men whether they are few or many, and if they are but few in number, number them all and come back.

35 And the servants of Yaakov went secretly to these melechim, and did as the sons of Yaakov had commanded them, and on that day they came back to the sons of Yaakov, and said to them, We came to those melechim, and they are but few in number, and we numbered them all, and behold, they were two hundred and eighty-eight, melechim and men.

36 And the sons of Yaakov said, They are but few in number, therefore we will not all go out to them; and in the morning the sons of Yaakov rose up and chose sixty two of their men, and ten of the sons of Yaakov went with them; and they put on their weapons of war, for they said, They are coming to make war with us, for they knew not that they were coming to make shalom with them.

37 And the sons of Yaakov went with their servants to the gate of Shechem, toward those melechim, and their abba Yaakov was with them.

38 And when they had come forth, behold, the melech of Hevron and his three captains and nine men with him were coming along the road against the sons of Yaakov, and the sons of Yaakov lifted up their eyes, and saw at a distance Yaphiya, melech of Hevron, with his captains, coming toward them, and the sons of Yaakov took their stand at the place of the gate of Shechem, and did not proceed.

39 And the melech of Hevron continued to advance, he and his captains, until he came near to the sons of Yaakov, and he and his captains bowed down to them to the ground, and the melech of Hevron sat with his captains before Yaakov and his sons.

40 And the sons of Yaakov said to him, What has befallen you, O melech of Hevron? Why have you come to us this day? What do you require from us? And the melech of Hevron said to Yaakov, I beseech you my master, all the melechim of the Kannaim have this day come to make shalom with you.

41 And the sons of Yaakov heard the words of the melech of Hevron, and they would not consent to his proposals, for the sons of Yaakov had no faith in him, for they imagined that the melech of Hevron had spoken deceitfully to them.

42 And the melech of Hevron knew from the words of the sons of Yaakov, that they did not believe his words, and the melech of Hevron approached nearer to Yaakov, and said to him, I beseech you, my master, to be assured that all these melechim have come to you on peaceable terms, for they have not come with all their men, neither did they bring their weapons of war with them, for they have come to seek shalom from my master and his sons.

43 And the sons of Yaakov answered the melech of Hevron, saying, Send you to all these melechim, and if you speak emet to us, let them each come singly before us, and if they come to us unarmed, we shall then know that they seek shalom from us.

44 And Yaphiya, melech of Hevron, sent one of his men to the melechim, and they all came before the sons of Yaakov, and bowed down to them to the ground, and these melechim sat before Yaakov and his sons, and they spoke to them, saying,

45 We have heard all that you did to the melechim 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 have come to you to form a treaty of shalom between us, and now therefore contract with us a covenant of shalom and emet, that you will not meddle with us, inasmuch as we have not meddled with you.

47 And the sons of Yaakov knew that they had really come to seek shalom from them, and the sons of Yaakov listened to them, and formed a covenant with them.

48 And the sons of Yaakov swore to them that they would not meddle with them, and all the melechim of the Kannaim swore also to them, and the sons of Yaakov made them tributary from that day forward.

49 And after this all the captains of these melechim came with their men before Yaakov, with presents in their hands for Yaakov and his sons, and they bowed down to him to the ground.

50 And these melechim then urged the sons of Yaakov and begged of them to return all the spoil they had captured from the seven cities of the Amorites, and the sons of Yaakov did so, and they returned all that they had captured, the women, the little ones, the cattle and all the spoil which they had taken, and they sent them off, and they went away each to his city.

51 And all these melechim again bowed down to the sons of Yaakov, and they sent or brought them many gifts in those days, and the sons of Yaakov sent off these melechim and their men, and they went peaceably away from them to their cities, and the sons of Yaakov also returned to their home, to Shechem.

52 And there was shalom from that day forward between the sons of Yaakov and the melechim of the Kannaim, until the children of Yisrael came to inherit the land of Kanaan.

CHAPTER 41

1 And at the turn of the year the sons of Yaakov journeyed from Shechem, and they came to Hevron, to their abba Yitzchak, and they dwelt there, but their flocks and herds they fed daily in Shechem, for there was there in those days tov and fat pasture, and Yaakov and his sons and all their household dwelt in the valley of Hevron.

2 And it was in those days, in that year, being the hundred and sixth year of the life of Yaakov, in the tenth year of Yaakov's coming from Padan-Aram, that Leah the wife of Yaakov died; she was fifty-one years old when she died in Hevron.

3 And Yaakov and his sons buried her in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which is in Hevron, which Avraham had bought from the children of Cheth, for the possession of a burial place.

4 And the sons of Yaakov dwelt with their abba in the valley of Hevron, and all the inhabitants of the land knew their strength and their fame went throughout the land.

5 And Yoseph the son of Yaakov, and his brother Binyamin, the sons of Rachel, the wife of Yaakov, were yet young in those days, and did not go out with their brothers during their battles in all the cities of the Amorites.

6 And when Yoseph saw the strength of his brothers, and their greatness, he praised them and extolled them, but he ranked himself greater than them, and extolled himself above them; and Yaakov, his abba, also loved him more than any of his sons, for he was a son of his old age, and through his love toward him, he made him a coat of many colors.

7 And when Yoseph saw that his abba loved him more than his brothers, he continued to exalt himself above his brothers, and he brought to his abba evil reports concerning them.

8 And the sons of Yaakov seeing the whole of Yoseph's conduct toward them, and that their abba loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him all the days.

9 And Yoseph was seventeen years old, and he was still magnifying himself above his brothers, and thought of raising himself above them.

10 At that time he dreamed a dream, and he came to his brothers and told them his dream, and he said to them, I dreamed a dream, and behold we were all binding sheaves in the field, and my sheaf rose and placed itself upon the ground and your sheaves surrounded it and bowed down to it.

11 And his brothers answered him and said to him, What means this dream that you did dream? Do you imagine in your heart to reign or rule over us?

12 And he still came, and told the thing to his abba Yaakov, and Yaakov kissed Yoseph when he heard these words from his mouth, and Yaakov blessed Yoseph.

13 And when the sons of Yaakov saw that their abba had blessed Yoseph and had kissed him, and that he loved him exceedingly, they became jealous of him and hated him the more.

14 And after this Yoseph dreamed another dream and related the dream to his abba in the presence of his brothers, and Yoseph said to his abba and brothers, Behold I have again dreamed a dream, and behold the sun and the moon and the eleven stars bowed down to me.

15 And his abba heard the words of Yoseph and his dream, and seeing that his brothers’ hated Yoseph on account of this matter, Yaakov therefore rebuked Yoseph before his brothers on account of this thing, saying, What means this dream that you have dreamed, and this magnifying of yourself before your brothers who are older than you are?

16 Do you imagine in your heart that I and your ema and your eleven brothers will come and bow down to you, that you speak these things?

17 And his brothers were jealous of him on account of his words and dreams, and they continued to hate him, and Yaakov reserved the dreams in his heart.

18 And the sons of Yaakov went one day to feed their abba's flock in Shechem, for they were still herdsmen in those days; and while the sons of Yaakov were that day feeding in Shechem they delayed, and the time of gathering in the cattle was passed, and they had not arrived.

19 And Yaakov saw that his sons were delayed in Shechem, and Yaakov said within himself, Perhaps the people of Shechem have risen up to fight against them, therefore they have delayed coming this day.

20 And Yaakov called Yoseph his son and commanded him, saying, Behold your brothers are feeding in Shechem this day, and behold they have not yet come back; go now therefore and see where they are, and bring me word back concerning the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock.

21 And Yaakov sent his son Yoseph to the valley of Hevron, and Yoseph came for his brothers to Shechem, and could not find them, and Yoseph went about the field which was near Shechem, to see where his brothers had turned, and he missed his road in the wilderness, and knew not which way he should go.

22 And a malach of YHUH found him wandering in the road toward the field, and Yoseph said to the malach of YHUH, I seek my brothers; have you not heard where they are feeding? And the malach of YHUH said to Yoseph, I saw your brothers feeding here, and I heard them say they would go to feed in Dothan.

23 And Yoseph hearkened to the voice of the malach of YHUH, and he went to his brothers in Dothan and he found them in Dothan feeding the flock.

24 And Yoseph advanced to his brothers, and before he had come near to them, they had resolved to slay him.

25 And Shimeon said to his brothers, Behold the man of dreams is coming to us this day, and now therefore come and let us kill him and cast him in one of the pits that are in the wilderness, and when his abba shall seek him from us, we will say an evil beast has devoured him.

26 And Reuven heard the words of his brothers concerning Yoseph, and he said to them, You should not do this thing, for how can we look up to our abba Yaakov? Cast him into this pit to die there, but stretch not forth a hand upon him to spill his blood; and Reuven said this in order to deliver him from their hand, to bring him back to his abba.

27 And when Yoseph came to his brothers he sat before them, and they rose upon him and seized him and smote him to the earth, and stripped the coat of many colors that he had on.

28 And they took him and cast him into a pit, and in the pit there was no mayim, but serpents and scorpions. And Yoseph was afraid of the serpents and scorpions that were in the pit. And Yoseph cried out with a loud voice, and YHUH hid the serpents and scorpions in the sides of the pit, and they did no harm to Yoseph.

29 And Yoseph called out from the pit to his brothers, and said to them, What have I done to you, and in what have I sinned? Why do you not fear YHUH concerning me? Am I not of your bones and flesh, and is not Yaakov your abba, my abba? Why do you do this thing to me this day, and how will you be able to look up to our abba Yaakov?

30 And he continued to cry out and call to his brothers from the pit, and he said, O Yahudah, Shimeon, and Levi, my brothers, lift me up from the place of darkness in which you have placed me, and come this day to have rachamim on me, you children of YHUH, and sons of Yaakov my abba. And if I have sinned against you, are you not the sons of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov? If they saw an orphan they had rachamim over him, or one that was hungry, they gave him bread to eat, or one that was thirsty, they gave him mayim to drink, or one that was naked, and they covered him with garments!

31 And how then will you withhold your pity from your brother, for I am of your flesh and bones, and if I have sinned to you, surely you will do this on account of my abba!

32 And Yoseph spoke these words from the pit, and his brothers could not listen to him, nor incline their ears to the words of Yoseph, and Yoseph was crying and weeping in the pit.

33 And Yoseph said, O that my abba knew, this day, the act that my brothers have done to me, and the words that they have this day spoken to me.

34 And all his brothers heard his cries and weeping in the pit, and his brothers went and removed themselves from the pit, so that they might not hear the cries of Yoseph and his weeping in the pit.

CHAPTER 42

1 And they went and sat on the opposite side, about the distance of a bowshot, and they sat there to eat bread, and while they were eating, they held counsel together what was to be done with him, whether to slay him or to bring him back to his abba.

2 They were holding the counsel, when they lifted up their eyes, and saw, and behold there was a company of Yishmaelites coming at a distance by the road of Gilead, going down to Mitzrayim.

3 And Yahudah said to them, What gain will it be to us if we slay our brother? Perhaps YHUH will require him from us; this then is the counsel proposed concerning him, which you shall do to him: Behold this company of Yishmaelites going down to Mitzrayim,

4 Now therefore, come let us dispose of him to them, and let not our hand be upon him, and they will lead him along with them, and he will be lost among the people of the land, and we will not put him to death with our own hands. And the proposal pleased his brothers and they did according to the word of Yahudah.

5 And while they were discoursing about this matter, and before the company of Yishmaelites had come up to them, seven trading men of Midiyan passed by them, and as they passed they were thirsty, and they lifted up their eyes and saw the pit in which Yoseph was immured, and they looked, and behold every species of bird was upon him.

6 And these Midyanites ran to the pit to drink mayim, for they thought that it contained mayim, and on coming before the pit they heard the voice of Yoseph crying and weeping in the pit, and they looked down into the pit, and they saw and behold there was a youth of comely appearance and well favored.

7 And they called to him and said, Who are you and who brought you here, and who placed you in this pit, in the wilderness? And they all assisted to raise up Yoseph and they drew him out, and brought him up from the pit, and took him and went away on their journey and passed by his brothers.

8 And these said to them, Why do you do this, to take our servant from us and to go away? Surely we placed this youth in the pit because he rebelled against us, and you come and bring him up and lead him away; now then give us back our servant.

9 And the Midyanites answered and said to the sons of Yaakov, Is this your servant, or does this man attend you? Perhaps you are all his servants, for he is more comely and well favored than any of you, and why do you all speak falsely to us?

10 Now therefore we will not listen to your words, nor attend to you, for we found the youth in the pit in the wilderness, and we took him; we will therefore go on.

11 And all the sons of Yaakov approached them and rose up to them and said to them, Give us back our servant, and why will you all die by the edge of the sword? And the Midyanites cried out against them, and they drew their swords, and approached to fight with the sons of Yaakov.

12 And behold Shimeon rose up from his seat against them, and sprang upon the ground and drew his sword and approached the Midyanites and he gave a terrible shout before them, so that his shouting was heard at a distance, and the earth shook at Shimeon's shouting.

13 And the Midyanites were terrified on account of Shimeon and the noise of his shouting, and they fell upon their faces, and were excessively alarmed.

14 And Shimeon said to them, Verily I am Shimeon, the son of Yaakov the Ivri, who have, only with my brother, destroyed the city of Shechem and the cities of the Amorites; so shall YHUH moreover do to me, that if all your brothers the people of Midiyan, and also the melechim of Kanaan, were to come with you, they could not fight against me.

15 Now therefore give us back the youth whom you have taken, lest I give your flesh to the birds of the skies and the beasts of the earth.

16 And the Midyanites were more afraid of Shimeon, and they approached the sons of Yaakov with terror and fright, and with pathetic words, saying,

17 Surely you have said that the young man is your servant, and that he rebelled against you, and therefore you placed him in the pit; what then will you do with a servant who rebels against his master? Now therefore sell him to us, and we will give you all that you require for him; and YHUH was pleased to do this in order that the sons of Yaakov should not slay their brother.

18 And the Midyanites saw that Yoseph was of a comely appearance and well favored; they desired him in their hearts and were urgent to purchase him from his brothers.

19 And the sons of Yaakov hearkened to the Midyanites and they sold their brother Yoseph to them for twenty pieces of silver, and Reuven their brother was not with them, and the Midyanites took Yoseph and continued their journey to Gilead.

20 They were going along the road, and the Midyanites repented of what they had done, in having purchased the young man, and one said to the other, What is this thing that we have done, in taking this youth from the Ivrim, who is of comely appearance and well favored.

21 Perhaps this youth is stolen from the land of the Ivrim, and why then have we done this thing? And if he should be sought for and found in our hands we shall die through him.

22 Now surely hardy and powerful men have sold him to us, the strength of one of whom you saw this day; perhaps they stole him from his land with their might and with their powerful arm, and have therefore sold him to us for the small value which we gave to them.

23 And while they were this discoursing together, they looked, and behold the company of Yishmaelites which was coming at first, and which the sons of Yaakov saw, was advancing toward the Midyanites, and the Midyanites said to each other, Come let us sell this youth to the company of Yishmaelites who are coming toward us, and we will take for him the little that we gave for him, and we will be delivered from his evil.

24 And they did so, and they reached the Yishmaelites, and the Midyanites sold Yoseph to the Yishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver that they had given for him to his brothers.

25 And the Midyanites went on their road to Gilead, and the Yishmaelites took Yoseph and they let him ride upon one of the camels, and they were leading him to Mitzrayim.

26 And Yoseph heard that the Yishmaelites were proceeding to Mitzrayim, and Yoseph lamented and wept at this thing that he was to be so far removed from the land of Kanaan, from his abba, and he wept bitterly while he was riding upon the camel, and one of their men observed him, and made him go down from the camel and walk on foot, and notwithstanding this Yoseph continued to cry and weep, and he said, O my abba, my abba.

27 And one of the Yishmaelites rose up and smote Yoseph upon the cheek, and still he continued to weep; and Yoseph was fatigued in the road, and was unable to proceed on account of the bitterness of his being, and they all smote him and afflicted him in the road, and they terrified him in order that he might cease from weeping.

28 And YHUH saw the ambition of Yoseph and his trouble, and YHUH brought down upon those men darkness and confusion, and the hand of every one that smote him became withered.

29 And they said to each other, What is this thing that YHUH has done to us in the road? And they knew not that this befell them on account of Yoseph. And the men proceeded on the road, and they passed along the road of Ephrath where Rachel was buried.

30 And Yoseph reached his ema's grave, and Yoseph hurried and ran to his ema's grave, and fell upon the grave and wept.

31 And Yoseph cried aloud upon his ema's grave, and he said, O my ema, my ema, O you who did give me birth, awake now, and rise and see your son, how he has been sold for a slave, and no one to pity him.

32 O rise and see your son, weep with me on account of my troubles, and see the heart of my brothers.

33 Arise my ema, arise, awake from your sleep for me, and direct your battles against my brothers. O how have they stripped me of my coat, and sold me already twice for a slave, and separated me from my abba, and there is no one to pity me.

34 Arouse and lay your cause against them before YHUH, and see whom YHUH will justify in the mishpat, and whom he will condemn.

35 Rise, O my ema, rise, awake from your sleep and see my abba how his being is with me this day, and comfort him and ease his heart.

36 And Yoseph continued to speak these words, and Yoseph cried aloud and wept bitterly upon his ema's grave; and he ceased speaking, and from bitterness of heart he became still as a stone upon the grave.

37 And Yoseph heard a voice speaking to him from beneath the ground, which answered him with bitterness of heart, and with a voice of weeping and praying in these words:

38 My son, my son Yoseph, I have heard the voice of your weeping and the voice of your lamentation; I have seen your tears; I know your troubles, my son, and it grieves me for your sake, and abundant grief is added to my grief.

39 Now therefore my son, Yoseph my son, hope to YHUH, and wait for him and do not fear, for YHUH is with you, he will deliver you from all trouble.

40 Rise my son, go down to Mitzrayim with your masters, and do not fear, for YHUH is with you, my son. And she continued to speak like to these words to Yoseph, and she was still.

41 And Yoseph heard this, and he wondered greatly at this, and he continued to weep; and after this one of the Yishmaelites observed him crying and weeping upon the grave, and his anger was kindled against him, and he drove him from there, and he smote him and cursed him.

42 And Yoseph said to the men, May I find rachamim in your sight to take me back to my abba's house, and he will give you abundance of riches.

43 And they answered him, saying, Are you not a slave, and where is your abba? And if you had an abba you would not already twice have been sold for a slave for so little value; and their anger was still roused against him, and they continued to smite him and to chastise him, and Yoseph wept bitterly.

44 And YHUH saw Yoseph's affliction, and YHUH again smote these men, and chastised them, and YHUH caused darkness to envelope them upon the earth, and the lightning flashed and the thunder roared, and the earth shook at the voice of the thunder and of the mighty wind, and the men were terrified and knew not where they should go.

45 And the beasts and camels stood still, and they led them, but they would not go, they smote them, and they crouched upon the ground; and the men said to each other, What is this that YHUH has done to us? What are our transgressions, and what are our sins that this thing has this befallen us?

46 And one of them answered and said to them, Perhaps on account of the sin of afflicting this slave has this thing happened this day to us; now therefore implore him strongly to forgive us, and then we shall know on whose account this evil befalls us, and if YHUH shall have rachamim over us, then we shall know that all this comes to us on account of the sin of afflicting this slave.

47 And the men did so, and they supplicated Yoseph and pressed him to forgive them; and they said, We have sinned to YHUH and to you, now therefore promise us that you will request of your YHUH that he shall put away this death from among us, for we have sinned to Him.

48 And Yoseph did according to their words, and YHUH hearkened to Yoseph, and YHUH put away the plague which He had inflicted upon those men on account of Yoseph, and the beasts rose up from the ground and they conducted them, and they went on, and the raging storm abated and the earth became tranquilized, and the men proceeded on their journey to go down to Mitzrayim, and the men knew that this evil had befallen them on account of Yoseph.

49 And they said to each other, Behold we know that it was on account of his affliction that this evil befell us. Now therefore why shall we bring this death upon our beings? Let us hold counsel what to do to this slave.

50 And one answered and said, Surely he told us to bring him back to his abba; now therefore come, let us take him back and we will go to the place that he will tell us, and take from his family the price that we gave for him and we will then go away.

51 And one answered again and said, Behold this counsel is very tov, but we cannot do so for the way is very far from us, and we cannot go out of our road.

52 And one more answered and said to them, This is the counsel to be adopted, we will not swerve from it; behold we are this day going to Mitzrayim, and when we shall have come to Mitzrayim, we will sell him there at a high price, and we will be delivered from his evil.

53 And this thing pleased the men and they did so, and they continued their journey to Mitzrayim with Yoseph.

CHAPTER 43

1 And when the sons of Yaakov had sold their brother Yoseph to the Midianites, their hearts were smitten on account of him, and they repented of their acts, and they sought for him to bring him back, but could not find him.

2 And Reuven returned to the pit in which Yoseph had been put, in order to lift him out, and restore him to his abba, and Reuven stood by the pit, and he heard not a word, and he called out Yoseph! Yoseph! And no one answered or uttered a word.

3 And Reuven said, Yoseph has died through fright, or some serpent has caused his death; and Reuven descended into the pit, and he searched for Yoseph and could not find him in the pit, and he came out again.

4 And Reuven tore his garments and he said, The child is not there, and how shall I reconcile my abba about him if he is dead? And he went to his brothers and found them grieving on account of Yoseph, and counseling together how to reconcile their abba about him, and Reuven said to his brothers, I came to the pit and behold Yoseph was not there, what then shall we say to our abba, for my abba will only seek the lad from me.

5 And his brothers answered him saying, This and this we did, and our hearts afterward smote us on account of this act, and we now sit to seek a pretext how we shall reconcile our abba to it.

6 And Reuven said to them, What is this you have done to bring down the gray hairs of our abba in sorrow to the grave? The thing is not tov that you have done.

7 And Reuven sat with them, and they all rose up and swore to each other not to tell this thing to Yaakov, and they all said, The man who will tell this to our abba or his household, or who will report this to any of the children of the land, we will all rise up against him and slay him with the sword.

8 And the sons of Yaakov feared each other in this matter, from the youngest to the oldest, and no one spoke a word, and they concealed the thing in their hearts.

9 And they afterward sat down to determine and invent something to say to their abba Yaakov concerning all these things.

10 And Yissacher said to them, Here is an advice for you if it seems tov in your eyes to do this thing, take the coat, which belongs to Yoseph, and tear it, and kill a kid of the goats and dip it in its blood.

11 And send it to our abba and when he sees it he will say an evil beast has devoured him, therefore tear his coat and behold his blood will be upon his coat, and by your doing this we shall be free of our abba's murmurings.

12 And Yissacher's advice pleased them, and they hearkened to him and they did according to the word of Yissacher that he had counseled them.

13 And they hurried and took Yoseph's coat and tore it, and they killed a kid of the goats and dipped the coat in the blood of the kid, and then trampled it in the dust, and they sent the coat to their abba Yaakov by the hand of Naphtali, and they commanded him to say these words:

14 We had gathered in the cattle and had come as far as the road to Shechem and farther, when we found this coat upon the road in the wilderness dipped in blood and in dust; now therefore see whether it be your son's coat or not.

15 And Naphtali went and he came to his abba and he gave him the coat, and he spoke to him all the words that his brothers had commanded him.

16 And Yaakov saw Yoseph's coat and he knew it and he fell upon his face to the ground, and became as still as a stone, and he afterward rose up and cried out with a loud and weeping voice and he said, It is the coat of my son Yoseph!

17 And Yaakov hurried and sent one of his servants to his sons, who went to them and found them coming along the road with the flock.

18 And the sons of Yaakov came to their abba about evening, and behold their garments were torn and dust was upon their heads, and they found their abba crying out and weeping with a loud voice.

19 And Yaakov said to his sons, Tell me truly what evil have you this day suddenly brought upon me? And they answered their abba Yaakov, saying, We were coming along this day after the flock had been gathered in, and we came as far as the city of Shechem by the road in the wilderness, and we found this coat filled with blood upon the ground, and we identified it and we sent to you if you could identify it.

20 And Yaakov heard the words of his sons and he cried out with a loud voice, and he said, It is the coat of my son, an evil beast has devoured him; Yoseph is rent in pieces, for I sent him this day to see whether it was well with you and well with the flocks and to bring me word again from you, and he went as I commanded him, and this has happened to him this day while I thought my son was with you.

21 And the sons of Yaakov answered and said, He did not come to us, neither have we seen him from the time of our going out from you until now.

22 And when Yaakov heard their words he again cried out aloud, and he rose up and tore his garments, and he put sackcloth upon his loins, and he wept bitterly and he mourned and lifted up his voice in weeping and exclaimed and said these words,

23 Yoseph my son, O my son Yoseph, I sent you this day after the welfare of your brothers, and behold you have been torn in pieces; through my hand has this happened to my son.

24 It grieves me for you Yoseph my son, it grieves me for you; how sweet were you to me during life, and now how exceedingly bitter is your death to me.

25 0 that I had died in your stead Yoseph my son, for it grieves me sadly for you my son, O my son, my son. Yoseph my son, where are you, and where have you been drawn? Arise, arise from your place, and come and see my grief for you, O my son Yoseph.

26 Come now and number the tears gushing from my eyes down my cheeks, and bring them up before YHUH that His anger may turn from me.

27 0 Yoseph my son, how did you fall, by the hand of one by whom no one had fallen from the beginning of the world to this day; for you have been put to death by the smiting of an enemy, inflicted with cruelty, but surely I know that this has happened to you, on account of the multitude of my sins.

28 Arouse now and see how bitter is my trouble for you my son, although I did not rear you, nor fashion you, nor give you breath and being, but it was YHUH who formed you and built your bones and covered them with flesh, and breathed in your nostrils the breath of life, and then He gave you to me.

29 Now truly YHUH who gave you to me, He has taken you from me, and such then has befallen you

30 And Yaakov continued to speak like to these words concerning Yoseph, and he wept bitterly; he fell to the ground and became still.

31 And all the sons of Yaakov seeing their abba's trouble, they repented of what they had done, and they also wept bitterly.

32 And Yahudah rose up and lifted his abba's head from the ground, and placed it upon his lap, and he wiped his abba's tears from his cheeks, and Yahudah wept an exceeding great weeping, while his abba's head was reclining upon his lap, still as a stone.

33 And the sons of Yaakov saw their abba's trouble, and they lifted up their voices and continued to weep, and Yaakov was yet lying upon the ground still as a stone.

34 And all his sons and his servants and his servant's children rose up and stood around him to comfort him, and he refused to be comforted.

35 And the whole household of Yaakov rose up and mourned a great mourning on account of Yoseph and their abba's trouble, and the intelligence reached Yitzchak, the son of Avraham, the abba of Yaakov, and he wept bitterly on account of Yoseph, he and all his household, and he went from the place where he dwelt in Hevron, and his men with him, and he comforted Yaakov his son, and he refused to be comforted.

36 And after this, Yaakov rose up from the ground, and his tears were running down his cheeks, and he said to his sons, Rise up and take your swords and your bows, and go forth into the field, and seek whether you can find my son's body and bring it to me that I may bury it.

37 Seek also, I beg you, among the beasts and hunt them, and that which shall come the first before you, seize and bring it to me; perhaps YHUH will this day pity my affliction, and prepare before you that which did tear my son in pieces, and bring it to me, and I will avenge the cause of my son.

38 And his sons did as their abba had commanded them, and they rose up early in the morning, and each took his sword and his bow in his hand, and they went forth into the field to hunt the beasts.

39 And Yaakov was still crying aloud and weeping and walking to and fro in the house, and smiting his hands together, saying, Yoseph my son, Yoseph my son.

40 And the sons of Yaakov went into the wilderness to seize the beasts, and behold a wolf came toward them, and they seized him, and brought him to their abba, and they said to him, This is the first we have found, and we have brought him to you as you did command us, and your son's body we could not find.

41 And Yaakov took the beast from the hands of his sons, and he cried out with a loud and weeping voice, holding the beast in his hand, and he spoke with a bitter heart to the beast, Why did you devour my son Yoseph, and how did you have no fear of the YHUH of the earth, or of my trouble for my son Yoseph?

42 And you did devour my son for nothing, because he committed no violence, and did thereby render me culpable on his account, therefore YHUH will require him that is persecuted.

43 And YHUH opened the mouth of the beast in order to comfort Yaakov with its words, and it answered Yaakov and spoke these words to him,

44 As YHUH lives who created us in the earth, and as your being lives, my master, I did not see your son, neither did I tear him to pieces, but from a distant land I also came to seek my son who went from me this day, and I know not whether he be living or dead.

45 And I came this day into the field to seek my son, and your sons found me, and seized me and increased my grief, and have this day brought me before you, and I have now spoken all my words to you.

46 And now therefore, O son of man, I am in your hands, and do to me this day as it may seem tov in your sight, but by the life of YHUH who created me, I did not see your son, nor did I tear him to pieces, neither has the flesh of man entered my mouth all the days of my life.

47 And when Yaakov heard the words of the beast he was greatly astonished, and sent forth the beast from his hand, and she went her way.

48 And Yaakov was still crying aloud and weeping for Yoseph day after day, and he mourned for his son many days.

CHAPTER 44

1 And the sons of Yishmael who had bought Yoseph from the Midianites, who had bought him from his brothers, went to Mitzrayim with Yoseph, and they came upon the borders of Mitzrayim, and when they came near to Mitzrayim, they met four men of the sons of Medan the son of Avraham, who had gone forth from the land of Mitzrayim on their journey.

2 And the Yishmaelites said to them, Do you desire to purchase this slave from us? And they said, Deliver him over to us, and they delivered Yoseph over to them, and they beheld him that he was a very comely youth and they purchased him for twenty shekels.

3 And the Yishmaelites continued their journey to Mitzrayim and the Medanim also returned that day to Mitzrayim, and the Medanim said to each other, Behold we have heard that Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, seek a tov servant who shall stand before him to attend him, and to make him overseer over his house and all belonging to him.

4 Now therefore come let us sell him to him for what we may desire, if he be able to give to us that which we shall require from him.

5 And these Medanim went and came to the house of Potiphar, and said to him, We have heard that you seek a tov servant to attend you, behold we have a servant that will please you, if you can give to us that which we may desire, and we will sell him to you.

6 And Potiphar said, Bring him before me, and I will see him, and if he pleases me I will give to you that which you may require for him.

7 And the Medanim went and brought Yoseph and placed him before Potiphar, and he saw him, and he pleased him exceedingly, and Potiphar said to them, Tell me what you require for this youth?

8 And they said, Four hundred pieces of silver we desire for him, and Potiphar said, I will give it you if you bring me the record of his sale to you, and will tell me his history, for perhaps he may be stolen, for this youth is neither a slave, nor the son of a slave, but I observe in him the appearance of a goodly and handsome person.

9 And the Medanim went and brought to him the Yishmaelites who had sold him to them, and they told him, saying, He is a slave and we sold him to them.

10 And Potiphar heard the words of the Yishmaelites in his giving the silver to the Medanim, and the Medanim took the silver and went on their journey, and the Yishmaelites also returned home.

11 And Potiphar took Yoseph and brought him to his house that he might serve him, and Yoseph found favor in the sight of Potiphar, and he placed confidence in him, and made him overseer over his house, and all that belonged to him he delivered over into his hand.

12 And YHUH was with Yoseph and he became a prosperous man, and YHUH blessed the house of Potiphar for the sake of Yoseph.

13 And Potiphar left all that he had in the hand of Yoseph, and Yoseph was the one that caused things to come in and go out, and everything was regulated by his wish in the house of Potiphar.

14 And Yoseph was eighteen years old, a youth with beautiful eyes and of comely appearance, and like to him was not in the whole land of Mitzrayim.

15 At that time while he was in his master's house, going in and out of the house and attending his master, Zelicah, his master's wife, lifted up her eyes toward Yoseph and she looked at him, and behold he was a youth comely and well favored.

16 And she coveted his beauty in her heart, and her being was fixed upon Yoseph, and she enticed him day after day, and Zelicah persuaded Yoseph daily, but Yoseph did not lift up his eyes to behold his master's wife.

17 And Zelicah said to him, How goodly are your appearance and form, truly I have looked at all the slaves, and have not seen so beautiful a slave as you are; and Yoseph said to her, Surely he who created me in my ema's womb created all mankind.

18 And she said to him, How beautiful are your eyes, with which you have dazzled all the inhabitants of Mitzrayim, men and women; and he said to her, How beautiful they are while we are alive, but should you behold them in the grave, surely you would move away from them.

19 And she said to him, How beautiful and pleasing are all your words. Take now, I ask you, the harp that is in the house and play with your hands and let us hear your words.

20 And he said to her, How beautiful and pleasing are my words when I speak the praise of my YHUH and his glory; and she said to him, How very beautiful is the hair of your head, behold the golden comb which is in the house, take it I ask you, and curl the hair of your head.

21 And he said to her, How long will you speak these words? Cease to utter these words to me, and rise and attend to your domestic affairs.

22 And she said to him, There is no one in my house, and there is nothing to attend to but to your words and to your wish; yet notwithstanding all this, she could not bring Yoseph to her, neither did he place his eye upon her, but directed his eyes below to the ground.

23 And Zelicah desired Yoseph in her heart, that he should lie with her, and at the time that Yoseph was sitting in the house doing his work, Zelicah came and sat before him, and she enticed him daily with her discourse to lie with her, or even to look at her, but Yoseph would not listen to her.

24 And she said to him, If you will not do according to my words, I will chastise you with the punishment of death, and put an iron yoke upon you.

25 And Yoseph said to her, Surely YHUH who created man looses the fetters of prisoners, and it is He who will deliver me from your prison and from your mishpat.

26 And when she could not prevail over him, to persuade him, and her being still being fixed upon him, her desire threw her into a grievous sickness.

27 And all the women of Mitzrayim came to visit her, and they said to her, Why are you in this declining state? You that lack nothing; surely your husband is a great and esteemed prince in the sight of the melech, should you lack anything of what your heart desires?

28 And Zelicah answered them, saying, This day it shall be made known to you, where this disorder springs in which you see me, and she commanded her maid servants to prepare food for all the women, and she made a banquet for them, and all the women ate in the house of Zelicah.

29 And she gave them knives to peel the citrons to eat them, and she commanded that they should dress Yoseph in costly garments, and that he should appear before them, and Yoseph came before their eyes and all the women looked on Yoseph, and could not take their eyes from off him, and they all cut their hands with the knives that they had in their hands, and all the citrons that were in their hands were filled with blood.

30 And they knew not what they had done but they continued to look at the beauty of Yoseph, and did not turn their eyelids from him.

31 And Zelicah saw what they had done, and she said to them, What is this work that you have done? Behold I gave you citrons to eat and you have all cut your hands.

32 And all the women saw their hands, and behold they were full of blood, and their blood flowed down upon their garments, and they said to her, this slave in your house has overcome us, and we could not turn our eyelids from him on account of his beauty.

33 And she said to them, Surely this happened to you in the moment that you looked at him, and you could not contain yourselves from him; how then can I refrain when he is constantly in my house, and I see him day after day going in and out of my house? How then can I keep from declining or even from perishing on account of this?

34 And they said to her, the words are emet, for who can see this beautiful form in the house and refrain from him? And is he not your slave and attendant in your house, and why do you not tell him that which is in your heart, and allow your being to perish through this matter?

35 And she said to them, I am daily endeavoring to persuade him, and he will not consent to my wishes, and I promised him everything that is tov, and yet I could meet with no return from him; I am therefore in a declining state as you see.

36 And Zelicah became very ill on account of her desire toward Yoseph, and she was desperately lovesick on account of him, and all the people of the house of Zelicah and her husband knew nothing of this matter, that Zelicah was ill on account of her love to Yoseph.

37 And all the people of her house asked her, saying, Why are you ill and declining, and lack nothing? And she said to them, I know not this thing that is daily increasing upon me.

38 And all the women and her friends came daily to see her, and they spoke with her, and she said to them, This can only be through the love of Yoseph; and they said to her, Entice him and seize him secretly, perhaps he may listen to you, and put off this death from you.

39 And Zelicah became worse from her love to Yoseph, and she continued to decline, till she had scarcely enough strength to stand.

40 And on a certain day Yoseph was doing his master's work in the house, and Zelicah came secretly and fell suddenly upon him, and Yoseph rose up against her, and he was more powerful than she, and he brought her down to the ground.

41 And Zelicah wept on account of the desire of her heart toward him, and she supplicated him with weeping, and her tears flowed down her cheeks, and she spoke to him in a voice of supplication and in bitterness of being, saying,

42 Have you ever heard, seen or known of so beautiful a woman as I am, or better than myself, who speak daily to you, fall into a decline through love for you, confer all this honor upon you, and still you will not listen to my voice?

43 And if it be through fear of your master lest he punish you, as the melech lives no harm shall come to you from your master through this thing; now, therefore please listen to me, and consent for the sake of the honor which I have conferred upon you, and put off this death from me, and why should I die for your sake? And she ceased to speak.

44 And Yoseph answered her, saying, Refrain from me, and leave this matter to my master; behold my master knows not what there is with me in the house, for all that belongs to him he has delivered into my hand, and how shall I do these things in my master's house?

45 For he has also greatly honored me in his house, and he has also made me overseer over his house, and he has exalted me, and there is no one greater in this house than I am, and my master has held back nothing from me, excepting you who are his wife, how then can you speak these words to me, and how can I do this great evil and sin to YHUH and to your husband?

46 Now therefore refrain from me, and speak no more such words as these, for I will not listen to your words. But Zelicah would not listen to Yoseph when he spoke these words to her, but she daily enticed him to listen to her.

47 And it was after this that the brook of Mitzrayim was filled above all its sides, and all the inhabitants of Mitzrayim went forth, and also the melech and princes went forth with timbrels and dances, for it was a great rejoicing in Mitzrayim, and a holiday at the time of the inundation of the sea Sihor, and they went there to rejoice all the day.

48 And when the Mitzrites went out to the river to rejoice, as was their custom, all the people of the house of Potiphar went with them, but Zelicah would not go with them, for she said, I am indisposed, and she remained alone in the house, and no other person was with her in the house.

49 And she rose up and ascended to her temple in the house, and dressed herself in princely garments, and she placed upon her head precious stones of onyx stones, inlaid with silver and gold, and she beautified her face and skin with all sorts of women's purifying liquids, and she perfumed the temple and the house with cassia and frankincense, and she spread myrrh and aloes, and she afterward sat in the entrance of the temple, in the passage of the house, through which Yoseph passed to do his work, and behold Yoseph came from the field, and entered the house to do his master's work.

50 And he came to the place through which he had to pass, and he saw all the work of Zelicah, and he turned back.

51 And Zelicah saw Yoseph turning back from her, and she called out to him, saying What bothers you Yoseph? Come to your work, and behold I will make room for you until you shall have passed to your seat.

52 And Yoseph returned and came to the house, and passed from there to the place of his seat, and he sat down to do his master's work as usual and behold Zelicah came to him and stood before him in princely garments, and the scent from her clothes was spread to a distance.

53 And she hurried and caught hold of Yoseph and his garments, and she said to him, As the melech lives if you will not perform my request you shall die this day, and she hurried and stretched forth her other hand and drew a sword from beneath her garments, and she placed it upon Yoseph's neck, and she said, Rise and perform my request, and if not you die this day.

54 And Yoseph was afraid of her at her doing this thing, and he rose up to flee from her, and she seized the front of his garments, and in the terror of his flight the garment which Zelicah seized was torn, and Yoseph left the garment in the hand of Zelicah, and he fled and got out, for he was in fear.

55 And when Zelicah saw that Yoseph's garment was torn, and that he had left it in her hand, and had fled, she was afraid of her life, lest the report should spread concerning her, and she rose up and acted with cunning, and put off the garments in which she was dressed, and she put on her other garments.

56 And she took Yoseph's garment, and she laid it beside her, and she went and seated herself in the place where she had sat in her illness, before the people of her house had gone out to the river, and she called a young lad who was then in the house, and she ordered him to call the people of the house to her.

57 And when she saw them she said to them with a loud voice and lamentation, See what an Ivri your master has brought to me in the house, for he came this day to lie with me.

58 For when you had gone out he came to the house, and seeing that there was no person in the house, he came to me, and caught hold of me, with intent to lie with me.

59 And I seized his garments and tore them and called out against him with a loud voice, and when I had lifted up my voice he was afraid of his life and left his garment before me, and fled.

60 And the people of her house spoke nothing, but their wrath was very much kindled against Yoseph, and they went to his master and told him the words of his wife.

61 And Potiphar came home enraged, and his wife cried out to him, saying, What is this thing that you have done to me in bringing an Ivri servant into my house, for he came to me this day to sport with me; this did he do to me this day.

62 And Potiphar heard the words of his wife, and he ordered Yoseph to be punished with severe stripes, and they did so to him.

63 And while they were smiting him, Yoseph called out with a loud voice, and he lifted up his eyes to the shamayim, and he said, O YHUH YHUH, you know that I am innocent of all these things, and why shall I die this day through falsehood, by the hand of these uncircumcised wicked men, whom you know?

64 And while Potiphar's men were beating Yoseph, he continued to cry out and weep, and there was a child there eleven months old, and YHUH opened the mouth of the child, and he spoke these words before Potiphar's men, who were smiting Yoseph, saying,

65 What do you want of this man, and why do you do this evil to him? My ema speaks falsely and utters lies; this was what happened.

66 And the child told them accurately all that happened, and all the words of Zelicah to Yoseph day after day did he declare to them.

67 And all the men heard the words of the child and they wondered greatly at the child's words, and the child ceased to speak and became still.

68 And Potiphar was very much ashamed at the words of his son, and he commanded his men not to beat Yoseph any more, and the men ceased beating Yoseph.

69 And Potiphar took Yoseph and ordered him to be brought to mishpat before the priests, who were shophtim belonging to the melech, in order to judge him concerning this affair.

70 And Potiphar and Yoseph came before the priests who were the melech's shophtim, and he said to them, Decide I ask you, what mishpat is due to a servant, for this has he done.

71 And the priests said to Yoseph, Why did you do this thing to your master? And Yoseph answered them, saying, Not so my masters, this was the matter; and Potiphar said to Yoseph, Surely I entrusted in your hands all that belonged to me, and I withheld nothing from you but my wife, and how could you do this evil?

72 And Yoseph answered saying, Not so my master, as YHUH lives, and as your being lives, my master, the word that you did hear from your wife is untrue, for this was the affair this day.

73 A year has elapsed to me since I have been in your house; have you seen any iniquity in me, or anything that might cause you to demand my life?

74 And the priests said to Potiphar, Send, we ask you, and let them bring before us Yoseph's torn garment, and let us see the tear in it, and if it shall be that the tear is in front of the garment, then his face must have been opposite to her and she must have caught hold of him, to come to her, and with deceit did your wife do all that she has spoken.

75 And they brought Yoseph's garment before the priests who were shophtim, and they saw and behold the tear was in front of Yoseph, and all the judging priests knew that she had pressed him, and they said, The mishpat of death is not due to this slave for he has done nothing, but his mishpat is, that he be placed in the prison house on account of the report, which through him has gone forth against your wife.

76 And Potiphar heard their words, and he placed him in the prison house, the place where the melech's prisoners are confined, and Yoseph was in the house of confinement twelve years.

77 And notwithstanding this, his master's wife did not turn from him, and she did not cease from speaking to him day after day to listen to her, and at the end of three months Zelicah continued going to Yoseph to the house of confinement day by day, and she enticed him to listen to her, and Zelicah said to Yoseph, How long will you remain in this house? But listen now to my voice, and I will bring you out of this house.

78 And Yoseph answered her, saying, It is better for me to remain in this house than to listen to your words, to sin against YHUH; and she said to him, If you will not perform my wish, I will pluck out your eyes, add fetters to your feet, and will deliver you into the hands of them whom you did not know before.

79 And Yoseph answered her and said, Behold the YHUH of the whole earth is able to deliver me from all that you can do to me, for he opens the eyes of the blind, and looses those that are bound, and preserves all strangers who are unacquainted with the land.

80 And when Zelicah was unable to persuade Yoseph to listen to her, she left off going to entice him; and Yoseph was still confined in the house of confinement. And Yaakov the abba of Yoseph, and all his brothers who were in the land of Kanaan still mourned and wept in those days on account of Yoseph, for Yaakov refused to be comforted for his son Yoseph, and Yaakov cried aloud, and wept and mourned all those days.

CHAPTER 45

1 And it was at that time in that year, which is the year of Yoseph's going down to Mitzrayim after his brothers had sold him, that Reuven the son of Yaakov went to Timnah and took to him for a wife Eliuram, the daughter of Avi the Canaanite, and he came to her.

2 And Eliuram the wife of Reuven conceived and bare him Hanoch, Palu, Chetzron and Carmi, four sons; and Shimeon his brother took his sister Dinah for a wife, and she bare to him Memuel, Yamin, Ohad, Yachin and Zochar, five sons.

3 And he afterward came to Bunah the Canaanitish woman, the same is Bunah whom Shimeon took captive from the city of Shechem, and Bunah was before Dinah and attended upon her, and Shimeon came to her, and she bare to him Shaul.

4 And Yahudah went at that time to Adulam, and he came to a man of Adulam, and his name was Hirah, and Yahudah saw there the daughter of a man from Kanaan, and her name was Aliyath, the daughter of Shua, and he took her, and came to her, and Aliyath bare to Yahudah, Er, Onan and Shiloh; three sons.

5 And Levi and Yissacher went to the land of the east, and they took to themselves for wives the daughters of Yovab the son of Yoktan, the son of Ever; and Yovab the son of Yoktan had two daughters; the name of the zachena was Adinah, and the name of the younger was Aridah.

6 And Levi took Adinah, and Yissacher took Aridah, and they came to the land of Kanaan, to their abba's house, and Adinah bare to Levi, Gershon, Kohath and Merari; three sons.

7 And Aridah bare to Yissacher Tola, Puvah, Iyov and Shomron, four sons; and Dan went to the land of Moav and took for a wife Aphlaleth, the daughter of Chamudan the Moavite, and he brought her to the land of Kanaan.

8 And Aphlaleth was barren, she had no offspring, and YHUH afterward remembered Aphlaleth the wife of Dan, and she conceived and bare a son, and she called his name Chushim.

9 And Gad and Naphtali went to Charan and took from there the daughters of Amuram the son of Uz, the son of Nachor, for wives.

10 And these are the names of the daughters of Amuram; the name of the zachena was Merimah, and the name of the younger Uzith; and Naphtali took Merimah, and Gad took Uzith; and brought them to the land of Kanaan, to their abba's house.

11 And Merimah bare to Naphtali Yachzeel, Guni, Yazer and Shalem, four sons; and Uzith bare to Gad Zephion, Chagi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Arali, seven sons.

12 And Asher went forth and took Adon the daughter of Aphlal, the son of Hadad, the son of Yishmael, for a wife, and he brought her to the land of Kanaan.

13 And Adon the wife of Asher died in those days: she had no offspring; and it was after the death of Adon that Asher went to the other side of the river and took for a wife Chadurah the daughter of Avimael, the son of Ever, the son of Shem.

14 And the young woman was of a comely appearance, and a woman of sense, and she had been the wife of Malkiel the son of Eylam, the son of Shem.

15 And Chadurah bare a daughter to Malkiel, and he called her name Serach, and Malkiel died after this, and Chadurah went and remained in her abba's house.

16 And after the death of the wife at Asher he went and took Chadurah for a wife, and brought her to the land of Kanaan, and Serach her daughter he also brought with them, and she was three years old, and the damsel was brought up in Yaakov's house.

17 And the damsel was of a comely appearance, and she went in the set-apart halachot of the children of Yaakov; she lacked nothing, and YHUH gave her wisdom and understanding.

18 And Chadurah the wife of Asher conceived and bare to him Yimnah, Yishvah, Yishvi and Beriyah; four sons.

19 And Zevulun went to Midiyan, and took for a wife Merishah the daughter of Molad, the son of Avida, the son of Midiyan, and brought her to the land of Kanaan.

20 And Merushah bare to Zevulun Sered, Eylon and Yachleel; three sons.

21 And Yaakov sent to Aram, the son of Zova, the son of Terah, and he took for his son Binyamin Mechaliyah the daughter of Aram, and she came to the land of Kanaan to the house of Yaakov; and Binyamin was ten years old when he took Mechaliyah the daughter of Aram for a wife.

22 And Mechaliyah conceived and bare to Binyamin Bela, Becher, Ashvel, Gera and Naaman, five sons; and Binyamin went afterward and took for a wife Arivath, the daughter of Shomron, the son of Avraham, in addition to his first wife, and he was eighteen years old; and Arivath bare to Binyamin Achi, Vosh, Mupim, Chupim, and Ord; five sons.

23 And in those days Yahudah went to the house of Shem and took Tamar the daughter of Eylam, the son of Shem, for a wife for his bechor Er.

24 And Er came to his wife Tamar, and she became his wife, and when he came to her he outwardly destroyed his zera, and his work was evil in the sight of YHUH, and YHUH slew him. 

25 And it was after the death of Er, Yahudah's bechor, that Yahudah said to Onan, go to your brother's wife and marry her as the next of kin, and raise up zera to your brother.

26 And Onan took Tamar for a wife and he came to her, and Onan also did like to the work of his brother, and his work was evil in the sight of YHUH, and he slew him also.

27 And when Onan died, Yahudah said to Tamar, Remain in your abba's house until my son Shiloh shall have grown up, and Yahudah did no more delight in Tamar, to give her to Shiloh, for he said, Perhaps he will also die like his brothers.

28 And Tamar rose up and went and remained in her abba's house, and Tamar was in her abba's house for some time.

29 And at the turn of the year, Aliyath the wife of Yahudah died; and Yahudah was comforted for his wife, and after the death of Aliyath, Yahudah went up with his friend Hirah to Timnah to shear their sheep.

30 And Tamar heard that Yahudah had gone up to Timnah to shear the sheep, and that Shiloh was grown up, and Yahudah did not delight in her.

31 And Tamar rose up and put off the garments of her widowhood, and she put a vail upon her, and she entirely covered herself, and she went and sat in the public thoroughfare, which is upon the road to Timnah.

32 And Yahudah passed and saw her and took her and he came to her, and she conceived by him, and at the time of being delivered, behold, there were twins in her womb, and he called the name of the first Peretz, and the name of the second Zarah.

CHAPTER 46

1 In those days Yoseph was still confined in the prison house in the land of Mitzrayim.

2 At that time the attendants of Pharaoh were standing before him, the chief of the butlers and the chief of the bakers who belonged to the melech of Mitzrayim.

3 And the butler took wine and placed it before the melech to drink, and the baker placed bread before the melech to eat, and the melech drank of the wine and ate of the bread, he and his servants and ministers that ate at the melech's table.

4 And while they were eating and drinking, the butler and the baker remained there, and Pharaoh's ministers found many flies in the wine, which the butler had brought, and stones of nitre were found in the baker's bread.

5 And the captain of the guard placed Yoseph as an attendant on Pharaoh's officers, and Pharaoh's officers were in confinement one year.

6 And at the end of the year, they both dreamed dreams in one night, in the place of confinement where they were, and in the morning Yoseph came to them to attend upon them as usual, and he saw them, and behold their countenances were dejected and sad.

7 And Yoseph asked them, Why are your countenances sad and dejected this day? And they said to him, We dreamed a dream, and there is no one to interpret it; and Yoseph said to them, Relate, I ask you, your dream to me, and YHUH shall give you an answer of shalom as you desire.

8 And the butler related his dream to Yoseph, and he said, I saw in my dream, and behold a large vine was before me, and upon that vine I saw three branches, and the vine speedily blossomed and reached a great height, and its clusters were ripened and became grapes.

9 And I took the grapes and pressed them in a cup, and placed it in Pharaoh's hand and he drank; and Yoseph said to him, The three branches that were upon the vine are three days.

10 Yet within three days, the melech will order you to be brought out and he will restore you to your office, and you shall give the melech his wine to drink as at first when you were his butler; but let me find favor in your sight, that you shall remember me to Pharaoh when it will be well with you, and do chesed to me, and get me brought forth from this prison, for I was stolen away from the land of Kanaan and was sold for a slave to this place.

11 And also that which was told you concerning my master's wife is false, for they placed me in this dungeon for nothing; and the butler answered Yoseph, saying, If the melech deal well with me as at first, as you last interpreted to me, I will do all that you desire, and get you brought out of this dungeon.

12 And the baker, seeing that Yoseph had accurately interpreted the butler's dream, also approached, and related the whole of his dream to Yoseph.

13 And he said to him, In my dream I saw and behold three white baskets upon my head, and I looked, and behold there were in the upper-most basket all manner of baked meats for Pharaoh, and behold the birds were eating them from off my head.

14 And Yoseph said to him, The three baskets that you did see are three days, yet within three days Pharaoh will take off your head, and hang you upon a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh from off you, as you saw in your dream.

15 In those days the queen was about to be delivered, and upon that day she bare a son to the melech of Mitzrayim, and they proclaimed that the melech had gotten his bechor and all the people of Mitzrayim together with the officers and servants of Pharaoh rejoiced greatly.

16 And upon the third day of his birth Pharaoh made a feast for his officers and servants, for the hosts of the land of Zoar and of the land of Mitzrayim.

17 And all the people of Mitzrayim and the servants of Pharaoh came to eat and drink with the melech at the feast of his son, and to rejoice at the melech's rejoicing.

18 And all the officers of the melech and his servants were rejoicing at that time for eight days at the feast, and they made merry with all sorts of musical instruments, with timbrels and with dances in the melech's house for eight days.

19 And the butler, to whom Yoseph had interpreted his dream, forgot Yoseph, and he did not mention him to the melech as he had promised, for this thing was from YHUH in order to punish Yoseph because he had trusted in man.

20 And Yoseph remained after this in the prison house two years, until he had completed twelve years.

CHAPTER 47

1 And Yitzchak the son of Avraham was still living in those days in the land of Kanaan; he was very aged, one hundred and eighty years old, and Esav his son, the brother of Yaakov, was in the land of Edom, and he and his sons had possessions in it among the children of Seir.

2 And Esav heard that his abba's time was drawing near to die, and he and his sons and household came to the land of Kanaan, to his abba's house, and Yaakov and his sons went forth from the place where they dwelt in Hevron, and they all came to their abba Yitzchak, and they found Esav and his sons in the tent.

3 And Yaakov and his sons sat before his abba Yitzchak, and Yaakov was still mourning for his son Yoseph.

4 And Yitzchak said to Yaakov, Bring me here your sons and I will bless them; and Yaakov brought his eleven children before his abba Yitzchak.

5 And Yitzchak placed his hands upon all the sons of Yaakov, and he took hold of them and embraced them, and kissed them one by one, and Yitzchak blessed them on that day, and he said to them, May the YHUH of your ahvot bless you and increase your zera like the stars of the shamayim for number.

6 And Yitzchak also blessed the sons of Esav, saying, May YHUH cause you to be a dread and a terror to all that will behold you, and to all your enemies.

7 And Yitzchak called Yaakov and his sons, and they all came and sat before Yitzchak, and Yitzchak said to Yaakov, YHUH Ahlohim of the whole earth said to me, Unto your zera will I give this land for an inheritance if your children keep my chukim and my halachot, and I will perform to them the oath which I swore to your abba Avraham.

8 Now therefore my son, teach your children and your children's children to fear YHUH, and to go in the tov way which will please YHUH your YHUH, for if you keep the halachot of YHUH and His chukim YHUH will also keep with you His covenant with Avraham, and will do well with you and your zera all the days.

9 And when Yitzchak had finished commanding Yaakov and his children, he gave up the spirit and died, and was gathered to his people.

10 And Yaakov and Esav fell upon the face of their abba Yitzchak, and they wept, and Yitzchak was one hundred and eighty years old when he died in the land of Kanaan, in Hevron, and his sons carried him to the cave of Machpelah, which Avraham had bought from the children of Cheth for a possession of a burial place.

11 And all the melechim of the land of Kanaan went with Yaakov and Esav to bury Yitzchak, and all the melechim of Kanaan showed Yitzchak great honor at his death.

12 And the sons of Yaakov and the sons of Esav went barefooted round about, walking and lamenting until they reached Kiryath-Arba.

13 And Yaakov and Esav buried their abba Yitzchak in the cave of Machpelah, which is in Kiryath-Arba in Hevron, and they buried him with very great honor, as at the funeral of melechim.

14 And Yaakov and his sons, and Esav and his sons, and all the melechim of Kanaan made a great and heavy mourning, and they buried him and mourned for him many days.

15 And at the death of Yitzchak, he left his cattle and his possessions and all belonging to him to his sons; and Esav said to Yaakov, Behold I ask you, all that our abba has left we will divide it in two parts, and I will have the choice, and Yaakov said, We will do so.

16 And Yaakov took all that Yitzchak had left in the land of Kanaan, the cattle and the property, and he placed them in two parts before Esav and his sons, and he said to Esav, Behold all this is before you, choose for yourself the half that you will take.

17 And Yaakov said to Esav, Hear you I ask you what I will speak to you, saying, YHUH Ahlohim of the shamayim and earth spoke to our ahvot Avraham and Yitzchak, saying, Unto your zera will I give this land for an inheritance le-olam-va-ed.

18 Now therefore all that our abba has left is before you, and behold all the land is before you; choose you from them what you desire.

19 If you desire the whole land take it for you and your children le-olam-va-ed, and I will take this riches, and if you desire the riches take it to you, and I will take this land for me and for my children to inherit it le-olam-va-ed.

20 And Nevayoth, the son of Yishmael, was then in the land with his children, and Esav went on that day and consulted with him, saying.

21 This has Yaakov spoken to me, and this has he answered me, now give your advice and we will hear.

22 And Nevayoth said, What is this that Yaakov has spoken to you? Behold all the children of Kanaan are dwelling securely in their land, and Yaakov says he will inherit it with his zera all the days.

23 Go now therefore and take all your abba's riches and leave Yaakov your brother in the land, as he has spoken.

24 And Esav rose up and returned to Yaakov, and did all that Nevayoth the son of Yishmael had advised; and Esav took all the riches that Yitzchak had left, the beings, the beasts, the cattle and the property, and all the riches; he gave nothing to his brother Yaakov; and Yaakov took all the land of Kanaan, from the brook of Mitzrayim to the River Euphrates, and he took it for an everlasting possession, and for his children and for his zera after him le-olam-va-ed.

25 Yaakov also took from his brother Esav the cave of Machpelah, which is in Hevron, which Avraham had bought from Ephron for a possession of a burial place for him and his zera le-olam-va-ed.

26 And Yaakov wrote all these things in the scroll of purchase, and he signed it, and he testified all this with four faithful witnesses.

27 And these are the words which Yaakov wrote in the scroll, saying: The land of Kanaan and all the cities of the Hittites, the Hivites, the Yevusites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, and the Gergashites, all the seven nations from the river of Mitzrayim to the River Euphrates.

28 And the city of Hevron Kiryath-Arba, and the cave which is in it, the whole land did Yaakov buy from his brother Esav for value, for a possession and for an inheritance for his zera after him le-olam-va-ed.

29 And Yaakov took the scroll of purchase and the signature, the command and the statutes and the revealed scroll, and he placed them in an earthen vessel in order that they should remain for a long time, and he delivered them into the hands of his children.

30 Esav took all that his abba had left him after his death from his brother Yaakov, and he took all the property, from man and beast, camel and donkey, ox and lamb, silver and gold, stones and bdellium, and all the riches which had belonged to Yitzchak the son of Avraham; there was nothing left which Esav did not take to himself, from all that Yitzchak had left after his death.

31 And Esav took all this, and he and his children went home to the land of Seir the Horite, away from his brother Yaakov and his children.

32 And Esav had possessions among the children of Seir, and Esav returned not to the land of Kanaan from that day forward.

33 And the whole land of Kanaan became an inheritance to the children of Yisrael for an everlasting inheritance, and Esav with all his children inherited the mountain of Seir.

CHAPTER 48

1 In those days, after the death of Yitzchak, YHUH commanded and caused a famine upon the whole earth.

2 At that time Pharaoh melech of Mitzrayim was sitting upon his throne in the land of Mitzrayim, and lay in his bed and dreamed dreams, and Pharaoh saw in his dream that he was standing by the side of the river of Mitzrayim.

3 And while he was standing he saw and behold seven fat fleshed and well-favored kine came up out of the river.

4 And seven other kine, lean fleshed and ill favored, came up after them, and the seven ill favored ones swallowed up the well favored ones, and still their appearance was ill as at first.

5 And he awoke, and he slept again and he dreamed a second time, and he saw and behold seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and tov, and seven thin ears blasted with the east wind sprang, up after them, and the thin ears swallowed up the full ones, and Pharaoh awoke out of his dream.

6 And in the morning the melech remembered his dreams, and his ruach was sadly troubled on account of his dreams, and the melech hurried and sent and called for all the magicians of Mitzrayim, and the wise men, and they came and stood before Pharaoh.

7 And the melech said to them, I have dreamed dreams, and there is none to interpret them; and they said to the melech, relate your dreams to your servants and let us hear them.

8 And the melech related his dreams to them, and they all answered and said with one voice to the melech, may the melech live le-olam-va-ed; and this is the interpretation of your dreams.

9 The seven tov kine which you did see denote seven daughters that will be born to you in the latter-days, and the seven kine which you saw come up after them, and swallowed them up, are for a sign that the daughters which will be born to you will all die in the life-time of the melech.

10 And that which you did see in the second dream of seven full tov ears of corn coming up upon one stalk, this is their interpretation, that you will build to yourself in the latter-days seven cities throughout the land of Mitzrayim; and that which you saw of the seven blasted ears of corn springing up after them and swallowing them up while you did behold them with your eyes, is for a sign that the cities which you will build will all be destroyed in the latter-days, in the life-time of the melech.

11 And when they spoke these words the melech did not incline his ear to their words, neither did he fix his heart upon them, for the melech knew in his wisdom that they did not give a proper interpretation of the dreams; and when they had finished speaking before the melech, the melech answered them, saying, What is this thing that you have spoken to me? Surely you have uttered falsehood and spoken lies; therefore now give the proper interpretation of my dreams that you may not die.

12 And the melech commanded after this, and he sent and called again for other wise men, and they came and stood before the melech, and the melech related his dreams to them, and they all answered him according to the first interpretation, and the melech's anger was kindled and he was very angry, and the melech said to them, Surely you speak lies and utter falsehood in what you have said.

13 And the melech commanded that a proclamation should be issued throughout the land of Mitzrayim, saying, It is resolved by the melech and his great men, that any wise man who knows and understands the interpretation of dreams, and will not come this day before the melech, shall die.

14 And the man that will declare to the melech the proper interpretation of his dreams, there shall be given to him all that he will require from the melech. And all the wise men of the land of Mitzrayim came before the melech, together with all the magicians and sorcerers that were in Mitzrayim and in Goshen, in Rameses, in Tachpanches, in Zoar, and in all the places on the borders of Mitzrayim, and they all stood before the melech.

15 And all the nobles and the princes, and the attendants belonging to the melech, came together from all the cities of Mitzrayim, and they all sat before the melech, and the melech related his dreams before the wise men, and the princes, and all that sat before the melech were astonished at the vision.

16 And all the wise men that were before the melech were greatly divided in their interpretation of his dreams; some of them interpreted them to the melech, saying, The seven tov kine are seven melechim, who from the melech's issue will be raised over Mitzrayim.

17 And the seven bad kine are seven princes, who will stand up against them in the latter-days and destroy them; and the seven ears of corn are the seven great princes belonging to Mitzrayim, who will fall in the hands of the seven less powerful princes of their enemies, in the wars of our master the melech.

18 And some of them interpreted to the melech in this manner, saying, The seven tov kine are the strong cities of Mitzrayim, and the seven bad kine are the seven nations of the land of Kanaan, who will come against the seven cities of Mitzrayim in the latter-days and destroy them.

19 And that which you saw in the second dream, of seven tov and bad ears of corn, is a sign that the government of Mitzrayim will again return to your zera as at first.

20 And in his reign the people of the cities of Mitzrayim will turn against the seven cities of Kanaan who are stronger than they are, and will destroy them, and the government of Mitzrayim will return to your zera.

21 And some of them said to the melech, This is the interpretation of your dreams; the seven tov kine are seven queens, whom you will take for wives in the latter-days, and the seven bad kine denote that those women will all die in the lifetime of the melech.

22 And the seven tov and bad ears of corn which you did see in the second dream are fourteen children, and it will be in the latter-days that they will stand up and fight among themselves, and seven of them will smite the seven that are more powerful.

23 And some of them said these words to the melech, saying, The seven tov kine denote that seven children will be born to you, and they will slay seven of your children's children in the latter-days; and the seven tov ears of corn which you did see in the second dream, are those princes against whom seven other less powerful princes will fight and destroy them in the latter-days, and avenge your children's cause, and the government will again return to your zera.

24 And the melech heard all the words of the wise men of Mitzrayim and their interpretation of his dreams, and none of them pleased the melech.

25 And the melech knew in his wisdom that they did not altogether speak correctly in all these words, for this was from YHUH to frustrate the words of the wise men of Mitzrayim, in order that Yoseph might go forth from the house of confinement, and in order that he should become great in Mitzrayim.

26 And the melech saw that none among all the wise men and magicians of Mitzrayim spoke correctly to him, and the melech's wrath was kindled, and his anger burned within him.

27 And the melech commanded that all the wise men and magicians should go out from before him, and they all went out from before the melech with shame and disgrace.

28 And the melech commanded that a proclamation be sent throughout Mitzrayim to slay all the magicians that were in Mitzrayim, and not one of them should be allowed to live.

29 And the captains of the guards belonging to the melech rose up, and each man drew his sword, and they began to smite the magicians of Mitzrayim, and the wise men.

30 And after this Merod, chief butler to the melech, came and bowed down before the melech and sat before him.

31 And the butler said to the melech, May the melech live le-olam-va-ed, and his government be exalted in the land.

32 You were angry with your servant in those days, now two years past, and did place me in the prison, and I was for some time in the prison, I and the chief of the bakers.

33 And there was with us an Ivri servant belonging to the captain of the guard, his name was Yoseph, for his master had been angry with him and placed him in the house of confinement, and he attended us there.

34 And in some time after when we were in the prison, we dreamed dreams in one night, I and the chief of the bakers; we dreamed, each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

35 And we came in the morning and told them to that servant, and he interpreted to us our dreams, to each man according to his dream, did he correctly interpret.

36 And it came to pass as he interpreted to us, so was the event; there fell not to the ground any of his words.

37 And now therefore my master and melech do not slay the people of Mitzrayim for nothing. Behold that slave is still confined in the house by the captain of the guard his master, in the house of confinement.

38 If it pleases the melech let him send for him that he may come before you and he will make known to you, the correct interpretation of the dream that you did dream.

39 And the melech heard the words of the chief butler, and the melech ordered that the wise men of Mitzrayim should not be slain.

40 And the melech ordered his servants to bring Yoseph before him, and the melech said to them, Go to him and do not terrify him lest he be confused and will not know to speak properly.

41 And the servants of the melech went to Yoseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon, and the melech's servants shaved him, and he changed his prison garment and he came before the melech.

42 And the melech was sitting upon his royal throne in a princely dress girt around with a golden ephod, and the fine gold which was upon it sparkled, and the carbuncle and the ruby and the emerald, together with all the precious stones that were upon the melech's head, dazzled the eye, and Yoseph wondered greatly at the melech.

43 And the throne upon which the melech sat was covered with gold and silver, and with onyx stones, and it had seventy steps.

44 And it was their custom throughout the land of Mitzrayim, that every man who came to speak to the melech, if he was a prince or one that was estimable in the sight of the melech, he ascended to the melech's throne as far as the thirty-first step, and the melech would descend to the thirty-sixth step, and speak with him.

45 If he was one of the common people, he ascended to the third step, and the melech would descend to the fourth and speak to him, and their custom was, moreover, that any man who understood to speak in all the seventy languages, he ascended the seventy steps, and went up and spoke till he reached the melech.

46 And any man who could not complete the seventy, he ascended as many steps as the languages which he knew to speak in.

47 And it was customary in those days in Mitzrayim that no one should reign over them, but who understood to speak in the seventy languages.

48 And when Yoseph came before the melech he bowed down to the ground before the melech, and he ascended to the third step, and the melech sat upon the fourth step and spoke with Yoseph.

49 And the melech said to Yoseph, I dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter to interpret it properly, and I commanded this day that all the magicians of Mitzrayim and the wise men of it, should come before me, and I related my dreams to them, and no one has properly interpreted them to me.

50 And after this, I this day heard concerning you that you are a wise man, and can correctly interpret every dream that you hear.

51 And Yoseph answered Pharaoh, saying, Let Pharaoh relate his dreams that he dreamed; surely the interpretations belong to YHUH; and Pharaoh related his dreams to Yoseph, the dream of the kine, and the dream of the ears of corn, and the melech left off speaking.

52 And Yoseph was then clothed with the Ruach of YHUH before the melech, and he knew all the things that would befall the melech from that day forward, and he knew the proper interpretation of the melech's dream, and he spoke before the melech.

53 And Yoseph found favor in the sight of the melech, and the melech inclined his ears and his heart, and he heard all the words of Yoseph. And Yoseph said to the melech, Do not imagine that they are two dreams, for it is only one dream, for that which YHUH has chosen to do throughout the land he has shown to the melech in his dream, and this is the proper interpretation of your dream:

54 The seven tov kine and ears of corn are seven years, and the seven bad kine and ears of corn are also seven years; it is one dream.

55 Behold the seven years that are coming there will be a great plenty throughout the land, and after that the seven years of famine will follow them, a very grievous famine; and all the plenty will be forgotten from the land, and the famine will consume the inhabitants of the land.

56 The melech dreamed one dream, and the dream was therefore repeated to Pharaoh because the thing is established by YHUH, and YHUH will shortly bring it to pass.

57 Now therefore I will give you counsel and deliver your being and the beings of the inhabitants of the land from the evil of the famine, that you seek throughout your malchut for a man very discreet and wise, who knows all the affairs of government, and appoint him to superintend over the land of Mitzrayim.

58 And let the man whom you place over Mitzrayim appoint officers under him, that they gather in all the food of the tov years that are coming, and let them lay up corn and deposit it in your appointed stores.

59 And let them keep that food for the seven years of famine, that it may be found for you and your people and your whole land, and that you and your land are not cut off by the famine.

60 Let all the inhabitants of the land be also ordered that they gather in, every man the produce of his field, of all sorts of food, during the seven tov years, and that they place it in their stores, that it may be found for them in the days of the famine and that they may live upon it.

61 This is the proper interpretation of your dream, and this is the counsel given to save your being and the beings of all your subjects.

62 And the melech answered and said to Yoseph, Who says and who knows that your words are correct? And he said to the melech, This shall be a sign for you respecting all my words, that they are emet and that my advice is tov for you.

63 Behold your wife sits this day upon the stool of delivery, and she will bear you a son and you will rejoice with him; when your child shall have gone forth from his ema's womb, your bechor son that has been born these two years back shall die, and you will be comforted in the child that will be born to you this day.

64 And Yoseph finished speaking these words to the melech, and he bowed down to the melech and he went out, and when Yoseph had gone out from the melech's presence, those signs which Yoseph had spoken to the melech came to pass on that day.

65 And the queen bare a son on that day and the melech heard the glad tidings about his son, and he rejoiced, and when the reporter had gone forth from the melech's presence, the melech's servants found the bechor of the melech fallen dead upon the ground.

66 And there was great lamentation and noise in the melech's house, and the melech heard it, and he said, What is the noise and lamentation that I have heard in the house? And they told the melech that his bechor had died; then the melech knew that all Yoseph's words that he had spoken were correct, and then the melech was consoled about his son, by the child that was born to him on that day, as Yoseph had spoken.

CHAPTER 49

1 After these things the melech sent and assembled all his officers and servants, and all the princes and nobles belonging to the melech, and they all came before the melech.

2 And the melech said to them, Behold you have seen and heard all the words of this Ivri man, and all the signs that he declared would come to pass, and not any of his words have fallen to the ground.

3 You know that he has given a proper interpretation of the dream, and it will surely come to pass, now therefore take counsel, and know what you will do and how the land will be delivered from the famine.

4 Seek now and see whether the like can be found, in whose heart there is wisdom and knowledge, and I will appoint him over the land.

5 For you have heard what the Ivri man has advised concerning this to save the land therewith from the famine, and I know that the land will not be delivered from the famine without the advice of the Ivri man, him that advised me.

6 And they all answered the melech and said, The counsel which the Ivri has given concerning this is tov; now therefore, our master and melech, behold the whole land is in your hand, do that which seems tov in your sight.

7 Him whom you choose, and whom you in your wisdom know to be wise and capable of delivering the land with his wisdom, him shall the melech appoint to be under him over the land.

8 And the melech said to all the officers: I have thought that since YHUH has made known to the Ivri man all that he has spoken, there is none so discreet and wise in the whole land as he is; if it seem tov in your sight I will place him over the land, for he will save the land with his wisdom.

9 And all the officers answered the melech and said, But surely it is written in the laws of Mitzrayim, and it should not be violated, that no man shall reign over Mitzrayim, nor be the second to the melech, but one who has knowledge in all the languages of the sons of men.

10 Now therefore our master and melech, behold this Ivri man can only speak the Ivri language, and how then can he be over us the second under government, a man who not even knows our language?

11 Now we ask you send for him, and let him come before you, and prove him in all things, and do as you see fit.

12 And the melech said, It shall be done tomorrow, and the thing that you have spoken is tov; and all the officers came on that day before the melech.

13 And on that night YHUH sent one of his ministering malachim, and he came into the land of Mitzrayim to Yoseph, and the malach of YHUH stood over Yoseph, and behold Yoseph was lying in the bed at night in his master's house in the dungeon, for his master had put him back into the dungeon on account of his wife.

14 And the malach roused him from his sleep, and Yoseph rose up and stood upon his legs, and behold the malach of YHUH was standing opposite him; and the malach of YHUH spoke with Yoseph, and he taught him all the languages of man in that night, and he called his name Yahoseph.

15 And the malach of YHUH went from him, and Yoseph returned and lay upon his bed, and Yoseph was astonished at the vision that he saw.

16 And it came to pass in the morning that the melech sent for all his officers and servants, and they all came and sat before the melech, and the melech ordered Yoseph to be brought, and the melech's servants went and brought Yoseph before Pharaoh.

17 And the melech came forth and ascended the steps of the throne, and Yoseph spoke to the melech in all languages, and Yoseph went up to him and spoke to the melech until he arrived before the melech in the seventieth step, and he sat before the melech.

18 And the melech greatly rejoiced on account of Yoseph, and all the melech's officers rejoiced greatly with the melech when they heard all the words of Yoseph.

19 And the thing seemed tov in the sight of the melech and the officers, to appoint Yoseph to be second to the melech over the whole land of Mitzrayim, and the melech spoke to Yoseph, saying,

20 Now you did give me counsel to appoint a wise man over the land of Mitzrayim, in order with his wisdom to save the land from the famine; now therefore, since YHUH has made all this known to you, and all the words which you have spoken, there is not throughout the land a discreet and wise man like you.

21 And your name no more shall be called Yoseph, but Zaphnath-Paaneah shall be your name; you shall be second to me, and according to your word shall be all the affairs of my government, and at your word shall my people go out and come in.

22 Also from under your hand shall my servants and officers receive their salary which is given to them monthly, and to you shall all the people of the land bow down; only in my throne will I be greater than you.

23 And the melech took off his ring from his hand and put it upon the hand of Yoseph, and the melech dressed Yoseph in a princely garment, and he put a golden keter upon his head, and he put a golden chain upon his neck.

24 And the melech commanded his servants, and they made him ride in the second mirkava belonging to the melech, that went opposite of the melech's mirkava, and he caused him to ride upon a great and strong horse from the melech's horses, and to be conducted through the streets of the land of Mitzrayim.

25 And the melech commanded that all those that played upon timbrels, harps and other musical instruments should go forth with Yoseph; one thousand timbrels, one thousand mecholoth, and one thousand nebalim went after him.

26 And five thousand men, with drawn swords glittering in their hands, and they went marching and playing before Yoseph, and twenty thousand of the great men of the melech dressed with girdles of skin covered with gold, marched at the right hand of Yoseph, and twenty thousand at his left, and all the women and damsels went upon the roofs or stood in the streets playing and rejoicing at Yoseph, and gazed at the appearance of Yoseph and at his beauty.

27 And the melech's people went before him and behind him, perfuming the road with frankincense and with cassia, and with all sorts of fine perfume, and scattered myrrh and aloes along the road, and twenty men proclaimed these words before him throughout the land in a loud voice:

28 Do you see this man whom the melech has chosen to be his second? All the affairs of government shall be regulated by him, and he that transgresses his orders, or that does not bow down before him to the ground, shall die, for he rebels against the melech and his second.

29 And when the heralds had ceased proclaiming, all the people of Mitzrayim bowed down to the ground before Yoseph and said, May the melech live, also may his second live; and all the inhabitants of Mitzrayim bowed down along the road, and when the heralds approached them, they bowed down, and they rejoiced with all sorts of timbrels, mechol and nebal before Yoseph.

30 And Yoseph upon his horse lifted up his eyes to the shamayim, and called out and said, He raises the poor man from the dust, He lifts up the needy from the dunghill. O YHUH Tzevaoth, happy is the man who trusts in you.

31 And Yoseph passed throughout the land of Mitzrayim with Pharaoh's servants and officers, and they showed him the whole land of Mitzrayim and all the melech's treasures.

32 And Yoseph returned and came on that day before Pharaoh, and the melech gave to Yoseph a possession in the land of Mitzrayim, a possession of fields and vineyards, and the melech gave to Yoseph three thousand talents of silver and one thousand talents of gold, and onyx stones and bdellium and many gifts.

33 And on the next day the melech commanded all the people of Mitzrayim to bring to Yoseph offerings and gifts, and that he that violated the command of the melech should die; and they made a high place in the street of the city, and they spread out garments there, and whoever brought anything to Yoseph put it into the high place.

34 And all the people of Mitzrayim cast something into the high place, one man a golden ear-ring, and the other rings and ear-rings, and different vessels of gold and silver work, and onyx stones and bdellium did he cast upon the high place; every one gave something of what he possessed.

35 And Yoseph took all these and placed them in his treasuries, and all the officers and nobles belonging to the melech exalted Yoseph, and they gave him many gifts, seeing that the melech had chosen him to be his second.

36 And the melech sent to Potiphera, the son of Ahiram priest of On, and he took his young daughter Osnath and gave her to Yoseph for a wife.

37 And the damsel was very comely, a virgin, one whom man had not known, and Yoseph took her for a wife; and the melech said to Yoseph, I am Pharaoh, and beside you none shall dare to lift up his hand or his foot to regulate my people throughout the land of Mitzrayim.

38 And Yoseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, and Yoseph went out from before the melech, and he became the melech's second in Mitzrayim.

39 And the melech gave Yoseph a hundred servants to attend him in his house, and Yoseph also sent and purchased many servants and they remained in the house of Yoseph.

40 Yoseph then built for himself a very magnificent house, like the houses of melechim, before the court of the melech's palace, and he made in the house a large temple, very elegant in appearance and convenient for his residence; three years was Yoseph in erecting his house.

41 And Yoseph made for himself a very elegant throne of abundance of gold and silver, and he covered it with onyx stones and bdellium, and he made upon it the likeness of the whole land of Mitzrayim, and the likeness of the river of Mitzrayim that waters the whole land of Mitzrayim; and Yoseph sat securely upon his throne in his house and YHUH increased Yoseph's wisdom.

42 And all the inhabitants of Mitzrayim and Pharaoh's servants and his princes loved Yoseph exceedingly, for this thing was from YHUH to Yoseph.

43 And Yoseph had an army that made war, going out in hosts and troops to the number of forty thousand six hundred men, capable of bearing arms to assist the melech and Yoseph against the enemy, besides the melech's officers and his servants and inhabitants of Mitzrayim without number.

44 And Yoseph gave to his mighty men, and to all his host, shields and javelins, and caps and coats of armor and stones for slinging.

Jasher 27:7 The end result of all Babylonian worship and worshippers.

Jasher 28:18 Esav rejected Torah instruction, as he does to this day.

Jasher 30:2 Two House reference.

Jasher 32:48 Yahusha no doubt.

Jasher 33:21 The patriarchs knew the Torah well.

Jasher 36:15 A two-house reference where Yoseph gets the blessing of physical multiplicity, and Yahudah of the kingly rule.

Jasher 38:49 Honoring Torah.

Jasher 42:40  Skeptics of this portion state that this violates Torah. However, we see Schmuel the prophet talking to King Shaul from the grave, as well as a reference in Jeremiah 31:15-17 that’s speaks of Rachel in an ongoing state of weeping and lamenting for Yoseph and His House, who no longer are visible in Yisrael, as they are in Egypt a type of the world. These verses can be justified in light of these scriptural similarities, and do not prove the Scroll of Yahshar to be a fraud.

Jasher 43:46 This account is another one that skeptics and critics of the Scroll of Yashar jump on; but again the burden of proof rests on the skeptics, since this kind of communication has clear biblical precedent, when YHUH speaks through Baalim's donkey. If YHUH can speak to a false prophet by a donkey, why should He not speak to a true prophet and tzadik through a wolf?

Jasher 45:32 Permitted before Sinai.

Jasher 45:24 For breaking the covenant of physical multiplicity, not for masturbation since this was not an act of masturbation.

Jasher 45:25 Showing that the Torah was known and practiced by Hebrews before Mt. Sinai.

Jasher 49:14 Containing the poetic form of the Name YAH.

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