CHAPTER1
TheseventhsonofJacobandBilhah.The jealousoneHecounselsagainstanger sayingthat"itgivethpeculiarvision." Thisisanotablethesisonanger
1ThecopyofthewordsofDan,which hespaketohissonsinhislastdays,in thehundredandtwenty-fifthyearofhis life.
2ForhecalledtogetherhisIfamily,and said:Hearkentomywords,yesonsof Dan;andgiveheedtothewordsofyour father.
3Ihaveprovedinmyheart,andinmy wholelife,thattruth withjustdealingisgoodandwell pleasingtoGod,andthatlyingandanger areevil,becausetheyteachmanall wickedness.
4Iconfess,therefore,thisdaytoyou,my children,thatinmyheartIresolvedon thedeathofJosephmybrother,thetrue andgoodman..
5AndIrejoicedthathewassold, becausehisfatherlovedhimmorethan us.
6Forthespiritofjealousyandvainglory saidtome:Thouthyselfalsoarthisson.
7AndoneofthespiritsofBeliarstirred meup,saying:Takethissword,andwith itslayJoseph:soshallthyfatherlove theewhenheisdead.
8Nowthisisthespiritofangerthat persuadedmetocrushJosephasa leopardcrushethakid
9ButtheGodofmyfathersdidnot sufferhimtofallintomyhands,sothatI shouldfindhimaloneandslayhim,and causeasecondtribetobedestroyedin Israel.
10Andnow,mychildren,beholdIam dying,andItellyouofatruth,that
unlessyekeepyourselvesfromthespirit oflyingandofanger,andlovetruthand longsuffering,yeshallperish.
11Forangerisblindness,anddoesnot sufferonetoseethefaceofanyman withtruth
12Forthoughitbeafatheroramother, hebehavethtowardsthemasenemies; thoughitbeabrother,heknowethhim not;thoughitbeaprophetoftheLord, hedisobeyethhim;thougharighteous man,heregardethhimnot;thougha friend,hedothnotacknowledgehim.
13Forthespiritofangerencompasseth himwiththenetofdeceit,andblindeth hiseyes,andthroughlyingdarkenethhis mind,andgivethhimitsownpeculiar vision.
14Andwherewithencompassethithis eyes?Withhatredofheart,soastobe enviousofhisbrother.
15Forangerisanevilthing,mychildren, forittroubletheventhesoulitself.
16Andthebodyoftheangrymanit makethitsown,andoverhissoulit getteththemastery,anditbestoweth uponthebodypowerthatitmayworkall iniquity.
17Andwhenthebodydoesallthese things,thesouljustifiethwhatisdone, sinceitseethnotaright.
18Thereforehethatiswrathful,ifhebe amightyman,hathathreefoldpowerin hisanger:onebythehelpofhisservants; andasecondbyhiswealth,wherebyhe persuadethandovercomethwrongfully; andthirdly,havinghisownnatural powerheworkeththerebytheevil.
19Andthoughthewrathfulmanbeweak, yethathheapowertwofoldofthatwhich isbynature;forwratheveraidethsuchin lawlessness.
20Thisspiritgoethalwayswithlyingat therighthandofSatan,thatwithcruelty andlyinghisworksmaybewrought.
21Understandye,therefore,thepowerof wrath,thatitisvain.
22Foritfirstofallgivethprovocationby word;thenbydeedsitstrengthenethhim whoisangry,andwithsharplosses disturbethhismind,andsostirrethup withgreatwrathhissoul
23Therefore,whenanyone.speaketh againstyou,benotyemovedtoanger, andifanymanpraisethyouasholymen, benotuplifted:benotmovedeitherto delightortodisgust.
24Forfirstitpleaseththehearing,andso makeththemindkeentoperceivethe groundsforprovocation;andthenbeing enraged,hethinkeththatheisjustly angry.
25Ifyefallintoanylossorruin,my children,benotafflicted;forthisvery spiritmakethamandesirethatwhichis perishable,inorderthathemaybe enragedthroughtheaffliction.
26Andifyesufferlossvoluntarily,or involuntarily,benotvexed;forfrom vexationarisethwrathwithlying.
27Moreover,atwofoldmischiefiswrath withlying;andtheyassistoneanotherin ordertodisturbtheheart;andwhenthe souliscontinuallydisturbed,theLord departethfromit,andBeliarrulethover it.
CHAPTER2
Aprophecyofthesins,captivity,plagues, andultimaterestitutionofthenation TheystilltalkofEden(SeeVerse18).
Verse23isremarkableinthelightof prophecy.
1Observe,therefore,mychildren,the commandmentsoftheLord,andkeep Hislaw;departfromwrath,andhate lying,thattheLordmaydwellamong you,andBeliarmayfleefromyou.
2Speaktrutheachonewithhis neighbour.Soshallyenotfallintowrath andconfusion;butyeshallbeinpeace, havingtheGodofpeace,soshallnowar prevailoveryou
3LovetheLordthroughallyourlife,and oneanotherwithatrueheart.
4Iknowthatinthelastdaysyeshall departfromtheLord,andyeshall provokeLeviuntoanger,andfight againstJudah;butyeshallnotprevail againstthem,foranangeloftheLord shallguidethemboth;forbythemshall Israelstand.
5Andwhensoeveryedepartfromthe Lord,yeshallwalkinallevilandwork theabominationsoftheGentiles,going a-whoringafterwomenofthelawless ones,whilewithallwickednessthe spiritsofwickednessworkinyou.
6ForIhavereadinthebookofEnoch, therighteous,thatyourprinceisSatan, andthatallthespiritsofwickednessand pridewillconspiretoattendconstantly onthesonsofLevi,tocausethemtosin beforetheLord.
7AndmysonswilldrawneartoLevi, andsinwiththeminallthings;andthe sonsofJudahwillbecovetous, plunderingothermen'sgoodslikelions. 8Thereforeshallyebeledawaywith themintocaptivity,andthereshallye receivealltheplaguesofEgypt,andall theevilsoftheGentiles.
9AndsowhenyereturntotheLordye shallobtainmercy,andHeshallbring youintoHissanctuary,andHeshallgive youpeace
10Andthereshallariseuntoyoufrom thetribeofJudahandofLevithe salvationoftheLord;andheshallmake waragainstBeliar
11Andexecuteaneverlastingvengeance onourenemies;andthecaptivityshallhe takefromBeliarthesoulsofthesaints, andturndisobedientheartsuntotheLord, andgivetothemthatcalluponhim eternalpeace
12AndthesaintsshallrestinEden,and intheNewJerusalemshalltherighteous rejoice,anditshallbeuntothegloryof Godforever.
13AndnolongershallJerusalemendure desolation,norIsraelbeledcaptive;for theLordshallbeinthemidstofit[living amongstmen],andtheHolyOneof Israelshallreignoveritinhumilityand inpoverty;andhewhobelievethonHim shallreignamongstmenintruth.
14Andnow,feartheLord,mychildren, andbewareofSatanandhisspirits.
15DrawnearuntoGodanduntothe angelthatintercedethforyou,forheisa mediatorbetweenGodandman,andfor thepeaceofIsraelheshallstandup againstthekingdomoftheenemy.
16Thereforeistheenemyeagerto destroyallthatcallupontheLord.
17Forheknoweththatuponthedayon whichIsraelshallrepent,thekingdomof theenemyshallbebroughttoanend.
18Fortheveryangelofpeaceshall strengthenIsrael,thatitfallnotintothe extremityofevil.
19Anditshallbeinthetimeofthe lawlessnessofIsrael,thattheLordwill notdepartfromthem,butwilltransform themintoanationthatdoethHiswill,for noneoftheangelswillbeequaluntohim 20AndHisnameshallbeineveryplace inIsrael,andamongtheGentiles
21Keep,therefore,yourselves,my children,fromeveryevilwork,andcast awaywrathandalllying,andlovetruth andlong-suffering
22Andthethingswhichyehaveheard fromyourfather,doyealsoimpartto yourchildrenthattheSaviourofthe Gentilesmayreceiveyou;forheistrue andlong-suffering,meekandlowly,and teachethbyhisworksthelawofGod
23Depart,therefore,fromall unrighteousness,andcleaveuntothe righteousnessofGod,andyourracewill besavedforever.
24Andburymenearmyfathers.
25Andwhenhehadsaidthesethingshe kissedthem,andfellasleepatagoodold age.
26Andhissonsburiedhim,andafter thattheycarrieduphisbones,andplaced themnearAbraham,andIsaac,andJacob.
27Nevertheless,Danprophesiedunto themthattheyshouldforgettheirGod, andshouldbealienatedfromthelandof theirinheritanceandfromtheraceof Israel,andfromthefamilyoftheirseed.