CHAPTER1
Zebulun,thesixthsonofJacobandLeahThe inventorandphilanthropist.,Whathelearned asaresultoftheplotagainstJoseph
1ThecopyofthewordsofZebulun,whichhe enjoinedonhissonsbeforehediedinthe hundredandfourteenthyearofhislife,two yearsafterthedeathofJoseph
2Andhesaidtothem:Hearkentome,ye sonsofZebulunattendtothewordsofyour father.
3I,Zebulun,wasbornagoodgifttomy parents
4ForwhenIwasbornmyfatherwas increasedveryexceedingly,bothinflocksand herds,whenwiththestrakedrodshehadhis portion
5IamnotconsciousthatIhavesinnedallmy days,saveinthought.
6NoryetdoIrememberthatIhavedoneany iniquity,exceptthesinofignorancewhichI committedagainstJoseph;forIcovenanted withmybrethrennottotellmyfatherwhat hadbeendone.
7ButIweptinsecretmanydaysonaccount ofJoseph,forIfearedmybrethren,because theyhadallagreedthatifanyoneshould declarethesecret,heshouldbeslain.
8Butwhentheywishedtokillhim,Iadjured themmuchwithtearsnottobeguiltyofthis sin
9ForSimeonandGadcameagainstJosephto killhim,andhesaiduntothemwithtears: Pityme,mybrethren,havemercyuponthe bowelsofJacobourfather:laynotuponme yourhandstoshedinnocentblood,forIhave notsinnedagainstyou.
10AndifindeedIhavesinned,with chasteningchastiseme,mybrethren,butlay notuponmeyourhand,forthesakeofJacob ourfather,
11Andashespokethesewords,wailingas hedidso,Iwasunabletobearhis lamentations,andbegantoweep,andmy liverwaspouredout,andallthesubstanceof mybowelswasloosened.
12AndIweptwithJosephandmyheart sounded,andthejointsofmybodytrembled, andIwasnotabletostand.
13AndwhenJosephsawmeweepingwith him,andthemcomingagainsthimtoslayhim, hefledbehindme,beseechingthem.
14ButmeanwhileReubenaroseandsaid: Come,mybrethren,letusnotslayhim,but letuscasthimintooneofthesedrypits, whichourfathersdiggedandfoundnowater 15ForforthiscausetheLordforbadethat watershouldriseupintheminorderthat Josephshouldbepreserved.
16Andtheydidso,untiltheysoldhimtothe Ishmaelites
17ForinhispriceIhadnoshare,mychildren.
18ButSimeonandGadandsixotherofour brethrentookthepriceofJoseph,andbought sandalsforthemselves,andtheirwives,and theirchildren,saying:
19Wewillnoteatofit,foritisthepriceof ourbrother'sblood,butwewillassuredly treaditunderfoot,becausehesaidthathe wouldbekingoverus,andsoletusseewhat willbecomeofhisdreams.
20Thereforeitiswritteninthewritingofthe lawofMoses,thatwhosoeverwillnotraise upseedtohisbrother,hissandalshouldbe unloosed,andtheyshouldspitinhisface.
21AndthebrethrenofJosephwishednotthat theirbrothershouldlive,andtheLordloosed fromthemthesandalwhichtheyworeagainst Josephtheirbrother
22ForwhentheycameintoEgypttheywere unloosedbytheservantsofJosephoutsidethe gate,andsotheymadeobeisancetoJoseph afterthefashionofKingPharaoh.
23Andnotonlydidtheymakeobeisanceto him,butwerespituponalso,fallingdown beforehimforthwith,andsotheywereputto shamebefore.theEgyptians.
24ForafterthistheEgyptiansheardallthe evilsthattheyhaddonetoJoseph.
25Andafterhewassoldmybrotherssat downtoeatanddrink.
26ButI,throughpityforJoseph,didnoteat, butwatchedthepit,sinceJudahfearedlest Simeon,Dan,andGadshouldrushoffand slayhim
27ButwhentheysawthatIdidnoteat,they setmetowatchhim,tillhewassoldtothe Ishmaelites.
28AndwhenReubencameandheardthat whilehewasawayJosephhadbeensold,he renthisgarments,andmourning,said:
29HowshallIlookonthefaceofmyfather Jacob?Andhetookthemoneyandranafter themerchantsbutashefailedtofindthemhe returnedgrieving
30Butthemerchantshadleftthebroadroad andmarchedthroughtheTroglodytesbya shortcut.
31ButReubenwasgrieved,andatenofood thatday
32Danthereforecametohimandsaid:Weep not,neithergrieve;forwehavefoundwhat wecansaytoourfatherJacob.
33Letusslayakidofthegoats,anddipinit thecoatofJoseph;andletussendittoJacob, saying:Know,isthisthecoatofthyson?
34Andtheydidso.Fortheystrippedofffrom Josephhiscoatwhentheyweresellinghim, andputuponhimthegarmentofaslave
35NowSimeontookthecoat,andwouldnot giveitup,forhewishedtorenditwithhis sword,ashewasangrythatJosephlivedand thathehadnotslainhim.
36Thenweallroseupandsaiduntohim:If thougivestnotupthecoat,wewillsaytoour fatherthatthoualonedidstthisevilthingin Israel.
37Andsohegaveituntothem,andtheydid evenasDanhadsaid.
withoutsickness,fortheLordknoweththe purposesofeach.
3Have,therefore,compassioninyourhearts, mychildren,becauseevenasamandoethto hisneighbour,evensoalsowilltheLorddo tohim.
4Forthesonsofmybrethrenweresickening andweredyingonaccountofJoseph,because theyshowednotmercyintheirhearts;butmy sonswerepreservedwithoutsickness,asye know.
5AndwhenIwasinthelandofCanaan,by thesea-coast,ImadeacatchoffishforJacob myfather;andwhenmanywerechokedinthe sea,Icontinuedunhurt
6Iwasthefirsttomakeaboattosailupon thesea,fortheLordgavemeunderstanding andwisdomtherein.
7AndIletdownarudderbehindit,andI stretchedasailuponanotheruprightpieceof woodinthemidst.
8AndIsailedthereinalongtheshores, catchingfishforthehouseofmyfatheruntil wecametoEgypt
9AndthroughcompassionIsharedmycatch witheverystranger.
10Andifamanwereastranger,orsick,or aged,Iboiledthefish,anddressedthemwell, andofferedthemtoallmen,aseverymanhad need,grievingwithandhavingcompassion uponthem
11WhereforealsotheLordsatisfiedmewith abundanceoffishwhencatchingfish;forhe thatsharethwithhisneighbourreceiveth manifoldmorefromtheLord
CHAPTER2
Heurgeshumansympathyandunderstanding ofone'sfellowmen
1Andnowchildren,Iyoutokeepthe commandsoftheLord,andtoshowmercyto yourneighbours,andtohavecompassion towardsall,nottowardsmenonly,butalso towardsbeasts.
2Forallthisthing'ssaketheLordblessedme, andwhenallmybrethrenweresick,Iescaped
12ForfiveyearsIcaughtfishandgave thereoftoeverymanwhomIsaw,and sufficedforallthehouseofmyfather.
13AndinthesummerIcaughtfish,andin thewinterIkeptsheepwithmybrethren.
14NowIwilldeclareuntoyouwhatIdid.
15Isawamanindistressthroughnakedness inwintertime,andhadcompassionuponhim, andstoleawayagarmentsecretlyfrommy father'shouse,andgaveittohimwhowasin distress.
16Doyou,therefore,mychildren,fromthat whichGodbestowethuponyou,show compassionandmercywithouthesitationto
allmen,andgivetoeverymanwithagood heart.
17Andifyehavenotthewherewithaltogive tohimthatneedeth,havecompassionforhim inbowelsofmercy.
18Iknowthatmyhandfoundnotthe wherewithaltogivetohimthatneeded,andI walkedwithhimweepingforsevenfurlongs, andmybowelsyearnedtowardshimin compassion
19Have,therefore,yourselvesalso,my children,compassiontowardseverymanwith mercy,thattheLordalsomayhave compassionandmercyuponyou.
20Becausealsoin,thelastdaysGodwill sendHiscompassionontheearth,and wheresoeverHefindethbowelsofmercyHe dwellethinhim.
21Forinthedegreeinwhichamanhath compassionuponhisneighbours,inthesame degreehaththeLordalsouponhim.
22AndwhenwewentdownintoEgypt, Josephborenomaliceagainstus.
23Towhomtakingheed,doyealso,my children,approveyourselveswithoutmalice, andloveoneanother;anddonotsetdownin account,eachoneofyou,evilagainsthis brother.
24Forthisbreakethunityanddividethall kindred,andtroubleththesoul,andweareth awaythecountenance
25Observe,therefore,thewaters,andknow whentheyflowtogether,theysweepalong stones,trees,earth,andotherthings.
26Butiftheyaredividedintomanystreams, theearthswalloweththemup,andtheyvanish away.
27Soshallyealsobeifyebedivided.Benot Ye,therefore,dividedintotwoheadsfor everythingwhichtheLordmade.hathbutone head,andtwoshoulders,twohands,twofeet, andalltheremainingmembers
28ForIhavelearntinthewritingofmy fathers,thatyeshallbedividedinIsrael,and yeshallfollowtwokings,andshallwork everyabomination.
29Andyourenemiesshallleadyoucaptive, andyeshallbeevilentreatedamongthe
Gentiles,withmanyinfirmitiesand tribulations.
30Andafterthesethingsyeshallremember theLordandrepent,andHeshallhavemercy uponyou,forHeismercifuland compassionate.
31AndHesettethnotdowninaccountevil againstthesonsofmen,becausetheyare flesh,andaredeceivedthroughtheirown wickeddeeds
32Andafterthesethingsshalltherearise untoyoutheLordHimself,thelightof righteousness,andyeshallreturnuntoyour land.
33AndyeshallseeHiminJerusalem,forHis name'ssake.
34Andagainthroughthewickednessofyour worksshallyeprovokeHimtoanger, 35AndyeshallbecastawaybyHimuntothe timeofconsummation.
36Andnow,mychildren,grievenotthatIam dying,norbecastdowninthatIamcoming tomyend.
37ForIshallriseagaininthemidstofyou, asarulerinthemidstofhissons;andIshall rejoiceinthemidstofmytribe,asmanyas shallkeepthelawoftheLord,andthe commandmentsofZebuluntheirfather.
38ButupontheungodlyshalltheLordbring eternalfire,anddestroythemthroughoutall generations
39ButIamnowhasteningawaytomyrest, asdidalsomyfathers
40ButdoyefeartheLordourGodwithall yourstrengthallthedaysofyourlife
41Andwhenhehadsaidthesethingshefell asleep,atagoodoldage.
42Andhissonslaidhiminawoodencoffin. Andafterwardstheycarriedhimupand buriedhiminHebron,withhisfathers.