YASHAR 2 (Jasher 2)

1 And it came to be in the hundred and thirtieth year of the life of Aḏam upon the earth, that he again knew Ḥawwah his wife, and she conceived and bore a son in his likeness and in his image, and she called his name Shĕth, saying, “Because Elohim has appointed me another seed in the place of Heḇel, for Qayin has slain him.”

2 And Shĕth lived one hundred and five years, and he brought forth a son; and Shĕth called the name of his son Enosh, saying, “Because in that time the sons of men began to multiply, and to afflict their beings and hearts by transgressing and rebelling against Elohim.”

3 And it came to be in the days of Enosh that the sons of men continued to rebel and transgress against Elohim, to increase the wrath of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 against the sons of men.

4 And the sons of men went and they served other mighty ones, and they forgot 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 who had created them in the earth. And in those days the sons of men made images of brass and iron, wood and stone, and they bowed down and served them.

5 And every man made his mighty one and they bowed down to them, and the sons of men forsook 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 all the days of Enosh and his children; and the wrath of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 was kindled because of their works and abominations which they did in the earth.

6 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 caused the waters of the river Giḥon to overwhelm them, and He destroyed and consumed them, and He destroyed the third part of the earth, however, the sons of men did not turn from their evil ways, and their hands were yet extended to do evil in the sight of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.

7 And in those days there was neither sowing nor reaping in the earth; and there was no food for the sons of men and the scarcity of food was very great in those days.

8 And the seed which they sowed in those days in the ground became thorns, thistles and briers; for from the days of Aḏam was this declaration concerning the earth, of the curse of Elohim, which He cursed the earth, because of the sin which Aḏam sinned before 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.

9 And it came to be when men continued to rebel and transgress against Elohim, and to corrupt their ways, that the earth also became corrupt.

10 And Enosh lived ninety years and he brought forth Qĕynan;

11 And Qĕynan grew up and he was forty years old, and he became wise and had knowledge and skill in all wisdom, and he reigned over all the sons of men, and he led the sons of men to wisdom and knowledge; for Qĕynan was a very wise man and had understanding in all wisdom, and with his wisdom he ruled over spirits and demons.

12 And Qeynan knew by his wisdom that Elohim would destroy the sons of men for having sinned upon earth, and that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 would in the latter days, bring the waters of the flood upon them.

13 And in those days Qĕynan wrote on tablets of stone, what was to take place in time to come, and he put them in his treasures.

14 And Qĕynan reigned over the whole earth, and he turned some of the sons of men to the service of Elohim.

15 And when Qeynan was seventy years old, he brought forth three sons and two daughters.

16 And these are the names of the children of Qĕynan; the name of the first-born Mahalal’ĕl, the second Ĕynan, and the third Mereḏ, and their sisters were Aḏah and Tsillah; these are the five children of Qĕynan that were born to him.

17 And Lemeḵ, son of Methusa’ĕl, became related to Qĕynan by marriage, and he took his two daughters for his wives, and Aḏah conceived and bore a son to Lemeḵ, and she called his name Yaḇal.

18 And she again conceived and bore a son, and called his name Yuḇal; and Tsillah, her sister, was barren in those days and had no offspring.

19 For in those days the sons of men began to trespass against Elohim, and to transgress the Commandments which he had commanded to Aḏam, to be fruitful and multiply in the earth.

20 And some of the sons of men caused their wives to drink a potion that would render them barren, in order that they might retain their figures and whereby their good-looking appearance might not fade.

21 And when the sons of men caused some of their wives to drink, Tsillah drank with them.

22 And the child-bearing women appeared abominable in the sight of their husbands as widows, while their husbands lived, for to the barren ones only they were attached.

23 And in the end of days and years, when Tsillah became old, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 opened her womb.

24 And she conceived and bore a son and she called his name Tuḇal-Qayin, saying, “After I had withered away have I obtained him from the Almighty Elohim.”

25 And she conceived again and bore a daughter, and she called her name Na’amah, for she said, “After I had withered away have I obtained pleasure and delight.”

26 And Lemeḵ was old and advanced in years, and his eyes were dim that he could not see, and Tuḇal-Qayin, his son, was leading him. And it came to be one day that Lemeḵ went into the field and Tuḇal-Qayin his son was with him. And while they were walking in the field, Qayin son of Aḏam advanced towards them; for Lemeḵ was very old and could not see much, and Tuḇal-Qayin his son was very young.

27 And Tuḇal-Qayin told his father to draw his bow, and with the arrows he smote Qayin, who was yet far off, and he slew him, for he appeared to them to be a beast.

28 And the arrows entered Qayin’s body although he was distant from them, and he fell to the ground and died.

29 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 repayed Qayin’s evil according to his wickedness, which he had done to his brother Heḇel, according to the word of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 which He had spoken.

30 And it came to be when Qayin had died, that Lemeḵ and Tuḇal went to see the beast which they had slain, and they looked, and see, Qayin their grandfather was fallen dead upon the earth.

31 And Lemeḵ was very much grieved at having done this, and in clapping his hands together he struck his son and caused his death.

32 And the wives of Lemeḵ heard what Lemeḵ had done, and they sought to kill him.

33 And the wives of Lemeḵ hated him from that day, because he slew Qayin and Tuḇal-Qayin, and the wives of Lemeḵ separated from him, and would not listen to him in those days.

34 And Lemeḵ came to his wives, and he pressed them to listen to him about this matter.

35 And he said to his wives Aḏah and Tsillah, “Hear my voice O wives of Lemeḵ, attend to my words, for now you have thought and said that I slew a man with my wounds, and a child with my stripes for their having done no violence, but know that I am indeed old and grey-headed, and that my eyes are heavy through age, and I did this matter unknowingly.”

36 And the wives of Lemeḵ listened to him in this matter, and they returned to him with the advice of their father Aḏam, but they bore no children to him from that time, knowing that Elohim’s wrath was increasing in those days against the sons of men, to destroy them with the waters of the flood for their evil-doings.

37 And Mahalal’ĕl son of Qĕynan lived sixty-five years and he brought forth Yereḏ; and Yereḏ lived sixty-two years and he brought forth Ḥanoḵ.