YASHAR 47 (Jasher 47)

1 And Yitsḥaq son of Aḇraham was still living in the land of Kena’an in those days. He was very aged – one hundred and eighty years old. And Ĕsaw his son, the brother of Ya’aqoḇ, was in the land of Eḏom, and he and his sons had possessions in it among the children of Sĕ’ir.

2 And Ĕsaw heard that his father’s time was drawing near to die, and he and his sons and household came to the land of Kena’an, to his father’s house. And Ya’aqoḇ and his sons went out from the place where they dwelt in Ḥeḇron, and they all came to their father Yitsḥaq, and they found Ĕsaw and his sons in the tent.

3 And Ya’aqoḇ and his sons sat before his father Yitsḥaq, and Ya’aqoḇ was still mourning for his son Yosĕph.

4 And Yitsḥaq said to Ya’aqoḇ, “Bring me your sons here and I will baraḵ them.” And Ya’aqoḇ brought his eleven children before his father Yitsḥaq.

5 And Yitsḥaq placed his hands on all the sons of Ya’aqoḇ, and he took hold of them and embraced them, and kissed them one by one. And Yitsḥaq baraḵ them on that day, and he said to them, “May the Elohim of your fathers baraḵ you and increase your seed like the stars of the shamayim for number.”

6 And Yitsḥaq also baraḵ the sons of Ĕsaw, saying, “May Elohim cause you to be a dread and a fear to all that will see you, and to all your enemies.”

7 And Yitsḥaq called Ya’aqoḇ and his sons, and they all came and sat before Yitsḥaq. And Yitsḥaq said to Ya’aqoḇ, “𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim of the whole earth said to me, ‘To your seed I will give this land for an inheritance if your children keep My Laws and My Ways, and I will establish unto them the oath which I swore to your father Aḇraham.’

8 “Now therefore my son, teach your children and your children’s children to revere 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, and to go in the good Way which will please 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 your Elohim. For if you keep the Ways of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 and His Laws, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 will also guard to you His Covenant with Aḇraham, and will do well with you and your seed all the days.”

9 And when Yitsḥaq had finished commanding Ya’aqoḇ and his children, he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.

10 And Ya’aqoḇ and Ĕsaw fell on the face of their father Yitsḥaq, and they wept. And Yitsḥaq was one hundred and eighty years old when he died in the land of Kena’an, in Ḥeḇron, and his sons carried him to the cave of Maḵpĕlah, which Aḇraham had bought from the children of Ḥĕth for a possession as a burial place.

11 And all the sovereigns of the land of Kena’an went with Ya’aqoḇ and Ĕsaw to bury Yitsḥaq, and all the sovereigns of Kena’an showed Yitsḥaq great honour at his death.

12 And the sons of Ya’aqoḇ and the sons of Ĕsaw went barefoot round about, walking and lamenting until they reached Qiryath Arba.

13 And Ya’aqoḇ and Ĕsaw buried their father Yitsḥaq in the cave of Maḵpĕlah, which is in Qiryath Arba in Ḥeḇron, and they buried him with very great honour, as at the burial of sovereigns.

14 And Ya’aqoḇ and his sons, and Ĕsaw and his sons, and all the sovereigns of Kena’an made a great and heavy lamentation, and they buried him and mourned for him many days.

15 And at the death of Yitsḥaq, he left his cattle and his possessions and all belonging to him to his sons. And Ĕsaw said to Ya’aqoḇ, “Please see, all that our father has left we will divide in two parts, and I will have the choice.” And Ya’aqoḇ said, “We will do so.”

16 And Ya’aqoḇ took all that Yitsḥaq had left in the land of Kena’an – the cattle and the property – and he placed them in two parts before Ĕsaw and his sons. And he said to Ĕsaw, “See, all this is before you, choose for yourself the half which you will take.”

17 And Ya’aqoḇ said to Ĕsaw, “Please hear what I will speak to you,” saying, “𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim of the shamayim and earth spoke to our fathers Aḇraham and Yitsḥaq, saying, ‘To your seed I will give this land as an inheritance forever.’

18 “Now therefore, all that our father has left is before you, and see, all the land is before you. Choose from them what you desire.

19 “If you desire the whole land, take it for you and your children forever, and I will take this wealth. But if you desire the wealth, take it for yourself, and I will take this land for me and for my children to inherit it forever.”

20 And Neḇayoth, son of Yishma’ĕl, was then in the land with his children, and Ĕsaw went on that day and consulted with him, saying,

21 “Thus has Ya’aqoḇ spoken to me, and thus he has answered me. Now give your advice and we will hear.”

22 And Neḇayoth said, “What is this that Ya’aqoḇ has spoken to you? See, all the children of Kena’an are dwelling safely in their land, and Ya’aqoḇ says he will inherit it with his seed all the days.

23 “Go now therefore and take all your father’s wealth and leave Ya’aqoḇ your brother in the land, as he has spoken.”

24 And Ĕsaw rose up and returned to Ya’aqoḇ, and did all that Neḇayoth son of Yishma’ĕl had advised. And Ĕsaw took all the riches that Yitsḥaq had left – the beings, the beasts, the cattle and the property, and all the wealth; he gave nothing to his brother Ya’aqoḇ. And Ya’aqoḇ took all the land of Kena’an, from the wadi of Mitsrayim to the river Perath, and he took it for an everlasting possession, and for his children and for his seed after him forever.

25 Ya’aqoḇ also took from his brother Ĕsaw the cave of Maḵpĕlah, which is in Ḥeḇron, which Aḇraham had bought from Ephron for a possession as a burial place for him and his seed forever.

26 And Ya’aqoḇ wrote all these matters in the book of purchase, and he signed it, and he witnessed all this with four trustworthy witnesses.

27 And these are the words which Ya’aqoḇ wrote in the book, saying: The land of Kena’an and all the cities of the Ḥittites, the Ḥiwwites, the Yeḇusites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, and the Girgashites – all the seven nations from the river of Mitsrayim to the river Perath –

28 and the city of Ḥeḇron, Qiryath Arba, and the cave which is in it, the whole Ya’aqoḇ bought from his brother Ĕsaw for value, for a possession and as an inheritance for his seed after him forever.

29 And Ya’aqoḇ took the book of purchase and the signature, the Command and the Laws and the revealed Book, 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 Ĕsaw took all that his father had left him after his death from his brother Ya’aqoḇ, 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 wealth which had belonged to Yitsḥaq son of Aḇraham. There was nothing left which Ĕsaw did not take for himself, from all that Yitsḥaq had left after his death.

31 And Ĕsaw took all this, and he and his children went home to the land of Sĕ’ir the Ḥorite, away from his brother Ya’aqoḇ and his children.

32 And Ĕsaw had possessions among the children of Sĕ’ir, and Ĕsaw did not return to the land of Kena’an from that day onward.

33 And the whole land of Kena’an became an inheritance to the children of Yisra’ĕl as an everlasting inheritance, and Ĕsaw with all his children inherited the mountain of Sĕ’ir.