YASHAR 71 (Jasher 71)

1 And when Mosheh was eighteen years old, he desired to see his father and mother, and he went to them to Goshen. And when Mosheh had come near Goshen, he came to the place where the children of Yisra’ĕl were occupied in work, and he saw their burdens, and he saw a Mitsrite smiting one of his Iḇri brothers.

2 And when the man who was beaten saw Mosheh he ran to him for help, for the man Mosheh was greatly respected in the house of Pharaoh, and he said to him, “My master attend to me! This Mitsrite came to my house in the night, bound me, and came to my wife in my presence, and now he seeks to take my life away.”

3 And when Mosheh heard this wicked matter, his wrath was kindled against the Mitsrite, and he turned this way and the other, and when he saw there was no man there, he smote the Mitsrite and hid him in the sand, and delivered the Iḇri from the hand of him that smote him.

4 And the Iḇri went to his house, and Mosheh returned to his home, and went out and came back to the sovereign’s house.

5 And when the man had returned home, he thought of rejecting his wife, for it was not right in the house of Ya’aqoḇ, for any man to come to his wife after she had been defiled.

6 And the woman went and told her brothers, and the woman’s brothers sought to slay him, but he fled to his house and escaped.

7 And on the second day Mosheh went out to his brothers, and looked, and see, two men were quarreling, and he said to the wicked one, “Why do you smite your neighbour?”

8 And he answered him and said to him, ‘Who has appointed you for a prince and judge over us? Do you think to slay me as you slew the Mitsrite?” And Mosheh was afraid and he said, “Indeed the matter is known!”

9 And Pharaoh heard of this matter, and he ordered Mosheh to be slain. So Elohim sent his messenger, and he appeared to Pharaoh in the likeness of a captain of the guard.

10 And the messenger of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 took the sword from the hand of the captain of the guard, and took his head off with it, for the likeness of the captain of the guard was turned into the likeness of Mosheh.

11 And the messenger of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 took hold of the right hand of Mosheh, and brought him out from Mitsrayim, and placed him outside the borders of Mitsrayim, a distance of forty days’ journey.

12 And Aharon his brother alone remained in the land of Mitsrayim, and he naḇu to the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying,

13 “Thus says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim of your ancestors, ‘Throw away, each man, the abominations of his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Mitsrayim.’ ”

14 And the children of Yisra’ĕl rebelled and would not listen to Aharon at that time.

15 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 thought to destroy them, were it not that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 remembered the covenant which he had made with Aḇraham, Yitsḥaq and Ya’aqoḇ.

16 In those days the hand of Pharaoh continued to be severe against the children of Yisra’ĕl, and he crushed and oppressed them until the time when Elohim sent forth his word and took notice of them.