YASHAR 81 (Jasher 81)

1 And the children of Yisra’ĕl journeyed from Ra’meses to Sukkoth – about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides the little ones and their wives.

2 Also a mixed multitude went up with them, and flocks and herds, even much cattle.

3 And the sojourning of the children of Yisra’ĕl, who dwelt in the land of Mitsrayim in hard labour, was two hundred and ten years.

4 And at the end of two hundred and ten years, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 brought out the children of Yisra’ĕl from Mitsrayim with a strong hand.

5 And the children of Yisra’ĕl journeyed from Mitsrayim and from Goshen and from Ra’meses, and encamped in Sukkoth on the fifteenth day of the first month.

6 And the Mitsrites buried all their first-born whom 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 had smitten, and all the Mitsrites buried their slain for three days.

7 And the children of Yisra’ĕl journeyed from Sukkoth and encamped in Ĕtham, at the end of the wilderness.

8 And on the third day after the Mitsrites had buried their first-born, many men rose up from Mitsrayim and went after Yisra’ĕl to make them return to Mitsrayim, for they were sorry that they had sent the Yisra’ĕlites away from their servitude.

9 And one man said to his neighbour, “Indeed Mosheh and Aharon spoke to Pharaoh, saying, ‘We will go a three days’ journey in the wilderness and slaughter to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 our Elohim.’

10 “Now therefore let us rise up early in the morning and cause them to return, and it shall be that if they return with us to Mitsrayim to their masters, then we shall know that there is trust in them, but if they will not return, then we will fight against them, and make them come back with great power and a strong hand.”

11 And all the nobles of Pharaoh rose up in the morning, and with them about seven hundred thousand men, and they went out from Mitsrayim on that day, and came to the place where the children of Yisra’ĕl were.

12 And all the Mitsrites looked and see, Mosheh and Aharon and all the children of Yisra’ĕl were sitting before Pi ha’Ḥiroth, eating and drinking and celebrating the Festival of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.

13 And all the Mitsrites said to the children of Yisra’ĕl, “Indeed you said, ‘We will go a journey for three days in the wilderness and slaughter to our Elohim and return.’

14 “Now therefore this day makes five days since you went, why do you not return to your masters?”

15 And Mosheh and Aharon answered them, saying, “Because 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 our Elohim has witnessed to us, saying, ‘You shall no longer return to Mitsrayim, but we will take ourselves to a land flowing with milk and honey,’ as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 our Elohim had sworn to our ancestors to give to us.”

16 And when the nobles of Mitsrayim saw that the children of Yisra’ĕl did not listen to them, to return to Mitsrayim, they girded themselves to fight against Yisra’ĕl.

17 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 strengthened the hearts of the children of Yisra’ĕl over the Mitsrites, that they gave them a severe beating. And the battle was hard on the Mitsrites, and all the Mitsrites fled from before the children of Yisra’ĕl, for many of them perished by the hand of Yisra’ĕl.

18 And the nobles of Pharaoh went to Mitsrayim and told Pharaoh, saying, “The children of Yisra’ĕl have fled, and will no longer return to Mitsrayim, and in this manner Mosheh and Aharon spoke to us.”

19 And Pharaoh heard this word, and his heart and the hearts of all his subjects were turned against Yisra’ĕl, and they were sorry that they had sent out Yisra’ĕl. And all the Mitsrites advised Pharaoh to pursue the children of Yisra’ĕl to make them come back to their burdens.

20 And each man said to his brother, “What is this that we have done, that we have sent Yisra’ĕl from our servitude?”

21 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 strengthened the hearts of all the Mitsrites to pursue the Yisra’ĕlites, for 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 desired to overthrow the Mitsrites in the Sea of Reeds.

22 And Pharaoh rose up and harnessed his chariot, and he ordered all the Mitsrites to assemble, not one man was left except the women and the little ones.

23 And all the Mitsrites went out with Pharaoh to pursue the children of Yisra’ĕl, and the army of Mitsrayim was an exceedingly large and numerous army – about ten hundred thousand men.

24 And the whole of the army went and pursued the children of Yisra’ĕl to bring them back to Mitsrayim, and they reached them encamped by the Sea of Reeds.

25 And the children of Yisra’ĕl lifted up their eyes, and saw all the Mitsrites pursuing them, and the children of Yisra’ĕl were greatly afraid at them, and the children of Yisra’ĕl cried out to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.

26 And because of the Mitsrites, the children of Yisra’ĕl divided themselves into four divisions, and they were divided in their opinions, for they were afraid of the Mitsrites, and Mosheh spoke to each of them.

27 The first division was of the children of Re’uḇĕn, Shim’on, and Yissasḵar, and they resolved to cast themselves into the sea, for they were exceedingly afraid of the Mitsrites.

28 And Mosheh said to them, “Do not fear! Stand still and see the deliverance of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 which He will accomplish for you today.”

29 The second division was of the children of Zeḇulun, Binyamin and Naphtali, and they resolved to go back to Mitsrayim with the Mitsrites.

30 And Mosheh said to them, “Do not fear, for as you have seen the Mitsrites today, so you shall see them no more forever.”

31 The third division was of the children of Yahuḏah and Yosĕph, and they resolved to go to meet the Mitsrites to fight against them.

32 And Mosheh said to them, “Stand in your places, for 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 will fight for you, and you shall remain silent.”

33 And the fourth division was of the children of Lĕwi, Gaḏ, and Ashĕr, and they resolved to go into the midst of the Mitsrites to put them to shame. And Mosheh said to them, “Remain in your positions and do not fear, only call out to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 that He may save you out of their hands.”

34 After this Mosheh rose up from among the people, and he prayed to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 and said,

35 “O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim of all the earth, save now your people whom You brought out from Mitsrayim, and do not let the Mitsrites boast that power and might are theirs.”

36 So 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said to Mosheh, “Why do you cry out to Me? Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl that they shall proceed, and you, stretch out your rod over the sea and divide it, and the children of Yisra’ĕl shall pass through it.”

37 And Mosheh did so, and he lifted up his rod over the sea and divided it.

38 And the waters of the sea were divided into twelve parts, and the children of Yisra’ĕl passed through on foot, with shoes, as a man would pass through a prepared way.

39 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 revealed to the children of Yisra’ĕl His wonders in Mitsrayim and in the sea by the hand of Mosheh and Aharon.

40 And when the children of Yisra’ĕl had entered the sea, the Mitsrites came after them, and the waters of the sea returned upon them, and they all went down in the water, and not one man was left except Pharaoh, who gave thanks to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 and believed in Him, therefore 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 did not cause him to perish at that time with the Mitsrites.

41 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 ordered a messenger to take him from among the Mitsrites, who cast him into the land of Ninewĕh and he reigned over it for a long time.

42 And on that day 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 saved Yisra’ĕl from the hand of Mitsrayim, and all the children of Yisra’ĕl saw that the Mitsrites had perished, and they saw the great hand of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, in what He had performed in Mitsrayim and in the sea.

43 Then Mosheh and the children of Yisra’ĕl sang this song to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, on the day when 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 caused the Mitsrites to fall before them.

44 And all Yisra’ĕl sang together saying, “I will sing to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 for He is greatly exalted, the horse and his rider He has cast into the sea.” Look, it is written in the Book of the Torah of Elohim.

45 After this the children of Yisra’ĕl proceeded on their journey, and camped in Marah, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 gave to the children of Yisra’ĕl Laws and Right-Rulings in that place in Marah. And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Commanded the children of Yisra’ĕl to walk in all His Ways and to serve Him.

46 And they journeyed from Marah and came to Ĕlim, and in Ĕlim were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and the children encamped there by the waters.

47 And they journeyed from Ĕlim and came to the Wilderness of Sin, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from Mitsrayim.

48 At that time 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 gave the manna to the children of Yisra’ĕl to eat, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 caused food to rain from the shamayim for the children of Yisra’ĕl day by day.

49 And the children of Yisra’ĕl ate the manna for forty years, all the days that they were in the wilderness, until they came to the land of Kena’an to possess it.

50 And they proceeded from the Wilderness of Sin and encamped in Alush.

51 And they proceeded from Alush and encamped in Rephiḏim.

52 And when the children of Yisra’ĕl were in Rephiḏim, Amalĕq son of Eliphaz, son of Ĕsaw, the brother of Tsepho, came to fight against Yisra’ĕl.

53 And he brought with him eight hundred and one thousand men, magicians and diviners, and he prepared for battle with Yisra’ĕl in Rephiḏim.

54 And they maintained a great and fierce battle against Yisra’ĕl, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 delivered Amalĕq and his people into the hands of Mosheh and the children of Yisra’ĕl, and into the hand of Yahoshua, son of Nun, the Ephrathite, the servant of Mosheh.

55 And the children of Yisra’ĕl smote Amalĕq and his people with the edge of the sword, but the battle was very hard upon the children of Yisra’ĕl.

56 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said to Mosheh, “Write this word as a memorial for you in a Book, and place it in the hand of Yahoshua, son of Nun, your servant, and you shall command the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘When you come to the land of Kena’an, you shall utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalĕq from under the shamayim.’ ”

57 And Mosheh did so, and he took the Book and wrote in it these words, saying,

58 “Remember what Amalĕq has done to you on the way when you departed from Mitsrayim.

59 “Who met you on the way and smote your rear, even those that were feeble behind you when you were faint and weary.

60 “Therefore it shall be when 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 your Elohim has given you rest from all your enemies round about in the land which 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 your Elohim gives you for an inheritance, to possess it, that you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalĕq from under the shamayim, you shall not forget it.

61 “And the sovereign who shall have pity on Amalĕq, or upon his memory or upon his seed, see, I will require it of him, and I will cut him off from among his people.”

62 And Mosheh wrote all these words in a Book, and he commanded the children of Yisra’ĕl regarding all these words.