YOḆELIM 34 (Jubilee 34)

1 And in the sixth year of this week of this forty-fourth Yoḇĕl Ya’aqoḇ sent his sons to pasture their sheep, and his servants with them, to the pastures of Sheḵem.

2 And the seven sovereigns of the Amorites assembled themselves together against them, to slay them, hiding themselves under the trees, and to take their cattle as plunder.

3 And Ya’aqoḇ and Lĕwi and Yahuḏah and Yosĕph were in the house with Yitsḥaq their father; for his spirit was sorrowful, and they could not leave him. And Binyamin was the youngest, and for this reason remained with his father.

4 And there came the sovereign of Tappuaḥ, and the sovereign of Ḥatsor, and the sovereign of Sarĕgan, and the sovereign of Shiloh, and the sovereign of Ga’ash, and the sovereign of Bĕyth Ḥoron, and the sovereign of Shaqir-Ma’ani, and all those who dwell in these mountains, who dwell in the woods, in the land of Kena’an.

5 And they announced this to Ya’aqoḇ saying, “See, the sovereigns of the Amorites have surrounded your sons, and plundered their herds.”

6 And he arose from his house, he and his three sons and all the servants of his father, and his own servants, and he went against them with six thousand men, who carried swords.

7 And he slew them in the pastures of Sheḵem, and pursued those who fled, and he slew them with the edge of the sword. And he slew Arĕsa and Taphu and Sarĕgan and Shilo and Amanisaḵir and Ga’ash, and he recovered his herds.

8 And he prevailed over them, and imposed tribute on them that they should pay him tribute: five fruit products of their land, and he built Roḇĕl and Tamnatarĕs.

9 And he returned in peace, and made peace with them, and they became his servants until the day that he and his sons went down into Mitsrayim.

10 And in the seventh year of this week he sent Yosĕph to the land of Sheḵem to learn about the welfare of his brothers from his house, and he found them in the land of Dothan.

11 And they dealt treacherously with him, and formed a plot against him to slay him. But changing their minds, they sold him to Yishma’ĕlite merchants, and they brought him down into Mitsrayim. And they sold him to Potiphar, the eunuch of Pharaoh, the chief of the guard, priest of the city of Ĕlew.

12 And the sons of Ya’aqoḇ slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the coat of Yosĕph in the blood, and sent to Ya’aqoḇ their father on the tenth of the seventh month.

13 And he mourned all that night, for they had brought it to him in the evening. And he became feverish with mourning for his death, and he said, “An evil beast has devoured Yosĕph!” And all the members of his house were grieving and mourning with him all that day.

14 And his sons and his daughter rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted for his son.

15 And on that day, Bilhah heard that Yosĕph had perished, and she died mourning him, and she was living in Qaphratĕph. And Dinah his daughter also died after Yosĕph had perished, and there came these three mournings upon Yisra’ĕl in one month.

16 And they buried Bilhah opposite the tomb of Raḥĕl, and Dinah his daughter, they also buried there.

17 And he mourned for Yosĕph one year, and did not cease, for he said “Let me go down to the grave mourning for my son.”

18 For this reason it is ordained for the children of Yisra’ĕl that they should afflict themselves on the tenth of the seventh month – on the day that the news which made him weep for Yosĕph came to Ya’aqoḇ his father – that on it they should make atonement for themselves with a young goat on the tenth of the seventh month, once a year, for their sins; for they had grieved the affection of their father regarding Yosĕph his son.

19 And this day has been ordained that they should grieve thereon for their sins, and for all their transgressions and for all their strayings, so that they might cleanse themselves on that day once a year.

20 And after Yosĕph perished, the sons of Ya’aqoḇ took unto themselves wives. The name of Re’uḇĕn’s wife is Aḏah and the name of Shim’on’s wife is Aḏiba’ah, a Kena’anite; and the name of Lĕwi’s wife is Milkah, of the daughters of Aram, of the seed of the sons of Terah; and the name of Yahuḏah’s wife, Bĕtsu’ĕl, a Kena’anite; and the name of Yissasḵar’s wife, Ḥĕzaqah; and the name of Zeḇulun’s wife, Ni’iman; and the name of Dan’s wife, Eḡlah; and the name of Naphtali’s wife, Rasu’u, of Aram-Naharayim; and the name of Gaḏ’s wife, Ma’aḵah; and the name of Ashĕr’s wife, Yonah; and the name of Yosĕph’s wife, Asenath, the Mitsrite; and the name of Binyamin’s wife, Yasaqah.

21 And Shim’on repented, and took a second wife from Aram-Naharayim as his brothers.