YASHAR 54 (Jasher 54)

1 And when Yahuḏah saw the dealings of Yosĕph with them, Yahuḏah approached him and broke open the door, and came with his brothers before Yosĕph. 2 And Yahuḏah said to Yosĕph, \"Let it not seem grievous in the sight of my master, may your servant please speak a word before you?\" and Yosĕph said to him, \"Speak.\" 3 And Yahuḏah spoke before Yosĕph, and his brothers were there standing before them. And Yahuḏah said to Yosĕph, \"Indeed when we first came to our master to buy food, you considered us as spies of the land, and we brought Binyamin before you, and you still mock us this day. 4 \"Now therefore let the sovereign hear my words, and please send our brother that he may go along with us to our father, lest your being perish this day with all the beings of the inhabitants of Mitsrayim. 5 \"Do you not know what two of my brothers, Shim'on and Lĕwi, did to the city of Sheḵem, and to seven cities of the Amorites, because of our sister Dinah, and also what they would do for the sake of their brother Binyamin? 6 \"And I with my strength, who am greater and mightier than both of them, shall come upon you and your land today if you are unwilling to send our brother. 7 \"Have you not heard what our Elohim who chose us did to Pharaoh because of Sarah our mother, whom he took away from our father? That he smote he and his household with heavy plagues, that even to this day the Mitsrites relate this wonder to each other. So our Elohim will do to you for the sake of Binyamin whom you have this day taken from his father, and because of the evils this day which you heap over us in your land. For our Elohim will remember His covenant with our father Aḇraham and bring evil upon you, because you have grieved the being of our father this day. 8 \"Now therefore hear my words that I have spoken this day to you, and send our brother that he may go away lest you and the people of your land die by the sword, for you cannot all prevail over me.\" 9 And Yosĕph answered Yahuḏah, saying, \"Why have you opened your mouth wide and why do you boast over us, saying, strength is with you? As Pharaoh lives, if I command all my mighty men to fight against you, indeed you and these, your brothers would sink in the mud.\" 10 And Yahuḏah said to Yosĕph, \"Indeed it is right for you and your people to fear me. As 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 lives if I once draw my sword I shall not sheathe it again until I have slain all Mitsrayim today, and I will begin with you and finish with Pharaoh your master!\" 11 And Yosĕph answered and said to him, \"Indeed strength does not belong to you alone. I am stronger and mightier than you. Even if you draw your sword I will put it to your neck and the necks of all your brothers.\" 12 And Yahuḏah said to him, \"Indeed if I open my mouth against you today I would swallow you up so that you be destroyed from off the earth and perish this day from your reign.\" And Yosĕph said, \"Indeed if you open your mouth, I have power and might to close your mouth with a stone so you shall not be able to speak a word. See how many stones are before us, truly I can take a stone, and force it into your mouth and break your jaws.\" 13 And Yahuḏah said, \"Elohim is witness between us, that we have not desired to fight against you until now. Only give us our brother and we will go from you.\" And Yosĕph answered and said, \"As Pharaoh lives, if all the sovereigns of Kena'an came together with you, you should not take him from my hand. 14 \"Now therefore go your way to your father, and your brother shall be a slave to me, for he has robbed the sovereign's house.\" And Yahuḏah said, \"What is it to you or to the character of the sovereign? Indeed the sovereign sends forth from his house, throughout the land, silver and gold, either in gifts or expenses, and you still speak of your cup which you placed in our brother's bag and say that he has stolen it from you. 15 \"Elohim forbid that our brother Binyamin or any of the seed of Aḇraham should do this matter to steal from you, or from anyone else, whether sovereign, prince, or any man. 16 \"Now therefore cease this accusation lest the whole earth hear your words, saying, 'For a little silver the sovereign of Mitsrayim disputed with the men, and he accused them and took their brother for a slave.’ ” 17 And Yosĕph answered and said, \"Take for yourself this cup and go from me and leave your brother for a slave, for it is the judgment of a thief to be a slave.\" 18 And Yahuḏah said, \"Why are you not ashamed of your words, to leave our brother and to take your cup? Indeed if you gave us your cup, or a thousand times as much, we would not leave our brother for the silver which is found in the hand of any man, that we will not die over him.\" 19 And Yosĕph answered, \"And why to this day did you forsake your brother and sell him for twenty pieces of silver, and why then will you not do the same to this your brother?\" 20 And Yahuḏah said, \"𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 is witness between you and I that we do not desire your battles! Now therefore give us our brother and we will go from you without quarreling.\" 21 And Yosĕph answered and said, \"If all the sovereigns of the land should assemble, they will not be able to take your brother from my hand.\" And Yahuḏah said, \"What shall we say to our father, when he sees that our brother does not come with us, and will grieve over him?\" 22 And Yosĕph answered and said, \"This is the word which you shall speak to your father, saying, 'The rope has gone after the bucket.' \" 23 And Yahuḏah said, \"Indeed you are a sovereign, and why do you speak these words, giving a false judgment? Woe to the sovereign who is like you!\" 24 And Yosĕph answered and said, \"There is no false judgment in the word that I spoke for the sake of your brother Yosĕph, for all of you sold him to the Miḏyanites for twenty pieces of silver, and you all denied it to your father and said to him, 'An evil beast has devoured him, Yosĕph has been torn to pieces.' \" 25 And Yahuḏah said, \"See, the fire of Shĕm burns in my heart, now I will burn all your land with fire!\" And Yosĕph answered and said, \"Indeed your sister-in-law Tamar, who killed your sons, extinguished the fire of Sheḵem.\" 26 And Yahuḏah said, \"If I pluck out a single hair from my flesh, I will fill all Mitsrayim with its blood.\" 27 And Yosĕph answered and said, \"Such is your custom to do as you did to your brother whom you sold, and you dipped his coat in blood and brought it to your father in order that he might say, 'An evil beast devoured him and here is his blood.’ ” 28 And when Yahuḏah heard this word he was exceedingly wroth and his wrath burned within him, and there was before him in that place, a stone, the weight of which was about four hundred sheqels. And Yahuḏah's wrath was kindled and he took the stone in one hand and threw it to the shamayim and caught it with his left hand. 29 And afterward he placed it under his legs, and he sat upon it with all his strength and the stone was turned into dust from the strength of Yahuḏah. 30 And Yosĕph saw the deed of Yahuḏah and he was very much afraid, but he commanded Menashsheh his son and he also did with another stone like the deed of Yahuḏah. And Yahuḏah said to his brothers, \"Let not any of you say, this man is a Mitsrite, but by his doing this matter he is of our father's clan.\" 31 And Yosĕph said, \"Not only to you is strength given, for we are also powerful men, and why will you boast over us all?\" and Yahuḏah said to Yosĕph, \"Please send our brother and do not ruin your country this day.\" 32 And Yosĕph answered and said to them, \"Go and tell your father, an evil beast has devoured him as you said concerning your brother Yosĕph.\" 33 And Yahuḏah spoke to his brother Naphtali, and he said to him, \"Make haste, go now and number all the streets of Mitsrayim and come and tell me.\" And Shim'on said to him, \"Do not let this matter be a trouble to you. Now I will go to the mountain and take up one large stone from the mountain and direct it at every one in Mitsrayim, and kill all that are in it.\" 34 And Yosĕph heard all these words that his brothers spoke before him, but they did not know that Yosĕph understood them, for they thought that he did not know to speak Iḇri. 35 And Yosĕph was greatly afraid at the words of his brothers lest they should destroy Mitsrayim, and he commanded his son Menashsheh, saying, \"Go now, make haste and gather unto me all the inhabitants of Mitsrayim, and all the mighty men together, and let them come to me now on horseback and on foot and with all kinds of musical instruments.\" And Menashsheh went and did so. 36 And Naphtali went as Yahuḏah had commanded him, for Naphtali was swift of foot as one of the swift stags, and he would go upon the heads of grain and they would not break under him. 37 And he went and numbered all the streets of Mitsrayim, and found them to be twelve, and he came hastily and told Yahuḏah. And Yahuḏah said to his brothers, \"Hasten and gird every man his sword upon his loins and we will pass over Mitsrayim, and smite them all, and let not a remnant remain.\" 38 And Yahuḏah said, \"Look, I will destroy three of the streets with my strength, and you shall each destroy one street.\" And when Yahuḏah was speaking this word, see, the inhabitants of Mitsrayim and all the mighty men came toward them with all kinds of musical instruments and with loud shouting. 39 And their number was five hundred cavalry and ten thousand foot soldiers, and four hundred men who could fight without sword or spear, with only their hands and strength. 40 And all the mighty men came with great turmoil and shouting, and they all surrounded the sons of Ya’aqoḇ and frightened them, and the ground shook at the sound of their shouting. 41 And when the sons of Ya’aqoḇ saw these companies they were greatly afraid for their lives, and Yosĕph did so in order to frighten the sons of Ya’aqoḇ to become calm. 42 And Yahuḏah, seeing some of his brothers afraid, said to them, \"Why are you afraid while the favour of Elohim is with us?\" And when Yahuḏah saw all the people of Mitsrayim surrounding them at the command of Yosĕph to frighten them - only Yosĕph commanded them, saying, \"Do not touch any of them.\" – 43 then Yahuḏah hastened and drew his sword, and gave out a loud and bitter shout, and he smote with his sword, and he leaped upon the ground and he still continued to shout against all the people. 44 And when he did this matter 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 caused the fear of Yahuḏah and his brothers to fall upon the mighty men and all the people that surrounded them. 45 And they all fled at the sound of the shouting, and they were afraid and fell one upon the other, and many of them died as they fell, and they all fled from before Yahuḏah and his brothers and from before Yosĕph. 46 And while they were fleeing, Yahuḏah and his brothers pursued them to the house of Pharaoh, and they all escaped, and Yahuḏah again sat before Yosĕph and roared at him like a lion, and gave a great and mighty shout at him. 47 And the shout was heard at a distance, and all the inhabitants of Sukkoth heard it, and all Mitsrayim shook at the sound of the shout, and also the walls of Mitsrayim and of the land of Goshen fell in from the shaking of the earth. And Pharaoh also fell from his throne onto the ground, and also all the pregnant women of Mitsrayim and Goshen miscarried when they heard the noise of the shaking, for they were terribly afraid. 48 And Pharaoh sent word, saying, \"What is this matter that has come to pass in the land of Mitsrayim today?\" And they came and told him all the matters from beginning to end, and Pharaoh was alarmed and he wondered and was greatly afraid. 49 And his fright increased when he heard all these matters, and he sent to Yosĕph, saying, \"You have brought to me the Iḇrim to destroy all Mitsrayim! What will you do with that thieving slave? Send him away and let him go with his brothers, and let us not perish through their evil, even we, you and all Mitsrayim. 50 \"And if you do not desire to do this matter, cast off from you all my valuables, and go with them to their land, if you delight in it, for they will destroy my whole country this day and slay all my people; even all the women of Mitsrayim have miscarried through their shouts! See what they have done merely by their shouting and speaking, moreover if they fight against the sword, they will destroy the land. Now therefore choose that which you desire, whether me or the Iḇrim, whether Mitsrayim or the land of the Iḇrim.\" 51 And they came and told Yosĕph all the words of Pharaoh that he had said concerning him, and Yosĕph was greatly afraid at the words of Pharaoh. And Yahuḏah and his brothers were still standing before Yosĕph grieved and enraged, and all the sons of Ya’aqoḇ roared at Yosĕph, like the roaring of the sea and its waves. 52 And Yosĕph was greatly afraid for his brothers and because of Pharaoh, and Yosĕph sought a pretense to make himself known to his brothers, lest they should destroy all Mitsrayim. 53 And Yosĕph commanded his son Menashsheh, and Menashsheh went and approached Yahuḏah, and placed his hand on his shoulder, and the wrath of Yahuḏah was stilled. 54 And Yahuḏah said to his brothers, \"Let not one of you say that this is the act of a Mitsrite youth for this is the work of my father's house.\" 55 And Yosĕph seeing and knowing that Yahuḏah's wrath was stilled, approached to speak to Yahuḏah in the language of mildness. 56 And Yosĕph said to Yahuḏah, \"indeed you speak truth and have verified today your words concerning your strength, and may your Elohim who delights in you, increase your welfare. But tell me truly why from among all your brothers do you dispute with me for the sake of the boy, as none of them have spoken one word to me concerning him?\" 57 And Yahuḏah answered Yosĕph, saying, \"Indeed you must know that I was security for the boy to his father, saying, 'If I do not bring him to him I should bear his blame forever.' 58 \"Therefore I have approached you from among all my brothers, for I saw that you were unwilling to allow him to go from you. Now therefore may I find favour in your sight that you shall send him to go with us, and see, I will remain as a substitute for him, to serve you in whatever you desire, for wherever you shall send me, I will go to serve you with great strength. 59 \"Send me now to a mighty sovereign who has rebelled against you, and you shall know what I will do to him and to his land. Although he may have cavalry and army or an exceedingly mighty people, I will slay them all and bring the sovereign's head before you. 60 \"Do you not know or have you not heard that our father Aḇraham with his servant El'azar smote all the sovereigns of Ĕylam with their armies in one night? They left not one remaining, and ever since that day our father's strength was given to us for an inheritance, for us and our seed forever.\" 61 And Yosĕph answered and said, \"You speak truth, and falsehood is not in your mouth, for it was also told to us that the Iḇrim have power and that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 their Elohim greatly delights in them, and who then can stand before them? 62 \"However, on this condition I will send your brother, if you will bring before me his brother, the son of his mother, of whom you said that he had gone from you down to Mitsrayim. And it shall come to pass when you bring his brother to me, I will take him in his place, because not one of you was security for him to your father. And when he shall come to me, I will then send his brother with you for whom you have been security.\" 63 And Yahuḏah's wrath was kindled against Yosĕph when he spoke this word, and his eyes were bloodshot with wrath, and he said to his brothers, \"How does this man seek his own destruction this day and that of all Mitsrayim!\" 64 And Shim'on answered Yosĕph, saying, \"Did we not tell you at first that we did not know the exact spot to which he went, and whether he is dead or alive, and why does my master speak such words?\" 65 And Yosĕph observing the appearance of Yahuḏah discerned that his wrath began to kindle when he spoke to him, saying, \"Bring to me your other brother instead of this brother.\" 66 And Yosĕph said to his brothers, \"Indeed you said that your brother was either dead or lost. Now if I should call him today and he should come before you, would you give him to me instead of his brother?\" 67 And Yosĕph began to speak and call out, \"Yosĕph, Yosĕph! Come this day before me, and appear to your brothers and sit before them.\" 68 And when Yosĕph spoke this word before them, they each looked a different way to see from where Yosĕph would come before them. 69 And Yosĕph observed all their deeds, and said to them, \"Why do you look here and there? I am Yosĕph whom you sold to Mitsrayim. Now therefore let it not grieve you that you sold me, for Elohim sent me as a support during the scarcity of food before you.\" 70 And his brothers were afraid of him when they heard the words of Yosĕph, and Yahuḏah was exceedingly afraid of him. 71 And when Binyamin heard the words of Yosĕph, he was before them in the inner part of the house. And Binyamin ran to Yosĕph his brother, and embraced him and fell on his neck, and they wept. 72 And when Yosĕph's brothers saw that Binyamin had fallen on his brother's neck and wept with him, they also fell on Yosĕph and embraced him, and they wept a great weeping with Yosĕph. 73 And the sound was heard in the house of Yosĕph that they were Yosĕph's brothers, and it pleased Pharaoh exceedingly, for he was afraid for them lest they should destroy Mitsrayim. 74 And Pharaoh sent his servants to Yosĕph to congratulate him concerning his brothers who had come to him, and all the captains of the armies and companies that were in Mitsrayim came to rejoice with Yosĕph, and all Mitsrayim rejoiced greatly regarding Yosĕph's brothers. 75 And Pharaoh sent his servants to Yosĕph, saying, \"Tell your brothers to bring all belonging to them and let them come to me, and I will place them in the best part of the land of Mitsrayim.\" And they did so. 76 And Yosĕph commanded him that was placed over his house to bring out to his brothers gifts and garments, and he brought out to them many garments being robes of royalty and many gifts, and Yosĕph divided them among his brothers. 77 And he gave to each of his brothers a change of garments of gold and silver, and three hundred pieces of silver, and Yosĕph commanded them all to be dressed in these garments, and to be brought before Pharaoh. 78 And Pharaoh seeing that all Yosĕph's brothers were mighty men, and of good-looking appearance, he greatly rejoiced. 79 And afterward they went out from the presence of Pharaoh to go to the land of Kena'an, to their father, and their brother Binyamin was with them, 80 And Yosĕph rose up and gave to them eleven chariots from Pharaoh, and Yosĕph gave to them his chariot, upon which he rode on the day of his being crowned in Mitsrayim, to bring his father to Mitsrayim. And Yosĕph sent to all his brothers' children, garments according to their numbers, and a hundred pieces of silver to each of them, and he also sent garments to the wives of his brothers from the garments of the sovereign's wives, and he sent them. 81 And he gave to each of his brothers ten men to go with them to the land of Kena'an to serve them, to serve their children and all belonging to them in coming to Mitsrayim. 82 And Yosĕph sent by the hand of his brother Binyamin ten suits of garments for his ten sons, a portion above the rest of the children of the sons of Ya’aqoḇ. 83 And he sent to each fifty pieces of silver, and ten chariots for the sake of Pharaoh, and he sent to his father ten donkeys loaded with all the best of Mitsrayim, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and food for his father, and to all that were with him as provisions for the journey. 84 And he sent to his sister Dinah garments of silver and gold, and frankincense and myrrh, and aloes and women's ornaments in great plenty. And he sent the same from the wives of Pharaoh to the wives of Binyamin. 85 And he gave to all his brothers, also to their wives, all kinds of shoham stones and bdellium, and from all the valuables among the great people of Mitsrayim. None of all the costly goods was left but what Yosĕph sent of to his father's household. 86 And he sent his brothers away, and they went, and he sent his brother Binyamin with them. 87 And Yosĕph went out with them to accompany them on the way to the borders of Mitsrayim, and he commanded them concerning his father and his household, to come to Mitsrayim. 88 And he said to them, \"Do not quarrel on the way, for this matter was from 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 to keep a great people from starvation, for there will be yet five years of scarcity of food in the land.\" 89 And he commanded them, saying, \"When you come to the land of Kena'an, do not come suddenly before my father in this matter, but act in your wisdom.\" 90 And Yosĕph ceased to command them, and he turned and went back to Mitsrayim, and the sons of Ya’aqoḇ went to the land of Kena'an with joy and gladness to their father Ya’aqoḇ. 91 And they came to the borders of the land, and they said to each other, 'What shall we do in this matter before our father? For if we come suddenly to him and tell him the matter, he will be greatly alarmed at our words and will not believe us.\" 92 And they went along until they came near to their houses, and they found Seraḥ, the daughter of Ashĕr, coming out to meet them, and the maiden was very good and clever, and knew how to play on the harp. 93 And they called to her and she came before them, and she kissed them, and they took her and gave to her a harp, saying, \"Go now before our father, and sit before him, and play on the harp, and speak these words.\" 94 And they commanded her to go to their house, and she took the harp and hurried before them, and she came and sat near Ya’aqoḇ. 95 And she played well and sang, and spoke in the sweetness of her words, \"Yosĕph my uncle is living, and he rules throughout the land of Mitsrayim, and is not dead.\" 96 And she continued to repeat and speak these words, and Ya’aqoḇ heard her words and they were agreeable to him. 97 He listened while she repeated them twice and three times, and joy entered the heart of Ya’aqoḇ at the sweetness of her words, and the Ruaḥ of Elohim was upon him, and he knew all her words to be true. 98 And Ya’aqoḇ baraḵ Seraḥ when she spoke these words before him, and he said to her, \"My daughter, may death never prevail over you, for you have revived my spirit, only speak again before me as you have spoken, for you have gladdened me with all your words.\" 99 And she continued to sing these words, and Ya’aqoḇ listened and it pleased him, and he rejoiced, and the Ruaḥ of Elohim was upon him. 100 While he was still speaking with her, see, his sons came to him with horses and chariots and royal garments and servants running before them. 101 And Ya’aqoḇ rose up to meet them, and saw his sons dressed in royal garments and he saw all the treasures that Yosĕph had sent to them. 102 And they said to him, \"Know that our brother Yosĕph is living, and it is he who rules throughout the land of Mitsrayim, and it is he who spoke to us as we told you.\" 103 And Ya’aqoḇ heard all the words of his sons, and his heart was moved at their words, for he could not believe them until he saw all that Yosĕph had given them and what he had sent him, and all the signs which Yosĕph had spoken to them. 104 And they opened out before him, and showed him all that Yosĕph had sent. They gave to each what Yosĕph had sent him, and he knew that they had spoken the truth, and he rejoiced exceedingly for the sake of his son. 105 And Ya’aqoḇ said, \"It is enough for me that my son Yosĕph is still living, I will go and see him before I die!\" 106 And his sons told him all that had befallen them, and Ya’aqoḇ said, \"I will go down to Mitsrayim to see my son and his offspring.\" 107 And Ya’aqoḇ rose up and put on the garments which Yosĕph had sent him, and after he had washed, and shaved his hair, he put the turban on his head which Yosĕph had sent him. 108 And all the people of Ya’aqoḇ’s house and their wives put on the garments which Yosĕph had sent to them, and they greatly rejoiced at Yosĕph that he was still living and that he was ruling in Mitsrayim. 109 And all the inhabitants of Kena'an heard of this matter, and they came and rejoiced much with Ya’aqoḇ that he was still living. 110 And Ya’aqoḇ made a feast for them for three days, and all the sovereigns of Kena'an and nobles of the land ate and drank and rejoiced in the house of Ya’aqoḇ.