CHAPTER1
Naphtali,theeighthsonofJacobandBilhah TheRunner.Alessoninphysiology.
1Thecopyof,thetestamentofNaphtali, whichheordainedatthetimeofhisdeathin thehundredandthirtiethyearofhislife
2Whenhissonsweregatheredtogetherinthe seventhmonth,onthefirstdayofthemonth, whilestillingoodhealth,hemadethema feastoffoodandwine.
3Andafterhewasawakeinthemorning,he saidtothem,Iamdying;andtheybelieved himnot
4AndasheglorifiedtheLord,hegrewstrong andsaidthatafteryesterday'sfeastheshould die.
5Andhebeganthentosay:Hear,my children,yesonsofNaphtali,hearthewords ofyourfather.
6IwasbornfromBilhah,andbecauseRachel dealtcraftly,andgaveBilhahinplaceof herselftoJacob,andsheconceivedandbare meuponRachel'sknees,thereforeshecalled mynameNaphtali.
7ForRachellovedmeverymuchbecauseI wasbornuponherlap;andwhenIwasstill youngshewaswonttokissme,andsay:May Ihaveabrotherofthinefrommineown womb,likeuntothee
8WhencealsoJosephwaslikeuntomeinall things,accordingtotheprayersofRachel
9NowmymotherwasBilhah,daughterof RotheusthebrotherofDeborah,Rebecca's nurse,whowasbornononeandtheself-same daywithRachel.
10AndRotheuswasofthefamilyof Abraham,aChaldean,God-fearing,free-born, andnoble.
11Andhewastakencaptiveandwasbought byLaban;andhegavehimEunahis handmaidtowife,andsheboreadaughter, andcalledhernameZilpah,afterthenameof thevillageinwhichhehadbeentakencaptive.
12AndnextsheboreBilhah,saying:My daughterhastensafterwhatisnew,for immediatelythatshewasbornsheseizedthe breastandhastenedtosuckit
13AndIwasswiftonmyfeetlikethedeer, andmyfatherJacobappointedmeforall messages,andasadeerdidhegivemehis blessing.
14Forasthepotterknoweththevessel,how muchitistocontain,andbringethclay accordingly,soalsodoththeLordmakethe bodyafterthelikenessofthespirit,and accordingtothecapacityofthebodydothHe implantthespirit
15Andtheonedoesnotfallshortoftheother byathirdpartofahair;forbyweight,and measure,andrulewasallthecreationmade.
16Andasthepotterknoweththeuseofeach vessel,whatitismeetfor,soalsodoththe Lordknowthebody,howfaritwillpersistin goodness,andwhenitbeginnethinevil
17Forthereisnoinclinationorthought whichtheLordknowethnot,forHecreated everymanafterHisownimage.
18Forasaman'sstrength,soalsoinhiswork; ashiseye,soalsoinhissleep;ashissoul,so alsoinhiswordeitherinthelawoftheLord orinthelawofBeliar
19Andasthereisadivisionbetweenlight anddarkness,betweenseeingandhearing,so alsoisthereadivisionbetweenmanandman, andbetweenwomanandwoman;anditisnot tobesaidthattheoneisliketheothereither infaceorinmind.
20ForGodmadeallthingsgoodintheir order,thefivesensesinthehead,andHe joinedonthenecktothehead,addingtoitthe hairalsoforcomelinessandglory,thenthe heartforunderstanding,thebellyfor excrement,andthestomachforgrinding,the windpipefortakinginthebreath,theliverfor wrath,thegallforbitterness,thespleenfor laughter,thereinsforprudence,themuscles oftheloinsforpower,thelungsfordrawing in,theloinsforstrength,andsoforth.
21Sothen,mychildren,letallyourworksbe doneinorderwithgoodintentinthefearof God,anddonothingdisorderlyinscornorout ofitsdueseason.
22Forifthoubidtheeyetohear,itcannot;so neitherwhileyeareindarknesscanyedothe worksoflight.
23Beye,therefore,noteagertocorruptyour doingsthroughcovetousnessorwithvain wordstobeguileyoursouls;becauseifye keepsilenceinpurityofheart,yeshall understandhowtoholdfastthewillofGod, andtocastawaythewillofBeliar.
24Sunandmoonandstars,changenottheir order;sodoyealsochangenotthelawof Godinthedisorderlinessofyourdoings.
25TheGentileswentastray,andforsookthe Lord,andchargedtheirorder,andobeyed stocksandstones,spiritsofdeceit.
26Butyeshallnotbeso,mychildren, recognizinginthefirmament,intheearth,and inthesea,andinallcreatedthings,theLord whomadeallthings,thatyebecomenotas Sodom,whichchangedtheorderofnature
27InlikemannertheWatchersalsochanged theorderoftheirnature,whomtheLord cursedattheflood,onwhoseaccountHe madetheearthwithoutinhabitantsand fruitless.
28ThesethingsIsayuntoyou,mychildren, forIhavereadinthewritingofEnochthatye yourselvesalsoshalldepartfromtheLord, walkingaccordingtoallthelawlessnessof theGentiles,andyeshalldoaccordingtoall thewickednessofSodom.
29AndtheLordshallbringcaptivityupon you,andthereshallyeserveyourenemies, andyeshallbeboweddownwithevery afflictionandtribulation,untiltheLordhave consumedyouall
30Andafteryehavebecomediminishedand madefew,yereturnandacknowledgethe LordyourGod;andHeshallbringyouback intoyourland,accordingtoHisabundant mercy.
31Anditshallbe,thatafterthattheycome intothelandoftheirfathers,theyshallagain forgettheLordandbecomeungodly.
32AndtheLordshallscatterthemuponthe faceofalltheearth,untilthecompassionof theLordshallcome,amanworking righteousnessandworkingmercyuntoall themthatareafaroff,andtothemthatare near.
CHAPTER2
HemakesapleafororderlylivingNotable fortheireternalwisdomareVerses27-30.
1Forinthefortiethyearofmylife,Isawa visionontheMountofOlives,ontheeastof Jerusalem,thatthesunandthemoonwere standingstill.
2AndbeholdIsaac,thefatherofmyfather, saidtous;Runandlayholdofthem,eachone accordingtohisstrength;andtohimthat seizeththemwillthesunandmoonbelong.
3Andweallofusrantogether,andLevilaid holdofthesun,andJudahoutstrippedthe othersandseizedthemoon,andtheywere bothofthemliftedupwiththem
4AndwhenLevibecameasasun,lo,a certainyoungmangavetohimtwelve branchesofpalm;andJudahwasbrightasthe moon,andundertheirfeetweretwelverays.
5Andthetwo,LeviandJudah,ran,andlaid holdofthem.
6Andlo,abullupontheearth,withtwogreat horns,andaneagle'swingsuponitsback;and wewishedtoseizehim,butcouldnot.
7ButJosephcame,andseizedhim,and ascendedupwithhimonhigh.
8AndIsaw,forIwasthere,andbeholda holywritingappearedtous,saying:Assyrians, Medes,Persians,Chaldeans,Syrians,shall possessincaptivitythetwelvetribesofIsrael.
9Andagain,aftersevendays,Isawour fatherJacobstandingbytheseaofJamnia, andwewerewithhim
10Andbehold,therecameashipsailingby, withoutsailorsorpilot;andtherewaswritten upontheship,TheShipofJacob.
11Andourfathersaidtous:Come,letus embarkonourship.
12Andwhenhehadgoneonboard,there aroseavehementstorm,andamightytempest ofwind;andourfather,whowasholdingthe helm,departedfromus.
13Andwe,beingtostwiththetempest,were bornealongoverthesea;andtheshipwas filledwithwater,andwaspoundedbymighty waves,untilitwasbrokenup.
14AndJosephfledawayuponalittleboat, andwewerealldivideduponnineplanks,and LeviandJudahweretogether.
15Andwewereallscattereduntotheendsof theearth.
16ThenLevi,girtaboutwithsackcloth, prayedforusalluntotheLord.
17Andwhenthestormceased,theship reachedthelandasitwereinpeace.
18And,lo,ourfathercame,andweall rejoicedwithoneaccord.
19ThesetwodreamsItoldtomyfather;and hesaidtome:Thesethingsmustbefulfilled intheirseason,afterthatIsraelhathendured manythings
20Thenmyfathersaithuntome:Ibelieve GodthatJosephliveth,forIseealwaysthat theLordnumberethhimwithyou.
21Andhesaid,weeping:Ahme,myson Joseph,thoulivest,thoughIbeholdtheenot, andthouseestnotJacobthatbegatthee.
22Hecausedmealso,therefore,toweepby thesewords,andIburnedinmyheartto declarethatJosephhadbeensold,butIfeared mybrethren.
23Andlo!mychildren,Ihaveshownunto youthelasttimes,howeverythingshallcome topassinIsrael.
24Doyealso,therefore,chargeyourchildren thattheybeunitedtoLeviandtoJudah;for throughthemshallsalvationariseuntoIsrael, andinthemshallJacobbeblessed.
25ForthroughtheirtribesshallGodappear dwellingamongmenonearth,tosavethe raceofIsrael,andtogathertogetherthe righteousfromamongsttheGentiles.
26Ifyeworkthatwhichisgood,mychildren, bothmenandangelsshallblessyou;andGod shallbeglorifiedamongtheGentilesthrough you,andthedevilshallfleefromyou,andthe wildbeastsshallfearyou,andtheLordshall loveyou,andtheangelsshallcleavetoyou
27Asamanwhohastrainedachildwellis keptinkindlyremembrance;soalsofora goodworkthereisagoodremembrance beforeGod.
28Buthimthatdoethnotthatwhichisgood, bothangelsandmenshallcurse,andGod shallbedishonouredamongtheGentiles
throughhim,andthedevilshallmakehimas hisownpeculiarinstrument,andeverywild beastshallmasterhim,andtheLordshallhate him.
29Forthecommandmentsofthelaware twofold,andthroughprudencemusttheybe fulfilled.
30Forthereisaseasonforamantoembrace hiswife,andaseasontoabstaintherefromfor hisprayer 31So,then,therearetwocommandments; and,unlesstheybedoneindueorder,they bringverygreatsinuponmen.
32Soalsoisitwiththeothercommandments. 33BeyethereforewiseinGod,mychildren, andprudent,understandingtheorderofHis commandments,andthelawsofeveryword, thattheLordmayloveyou, 34Andwhenhehadchargedthemwithmany suchwords,heexhortedthemthatthey shouldremovehisbonestoHebron,andthat theyshouldburyhimwithhisfathers.
35Andwhenhehadeatenanddrunkenwitha merryheart,hecoveredhisfaceanddied 36Andhissonsdidaccordingtoallthat NaphtalitheirFatherhadcommandedthem.