The Lost Books of the Bible: The Great Rejected Texts Read online

  6 And Jacob gave his brother Esau bread and soup, and he ate until he was satisfied, and Esau despised his birthright. For this reason was Esau’s name called Edom (red), because of the red soup which Jacob gave him for his birthright.

  7 And Jacob became the elder, and Esau was brought down from his dignity.

  8 The famine covered the land, and Isaac departed to go down into Egypt in the second year of this week, and went to the king of the Philistines to Gerar, into the presence of Abimelech.

  9 The Lord appeared to him and said to him, “Do not go down into Egypt. Dwell in the land that I shall tell you of, and sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and bless you.

  10 For to you and to your offspring will I give all this land, and I will establish My oath which I swore to Abraham your father, and I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and will give to your offspring all this land.

  11 And in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because your father obeyed My voice, and kept My ways and My commandments, and My laws, and My ordinances, and My covenant; and now do as you are told and dwell in this land.”

  12 And he dwelt in Gelar three weeks of years. And Abimelech commanded concerning him, and concerning all that was his, saying, “Any man that shall touch him or anything that is his shall surely die.”

  13 Isaac grew strong among the Philistines, and he got many possessions, oxen and sheep and camels and donkeys and a great household.

  14 He sowed in the land of the Philistines and brought in a hundred-fold, and Isaac became very great, and the Philistines envied him.

  15 Now all the wells that the servants of Abraham had dug during the life of Abraham, the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham, and filled them with dirt.

  16 Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go from us, for you are much mightier than we.” Isaac departed from that place in the first year of the seventh week, and sojourned in the valleys of Gerar.

  17 And they dug the wells of water again which the servants of Abraham, his father, had dug, and which the Philistines had filled after the death of Abraham his father, and he called their names as Abraham his father had named them.

  18 The servants of Isaac dug a well in the valley, and found fresh, flowing water, and the shepherds of Gerar bickered with the shepherds of Isaac, saying, “The water is ours.” Isaac called the name of the well “Perversity,” because they had been perverse with us.

  19 And they dug a second well, and they fought for that also, and he called its name “Enmity.”

  20 He left that place and they dug another well, and for that they did not fight, and he called the name of it “Room,” and Isaac said, “Now the Lord has made room for us, and we have increased in the land.”

  21 And he went up from that place to the Well of the Oath in the first year of the first week in the forty-fourth jubilee.

  22 The Lord appeared to him in the night of the new moon of the first month, and said to him, “I am the God of Abraham your father; fear not, for I am with you, and shall bless you and shall surely multiply your offspring as the sand of the earth, for the sake of Abraham my servant.”

  23 And he built an altar there, which Abraham his father had first built, and he called on the name of the Lord, and he offered sacrifice to the God of Abraham his father.

  24 They dug a well and they found fresh, flowing water.

  25 The servants of Isaac dug another well and did not find water, and they went and told Isaac that they had not found water, and Isaac said, “I have sworn this day to the Philistines and this thing has been announced to us.”

  26 And he called the name of that place the Well of the

  Oath, because there he had sworn to Abimelech and Ahuzzath ,his friend, and also to Phicol, who was the commander and his host.

  27 Isaac knew that day that he had sworn to them under pressure to make peace with them.

  28 On that day Isaac cursed the Philistines and said, “Cursed be the Philistines to the day of wrath and indignation from among all nations. May God make them a disdain and a curse and an object of anger and indignation in the hands of the Gentile sinners and in the hands of the Kittim.

  29 Whoever escapes the sword of the enemy and the Kittim, may the righteous nation root them out in judgment from under heaven. They shall be the enemies and foes of my children throughout their generations on the earth.

  30 No part of them will remain. Not even one shall be spared on the day of the wrath of judgment. The offspring of the Philistines will experience destruction, rooting out, and expulsion from the earth and this is all that is in store for them. There shall not be a name or an offspring left on the earth for these Caphtorim (the seat of the Philistine state).

  31 For though he rises up to heaven, he shall be brought down, and though he makes himself strong on earth, from there shall he be dragged out, and though he hide himself among the nations, even from that place shall he be rooted out.

  32 Though he descends into the abode of the dead, his condemnation shall be great, and he shall have no peace there.

  33 If he goes into captivity by the hands of those that seek his life they shall kill him on the way (to his imprisonment), and neither his name nor offspring shall be left on all the earth. Into an eternal curse shall he depart.”

  34 It is written and engraved concerning him on the heavenly tablets, that on the day of judgment he will be rooted out of the earth.

  [Chapter 25]

  1 In the second year of this week in this jubilee, Rebecca called Jacob her son, and spoke to him, saying, “My son, do not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan as Esau, your brother, who took two wives of the daughters of Canaan, and they have made my soul bitter with all their unclean acts, for all their actions are fornication and lust, and there is no righteousness in them, because their deeds are evil.

  2 I love you greatly, my son, and my heart and my affection bless you every hour of the day and in every night.

  3 Now, my son, listen to my voice, and do the will of your mother, and do not take a wife of the daughters of this land, but only from the house of my father, and of those related to my father.

  4 If you will take you a wife of the house of my father, the Most High God will bless you, and your children shall be a righteous generation and a holy offspring.” And then spoke Jacob to Rebecca, his mother, and said to her, “Look, mother, I am nine weeks of years old, and I have neither been with nor have I touched any woman, nor have I engaged myself to any, nor I have even thought of taking me wife of the daughters of Canaan.

  5 For I remember, mother, the words of Abraham, our father, for he commanded me not to take a wife of the daughters of Canaan, but to take me a wife from the offspring of my father’s house and from my kind folks.

  6 I have heard before that daughters have been born to Laban, your brother, and I have set my heart on them to take a wife from among them.

  7 For this reason I have guarded myself in my spirit against sinning or being corrupted in any way throughout all the days of my life; for with regard to lust and fornication, Abraham, my father, gave me many commands.

  8 Despite all that he has commanded me, these two and twenty years my brother has argued with me, and spoken frequently to me and said, “My brother, take a wife that is a sister of my two wives,” but I refused to do as he has done.

  9 I swear before you mother, that all the days of my life I will not take me a wife from the daughters of the offspring of Canaan, and I will not act wickedly as my brother has done.

  10 Do not be afraid mother, be assured that I shall do your will and walk in uprightness, and not corrupt my ways forever.”

  11 When she heard this, she lifted up her face to heaven and extended the fingers of her hands, and opened her mouth and blessed the Most High God, who had created the heaven and the earth, and she gave Him thanks and praise.

  12 She said, “Blessed be the Lord God, and may His holy name be blessed forever and ever. He has given m
e Jacob as a pure son and a holy offspring; for he is Yours, and Yours shall his offspring be continually, throughout all the generations forever.

  13 Bless him, O Lord, and place in my mouth the blessing of righteousness, that I may bless him.”

  14 At that hour, when the spirit of righteousness descended into her mouth, she placed both her hands on the head of Jacob, and said, “Blessed are You, Lord of righteousness and God of the ages, and may You bless him beyond all the generations of men.

  15 My Son, may He give you the path of righteousness, and reveal righteousness to your offspring.

  16 May He make your sons many during your life, and may they arise according to the number of the months of the year. And may their sons become many and great beyond the stars of heaven, and may their numbers be more than the sand of the sea.

  17 May He give them this good and pleasing land, as He said He would give it to Abraham and to his offspring after him always, and may they hold it as a possession forever.

  18 My son, may I see blessed children born to you during my life, and may all your offspring be blessed and holy.

  19 And as you have refreshed your mother’s spirit during her life, the womb of her that gave birth to you blesses you now. My affection and my heart (breasts) bless you and my mouth and my tongue greatly praise you.

  20 Increase and spread over the earth. May your offspring be perfect in the joy of heaven and earth forever. May your offspring rejoice, and on the great day of peace may they have peace.

  21 May your name and your offspring endure to all the ages, and may the Most High God be their God, and may the God of righteousness dwell with them, and may His sanctuary be built by you all the ages.

  22 Blessed be he that blesses you, and all flesh that curses you falsely, may it be cursed.”

  23 And she kissed him, and said to him, “May the Lord of the world love you as the heart of your mother and her affection rejoice in you and bless you.” And she ceased from blessing.

  [Chapter 26]

  1 In the seventh year of this week Isaac called Esau, his elder son, and said to him, “ I am old, my son, and my sight is dim, and I do not know the day of my death.

  2 Now, take your hunting weapons, your quiver, and your bow, and go out to the field, and hunt and catch me venison, my son, and make me flavorful meat, like my soul loves, and bring it to me that I may eat, and that my soul may bless you before I die.”

  3 But Rebecca heard Isaac speaking to Esau.

  4 Esau went out early to the field to hunt and catch and bring home meat to his father.

  5 Rebecca called Jacob, her son, and said to him, “Look, I heard Isaac, your father, speak to Esau, your brother, saying, "Hunt for me, and make me flavorful meat, and bring it to me that I may eat and bless you before the Lord before I die."

  6 Now, my son, do as you are told and do as I command you. Go to your flock and fetch me two good kids of the goats, and I will make them good tasting meat for your father, like he loves, and you will bring it to your father that he may eat and bless you to the Lord before he dies.”

  7 Jacob said to Rebecca his mother, “Mother, I shall not withhold anything which my father would eat and which would please him, but I am afraid that he will recognize my voice and wish to touch me.

  8 And you know that I am smooth, and Esau, my brother, is hairy, and I he will see me an evildoer because I am doing something that he has not told me to do and he will be very angry with me, and I shall bring on myself a curse, and not a blessing.”

  9 Rebecca, his mother, said to him, “Your curse be on me, my son, just do as you are told.”

  10 Jacob obeyed the voice of Rebecca, his mother, and went and brought back two good and fat goat kids, and brought them to his mother, and his mother made them tasty meat like he loved.

  11 Rebecca took the good and pleasing clothes of Esau, her elder son, which was with her in the house, and she clothed Jacob, her younger son, with them, and she put the skins of the kids on his hands and on the exposed parts of his neck.

  12 And she gave the meat and the bread, which she had prepared, to her son Jacob.

  13 Jacob went in to his father and said, “I am your son. I have done as you asked me. Arise and sit and eat of that which I have caught, father, that your soul may bless me.”

  14 Isaac said to his son, “How have you found game so quickly, my son?“

  15 Jacob said, “Because the Lord your God caused me to find.”

  16 Isaac said to him, “Come closer, that I may feel you, my son, and know if you are my son Esau or not.”

  17 Jacob went near to Isaac, his father, and he felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau,” and he did not recognize him, because it was a decision from heaven to remove his power of perception and Isaac discerned not, because his hands were hairy as his brother Esau’s, so Isaac blessed him.

  18 He said, “Are you my son Esau? “ and Jacob said, “I am your son,” and Isaac said, “Bring it to me that I may eat of that which you have caught, my son, that my soul may bless you.”

  19 And Jacob brought it to him, and he ate, and Jacob brought him wine and he drank.

  20 Isaac, his father, said to him, “Come close and kiss me, my son.”

  21 He came close and kissed Isaac. And he smelled the smell of his raiment, and he blessed Jacob and said, “Look, the smell of my son is as the smell of a full field which the Lord has blessed.

  22 May the Lord give you of the dew of heaven and of the dew of the earth, and plenty of corn and oil. Let nations serve you and peoples bow down to you.

  23 Be ruler over your brothers, and let your mother’s sons bow down to you; and may all the blessings that the Lord has blessed me and blessed Abraham, my father be imparted to you and to your offspring forever. Cursed be he that curses you, and blessed be he that blesses you.”

  24 It happened as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing his son Jacob, that Jacob had went away from Isaac his father and hid himself.

  25 Esau, his brother, came in from his hunting. And he also made flavorful meat, and brought it to his father and Esau said to his father, “Let my father arise, and eat of my venison that your soul may bless me.”

  26 Isaac, his father, said to him, “Who are you?” Esau said to him, “I am your first born, your son Esau. I have done as you have commanded me.”

  27 Isaac was very greatly surprised, and said, “Who is he that has hunted and caught and brought it to me, and I have eaten of all before you came, and have blessed him, and he shall be blessed, and all his offspring forever.”

  28 It happened when Esau heard the words of his father Isaac that he cried with a very loud and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me also, father!”

  29 Isaac said to him, “Your brother came with trickery, and has taken away your blessing.”

  30 He said, “Now I know why his name is Jacob. Behold, he has supplanted me these two times, he took away my birth-right, and now he has taken away my blessing.”

  31 Esau said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me, father?” and Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Look, I have made him your lord, and all his brothers have I given to him for servants. I have strengthened him with plenty of corn and wine and oil. Now what shall I do for you, my son?”

  32 Esau said to Isaac, his father, “Have you only one blessing, father? Please. Bless me, also, father. “

  33 Esau lifted up his voice and wept. And Isaac answered and said to him, “Far from the dew of the earth shall be your dwelling, and far from the dew of heaven from above.

  34 By your sword will you live, and you will serve your brother.

  35 It shall happen that when you become great, and do shake his yoke from off your neck, you will sin completely and commit a sin worthy of death, and your offspring shall be rooted out from under heaven.”

  36 Esau kept threatening Jacob because of the blessing his father blessed him with, and he said in his heart, “May the days of mour
ning for my father come now, so that I may kill my brother Jacob.”

  [Chapter 27]

  1 Rebecca was told Esau’s words in a dream, and Rebecca sent for Jacob her younger son, and said to him, “Look Esau, your brother, will take vengeance on you and kill you.

  2 Now, therefore, my son, do as you are told, and get up and flee to Laban, my brother, to Haran, and stay with him a few days until your brother’s anger fades away, and he removes his anger from you, and forgets all that you have done. Then I will send for you to come from that place.”

  3 Jacob said, “I am not afraid. If he wishes to kill me, I will kill him.”

  4 But she said to him, “Let me not be bereft of both my sons on one day.”

  5 Jacob said to Rebecca, his mother, “Look, you know that my father has become old, and does not see because his eyes are dull. If I leave him he will think it is wrong. If I leave him and go away from you, my father will be angry and will curse me.

  6 I will not go. When he sends me, only then will I go.”

  7 Rebecca said to Jacob, “I will go in and speak to him, and he will send you away.”

  8 Rebecca went in and said to Isaac, “I hate my life because of the two daughters of Heth, whom Esau has taken as wives. If Jacob take a wife from among the daughters of the land such as these, I could not live with it, because the daughters of Canaan are evil.”

  9 Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and warned him and said to him, “Do not take you a wife of any of the daughters of Canaan. Arise and go to Mesopotamia, to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and take a wife from that place of the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.

  10 And God Almighty bless you and increase and multiply you that you may become a company of nations, and give you the blessings of my father, Abraham, to you and to your offspring after you, that you may inherit the land that you travel in and all the land which God gave to Abraham. Go in peace, my son.”