therefore arise, and go out of this land, and return to thy native country. 14 And Rachel and Lia answered: Have we any thing left among the goods and inheritance of our father's house? 15 Hath he not counted us as strangers, and sold us, and eaten up the price of us? 16 But God hath taken our father's riches, and delivered them to us, and to our children: wherefere do all that God hath commanded thee. 17 Then Jacob rose up, and having set his children, and wives upon camels, went his way. 18 And he took all his substance, and flocks, and whatsoever he had gotten in Mesopotamia, and went forward to Isaac his father to the land of Chanaan. 19 At that time Laban was gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole away her father's idols.* 20 And Jacob would not confess to his fatherin-law that he was flying away. 21 And when he was gone, together with all that belonged to him, and having passed the river, was going on towards mount Galaad, 22 It was told Laban on the third day that Jacob fled. 23 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days: and overtook him in the mount of Galaad. 24 And he saw in a dream God saying to him: Take heed thou speak not any thing harshly against Jacob. 37 And searched all my household-stuff? What hast thou found of all the substance of thy house? lay it here before my brethren, and thy brethren, and let them judge between me and thee. 38 Have I therefore been with thee twenty years? thy ewes and goats were not barren, the rams of thy flocks I did not eat: 39 Neither did I show thee that which the beast had torn, I made good all the damage: whatsoever was lost by theft, thou didst exact it of me: 40 Day and night was I parched with heat, and with frost, and sleep departed from my eyes. 41 And in this manner have I served thee in thy house twenty years, fourteen for thy daughters, and six for thy flocks: thou hast changed also my wages ten times. 42 Unless the God of my father Abraham, and the fear of Isaac had stood by me, peradventure now thou hadst sent me away naked: God beheld my affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesterday. 43 Laban answered him: The daughters are mine and the children, and thy flocks, and all things that thou seest are mine: what can I do to my children, and grandchildren? 44 Come therefore, let us enter into a league: that it may be for a testimony between me and thee. 45 And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a title: 46 And he said to his brethren: Bring hither 25 Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the stones. And they, gathering stones together, made mountain: and when he with his brethren had overtaken him, he pitched his tent in the same mount of Galaad. 26 And he said to Jacob: Why hast thou done thus, to carry away, without my knowledge, my daughters, as captives taken with the sword? 27 Why wouldst thou run away privately, and not acquaint me, that I might have brought thee on the way with joy, and with songs, and with timbrels, and with harps? 28 Thou hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and daughters: thou hast done foolishly: and now indeed, 29 It is in my power to return thee evil: but the God of your father said to me yesterday: Take heed thou speak not any thing harshly against Jacob. 30 Suppose, thou didst desire to go to thy friends, and hadst a longing after thy father's house: why hast thou stolen away my gods? 31 Jacob answered: That I departed unknown to thee, it was for fear lest thou wouldst take away thy daughters by force. 32 But whereas thou chargest me with theft: with whomsoever thou shalt find thy gods, let him be slain before our brethren. Search, and if thou find any of thy things with me, take them away. Now when he said this, he knew not that Rachel had stolen the idols. 33 So Laban went into the tent of Jacob, and of Lia, and of both the handmaids, and found them not. And when he was entered into Rachel's tent, 34 She in haste hid the idols under the camel's furniture, and sat upon them: and when he had searched all the tent, and found nothing, 35 She said: Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise up before thee, because it has now happened to me according to the custom of women. So his careful search was in vain. 36 And Jacob being angry, said in a chiding manner: For what fault of mine, and for what of fence on my part hast thou so hotly pursued me, *Her father's idols. By this it appears, that Laban was an idolater: and some of the fathers are of opinion, that Rachel stole away these idols to withdraw him from idolatry, by removing the occasion of his sin. a heap, and they ate upon it. 47 And Laban called it The witness heap: and Jacob, The hillock of testimony; each of them according to the propriety of his language. 48 And Laban said: This heap shall be a witness between me and thee this day, and therefore the name thereof was called Galaad, that is, The witness heap. 49 The Lord behold and judge between us when we shall be gone one from the other. 50 If thou afflict my daughters, and if thou bring in other wives over them: none is witness of our speech but God, who is present and beholdeth. 51 And he said again to Jacob: Behold this heap, and the stone which I have set up between me and thee, 52 Shall be a witness: this heap, I say, and the stone be they for a testimony, if either I shall pass beyond it going towards thee, or thou shalt pass beyond it, thinking harm to me. 53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nachor, the God of their father, judge between us. And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac: 54 And after he had offered sacrifices in the mountain, he called his brethren to eat bread. And when they had eaten, they lodged there: 55 But Laban arose in the night, and kissed his sons, and daughters, and blessed them, and returned to his place. CHAP. XXXII. Jacob's vision of Angels; his message and presents to Esau: his wrestling with an Angel. Jun: and the Angels of God met him. [ACOB also went on the journey he had be 2 And when he saw them, he said: These are the camps of God, and he called the name of that place Mahanaim, that is, Camps. 3 And he sent messengers before him to Esau his brother to the land of Seir, to the country of Edom: 4 And he commanded them, saying: Thus shall ye speak to my lord Esau: Thus saith thy brother Jacob: I have sojourned with Laban, and have been with him until this day. 5 I have oxen, and asses, and sheep, and menservants, and women-servants: and now I send a message to my lord, that I may find favour in thy sight. 6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, say-|| ing: We came to Esau thy brother, and behold, he cometh with speed to meet thee with four hundred men. 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid; and in his fear divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and the sheep, and the oxen, and the camels, into two companies, 8 Saying: If Esau come to one company, and destroy it, the other company that is left, shall escape. 9 And Jacob said: O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac: O Lord who saidst to me: Return to thy land, and to the place of thy birth, and I will do well for thee. 10 I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies, and of thy truth which thou hast fulfilled to thy servant. With my staff I passed over this Jordan: and now I return with two companies. 11 Deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am greatly afraid of him: Lest perhaps he come, and kill the mother with the children. 12 Thou didst say that thou wouldst do well by me, and multiply my seed like the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude. 13 And when he had slept there that night, he set apart, of the things which he had, presents for his brother Esau, 14 Two hundred she-goats, twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, 15 Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and twenty bulls, twenty she-asses, and ten of their foals. 16 And he sent them by the hands of his servants, every drove by itself, and he said to his servants: Go before me, and let there be a space between drove and drove. 17 And he commanded the first, saying: If thou meet my brother Esau, and he ask thee: Whose art thou? or whither goest thou? or whose are these before thee? 18 Thou shalt answer: Thy servant Jacob's: he hath sent them as a present to my lord Esau: and he cometh after us. 19 In like manner he commanded the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying: Speak ye the same words to Esau, when ye find him. 20 And ye shall add: Thy servant Jacob himself also followeth after us; for he said: I will appease him with the presents that go before, and afterwards I will see him, perhaps he will be gracious to me. 21 So the presents went before him, but himself lodged that night in the camp. 22 And rising early he took his two wives, and his two handmaids, with his eleven sons, and passed over the ford of Jaboc. 23 And when all things were brought over that belonged to him, 24 He remained alone: and behold, a man* wrestled with him till morning. 25 And when he saw that he could not overcome him, he touched the sinew of his thigh, and forthwith it shrank. 26 And he said to him: Let me go, for it is break of day. He answered: I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. *A man, &c. This was an Angel in human shape, as we learn from Osee, xii. 4. He is called God, v. 28. and 30. because he represented the person of the Son of God. This wrestling, in which Jacob, assisted by God, was a match for an Angel, was so cdered (v. 28.) that he might learn by this experiment of the divine assistance, that neither Esau, nor any other man, should have power to hurt him. It was also spiritual, as appeareth by his earnest prayer, urging and at last obtaining the Angel's blessing. 27 And he said: What is thy name? He answered: Jacob. 28 But he said: Thy name shall not be called Jacob, but Israel: for if thou hast been strong against God, how much more shalt thou prevail against men? 29 Jacob asked him: Tell me by what name art thou called? He answered: Why dost thou ask my name? And he blessed him in the same place. 30 And Jacob called the name of the place Phanuel,† saying: I have seen God face to face, and my soul has been saved. 31 And immediately the sun rose upon him, after he was past Phanuel; but he halted on his foot. 32 Therefore the children of Israel, unto this day, eat not the sinew, that shrank in Jacob's thigh; because he touched the sinew of his thigh and it shrank. СНАР. ХХХІІІ. Jacob and Esau meet: Jacob goeth to Salem, where he raiseth an altar. Jacob coming, and with him four hundred men: and he divided the children of Lia and of Rachel, and of the two handmaids: 2 And he put both the handmaids and their children foremost: and Lia and her children in the second place: and Rachel, and Joseph last. 3 And he went forward and bowed down with his face to the ground seven times, until his brother came near. 4 Then Esau ran to meet his brother, and embraced him; and clasping him fast about the neck, and kissing him, wept. 5 And lifting up his eyes, he saw the women and their children, and said: What mean these? and do they belong to thee? He answered: They are the children which God hath given to me thy servant. 6 Then the handmaids and their children came near, and bowed themselves. 7 Lia also with her children came near, and bowed down in like manner, and last of all Joseph and Rachel bowed down. 8 And Esau said: What are the droves that I met? He answered: That I might find favour before my lord. 9 But he said: I have plenty, my brother, keep what is thine for thyself. 10 And Jacob said: Do not so, I beseech thee, but if I have found favour in thy eyes, receive a little present at my hands: for I have seen thy face, as if I should have seen the countenance of God; be gracious to me, 11 And take the blessing, which I have brought thee, and which God hath given me, who giveth all things. He took it with much ado at his brother's earnest pressing him, 12 And said: Let us go on together, and I will accompany thee in thy journey. 13 And Jacob said: My lord, thou knowest that I have with me tender children, and sheep, and kine with young; which if I should cause to be over-driven, in one day all the flocks will die. 14 May it please my lord to go before his servant; and I will follow softly after him, as I shall see my children to be able, until I come to my lord in Seir. 15 Esau answered: I beseech thee, that some of the people at least, who are with me, may stay to accompany thee in the way. And he said: There is no necessity: I want nothing else but only to find favour, my lord, in thy sight. 16 So Esau returned, that day, the way that he came, to Seir. + Phanuel. This word signifies the face of God, for, the sight, or, seeing of God. 17 And Jacob came to Socoth: where having it, which being large and wide wanteth men to till built a house, and pitched tents, he called the it: we shall take their daughters for wives, and name of the place Socoth, that is, Tents. we will give them ours. 18 And he passed over to Salem a city of the Sichemites, which is in the land of Chanaan, after be returned from Mesopotamia of Syria: and he dwelt by the town. 22 One thing there is for which so great a good is deferred: We must circumcise every male among us, following the manner of the nation. 19 And he bought that part of the field, in which 23 And their substance, and cattle, and all that he pitched his tents, of the children of Hemor, they possess, shall be ours: only in this let us the father of Sichem, for a hundred lambs. condescend, and by dwelling together, we shall make one people. 20 And raising an altar there, he invoked upon it the most mighty God of Israel. CHAP. XXXIV. 24 And they all agreed, and circumcised all the males. 25 And behold, the third day, when the pain of Dina is ravished, for which the Sichemites are the wound was greatest, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi the brothers of Dina, taking destroyed. AND Dina the daughter of Lia went out to their swords, entered boldly into the city, and see the women of that country. all the men: 2 And when Sichem the son of Hemor the 26 And they killed also Hemor and Sichem, Hevite, the prince of that land, saw her, he was and took away their sister Dina, out of Sichem's in love with her; and took her away, and lay with her, ravishing the virgin. house. 27 And when they were gone out, the other 3 And his soul was fast knit unto her, and sons of Jacob came upon the slain; and plunderwhereas she was sad, he comforted her with ed the city in revenge of the rape." sweet words. 4 And going to Hemor his father, he said: Get me this damsel to wife. 5 But when Jacob had heard this, his sons being absent, and employed in feeding the cattle, he held his peace till they came back." 6 And when Hemor the father of Sichem was come out to speak to Jacob, 28 And they took their sheep and their herds and their asses, wasting all they had in their houses and in the fields. 29 And their children, and wives they took captive. 30 And when they had boldly perpetrated these things, Jacob said to Simeon and Levi: You have troubled me, and made me hateful to the Chanaan7 Behold his sons came from the field: and ites and Pherezites, the inhabitants of this land. hearing what had passed, they were exceeding We are few: they will gather themselves toangry, because he had done a foul thing in Israel, gether and kill me; and both I, and my house and committed an unlawful act, in ravishing shall be destroyed. Jacob's daughter. 31 They answered: Should they abuse our sis8 And Hemor spoke to them: The soul of my ter as a strumpet? son Sichem has a longing for your daughter; give her him to wife. 9 And let us contract marriages one with another; give us your daughters, and take you our daughters. 10 And dwell with us: the land is at your command, till, trade, and possess it. CHAP. XXXV. Jacob purgeth his family from idols: goeth by God's commandment to Bethel, and there buildeth an altar. God appearing again to Jacob blesseth him, and changeth his name into Israel. Rachel dieth in child-birth. Isaac also dieth. IN 11 Sichem also said to her father and to her brethren: Let me find favour in your sight: and the mean time God said to Jacob: Arise, whatsoever you shall appoint I will give; and go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and 12 Raise the dowry, and ask gifts, and I will make there an altar to God, who appeared to thee gladly give what you shall demand; only give me when thou didst flee from Esau thy brother. this damsel to wife. 2 And Jacob having called together all his 13 The sons of Jacob answered Sichem and household, said: Cast away the strange gods that his father deceitfully,* being enraged at the de-are among you, and be cleansed and change your flowering of their sister; 14 We cannot do what you demand, nor give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; which with us is unlawful and abominable. 15 But in this we may be allied with you, if you will be like us, and all the male sex among you be circumcised; 16 Then will we mutually give and take your daughters, and ours; and we will dwell with you, and will be one people: 17 But if you will not be circumcised, we will take our daughter and depart. 18 Their offer pleased Hemor, and Sichem his 19 And the young man made no delay, but forthwith fulfilled what was required; for he loved the damsel exceedingly, and he was the greatest man in all his father's house. 20 And going into the gate of the city, they spoke to the people: 21 These men are peaceable, and are willing to dwell with us: let them trade in the land, and till *Deceitfully. The sons of Jacob, on this occasion, were guilty of a grievous sin, as well by falsely pretending religion, as by excess of their revenge. Though, otherwise their zeal against so foul a crime was commendable. garments. 3 Arise, and let us go up to Bethel, that we may make there an altar to God; who heard me in the day of my affliction, and accompanied me in my journey. 4 So they gave him all the strange gods they had, and the ear-rings which were in their ears: and he buried them under the turpentine-tree, that is behind the city of Sichem. 5 And when they were departed, the terror of God fell upon all the cities round about, and they durst not pursue after them as they went away. 6 And Jacob came to Luza, which is in the land of Chanaan, surnamed Bethel; he and all the people that were with him. 7 And he built there an altar, and called the name of that place, The house of God: for there God appeared to him when he fled from his brother. 8 At the same time Debora the nurse of Rebecca died, and was buried at the foot of Bethel under an oak: and the name of that place was called, The oak of weeping.. 9 And God appeared again to Jacob after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria, and he blessed him, 10 Saying: Thou shalt not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name. And he 6 And Esau took his wives and his sons and called him Israel.* daughters, and every soul of his house, and his 11 And said to him: I am God Almighty, in- substance, and cattle, and all that he was able to crease thou and be multiplied. Nations and peo-acquire in the land of Chanaan: and went into ples of nations shall be from thee, and kings shall another country, and departed from his brother come out of thy loins. Jacob. 12 And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to thee, and to thy seed af ter thee. 13 And he departed from him. 14 But he set up a monument of stone, in the place where God had spoken to him; pouring drink-offerings upon it, and pouring oil thereon; 15 And calling the name of that place Bethel. 16 And going forth from thence, he came in the spring time to the land which leadeth to Ephrata: wherein when Rachel was in travail, 17 By reason of her hard labour, she began to be in danger, and the midwife said to her: Fear not, for thou shalt have this son also. 18 And when her soul was departing for pain, and death was now at hand, she called the name of her son Benoni, that is, The son of my pain: but his father called him Benjamin, that is, The son of the right hand. 19 So Rachel died, and was buried in the highway that leadeth to Ephrata, this is Bethlehem. 7 For they were exceeding rich, and could not dwell together: neither was the land in which they sojourned, able to bear them, for the multitude of their flocks. 8 And Esau dwelt in Mount Seir: he is Edom. 9 And these are the generations of Esau the father of Edom in Mount Seir. 10 And these the names of his sons: Eliphaz the son of Ada the wife of Esau: and Rahuel the son of Basemath his wife. 11 And Eliphaz had sons: Theman, Omar, Sepho, and Gatham and Cenez. 12 Ánd Thamna was the concubine of Eliphaz the son of Esau: and she bore him Amalech. These are the sons of Ada the wife of Esau. 13 And the sons of Rahuel: were Nahath and Zara, Samma and Meza. These were the sons of Basemath the wife of Esau. 14 And these were the sons of Oolibama, the daughter of Ana, the daughter of Sebeon, the wife of Esau, whom she bore to him, Jehus, and 20 And Jacob erected a pillar over her sepul-Ihelon, and Core. chre: this is the pillar of Rachel's monument, to 15 These were dukes of the sons of Esau: the this day. 21 Departing thence, he pitched his tent beyond the Flock tower. 22 And when he dwelt in that country: Ruben went, and slept with Bala the concubinet of his father: which he was not ignorant of. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. 23 The sons of Lia: Ruben the first-born, and Simeon, and Levi, and Juda, and Issachar, and Zabulon. 24 The sons of Rachel, Joseph and Benjamin. 25 The sons of Bala, Rachel's handmaid: Dan and Nephtali. 26 The sons of Zelpha, Lia's handmaid: Gad and Aser: these are the sons of Jacob, that were born to him in Mesopotamia of Syria. 27 And he came to Isaac his father in Mambre, the city of Arbee, this is Hebron: wherein Abraham and Isaac sojourned. 28 And the days of Isaac were a hundred and eighty years. 29 And being spent with age he died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. CHAP. XXXVI. Esau with his wives and children parteth from Jacob. An account of his descendants, and of the first kings of Edom. sons of Eliphaz the first-born of Esau: duke Theman, duke Omar, duke Sepho, duke Cenez, 16 Duke Core, duke Gatham, duke Amalech: these are the sons of Eliphaz in the land of Edom, and these the sons of Ada. 17 And these were the sons of Rahuel, the son of Esau: duke Nahath, duke Zara, duke Samma, duke Meza. And these are the dukes of Rahuel, in the land of Edom: these the sons of Basemath the wife of Esau. 18 And these the sons of Oolibama the wife of Esau: duke Jehus, duke Ihelon, duke Core. These are the dukes of Oolibama, the daughter of Ana, and wife of Esau. 19 These are the sons of Esau, and these the dukes of them: the same is Edom. 20 These are the sons of Seir the Horrite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, and Sobal, and Sebeon, and Ana, 21 And Dison, and Eser, and Disan. These are dukes of the Horrites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom. 22 And Lotan had sons: Hori and Heman. And the sister of Lotan, was Thamna.. 23 And these the sons of Sobal: Alvan and Manahat, and Ebal, and Sepho and Oman. 24 And these the sons of Sebeon: Aia and Ana. This is Ana that found the hot waters in the wilderness, when he fed the asses of Sebeon his AND these are the generations of Esau, the father same is Edom. 25 And he had a son Dison, and a daughter 2 Esau took wives of the daughters of Cha-Oolibama. naan: Adat the daughter of Elon the Hethite, and Oolibama the daughter of Sebeon the Hevite: 3 And Basemath the daughter of Ismael, sister of Nabajoth. 4 And Ada bore Eliphaz: Basemath bore Rahuel: 5 Oolibama bore Jehus and Ihelon and Core. These are the sons of Esau, that were born to him in the land of Chanaan. *Israel. This name signifieth one that prevaileth with God. 26 And these were the sons of Dison: Hamdan, and Eseban, and Jethram, and Charan. 27 These also were the sons of Eser: Balaan, and Zavan, and Acan. 23 And Disan had sons: Hus and Aram. 29 These were dukes of the Horrites: duke Lotan, duke Sobal, duke Sebeon, duke Ana, 30 Duke Dison, duke Eser, duke Disan: these were dukes of the Horrites that ruled in the land of Seir. 31 And the kings that ruled in the land of Edom, before the children of Israel had a king, were these: 32 Bela the son of Beor, and the name of his 33 And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zara of Bosra reigned in his stead. †The concubine. She was his lawful wife; but according to the style of the Hebrews, is called concubine, because of her servile extraction. city Denaba. Ada. These wives of Esau are called by other names, Gen. xxvi. But it was very common amongst the ancients for the same persons 34 And when Jobab was dead, Husam of the to have two names, as Esau himself was also call-land of the Themanites reigned in his stead. ed Edom, 35 And after his death, Adad the son of Badad reigned in his stead, who defeated the Madianites sheep in Sichem: come, I will send thee to them. in the country of Moab: and the name of his city And when he answered: was Avith. 14 I am ready: he said to him: Go, and see if 36 And when Adad was dead, there reigned in all things be well with thy brethren, and the cattle; his stead Semla of Masreca. and bring me word again what is doing. So being 37 And he being dead, Saul of the river Roho-sent from the vale of Hebron, he came to Sichem: both, reigned in his stead. 38 And when he also was dead, Balanan the son of Achobor succeeded to the kingdom. 39 This man also being dead, Adar reigned in his place, and the name of his city was Phau: and his wife was called Meetabel, the daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezaab. 40 And these are the names of the dukes of Esau in their kindreds, and places, and callings:|| duke Thamna, duke Alva, duke Jetheth, 41 Duke Oolibama, duke Ela, duke Phinon, 42 Duke Cenez, duke Theman, duke Mabsar, 43 Duke Magdiel, duke Hiram: these are the dukes of Edom dwelling in the land of their government, the same is Esau the father of the Edomites. CHAP. XXXVII. Joseph's dreams: he is sold by his brethren, and carried into Egypt. ND Jacob dwelt in the land of Chanaan, A wherein his father sojourned. 15 And a man found him there wandering in the field, and asked what he sought. 16 But he answered: I seek my brethren, tell me where they feed the flocks. 17 And the man said to him: They are departed from this place; for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothain. And Joseph went forward after his brethren, and found them in Dothain. 18 And when they saw him afar off, before he came nigh them, they thought to kill him; 19 And said one to another: Behold, the dreamer cometh. 20 Come, let us kill him, and cast him into some old pit; and we will say: Some evil beast hath devoured him; and then it shall appear what his dreams avail him. 21 And Ruben hearing this, endeavoured to deliver him out of their hands, and said: 22 Do not take away his life, nor shed his blood; but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and keep your hands harmless: now he said this, being desirous to deliver him out of their hands, and to restore him to his father. 23 And as soon as he came to his brethren, they forthwith stript him of his outside coat, that was 2 And these are his generations: Joseph, when he was sixteen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren, being but a boy: and he was with the sons of Bala and of Zelpha his father's of divers colours: wives: and he accused his brethren to his father of a most wicked crime. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had him in his old age: and he made him a coat of divers colours. 4 And his brethren seeing that he was loved by his father, more than all his sons, hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him. 5 Now it fell out also that he told his brethren a dream, that he had dreamed; which occasioned them to hate him the more. 6 And he said to them: Hear my dream which I dreamed. 7 I thought we were binding sheaves in the field; and my sheaf arose, as it were, and stood, and your sheaves standing about bowed down before my sheaf. 8 His brethren answered: Shalt thou be our king? or shall we be subject to thy dominion? Therefore this matter of his dreams and words ministered nourishment to their envy and hatred. 9 He dreamed also another dream, which he told his brethren, saying: I saw in a dream, as it were the sun, and the moon, and eleven stars worshipping me. 10 And when he had told this to his father, and brethren, his father rebuked him, and said: What meaneth this dream that thou hast dreamed? shall I and thy mother, and thy brethren worshipt thee upon the earth. 11 His brethren therefore envied him: but his father considered the thing with himself. 12 And when his brethren abode in Sichem, feeding their father's flocks, 13 Israel said to him: Thy brethren feed the A dream. These dreams of Joseph were prophetical, and sent from God; as were also those 24 And cast him into an old pit where there was no water. 25 And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ismaelites on their way coming from Galaad, with their camels, carrying spices, and balm, and myrrh to Egypt. 26 And Juda said to his brethren: What will it profit us to kill our brother, and conceal his blood? 27 It is better that he be sold to the Ismaelites, and that our hands be not defiled: for he is our brother and our flesh. His brethren agreed to his words. 28 And when the Madianite merchants passed by, they drew him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ismaelites, for twenty pieces of silver: and they led him into Egypt. 29 And Ruben returning to the pit, found not the boy: 30 And rending his garments he went to his brethren, and said: The boy doth not appear, and whither shall I go? 31 And they took his coat, and dipped it in the blood of a kid, which they had killed; 32 Sending some to carry it to their father, and to say: This we have found; see whether it be thy son's coat, or no. 33 And the father acknowledging it, said: It is my son's coat, an evil wild beast hath eaten him, beast hath devoured Joseph. a 34 And tearing his garments, he put on sackcloth, mourning for his son a long time. 35 And all his children being gathered together to comfort their father in his sorrow, he would not receive comfort, but said: I will go down to my son into hell,‡ mourning. And whilst he continued weeping, 36 The Madianites sold Joseph in Egypt to which he interpreted, Gen. xl. and xli. otherwise Into hell. That is, into limbo, the place where generally speaking, the observing of dreams is the souls of the just were received before the condemned in the scripture, as superstitious and death of our Redeemer. For allowing that the sinful. See Deut. xviii. 10. and Ecclesiasticus word hell sometimes is taken for the grave, it canΙχχίν. 2, 3. not be so taken in this place; since Jacob did not Worship. This word is not used here to sig- believe his son to be in the grave, (whom he supnify divine worship, but an inferior veneration, posed to be devoured by a wild beast,) and thereexpressed by the bowing of the body, and that ac- fore could not mean to go down to him thither: cording to the manner of the eastern nations, down but certainly meant the place of rest, where he to the ground. believed his soul to be. |