Chapter 61
\n1\tAnd it came to pass at that time Pharaoh king of Egypt commanded all his people to make for him a strong palace in Egypt.
\n2\tAnd he also commanded the sons of Jacob to assist the Egyptians in the building, and the Egyptians made a beautiful and elegant palace for a royal habitation, and he dwelt therein and he renewed his government and he reigned securely.
\n3\tAnd Zebulun the son of Jacob died in that year, that is the seventy-second year of the going down of the Israelites to Egypt, and Zebulun died a hundred and fourteen years old, and was put into a coffin and given into the hands of his children.
\n4\tAnd in the seventy-fifth year died his brother Simeon, he was a hundred and twenty years old at his death, and he was also put into a coffin and given into the hands of his children.
\n5\tAnd Zepho the son of Eliphaz the son of Esau, captain of the host to Angeas king of Dinhabah, was still daily enticing Angeas to prepare for battle to fight with the sons of Jacob in Egypt, and Angeas was unwilling to do this thing, for his servants had related to him all the might of the sons of Jacob, what they had done unto them in their battle with the children of Esau.
\n6\tAnd Zepho was in those days daily enticing Angeas to fight with the sons of Jacob in those days.
\n7\tAnd after some time Angeas hearkened to the words of Zepho and consented to him to fight with the sons of Jacob in Egypt, and Angeas got all his people in order, a people numerous as the sand which is upon the sea shore, and he formed his resolution to go to Egypt to battle.
\n8\tAnd amongst the servants of Angeas was a youth fifteen years old, Balaam the son of Beor was his name and the youth was very wise and understood the art of witchcraft.
\n9\tAnd Angeas said unto Balaam, Conjure for us, I pray thee, with the witchcraft, that we may know who will prevail in this battle to which we are now proceeding.
\n10\tAnd Balaam ordered that they should bring him wax, and he made thereof the likeness of chariots and horsemen representing the army of Angeas and the army of Egypt, and he put them in the cunningly prepared waters that he had for that purpose, and he took in his hand the boughs of myrtle trees, and he exercised his cunning, and he joined them over the water, and there appeared unto him in the water the resembling images of the hosts of Angeas falling before the resembling images of the Egyptians and the sons of Jacob.
\n11\tAnd Balaam told this thing to Angeas, and Angeas despaired and did not arm himself to go down to Egypt to battle, and he remained in his city.
\n12\tAnd when Zepho the son of Eliphaz saw that Angeas despaired of going forth to battle with the Egyptians, Zepho fled from Angeas from Africa, and he went and came unto Chittim.
\n13\tAnd all the people of Chittim received him with great honor, and they hired him to fight their battles all the days, and Zepho became exceedingly rich in those days, and the troops of the king of Africa still spread themselves in those days, and the children of Chittim assembled and went to Mount Cuptizia on account of the troops of Angeas king of Africa, who were advancing upon them.
\n14\tAnd it was one day that Zepho lost a young heifer, and he went to seek it, and he heard it lowing round about the mountain.
\n15\tAnd Zepho went and he saw and behold there was a large cave at the bottom of the mountain, and there was a great stone there at the entrance of the cave, and Zepho split the stone and he came into the cave and he looked and behold, a large animal was devouring the ox; from the middle upward it resembled a man, and from the middle downward it resembled an animal, and Zepho rose up against the animal and slew it with his swords.
\n16\tAnd the inhabitants of Chittim heard of this thing, and they rejoiced exceedingly, and they said, What shall we do unto this man who has slain this animal that devoured our cattle?
\n17\tAnd they all assembled to consecrate one day in the year to him, and they called the name thereof Zepho after his name, and they brought unto him drink offerings year after year on that day, and they brought unto him gifts.
\n18\tAt that time Jania the daughter of Uzu wife of king Angeas became ill, and her illness was heavily felt by Angeas and his officers, and Angeas said unto his wise men, What shall I do to Jania and how shall I heal her from her illness? And his wise men said unto him, Because the air of our country is not like the air of the land of Chittim, and our water is not like their water, therefore from this has the queen become ill.
\n19\tFor through the change of air and water she became ill, and also because in her country she drank only the water which came from Purmah, which her ancestors had brought up with bridges.
\n20\tAnd Angeas commanded his servants, and they brought unto him in vessels of the waters of Purmah belonging to Chittim, and they weighed those waters with all the waters of the land of Africa, and they found those waters lighter than the waters of Africa.
\n21\tAnd Angeas saw this thing, and he commanded all his officers to assemble the hewers of stone in thousands and tens of thousands, and they hewed stone without number, and the builders came and they built an exceedingly strong bridge, and they conveyed the spring of water from the land of Chittim unto Africa, and those waters were for Jania the queen and for all her concerns, to drink from and to bake, wash and bathe therewith, and also to water therewith all seed from which food can be obtained, and all fruit of the ground.
\n22\tAnd the king commanded that they should bring of the soil of Chittim in large ships, and they also brought stones to build therewith, and the builders built palaces for Jania the queen, and the queen became healed of her illness.
\n23\tAnd at the revolution of the year the troops of Africa continued coming to the land of Chittim to plunder as usual, and Zepho son of Eliphaz heard their report, and he gave orders concerning them and he fought with them, and they fled before him, and he delivered the land of Chittim from them.
\n24\tAnd the children of Chittim saw the valor of Zepho, and the children of Chittim resolved and they made Zepho king over them, and he became king over them, and whilst he reigned they went to subdue the children of Tubal, and all the surrounding islands.
\n25\tAnd their king Zepho went at their head and they made war with Tubal and the islands, and they subdued them, and when they returned from the battle they renewed his government for him, and they built for him a very large palace for his royal habitation and seat, and they made a large throne for him, and Zepho reigned over the whole land of Chittim and over the land of Italia fifty years.
\nChapter 62
\n1\tIn that year, being the seventy-ninth year of the Israelites going down to Egypt, died Reuben the son of Jacob, in the land of Egypt; Reuben was a hundred and twenty-five years old when he died, and they put him into a coffin, and he was given into the hands of his children.
\n2\tAnd in the eightieth year died his brother Dan; he was a hundred and twenty years at his death, and he was also put into a coffin and given into the hands of his children.
\n3\tAnd in that year died Chusham king of Edom, and after him reigned Hadad the son of Bedad, for thirty-five years; and in the eighty-first year died Issachar the son of Jacob, in Egypt, and Issachar was a hundred and twenty-two years old at his death, and he was put into a coffin in Egypt, and given into the hands of his children.
\n4\tAnd in the eighty-second year died Asher his brother, he was a hundred and twenty-three years old at his death, and he was placed in a coffin in Egypt, and given into the hands of his children.
\n5\tAnd in the eighty-third year died Gad, he was a hundred and twenty-five years old at his death, and he was put into a coffin in Egypt, and given into the hands of his children.
\n6\tAnd it came to pass in the eighty-fourth year, that is the fiftieth year of the reign of Hadad, son of Bedad, king of Edom, that Hadad assembled all the children of Esau, and he got his whole army in readiness, about four hundred thousand men, and he directed his way to the land of Moab, and he went to fight with Moab and to make them tributary to him.
\n7\tAnd the children of Moab heard this thing, and they were very much afraid, and they sent to the children of Midian to assist them in fighting with Hadad, son of Bedad, king of Edom.
\n8\tAnd Hadad came unto the land of Moab, and Moab and the children of Midian went out to meet him, and they placed themselves in battle array against him in the field of Moab.
\n9\tAnd Hadad fought with Moab, and there fell of the children of Moab and the children of Midian many slain ones, about two hundred thousand men.
\n10\tAnd the battle was very severe upon Moab, and when the children of Moab saw that the battle was sore upon them, they weakened their hands and turned their backs, and left the children of Midian to carry on the battle.
\n11\tAnd the children of Midian knew not the intentions of Moab, but they strengthened themselves in battle and fought with Hadad and all his host, and all Midian fell before him.
\n12\tAnd Hadad smote all Midian with a heavy smiting, and he slew them with the edge of the sword, he left none remaining of those who came to assist Moab.
\n13\tAnd when all the children of Midian had perished in battle, and the children at Moab had escaped, Hadad made all Moab at that time tributary to him, and they became under his hand, and they gave a yearly tax as it was ordered, and Hadad turned and went back to his land.
\n14\tAnd at the revolution of the year, when the rest of the people of Midian that were in the land heard that all their brethren had fallen in battle with Hadad for the sake of Moab, because the children of Moab had turned their backs in battle and left Midian to fight, then five of the princes of Midian resolved with the rest of their brethren who remained in their land, to fight with Moab to avenge the cause of their brethren.
\n15\tAnd the children of Midian sent to all their brethren the children of the east, and all their brethren, all the children of Keturah came to assist Midian to fight with Moab.
\n16\tAnd the children of Moab heard this thing, and they were greatly afraid that all the children of the east had assembled together against them for battle, and they the children of Moab sent a memorial to the land of Edom to Hadad the son of Bedad, saying,
\n17\tCome now unto us and assist us and we will smite Midian, for they all assembled together and have come against us with all their brethren the children of the east to battle, to avenge the cause of Midian that fell in battle.
\n18\tAnd Hadad, son of Bedad, king of Edom, went forth with his whole army and went to the land of Moab to fight with Midian, and Midian and the children of the east fought with Moab in the field of Moab, and the battle was very fierce between them.
\n19\tAnd Hadad smote all the children of Midian and the children of the east with the edge of the sword, and Hadad at that time delivered Moab from the hand of Midian, and those that remained of Midian and of the children of the east fled before Hadad and his army, and Hadad pursued them to their land, and smote them with a very heavy slaughter, and the slain fell in the road.
\n20\tAnd Hadad delivered Moab from the hand of Midian, for all the children of Midian had fallen by the edge of the sword, and Hadad turned and went back to his land.
\n21\tAnd from that day forth, the children of Midian hated the children of Moab, because they had fallen in battle for their sake, and there was a great and mighty enmity between them all the days.
\n22\tAnd all that were found of Midian in the road of the land of Moab perished by the sword of Moab, and all that were found of Moab in the road of the land of Midian, perished by the sword of Midian; thus did Midian unto Moab and Moab unto Midian for many days.
\n23\tAnd it came to pass at that time that Judah the son of Jacob died in Egypt, in the eighty- sixth year of Jacob’s going down to Egypt, and Judah was a hundred and twenty-nine years old at his death, and they embalmed him and put him into a coffin, and he was given into the hands of his children.
\n24\tAnd in the eighty-ninth year died Naphtali, he was a hundred and thirty-two years old, and he was put into a coffin and given into the hands of his children.
\n25\tAnd it came to pass in the ninety-first year of the Israelites going down to Egypt, that is in the thirtieth year of the reign of Zepho the son of Eliphaz, the son of Esau, over the children of Chittim, the children of Africa came upon the children of Chittim to plunder them as usual, but they had not come upon them for these thirteen years.
\n26\tAnd they came to them in that year, and Zepho the son of Eliphaz went out to them with some of his men and smote them desperately, and the troops of Africa fled from before Zepho and the slain fell before him, and Zepho and his men pursued them, going on and smiting them until they were near unto Africa.
\n27\tAnd Angeas king of Africa heard the thing which Zepho had done, and it vexed him exceedingly, and Angeas was afraid of Zepho all the days.
\nChapter 63
\n1\tAnd in the ninety-third year died Levi, the son of Jacob, in Egypt, and Levi was a hundred and thirty-seven years old when he died, and they put him into a coffin and he was given into the hands of his children.
\n2\tAnd it came to pass after the death of Levi, when all Egypt saw that the sons of Jacob the brethren of Joseph were dead, all the Egyptians began to afflict the children of Jacob, and to embitter their lives from that day unto the day of their going forth from Egypt, and they took from their hands all the vineyards and fields which Joseph had given unto them, and all the elegant houses in which the people of Israel lived, and all the fat of Egypt, the Egyptians took all from the sons of Jacob in those days.
\n3\tAnd the hand of all Egypt became more grievous in those days against the children of Israel, and the Egyptians injured the Israelites until the children of Israel were wearied of their lives on account of the Egyptians.
\n4\tAnd it came to pass in those days, in the hundred and second year of Israel’s going down to Egypt, that Pharaoh king of Egypt died, and Melol his son reigned in his stead, and all the mighty men of Egypt and all that generation which knew Joseph and his brethren died in those days.
\n5\tAnd another generation rose up in their stead, which had not known the sons of Jacob and all the good which they had done to them, and all their might in Egypt.
\n6\tTherefore all Egypt began from that day forth to embitter the lives of the sons of Jacob, and to afflict them with all manner of hard labor, because they had not known their ancestors who had delivered them in the days of the famine.
\n7\tAnd this was also from the Lord, for the children of Israel, to benefit them in their latter days, in order that all the children of Israel might know the Lord their God.
\n8\tAnd in order to know the signs and mighty wonders which the Lord would do in Egypt on account of his people Israel, in order that the children of Israel might fear the Lord God of their ancestors, and walk in all his ways, they and their seed after them all the days.
\n9\tMelol was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned ninety-four years, and all Egypt called his name Pharaoh after the name of his father, as it was their custom to do to every king who reigned over them in Egypt.
\n10\tAt that time all the troops of Angeas king of Africa went forth to spread along the land of Chittim as usual for plunder.
\n11\tAnd Zepho the son of Eliphaz the son of Esau heard their report, and he went forth to meet them with his army, and he fought them there in the road.
\n12\tAnd Zepho smote the troops of the king of Africa with the edge of the sword, and left none remaining of them, and not even one returned to his master in Africa.
\n13\tAnd Angeas heard of this which Zepho the son of Eliphaz had done to all his troops, that he had destroyed them, and Angeas assembled all his troops, all the men of the land of Africa, a people numerous like the sand by the sea shore.
\n14\tAnd Angeas sent to Lucus his brother, saying, Come to me with all thy men and help me to smite Zepho and all the children of Chittim who have destroyed my men, and Lucus came with his whole army, a very great force, to assist Angeas his brother to fight with Zepho and the children of Chittim.
\n15\tAnd Zepho and the children of Chittim heard this thing, and they were greatly afraid and a great terror fell upon their hearts.
\n16\tAnd Zepho also sent a letter to the land of Edom to Hadad the son of Bedad king of Edom and to all the children of Esau, saying,
\n17\tI have heard that Angeas king of Africa is coming to us with his brother for battle against us, and we are greatly afraid of him, for his army is very great, particularly as he comes against us with his brother and his army likewise.
\n18\tNow therefore come you also up with me and help me, and we will fight together against Angeas and his brother Lucus, and you will save us out of their hands, but if not, know ye that we shall all die.
\n19\tAnd the children of Esau sent a letter to the children of Chittim and to Zepho their king, saying, We cannot fight against Angeas and his people for a covenant of peace has been between us these many years, from the days of Bela the first king, and from the days of Joseph the son of Jacob king of Egypt, with whom we fought on the other side of Jordan when he buried his father.
\n20\tAnd when Zepho heard the words of his brethren the children of Esau he refrained from them, and Zepho was greatly afraid of Angeas.
\n21\tAnd Angeas and Lucus his brother arrayed all their forces, about eight hundred thousand men, against the children of Chittim.
\n22\tAnd all the children of Chittim said unto Zepho, Pray for us to the God of thy ancestors, peradventure he may deliver us from the hand of Angeas and his army, for we have heard that he is a great God and that he delivers all who trust in him.
\n23\tAnd Zepho heard their words, and Zepho sought the Lord and he said,
\n24\t0\tLord God of Abraham and Isaac my ancestors, this day I know that thou art a true God, and all the gods of the nations are vain and useless.
\n25\tRemember now this day unto me thy covenant with Abraham our father, which our ancestors related unto us, and do graciously with me this day for the sake of Abraham and Isaac our fathers, and save me and the children of Chittim from the hand of the king of Africa who comes against us for battle.
\n26\tAnd the Lord hearkened to the voice of Zepho, and he had regard for him on account of Abraham and Isaac, and the Lord delivered Zepho and the children of Chittim from the hand of Angeas and his people.
\n27\tAnd Zepho fought Angeas king of Africa and all his people on that day, and the Lord gave all the people of Angeas into the hands of the children of Chittim.
\n28\tAnd the battle was severe upon Angeas, and Zepho smote all the men of Angeas and Lucus his brother, with the edge of the sword, and there fell from them unto the evening of that day about four hundred thousand men.
\n29\tAnd when Angeas saw that all his men perished, he sent a letter to all the inhabitants of Africa to come to him, to assist him in the battle, and he wrote in the letter, saying, All who are found in Africa let them come unto me from ten years old and upward; let them all come unto me, and behold if he comes not he shall die, and all that he has, with his whole household, the king will take.
\n30\tAnd all the rest of the inhabitants of Africa were terrified at the words of Angeas, and there went out of the city about three hundred thousand men and boys, from ten years upward, and they came to Angeas.
\n31\tAnd at the end of ten days Angeas renewed the battle against Zepho and the children of Chittim, and the battle was very great and strong between them.
\n32\tAnd from the army of Angeas and Lucus, Zepho sent many of the wounded unto his hand, about two thousand men, and Sosiphtar the captain of the host of Angeas fell in that battle.
\n33\tAnd when Sosiphtar had fallen, the African troops turned their backs to flee, and they fled, and Angeas and Lucus his brother were with them.
\n34\tAnd Zepho and the children of Chittim pursued them, and they smote them still heavily on the road, about two hundred men, and they pursued Azdrubal the son of Angeas who had fled with his father, and they smote twenty of his men in the road, and Azdrubal escaped from the children of Chittim, and they did not slay him.
\n35\tAnd Angeas and Lucus his brother fled with the rest of their men, and they escaped and came into Africa with terror and consternation, and Angeas feared all the days lest Zepho the son of Eliphaz should go to war with him.
\nChapter 64
\n1\tAnd Balaam the son of Beor was at that time with Angeas in the battle, and when he saw that Zepho prevailed over Angeas, he fled from there and came to Chittim.
\n2\tAnd Zepho and the children of Chittim received him with great honor, for Zepho knew Balaam’s wisdom, and Zepho gave unto Balaam many gifts and he remained with him.
\n3\tAnd when Zepho had returned from the war, he commanded all the children of Chittim to be numbered who had gone into battle with him, and behold not one was missed.
\n4\tAnd Zepho rejoiced at this thing, and he renewed his kingdom, and he made a feast to all his subjects.
\n5\tBut Zepho remembered not the Lord and considered not that the Lord had helped him in battle, and that he had delivered him and his people from the hand of the king of Africa, but still walked in the ways of the children of Chittim and the wicked children of Esau, to serve other gods which his brethren the children of Esau had taught him; it is therefore said, From the wicked goes forth wickedness.
\n6\tAnd Zepho reigned over all the children of Chittim securely, but knew not the Lord who had delivered him and all his people from the hand of the king of Africa; and the troops of Africa came no more to Chittim to plunder as usual, for they knew of the power of Zepho who had smitten them all at the edge of the sword, so Angeas was afraid of Zepho the son of Eliphaz, and of the children of Chittim all the days.
\n7\tAt that time when Zepho had returned from the war, and when Zepho had seen how he prevailed over all the people of Africa and had smitten them in battle at the edge of the sword, then Zepho advised with the children of Chittim, to go to Egypt to fight with the sons of Jacob and with Pharaoh king of Egypt.
\n8\tFor Zepho heard that the mighty men of Egypt were dead and that Joseph and his brethren the sons at Jacob were dead, and that all their children the children of Israel remained in Egypt.
\n9\tAnd Zepho considered to go to fight against them and all Egypt, to avenge the cause of his brethren the children of Esau, whom Joseph with his brethren and all Egypt had smitten in the land of Canaan, when they went up to bury Jacob in Hebron.
\n10\tAnd Zepho sent messengers to Hadad, son of Bedad, king of Edom, and to all his brethren the children of Esau, saying,
\n11\tDid you not say that you would not fight against the king of Africa for he is a member of your covenant? behold I fought with him and smote him and all his people.
\n12\tNow therefore I have resolved to fight against Egypt and the children of Jacob who are there, and I will be revenged of them for what Joseph, his brethren and ancestors did to us in the land of Canaan when they went up to bury their father in Hebron.
\n13\tNow then if you are willing to come to me to assist me in fighting against them and Egypt, then shall we avenge the cause of our brethren.
\n14\tAnd the children of Esau hearkened to the words of Zepho, and the children of Esau gathered themselves together, a very great people, and they went to assist Zepho and the children of Chittim in battle.
\n15\tAnd Zepho sent to all the children of the east and to all the children of Ishmael with words like unto these, and they gathered themselves and came to the assistance of Zepho and the children of Chittim in the war upon Egypt.
\n16\tAnd all these kings, the king of Edom and the children of the east, and all the children of Ishmael, and Zepho the king of Chittim went forth and arrayed all their hosts in Hebron.
\n17\tAnd the camp was very heavy, extending in length a distance of three days‘ journey, a people numerous as the sand upon the sea shore which can not be counted.
\n18\tAnd all these kings and their hosts went down and came against all Egypt in battle, and encamped together in the valley of Pathros.
\n19\tAnd all Egypt heard their report, and they also gathered themselves together, all the people of the land of Egypt, and of all the cities belonging to Egypt, about three hundred thousand men.
\n20\tAnd the men of Egypt sent also to the children of Israel who were in those days in the land of Goshen, to come to them in order to go and fight with these kings.
\n21\tAnd the men of Israel assembled and were about one hundred and fifty men, and they went into battle to assist the Egyptians.
\n22\tAnd the men of Israel and of Egypt went forth, about three hundred thousand men and one hundred and fifty men, and they went toward these kings to battle, and they placed themselves from without the land of Goshen opposite Pathros.
\n23\tAnd the Egyptians believed not in Israel to go with them in their camps together for battle, for all the Egyptians said, Perhaps the children of Israel will deliver us into the hand of the children of Esau and Ishmael, for they are their brethren.
\n24\tAnd all the Egyptians said unto the children of Israel, Remain you here together in your stand and we will go and fight against the children of Esau and Ishmael, and if these kings should prevail over us, then come you altogether upon them and assist us, and the children of Israel did so.
\n25\tAnd Zepho the son of Eliphaz the son of Esau king of Chittim, and Hadad the son of Bedad king of Edom, and all their camps, and all the children of the east, and children of Ishmael, a people numerous as sand, encamped together in the valley of Pathros opposite Tachpanches.
\n26\tAnd Balaam the son of Beor the Syrian was there in the camp of Zepho, for he came with the children of Chittim to the battle, and Balaam was a man highly honored in the eyes of Zepho and his men.
\n27\tAnd Zepho said unto Balaam, Try by divination for us that we may know who will prevail in the battle, we or the Egyptians.
\n28\tAnd Balaam rose up and tried the art of divination, and he was skillful in the knowledge of it, but he was confused and the work was destroyed in his hand.
\n29\tAnd he tried it again but it did not succeed, and Balaam despaired of it and left it and did not complete it, for this was from the Lord, in order to cause Zepho and his people to fall into the hand of the children of Israel, who had trusted in the Lord, the God of their ancestors, in their war.
\n30\tAnd Zepho and Hadad put their forces in battle array, and all the Egyptians went alone against them, about three hundred thousand men, and not one man of Israel was with them.
\n31\tAnd all the Egyptians fought with these kings opposite Pathros and Tachpanches, and the battle was severe against the Egyptians.
\n32\tAnd the kings were stronger than the Egyptians in that battle, and about one hundred and eighty men of Egypt fell on that day, and about thirty men of the forces of the kings, and all the men of Egypt fled from before the kings, so the children of Esau and Ishmael pursued the Egyptians, continuing to smite them unto the place where was the camp of the children of Israel.
\n33\tAnd all the Egyptians cried unto the children of Israel, saying, Hasten to us and assist us and save us from the hand of Esau, Ishmael and the children of Chittim.
\n34\tAnd the hundred and fifty men of the children of Israel ran from their station to the camps of these kings, and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord their God to deliver them.
\n35\tAnd the Lord hearkened to Israel, and the Lord gave all the men of the kings into their hand, and the children of Israel fought against these kings, and the children of Israel smote about four thousand of the kings‘ men.
\n36\tAnd the Lord threw a great consternation in the camp of the kings, so that the fear of the children of Israel fell upon them.
\n37\tAnd all the hosts of the kings fled from before the children of Israel and the children of Israel pursued them continuing to smite them unto the borders of the land of Cush.
\n38\tAnd the children of Israel slew of them in the road yet two thousand men, and of the children of Israel not one fell.
\n39\tAnd when the Egyptians saw that the children of Israel had fought with such few men with the kings, and that the battle was so very severe against them,
\n40\tAll the Egyptians were greatly afraid of their lives on account of the strong battle, and all Egypt fled, every man hiding himself from the arrayed forces, and they hid themselves in the road, and they left the Israelites to fight.
\n41\tAnd the children of Israel inflicted a terrible blow upon the kings‘ men, and they returned from them after they had driven them to the border of the land of Cush.
\n42\tAnd all Israel knew the thing which the men of Egypt had done to them, that they had fled from them in battle, and had left them to fight alone.
\n43\tSo the children of Israel also acted with cunning, and as the children of Israel returned from battle, they found some of the Egyptians in the road and smote them there.
\n44\tAnd whilst they slew them, they said unto them these words:
\n45\tWherefore did you go from us and leave us, being a few people, to fight against these kings who had a great people to smite us, that you might thereby deliver your own souls?
\n46\tAnd of some which the Israelites met on the road, they the children of Israel spoke to each other, saying, Smite, smite, for he is an Ishmaelite, or an Edomite, or from the children of Chittim, and they stood over him and slew him, and they knew that he was an Egyptian.
\n47\tAnd the children of Israel did these things cunningly against the Egyptians, because they had deserted them in battle and had fled from them.
\n48\tAnd the children of Israel slew of the men of Egypt in the road in this manner, about two hundred men.
\n49\tAnd all the men of Egypt saw the evil which the children of Israel had done to them, so all Egypt feared greatly the children of Israel, for they had seen their great power, and that not one man of them had fallen.
\n50\tSo all the children of Israel returned with joy on their road to Goshen, and the rest of Egypt returned each man to his place.
\nChapter 65
\n1\tAnd it came to pass after these things, that all the counsellor*s of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and all the elders of Egypt assembled and came before the king and bowed down to the ground, and they sat before him.
\n2\tAnd the counsellor*s and elders of Egypt spoke unto the king, saying,
\n3\tBehold the people of the children of Israel is greater and mightier than we are, and thou knowest all the evil which they did to us in the road when we returned from battle.
\n4\tAnd thou hast also seen their strong power, for this power is unto them from their fathers, for but a few men stood up against a people numerous as the sand, and smote them at the edge of the sword, and of themselves not one has fallen, so that if they had been numerous they would then have utterly destroyed them.
\n5\tNow therefore give us counsel what to do with them, until we gradually destroy them from amongst us, lest they become too numerous for us in the land.
\n6\tFor if the children of Israel should increase in the land, they will become an obstacle to us, and if any war should happen to take place, they with their great strength will join our enemy against us, and fight against us, destroy us from the land and go away from it.
\n7\tSo the king answered the elders of Egypt and said unto them, This is the plan advised against Israel, from which we will not depart,
\n8\tBehold in the land are Pithom and Rameses, cities unfortified against battle, it behooves you and us to build them, and to fortify them.
\n9\tNow therefore go you also and act cunningly toward them, and proclaim a voice in Egypt and in Goshen at the command of the king, saying,
\n10\tAll ye men of Egypt, Goshen, Pathros and all their inhabitants! the king has commanded us to build Pithom and Rameses, and to fortify them for battle; who amongst you of all Egypt, of the children of Israel and of all the inhabitants of the cities, are willing to build with us, shall each have his wages given to him daily at the king’s order; so go you first and do cunningly, and gather yourselves and come to Pithom and Rameses to build.
\n11\tAnd whilst you are building, cause a proclamation of this kind to be made throughout Egypt every day at the command of the king.
\n12\tAnd when some of the children of Israel shall come to build with you, you shall give them their wages daily for a few days.
\n13\tAnd after they shall have built with you for their daily hire, drag yourselves away from them daily one by one in secret, and then you shall rise up and become their task-masters and officers, and you shall leave them afterward to build without wages, and should they refuse, then force them with all your might to build.
\n14\tAnd if you do this it will be well with us to strengthen our land against the children of Israel, for on account of the fatigue of the building and the work, the children of Israel will decrease, because you will deprive them from their wives day by day.
\n15\tAnd all the elders of Egypt heard the counsel of the king, and the counsel seemed good in their eyes and in the eyes of the servants of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all Egypt, and they did according to the word of the king.
\n16\tAnd all the servants went away from the king, and they caused a proclamation to be made in all Egypt, in Tachpanches and in Goshen, and in all the cities which surrounded Egypt, saying,
\n17\tYou have seen what the children of Esau and Ishmael did to us, who came to war against us and wished to destroy us.
\n18\tNow therefore the king commanded us to fortify the land, to build the cities Pithom and Rameses, and to fortify them for battle, if they should again come against us.
\n19\tWhosoever of you from all Egypt and from the children of Israel will come to build with us, he shall have his daily wages given by the king, as his command is unto us.
\n20\tAnd when Egypt and all the children of Israel heard all that the servants of Pharaoh had spoken, there came from the Egyptians, and the children of Israel to build with the servants of Pharaoh, Pithom and Rameses, but none of the children of Levi came with their brethren to build.
\n21\tAnd all the servants of Pharaoh and his princes came at first with deceit to build with all Israel as daily hired laborers, and they gave to Israel their daily hire at the beginning.
\n22\tAnd the servants of Pharaoh built with all Israel, and were employed in that work with Israel for a month.
\n23\tAnd at the end of the month, all the servants of Pharaoh began to withdraw secretly from the people of Israel daily.
\n24\tAnd Israel went on with the work at that time, but they then received their daily hire, because some of the men of Egypt were yet carrying on the work with Israel at that time; therefore the Egyptians gave Israel their hire in those days, in order that they, the Egyptians their fellow-workmen, might also take the pay for their labor.
\n25\tAnd at the end of a year and four months all the Egyptians had withdrawn from the children of Israel, so that the children of Israel were left alone engaged in the work.
\n26\tAnd after all the Egyptians had withdrawn from the children of Israel they returned and became oppressors and officers over them, and some of them stood over the children of Israel as task masters, to receive from them all that they gave them for the pay of their labor.
\n27\tAnd the Egyptians did in this manner to the children of Israel day by day, in order to afflict in their work.
\n28\tAnd all the children of Israel were alone engaged in the labor, and the Egyptians refrained from giving any pay to the children of Israel from that time forward.
\n29\tAnd when some of the men of Israel refused to work on account of the wages not being given to them, then the exactors and the servants of Pharaoh oppressed them and smote them with heavy blows, and made them return by force, to labor with their brethren; thus did all the Egyptians unto the children of Israel all the days.
\n30\tAnd all the children of Israel were greatly afraid of the Egyptians in this matter, and all the children of Israel returned and worked alone without pay.
\n31\tAnd the children of Israel built Pithom and Rameses, and all the children of Israel did the work, some making bricks, and some building, and the children of Israel built and fortified all the land of Egypt and its walls, and the children of Israel were engaged in work for many years, until the time came when the Lord remembered them and brought them out of Egypt.
\n32\tBut the children of Levi were not employed in the work with their brethren of Israel, from the beginning unto the day of their going forth from Egypt.
\n33\tFor all the children of Levi knew that the Egyptians had spoken all these words with deceit to the Israelites, therefore the children of Levi refrained from approaching to the work with their brethren.
\n34\tAnd the Egyptians did not direct their attention to make the children of Levi work afterward, since they had not been with their brethren at the beginning, therefore the Egyptians left them alone.
\n35\tAnd the hands of the men of Egypt were directed with continued severity against the children of Israel in that work, and the Egyptians made the children of Israel work with rigor.
\n36\tAnd the Egyptians embittered the lives of the children of Israel with hard work, in mortar and bricks, and also in all manner of work in the field.
\n37\tAnd the children of Israel called Melol the king of Egypt „Meror, king of Egypt,“ because in his days the Egyptians had embittered their lives with all manner of work.
\n38\tAnd all the work wherein the Egyptians made the children of Israel labor, they exacted with rigor, in order to afflict the children of Israel, but the more they afflicted them, the more they increased and grew, and the Egyptians were grieved because of the children of Israel.
\nChapter 66
\n1\tAt that time died Hadad the son of Bedad king of Edom, and Samlah from Mesrekah, from the country of the children of the east, reigned in his place.
\n2\tIn the thirteenth year of the reign of Pharaoh king of Egypt, which was the hundred and twenty-fifth year of the Israelites going down into Egypt, Samlah had reigned over Edom eighteen years.
\n3\tAnd when he reigned, he drew forth his hosts to go and fight against Zepho the son of Eliphaz and the children of Chittim, because they had made war against Angeas king of Africa, and they destroyed his whole army.
\n4\tBut he did not engage with him, for the children of Esau prevented him, saying, He was their brother, so Samlah listened to the voice of the children of Esau, and turned back with all his forces to the land of Edom, and did not proceed to fight against Zepho the son of Eliphaz.
\n5\tAnd Pharaoh king of Egypt heard this thing, saying, Samlah king of Edom has resolved to fight the children of Chittim, and afterward he will come to fight against Egypt.
\n6\tAnd when the Egyptians heard this matter, they increased the labor upon the children of Israel, lest the Israelites should do unto them as they did unto them in their war with the children of Esau in the days of Hadad.
\n7\tSo the Egyptians said unto the children of Israel, Hasten and do your work, and finish your task, and strengthen the land, lest the children of Esau your brethren should come to fight against us, for on your account will they come against us.
\n8\tAnd the children of Israel did the work of the men of Egypt day by day, and the Egyptians afflicted the children of Israel in order to lessen them in the land.
\n9\tBut as the Egyptians increased the labor upon the children of Israel, so did the children of Israel increase and multiply, and all Egypt was filled with the children of Israel.
\n10\tAnd in the hundred and twenty-fifth year of Israel’s going down into Egypt, all the Egyptians saw that their counsel did not succeed against Israel, but that they increased and grew, and the land of Egypt and the land of Goshen were filled with the children of Israel.
\n11\tSo all the elders of Egypt and its wise men came before the king and bowed down to him and sat before him.
\n12\tAnd all the elders of Egypt and the wise men thereof said unto the king, May the king live forever; thou didst counsel us the counsel against the children of Israel, and we did unto them according to the word of the king.
\n13\tBut in proportion to the increase of the labor so do they increase and grow in the land, and behold the whole country is filled with them.
\n14\tNow therefore our lord and king, the eyes of all Egypt are upon thee to give them advice with thy wisdom, by which they may prevail over Israel to destroy them, or to diminish them from the land; and the king answered them saying, Give you counsel in this matter that we may know what to do unto them.
\n15\tAnd an officer, one of the king’s counselors, whose name was Job, from Mesopotamia, in the land of Uz, answered the king, saying,
\n16\tIf it please the king, let him hear the counsel of his servant; and the king said unto him, Speak.
\n17\tAnd Job spoke before the king, the princes, and before all the elders of Egypt, saying,
\n18\tBehold the counsel of the king which he advised formerly respecting the labor of the children of Israel is very good, and you must not remove from them that labor forever.
\n19\tBut this is the advice counselled by which you may lessen them, if it seems good to the king to afflict them.
\n20\tBehold we have feared war for a long time, and we said, When Israel becomes fruitful in the land, they will drive us from the land if a war should take place.
\n21\tIf it please the king, let a royal decree go forth, and let it be written in the laws of Egypt which shall not be revoked, that every male child born to the Israelites, his blood shall be spilled upon the ground.
\n22\tAnd by your doing this, when all the male children of Israel shall have died, the evil of their wars will cease; let the king do so and send for all the Hebrew midwives and order them in this matter to execute it; so the thing pleased the king and the princes, and the king did according to the word of Job.
\n23\tAnd the king sent for the Hebrew midwives to be called, of which the name of one was Shephrah, and the name of the other Puah.
\n24\tAnd the midwives came before the king, and stood in his presence.
\n25\tAnd the king said unto them, When you do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools, if it be a son, then you shall kill him, but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
\n26\tBut if you will not do this thing, then will I burn you up and all your houses with fire.
\n27\tBut the midwives feared God and did not hearken to the king of Egypt nor to his words, and when the Hebrew women brought forth to the midwife son or daughter, then did the midwife do all that was necessary to the child and let it live; thus did the midwives all the days.
\n28\tAnd this thing was told to the king, and he sent and called for the midwives and he said to them, Why have you done this thing and have saved the children alive?
\n29\tAnd the midwives answered and spoke together before the king, saying,
\n30\tLet not the king think that the Hebrew women are as the Egyptian women, for all the children of Israel are hale, and before the midwife comes to them they are delivered, and as for us thy handmaids, for many days no Hebrew woman has brought forth upon us, for all the Hebrew women are their own midwives, because they are hale.
\n31\tAnd Pharaoh heard their words and believed them in this matter, and the midwives went away from the king, and God dealt well with them, and the people multiplied and waxed exceedingly.
\nChapter 67
\n1\tThere was a man in the land of Egypt of the seed of Levi, whose name was Amram, the son of Kehath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.
\n2\tAnd this man went and took a wife, namely Jochebed the daughter of Levi his father’s sister, and she was one hundred and twenty-six years old, and he came unto her.
\n3\tAnd the woman conceived and bare a daughter, and she called her name Miriam, because in those days the Egyptians had embittered the lives of the children of Israel.
\n4\tAnd she conceived again and bare a son and she called his name Aaron, for in the days of her conception, Pharaoh began to spill the blood of the male children of Israel.
\n5\tIn those days died Zepho the son of Eliphaz, son of Esau, king of Chittim, and Janeas reigned in his stead.
\n6\tAnd the time that Zepho reigned over the children of Chittim was fifty years, and he died and was buried in the city of Nabna in the land of Chittim.
\n7\tAnd Janeas, one of the mighty men of the children of Chittim, reigned after him and he reigned fifty years.
\n8\tAnd it was after the death of the king of Chittim that Balaam the son of Beor fled from the land of Chittim, and he went and came to Egypt to Pharaoh king of Egypt.
\n9\tAnd Pharaoh received him with great honor, for he had heard of his wisdom, and he gave him presents and made him for a counsellor, and aggrandized him.
\n10\tAnd Balaam dwelt in Egypt, in honor with all the nobles of the king, and the nobles exalted him, because they all coveted to learn his wisdom.
\n11\tAnd in the hundred and thirtieth year of Israel’s going down to Egypt, Pharaoh dreamed that he was sitting upon his kingly throne, and lifted up his eyes and saw an old man standing before him, and there were scales in the hands of the old man, such scales as are used by merchants.
\n12\tAnd the old man took the scales and hung them before Pharaoh.
\n13\tAnd the old man took all the elders of Egypt and all its nobles and great men, and he tied them together and put them in one scale.
\n14\tAnd he took a milk kid and put it into the other scale, and the kid preponderated over all.
\n15\tAnd Pharaoh was astonished at this dreadful vision, why the kid should preponderate over all, and Pharaoh awoke and behold it was a dream.
\n16\tAnd Pharaoh rose up early in the morning and called all his servants and related to them the dream, and the men were greatly afraid.
\n17\tAnd the king said to all his wise men, Interpret I pray you the dream which I dreamed, that I may know it.
\n18\tAnd Balaam the son of Beor answered the king and said unto him, This means nothing else but a great evil that will spring up against Egypt in the latter days.
\n19\tFor a son will be born to Israel who will destroy all Egypt and its inhabitants, and bring forth the Israelites from Egypt with a mighty hand.
\n20\tNow therefore, O king, take counsel upon this matter, that you may destroy the hope of the children of Israel and their expectation, before this evil arise against Egypt.
\n21\tAnd the king said unto Balaam, And what shall we do unto Israel? surely after a certain manner did we at first counsel against them and could not prevail over them.
\n22\tNow therefore give you also advice against them by which we may prevail over them.
\n23\tAnd Balaam answered the king, saying, Send now and call thy two counselors, and we will see what their advice is upon this matter and afterward thy servant will speak.
\n24\tAnd the king sent and called his two counselors Reuel the Midianite and Job the Uzite, and they came and sat before the king.
\n25\tAnd the king said to them, Behold you have both heard the dream which I have dreamed, and the interpretation thereof; now therefore give counsel and know and see what is to be done to the children of Israel, whereby we may prevail over them, before their evil shall spring up against us.
\n26\tAnd Reuel the Midianite answered the king and said, May the king live, may the king live forever.
\n27\tIf it seem good to the king, let him desist from the Hebrews and leave them, and let him not stretch forth his hand against them.
\n28\tFor these are they whom the Lord chose in days of old, and took as the lot of his inheritance from amongst all the nations of the earth and the kings of the earth; and who is there that stretched his hand against them with impunity, of whom their God was not avenged?
\n29\tSurely thou knowest that when Abraham went down to Egypt, Pharaoh, the former king of Egypt, saw Sarah his wife, and took her for a wife, because Abraham said, She is my sister, for he was afraid, lest the men of Egypt should slay him on account of his wife.
\n30\tAnd when the king of Egypt had taken Sarah then God smote him and his household with heavy plagues, until he restored unto Abraham his wife Sarah, then was he healed.
\n31\tAnd Abimelech the Gerarite, king of the Philistines, God punished on account of Sarah wife of Abraham, in stopping up every womb from man to beast.
\n32\tWhen their God came to Abimelech in the dream of night and terrified him in order that he might restore to Abraham Sarah whom he had taken, and afterward all the people of Gerar were punished on account of Sarah, and Abraham prayed to his God for them, and he was entreated of him, and he healed them.
\n33\tAnd Abimelech feared all this evil that came upon him and his people, and he returned to Abraham his wife Sarah, and gave him with her many gifts.
\n34\tHe did so also to Isaac when he had driven him from Gerar, and God had done wonderful things to him, that all the water courses of Gerar were dried up, and their productive trees did not bring forth.
\n35\tUntil Abimelech of Gerar, and Ahuzzath one of his friends, and Pichol the captain of his host, went to him and they bent and bowed down before him to the ground.
\n36\tAnd they requested of him to supplicate for them, and he prayed to the Lord for them, and the Lord was entreated of him and he healed them.
\n37\tJacob also, the plain man, was delivered through his integrity from the hand of his brother Esau, and the hand of Laban the Syrian his mother’s brother, who had sought his life; likewise from the hand of all the kings of Canaan who had come together against him and his children to destroy them, and the Lord delivered them out of their hands, that they turned upon them and smote them, for who had ever stretched forth his hand against them with impunity?
\n38\tSurely Pharaoh the former, thy father’s father, raised Joseph the son of Jacob above all the princes of the land of Egypt, when he saw his wisdom, for through his wisdom he rescued all the inhabitants of the land from the famine.
\n39\tAfter which he ordered Jacob and his children to come down to Egypt, in order that through their virtue, the land of Egypt and the land of Goshen might be delivered from the famine.
\n40\tNow therefore if it seem good in thine eyes, cease from destroying the children of Israel, but if it be not thy will that they shall dwell in Egypt, send them forth from here, that they may go to the land of Canaan, the land where their ancestors sojourned.
\n41\tAnd when Pharaoh heard the words of Jethro he was very angry with him, so that he rose with shame from the king’s presence, and went to Midian, his land, and took Joseph’s stick with him.
\n42\tAnd the king said to Job the Uzite, What sayest thou Job, and what is thy advice respecting the Hebrews?
\n43\tSo Job said to the king, Behold all the inhabitants of the land are in thy power, let the king do as it seems good in his eyes.
\n44\tAnd the king said unto Balaam, What dost thou say, Balaam, speak thy word that we may hear it.
\n45\tAnd Balaam said to the king, Of all that the king has counselled against the Hebrews will they be delivered, and the king will not be able to prevail over them with any counsel.
\n46\tFor if thou thinkest to lessen them by the flaming fire, thou canst not prevail over them, for surely their God delivered Abraham their father from Ur of the Chaldeans; and if thou thinkest to destroy them with a sword, surely Isaac their father was delivered from it, and a ram was placed in his stead.
\n47\tAnd if with hard and rigorous labor thou thinkest to lessen them, thou wilt not prevail even in this, for their father Jacob served Laban in all manner of hard work, and prospered.
\n48\tNow therefore, O King, hear my words, for this is the counsel which is counselled against them, by which thou wilt prevail over them, and from which thou shouldst not depart.
\n49\tIf it please the king let him order all their children which shall be born from this day forward, to be thrown into the water, for by this canst thou wipe away their name, for none of them, nor of their fathers, were tried in this manner.
\n50\tAnd the king heard the words of Balaam, and the thing pleased the king and the princes, and the king did according to the word of Balaam.
\n51\tAnd the king ordered a proclamation to be issued and a law to be made throughout the land of Egypt, saying, Every male child born to the Hebrews from this day forward shall be thrown into the water.
\n52\tAnd Pharaoh called unto all his servants, saying, Go now and seek throughout the land of Goshen where the children of Israel are, and see that every son born to the Hebrews shall be cast into the river, but every daughter you shall let live.
\n53\tAnd when the children of Israel heard this thing which Pharaoh had commanded, to cast their male children into the river, some of the people separated from their wives and others adhered to them.
\n54\tAnd from that day forward, when the time of delivery arrived to those women of Israel who had remained with their husbands, they went to the field to bring forth there, and they brought forth in the field, and left their children upon the field and returned home.
\n55\tAnd the Lord who had sworn to their ancestors to multiply them, sent one of his ministering angels which are in heaven to wash each child in water, to anoint and swathe it and to put into its hands two smooth stones from one of which it sucked milk and from the other honey, and he caused its hair to grow to its knees, by which it might cover itself; to comfort it and to cleave to it, through his compassion for it.
\n56\tAnd when God had compassion over them and had desired to multiply them upon the face of the land, he ordered his earth to receive them to be preserved therein till the time of their growing up, after which the earth opened its mouth and vomited them forth and they sprouted forth from the city like the herb of the earth, and the grass of the forest, and they returned each to his family and to his father’s house, and they remained with them.
\n57\tAnd the babes of the children of Israel were upon the earth like the herb of the field, through God’s grace to them.
\n58\tAnd when all the Egyptians saw this thing, they went forth, each to his field with his yoke of oxen and his ploughshare, and they ploughed it up as one ploughs the earth at seed time.
\n59\tAnd when they ploughed they were unable to hurt the infants of the children of Israel, so the people increased and waxed exceedingly.
\n60\tAnd Pharaoh ordered his officers daily to go to Goshen to seek for the babes of the children of Israel.
\n61\tAnd when they had sought and found one, they took it from its mother’s bosom by force, and threw it into the river, but the female child they left with its mother; thus did the Egyptians do to the Israelites all the days.
\nChapter 68
\n1\tAnd it was at that time the spirit of God was upon Miriam the daughter of Amram the sister of Aaron, and she went forth and prophesied about the house, saying, Behold a son will be born unto us from my father and mother this time, and he will save Israel from the hands of Egypt.
\n2\tAnd when Amram heard the words of his daughter, he went and took his wife back to the house, after he had driven her away at the time when Pharaoh ordered every male child of the house of Jacob to be thrown into the water.
\n3\tSo Amram took Jochebed his wife, three years after he had driven her away, and he came to her and she conceived.
\n4\tAnd at the end of seven months from her conception she brought forth a son, and the whole house was filled with great light as of the light of the sun and moon at the time of their shining.
\n5\tAnd when the woman saw the child that it was good and pleasing to the sight, she hid it for three months in an inner room.
\n6\tIn those days the Egyptians conspired to destroy all the Hebrews there.
\n7\tAnd the Egyptian women went to Goshen where the children of Israel were, and they carried their young ones upon their shoulders, their babes who could not yet speak.
\n8\tAnd in those days, when the women of the children of Israel brought forth, each woman had hidden her son from before the Egyptians, that the Egyptians might not know of their bringing forth, and might not destroy them from the land.
\n9\tAnd the Egyptian women came to Goshen and their children who could not speak were upon their shoulders, and when an Egyptian woman came into the house of a Hebrew woman her babe began to cry.
\n10\tAnd when it cried the child that was in the inner room answered it, so the Egyptian women went and told it at the house of Pharaoh.
\n11\tAnd Pharaoh sent his officers to take the children and slay them; thus did the Egyptians to the Hebrew women all the days.
\n12\tAnd it was at that time, about three months from Jochebed’s concealment of her son, that the thing was known in Pharaoh’s house.
\n13\tAnd the woman hastened to take away her son before the officers came, and she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein, and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.
\n14\tAnd his sister Miriam stood afar off to know what would be done to him, and what would become of her words.
\n15\tAnd God sent forth at that time a terrible heat in the land of Egypt, which burned up the flesh of man like the sun in his circuit, and it greatly oppressed the Egyptians.
\n16\tAnd all the Egyptians went down to bathe in the river, on account of the consuming heat which burned up their flesh.
\n17\tAnd Bathia, the daughter of Pharaoh, went also to bathe in the river, owing to the consuming heat, and her maidens walked at the river side, and all the women of Egypt as well.
\n18\tAnd Bathia lifted up her eyes to the river, and she saw the ark upon the water, and sent her maid to fetch it.
\n19\tAnd she opened it and saw the child, and behold the babe wept, and she had compassion on him, and she said, This is one of the Hebrew children.
\n20\tAnd all the women of Egypt walking on the river side desired to give him suck, but he would not suck, for this thing was from the Lord, in order to restore him to his mother’s breast.
\n21\tAnd Miriam his sister was at that time amongst the Egyptian women at the river side, and she saw this thing and she said to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and fetch a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?
\n22\tAnd Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go, and the young woman went and called the child’s mother.
\n23\tAnd Pharaoh’s daughter said to Jochebed, Take this child away and suckle it for me, and I will pay thee thy wages, two bits of silver daily; and the woman took the child and nursed it.
\n24\tAnd at the end of two years, when the child grew up, she brought him to the daughter of Pharaoh, and he was unto her as a son, and she called his name Moses, for she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
\n25\tAnd Amram his father called his name Chabar, for he said, It was for him that he associated with his wife whom he had turned away.
\n26\tAnd Jochebed his mother called his name Jekuthiel, Because, she said, I have hoped for him to the Almighty, and God restored him unto me.
\n27\tAnd Miriam his sister called him Jered, for she descended after him to the river to know what his end would be.
\n28\tAnd Aaron his brother called his name Abi Zanuch, saying, My father left my mother and returned to her on his account.
\n29\tAnd Kehath the father of Amram called his name Abigdor, because on his account did God repair the breach of the house of Jacob, that they could no longer throw their male children into the water.
\n30\tAnd their nurse called him Abi Socho, saying, In his tabernacle was he hidden for three months, on account of the children of Ham.
\n31\tAnd all Israel called his name Shemaiah, son of Nethanel, for they said, In his days has God heard their cries and rescued them from their oppressors.
\n32\tAnd Moses was in Pharaoh’s house, and was unto Bathia, Pharaoh’s daughter, as a son, and Moses grew up amongst the king’s children.
\nChapter 69
\n1\tAnd the king of Edom died in those days, in the eighteenth year of his reign, and was buried in his temple which he had built for himself as his royal residence in the land of Edom.
\n2\tAnd the children of Esau sent to Pethor, which is upon the river, and they fetched from there a young man of beautiful eyes and comely aspect, whose name was Saul, and they made him king over them in the place of Samlah.
\n3\tAnd Saul reigned over all the children of Esau in the land of Edom for forty years.
\n4\tAnd when Pharaoh king of Egypt saw that the counsel which Balaam had advised respecting the children of Israel did not succeed, but that still they were fruitful, multiplied and increased throughout the land of Egypt,
\n5\tThen Pharaoh commanded in those days that a proclamation should be issued throughout Egypt to the children of Israel, saying, No man shall diminish any thing of his daily labor.
\n6\tAnd the man who shall be found deficient in his labor which he performs daily, whether in mortar or in bricks, then his youngest son shall be put in their place.
\n7\tAnd the labor of Egypt strengthened upon the children of Israel in those days, and behold if one brick was deficient in any man’s daily labor, the Egyptians took his youngest boy by force from his mother, and put him into the building in the place of the brick which his father had left wanting.
\n8\tAnd the men of Egypt did so to all the children of Israel day by day, all the days for a long period.
\n9\tBut the tribe of Levi did not at that time work with the Israelites their brethren, from the beginning, for the children of Levi knew the cunning of the Egyptians which they exercised at first toward the Israelites.
\nChapter 70
\n1\tAnd in the third year from the birth of Moses, Pharaoh was sitting at a banquet, when Alparanith the queen was sitting at his right and Bathia at his left, and the lad Moses was lying upon her bosom, and Balaam the son of Beor with his two sons, and all the princes of the kingdom were sitting at table in the king’s presence.
\n2\tAnd the lad stretched forth his hand upon the king’s head, and took the crown from the king’s head and placed it on his own head.
\n3\tAnd when the king and princes saw the work which the boy had done, the king and princes were terrified, and one man to his neighbor expressed astonishment.
\n4\tAnd the king said unto the princes who were before him at table, What speak you and what say you, O ye princes, in this matter, and what is to be the judgment against the boy on account of this act?
\n5\tAnd Balaam the son of Beor the magician answered before the king and princes, and he said, Remember now, O my lord and king, the dream which thou didst dream many days since, and that which thy servant interpreted unto thee.
\n6\tNow therefore this is a child from the Hebrew children, in whom is the spirit of God, and let not my lord the king imagine that this youngster did this thing without knowledge.
\n7\tFor he is a Hebrew boy, and wisdom and understanding are with him, although he is yet a child, and with wisdom has he done this and chosen unto himself the kingdom of Egypt.
\n8\tFor this is the manner of all the Hebrews to deceive kings and their nobles, to do all these things cunningly, in order to make the kings of the earth and their men tremble.
\n9\tSurely thou knowest that Abraham their father acted thus, who deceived the army of Nimrod king of Babel, and Abimelech king of Gerar, and that he possessed himself of the land of the children of Heth and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
\n10\tAnd that he descended into Egypt and said of Sarah his wife, she is my sister, in order to mislead Egypt and her king.
\n11\tHis son Isaac also did so when he went to Gerar and dwelt there, and his strength prevailed over the army of Abimelech king of the Philistines.
\n12\tHe also thought of making the kingdom of the Philistines stumble, in saying that Rebecca his wife was his sister.
\n13\tJacob also dealt treacherously with his brother, and took from his hand his birthright and his blessing.
\n14\tHe went then to Padan-aram to the house of Laban his mother’s brother, and cunningly obtained from him his daughter, his cattle, and all belonging to him, and fled away and returned to the land of Canaan to his father.
\n15\tHis sons sold their brother Joseph, who went down into Egypt and became a slave, and was placed in the prison house for twelve years.
\n16\tUntil the former Pharaoh dreamed dreams, and withdrew him from the prison house, and magnified him above all the princes in Egypt on account of his interpreting his dreams to him.
\n17\tAnd when God caused a famine throughout the land he sent for and brought his father and all his brothers, and the whole of his father’s household, and supported them without price or reward, and bought the Egyptians for slaves.
\n18\tNow therefore my lord king behold this child has risen up in their stead in Egypt, to do according to their deeds and to trifle with every king, prince and judge.
\n19\tIf it please the king, let us now spill his blood upon the ground, lest he grow up and take away the government from thy hand, and the hope of Egypt perish after he shall have reigned.
\n20\tAnd Balaam said to the king, Let us moreover call for all the judges of Egypt and the wise men thereof, and let us know if the judgment of death is due to this boy as thou didst say, and then we will slay him.
\n21\tAnd Pharaoh sent and called for all the wise men of Egypt and they came before the king, and an angel of the Lord came amongst them, and he was like one of the wise men of Egypt.
\n22\tAnd the king said to the wise men, Surely you have heard what this Hebrew boy who is in the house has done, and thus has Balaam judged in the matter.
\n23\tNow judge you also and see what is due to the boy for the act he has committed.
\n24\tAnd the angel, who seemed like one of the wise men of Pharaoh, answered and said as follows, before all the wise men of Egypt and before the king and the princes:
\n25\tIf it please the king let the king send for men who shall bring before him an onyx stone and a coal of fire, and place them before the child, and if the child shall stretch forth his hand and take the onyx stone, then shall we know that with wisdom has the youth done all that he has done, and we must slay him.
\n26\tBut if he stretch forth his hand upon the coal, then shall we know that it was not with knowledge that he did this thing, and he shall live.
\n27\tAnd the thing seemed good in the eyes of the king and the princes, so the king did according to the word of the angel of the Lord.
\n28\tAnd the king ordered the onyx stone and coal to be brought and placed before Moses.
\n29\tAnd they placed the boy before them, and the lad endeavored to stretch forth his hand to the onyx stone, but the angel of the Lord took his hand and placed it upon the coal, and the coal became extinguished in his hand, and he lifted it up and put it into his mouth, and burned part of his lips and part of his tongue, and he became heavy in mouth and tongue.
\n30\tAnd when the king and princes saw this, they knew that Moses had not acted with wisdom in taking off the crown from the king’s head.
\n31\tSo the king and princes refrained from slaying the child, so Moses remained in Pharaoh’s house, growing up, and the Lord was with him.
\n32\tAnd whilst the boy was in the king’s house, he was robed in purple and he grew amongst the children of the king.
\n33\tAnd when Moses grew up in the king’s house, Bathia the daughter of Pharaoh considered him as a son, and all the household of Pharaoh honored him, and all the men of Egypt were afraid of him.
\n34\tAnd he daily went forth and came into the land of Goshen, where his brethren the children of Israel were, and Moses saw them daily in shortness of breath and hard labor.
\n35\tAnd Moses asked them, saying, Wherefore is this labor meted out unto you day by day?
\n36\tAnd they told him all that had befallen them, and all the injunctions which Pharaoh had put upon them before his birth.
\n37\tAnd they told him all the counsels which Balaam the son of Beor had counselled against them, and what he had also counselled against him in order to slay him when he had taken the king’s crown from off his head.
\n38\tAnd when Moses heard these things his anger was kindled against Balaam, and he sought to kill him, and he was in ambush for him day by day.
\n39\tAnd Balaam was afraid of Moses, and he and his two sons rose up and went forth from Egypt, and they fled and delivered their souls and betook themselves to the land of Cush to Kikianus, king of Cush.
\n40\tAnd Moses was in the king’s house going out and coming in, the Lord gave him favor in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants, and in the eyes of all the people of Egypt, and they loved Moses exceedingly.
\n41\tAnd the day arrived when Moses went to Goshen to see his brethren, that he saw the children of Israel in their burdens and hard labor, and Moses was grieved on their account.
\n42\tAnd Moses returned to Egypt and came to the house of Pharaoh, and came before the king, and Moses bowed down before the king.
\n43\tAnd Moses said unto Pharaoh, I pray thee my lord, I have come to seek a small request from thee, turn not away my face empty; and Pharaoh said unto him, Speak.
\n44\tAnd Moses said unto Pharaoh, Let there be given unto thy servants the children of Israel who are in Goshen, one day to rest therein from their labor.
\n45\tAnd the king answered Moses and said, Behold I have lifted up thy face in this thing to grant thy request.
\n46\tAnd Pharaoh ordered a proclamation to be issued throughout Egypt and Goshen, saying,
\n47\tTo you, all the children of Israel, thus says the king, for six days you shall do your work and labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest, and shall not preform any work, thus shall you do all the days, as the king and Moses the son of Bathia have commanded.
\n48\tAnd Moses rejoiced at this thing which the king had granted to him, and all the children of Israel did as Moses ordered them.
\n49\tFor this thing was from the Lord to the children of Israel, for the Lord had begun to remember the children of Israel to save them for the sake of their fathers.
\n50\tAnd the Lord was with Moses and his fame went throughout Egypt.
\n51\tAnd Moses became great in the eyes of all the Egyptians, and in the eyes of all the children of Israel, seeking good for his people Israel and speaking words of peace regarding them to the king.
\nChapter 71
\n1\tAnd when Moses was eighteen years old, he desired to see his father and mother and he went to them to Goshen, and when Moses had come near Goshen, he came to the place where the children of Israel were engaged in work, and he observed their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian smiting one of his Hebrew brethren.
\n2\tAnd when the man who was beaten saw Moses he ran to him for help, for the man Moses was greatly respected in the house of Pharaoh, and he said to him, My lord attend to me, this Egyptian came to my house in the night, bound me, and came to my wife in my presence, and now he seeks to take my life away.
\n3\tAnd when Moses heard this wicked thing, his anger was kindled against the Egyptian, and he turned this way and the other, and when he saw there was no man there he smote the Egyptian and hid him in the sand, and delivered the Hebrew from the hand of him that smote him.
\n4\tAnd the Hebrew went to his house, and Moses returned to his home, and went forth and came back to the king’s house.
\n5\tAnd when the man had returned home, he thought of repudiating his wife, for it was not right in the house of Jacob, for any man to come to his wife after she had been defiled.
\n6\tAnd the woman went and told her brothers, and the woman’s brothers sought to slay him, and he fled to his house and escaped.
\n7\tAnd on the second day Moses went forth to his brethren, and saw, and behold two men were quarreling, and he said to the wicked one, Why dost thou smite thy neighbor?
\n8\tAnd he answered him and said to him, Who has set thee for a prince and judge over us? dost thou think to slay me as thou didst slay the Egyptian? and Moses was afraid and he said, Surely the thing is known?
\n9\tAnd Pharaoh heard of this affair, and he ordered Moses to be slain, so God sent his angel, and he appeared unto Pharaoh in the likeness of a captain of the guard.
\n10\tAnd the angel of the Lord took the sword from the hand of the captain of the guard, and took his head off with it, for the likeness of the captain of the guard was turned into the likeness of Moses.
\n11\tAnd the angel of the Lord took hold of the right hand of Moses, and brought him forth from Egypt, and placed him from without the borders of Egypt, a distance of forty days‘ journey.
\n12\tAnd Aaron his brother alone remained in the land of Egypt, and he prophesied to the children of Israel, saying,
\n13\tThus says the Lord God of your ancestors, Throw away, each man, the abominations of his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt.
\n14\tAnd the children of Israel rebelled and would not hearken to Aaron at that time.
\n15\tAnd the Lord thought to destroy them, were it not that the Lord remembered the covenant which he had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
\n16\tIn those days the hand of Pharaoh continued to be severe against the children of Israel, and he crushed and oppressed them until the time when God sent forth his word and took notice of them.
\nChapter 72
\n1\tAnd it was in those days that there was a great war between the children of Cush and the children of the east and Aram, and they rebelled against the king of Cush in whose hands they were.
\n2\tSo Kikianus king of Cush went forth with all the children of Cush, a people numerous as the sand, and he went to fight against Aram and the children of the east, to bring them under subjection.
\n3\tAnd when Kikianus went out, he left Balaam the magician, with his two sons, to guard the city, and the lowest sort of the people of the land.
\n4\tSo Kikianus went forth to Aram and the children of the east, and he fought against them and smote them, and they all fell down wounded before Kikianus and his people.
\n5\tAnd he took many of them captives and he brought them under subjection as at first, and he encamped upon their land to take tribute from them as usual.
\n6\tAnd Balaam the son of Beor, when the king of Cush had left him to guard the city and the poor of the city, he rose up and advised with the people of the land to rebel against king Kikianus, not to let him enter the city when he should come home.
\n7\tAnd the people of the land hearkened to him, and they swore to him and made him king over them, and his two sons for captains of the army.
\n8\tSo they rose up and raised the walls of the city at the two corners, and they built an exceeding strong building.
\n9\tAnd at the third corner they dug ditches without number, between the city and the river which surrounded the whole land of Cush, and they made the waters of the river burst forth there.
\n10\tAt the fourth corner they collected numerous serpents by their incantations and enchantments, and they fortified the city and dwelt therein, and no one went out or in before them.
\n11\tAnd Kikianus fought against Aram and the children of the east and he subdued them as before, and they gave him their usual tribute, and he went and returned to his land.
\n12\tAnd when Kikianus the king of Cush approached his city and all the captains of the forces with him, they lifted up their eyes and saw that the walls of the city were built up and greatly elevated, so the men were astonished at this.
\n13\tAnd they said one to the other, It is because they saw that we were delayed, in battle, and were greatly afraid of us, therefore have they done this thing and raised the city walls and fortified them so that the kings of Canaan might not come in battle against them.
\n14\tSo the king and the troops approached the city door and they looked up and behold, all the gates of the city were closed, and they called out to the sentinels, saying, Open unto us, that we may enter the city.
\n15\tBut the sentinels refused to open to them by the order of Balaam the magician, their king, they suffered them not to enter their city.
\n16\tSo they raised a battle with them opposite the city gate, and one hundred and thirty men of the army at Kikianus fell on that day.
\n17\tAnd on the next day they continued to fight and they fought at the side of the river; they endeavored to pass but were not able, so some of them sank in the pits and died.
\n18\tSo the king ordered them to cut down trees to make rafts, upon which they might pass to them, and they did so.
\n19\tAnd when they came to the place of the ditches, the waters revolved by mills, and two hundred men upon ten rafts were drowned.
\n20\tAnd on the third day they came to fight at the side where the serpents were, but they could not approach there, for the serpents slew of them one hundred and seventy men, and they ceased fighting against Cush, and they besieged Cush for nine years, no person came out or in.
\n21\tAt that time that the war and the siege were against Cush, Moses fled from Egypt from Pharaoh who sought to kill him for having slain the Egyptian.
\n22\tAnd Moses was eighteen years old when he fled from Egypt from the presence of Pharaoh, and he fled and escaped to the camp of Kikianus, which at that time was besieging Cush.
\n23\tAnd Moses was nine years in the camp of Kikianus king of Cush, all the time that they were besieging Cush, and Moses went out and came in with them.
\n24\tAnd the king and princes and all the fighting men loved Moses, for he was great and worthy, his stature was like a noble lion, his face was like the sun, and his strength was like that of a lion, and he was counsellor to the king.
\n25\tAnd at the end of nine years, Kikianus was seized with a mortal disease, and his illness prevailed over him, and he died on the seventh day.
\n26\tSo his servants embalmed him and carried him and buried him opposite the city gate to the north of the land of Egypt.
\n27\tAnd they built over him an elegant strong and high building, and they placed great stones below.
\n28\tAnd the king’s scribes engraved upon those stones all the might of their king Kikianus, and all his battles which he had fought, behold they are written there at this day.
\n29\tNow after the death of Kikianus king of Cush it grieved his men and troops greatly on account of the war.
\n30\tSo they said one to the other, Give us counsel what we are to do at this time, as we have resided in the wilderness nine years away from our homes.
\n31\tIf we say we will fight against the city many of us will fall wounded or killed, and if we remain here in the siege we shall also die.
\n32\tFor now all the kings of Aram and of the children of the east will hear that our king is dead, and they will attack us suddenly in a hostile manner, and they will fight against us and leave no remnant of us.
\n33\tNow therefore let us go and make a king over us, and let us remain in the siege until the city is delivered up to us.
\n34\tAnd they wished to choose on that day a man for king from the army of Kikianus, and they found no object of their choice like Moses to reign over them.
\n35\tAnd they hastened and stripped off each man his garments and cast them upon the ground, and they made a great heap and placed Moses thereon.
\n36\tAnd they rose up and blew with trumpets and called out before him, and said, May the king live, may the king live!
\n37\tAnd all the people and nobles swore unto him to give him for a wife Adoniah the queen, the Cushite, wife of Kikianus, and they made Moses king over them on that day.
\n38\tAnd all the people of Cush issued a proclamation on that day, saying, Every man must give something to Moses of what is in his possession.
\n39\tAnd they spread out a sheet upon the heap, and every man cast into it something of what he had, one a gold earring and the other a coin.
\n40\tAlso of onyx stones, bdellium, pearls and marble did the children of Cush cast unto Moses upon the heap, also silver and gold in great abundance.
\n41\tAnd Moses took all the silver and gold, all the vessels, and the bdellium and onyx stones, which all the children of Cush had given to him, and he placed them amongst his treasures.
\n42\tAnd Moses reigned over the children of Cush on that day, in the place of Kikianus king of Cush.
\nChapter 73
\n1\tIn the fifty-fifth year of the reign of Pharaoh king of Egypt, that is in the hundred and fifty- seventh year of the Israelites going down into Egypt, reigned Moses in Cush.
\n2\tMoses was twenty-seven years old when he began to reign over Cush, and forty years did he reign.
\n3\tAnd the Lord granted Moses favor and grace in the eyes of all the children of Cush, and the children of Cush loved him exceedingly, so Moses was favored by the Lord and by men.
\n4\tAnd in the seventh day of his reign, all the children of Cush assembled and came before Moses and bowed down to him to the ground.
\n5\tAnd all the children spoke together in the presence of the king, saying, Give us counsel that we may see what is to be done to this city.
\n6\tFor it is now nine years that we have been besieging round about the city, and have not seen our children and our wives.
\n7\tSo the king answered them, saying, If you will hearken to my voice in all that I shall command you, then will the Lord give the city into our hands and we shall subdue it.
\n8\tFor if we fight with them as in the former battle which we had with them before the death of Kikianus, many of us will fall down wounded as before.
\n9\tNow therefore behold here is counsel for you in this matter; if you will hearken to my voice, then will the city be delivered into our hands.
\n10\tSo all the forces answered the king, saying, All that our lord shall command that will we do.
\n11\tAnd Moses said unto them, Pass through and proclaim a voice in the whole camp unto all the people, saying,
\n12\tThus says the king, Go into the forest and bring with you of the young ones of the stork, each man a young one in his hand.
\n13\tAnd any person transgressing the word of the king, who shall not bring his young one, he shall die, and the king will take all belonging to him.
\n14\tAnd when you shall bring them they shall be in your keeping, you shall rear them until they grow up, and you shall teach them to dart upon, as is the way of the young ones of the hawk.
\n15\tSo all the children of Cush heard the words of Moses, and they rose up and caused a proclamation to be issued throughout the camp, saying,
\n16\tUnto you, all the children of Cush, the king’s order is, that you go all together to the forest, and catch there the young storks each man his young one in his hand, and you shall bring them home.
\n17\tAnd any person violating the order of the king shall die, and the king will take all that belongs to him.
\n18\tAnd all the people did so, and they went out to the wood and they climbed the fir trees and caught, each man a young one in his hand, all the young of the storks, and they brought them into the desert and reared them by order of the king, and they taught them to dart upon, similar to the young hawks.
\n19\tAnd after the young storks were reared, the king ordered them to be hungered for three days, and all the people did so.
\n20\tAnd on the third day, the king said unto them, strengthen yourselves and become valiant men, and put on each man his armor and gird on his sword upon him, and ride each man his horse and take each his young stork in his hand.
\n21\tAnd we will rise up and fight against the city at the place where the serpents are; and all the people did as the king had ordered.
\n22\tAnd they took each man his young one in his hand, and they went away, and when they came to the place of the serpents the king said to them, Send forth each man his young stork upon the serpents.
\n23\tAnd they sent forth each man his young stork at the king’s order, and the young storks ran upon the serpents and they devoured them all and destroyed them out of that place.
\n24\tAnd when the king and people had seen that all the serpents were destroyed in that place, all the people set up a great shout.
\n25\tAnd they approached and fought against the city and took it and subdued it, and they entered the city.
\n26\tAnd there died on that day one thousand and one hundred men of the people of the city, all that inhabited the city, but of the people besieging not one died.
\n27\tSo all the children of Cush went each to his home, to his wife and children and to all belonging to him.
\n28\tAnd Balaam the magician, when he saw that the city was taken, he opened the gate and he and his two sons and eight brothers fled and returned to Egypt to Pharaoh king of Egypt.
\n29\tThey are the sorcerers and magicians who are mentioned in the book of the law, standing against Moses when the Lord brought the plagues upon Egypt.
\n30\tSo Moses took the city by his wisdom, and the children of Cush placed him on the throne instead of Kikianus king of Cush.
\n31\tAnd they placed the royal crown upon his head, and they gave him for a wife Adoniah the Cushite queen, wife of Kikianus.
\n32\tAnd Moses feared the Lord God of his fathers, so that he came not to her, nor did he turn his eyes to her.
\n33\tFor Moses remembered how Abraham had made his servant Eliezer swear, saying unto him, Thou shalt not take a woman from the daughters of Canaan for my son Isaac.
\n34\tAlso what Isaac did when Jacob had fled from his brother, when he commanded him, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan, nor make alliance with any of the children of Ham.
\n35\tFor the Lord our God gave Ham the son of Noah, and his children and all his seed, as slaves to the children of Shem and to the children of Japheth, and unto their seed after them for slaves, forever.
\n36\tTherefore Moses turned not his heart nor his eyes to the wife of Kikianus all the days that he reigned over Cush.
\n37\tAnd Moses feared the Lord his God all his life, and Moses walked before the Lord in truth, with all his heart and soul, he turned not from the right way all the days of his life; he declined not from the way either to the right or to the left, in which Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had walked.
\n38\tAnd Moses strengthened himself in the kingdom of the children of Cush, and he guided the children of Cush with his usual wisdom, and Moses prospered in his kingdom.
\n39\tAnd at that time Aram and the children of the east heard that Kikianus king of Cush had died, so Aram and the children of the east rebelled against Cush in those days.
\n40\tAnd Moses gathered all the children of Cush, a people very mighty, about thirty thousand men, and he went forth to fight with Aram and the children of the east.
\n41\tAnd they went at first to the children of the east, and when the children of the east heard their report, they went to meet them, and engaged in battle with them.
\n42\tAnd the war was severe against the children of the east, so the Lord gave all the children of the east into the hand of Moses, and about three hundred men fell down slain.
\n43\tAnd all the children of the east turned back and retreated, so Moses and the children of Cush followed them and subdued them, and put a tax upon them, as was their custom.
\n44\tSo Moses and all the people with him passed from there to the land of Aram for battle.
\n45\tAnd the people of Aram also went to meet them, and they fought against them, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Moses, and many of the men of Aram fell down wounded.
\n46\tAnd Aram also were subdued by Moses and the people of Cush, and also gave their usual tax.
\n47\tAnd Moses brought Aram and the children of the east under subjection to the children of Cush, and Moses and all the people who were with him, turned to the land of Cush.
\n48\tAnd Moses strengthened himself in the kingdom of the children of Cush, and the Lord was with him, and all the children of Cush were afraid of him.
\nChapter 74
\n1\tIn the end of years died Saul king of Edom, and Baal Chanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place.
\n2\tIn the sixteenth year of the reign of Moses over Cush, Baal Chanan the son of Achbor reigned in the land of Edom over all the children of Edom for thirty-eight years.
\n3\tIn his days Moab rebelled against the power of Edom, having been under Edom since the days of Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote them and Midian, and brought Moab under subjection to Edom.
\n4\tAnd when Baal Chanan the son of Achbor reigned over Edom, all the children of Moab withdrew their allegiance from Edom.
\n5\tAnd Angeas king of Africa died in those days, and Azdrubal his son reigned in his stead.
\n6\tAnd in those days died Janeas king of the children of Chittim, and they buried him in his temple which he had built for himself in the plain of Canopia for a residence, and Latinus reigned in his stead.
\n7\tIn the twenty-second year of the reign of Moses over the children of Cush, Latinus reigned over the children of Chittim forty-five years.
\n8\tAnd he also built for himself a great and mighty tower, and he built therein an elegant temple for his residence, to conduct his government, as was the custom.
\n9\tIn the third year of his reign he caused a proclamation to be made to all his skilful men, who made many ships for him.
\n10\tAnd Latinus assembled all his forces, and they came in ships, and went therein to fight with Azdrubal son of Angeas king of Africa, and they came to Africa and engaged in battle with Azdrubal and his army.
\n11\tAnd Latinus prevailed over Azdrubal, and Latinus took from Azdrubal the aqueduct which his father had brought from the children of Chittim, when he took Janiah the daughter of Uzi for a wife, so Latinus overthrew the bridge of the aqueduct, and smote the whole army of Azdrubal a severe blow.
\n12\tAnd the remaining strong men of Azdrubal strengthened themselves, and their hearts were filled with envy, and they courted death, and again engaged in battle with Latinus king of Chittim.
\n13\tAnd the battle was severe upon all the men of Africa, and they all fell wounded before Latinus and his people, and Azdrubal the king also fell in that battle.
\n14\tAnd the king Azdrubal had a very beautiful daughter, whose name was Ushpezena, and all the men of Africa embroidered her likeness on their garments, on account of her great beauty and comely appearance.
\n15\tAnd the men of Latinus saw Ushpezena, the daughter of Azdrubal, and praised her unto Latinus their king.
\n16\tAnd Latinus ordered her to be brought to him, and Latinus took Ushpezena for a wife, and he turned back on his way to Chittim.
\n17\tAnd it was after the death of Azdrubal son of Angeas, when Latinus had turned back to his land from the battle, that all the inhabitants of Africa rose up and took Anibal the son of Angeas, the younger brother of Azdrubal, and made him king instead at his brother over the whole land at Africa.
\n18\tAnd when he reigned, he resolved to go to Chittim to fight with the children of Chittim, to avenge the cause of Azdrubal his brother, and the cause of the inhabitants of Africa, and he did so.
\n19\tAnd he made many ships, and he came therein with his whole army, and he went to Chittim.
\n20\tSo Anibal fought with the children of Chittim, and the children of Chittim fell wounded before Anibal and his army, and Anibal avenged his brother’s cause.
\n21\tAnd Anibal continued the war for eighteen years with the children of Chittim, and Anibal dwelt in the land of Chittim and encamped there for a long time.
\n22\tAnd Anibal smote the children of Chittim very severely, and he slew their great men and princes, and of the rest of the people he smote about eighty thousand men.
\n23\tAnd at the end of days and years, Anibal returned to his land of Africa, and he reigned securely in the place of Azdrubal his brother.
\nChapter 75
\n1\tAt that time, in the hundred and eightieth year of the Israelites going down into Egypt, there went forth from Egypt valiant men, thirty thousand on foot, from the children of Israel, who were all of the tribe of Joseph, of the children of Ephraim the son of Joseph.
\n2\tFor they said the period was completed which the Lord had appointed to the children of Israel in the times of old, which he had spoken to Abraham.
\n3\tAnd these men girded themselves, and they put each man his sword at his side, and every man his armor upon him, and they trusted to their strength, and they went out together from Egypt with a mighty hand.
\n4\tBut they brought no provision for the road, only silver and gold, not even bread for that day did they bring in their hands, for they thought of getting their provision for pay from the Philistines, and if not they would take it by force.
\n5\tAnd these men were very mighty and valiant men, one man could pursue a thousand and two could rout ten thousand, so they trusted to their strength and went together as they were.
\n6\tAnd they directed their course toward the land of Gath, and they went down and found the shepherds of Gath feeding the cattle of the children of Gath.
\n7\tAnd they said to the shepherds, Give us some of the sheep for pay, that we may eat, for we are hungry, for we have eaten no bread this day.
\n8\tAnd the shepherds said, Are they our sheep or cattle that we should give them to you even for pay? so the children of Ephraim approached to take them by force.
\n9\tAnd the shepherds of Gath shouted over them that their cry was heard at a distance, so all the children of Gath went out to them.
\n10\tAnd when the children of Gath saw the evil doings of the children of Ephraim, they returned and assembled the men of Gath, and they put on each man his armor, and came forth to the children of Ephraim for battle.
\n11\tAnd they engaged with them in the valley of Gath, and the battle was severe, and they smote from each other a great many on that day.
\n12\tAnd on the second day the children of Gath sent to all the cities of the Philistines that they should come to their help, saying,
\n13\tCome up unto us and help us, that we may smite the children of Ephraim who have come forth from Egypt to take our cattle, and to fight against us without cause.
\n14\tNow the souls of the children of Ephraim were exhausted with hunger and thirst, for they had eaten no bread for three days. And forty thousand men went forth from the cities of the Philistines to the assistance of the men of Gath.
\n15\tAnd these men were engaged in battle with the children of Ephraim, and the Lord delivered the children of Ephraim into the hands of the Philistines.
\n16\tAnd they smote all the children of Ephraim, all who had gone forth from Egypt, none were remaining but ten men who had run away from the engagement.
\n17\tFor this evil was from the Lord against the children of Ephraim, for they transgressed the word of the Lord in going forth from Egypt, before the period had arrived which the Lord in the days of old had appointed to Israel.
\n18\tAnd of the Philistines also there fell a great many, about twenty thousand men, and their brethren carried them and buried them in their cities.
\n19\tAnd the slain of the children of Ephraim remained forsaken in the valley of Gath for many days and years, and were not brought to burial, and the valley was filled with men’s bones.
\n20\tAnd the men who had escaped from the battle came to Egypt, and told all the children of Israel all that had befallen them.
\n21\tAnd their father Ephraim mourned over them for many days, and his brethren came to console him.
\n22\tAnd he came unto his wife and she bare a son, and he called his name Beriah, for she was unfortunate in his house.
\nChapter 76
\n1\tAnd Moses the son of Amram was still king in the land of Cush in those days, and he prospered in his kingdom, and he conducted the government of the children of Cush in justice, in righteousness, and integrity.
\n2\tAnd all the children of Cush loved Moses all the days that he reigned over them, and all the inhabitants of the land of Cush were greatly afraid of him.
\n3\tAnd in the fortieth year of the reign of Moses over Cush, Moses was sitting on the royal throne whilst Adoniah the queen was before him, and all the nobles were sitting around him.
\n4\tAnd Adoniah the queen said before the king and the princes, What is this thing which you, the children of Cush, have done for this long time?
\n5\tSurely you know that for forty years that this man has reigned over Cush he has not approached me, nor has he served the gods of the children of Cush.
\n6\tNow therefore hear, O ye children of Cush, and let this man no more reign over you as he is not of our flesh.
\n7\tBehold Menacrus my son is grown up, let him reign over you, for it is better for you to serve the son of your lord, than to serve a stranger, slave of the king of Egypt.
\n8\tAnd all the people and nobles of the children of Cush heard the words which Adoniah the queen had spoken in their ears.
\n9\tAnd all the people were preparing until the evening, and in the morning they rose up early and made Menacrus, son of Kikianus, king over them.
\n10\tAnd all the children of Cush were afraid to stretch forth their hand against Moses, for the Lord was with Moses, and the children of Cush remembered the oath which they swore unto Moses, therefore they did no harm to him.
\n11\tBut the children of Cush gave many presents to Moses, and sent him from them with great honor.
\n12\tSo Moses went forth from the land of Cush, and went home and ceased to reign over Cush, and Moses was sixty-six years old when he went out of the land of Cush, for the thing was from the Lord, for the period had arrived which he had appointed in the days of old, to bring forth Is rael from the affliction of the children of Ham.
\n13\tSo Moses went to Midian, for he was afraid to return to Egypt on account of Pharaoh, and he went and sat at a well of water in Midian.
\n14\tAnd the seven daughters of Reuel the Midianite went out to feed their father’s flock.
\n15\tAnd they came to the well and drew water to water their father’s flock.
\n16\tSo the shepherds of Midian came and drove them away, and Moses rose up and helped them and watered the flock.
\n17\tAnd they came home to their father Reuel, and told him what Moses did for them.
\n18\tAnd they said, An Egyptian man has delivered us from the hands of the shepherds, he drew up water for us and watered the flock.
\n19\tAnd Reuel said to his daughters, And where is he? wherefore have you left the man?
\n20\tAnd Reuel sent for him and fetched him and brought him home, and he ate bread with him.
\n21\tAnd Moses related to Reuel that he had fled from Egypt and that he reigned forty years over Cush, and that they afterward had taken the government from him, and had sent him away in peace with honor and with presents.
\n22\tAnd when Reuel had heard the words of Moses, Reuel said within himself, I will put this man into the prison house, whereby I shall conciliate the children of Cush, for he has fled from them.
\n23\tAnd they took and put him into the prison house, and Moses was in prison ten years, and whilst Moses was in the prison house, Zipporah the daughter of Reuel took pity over him, and supported him with bread and water all the time.
\n24\tAnd all the children of Israel were yet in the land of Egypt serving the Egyptians in all manner of hard work, and the hand of Egypt continued in severity over the children of Israel in those days.
\n25\tAt that time the Lord smote Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he afflicted with the plague of leprosy from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head; owing to the cruel treatment of the children of Israel was this plague at that time from the Lord upon Pharaoh king of Egypt.
\n26\tFor the Lord had hearkened to the prayer of his people the children of Israel, and their cry reached him on account of their hard work.
\n27\tStill his anger did not turn from them, and the hand of Pharaoh was still stretched out against the children of Israel, and Pharaoh hardened his neck before the Lord, and he increased his yoke over the children of Israel, and embittered their lives with all manner of hard work.
\n28\tAnd when the Lord had inflicted the plague upon Pharaoh king of Egypt, he asked his wise men and sorcerers to cure him.
\n29\tAnd his wise men and sorcerers said unto him, That if the blood of little children were put into the wounds he would be healed.
\n30\tAnd Pharaoh hearkened to them, and sent his ministers to Goshen to the children of Israel to take their little children.
\n31\tAnd Pharaoh’s ministers went and took the infants of the children of Israel from the bosoms of their mothers by force, and they brought them to Pharaoh daily, a child each day, and the physicians killed them and applied them to the plague; thus did they all the days.
\n32\tAnd the number of the children which Pharaoh slew was three hundred and seventy-five.
\n33\tBut the Lord hearkened not to the physicians of the king of Egypt, and the plague went on increasing mightily.
\n34\tAn d Pharaoh was ten years afflicted with that plague, still the heart of Pharaoh was more hardened against the children of Israel.
\n35\tAnd at the end of ten years the Lord continued to afflict Pharaoh with destructive plagues.
\n36\tAnd the Lord smote him with a bad tumor and sickness at the stomach, and that plague turned to a severe boil.
\n37\tAt that time the two ministers of Pharaoh came from the land of Goshen where all the children of Israel were, and went to the house of Pharaoh and said to him, We have seen the children of Israel slacken in their work and negligent in their labor.
\n38\tAnd when Pharaoh heard the words of his ministers, his anger was kindled against the children of Israel exceedingly, for he was greatly grieved at his bodily pain.
\n39\tAnd he answered and said, Now that the children of Israel know that I am ill, they turn and scoff at us, now therefore harness my chariot for me, and I will betake myself to Goshen and will see the scoff of the children of Israel with which they are deriding me; so his servants harnessed the chariot for him.
\n40\tAnd they took and made him ride upon a horse, for he was not able to ride of himself;
\n41\tAnd he took with him ten horsemen and ten footmen, and went to the children of Israel to Goshen.
\n42\tAnd when they had come to the border of Egypt, the king’s horse passed into a narrow place, elevated in the hollow part of the vineyard, fenced on both sides, the low, plain country being on the other side.
\n43\tAnd the horses ran rapidly in that place and pressed each other, and the other horses pressed the king’s horse.
\n44\tAnd the king’s horse fell into the low plain whilst the king was riding upon it, and when he fell the chariot turned over the king’s face and the horse lay upon the king, and the king cried out, for his flesh was very sore.
\n45\tAnd the flesh of the king was torn from him, and his bones were broken and he could not ride, for this thing was from the Lord to him, for the Lord had heard the cries of his people the children of Israel and their affliction.
\n46\tAnd his servants carried him upon their shoulders, a little at a time, and they brought him back to Egypt, and the horsemen who were with him came also back to Egypt.
\n47\tAnd they placed him in his bed, and the king knew that his end was come to die, so Aparanith the queen his wife came and cried before the king, and the king wept a great weeping with her.
\n48\tAnd all his nobles and servants came on that day and saw the king in that affliction, and wept a great weeping with him.
\n49\tAnd the princes of the king and all his counselors advised the king to cause one to reign in his stead in the land, whomsoever he should choose from his sons.
\n50\tAnd the king had three sons and two daughters which Aparanith the queen his wife had borne to him, besides the king’s children of concubines.
\n51\tAnd these were their names, the firstborn Othri, the second Adikam, and the third Morion, and their sisters, the name of the elder Bathia and of the other Acuzi.
\n52\tAnd Othri the first born of the king was an idiot, precipitate and hurried in his words.
\n53\tBut Adikam was a cunning and wise man and knowing in all the wisdom of Egypt, but of unseemly aspect, thick in flesh, and very short in stature; his height was one cubit.
\n54\tAnd when the king saw Adikam his son intelligent and wise in all things, the king resolved that he should be king in his stead after his death.
\n55\tAnd he took for him a wife Gedudah daughter of Abilot, and he was ten years old, and she bare unto him four sons.
\n56\tAnd he afterward went and took three wives and begat eight sons and three daughters.
\n57\tAnd the disorder greatly prevailed over the king, and his flesh stank like the flesh of a carcass cast upon the field in summer time, during the heat of the sun.
\n58\tAnd when the king saw that his sickness had greatly strengthened itself over him, he ordered his son Adikam to be brought to him, and they made him king over the land in his place.
\n59\tAnd at the end of three years, the king died, in shame, disgrace, and disgust, and his servants carried him and buried him in the sepulcher of the kings of Egypt in Zoan Mizraim.
\n60\tBut they embalmed him not as was usual with kings, for his flesh was putrid, and they could not approach to embalm him on account of the stench, so they buried him in haste.
\n61\tFor this evil was from the Lord to him, for the Lord had requited him evil for the evil which in his days he had done to Israel.
\n62\tAnd he died with terror and with shame, and his son Adikam reigned in his place.
\nChapter 77
\n1\tAdikam was twenty years old when he reigned over Egypt, he reigned four years.
\n2\tIn the two hundred and sixth year of Israel’s going down to Egypt did Adikam reign over Egypt, but he continued not so long in his reign over Egypt as his fathers had continued their reigns.
\n3\tFor Melol his father reigned ninety-four years in Egypt, but he was ten years sick and died, for he had been wicked before the Lord.
\n4\tAnd all the Egyptians called the name of Adikam Pharaoh like the name of his fathers, as was their custom to do in Egypt.
\n5\tAnd all the wise men of Pharaoh called the name of Adikam Ahuz, for short is called Ahuz in the Egyptian language.
\n6\tAnd Adikam was exceedingly ugly, and he was a cubit and a span and he had a great beard which reached to the soles of his feet.
\n7\tAnd Pharaoh sat upon his father’s throne to reign over Egypt, and he conducted the government of Egypt in his wisdom.
\n8\tAnd whilst he reigned he exceeded his father and all the preceding kings in wickedness, and he increased his yoke over the children of Israel.
\n9\tAnd he went with his servants to Goshen to the children of Israel, and he strengthened the labor over them and he said unto them, Complete your work, each day’s task, and let not your hands slacken from our work from this day forward as you did in the days of my father.
\n10\tAnd he placed officers over them from amongst the children of Israel, and over these officers he placed taskmasters from amongst his servants.
\n11\tAnd he placed over them a measure of bricks for them to do according to that number, day by day, and he turned back and went to Egypt.
\n12\tAt that time the task-masters of Pharaoh ordered the officers of the children of Israel according to the command of Pharaoh, saying,
\n13\tThus says Pharaoh, Do your work each day, and finish your task, and observe the daily measure of bricks; diminish not anything.
\n14\tAnd it shall come to pass that if you are deficient in your daily bricks, I will put your young children in their stead.
\n15\tAnd the task-masters of Egypt did so in those days as Pharaoh had ordered them.
\n16\tAnd whenever any deficiency was found in the children of Israel’s measure of their daily bricks, the task-masters of Pharaoh would go to the wives of the children of Israel and take infants of the children of Israel to the number of bricks deficient, they would take them by force from their mother’s laps, and put them in the building instead of the bricks;
\n17\tWhilst their fathers and mothers were crying over them and weeping when they heard the weeping voices of their infants in the wall of the building.
\n18\tAnd the task-masters prevailed over Israel, that the Israelites should place their children in the building, so that a man placed his son in the wall and put mortar over him, whilst his eyes wept over him, and his tears ran down upon his child.
\n19\tAnd the task-masters of Egypt did so to the babes of Israel for many days, and no one pitied or had compassion over the babes of the children of Israel.
\n20\tAnd the number of all the children killed in the building was two hundred and seventy, some whom they had built upon instead of the bricks which had been left deficient by their fathers, and some whom they had drawn out dead from the building.
\n21\tAnd the labor imposed upon the children of Israel in the days of Adikam exceeded in hardship that which they performed in the days of his father.
\n22\tAnd the children of Israel sighed every day on account of their heavy work, for they had said to themselves, Behold when Pharaoh shall die, his son will rise up and lighten our work!
\n23\tBut they increased the latter work more than the former, and the children of Israel sighed at this and their cry ascended to God on account of their labor.
\n24\tAnd God heard the voice of the children of Israel and their cry, in those days, and God remembered to them his covenant which he had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
\n25\tAnd God saw the burden of the children of Israel, and their heavy work in those days, and he determined to deliver them.
\n26\tAnd Moses the son of Amram was still confined in the dungeon in those days, in the house of Reuel the Midianite, and Zipporah the daughter of Reuel did support him with food secretly day by day.
\n27\tAnd Moses was confined in the dungeon in the house of Reuel for ten years.
\n28\tAnd at the end of ten years which was the first year of the reign of Pharaoh over Egypt, in the place of his father,
\n29\tZipporah said to her father Reuel, No person inquires or seeks after the Hebrew man, whom thou didst bind in prison now ten years.
\n30\tNow therefore, if it seem good in thy sight, let us send and see whether he is living or dead, but her father knew not that she had supported him.
\n31\tAnd Reuel her father answered and said to her, Has ever such a thing happened that a man should be shut up in a prison without food for ten years, and that he should live?
\n32\tAnd Zipporah answered her father, saying, Surely thou hast heard that the God of the Hebrews is great and awful, and does wonders for them at all times.
\n33\tHe it was who delivered Abraham from Ur of the Chaldeans, and Isaac from the sword of his father, and Jacob from the angel of the Lord who wrestled with him at the ford of Jabbuk.
\n34\tAlso with this man has he done many things, he delivered him from the river in Egypt and from the sword of Pharaoh, and from the children of Cush, so also can he deliver him from famine and make him live.
\n35\tAnd the thing seemed good in the sight of Reuel, and he did according to the word of his daughter, and sent to the dungeon to ascertain what became of Moses.
\n36\tAnd he saw, and behold the man Moses was living in the dungeon, standing upon his feet, praising and praying to the God of his ancestors.
\n37\tAnd Reuel commanded Moses to be brought out of the dungeon, so they shaved him and he changed his prison garments and ate bread.
\n38\tAnd afterward Moses went into the garden of Reuel which was behind the house, and he there prayed to the Lord his God, who had done mighty wonders for him.
\n39\tAnd it was that whilst he prayed he looked opposite to him, and behold a sapphire stick was placed in the ground, which was planted in the midst of the garden.
\n40\tAnd he approached the stick and he looked, and behold the name of the Lord God of hosts was engraved thereon, written and developed upon the stick.
\n41\tAnd he read it and stretched forth his hand and he plucked it like a forest tree from the thicket, and the stick was in his hand.
\n42\tAnd this is the stick with which all the works of our God were performed, after he had created heaven and earth, and all the host of them, seas, rivers and all their fishes.
\n43\tAnd when God had driven Adam from the garden of Eden, he took the stick in his hand and went and tilled the ground from which he was taken.
\n44\tAnd the stick came down to Noah and was given to Shem and his descendants, until it came into the hand of Abraham the Hebrew.
\n45\tAnd when Abraham had given all he had to his son Isaac, he also gave to him this stick.
\n46\tAnd when Jacob had fled to Padan-aram, he took it into his hand, and when he returned to his father he had not left it behind him.
\n47\tAlso when he went down to Egypt he took it into his hand and gave it to Joseph, one portion above his brethren, for Jacob had taken it by force from his brother Esau.
\n48\tAnd after the death of Joseph, the nobles of Egypt came into the house of Joseph, and the stick came into the hand of Reuel the Midianite, and when he went out of Egypt, he took it in his hand and planted it in his garden.
\n49\tAnd all the mighty men of the Kinites tried to pluck it when they endeavored to get Zipporah his daughter, but they were unsuccessful.
\n50\tSo that stick remained planted in the garden of Reuel, until he came who had a right to it and took it.
\n51\tAnd when Reuel saw the stick in the hand of Moses, he wondered at it, and he gave him his daughter Zipporah for a wife.
\nChapter 78
\n1\tAt that time died Baal Channan son of Achbor, king of Edom, and was buried in his house in the land of Edom.
\n2\tAnd after his death the children of Esau sent to the land of Edom, and took from there a man who was in Edom, whose name was Hadad, and they made him king over them in the place of Baal Channan, their king.
\n3\tAnd Hadad reigned over the children of Edom forty-eight years.
\n4\tAnd when he reigned he resolved to fight against the children of Moab, to bring them under the power of the children of Esau as they were before, but he was not able, because the children of Moab heard this thing, and they rose up and hastened to elect a king over them from amongst their brethren.
\n5\tAnd they afterward gathered together a great people, and sent to the children of Ammon their brethren for help to fight against Hadad king of Edom.
\n6\tAnd Hadad heard the thing which the children of Moab had done, and was greatly afraid of them, and refrained from fighting against them.
\n7\tIn those days Moses, the son of Amram, in Midian, took Zipporah, the daughter of Reuel the Midianite, for a wife.
\n8\tAnd Zipporah walked in the ways of the daughters of Jacob, she was nothing short of the righteousness of Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah.
\n9\tAnd Zipporah conceived and bare a son and he called his name Gershom, for he said, I was a stranger in a foreign land; but he circumcised not his foreskin, at the command of Reuel his father-in-law.
\n10\tAnd she conceived again and bare a son, but circumcised his foreskin, and called his name Eliezer, for Moses said, Because the God of my fathers was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.
\n11\tAnd Pharaoh king of Egypt greatly increased the labor of the children of Israel in those days, and continued to make his yoke heavier upon the children of Israel.
\n12\tAnd he ordered a proclamation to be made in Egypt, saying, Give no more straw to the people to make bricks with, let them go and gather themselves straw as they can find it.
\n13\tAlso the tale of bricks which they shall make let them give each day, and diminish nothing from them, for they are idle in their work.
\n14\tAnd the children of Israel heard this, and they mourned and sighed, and they cried unto the Lord on account of the bitterness of their souls.
\n15\tAnd the Lord heard the cries of the children of Israel, and saw the oppression with which the Egyptians oppressed them.
\n16\tAnd the Lord was jealous of his people and his inheritance, and heard their voice, and he resolved to take them out of the affliction of Egypt, to give them the land of Canaan for a possession.
\nChapter 79
\n1\tAnd in those days Moses was feeding the flock of Reuel the Midianite his father-in-law, beyond the wilderness of Sin, and the stick which he took from his father-in-law was in his hand.
\n2\tAnd it came to pass one day that a kid of goats strayed from the flock, and Moses pursued it and it came to the mountain of God to Horeb.
\n3\tAnd when he came to Horeb, the Lord appeared there unto him in the bush, and he found the bush burning with fire, but the fire had no power over the bush to consume it.
\n4\tAnd Moses was greatly astonished at this sight, wherefore the bush was not consumed, and he approached to see this mighty thing, and the Lord called unto Moses out of the fire and commanded him to go down to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to send the children of Israel from his service.
\n5\tAnd the Lord said unto Moses, Go, return to Egypt, for all those men who sought thy life are dead, and thou shalt speak unto Pharaoh to send forth the children of Israel from his land.
\n6\tAnd the Lord showed him to do signs and wonders in Egypt before the eyes of Pharaoh and the eyes of his subjects, in order that they might believe that the Lord had sent him.
\n7\tAnd Moses hearkened to all that the Lord had commanded him, and he returned to his father-in-law and told him the thing, and Reuel said to him, Go in peace.
\n8\tAnd Moses rose up to go to Egypt, and he took his wife and sons with him, and he was at an inn in the road, and an angel of God came down, and sought an occasion against him.
\n9\tAnd he wished to kill him on account of his first born son, because he had not circumcised him, and had transgressed the covenant which the Lord had made with Abraham.
\n10\tFor Moses had hearkened to the words of his father-in-law which he had spoken to him, not to circumcise his first born son, therefore he circumcised him not.
\n11\tAnd Zipporah saw the angel of the Lord seeking an occasion against Moses, and she knew that this thing was owing to his not having circumcised her son Gershom.
\n12\tAnd Zipporah hastened and took of the sharp rock stones that were there, and she circumcised her son, and delivered her husband and her son from the hand of the angel of the Lord.
\n13\tAnd Aaron the son of Amram, the brother of Moses, was in Egypt walking at the river side on that day.
\n14\tAnd the Lord appeared to him in that place, and he said to him, Go now toward Moses in the wilderness, and he went and met him in the mountain of God, and he kissed him.
\n15\tAnd Aaron lifted up his eyes, and saw Zipporah the wife of Moses and her children, and he said unto Moses, Who are these unto thee?
\n16\tAnd Moses said unto him, They are my wife and sons, which God gave to me in Midian; and the thing grieved Aaron on account of the woman and her children.
\n17\tAnd Aaron said to Moses, Send away the woman and her children that they may go to her father’s house, and Moses hearkened to the words of Aaron, and did so.
\n18\tAnd Zipporah returned with her children, and they went to the house of Reuel, and remained there until the time arrived when the Lord had visited his people, and brought them forth from Egypt from the hand at Pharaoh.
\n19\tAnd Moses and Aaron came to Egypt to the community of the children of Israel, and they spoke to them all the words of the Lord, and the people rejoiced an exceeding great rejoicing.
\n20\tAnd Moses and Aaron rose up early on the next day, and they went to the house of Pharaoh, and they took in their hands the stick of God.
\n21\tAnd when they came to the king’s gate, two young lions were confined there with iron instruments, and no person went out or came in from before them, unless those whom the king ordered to come, when the conjurors came and withdrew the lions by their incantations, and this brought them to the king.
\n22\tAnd Moses hastened and lifted up the stick upon the lions, and he loosed them, and Moses and Aaron came into the king’s house.
\n23\tThe lions also came with them in joy, and they followed them and rejoiced as a dog rejoices over his master when he comes from the field.
\n24\tAnd when Pharaoh saw this thing he was astonished at it, and he was greatly terrified at the report, for their appearance was like the appearance of the children of God.
\n25\tAnd Pharaoh said to Moses, What do you require? and they answered him, saying, The Lord God of the Hebrews has sent us to thee, to say, Send forth my people that they may serve me.
\n26\tAnd when Pharaoh heard their words he was greatly terrified before them, and he said to them, Go today and come back to me tomorrow, and they did according to the word of the king.
\n27\tAnd when they had gone Pharaoh sent for Balaam the magician and to Jannes and Jambres his sons, and to all the magicians and conjurors and counselors which belonged to the king, and they all came and sat before the king.
\n28\tAnd the king told them all the words which Moses and his brother Aaron had spoken to him, and the magicians said to the king, But how came the men to thee, on account of the lions which were confined at the gate?
\n29\tAnd the king said, Because they lifted up their rod against the lions and loosed them, and came to me, and the lions also rejoiced at them as a dog rejoices to meet his master.
\n30\tAnd Balaam the son of Beor the magician answered the king, saying, These are none else than magicians like ourselves.
\n31\tNow therefore send for them, and let them come and we will try them, and the king did so.
\n32\tAnd in the morning Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron to come before the king, and they took the rod of God, and came to the king and spoke to him, saying,
\n33\tThus said the Lord God of the Hebrews, Send my people that they may serve me.
\n34\tAnd the king said to them, But who will believe you that you are the messengers of God and that you come to me by his order?
\n35\tNow therefore give a wonder or sign in this matter, and then the words which you speak will be believed.
\n36\tAnd Aaron hastened and threw the rod out of his hand before Pharaoh and before his servants, and the rod turned into a serpent.
\n37\tAnd the sorcerers saw this and they cast each man his rod upon the ground and they became serpents.
\n38\tAnd the serpent of Aaron’s rod lifted up its head and opened its mouth to swallow the rods of the magicians.
\n39\tAnd Balaam the magician answered and said, This thing has been from the days of old, that a serpent should swallow its fellow, and that living things devour each other.
\n40\tNow therefore restore it to a rod as it was at first, and we will also restore our rods as they were at first, and if thy rod shall swallow our rods, then shall we know that the spirit of God is in thee, and if not, thou art only an artificer like unto ourselves.
\n41\tAnd Aaron hastened and stretched forth his hand and caught hold of the serpent’s tail and it became a rod in his hand, and the sorcerers did the like with their rods, and they got hold, each man of the tail of his serpent, and they became rods as at first.
\n42\tAnd when they were restored to rods, the rod of Aaron swallowed up their rods.
\n43\tAnd when the king saw this thing, he ordered the book of records that related to the kings of Egypt, to be brought, and they brought the book of records, the chronicles of the kings of Egypt, in which all the idols of Egypt were inscribed, for they thought of finding therein the name of Jehovah, but they found it not.
\n44\tAnd Pharaoh said to Moses and Aaron, Behold I have not found the name of your God written in this book, and his name I know not.
\n45\tAnd the counselors and wise men answered the king, We have heard that the God of the Hebrews is a son of the wise, the son of ancient kings.
\n46\tAnd Pharaoh turned to Moses and Aaron and said to them, I know not the Lord whom you have declared, neither will I send his people.
\n47\tAnd they answered and said to the king, The Lord God of Gods is his name, and he proclaimed his name over us from the days of our ancestors, and sent us, saying, Go to Pharaoh and say unto him, Send my people that they may serve me.
\n48\tNow therefore send us, that we may take a journey for three days in the wilderness, and there may sacrifice to him, for from the days of our going down to Egypt, he has not taken from our hands either burnt offering, oblation or sacrifice, and if thou wilt not send us, his anger will be kindled against thee, and he will smite Egypt either with the plague or with the sword.
\n49\tAnd Pharaoh said to them, Tell me now his power and his might; and they said to him, He created the heaven and the earth, the seas and all their fishes, he formed the light, created the darkness, caused rain upon the earth and watered it, and made the herbage and grass to sprout, he created man and beast and the animals of the forest, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea, and by his mouth they live and die.
\n50\tSurely he created thee in thy mother’s womb, and put into thee the breath of life, and reared thee and placed thee upon the royal throne of Egypt, and he will take thy breath and soul from thee, and return thee to the ground whence thou wast taken.
\n51\tAnd the anger of the king was kindled at their words, and he said to them, But who amongst all the Gods of nations can do this? my river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.
\n52\tAnd he drove them from him, and he ordered the labor upon Israel to be more severe than it was yesterday and before.
\n53\tAnd Moses and Aaron went out from the king’s presence, and they saw the children of Israel in an evil condition for the task-masters had made their labor exceedingly heavy.
\n54\tAnd Moses returned to the Lord and said, Why hast thou ill treated thy people? for since I came to speak to Pharaoh what thou didst send me for, he has exceedingly ill used the children of Israel.
\n55\tAnd the Lord said to Moses, Behold thou wilt see that with an outstretched hand and heavy plagues, Pharaoh will send the children of Israel from his land.
\n56\tAnd Moses and Aaron dwelt amongst their brethren the children of Israel in Egypt.
\n57\tAnd as for the children of Israel the Egyptians embittered their lives, with the heavy work which they imposed upon them.
\nChapter 80
\n1\tAnd at the end of two years, the Lord again sent Moses to Pharaoh to bring forth the children of Israel, and to send them out of the land of Egypt.
\n2\tAnd Moses went and came to the house of Pharaoh, and he spoke to him the words of the Lord who had sent him, but Pharaoh would not hearken to the voice of the Lord, and God roused his might in Egypt upon Pharaoh and his subjects, and God smote Pharaoh and his people with very great and sore plagues.
\n3\tAnd the Lord sent by the hand of Aaron and turned all the waters of Egypt into blood, with all their streams and rivers.
\n4\tAnd when an Egyptian came to drink and draw water, he looked into his pitcher, and behold all the water was turned into blood; and when he came to drink from his cup the water in the cup became blood.
\n5\tAnd when a woman kneaded her dough and cooked her victuals, their appearance was turned to that of blood.
\n6\tAnd the Lord sent again and caused all their waters to bring forth frogs, and all the frogs came into the houses of the Egyptians.
\n7\tAnd when the Egyptians drank, their bellies were filled with frogs and they danced in their bellies as they dance when in the river.
\n8\tAnd all their drinking water and cooking water turned to frogs, also when they lay in their beds their perspiration bred frogs.
\n9\tNotwithstanding all this the anger of the Lord did not turn from them, and his hand was stretched out against all the Egyptians to smite them with every heavy plague.
\n10\tAnd he sent and smote their dust to lice, and the lice became in Egypt to the height of two cubits upon the earth.
\n11\tThe lice were also very numerous, in the flesh of man and beast, in all the inhabitants of Egypt, also upon the king and queen the Lord sent the lice, and it grieved Egypt exceedingly on account of the lice.
\n12\tNotwithstanding this, the anger of the Lord did not turn away, and his hand was still stretched out over Egypt.
\n13\tAnd the Lord sent all kinds of beasts of the field into Egypt, and they came and destroyed all Egypt, man and beast, and trees, and all things that were in Egypt.
\n14\tAnd the Lord sent fiery serpents, scorpions, mice, weasels, toads, together with others creeping in dust.
\n15\tFlies, hornets, fleas, bugs and gnats, each swarm according to its kind.
\n16\tAnd all reptiles and winged animals according to their kind came to Egypt and grieved the Egyptians exceedingly.
\n17\tAnd the fleas and flies came into the eyes and ears of the Egyptians.
\n18\tAnd the hornet came upon them and drove them away, and they removed from it into their inner rooms, and it pursued them.
\n19\tAnd when the Egyptians hid themselves on account of the swarm of animals, they locked their doors after them, and God ordered the Sulanuth which was in the sea, to come up and go into Egypt.
\n20\tAnd she had long arms, ten cubits in length of the cubit of a man.
\n21\tAnd she went upon the roofs and uncovered the raftering and flooring and cut them, and stretched forth her arm into the house and removed the lock and the bolt, and opened the houses of Egypt.
\n22\tAfterward came the swarm of animals into the houses of Egypt, and the swarm of animals destroyed the Egyptians, and it grieved them exceedingly.
\n23\tNotwithstanding this the anger of the Lord did not turn away from the Egyptians, and his hand was yet stretched forth against them.
\n24\tAnd God sent the pestilence, and the pestilence pervaded Egypt, in the horses and asses, and in the camels, in herds of oxen and sheep and in man.
\n25\tAnd when the Egyptians rose up early in the morning to take their cattle to pasture they found all their cattle dead.
\n26\tAnd there remained of the cattle of the Egyptians only one in ten, and of the cattle belonging to Israel in Goshen not one died.
\n27\tAnd God sent a burning inflammation in the flesh of the Egyptians, which burst their skins, and it became a severe itch in all the Egyptians from the soles of their feet to the crowns of their heads.
\n28\tAnd many boils were in their flesh, that their flesh wasted away until they became rotten and putrid.
\n29\tNotwithstanding this the anger of the Lord did not turn away, and his hand was still stretched out over all Egypt.
\n30\tAnd the Lord sent a very heavy hail, which smote their vines and broke their fruit trees and dried them up that they fell upon them.
\n31\tAlso every green herb became dry and perished, for a mingling fire descended amidst the hail, therefore the hail and the fire consumed all things.
\n32\tAlso men and beasts that were found abroad perished of the flames of fire and of the hail, and all the young lions were exhausted.
\n33\tAnd the Lord sent and brought numerous locusts into Egypt, the Chasel, Salom, Chargol, and Chagole, locusts each of its kind, which devoured all that the hail had left remaining.
\n34\tThen the Egyptians rejoiced at the locusts, although they consumed the produce of the field, and they caught them in abundance and salted them for food.
\n35\tAnd the Lord turned a mighty wind of the sea which took away all the locusts, even those that were salted, and thrust them into the Red Sea; not one locust remained within the boundaries of Egypt.
\n36\tAnd God sent darkness upon Egypt, that the whole land of Egypt and Pathros became dark for three days, so that a man could not see his hand when he lifted it to his mouth.
\n37\tAt that time died many of the people of Israel who had rebelled against the Lord and who would not hearken to Moses and Aaron, and believed not in them that God had sent them.
\n38\tAnd who had said, We will not go forth from Egypt lest we perish with hunger in a desolate wilderness, and who would not hearken to the voice of Moses.
\n39\tAnd the Lord plagued them in the three days of darkness, and the Israelites buried them in those days, without the Egyptians knowing of them or rejoicing over them.
\n40\tAnd the darkness was very great in Egypt for three days, and any person who was standing when the darkness came, remained standing in his place, and he that was sitting remained sitting, and he that was lying continued lying in the same state, and he that was walking remained sitting upon the ground in the same spot; and this thing happened to all the Egyptians, until the darkness had passed away.
\n41\tAnd the days of darkness passed away, and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron to the children of Israel, saying, Celebrate your feast and make your Passover, for behold I come in the midst of the night amongst all the Egyptians, and I will smite all their first born, from the first born of a man to the first born of a beast, and when I see your Passover, I will pass over you.
\n42\tAnd the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, thus did they in that night.
\n43\tAnd it came to pass in the middle of the night, that the Lord went forth in the midst of Egypt, and smote all the first born of the Egyptians, from the first born of man to the first born of beast.
\n44\tAnd Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry throughout Egypt in that night, for there was not a house in which there was not a corpse.
\n45\tAlso the likenesses of the first born of Egypt, which were carved in the walls at their houses, were destroyed and fell to the ground.
\n46\tEven the bones of their first born who had died before this and whom they had buried in their houses, were raked up by the dogs of Egypt on that night and dragged before the Egyptians and cast before them.
\n47\tAnd all the Egyptians saw this evil which had suddenly come upon them, and all the Egyptians cried out with a loud voice.
\n48\tAnd all the families of Egypt wept upon that night, each man for his son and each man for his daughter, being the first born, and the tumult of Egypt was heard at a distance on that night.
\n49\tAnd Bathia the daughter of Pharaoh went forth with the king on that night to seek Moses and Aaron in their houses, and they found them in their houses, eating and drinking and rejoicing with all Israel.
\n50\tAnd Bathia said to Moses, Is this the reward for the good which I have done to thee, who have reared thee and stretched thee out, and thou hast brought this evil upon me and my father’s house?
\n51\tAnd Moses said to her, Surely ten plagues did the Lord bring upon Egypt; did any evil accrue to thee from any of them? did one of them affect thee? and she said, No.
\n52\tAnd Moses said to her, Although thou art the first born to thy mother, thou shalt not die, and no evil shall reach thee in the midst of Egypt.
\n53\tAnd she said, What advantage is it to me, when I see the king, my brother, and all his household and subjects in this evil, whose first born perish with all the first born of Egypt?
\n54\tAnd Moses said to her, Surely thy brother and his household, and subjects, the families of Egypt, would not hearken to the words of the Lord, therefore did this evil come upon them.
\n55\tAnd Pharaoh king of Egypt approached Moses and Aaron, and some of the children of Israel who were with them in that place, and he prayed to them, saying,
\n56\tRise up and take your brethren, all the children of Israel who are in the land, with their sheep and oxen, and all belonging to them, they shall leave nothing remaining, only pray for me to the Lord your God.
\n57\tAnd Moses said to Pharaoh, Behold though thou art thy mother’s first born, yet fear not, for thou wilt not die, for the Lord has commanded that thou shalt live, in order to show thee his great might and strong stretched out arm.
\n58\tAnd Pharaoh ordered the children of Israel to be sent away, and all the Egyptians strengthened themselves to send them, for they said, We are all perishing.
\n59\tAnd all the Egyptians sent the Israelites forth, with great riches, sheep and oxen and precious things, according to the oath of the Lord between him and our Father Abraham.
\n60\tAnd the children of Israel delayed going forth at night, and when the Egyptians came to them to bring them out, they said to them, Are we thieves, that we should go forth at night?
\n61\tAnd the children of Israel asked of the Egyptians, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and garments, and the children of Israel stripped the Egyptians.
\n62\tAnd Moses hastened and rose up and went to the river of Egypt, and brought up from thence the coffin of Joseph and took it with him.
\n63\tThe children of Israel also brought up, each man his father’s coffin with him, and each man the coffins of his tribe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chapter 61 1 And it came to pass at that time Pharaoh king of Egypt commanded all his people to make for him a strong palace in Egypt. 2 And he also commanded the sons of Jacob to assist the Egyptians in the building, and the Egyptians made a beautiful and elegant palace for a … <\/p>\n