Book of Jasher (Sefer haYashar) 10 part 2/2

~146~ Because he is also very respectful in his house, and he entrusted me to his house and married me. There is no one greater in this house than me, and my Lord did not hide anything from me except for you as far as his wife is concerned, and how can you speak to me like these things and how can I do this great evil and sin against God and your husband. And now stop talking to me anymore and don't talk to me like these anymore, because I don't listen to your words. And Zelicha did not listen to Yosef when he said these things to her, but incited him day by day to listen to her. And it came to pass after that, that the river of Egypt was filled to its brim, and all the inhabitants of Egypt went out and went to see the river with all musical instruments, according to their judgment in the land of Egypt. And the king and the ministers also went out to see the drums and the dances, because great joy is for Egypt and a good day when the black sea is filled and they went there to rejoice on the water. And it came to pass when the Egyptians went out to the wilderness to rejoice according to their judgment, and all the men of Potiphar's house also went out with them. But Zelicha did not come out to her because she said she was selfish and sat at home alone, because Yosef found her that day. And when they go out, Zelika will be left alone in the house, and there is no one else in the house with her. And get up and go up to the house to the temple, and put on clothes like royal clothes. And she put on her head precious stones of shoham stones inlaid with gold and silver, and she beautified her face and her flesh with all the perfumes of women. And perfume the temple and the house with cedar and frankincense, and sprinkle myrrh and myrrh throughout the temple. And after that he sat at the entrance of the temple on the way to the house, in the place where Yosef would pass from there to do his work. And here Joseph comes from the field, and will come home to do his master's work. And he came to the place where he was passing from there, and he saw the whole deed of spilling and sat back. And Zelicha saw Yosef sitting back from her face and called to him saying, What is wrong with you Yosef came to your work and I turned the way until you passed to your seats. And Joseph sat down and the house came to his place of residence, and he sat down to do his master's work as a trial. And here Zelicha came to him, and stood before him in royal clothes and the smell of her perfection went far away. And hasten and strengthen Joseph and his clothes and say to him, the king lives if you do not do my words because today you die. And she hurried and sent her other hand and pulled out the sword from under her clothes and put it on Yosef's neck, and said get up and do my words and if you don't you will die today.

~147~ And Joseph saw her doing this thing and got up to run away from her, and she grabbed his garment in front of his face. And he fled in panic, and the garment that Zelicha was holding on to him was torn, and Joseph left the garment in Zelicha's hand and went outside because he was afraid. And Zelicha saw that Joseph's clothes were torn and he left them in her hand and Vines, and she was very afraid lest he should hear about her. And she got up and acted deceitfully and took off the clothes she was wearing and put on her clothes. And she took Yosef's clothes and put them with her, and she went and sat in the place of Holia, who was sitting there before the people of her household went out to the garden. And she called one little boy who was in the house and commanded him to call the people of her house, and the people of the house came to her. And when she saw them, she said to them with a loud voice and a shout, Look what your master has brought to me, a Hebrew man to the house, for he has come today to lie with me. And it happened when you went out and he came home and saw that there was no one at home, and he came to me and strengthened me to lie with me. And I took hold of his clothes and tore them and called out to him with a loud voice, and it was as if I raised my voice and he feared for his soul and left his clothes before me and went out and ran away. And the people of her house did not speak of her mother, but their noses were very angry with Joseph, and they went to his master and told him the words of his wife. And Potiphar came to his house in Haron even, and his wife shouted at him to say. What is the thing that you have done to me to bring a Hebrew slave to my house, because he came to me today to laugh at me and did such and such to me today. And Potiphar heard his wife's words and ordered Joseph to be beaten with vigorous blows, and they did so to him. And when they beat him, Joseph cried out with a loud voice and raised his eyes to heaven and said. O God, you knew that I was free from all these things, and why would I die today for a lie at the hands of these wicked bachelors whom I did not know. And it happened that Potiphar's men beat Joseph, and he cried out and cried more. And one of Potiphar's servants, ten months old, was working there. And the Lord opened the child's mouth, and he spoke before Potiphar's men who were beating Joseph as these words were to be said. What do you think of this man and why would you do this evil to him, my mother speaks a lie and a lie and said such and such was the matter. And the boy told them all the things that were right, and all the words of Zelicha to Joseph every day he told them.

~148~ And all the people heard the child's words, and were greatly amazed at all the child's words, and the child could speak and stood still. And Potiphar was greatly offended by his son's words, and ordered his men not to kill Joseph any more, and the people stopped beating Joseph. And Potiphar took Joseph and said to bring him in court before the judges who are the king's, to judge him on this matter. And Potiphar and Joseph came before the priests, the king's judges, and he said to them, Judge, please, what judgment is due to this servant, because he did such and such. And the priests said to Joseph, why do you do this thing to your master? And Joseph answered them saying, No, my lord, because such and such was the matter. And Potiphar said to Joseph, I have put all that I have into your hand, and I have not withheld from you anything but the mother of my wife, and how can you do me this evil. And Joseph answered and said, No, my lord, as God lives, and as your soul lives, my lord, if what you heard from your wife is true, because such and such was the case today. It's been a whole year for me today in your house, you showed that there is something coming up that will bind my head to you. And the priests said to Potiphar, please send and bring Joseph's torn garment before us so that we can see the tear in it. And if from the front of the garment the tear was in front of his face, she held him to come to her, and she cunningly did everything that your wife would say. And they brought Yosef's garment before the judging priests and they saw and behold the tear in front of Yosef's face, and all the judging priests knew that she had tormented him and said, "This servant has no sentence of death because he has done nothing." But his trial will be given in prison, because of the rumor that came out about your wife from him. And Potiphar heard their words, and took Joseph and put him in the prison, a place where the king's prisoners are forbidden, and Joseph was in the prison for twelve years. And yet his master's wife did not return from him, and she did not stop speaking to Joseph day after day to listen to her. And it came to pass at the end of three months, and Zelicha was added, that she went to Yosef to the prison every day, and she was eager to hear from her. And Zelicha said to Yosef, how long will you stand in this house, but please listen to my voice and I will take you out of this house. And Joseph answered her saying, it is better for me to stay in this house than to listen to your words and sin against God.

~149~ And you said to him, if you don't do what I say, I will gouge out your eyes and add irons to your feet and hand you over to a hand that you did not know the day before yesterday. And Joseph answered her and said, Behold, the God of the whole earth is able to save me from all that you do to me, for he opens the blind and allows the forbidden, and protects all the sojourners who are in the land they did not know. And it happened when Zelikha could not entice Yosef to listen to her and she stopped going to him to incite him, and Yosef was still not allowed in the prison. And Jacob, Joseph's father, and all his brothers who were in the land of Canaan were still mourning and weeping for Joseph in those days, because Jacob refused to comfort his son Joseph. And Jacob cried out and cried and mourned for Joseph all the days. And it happened at that time in that year that Joseph came down from Egypt when his brothers sold him, and Reuben son of Jacob went to Tammantha and took Elioram the daughter of Ezi the Canaanite as his wife and came to her. And Elioram, Reuben's wife, conceived and bore him Enoch and Pela and Hezron and Carmi, four sons. And Shimon his brother took Dina his sister to wife and she bore him Yemuel and Yamin and Ehad and Yachin and Tzuchar, five sons. After that, Shimon came to Buna the Canaanite, she was Buna whom Shimon had returned from the city of Nablus. And you will be a builder before Dinah and you will serve her, and Shimon will come to her and she will give birth to Shaul. And Yehuda went at that time to Adullam, and saw a man of Adullam whose name was Hirah. And Judah saw there the daughter of a Canaanite man, and her name was Elit, the daughter of Shua, and he took her and came to her. And Elit gave birth to Yehuda Ar and Onan and her, three sons. And Levi and Shechar went to the ancient land, and took the daughters of Yobb, son of Yaktan, son of Eber, for their wives. And Yuvab Ben will have two daughters, the older one Adina and the younger one Aridah. And Levi took Adina and Issachar took Aridah, and brought them to the land of Canaan, the home of their fathers. And Adina gave birth to Levi Gershon Kehat and Merari, three sons. And Irida gave birth to Lishachar, a worm, and Pua, and Job, and Shimron, four sons.

~150~ And Dan went to the land of Moab, and took Afellat the daughter of Hammoran the Moabite to wife and brought her to the land of Canaan. And the darkness was barren for many days, she had no child. And God remembered the darkness of Dan's wife after that, and she gave birth to a son and called his name Hoshi. And Gad and Naphtali went to Harana, and took from there the daughters of Ammor son of Utz son of Nahor as wives. And these are the names of the daughters of Ammor, the name of the eldest from Miriam, and Gad took Uzit and brought them to the land of Canaan, the home of their fathers. And Marimit gave birth to Naphtali Yehtzal and Guni and Izer and Shalem, four sons. And Uzit gave birth to Gad Zefion and Hai Shuni and Atzbon Ari and Erodi and Arali, seven sons. And Asher went and took Adon the daughter of Afalel the son of Hadar the son of Ishmael to wife, and brought her to the land of Canaan. And Adon's wife died in those days, she had no children. And it came to pass after the death of Adon, that Asher went to the other side of the river and took Dora the daughter of Abimael son of Eber son of Shem to wife. And the girl was good-looking and intelligent, and she became a wife for Melchiel son of Elam, son of Shem. And Dora bore Melchiel a daughter, and he called her name Serah. And Melchiel died after that, and Dora went and dwelt in her father's house. And it came to pass after the death of Asher's wife, that he went and took Dora to wife and brought her to the land of Canaan. And Serah her daughter also came with her and she was three years old, and the girl grew up in Beit Ya'akov. And the girl looks good and walks in the ways of the sons of Jacob in holiness, lacking nothing, and God gives her wisdom and understanding. And Dora, Asher's wife, became pregnant and bore him Yamanah, and Yeshua, and Yeshua, and Beriah, four sons. And Zebulun went to Medina, and he took Marusha daughter of Muller son of Abida son of Midian to wife and brought her to the land of Canaan. And Marusha gave birth to Zebulon Sred and Elon and Khalel, three sons. And Jacob sent to Aram the son of Zuba, the son of Terah, and took Malaia, the daughter of Aram, to Benjamin his son, and he came to the land of Canaan, the house of Jacob. And Benjamin, who was ten years old, took Mahalia Beth Aram as his wife. And Tehar became ill and gave birth to Benjamin, Bela and Becher and Ashbel Gera and Naaman, five sons. After that, Benjamin went and took Arabat daughter of Zimran son of Avraham as his wife, and he was eighteen years old. And Aravath gave birth to Binyamin, my brother, and Resh Moffim, and Hufim, and Arad, five sons.

~151~ And it came to pass in those days that Yehuda went to Beit Shem, and took Tamar daughter of Elam son of Shem to Er his firstborn as a wife. And he came to Tamar his wife, and she became his wife. And when he came to her and destroyed his seed, he crossed and his deed was bad in the eyes of God, and God killed him. And it came to pass after the death of the firstborn of Yehuda, and Yehuda said to Onan, Come to your brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed for your brother. And Onan knew Tamar to be a wife, and he came to her. And Onan also committed suicide as his brother did, and God knew what he had done and killed him too. And when Onan died, Judah said to Tamar, stay in your father's house until her son grows up. And Yehuda no longer desired Tamar to be his wife, because Yehuda said lest he too die like his brother. And Tamar got up and went and stayed in her father's house, and Tamar stayed in her father's house for days. And it came to pass at the time of the year, that Yehuda's wife Elit died, and Yehuda was comforted for his wife. And it came to pass after the death of Elit, that Yehuda went and went up with his fellows Hirah to shear their flocks. And Tamar heard that Yehuda's leaf was tender for shearing the sheep, and hers grew and Yehuda did not desire her. And Tamar got up and took off her widow's clothes and put a scarf on her and fainted, and went and sat in the opening of the eyes which is on the road to Tammant. And Yehuda went down and saw and took her, and came to her and gave birth to him. And it happened at the time of her birth, and behold twins in her womb. And they will call the first name Peretz and the second name Zerach in those days. And Yosef ben Jacob is still forbidden in the prison in Egypt. At that time and Pharaoh's ministers are standing before him, the minister of the wineries and the minister of the bakers belonging to the king of Egypt. And the butler took the wine and put it before the king to drink, and the baker also put the bread before the king to eat. And the king drank of the wine and ate of the bread, he and all his servants and ministers eating at the king's table. And they were eating and drinking, and the minister of wine and the minister of bakers were sitting with them, and Pharaoh's ministers found many flies in the wine that the minister of wine brought, and also, stones of nether were found in the bread of the minister of bakers.

~152~ And Pharaoh saw what his ministers had done to him, and he ordered them to be tortured and put in the prison under guard, and they did so to them. In the tenth year of Yosef's imprisonment, the minister of bakers and the minister of farms came with him in the guard. And the chief of the cooks commanded Joseph to serve Pharaoh's officials, and Pharaoh's officials were there on guard for a whole year. And it was the end of the year and they both had dreams one night, in the watch that were there. And it happened in the morning and Joseph came to them to serve them as a trial, and he saw them and behold, both of their faces were sullen and evil. And Yosef asked them saying, why are your faces bad and grumpy today. And they said to him, we dreamed a dream and there is no solution to it. And Joseph said to them, please tell me your dreams and God will grant your peace when you wish. And the irrigator told Joseph his dream and said, In my dream I saw and behold a great vine before me. And in that vine I saw three vines, and it hastened and blossomed and a hawk flew and its clusters ripened and became grapes. And I will take the grapes and squeeze them in a cup, and put them on Pharaoh's hand. And Yosef said to him the three branches that are in the vine are three days. In three days the king will command and take you out of this and put you back on your feet and you gave the king wine when you were drinking it the first time, but I will find favor in your eyes that you remember me to the king when it suits you and you did me a favor and got me out of this prison. Because I was stolen from the land of Canaan and sold to a slave in this place, and also what was betrayed to you about my master's wife is a lie because they put me in this pit for nothing. And the minister who watered Joseph answered saying, If the king will be good to me as in the beginning when you promised me, I will do whatever you want and I will get you out of this pit. And the master of the bakers saw that Yosef had interpreted the dream of the master of farms correctly, and he also came and told all his dream to Yosef. And he said to him, In my dream I saw and behold three baskets of holes on my head, and I looked and behold in the uppermost basket of all the food Pharaoh made a baker and behold the chicken was eating them above my head. And Joseph said to him, the three baskets that you saw for three days. In three days Pharaoh will lift your head from you and hang you on a tree, and the fowl will eat your flesh from above you when you saw in your dream. In those days the queen conceived to give birth, and it happened that day and she gave birth to a son. To the Egyptians they will say that a first-born son is born to the king, and all Egypt and all Pharaoh's ministers and his servants will be very happy.

~153~ And it happened on the third day of his birth, and Pharaoh made a feast for all his ministers and servants, the host of the Zoan land and the land of Egypt. And all the Egyptians and all Pharaoh's servants came to eat and drink with the king at his son's feast, and to rejoice in the king's joy. And all the king's ministers and his servants rejoice at that time all eight days at the feast, and they will rejoice with all musical instruments and drums and dances in the king's house for eight days. And the minister of the fields, for whom Yosef had solved his dream, forgot Yosef and did not remember him to the king when he spoke to him. Because the word was from God, for the sake of answering Joseph because he trusted in Adam. And Joseph sat in the prison after that for two years, until he was twelve years old. And Isaac son of Abraham was still living in those days in the land of Canaan, a very old man of eighty and a hundred years. And Esau, my brother Jacob, was in the land of Edom, and he and his sons would hold it among the sons of Seir. And Esau heard that the days of Isaac his father were drawing near to die, and he and his sons and his house came to the land of Canaan to Isaac his father. And Jacob and his sons left the place where they lived there in Hebron, and they all came to the tent of their father Isaac, and they found Esau and his sons in the tent. And Jacob and his sons sat before Isaac their father, and Jacob still mourned for his son Joseph. And Isaac said to Jacob, bring me your sons and your blessing, and Jacob brought his eleven children before Isaac his father. And Isaac put his hands on all the sons of Jacob, and held them and embraced them and kissed them one by one. And Isaac blessed you on that day and said to them, The Lord God of your fathers will bless you and multiply your seed like the stars of the sky. And Isaac blessed the sons of Esau, saying, God will put you in fear and fear over all your enemies and all your enemies. And Isaac called Jacob and his sons, and they all came and sat before Isaac. And Isaac said to Jacob, God of all the earth, speak to me, saying, To your seed I will give this land to inherit it. If your children keep my statutes and my ways, and I establish for them the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. And now, my son, teach your sons and your sons' sons to fear the Lord, and to walk in the good way that is good in the eyes of the Lord your God. Because if you keep the ways of God and His laws, God will also keep His covenant with Abraham and be good to you and your seed forever. And Isaac was able to command Jacob and his sons, and he fainted and died and gathered to his people. And Jacob fell and Esau fell before Isaac their father and wept, and Isaac was one hundred and eighty years old when he died in the land of Canaan in Hebron.

~154~ And his sons carried him to the cave of the Machpelah which Avraham bought from the sons of Het for a burial estate. And all the kings of the land of Canaan went with Jacob and buried Isaac, and all the kings of Canaan did Isaac great honor at his death. And the sons of Jacob and the sons of Esau walked barefoot around the bed and lamented, until they came to Kiryat Ha'Arba. And they buried Jacob and Esau their father Isaac in the cave of Machpelah which is in Kiryat Ha'Arba, in Hebron. And they will bury him with great honor, as they bury the kings. And Jacob and his sons and Esau and his sons and all the kings of Canaan mourned him with a great and very heavy eulogy, and they blessed him and mourned for him many days. And it came to pass after Isaac's death, that he left all his inheritance, and our inheritance, and all that he had to his sons. And Esau said to Jacob, let us take what our father has left for us, and we will divide it in two, and I will choose, and Jacob said, so we will do. And Jacob took everything that Isaac left for them in the land of Canaan, the cattle and the wealth and all the possessions, and Jacob cut it in two before Esau and his sons. And he said to Esau, here are all these before you, now choose the half of them that you will take for yourself. And Jacob said to Esau, listen, my brother, to confirm that I will speak to you, saying, The Lord, the God of heaven and earth, spoke to our ancestors Abraham and Isaac, saying, "I will give this land to your descendants as an inheritance forever." Now here is everything that our father left before you, choose for you what you want from them. If you want all the land, I will give it to you and your children forever and I will take this wealth. And if you want the wealth, we took it for you and I will take this land for me and my sons to inherit forever. And Nabiyot son of Ishmael was there with his sons in the land, and Esau went that day and consulted with him as said. Thus and thus Jacob spoke to me and thus and thus I replied, now your advice is sound and it is heard. The prophets said to him, "What is the word that Jacob will speak to you? Behold, all the children of Canaan are sitting in their land safely, and Jacob will say, We shall inherit with his seed forever."

~155~ Now go and take all your father's wealth, and you left your brother Jacob in the land when he spoke. And Esau got up and sat down with Jacob, and did everything that the prophets son of Ishmael had advised him to do. And Esau recovered all the wealth that Isaac had left, the soul and the livestock and the property and the possessions and all the wealth, and he did not give any of it to his brother Jacob. And Jacob took the whole land of Canaan, from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates, and made it an everlasting possession for his sons and his seed after him forever. And also the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, which Abraham bought from Ephron, Jacob took as a burial plot for him and his seed forever from his brother Esau. And Jacob wrote all these things in the book of the grant, and signed and appointed faithful witnesses to all these. And these are the things that Jacob wrote in the book to say, the land of Canaan and all its cities the Hittites and the Hivites and the Jebusites and the Amorites and the Perizzites, all the seven Canaanite nations from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates. And all the city of Hebron, Kiryat Arba, and the cave in it, all of which Jacob bought from his brother Esau at a price for an estate for him and his sons and an inheritance for his descendants after him forever. And Jacob took the Book of the Mitzvah and the Sealed Mitzvah and the Laws and the Open Book, and put them in an earthen vessel so that they would last many days and put them in the hands of his sons. And Esau took all that his father left after his death, from the hand of his brother Jacob. And he took all the possessions, from man to beast, from camel to donkey, from ox to sheep, from silver to gold, precious stones and crystal, and all the wealth that belonged to Isaac son of Abraham. There is nothing left that Esau did not take from all that Isaac left after his death. And Esau took all these and went to the land of Seir Hori, he and his sons to their place, from the sight of Jacob his brother and his sons. And Esau held fast among the sons of Seir, and Esau did not return to the land of Canaan from that day forward. And all the land of Canaan was for the children of Israel to inherit forever, and Esau and all his sons inherited Mount Seir.