And he offered a thank-offering and made a feast of joy before Ishmael, his brother: and Rebecca made new cakes from the new grain, and gave them to Jacob, her son, to take them to Abraham, his father, from the first-fruits of the land, that he might eat and bless the Creator of all things before he died.
And he ate and drank, and blessed the Most High God, Who hath created heaven and earth, Who hath made all the fat things of the earth, Who hath made all the fat things of the earth, And given them to the children of men And given them to the children of men That they might eat and drink and bless their Creator. That they might eat and drink and bless their Creator. [paragraph continues ]
"And now I give thanks unto Thee, my God, because Thou hast caused me to see this day: behold, I am one hundred three score and fifteen years, an old man and full of days, 1 and all my days have been unto me peace.
My God, may Thy mercy and Thy peace be upon Thy servant, and upon the seed of his sons, that they may be to Thee a chosen nation and an inheritance 3 from amongst all the nations of the earth from henceforth unto all the days of the generations of the earth, unto all the ages. " Footnotes 1.
And he called Jacob and said My son Jacob, may the God of all 4 bless thee and strengthen thee to do righteousness, and His will before Him, and may He choose thee and thy seed that ye may become a people for His inheritance according to His will alway. And do thou, my son, Jacob, draw near and kiss me. "
And he drew near and kissed him, and he said: "Blessed be my son Jacob And all the sons of God Most High, unto all the ages: And all the sons of God Most High, unto all the ages: May God give unto thee a seed of righteousness; May God give unto thee a seed of righteousness; And some of thy sons may He sanctify in the midst of the whole earth; And some of thy sons may He sanctify in the midst of the whole earth; May nations serve thee, May nations serve thee, And all the nations bow themselves before thy seed. 1 12 . Be strong in the presence of men,
Be strong in the presence of men, And exercise authority over all the seed of Seth. And exercise authority over all the seed of Seth. 2 Then thy ways and the ways of thy sons will be justified, Then thy ways and the ways of thy sons will be justified, So that they shall become a holy nation. So that they shall become a holy nation. 13 . May the Most High God give thee all the blessings
And may He cleanse thee from all unrighteousness and impurity, That thou mayest be forgiven all (thy) transgressions; (and) thy sins of ignorance. That thou mayest be forgiven all (thy) transgressions; (and) thy sins of ignorance. And may He strengthen thee, And bless thee. And mayest thou inherit the whole earth, And mayest thou inherit the whole earth, 15 . And may He renew His covenant with thee, And may He strengthen thee, And bless thee.
And may He renew His covenant with thee, That thou mayest be to Him a nation for His inheritance That thou mayest be to Him a nation for His inheritance 4 for all the ages, And that He may be to thee and to thy seed a God in truth and righteousness throughout all the days And that He may be to thee and to thy seed a God in truth and righteousness throughout all the days of the earth. 16 . And do thou, my son Jacob, remember my words, Separate thyself from the nations, And eat not with them: And eat not with them: 5 And do not according to their works, For their works are unclean, And observe the commandments of Abraham, thy father: Separate thyself from the nations, And become not their associate; For their works are unclean, And do not according to their works, And become not their associate; And all their ways are a pollution and an abomination and uncleanness. 17 . They offer their sacrifices to the dead 1 And they worship evil spirits, 2 And they eat over the graves, 3 And all their works are vanity and nothingness. 18 . They have no heart to understand And their eyes do not see what their works are, And how they err in saying to a piece of wood: 'Thou art my God,' And to a stone: 'Thou art my Lord and thou art my deliverer.' 4 [And they have no heart. ] 5 19 . And as for thee, my son Jacob, May the Most High God help thee And the God of heaven bless thee And remove thee from their uncleanness and from all their error. 20 . Be thou ware, my son Jacob, of taking a wife from any seed of the daughters of Canaan; For all his seed is to be rooted out of the earth. 6 21, For, owing to the transgression of Ham, 7 Canaan erred, 8 And all his seed will be destroyed from off the earth and all the residue thereof, And none springing from him will be saved on the day of judgment. 22 . And as for all the worshippers of idols and the profane 9(b) There will be no hope for them in the land of the living; (e) And there will be no remembrance of them on the earth; (c) For they will descend into Sheol, (c) For they will descend into Sheol, (d) And into the place of condemnation will they go, As the children of Sodom were taken away from the earth So will all those who worship idols be taken away. So will all those who worship idols be taken away. 23 . Fear not, my son Jacob,
And you also, my son Jacob, may the Most High God help you, and the God of heaven bless you, and turn you away from their uncleanness and from all their error. Keep yourself, my son Jacob, that you take no wife from any seed of the daughters of Canaan.
For through the transgression of Ham, Canaan sinned, and all his seed shall be destroyed from the earth, and all his remnant, and there is none of him that shall be saved on the day of judgment. And for all who worship idols and for the abhorred there is no hope in the land of the living, for they shall go down to Sheol, and into the place of judgment they shall depart.
Fear not, my son Jacob, and be not dismayed, son of Abraham; may the Most High God keep you from corruption, and from every path of error may he deliver you.
This house I have built for myself, that I might set my name upon it on the earth; it is given to you and to your seed for ever, and it shall be called the house of Abraham; it is given to you and to your seed for ever, for you shall build my house and establish my name before God for ever; your seed and your name shall stand throughout all generations of the earth.
And he ceased commanding 4 him and blessing him. 26: And the two lay together on one bed, and Jacob slept in the bosom of Abraham, his father's father and he kissed him seven times, and his affection and his heart rejoiced over him.
And he blessed Jacob and said: "My son, over whom with all my heart and my affection I rejoice, may Thy grace and Thy mercy And be not dismayed, O son of Abraham: May the Most High God preserve thee from destruction, 23. Fear not, my son Jacob, And be not dismayed, O son of Abraham: [paragraph continues ] 24. This house have I built for myself that I might put my name upon it in the earth: [it is given to thee and to thy seed for ever ], 2 and it will be named the house of Abraham; it is given to thee and to thy seed for ever; for thou wilt build my house 3 and establish my name before God for ever: thy seed and thy name will stand throughout all generations of the earth. " seed, 2 that Thou mayest preserve him, and bless him, and mayest sanctify him as a nation for Thine inheritance;
And bless him with all Thy blessings from henceforth unto all the days of eternity, and renew Thy covenant and Thy grace with him and with his seed according to all Thy good pleasure unto all the generations of the earth. " Footnotes 27. 9. 11. The question was one of crucial importance in the early Maccabean period; cf. e. g. 1 Macc. i. 62. 27. 10. 8. 29. 7. 26. 18.