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Book of Jasher 35



Book of Jasher 35

Chapter 35

 

1.                 
And all the kings of the Amorites
came and took their stand in the field to consult with their counsellors what was to be done with the sons of Jacob, for
they were still afraid of them, saying, Behold, two of them slew the whole of
the city of Shechem.

2.                 
And the Lord heard the prayers of
Isaac and Jacob, and he filled the hearts of all these kings’ advisers with
great fear and terror that they unanimously exclaimed,

3.                 
Are you silly this day, or is there
no understanding in you, that you will fight with the Hebrews, and why will you
take a delight in your own destruction this day?

4.                 
Behold two of them came to the city
of Shechem without fear or terror, and they killed
all the inhabitants of the city, that no man stood up against them, and how
will you be able to fight with them all?

5.                 
Surely you know that their God is
exceedingly fond of them, and has done mighty things for them, such as have not
been done from days of old, and amongst all the gods of nations, there is none
can do like unto his mighty deeds.

6.                 
Surely he delivered their father
Abraham, the Hebrew, from the hand of Nimrod, and from the hand of all his
people who had many times sought to slay him.

7.                 
He delivered him also from the fire
in which king Nimrod had cast him, and his God delivered him from it.

8.                 
And who else can do the like? surely
it was Abraham who slew the five kings of
Elam, when they
had touched his brother’s son who in those days dwelt in
Sodom.

9.                 
And took his servant that was
faithful in his house and a few of his men, and they pursued the kings of
Elam in one night
and killed them, and restored to his brother’s son all his property which they
had taken from him.

10.            
And surely you know the God of these
Hebrews is much delighted with them, and they are also delighted with him, for
they know that he delivered them from all their enemies.

11.            
And behold through his love toward
his God, Abraham took his only and precious son and intended to bring him up as
a burnt offering to his God, and had it not been for God who prevented him from
doing this, he would then have done it through his love to his God.

12.            
And God saw all his works, and swore
unto him, and promised him that he would deliver his sons and all his seed from
every trouble that would befall them, because he had done this thing, and
through his love to his God stifled his compassion for his child.

13.            
And have you not heard what their God
did to Pharaoh king of
Egypt, and to Abimelech king of Gerar, through
taking Abraham’s wife, who said of her, She is my sister, lest they might slay
him on account of her, and think of taking her for a wife? and God did unto
them and their people all that you heard of.

14.            
And behold, we ourselves saw with our
eyes that Esau, the brother of Jacob, came to him with four hundred men, with
the intention of slaying him, for he called to mind that he had taken away from
him his father’s blessing.

15.            
And he went to meet him when he came
from
Syria, to smite
the mother with the children, and who delivered him from his hands but his God
in whom he trusted? he delivered him from the hand of his brother and also from
the hands of his enemies, and surely he again will protect them.

16.            
Who does not know that it was their
God who inspired them with strength to do to the town of
Shechem the evil
which you heard of?

17.            
Could it then be with their own
strength that two men could destroy such a large city as Shechem
had it not been for their God in whom they trusted? he said and did unto them
all this to slay the inhabitants of the city in their city.

18.            
And can you then prevail over them
who have come forth together from your city to fight with the whole of them,
even if a thousand times as many more should come to your assistance?

19.            
Surely you know and understand that
you do not come to fight with them, but you come to war with their God who made
choice of them, and you have therefore all come this day to be destroyed.

20.            
Now therefore refrain from this evil
which you are endeavoring to bring upon yourselves, and it will be better for
you not to go to battle with them, although they are but few in numbers,
because their God is with them.

21.            
And when the kings of the Amorites
heard all the words of their advisers, their hearts were filled with terror,
and they were afraid of the sons of Jacob and would not fight against them.

22.            
And they inclined their ears to the
words of their advisers, and they listened to all their words, and the words of
the counsellors greatly pleased the kings, and they
did so.

23.            
And the kings turned and refrained
from the sons of Jacob, for they durst not approach them to make war with them,
for they were greatly afraid of them, and their hearts melted within them from
their fear of them.

24.            
For this proceeded from the Lord to
them, for he heard the prayers of his servants Isaac and Jacob, for they
trusted in him; and all these kings returned with their camps on that day, each
to his own city, and they did not at that time fight with the sons of Jacob.

25.            
And the sons of Jacob kept their
station that day till evening opposite
mount Sihon, and seeing
that these kings did not come to fight against them, the sons of Jacob returned
home.

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