1From the beginning with wisdom the Memra of the Lord created and perfected the heavens and the earth. [1] 2 And the earth was waste and unformed, desolate of man and beast, empty of plant cultivation and of trees, and darkness was spread over the face of the abyss; and a spirit of mercy from before the Lord was blowing over the surface of the waters. 3 And the Memra of the Lord said: “Let there be light” and there was light according to the decree of his Memra. 4 And it was manifest before the Lord that the light was good; and the Memra of the Lord separated the light from the darkness. 5 And the Memra of the Lord called the light daytime and the darkness he called night. And there was evening and there was morning: (in) the order of the work of creation, first day. 6 And the Memra of the Lord said: “Let there be the firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the lower waters from the upper waters. And the Lord created the firmament and separated the waters that were under the firmament from the waters that were above the firmament; and it was so according to his Memra. 7 And God created the separation, which separated the water below the line of separation and the water above the line of separation, and it was thus as his word. 8 And the Memra of the Lord called the firmament heaven. And there was evening and there was morning: (in) the order of the work of creation, second day. 9 And the Memra of the Lord said: “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place and let the dry land appear.” And it was so m according to his Memra. 10 And the Memra of the Lord called the dry land the earth, and the gathering- place of the waters he called the Seas. And it was manifest before the Lord that it was beautiful and proper. 11 And the Memra of the Lord said: “Let the earth put forth herbage of grass which produces seed, a fruit tree which yields fruit according to its kind, whose shoots are from it and in it upon the earth.” And it was so according to his Memra. 12 And the earth put forth herbage of grass which produces seed according to its kind, a fruit tree which yields fruit, whose shoots are from it and in it according to its kind. And it was manifest before the Lord that it was beautiful and proper. 13 And there was evening and there was morning: (in) the order of the work of creation, third day. 14 And the Lord said: “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to separate the daytime from the night, and let them act as signs and (sacred) seasons and so that the intercalation of moons (and) months may be consecrated by them. 15 And let them shine in the firmament of the heavens to shine upon the earth.” And it was so according to his Memra. 16 And the Memra of the Lord created the two great lights: the greater light to rule in the daytime and the lesser light to rule in the night, and the arrangement of the stars. 17 And the Glory of the Lord set them in the firmament of the heavens to shine upon the earth, 18 and to rule in the daytime and in the night and to separate the light from the darkness. And it was manifest before the Lord that it was beautiful and proper. 19 And there was evening and there was morning: (in) the order of the work of creation, fourth day. 20 And the Memra of the Lord said: “Let the waters swarm forth a swarm of living creatures, and birds that fly* above the earth, across the air of the firmament of the heavens.” 21 And the Lord created the two great monsters and every living creature that creeps, which the waters swarmed forth according to their species, and every bird that flies ^ according to its species. And it was manifest before the Lord that it was beautiful and proper. [2] 22 And the Memra of the Lord blessed them saying: “Be strong and multi ply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply upon the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning: (in) the order of the work of creation, fifth day. 24 And the Memra of the Lord said: “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their species: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their species.” And it was so according to his Memra. 25 And the Memra of the Lord created the wild beasts of the earth according to their species, and the cattle according to their species, ** and all the creeping things of the earth according to their species. And it was manifest before the Lord that it was beautiful and proper. 26 And the Lord said: “Let us create man in our likeness, similar to ourselves, and let them rule over the fishes of the sea and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” 27 And the Memra of the Lord created the man in his (own) likeness; in a likeness from before the Lord he created him; male and his partner he created them. 28 And the Glory of the Lord blessed them, and the Memra of the Lord said to them: “Be strong and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it; and rule over the fishes of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every wild beast that creeps upon the earth.” 29 And the Glory of the Lord said: “Behold, I have given you all the herbs that produce seed that are on the face of all the earth and every tree that has fruit in it—seed-bearing tree—I have given them to you for food. 30 And to every wild beast of the earth, and to all the birds of the heavens, and to everything that creeps on the earth that has the breath of life in it, (I have given) every herb as food.” And it was so according to his Memra. H31 And everything that he had made was manifest before the Lord, and be hold it was very beautiful and proper. And there was evening and there was morning: (in) the order of the work of creation, sixth day.
2And Jacob called his sons and said to them: “Gather together and I will tell you the concealed secrets, the hidden ends, the giving of the rewards of the just, and the punishment of the wicked, and what the happiness of Eden is. The twelve tribes gathered together and surrounded the bed of gold on which our father Jacob was lying dafter the end was revealed to him and that the determined end of the blessing and the consolation might be communicated to them. As soon as the end was revealed to him, the mystery was hidden from him. They hoped that he would relate to them the determined end of the redemption and the consolation. As soon as the mystery was revealed to him, it was hidden from him and as soon as the door was opened to him, it was closed from him. Our father Jacob answered and blessed them; each according to his good works he blessed them. 2 After the twelve tribes of Jacob had gathered together and surrounded the bed of gold on which our father Jacob lay; they were hoping that he would reveal to them the order of the blessings, but it was hidden from him. Our father Jacob answered and said to them: “From Abraham, my father's father; arose the blemished Ishmael and all the sons of Keturah. And from Isaac, my father, arose the blemished Esau, my brother. And I fear lest there should be among you one° whose heart is divided against his brothers to go and worship before foreign idols” The twelve sons of Jacob answered together and said: “Hear us, O Israel, our father; the Lord our God is one Lord. Jacob answered and said: “Blessed be his name; may the glory of his kingdom be for ever and ever. 3 Reuben, my firstborn are you; my strength and the beginning of my sorrow. You were destined to take three portions more than your brothers. The birthright was yours; and the kingdom and the high priesthood were destined for you. Because you have sinned, Reuben, my son, the birthright has been given to Joseph, my son, and the kingdom to Judah, and the high priesthood to the tribe of Levi. 4 I will compare you, my son Reuben, to a small garden into which entered overflowing streams of water “which you were not able to endure, and you were crushed before them, my son; so have you been crushed, Reuben, my son, by your wisdom and from your good works. The sin you have committed, do not commit any more, my son, and what you sinned will be forgiven and remitted you. Because you went up to your Father’s bed; then you defiled going up to my bed. 5 Simeon and Levi are twin brothers, masters of sharp arms, waging war from their youth. In the land of their enemies they have wrought the victories of their combats. 6 In their assemblies, in their counsels, my soul has not de lighted, when they assembled, against the fortress of Shechem, to destroy it they did not have consideration for my honor, because in their anger they killed kings™ and according to their desires they broke down the walls of their enemies. 7 Accursed was the city of Shechem when Simeon and Levi went within it to destroy it, in their anger, because their anger is strong and the fear of them is harsh,” said our father Jacob. “If Simeon and Levi dwell together, there is no nation nor king that can stand against them. I will divide the inheritance of Simeon in the midst of the house of Jacob and I will multiply the inheritance of Levi in the midst of the tribe(s) of the sons of Israel. 8 Judah, you will your brothers praise, and by your name shall all the Jews be called Jews. Your hands will avenge you of your enemies; all the sons of your father shall advance to salute you. 9 I shall compare you, Judah, to a lion’s whelp; you saved my son Joseph from his murderers. From the judgment of Tamar, my son, you are innocent; you will rest and dwell in the midst of battle, like the lion and like the lioness, and there is no nation nor kingdom that shall stand against you. 10 Kings shall not cease from among those of the house of Judah and neither (shall) scribes’ teaching the Law from his son’ sons until the time King Messiah shall come, to whom the kingship belongs; to him shall all the kingdoms be subject. 11 How beautiful is King Messiah who is to arise from among those of the house of Judah. He girds his loins and goes forth to battle against those that hate him; and he kills kings with rulers, and makes the mountains red from the blood of their slain and makes the valleys white from the fat of their warriors. His garments are rolled in blood; he is like a presser of grapes. 12 How beautiful are the eyes of King Messiah; more than pure wine, lest he see with them the revealing of nakedness or the shedding of innocent blood. His teeth are purer than milk, lest he eat with them things that are stolen or robbed. The mountains will become red from his vines and the vats from wine; and the hills will become white from the abundance of grain and flocks of sheep. 13 And Zebulun will dwell by the coasts of the Great Sea, and he shall rule over the ports of ships; and his territory shall reach as far as Sidon. 14 Issachar (is) a strong tribe, lying between two territories. 15 And he saw from the beginning that it was good, and the land of Israel that its fruits were rich; and he bends his shoulders for the study of the Law, and his brothers bring him up tribute. 16 From those of the house of Dan shall redemption arise, and a judge. Together, all the tribes of the sons of Israel shall obey him. 17 This shall be the redeemer who is to arise from the house of Dan; he will be strong, exalted above all nations. He will be compared to the serpent that lies on the ground, and to a venomous serpent that lies in wait at the crossroads, that bites the horses in the heels and out of fear of it the rider turns around and falls backward. He is Samson bar Manoah, the dread of whom is upon his enemies and the fear of whom is upon those who hate him. He goes out to war against those that hate him and kills kings together with rulers” 18 Our father Jacob said: “Not to the redemption of Gideon bar Joash does my soul look, which is the redemption of an hour; and not to the redemption of Samson bar Manoah does my soul look, which is a transient redemption Rather to the redemption of him k does my soul look that you have said to bring your people, the house of Israel To you, to your redemption, do I look, O Lord. 19 From those of the house of Gad there shall come forth camps equipped and armed. They shall make the people of Israel pass over the Jordan, and they shall subdue the land before them. And afterward they shall return to their place with plentiful wealth. 20 Blessed are you of the house of Asher! How fat are the fruits of your land! “And behold, it will bring forth produce (which will be) the delicacies of the kings of the sons of Israel. 21 Naphtali is a swift runner, announcing good tidings. It was he who announced to our father Jacob from the beginning that Joseph was still alive. And he girded himself and went down to Egypt in a short time and brought the title deed of possession of the field from the palace of Joseph. And when his mouth used to bear (good) tidings in the assemblies of Israel, milk and honey went forth from his lips. 22 My son Joseph, how you have grown! My son, you who have grown and become mighty and again you are destined to become mighty. I compare you, my son Joseph, to a vine planted by springs of water that sends its roots into the ground, and breaks the teeth of all the rocks, and sends its branches high and overshadows all the trees. Thus did you, Joseph my son, conquer in your wisdom all the magicians of the Egyptians and all their wise men, when they mounted you on the second chariot of Pharaoh and acclaimed before you: ‘Long live the father of the king, who is a master in wisdom and young in years.’ And the daughters of the kings and the rulers gazed at you by the windows, and listened to you from the lattices, and cast before you chains, rings and necklaces and breast pendants and all kinds of gold, hoping you would raise your eyes and look at one of them. Far from you, Joseph, my son! You did not raise your eyes nor look at one of them. And the daughters of the kings and of the rulers said one to the other: ‘This is Joseph, the pious man, who has not gone after the appearances of his eyes nor the imaginations of his heart. ’ Those are they that destroy the son of man from the world. Because of this there will arise from him two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim who will receive a portion and an inheritance with his brothers in the division of the land. 23 They spoke against him, but all the magicians of Egypt and their wise men were no match for him. They spoke evil before their master, and they informed against him before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, in order to bring him down from his dignity and to remove him from his royal throne. They spoke calumnious language against him in the palace of Pharaoh, which was more harassing for him than arrows. 24 But he placed his confidence in the Strong One. He stretched out his hand and his arms to beseech mercy from the Strong One of his father Jacob, with the strength of whose arm all the tribes of Israel are sustained. 25 May the Memra of the God of your father be at your aid, and may the God of the heavens bless you with the best of the dew and the rain that descend from the heavens from above and with the blessing of the springs of the abyss that come up from the earth, from beneath. Blessed are the breasts from which you sucked and the womb within which you lay. 26 May the blessings of your father be added for you, to the blessings with which my fathers Abraham and Isaac blessed me, which the lords of the world Ishmael and Esau longed for from the beginning. Let all these blessings come; let them become a crown of dignity on the head of Joseph, and on the brow of the pious man who was master and ruler over the land of Egypt, and paid attention to the honor of his father and the honor of his brothers. 27 Benjamin is a strong tribe. In his territory will the sanctuary be built and in his possessions will the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord dwell. In the morning the priests will offer the perpetual lamb with the minhah, and in the evening they will divide what remains of the offerings of the sons of Israel.” 28 All these are twelve tribes of Israel and this is the blessing with which he blessed them; each d according to his own blessing he blessed them. 29 And he commanded them and said to them: “Behold, I am being gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave which is in the field of Ephron, the Hittite, 30 in the cave that is in the field of Kephela which is opposite Mamre of Canaan, the field which Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a burial-possession. 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah. 32 The purchase of the field and the cave in it was from the sons of Heth.” 33 And Israel completed giving command to his sons and gathered his feet within the bed and ended (his days) and died and was gathered to his people.
3These are the genealogies of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the deluge. 2 And the sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, M adai/ Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. And the name of their prov inces:dl Phrygia, Germania, Media, Macedonia, Bithynia, Mysia, and Thracia. 3 And the sons of Gomer/Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togorma. And the name of their provinces: Asia, Barkewi, and Barbaria. 4 And the sons of Javan: Elisha, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. And the name of their provinces: Hellas, Tarsis, Italy,m and Dardania. 5 From these were spread abroad the islands of the nations in their lands: each according to his language, according to their families, in their nations. 6 And the sons of Ham: Cush, Misrayim, Put, and Canaan. 7 And the sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raamah, and Sabteca. And the sons of Raamah: Sheba and Deda. 8 And Cush begot Nimrud. He began to be a giant on the earth. 9 He was a giant in sins before the Lord, wherefore is it said: “Like Nimrod, a giant in sin before the Lord. 10 And the beginning of his kingdom w was Babel,x Edessa/ Nisibis, and Ctesiphon in the land of Babel. 11 From that land the Assyrian came out and built Nineveh, city streets and Adiabene, 12 and Talsar between Nineveh and Adiabene:hh that is the big city. 13 And Misrayim begot the Lydians, the Anamim, the Lehabim, the Naphtuhin, 14 the Pathrusin, and the Casluhin, whence came the Philistines and the Cappa- docians. 15 And Canaan begot Sidon, as first-born, and Heth; [3] 16 the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, 17 the Hivvites, the Arkites, the Orthosites, 18 the Arwidites, the Zemarites, and the Antiochenes. And afterward the families of the Canaanites were divided. 19 And the territory of the Canaanites was from Sidon in the direction of Gerara as far as Gaza in the direction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim, as far as Callirrhoe. 20 These are the sons of Ham according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands, in their nations. 21 And (children) were also born to Shem: he is the father of all the sons of the Hebrews,kk the elder brother of Japheth. 22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. [4] 23 And the sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24 And Arpachshad begot Shelah. And Shelah begot Eber. 25 And two sons were born to Eber. The name of one of them was Peleg, for in his days the in habitants of the earth were divided.mm And his brother’s name was Joktan. 26 Joktan begot Almodad, Sheleph, Hazar Maveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan. 30 And their dwelling-places were from Meshah in the direction of the Sepharites, the mountainspp of the east. 31 These are the sons of Shem accord ing to their families, according to their languages, in their lands, in their nations. 32 These are the families of the sons of Noah according to their genealogies in their nations. And from these the nations were separated abroad on the earth after the flood.
4And the Lord blessed Noah and his sons and said to them: “Grow strong and multiply and fill the earth. 2 And let the fear of you and the dread of you be upon every beast of the earth and on every bird of the heavens: I have given them into your hands with whatsoever creepsc upon the earth and with all the fishes of the great sea. 3 Everything that moves, that has the breath of life in it, you shall have as food. I give them all to you in the same manner as (I have given you) the green herbs. 4 Only flesh, the blood, with the soul you shall not eat. 5 For I will demand your life blood: of every beast I will demand it; of the son of man and from the brothers of the son of man I will demand the life of the son of man 6 Whoso sheddeth the blood of man, the judges, by witnesses, shall condemn him unto death; but he who sheddeth it without witnesses, the Lord of the world will bring punishment on him in the day of the great judgment; because in the image of the Lord He made man. 7 As for you, grow strong and multiply and reproduce on the earth and multiply within it. [5] 8 And the Lord said to Noah and to his sons with him, saying: 9 “And as for me, behold, I establish my covenant with you and with your sons after you, 10 and (with) every living being that is with you, the birds and the cattle and with any wild beasts of the earth with you/ from all that come out from the ark, to every living being of the earth. 11 And I will establish my covenant with you, and never againp shall all flesh be blotted out by the waters of the flood, and there shall never againp be a flood to destroy the earth. 12 And the Lordq said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I place between my Memrar and you, and every living being that is with you, for the generations of the earth. 13 I shall place my bow in the cloud and it will be a covenant-sign between my Memra and the earth. 14 And when the clouds are spread over the earth, the bow will be seen in the cloud. 15 And I will recall my covenant between my Memra and you, and every living soul in all flesh; and never again will there be waters of a flood to destroyv all flesh. 16 And the bow will be seen in the cloud and I will see it, recalling the eternal covenanty between the Memra of the Lord and every living soul in all the flesh that isaa upon the earth.” 17 And the Lord said to Noah: “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between my Memra and all flesh that iscc upon the earth.” 18 And the sons of Noah who came off of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham was the father of the Canaanites. 19 These three, they are the sons of Noah. And from these the whole earth was filled. 20 And Noah, a just man, began to tilldd the earth, and he planted a vineyard. 21 And he drank some of the wine and became drunk and uncovered himself within his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of the Canaanites, saw his father’s nakedness, and told his two brothers in the market place. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took his mantle and placed (it) over both their shoulders. They walked backward and covered their father’s nakedness, and turned their faces backward and did not see their father’s nakedness. 24 And Noah awoke from his wine and came to know what his youngest son had done to him. 25 And he said: “Cursed be Canaan; he shall be for his brothers an enslaved servant.” 26 And he said: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem, and let Canaan be for them an enslaved servant. 27 May the Lordkk enlarge the borders of Japheth, and may the Glory of his Shekinah dwell in the midst of the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be for them an enslaved servant. 28 And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. 29 And all the days of the life of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died and was gathered from the midst of the world.
5After these words, when the kings had gathered together, and had fallen before Abram; and four kings had been slain, and nine hosts brought back, Abram reasoned in his heart, and said, Woe to me, because I have received the reward of my appointments in this world, and have no portion in the world to come. Or perhaps the brethren and friends of those who have been slain will combine in legions and come against me; or that at that time there was found with me the reward of a little righteousness, so that they fell before me; but the second time reward may not be found with me, and by me the name of the Heavens may be profaned. Thereupon was the word (pithgama) of the Lord with Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not; for if these men should gather together in legions and come against thee, My Memra will be thy shield: and also if these fall before thee in this world, the reward of thy good works shall be kept, and be prepared before Me in the world to come, great exceedingly. And he brought him outside and said: “Look, now, at the heavens, and count the stars if you are able to count them.” And he said to him: “Thus shall be the descendants of your sons.” And Abram believed in the name of the Memra of the Lord and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. And he said to him: “I am the Lord who brought you out of the furnace of fire of the Chaldaeans to give you this land to inherit it.” And he said: ‘“I beseech by the mercies that are before you, how, I pray, will I know, that I shall inherit it?” And he said to him: “Sacrifice before me a heifer, three years old, a goat, three years old, and a ram, three years old, a turtle dove and the young of a pigeon. And he sacrificed before him all these things, and he divided them in the middle and he placed each piece opposite the other, but the birds he did not divide.
6 And the Lord said by His Word, All the generations of the wicked which are to arise shall not be purged after the order of the judgments of the generation of the deluge, which shall be destroyed and exterminated from the midst of the world. Have I not imparted My Holy Spirit to them (or, placed My Holy Spirit in them), that they may work good works? and, behold, their works are wicked. Behold, I will give them a prolongment of a hundred and twenty years, that they may work repentance, and not perish.[6]
7 And Abraham gave thanks and prayed there, in that place, and said, I pray through the mercies that are before Thee, O Lord, before whom it is manifest that it was not in the depth of my heart to turn away from doing Thy decree with joy, that when the children of Izhak my son shall offer in the hour of affliction, this may be a memorial for them; and Thou mayest hear them and deliver them, and that all generations to come may say, In this mountain Abraham bound Izhak his son, and there the Shekina of the Lord was revealed unto him.
8The serpent was shrewder than all the beasts that are on the surface of the field which the Lord God had created. And he said to the woman: “So, the Lord has said: ‘You may not eat of any of the trees of the garden.’” 2 And the woman said to the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, the Lord has said: ‘You shall not eat of it and you shall not draw near to it, and (thus) you shall not die.”’ 4 And the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly shall not die; 5 because it is manifest and known before the Lord that on the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and that you will be like angels before the Lord, knowing to distinguish between good and evil.” 6 And the woman saw that the tree was good to eat and that it was a desirable to the eyes,h and that the tree was suited to have one acquire wisdom by it. So she took of its fruits and ate and she also gave to her husband with her and he ate. 7 And the eyes of both of them were opened; and they knew that they were naked and sewed fig leaves for themselves and made for themselves girdles 8 And they heard the sound of the Memra of the Lord God walking within the garden at the breeze of the day; and Adam and his wife hid themselves from before the Lord God within the trees of the garden. 9 And the Lord God called Adam and said to him: “Behold, the whole world which I created is manifest before me; darkness and light are manifest before me. And do you reckon that the place within which you are is not manifest before me? Where is the precept that I commanded you?” 10 And he said: “I heard the sound of your Memra in the garden and I was afraid because I am naked, and I hid myself.” 11 And he said: “Who told you that you were naked? Have you, perchance, eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 And Adam said: “The woman that you have placed with me, she gave me from the tree and I ate.” 13 And the Lord God said to the woman: “What is this you have done?” And the woman said: “The serpent deceived me and I ate.” 14 And the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you will be more accursed, O serpent, than all the cattle and than all the wild beasts that are on the surface of the fields. On your belly you will crawl and dust will be your food all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your sons and her sons. And it will come about that when her sons observe the Law and do the commandments they will aim at you and smite you on your head and kill you. But when they forsake the commandments of the Law you will aim and bite him on his heel and make him ill. For her sons, however, there will be a remedy, but for you, O serpent, there will not be a remedy, since they are to make appeasement in the end, in the day of King Messiah. 16 And to the woman he said: “I will greatly multiply your pains and your pregnancies. In pain you will bring forth children and to your husband you will turn and he will have authority over you, whether to remain just or to sin. 17 And to Adam he said: “Since you have heeded the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree concerning which I commanded you, saying: ‘You shall not eat of it,’ the earth will be cursed on your account. In pain will you eat the fruits of its harvest all the days of your life. 18 Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth for you, and you shall eat of the herbs that are on the surface of the field.” Adam answered and said: “Pray, by the mercy (that is) before you, O Lord; let us not be reckoned as the cattle, eating the grass that is on the surface of the field. Let us stand upright, I pray, and labor; and from the labor of my hands let us eat food from the fruits of the earth. Thereby shall he distinguish the sons of man from the cattle. 19 “You will eat bread from the sweat from before your face until you return to the earth, because from it you were created; because you are dust and to dust you are to return. But from the dust you are to arise again to give an account and a reckoning of all that you have done.” 20 And the man called the name of his wife Eve because she was the mother of all the living. 21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of glory, form the skin of their flesh, and he clothed them. 22 And the Lord God said: “Behold, the first Adam whom I have created is alone in the world as I am alone in the heavens on high. Numerous nations are to arise from him, and from him shall arise one nation who will know to distinguish between good and evil. If he had observed the precept of the Law and fulfilled its commandment he would live and endure forever like the tree of life. And now, since he has not observed the precepts of the Law and has not fulfilled its commandment, behold we will banish him from the garden of Eden before he stretches out his hand and takes of the fruit of the tree of life and eats and lives for ever.” 23 And the Lord God banished him from the garden of Eden to till, the earth from which he had been created. 24 And he banished Adam; and he had made the Glory of his Shekinah dwell from the beginning to the east of the Garden of Eden, between the two cherubim. Two thousand years before he created the world he had created the Law; he had prepared the garden of Eden for the just and Gehenna for the wicked. He had prepared the garden of Eden for the just that they might eat and delight themselves from the fruits of the tree, because they had kept precepts of the Law in this world and fulfilled the commandments. For the wicked he prepared Gehenna, which is comparable to a sharp sword devouring with both edges. He prepared within it darts of fire and burning coals for the wicked, to be avenged of them in the world to come because they did not observe the precepts of the Law in this world. For the Law is a tree of life for everyone who toils in it and keeps the commandments: he lives and endures like the tree of life in the world to come. The Law is good for all who labor in it in this world like the fruit of the tree of life.
9And they completed the creation of the heavens and the earth and all their hosts. 2 And on the seventh day the Memra of the Lord completed his work which he had created and there was sabbath and repose before him on the seventh day from all his work which he had created. 3 And the Glory of the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it because on it there was a great sabbath and repose before him from all his work which the Glory of the Lords had done in creation. 4 This is the genealogical pedigree of the heavens and of the earth when they were created. On the day that the Lord God created the heavens and the earth, 5 none of the trees that are on the surface of the field had as yet existed on the earth and none of the herbs that are on the face of the field had as yet sprouted on the earth, because the Lord God had not as yet caused rain to fall, and as yet Adam had not been created to till the earth. 6 But a cloud used to go up from the earth and watered all the surface of the earth. [7] 7 And the Lord God created Adam (out of) dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils k the breath of life, and Adam became a living being endowed with speech. 8 And the Lord God had planted a garden in Eden from the beginning and he placed there the first Adam whom he had created. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made grow every tree that was nice to see and good to eat, and the tree of life within the middle of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of which anyone who would eat would know to distinguishp between good and evil. 10 And a river went out from Eden to water the garden and from there it was divided and turned to become four heads of great rivers. 11 The name of one of them is Pishon. It is that which surrounds and en circles all the land of India, from where the gold comes. 12 And the gold of that land is good. From there comes bdellium, and precious stones and pearl. 13 And the name of the second river is Gihon. It is that which surrounds and encircles the land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Tigris. It is that which surrounds and encircles Assyria to the east. And the fourth river is the Great River, the river Euphrates. 15 And the Lord God took Adam and had him dwell in the garden of Eden to toil in the Law and to observe its commandments. 16 And the Lord God commanded Adam, saying: “From all the trees of the garden you may surely eat; 17 from the tree of knowledge, however, from which anyone who eats would know to distinguish between good and evil, you shall not eat of it because on the day that you shall eat you shall surely die.” 18 And the Lord God said, “It is not proper that man should be alone; I will make for him a partner similar to himself.” 19 And from the ground the Lord God created every beast that is on the surface of the field and all the birds of the heavens; and he brought them to Adam to see what ^ he would call them. And whatever Adam called a living creature in the language of the sanctuary, that was its name. 20 And Adam gave their names to all the cattle and to the birds of the heavens, and to all the wild beasts that are on the surface of the field; yet for Adam he did not find a partner similar to himself. 21 And the Lord God cast a deep sleep on Adam, and he fell asleep. And he took one rib of his ribs and placed flesh in its stead. 22 And the Lord God perfected the rib he had taken from Adam into a woman and he took her to Adam. 23 And Adam said: “This time, and never again, is a woman created from man, as this one has been created from me, bone from my bone and flesh from my flesh. It is fitting that this one be called woman because it is from a male that this one has been created 24 For this reason shall a man separate his couch from that of his father and that of his mother and adhere to his wife. And the two of them will become one flesh. 25 And both of them were naked, Adam and his wife, and as yet they did not know what shame was.
10And the mana knew Eve his wife and she conceived and bore Cain and she said: “Behold, I have been given a son from before the Lord.” 2 And later she bore Abel his brother. Now, Abel was a shepherd of flocks and Cain tilled the earth. 3 And it happened in the course of time that Cain brought a gift from the fruits of the earth to the name of the Lord 4 And Abel also brought (his gift) from the first-born of his flock and from the fat ones among them. And the Lord received Abel and his offering with favor 5 but he did not receive Cain and his offering with favor, and Cain was greatly displeased and his countenance changed. 6 And the Lord said to Cain: “Why, I pray, are you displeased and why has your countenance changed? 7 Surely, if you make your work in this world to be good, you will be remitted and pardoned in the world to come; but if you do not make your work in this world to be good, your sin will be kept for the day of great judgment; and at the door of your heart your sin crouches. Into your hands, however, I have given the control over the evil inclination and you shall rule it, whether to remain just or to sin.” 8 And Cain said to Abel his brother: “Come! Let the two of us go out into the open field.” And when the two of them had gone out into the open field, Cain answered and said to Abel: “I perceive that the world was not created by mercy and that it is not being conducted according to the fruits of good words, and that there is favoritism in judgment. Why was your offering received favorably and my offering was not received favorably from me?” Abel answered and said to Cain: “I perceive that the world was created by mercy and that it is being conducted according to the fruits of good words. And because my works were better than yours, my offering was received from me favorably and yours was not received favorably from you.” Cain answered and said to Abel: “There is no judgment, and there is no judge and there is no other world. There is no giving of good reward to the just nor is vengeance exacted of the wicked.” Abel answered and said to Cain: “There is judgment, and there is a judge, and there is another world. And there is giving of good reward to the just and vengeance is exacted of the wicked in the world to come.” Concerning this matter the two of them were disputing in the open field. And Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. 9 And the Lord said to Cain: “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said: “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And he said: “What is this that you have done? The voice of the blood of the righteous multitudes that were to arise from Abel your brother is crying against you before me from the earth. 11 And now, Cain, you will be cursed from the earth that opened its mouth to receive the blood of your brother from your hands. 12 When you till the earth it will no longer yield the fruits of the harvest to you. You, Cain, shall be an exile and a wanderer on the earth.” 13 And Cain said before the Lord: “My debts are too numerous to bear; before you, however, there is power to remit and pardon. 14 Behold, you banish me this day from the face of the earth, yet from before you it is not possible for me to hide. And Cain shall be an exile and a wanderer on the earth, and anyone who meets him will kill him.” 15 And the Lord swore to him: “Anyone who kills Cain, (judgment) will be suspended for him for seven generations.” And the Lord placed a sign on Cain so that anyone who might meet him would not kill him. 16 And Cain went out from before the Lord and dwelt in the land, an exile and a wanderer, to the east of Eden. Now before he killed Abel, the earth used to produce before him like the fruits of the garden of Eden; after he had sinned, however, and killed Abel it changed to produce before him thorns and thistles. 17 And Cain knew his wife and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city and called the name of the city according to the name of his son, Enoch. 18 And to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad begot Mehujael, and Mehujael begot Methushael, and Methushael begot Lamech. 19 And Lamech took two wives; the name of one of them was Adah and the name of the second was Zillah. 20 And Adah bore Jabel; he was the father of tent dwellers and cattle owners. 21 And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and the flute. 22 And Zillah: she also bore Tubal-cain, a craftsman in every art of bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah, the inventor of dirges and songs. 23 And Lamech said to his two wives, Adah and Zillah: “Listen to my voice, wives of Lamech; attend to the words of my mouth. For I have not killed a man so that I should be killed because of him and I have not destroyed a young man so that my descendants should be destroyed after me. 24 If Cain, who killed Abel, had (judgment) suspended for him for seven generations, it is but right that for Lamech, his grandson, who did not kill (judgment) be suspended: for seventy-seven generations it will be suspended for him.' 25 And Adam knew his wife again and she bore a son and called his name Seth: “Because the Lord has appointed for me another son in the place of Abel; for Cain killed him.” 26 And to Seth there was also born a son and he called his name Enosh. Then the sons of man began to make idols for themselves and to surname them by the name of the Memra of the Lord.
11Three angels were sent to our father Abraham at the time he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin. The three of them were sent for three things, because it is im possible for one angel from on high that he be sentb for more than one thing. The first angel was sentd to announce to our father Abraham that Sarah would bear him Isaac; and the second angel was sent to deliver Lot from the destruction; and the third angel was sent to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim. And the Memra of the Lord was revealed to Abraham in the plain of the Vision, as he was sitting at the door of his tent in the strength of the day, warming himself, because of the blood o f his circumcision, in the heat of the day. 2 And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, three angels in the likeness of men standing beside him. And he saw and he ran from the door of the tent to meet them, and saluted them after the custom5 of the land. 3 And he said: “I beseech before you, O Lord, if now I have found grace and favor in your sight, let not the Glory of your Shekinah go up from your servant. 4 I will fetch, now, a little water; wash your feet, and refresh yourselves under the tree. 5 And I will fetch a little food that you may strengthen your hearts, and after that you can pass on; because for this reason you have passed by near your servant at the time of repast.” And they say: “Do just as you have spoken.” 6 And Abraham hurried andn went to the tent, to Sarah, and he said: “Hurry and take three seahs of fine flour, spread it and make unleavened bread. 7 And Abraham ran to the cattle-yard and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to his boy-servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 When he took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and placed it before them; and he stood beside them under the tree and they were giving the impression of eating and drinking. 9 And they said to him: “Where is your wife Sarah?”; and he said: “Be hold she is in the tent.” 10 And he said: “I will surely return to you at this hour, and behold, your wife Sarah will have a male son.” And Sarah was listening at the door of the tent and Ishmael9 was standing behind her10 listening.
12And Abraham took another wife and her name was Keturah. 2 And she bore him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan and Midian, and Ishbak and Shuah. 3 And Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were merchants and traders and heads of peoples. 4 And the sons of Midian were Ephah and Epher and Hanoch and Abida and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah. 5 And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. 6 And to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had, Abraham gave a gift and he sent them away from his son Isaac, while he was still alive, eastward to the land of the east. 7 And these are the days of the years of the life which Abraham lived: one hundred and seventy-five years. 8 And Abraham ended (his days)d and died at a good* old age, old and satisfied, and he was gathered to his people. 9 And Isaac and Ishmael, his sons, buried him in the cave Kephela in the field of Ephron, son of Zohar, the Hittite which is in front of Mamre, 10 the field of which Abraham had taken possession from the sons of Heth. There were Abraham and Sarah his wife buried. 11 And after Abraham had died the Lord blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac dwelt at the well at which was revealed the One who sustains all ages. 12 And this is the genealogy of Ishmael, the son of Abraham which Hagar, the Egyptian, the bond-woman of Sarah, bore to Abraham. 13 And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their genealogies: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael and Kedar and Adbeel and Mibsam, 14 and Mishma and Dumah and Massa, 15 and Hadad and Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. 16 These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names according to their villages and encampments,* twelve chiefs according to their peoples. 17 And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, a hundred and thirty-seven years; and he ended his days and died and was gathered to his people. 18 And they dwelt from India to Haluzah, which is opposite Egypt, as you go toward Assyria. And he dwelt opposite all his brothers. 19 And this is the genealogy of Isaac the son of Abraham. Abraham begot Isaac. 20 And Isaac was forty years when he took as wife Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramaean from Paddan, the sister of Laban the Aramaean. 21 And Isaac prayed before the Lord* concerning Rebekah his wife because she was barren; and the Lord answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 And the children pushed one another in her womb and she said: “If such is the tribulation" of children, why, now, do I have children?” And she went to the school of Shem the Great to beseech mercy from before the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her: “Two peoples are in your womb, and two kingdoms from your womb will be separated; and one kingdom will be stronger than the other kingdom, and the greater will serve before the smaller.” 24 And her days were completed to bring forth, and behold there were twins within her womb. 25 And the first came forth red, all of him, like a purple cloak of hair; and they called his name Esau. 26 And afterward his brother came forth and his hand holding Esau’s heel; and they called his name Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years at the time he begot them. 27 And the boys grew up and Esau was a man knowing the hunt, a man of the fields, and Jacob was a man perfect in good work; he dwelt in the schoolhouses. 28 And Isaac loved Esau because he used to eat from his hunt, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 And Jacob had cooked a dish of lentils and Esau came from the open field and was weary. 30 And Esau said to Jacob: “Give me to eat, I pray, from this red dish because I am weary”; because of this his name was called Edom. 31 And Jacob said: “Sell me, now, your birthright.” 32 And Esau said: “Behold, I go to die and of what use is my birthright to me?” 33 And Jacob said: “Swear to me this day”; and he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 And Jacob gave bread and a dish of lentils to Esau and he ate and drank and rose and went his way; and Esau despised his birthright, and gave denial concerning the resurrection of the dead and deniedx the life of the world to come.
13This is the book of the genealogical pedigree of Adam. The day the Lord created Adam, he created him in a likeness from before the Lord. 2 Male and female he created them; and he blessed them and called their name Adam the day he created them. 3 And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years and begot a son in his likeness, similar to himself and called his name Seth. 4 And all the days of the life of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years; and in those years he begot sons and daughters. 5 And all the days of the life of Adam were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died and was gathered from the midst of the world. 6 And Seth lived a hundred and five years and begot Enosh. 7 And Seth lived after he had begotten Enosh eight hundred and seven years, and in those years he begot sons and daughters. 8 And all the days of the life of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died and was gathered from the midst of the world. 9 And Enosh lived ninety years and begot Kenan. 10 And Enosh lived after he had begotten Kenan eight hundred and fifteen years, and in those years he begot sons and daughters. 11 And all the days of the life of Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died and was gathered from the midst of the world. 12 And Kenan lived seventy years and begot Mahalalel. 13 And Kenan lived after he had begotten Mahalalel eight hundred and forty years, and in those years he begot sons and daughters. 14 And all the days of the life of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died and was gathered from the midst of the world. 15 Mahalalel lived sixty-five years and begot Jared. 16 And Mahalalel lived after he had begotten Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and in those years he begot sons and daugh ters. 17 And all the days of the life of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety- five years, and he died and was gathered from the midst of the world. 18 And Jared lived a hundred and sixty-two years and begot Enoch. 19 And Jared lived after he had begotten Enoch eight hundred years, and in those years he begot sons and daughters. 20 And all the days of the life of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died and was gathered from the midst of the world. 21 And Enoch lived sixty-five years and begot Methuselah. 22 And Enoch served in truth before the Lord after he had begotten Methuselah for three hundred years, and during these years he begot sons and daughters. 23 And all the days of the life of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24 And Enoch served in truth before the Lord and it is not known where he is, because he was withdrawn by a command from before the Lord. 25 And Methuselah lived a hundred and eighty-seven years and begot Lamech. 26 And Methuselah lived after he had begotten Lamech seven hundred and eighty-two years, and in those years he begot sons and daughters. 27 And all the days of the life of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years and he died and was gathered from the midst of the world. 28 And Lamech lived a hundred and eighty-two years and begot a son. 29 And he called his name Noah, saying “This one will console us from our evil deeds and from the robbery of our hands, from the earth which has been cursed by a command from before the Lord.” 30 And Lamech lived after he had begotten Noah five hundred and ninety-five years, and in those years he begot sons and daughters. 31 And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and he died and was gathered from the midst of the world. 32 And Noah was five hundred years and Noah begot Shem, Ham and Japheth.