1A record of what Gad told his sons in the hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life, saying to them: Listen, my children. I was the ninth son born to Jacob, and I was brave in keeping the flocks. 2 I guarded the flock at night, and whenever a lion, a wolf, or any wild beast came against the fold, I chased it down, caught it, seized its foot with my hand, hurled it about a stone's throw, and killed it. 3 My brother Joseph was tending the flock with us for more than thirty days, and being young, he fell ill from the heat. 4 He returned to Hebron to our father, who had him lie down near him, because he loved him dearly. 5 Joseph told our father that the sons of Zilpah and Bilhah were killing the best of the flock and eating them, against the judgment of Reuben and Judah. 6 For he had seen that I rescued a lamb from the mouth of a bear and killed the bear, but then put the lamb down, grieved that it could not survive, and that we ate it. 7 Over this matter I was angry with Joseph until the day he was sold. The spirit of hatred was in me, and I did not want to hear of Joseph or see him, because he rebuked us to our faces, saying that we were eating from the flock without Judah's approval. 8 For whatever Joseph told our father, our father believed him.
2I now confess my sin, my children: many times I wished to kill him, because I hated him from my heart. 2 I hated him even more for his dreams, and I wished to wipe him from the land of the living, the way an ox licks up the grass of the field. 3 So Simeon and I sold him to the Ishmaelites for thirty pieces of gold; we hid ten of them and showed the other twenty to our brothers. Out of greed we were determined to kill him. 4 But the God of my fathers rescued him from my hands, so that I would not commit lawlessness in Israel.
3Now, my children, listen to the words of truth, to do righteousness and the whole law of the Most High, and do not go astray through the spirit of hatred, for it is evil in everything people do. 2 Whatever a person does, the one who hates him despises him. Even if a man keeps the law of the Lord, the hater will not praise him; even if a man fears the Lord and delights in what is righteous, the hater does not love him. 3 He disparages the truth, envies the one who prospers, welcomes slander, and loves arrogance, for hatred blinds his soul, just as it did mine when I looked on Joseph.
4So beware of hatred, my children, for it works lawlessness even against the Lord himself. 2 It will not listen to the words of his commandments about loving one's neighbor, and it sins against God. 3 If a brother stumbles, hatred is quick to delight in announcing it to everyone, and it insists that he be judged for it, punished, and put to death. 4 If it is a servant, hatred stirs him up against his master, scheming with every kind of trouble to see whether he can be put to death. Hatred works with envy against those who prosper too; as long as it hears of or sees their success, it wastes away. 5 For just as love would give life even to the dead and would call back those condemned to die, so hatred would kill the living, and would not let those who had sinned only slightly remain alive. 6 For the spirit of hatred works together with Satan, through a hasty spirit, toward death in everything; but the spirit of love works together with the law of God, in patience, toward the salvation of people.
5Hatred, then, is evil, for it constantly pairs with lying and speaks against the truth. It makes small things great, turns light into darkness, calls the sweet bitter, teaches slander, kindles anger, and stirs up war and violence and all kinds of greed. It fills the heart with evil and devilish poison. 2 I tell you these things from experience, my children, so that you may drive out hatred, which comes from the devil, and hold fast to the love of God. 3 Righteousness casts out hatred, and humility destroys envy. 4 For the one who is just and humble is ashamed to do what is unjust, rebuked not by someone else but by his own heart, because the Lord looks on his intentions. 5 He does not speak against a holy man, because the fear of God overcomes hatred. 6 Fearing that he might offend the Lord, he will not wrong anyone, even in thought. 7 I learned these things at last, after I had repented over Joseph.[1] 8 For true, godly repentance destroys ignorance, drives away the darkness, enlightens the eyes, gives knowledge to the soul, and leads the mind to salvation. 9 And the things it has not learned from anyone, it comes to know through repentance. 10 For God brought a disease of the liver upon me, and if the prayers of my father Jacob had not helped me, my spirit would almost certainly have departed. For by whatever things a person sins, by those same things he is also punished.[2] 11 Since my liver had been set mercilessly against Joseph, in my liver too I suffered mercilessly, and I was judged for eleven months, the same length of time that I had been angry at Joseph.
6Now, my children, I urge you: let each of you love his brother, put away hatred from your hearts, and love one another in deed, in word, and in the disposition of the soul. 2 In my father's presence I spoke peaceably to Joseph, but once I had gone out, the spirit of hatred darkened my mind and stirred up my soul to kill him. 3 So love one another from the heart; and if someone sins against you, cast out the poison of hatred and speak peaceably to him, holding no dishonesty in your soul; and if he confesses and repents, forgive him. 4 But if he denies it, do not lose your temper with him, or he may catch the poison from you, resort to cursing, and so you sin twice over. 5 Do not let another man hear your private words during a dispute, or he may come to hate you and become your enemy and commit a great sin against you, for often he speaks to you deceitfully or busies himself about you with wicked intent. And if he denies it but shows shame when rebuked, stop rebuking him. 6 For the one who denies it may repent and not wrong you again; he may even honor you, fear, and be at peace with you. And if he is shameless and persists in his wrongdoing, even then forgive him from the heart, and leave the vengeance to God.[3]
7If someone prospers more than you, do not be upset, but pray for him too, that he may have complete prosperity. 2 For this is good for you. 3 And if he is raised even higher, do not envy him, remembering that all flesh must die; instead offer praise to God, who gives good and beneficial things to all people. 4 Seek out the judgments of the Lord, and your mind will rest and be at peace. 5 And even if someone becomes rich by evil means, like Esau, my father's brother, do not be jealous, but wait for the end the Lord will bring. 6 For if the Lord takes away wealth gained by evil means, he forgives the person if he repents, but the unrepentant is kept for eternal punishment. 7 The poor man, if he is free from envy and pleases the Lord in everything, is blessed more than anyone, because he does not have the toil of vain men. 8 So put away jealousy from your souls, and love one another with an upright heart.
8So you also must tell these things to your children, that they may honor Judah and Levi, for from them the Lord will raise up salvation for Israel. 2 For I know that in the end your children will turn away from him and will walk in all wickedness, affliction, and corruption before the Lord. After he had rested a little while, he said again: My children, obey your father, and bury me near my fathers. 3 Then he drew up his feet and died in peace. 4 After five years they carried him up to Hebron and laid him with his fathers.