1A record of what Zebulun told his sons before he died, in the hundred and fourteenth year of his life, two years after the death of Joseph. 2 He said to them: Listen to me, sons of Zebulun, and pay attention to the words of your father. 3 I, Zebulun, was born as a good gift to my parents. 4 When I was born, my father increased greatly in both flocks and herds, at the time he received his wages by means of the striped rods. 5 I am not aware of having sinned in all my days, except in thought. 6 Nor do I remember doing any wrong, except the sin I committed in ignorance against Joseph, for I had agreed with my brothers not to tell our father what had been done. 7 But I wept in secret for many days over Joseph, because I feared my brothers, since they had all agreed that anyone who revealed the secret would be killed. 8 When they wanted to kill him, I begged them earnestly, in tears, not to be guilty of this sin.
2Simeon and Gad came at Joseph to kill him, and he said to them in tears: Pity me, my brothers; have mercy on the bowels of Jacob our father. Do not lay your hands on me to shed innocent blood, for I have not sinned against you. 2 And if I really have sinned, then correct me with discipline, my brothers, but do not lay your hand on me, for the sake of Jacob our father. 3 As he spoke these words, wailing as he did, I could not bear his cries and began to weep. My liver poured out, and everything in my bowels came loose. 4 I wept with Joseph; my heart pounded, the joints of my body trembled, and I could not stand. 5 When Joseph saw me weeping with him, and the others coming to kill him, he fled behind me, pleading with them. 6 Meanwhile Reuben stood up and said: Come, my brothers, let us not kill him, but throw him into one of these dry pits that our fathers dug and found no water in. 7 For this reason the Lord had kept water from rising in them, so that Joseph would be spared. 8 They did so, until they sold him to the Ishmaelites.
3I had no share in the money paid for him, my children. 2 But Simeon and Gad and six others of our brothers took the money paid for Joseph and bought sandals for themselves, their wives, and their children, saying: We will not eat from it, for it is the price of our brother's blood; instead we will trample it underfoot, because he claimed he would be king over us. So let us see what becomes of his dreams. 3 This is why it is written in the law of Moses that whoever will not raise up offspring for his brother should have his sandal removed, and they should spit in his face. 4 Joseph's brothers did not want their brother to live, and the Lord removed from them the sandal they wore against their brother Joseph. 5 When they came into Egypt, their sandals were removed by Joseph's servants outside the gate, and they bowed down to Joseph in the manner due to King Pharaoh. 6 Not only did they bow down to him, but they were also spat upon, falling down before him at once, and so they were put to shame before the Egyptians. 7 For afterward the Egyptians heard about all the evil they had done to Joseph.
4After he was sold, my brothers sat down to eat and drink. 2 But out of pity for Joseph I did not eat; I watched the pit, since Judah was afraid that Simeon, Dan, and Gad might rush back and kill him. 3 When they saw that I would not eat, they set me to guard him until he was sold to the Ishmaelites. 4 When Reuben came and heard that Joseph had been sold while he was away, he tore his clothes and mourned, saying: How can I look my father Jacob in the face? He took the money and ran after the merchants, but when he could not find them, he came back grieving. 5 The merchants had left the main road and traveled through the land of the Troglodytes by a shortcut. 6 Reuben was grieved and ate no food that day. 7 So Dan came to him and said: Do not weep or grieve, for we have thought of what we can tell our father Jacob. 8 Let us kill a young goat and dip Joseph's coat in its blood, then send it to Jacob, saying: See, is this your son's coat? And they did so. 9 For when they were selling Joseph, they had stripped off his coat and put a slave's garment on him. 10 Simeon took the coat and would not give it up, for he wanted to tear it with his sword, angry that Joseph was alive and that he had not killed him. 11 Then we all stood up and said to him: If you do not give up the coat, we will tell our father that you alone did this evil thing in Israel. 12 So he gave it to them, and they did just as Dan had said.
5Now, my children, I urge you to keep the commands of the Lord, to show mercy to your neighbors, and to have compassion on all, not only on people but also on animals. 2 For all this the Lord blessed me, and when all my brothers were sick, I came through without illness, for the Lord knows the intentions of each person. 3 So have compassion in your hearts, my children, because whatever a person does to his neighbor, the Lord will do the same to him.[1] 4 The sons of my brothers grew sick and were dying because of Joseph, since they showed no mercy in their hearts; but my sons were kept free of sickness, as you know. 5 When I was in the land of Canaan, on the seacoast, I caught fish for my father Jacob; and when many men drowned in the sea, I came through unharmed.
6I was the first to build a boat to sail on the sea, for the Lord gave me understanding and skill for it. 2 I fixed a rudder at the back and stretched a sail on another upright piece of wood in the middle. 3 I sailed along the shores in it, catching fish for my father's household, until we came to Egypt. 4 Out of compassion I shared my catch with every stranger. 5 If anyone was a stranger, or sick, or elderly, I boiled the fish and prepared it well and offered it to everyone according to their need, grieving with them and showing them compassion. 6 So the Lord rewarded me with an abundance of fish when I fished, for whoever shares with his neighbor receives many times more from the Lord. For five years I caught fish, giving some to everyone I saw, and provided enough for my father's whole household. 7 In the summer I caught fish, and in the winter I kept sheep with my brothers.
7Now I will tell you what I did. 2 I saw a man in distress, with no clothes, in the wintertime, and I had compassion on him. I secretly took a garment from my father's house and gave it to the man in distress. 3 So you also, my children, from whatever God gives you, show compassion and mercy to everyone without hesitation, and give to each person with a good heart. 4 And if you have nothing to give to someone in need, have compassion for him with bowels of mercy. 5 I know that once I had nothing in hand to give to someone in need, so I walked with him, weeping, for seven furlongs, and my bowels yearned over him with compassion.
8So you also, my children, show compassion and mercy toward everyone, that the Lord may also show compassion and mercy to you. 2 For in the last days God will send his compassion on the earth, and wherever he finds bowels of mercy, he dwells in that person. 3 For to the degree that a person has compassion on his neighbors, the Lord has compassion on him. When we went down into Egypt, Joseph held no grudge against us. 4 Following his example, my children, show yourselves to be without malice, and love one another; and do not, any of you, keep a record of wrong against your brother. 5 For this breaks unity, divides families, troubles the soul, and wears down the face.
9Consider the waters: when they flow together, they sweep along stones, trees, earth, and everything else. 2 But if they are split into many streams, the earth swallows them up and they vanish. 3 So it will be with you if you are divided. 4 So do not be divided into two heads, for everything the Lord made has only one head, with two shoulders, two hands, two feet, and all the other parts. 5 For I have learned from the writing of my fathers that you will be divided in Israel, you will follow two kings, and you will commit every abomination. 6 Your enemies will lead you into captivity, and you will be mistreated among the Gentiles, with many sicknesses and troubles. 7 After this you will remember the Lord and repent, and he will bring you back, for he is merciful and compassionate. 8 He does not hold a record of evil against people, because they are flesh, and the spirits of dishonesty mislead them in all they do. 9 After this the Lord himself will rise for you, the light of righteousness, with healing and compassion in his wings. 10 He will redeem all humanity from the captivity of Beliar, and every spirit of dishonesty will be trampled down, and he will turn all the Gentiles to zeal for him. 11 You will return to your land. 12 You will see him in Jerusalem, for his name's sake. 13 But again, by the wickedness of your deeds, you will provoke him to anger, and he will cast you away until the time of consummation.
10Now, my children, do not grieve that I am dying, nor be downcast that I am coming to my end. 2 For I will rise again among you, like a ruler among his sons, and I will rejoice in the midst of my tribe, all those who keep the law of the Lord and the commandments of Zebulun their father. 3 But on the ungodly the Lord will bring eternal fire and destroy them through all generations. 4 I am now hurrying away to my rest, as my fathers did. 5 Fear the Lord our God with all your strength all the days of your life. 6 When he had said these things, he died at a good old age. 7 His sons laid him in a wooden coffin. 8 Afterward they carried him up and buried him in Hebron with his fathers.