Chapter 45
and he spake these words before Potiphar's men, who were smiting Joseph, saying:
65. What do you want of this man and why do you do this evil unto him? My mother speaketh falsely and uttereth lies; thus was the transaction.
66. And the child told them accurately all that happened, and all the words of Zelicah to Joseph day after day did he declare unto them.
67. And all the men heard the words of the child and they wondered greatly at the child's words, and the child ceased to speak and be came still.
68. And Potiphar was very much ashamed at the words of his son, and he commanded his men not to beat Joseph any more, and the men ceased beating Joseph.
69. And Potiphar took Joseph and ordered him to be brought to justice before the priests, who were judges belonging to the king, in order to judge him concerning this affair.
70. And Potiphar and Joseph came before the priests who were the king's judges, and he said unto them, decide I pray you what judgment is due to a servant, for thus has he done.
71. And the priests said unto Joseph, why didst thou do this thing to thy master? And Joseph answered them, saying, not so my lords, thus was the matter. And Potiphar said unto Joseph, surely I entrusted in thy hands all that belonged to me, and I withheld nothing from thee but my wife, and how couldst thou do this evil?
72. And Joseph answered, saying, not so my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, my lord, the word which thou didst hear from thy wife is untrue, for thus was the affair this day.
73. A year has elapsed to me since I have been in thy house. Hast thou seen any iniquity in me, or anything which might cause thee to demand my life?
74. And the priests said unto Potiphar, send, we pray thee, and let them bring before us Joseph's torn garment, and let us see the tear in it. If it shall be that the tear is in front of the garment, then his face must have been opposite to her and she must have caught hold of him, to come to her, and with deceit did thy wife do all that she has spoken.
75. And they brought Joseph's garment before the priests who were judges, and they saw and behold the tear was in front of Joseph, and all the judging priests knew that she had pressed him, and they said, the judgment of death is not due to this slave for he has done nothing, but our judgment is that he be placed in the prisonhouse on account of the report, which through him has gone forth against thy wife.
76. And Potiphar heard their words, and he placed him in the prisonhouse, the place where the king's prisoners are confined, and Joseph was in the house of confinement for twelve years.
77. And notwithstanding this, his master's wife did not turn from him, and she did not cease from speaking to him day after day to hearken her, and at the end of three months Zelicah continued going to Joseph to the house of confinement day by day, and she enticed him to hearken her. And Zelicah said unto Joseph, how long wilt thou remain in this house? But hearken now to my voice and I will bring thee out of this house.
78. And Joseph answered her, saying, it is better for me to remain in this house than to hearken to thy words, to sin against God; and she said unto him, if thou wilt not perform my wish, I will pluck out thine eyes, add fetters to thy feet, and will deliver thee into the hands of them whom thou didst not know before.
79. And Joseph answered her and said: Behold the God of the whole earth is able to deliver me from all that thou canst do unto me, for He openeth the eyes of the blind, and looseth those that are bound, and preserveth all strangers who are unacquainted with the land. 80a. And when Zelicah was unable to persuade Joseph to hearken her, she left off going to entice him; and Joseph was still confined in the house of confinement. 80b. And Jacob, the father of Joseph, and all his brethren who were in the land of Canaan still mourned and wept in those days on account of Joseph, for Jacob refused to be comforted for his son Joseph, and Jacob cried aloud, and wept and mourned all those days.
1. AND it was at that time in that year, which is the year of Joseph's going down to Egypt after his brothers sold him, that Reuben, the son of Jacob, went to Timnah and took unto him for a wife Eliuram, the daughter of Abi the Canaanite, and he came to her.
2. And Eliuram the wife of Reuben conceived and bare him Hanoch, Palu, Chetzron and Carmi, four sons; and Simeon his brother took his sister Dinah for a wife, and she bare unto him Memuel, Yamin, Ohad, Jachin and Zochar, five sons.
3. And he afterward came to Bunah 109 . the Canaanitish woman, the same is Bunah whom Simeon took captive from the city of Shechem, and Bunah was before Dinah and attended upon her and Simeon came to her, and she bare unto him Saul.
4. And Judah went at that time to Adulam, and he came to a man of Adulam, his name was Hirah, and Judah saw there the daughter of a man from Canaan, and her name was Aliyath, the daughter of Shua. And he took her and came to her, and Aliyath bare unto Judah, Er, Onan and Shiloh; three sons.
5. And Levi and Issachar went to the land of the east, and they took unto themselves wives from the daughters of Jobab, the son of Yoktan son of Eber; and Jobab, the son of Yoktan, had two daughters; the name of the elder was Adinah, and the name of the younger was Aridah.
6. And Levi took Adina, and Issachar took Aridah, and they came to the land of Canaan, to their father's house, and Adinah bare unto Levi, Gershon, Kehath and Merari; three sons.
7. And Aridah bare unto Issachar Tola, Puvah, Job and Shomron, four sons; and Dan went to the land of Moab and took for a wife Aphlaleth, the daughter of Chamudan the Moabite, and he brought her to the land of Canaan.
8. And Aphlaleth was barren, she had no offspring, and God afterward remembered Aphlaleth the wife of Dan, and she conceived and bare a son and called his name Chushim.
9. And Gad and Naphtali went to Haran and took from thence the daughters of Amuram the son of Uz, the son of Nahor, for wives.
10. And these are the names of the daughters of Amuram; the name of the elder was Merimah, and the name of the younger Uzith; and Naphtali took Merimah, and Gad took Uzith; and brought them to the land of Canaan, to their father's house.
11. And Merimah bare unto Naphtali Yachzeel, Guni, Jazer and Shalem, four sons; and Uzith bare unto Gad, Zephion, Chagi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi and Arali, seven sons.
12. And Asher went forth and took Adon the daughter of Aphlal, the son of Hadad, the son of Ishmael, for a wife, and he brought her to the land of Canaan.
13. And Adon the wife of Asher died in those days; she had no offspring. And it was after the death of Adon that Asher went to the other side of the river and took for a wife Hadurah the daughter of Abimael, the son of Eber, the son of Shem.
14. And the young woman was of a comely appearance, and a woman of sense, and she had been the wife of Malkiel the son of Elam, the son of Shem.
15. And Hadurah bare a daughter unto Malkiel, and he called her name Serach, and Malkiel died after this, and Hadurah went and remained in her father's house.
16. And after the death of the wife of Asher, he went and took Hadurah for a wife, and brought her to the land of Canaan, and he also brought with them Serach her daughter, and she was three years old, and the damsel was brought up in Jacob's house.
17. And the damsel was of a comely appearance, and she went in the sanctified ways of the children of Jacob; she lacked nothing, and the Lord gave her wisdom and under standing.
18. And Hadurah the wife of Asher conceived and bare unto him Yimnah, Yishvah, Yishvi and Beriah; four sons.
19. And Zebulun went to Midian, and took for a wife Merishah the daughter of Molad, the son of Abida, the son of Midian, and brought her to the land of Canaan.
20. And Merushah bare unto Zebulun Sered, Elon and Yachleel; three sons.
21. And Jacob sent to Aram the son of Zoba, the son of Terah, and for his son Benjamin he took Mechalia, the daughter of Aram, and she came to the land of Canaan to the house of Jacob; and Benjamin was ten years old when he took Mechalia the daughter of Aram for a wife.
22. And Mechalia conceived and bare unto Benjamin, Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera and Naaman, five sons; and Benjamin went afterward and took for a wife Aribath, the daughter of Shomron, the son of Abraham, in addition to his first wife, and he was eighteen years old; and Aribath bare unto Benjamin, Achi, Vosh, Mupim, Chupim, and Ord; five sons.
23. And in those days Judah went to the house of Shem and took Tamar the daughter of Elam, the son of Shem, for a wife for his firstborn Er.
24. And Er came to his wife Tamar, and she became his wife, and when he came to her, he outwardly destroyed his seed, and his work was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord slew him.
25. And it was after the death of Er, Judah's firstborn, that Judah said unto Onan, go to thy brother's wife and marry her as the next of kin, and raise up seed to thy brother.
26. And Onan took Tamar for a wife and he came to her, and Onan also did like unto the work of his brother, and his work was evil in the sight of the Lord, and He slew him also.
27. And when Onan died, Judah said unto Tamar, remain in thy father's house until my son Shiloh shall have grown up. But Judah did not like to give Tamar to Shiloh, for he said to himself, peradventure he will also die like his brothers.
28. And Tamar rose up and went and remained in her father's house, and Tamar was in her father's house for some time.
29. And at the revolution of the year, Aliyath the wife of Judah died; and Judah was comforted for his wife. After the death of Aliyath, Judah went up with his friend Hirah to Timnah to shear their sheep.
30. And Tamar heard that Judah had gone up to Timnah to shear the sheep, and that Shiloh was grown up, and Judah did not delight in her.
31. And Tamar rose up and