Chapter 64
out of their hands, but if not, know ye that we shall all die.
19. And the children of Esau sent a letter to the children of Chittim and to Zepho their king, saying, we cannot fight against Angeas and his people for a covenant of peace has been made between us many years ago, from the days of Bela the first king, and from the days of Joseph, king of Egypt, the son of Jacob, with whom we fought on the other side of Jordan when he buried his father.
20. And when Zepho heard the words of his brethren, the children of Esau, he refrained from them, and Zepho was greatly afraid of Angeas.
21. And Angeas and his brother Lucus arrayed all their forces, about eight hundred thousand men, against the children of Chittim.
22. And all the children of Chittim said unto Zepho, pray for us to the God of thy ancestors, peradventure He may deliver us from the hand of Angeas and his army, for we have heard that He is a great God and that He delivers all who trust in Him.
23. Zepho heard their words, and Zepho sought the Lord and said:
24. Lord, the God of Abraham and Isaac my ancestors, this day I know that Thou art a true God and that all the gods of the nations are vain and useless. 25 Remember now this day unto me thy covenant with Abraham our father, which our ancestors related unto us, and do graciously with me this day for the sake of Abraham and Isaac our fathers, and save me and the children of Chittim from the hand of the king of Africa who comes against us for battle.
26. And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Zepho, and He had regard for him on account of Abraham and Isaac, and the Lord delivered Zepho and the children of Chittim from the hand of Angeas and his people.
27. And Zepho fought king Angeas of Africa, and all his people on that day, and the Lord gave all the people of Angeas into the hands of the children of Chittim.
28. And the battle was severe upon Angeas, and Zepho smote all the men of Angeas and his brother Lucus with the edge of the sword. There fell from them until the evening of that day about four hundred thousand men.
29. And when Angeas saw that all his men perished, he sent a letter to all the inhabitants of Africa to come to him to assist him in the battle, and he wrote in the letter, saying: All who are found in Africa let them come unto me from ten years old and upward. Let them all come unto me, and behold, if he comes not he shall die, and all that he has with his whole household, the king shall take.
30. And all the men of fighting age of the inhabitants of Africa were terrified at the words of Angeas, and there went out of the cities about three hundred thousand men and boys, from ten years upward, and they came to Angeas.
31. And at the end of ten days Angeas renewed the battle against Zepho and the children of Chittim, and the battle was very great and strong between them.
32. And from Angeas' and Lucus' army, Zepho sent many of the wounded unto his own land to become slaves, about two thousand men, and Sosiphtar the captain of the host of Angeas fell in that battle.
33. And when Sosiphtar had fallen, the African troops turned their backs to flee, and they fled, and Angeas and his brother Lucus were with them.
34. And Zepho and the children of Chittim pursued them, and they smote them still heavily on the road, about two hundred men, and they pursued Azdrubal, the son of Angeas, who had fled with his father, and they smote twenty of his men in the road, and Azdrubal escaped from the children of Chittim, and they did not slay him.
35. And Angeas and his brother Lucus fled with the rest of their men, and they escaped and came into Africa with terror and consternation, and Angeas feared all the days lest Zepho, the son of Eliphaz, should go to war against him.
1. AND Balaam, the son of Beor, was engaged at that time with Angeas in battle, and when he saw that Zepho prevailed over Angeas, he fled from there and went to Chittim.
2. And Zepho and the children of Chittim received him with great honor, for Zepho knew Balaam's wisdom, and Zepho gave unto Balaam many gifts and he remained with him.
3. And when Zepho had returned from the war, he commanded all the children of Chittim to be numbered who had gone into battle with him, and behold not one was missing.
4. And Zepho rejoiced at this thing, and he renewed his kingdom [to attend again to the affairs of his domestic government ], and he made a feast for all his subjects. 146 .
5. But Zepho did not remember the Lord and did not consider that the Lord had helped him in battle, and that He delivered him and his people from the hand of the king of Africa. But continued to walk in the ways of the children of Chittim and the wicked children of Esau, to serve other gods which his brethren, the children of Esau, had taught him; it is therefore said, from the wicked goes forth wickedness.
6. And Zepho reigned over all the children of Chittim securely, but knew not the Lord who had delivered him and all his people from the hand of the king of Africa; and the troops of Africa came no more to Chittim to plunder as usual, for they knew of the power of Zepho who had smitten them all at the edge of the sword, so Angeas was afraid of Zepho, the son of Eliphaz, and of the children of Chittim the rest of all the days of his life.
7. At that time when Zepho had returned from the war, and when Zepho had seen how he prevailed over all the people of Africa and had smitten them in battle at the edge of the sword, then Zepho advised with the children of Chittim, to go to Egypt to fight against the sons of Jacob and Pharaoh king of Egypt.
8. For Zepho heard that the mighty men of Egypt were dead and that Joseph and his brethren, the sons of Jacob, were dead, and that all their children, belonging to the children of Israel, remained in Egypt.
9. And Zepho considered to go to fight against them and all Egypt, to avenge the cause of his brethren, the children of Esau, whom Joseph with his brethren and all Egypt had smitten in the land of Canaan when they went up to bury Jacob in Hebron.
10. And Zepho sent messengers to Hadad, the son of Bedad, and to the king of Edom and all his brethren, the children of Esau, saying:
11. Did not you say that you would not fight against the king of Africa for he is a member of your covenant? Behold, I fought against him and smote him and all his people.
12. Now therefore I have resolved to fight against Egypt and the children of Jacob who are there, and I will be revenged through them for what Joseph and his brethren and ancestors did to us in the land of Canaan, when they went up to bury their father in Hebron.
13. Now then if you are willing to come to me to assist me in fighting against them and Egypt, then shall we avenge the cause of our brethren.
14. And the children of Esau hearkened to the words of Zepho, and the children of Esau gathered themselves together, a very great people, and they went to assist Zepho and the children of Chittim in battle.
15. And Zepho sent to all the children of the east and to all the children of Ishmael messengers with words like unto these, and they gathered themselves and came to the assistance of Zepho and the children of Chittim in the war upon Egypt.
16. And all these kings, the king of Edom and the children of the east, and all the children of Ishmael, and king Zepho of Chittim, went forth and arrayed all their hosts in Hebron.
17. And the camp was very heavy, in length extending a distance of three days journey, a people numerous as the sand upon the seashore which cannot be counted.
18. And all these kings and their hosts went down to go against all Egypt in battle, and encamped together in the valley of Pathros.
19. And all Egypt heard the report of it, and they also gathered themselves together, all the people of the land of Egypt, and of all the cities belonging to Egypt, about three hundred thousand men.
20. And the men of Egypt sent a message also to the children of Israel who were in those days in the land of Goshen, to come to them in order to go and fight against these kings.
21. And the men of Israel assembled and they were about one hundred and fifty men, and they went into battle to assist the Egyptians.
22. And the men of Israel and of Egypt went forth, about three hundred thousand men and one hundred and fifty men, and they went toward these kings to battle, and they placed themselves from without the land of Goshen opposite Pathros.
23. But the Egyptians did not trust Israel to join their camps for battle, for all the Egyptians said, perhaps the children of Israel will deliver us into the hands of the children of Esau and Ishmael, for they are their brethren.
24. And all the Egyptians said unto the children of Israel, remain you here together with each other in your place and we will go and fight against the children of Esau and Ishmael, and if these kings should prevail over us, then come you altogether upon them and assist us, and the children of Israel did so.
25. And of Edom Zepho of Chittim, the son of Eliphaz son of Esau, and king Hadad of Edom, the son of Bedad, and all their camps, and all the children of the east and the children of Ishmael, a people numerous as sand, encamped together in the valley of Pathros opposite Tachpanches.
26. And Balaam, the son of Beor the Syrian, was there in the camp of Zepho, for he came with the children of Chittim for battle, and Balaam was a man highly honored in the eyes