The Book of Jubilees

Jubilees 19

1And in the first year of the first week in the forty-second jubilee, Abraham returned and dwelt opposite Hebron, that is Kirjath Arba,

2two weeks of years.<br>And in the first year of the third week of this jubilee the days of the life of Sarah were accomplished, and she died in Hebron.<br> And Abraham went to mourn over her and bury her,

3and we tried him [to see] if his spirit were patient and he were not indignant in the words of his mouth; and he was found patient in this, and was not disturbed.

4For in patience of spirit he conversed with the children of Heth, to the intent that they should give him a place in which to bury his dead.

5And the Lord gave him grace before all who saw him, and he besought in gentleness the sons of Heth, and they gave him the land of the double cave over against Mamre, that is Hebron, for four hundred pieces of silver.

6And they besought him, saying, "We shall give it to thee for nothing"; but he would not take it from their hands for nothing, for he gave the price of the place, the money in full, and he bowed down before them twice;

7and after this he buried his dead in the double cave.

8And all the days of the life of Sarah were one hundred and twenty-seven years, that is, two jubilees and four weeks and one year: these are the days of the years of the life of Sarah.

9This is the tenth trial wherewith Abraham was tried, and he was found faithful, patient in spirit.

10And he said not a single word regarding the rumour in the land how that God had said that He would give it to him and to his seed after him, and he begged a place there to bury his dead;

11for he was found faithful, and was recorded on the heavenly tables as the friend of God.

12And in the fourth year thereof he took a wife for his son Isaac and her name was Rebecca [the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor, the brother of Abraham] the sister of Laban and daughter of Bethuel; and Bethuel was the son of Mêlcâ, who was the wife of Nahor, the brother of Abraham.

13And Abraham took to himself a third wife, and her name was Keturah, from among the daughters of his household servants, for Hagar had died before Sarah.

14And she bare him six sons, Zimram, and Jokshan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah, in the two weeks of years.

15And in the sixth week, in the second year thereof, Rebecca bare to Isaac two sons, Jacob and Esau,

16and Jacob was a smooth and upright man, and Esau was fierce, a man of the field, and hairy, and Jacob dwelt in tents.

17And the youths grew, and Jacob learned to write; but Esau did not learn, for he was a man of the field and a hunter, and he learnt war, and all his deeds were fierce.

18And Abraham loved Jacob, but Isaac loved Esau.

19And Abraham saw the deeds of Esau, and he knew that in Jacob should his name and seed be called;

20and he called Rebecca and gave commandment regarding Jacob, for he knew that she (too) loved Jacob much more than Esau.

21And he said unto her: "My daughter, watch over my son Jacob, For he shall be in my stead on the earth, And for a blessing in the midst of the children of men, And for the glory of the whole seed of Shem.

22For I know that the Lord will choose him to be a people for possession unto Himself, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth.

23And behold, Isaac my son loveth Esau more than Jacob, but I see that thou truly lovest Jacob.

24Add still further to thy kindness to him, And let thine eyes be upon him in love; For he will be a blessing unto us on the earth from henceforth unto all generations of the earth.

25Let thy hands be strong And let thy heart rejoice in thy son Jacob; For I have loved him far beyond all my sons. He will be blessed for ever, And his seed will fill the whole earth.

26If a man can number the sand of the earth, His seed also will be numbered.

27And all the blessings wherewith the Lord hath blessed me and my seed shall belong to Jacob and his seed alway.

28And in his seed shall my name be blessed, and the name of my fathers, Shem, and Noah, and Enoch, and Mahalalel, and Enos, and Seth, and Adam.

29And these shall serve To lay the foundations of the heaven, And to strengthen the earth, And to renew all the luminaries which are in the firmament."

30And he called Jacob before the eyes of Rebecca his mother, and kissed him, and blessed him, and said:

31"Jacob, my beloved son, whom my soul loveth, may God bless thee from above the firmament, and may He give thee all the blessings wherewith He blessed Adam, and Enoch, and Noah, and Shem;

32and all the things of which He told me, and all the things which He promised to give me, may He cause to cleave to thee and to thy seed for ever, according to the days of heaven above the earth.

33And the spirits of Mastêmâ shall not rule over thee or over thy seed to turn thee from the Lord, who is thy God from henceforth for ever.

34And may the Lord God be a father to thee and thou the first-born son, and to the people alway. Go in peace, my son."

35And they both went forth together from Abraham.

36And Rebecca loved Jacob, with all her heart and with all her soul, very much more than Esau; but Isaac loved Esau much more than Jacob.