T H E T E S TA M E N T O F

GAD
CHAPT ER 1 1 T he copy of the testament o f Gad, wha t things he spak e u nto his sons, in the hu ndred and twenty -fifth year of his life, saying u nto them: 2 Heark en, my children, I was the ninth son born to Jacob, and I was va lia nt in k eeping the flock s. 3 Accordingly I guarded at night the flock ; and whenever the lion ca me, or the wolf, or any wild beast a ga inst the fold, I pursu ed it, and rovertak ing (it) I seized its foot with my hand and hu rled it abou t a stone's throw, and so k illed it. 4 Now Joseph my brother wa s fee ding the flock with u s for u pwards of thirty days, and being you ng, he fell sick by reason of the heat. 5 And he returned to Hebron to our fa ther, who made him lie d own near him, becau se he loved him greatly. 6 And Joseph told ou r father that the sons of Zilpah and Bilhah were sla ying the best of the flock and ea ting them against the ju dgement of Reu ben and Ju dah. 7 For he saw that I had delivered a la mb out of the mou th of the bear, a nd pu t the bear to death; but had sla in the lamb, being grieved co n cerning it that it cou ld not live, and tha t we had eaten it. 8 And regarding this matter I was wroth with Joseph u ntil the day that he wa s sold. 9 And the spirit of hatred was in me, a nd I wished not either to hear of J oseph with the ears, or to see him with the eyes, becau se he r ebuk ed u s to our faces saying that we were ea ting of the flock withou t Ju dah. For wha tsoever things he told ou r father, he believed him. CHAPT ER 2 1 I confess no w my sin, my chi ldren, that oftentimes I wi shed to k ill him, becau se I hated him from my heart. 2 Moreover, I hated him yet more for his dreams; and I wished to lick him ou t of the land of the living, even as an ox lick eth u p the grass of the field. 3 And Ju dah sold him secretly to the Ishmaeli tes. 4 And thu s throu gh covetou sness we were bent on slaying him. 5 T hu s the God of ou r fathers del ivered him from ou r hands, that we shou ld not work great lawlessness in Israel. CHAPT ER 3 1 And now, my children, heark en to the words o f tru th to work rig hteou sness, and all the law of the Most High, and go not astray throu gh the spirit of hatred, for it is evil in all the doings of men. 2 Whatsoever a man doeth the hater abominateth him: and thou gh a man work eth the law of the Lord, he praiseth him not; thou gh a man fea reth the Lord, and tak eth pleasu re in that which is righteou s, he loveth him not. 3 He dispraiseth the tru th, he e nvieth him that prospereth, he we lcometh evil-sp eak ing, he loveth a rrogance, for hatred blindeth his sou l; as I also then look ed on Joseph.

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CHAPT ER 4 1 Beware, therefore, my children, of ha tred; for it work eth lawlessness even a gainst the Lord Himself. 2 For it will not hear rthe words of His commandments concerning the loving of one's n eighbou r, and it sinneth against God. 3 For if a brother stu mble, it d elighteth immediately to proclaim it to a ll men, and is u rgent that he shou ld be ju dged for it, and be pu nished and be pu t to death. 4 And if it be a servant it stirs him u p a gainst his master, and with every affliction it devi se th against him, if possibly he can be pu t to dea th. 5 For hatred work eth with envy a lso a ga inst them that prosper: so long a s it heareth of or seeth their su ccess, it always langu isheth. 6 For as love wou ld qu ick en even the dea d, and wou ld call back them tha t a re condemned to die, so hatred wou ld slay the living, and those that ha d sinned venially it wou ld not su ffer to live. 7 For the spirit of hatred work eth together with Satan, throu gh hast iness o f spirit, in all things u nto men's death; bu t the spirit o f love work eth together with the law of God in long-su ffering u nto the salva tion of men. CHAPT ER 5 1 Ha tred, therefore, is evil, for it consta ntly mateth with lying, spea k ing a gainst the tru th; and it mak eth sma ll things to be great, and cau seth the light to be dark ness, and calleth the sweet bitter, and teacheth slan der, a nd k indleth wrath, and stirreth u p war, and violence, and all cov e-

tou sness; it filleth the heart with evils and devilish poison. 2 T hese things, therefore, I say to you from experience, my children, that ye may drive forth hatred, which is of the devil, and cleave to the love of God. 3 Righteou sness casteth ou t hatred, hu mility destroyeth envy. For he that is ju st and hu mble is ashamed to do what is u nju st, being reproved not of another, bu t of his o wn heart, becau se the Lord look eth on his i nclination. 4 He speak eth not against a holy man, becau se the fear of God ov e rcometh hatred. 5 For fearing lest he shou ld offend the Lord, he will not do wrong to any man, even in thou ght. 6 T hese things I learnt at last, after I had repented concerning Joseph. 7 For tru e repentance after a godly sort destroyeth ignorance, and dr iveth away the dark ness, and enlig hteneth the eyes, and giveth k no wledge to the soul, and leadeth the mind to salvation. 8 And those things which it hath not learnt from man, it k noweth throu gh repentance. 9 For God brou ght u pon me a di sease of the liver; and had not the prayers of Jacob my father su ccou red me, it had hardly failed bu t my spirit had departed. 10 For by what things a man transgresseth, by the same also is he p u nished, 11 Since, therefore, my liver was set mercilessly against Joseph, in my liver too I su ffered mercilessly, and was ju dged for eleven months, for so lon g a time as I had been a ngry against Joseph.

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CHAPT ER 6 1 And now, my children, I exhort you , love ye each one his brother, a nd pu t away hatred from you r hea rts, love one another in deed, a nd in word, and in the inclination of the sou l. 2 For in the presence of my father I spa k e peaceably to Joseph; and when I had gone ou t, the spirit of ha tred dark ened my mind, and stirred u p my sou l to slay him. 3 Love ye one another from the hea rt; and if a man sin against thee, spea k peaceably to him, and in thy sou l hold not gu ile; and if he repent a nd confess, forgiv e him. 4 Bu t if he deny it, do not get into a pa ssion with him, lest catching the poison from thee he tak e to swea ring a nd so thou sin dou bly. 5 Let not another man hear thy s ecrets wh en engaged in legal strife, lest he come to hate thee a nd b ecome thy enemy, and commit a great sin a ga inst thee; for ofttimes he a ddresseth thee gu ilefu lly or bu sieth himself abou t thee with wick ed i ntent. 6 And thou gh he deny it and yet ha ve a sense of shame wh en r eproved, give over reproving him. For he wh o deni eth may rep ent so as not to wrong thee again; yea, he ma y also honou r thee, and fear and be a t peace with thee. 7 Bu t if he be shameless and pe rsisteth in his wrongdoing, even so forgive him from the heart, and lea ve to God the avenging. CHAPT ER 7 1 If a man prosper more than you , do not be vexed, bu t pray also for him, that he may have perfect pro sperity. For so it is expedient for

you . 2 And if he be fu rther exalted, be not enviou s rof him, remembering that all flesh shall die; and offer praise to God, who giveth things good and profitable to all men. 3 Seek ou t the ju dgements o f the Lord, and thy mind will rest and be at peace. 4 And thou gh a man become rich by evil means, even as Esau , the brot her of my father, be not jealou s; bu t wait for the end of the Lord. 5 For if He tak e away (from a man) wealth gotten by evil means He fo rgiveth him if he repent, bu t the u nrepentant is reserved for eternal pu nishment. 6 For the poor man, if free from envy he pleaseth the Lord in all things, is blessed b eyond all men, becau se he hath not the travail of vain men. 7 Pu t away, therefore, jealou sy from you r sou ls, and love one a nother with u prightness of heart. CHAPT ER 8 1 Do ye also, therefore, tell these things to you r children, that they honou r Ju dah and Levi, for from them shall the Lord raise u p salva tion to Israel. 2 For I k now that at the last your children shall depart from Him, a nd shall walk in all wick edness, and a ffliction, and corru ption before the Lord. 3 And when he had rested for a li ttle while, he said again: My children, obey you r father, and bu ry me near to my fathers. 4 And he drew u p his feet, and fell asleep in peace. 5 And after five years they carried him u p to Hebron, and laid him with

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his fa thers.