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The Testament of Reuben Concerning Thoughts

Unknown

Section 1

About this work

Author: Unknown

1. The copy of the Testament of Reuben, what

‹ Salutation / Introduction Section 2 ›

things

he

charged

his

sons

before

he

died

in

the

hundred

and

twenty

-

fifth

year

of

his

life

.

When

he

was

sick

two

years

after

the

death

of

Joseph

,

his

sons

and

his

sons

’

sons

were

gathered

together

to

visit

him

.

And

he

said

to

them

,

My

children

,

I

am

dying

,

and

go

the

way

of

my

fathers

.

And

when

he

saw

there

Judah

and

Gad

and

Asher

,

his

brethren

,

he

said

to

them

,

Raise

me

up

,

my

brethren

,

that

I

may

tell

to

my

brethren

and

to

my

children

what

things

I

have

hidden

in

my

heart

,

for

from

henceforth

my

strength

faileth

me

.

And

he

arose

and

kissed

them

,

and

said

,

weeping

:

Hear

,

my

brethren

,

give

ear

to

Reuben

your

father

,

what

things

I

command

you

.

And

,

behold

,

I

call

to

witness

against

you

this

day

the

God

of

heaven

,

that

ye

walk

not

in

the

ignorance

of

youth

and

fornication

wherein

I

ran

greedily

,

and

I

defiled

the

bed

of

Jacob

my

father

.

For

I

tell

you

that

He

smote

me

with

a

sore

plague

in

my

loins

for

seven

months

;

and

had

not

Jacob

our

father

prayed

for

me

to

the

Lord

,

surely

the

Lord

would

have

destroyed

me

.

For

I

was

thirty

years

old

when

I

did

this

evil

in

the

sight

of

the

Lord

,

and

for

seven

months

I

was

sick

even

unto

death

;

and

I

repented

for

seven

years

in

the

set

purpose

of

my

soul

before

the

Lord

.

Wine

and

strong

drink

I

drank

not

,

and

flesh

entered

not

into

my

mouth

,

and

I

tasted

not

pleasant

food

,

mourning

over

my

sin

,

for

it

was

great

.

And

it

shall

not

so

be

done

in

Israel

.

Notes

1
There seems a reminiscence here of the words of Dan. x. 3, LXX. [For proofs of penitence, see p. 11, note 3, infra.]