Sacred Texts Bible Apocrypha Index Previous Next
He urges human sympathy and understanding of one's fellow men.
AND now children, I you (sic) to keep the commands of the Lord, and to show mercy to your neighbours, and to have compassion towards all, not towards men only, but also towards beasts.
2 For all this thing's sake the Lord blessed me, and when all my brethren were sick, I escaped without sickness, for the Lord knoweth the purposes of each.
3 Have, therefore, compassion in your hearts, my children, because even as a man doeth to his neighbour, even so also will the Lord do to him.
4 For the sons of my brethren were sickening and were dying on account of Joseph, because they showed not mercy in their hearts; but my sons were preserved
without sickness, as ye know.
5 And when I was in the land of Canaan, by the sea-coast, I made a catch of fish for Jacob my father; and when many were choked in the sea, I continued unhurt.
6 I was the first to make a boat to sail upon the sea, for the Lord gave me understanding and wisdom therein.
7 And I let down a rudder behind it, and I stretched a sail upon another upright piece of wood in the midst.
8 And I sailed therein along the shores, catching fish for the house of my father until we came to Egypt.
9 And through compassion I shared my catch with every stranger.
10 And if a man were a stranger, or sick, or aged, I boiled the fish, and dressed them well, and offered them to all men, as every man had need, grieving with and having compassion upon them.
11 Wherefore also the Lord satisfied me with abundance of fish when catching fish; for he that shareth with his neighbour receiveth manifold more from the Lord.
12 For five years I caught fish and gave thereof to every man whom I saw, and sufficed for all the house of my father.
13 And in the summer I caught fish, and in the winter I kept sheep with my brethren.
14 Now I will declare unto you what I did.
15 I saw a man in distress through nakedness in wintertime, and had compassion upon him, and stole away a garment secretly from my father's house, and gave it to him who was in distress.
16 Do you, therefore, my children, from that which God bestoweth upon you, show compassion and mercy without hesitation to all men, and give to every man with a good heart.
17 And if ye have not the wherewithal to give to him that needeth, have compassion for him in bowels of mercy.
18 I know that my hand found not the wherewithal to give to him that needed, and I walked with him weeping for seven furlongs, and my bowels yearned towards him in compassion.
19 Have, therefore, yourselves also, my children, compassion towards every man with mercy, that the Lord also may have compassion and mercy upon you.
20 Because also in, the last days God will send His compassion on the earth, and wheresoever He findeth bowels of mercy He dwelleth in him.
21 For in the degree in which a man hath compassion upon his neighbours, in the same degree hath the Lord also upon him.
22 And when we went down into Egypt, Joseph bore no malice against us.
23 To whom taking heed, do ye also, my children, approve yourselves without malice, and love one another; and do not set down in account, each one of you, evil against his brother.
24 For this breaketh unity and divideth all kindred, and troubleth the soul, and weareth away the countenance.
25 Observe, therefore, the waters, and know when they flow together, they sweep along stones, trees, earth, and other things.
26 But if they are divided into many streams, the earth swalloweth them up, and they vanish away.
27 So shall ye also be if ye be divided. Be not Ye, therefore, divided into two heads for everything which the Lord made .hath but one head, and two shoulders, two hands, two feet, and all the remaining members.
28 For I have learnt in the
writing of my fathers, that ye shall be divided in Israel, and ye shall follow two kings, and shall work every abomination.
29 And your enemies shall lead you captive, and ye shall be evil entreated among the Gentiles, with many infirmities and tribulations.
30 And after these things ye shall remember the Lord and repent, and He shall have mercy upon you, for He is merciful and compassionate.
31 And He setteth not down in account evil against the sons of men, because they are flesh, and are deceived through their own wicked deeds.
32 And after these things shall there arise unto you the Lord Himself, the light of righteousness, and ye shall return unto your land.
33 And ye shall see Him in Jerusalem, for His name's sake.
34 And again through the wickedness of your works shall ye provoke Him to anger,
35 And ye shall be cast away by Him unto the time of consummation.
36 And now, my children, grieve not that I am dying, nor be cast down in that I am coming to my end.
37 For I shall rise again in the midst of you, as a ruler in the midst of his sons; and I shall rejoice in the midst of my tribe, as many as shall keep the law of the Lord, and the commandments of Zebulun their father.
38 But upon the ungodly shall the Lord bring eternal fire, and destroy them throughout all generations.
39 But I am now hastening away to my rest, as did also my fathers.
40 But do ye fear the Lord our God with all your strength all the days of your life.
41 And when he had said these things he fell asleep, at a good old age.
42 And his sons laid him in a wooden coffin. And afterwards they carried him up and buried him in Hebron, with his fathers.