concealed himself there and found a voice, and let us arise and go to the place of safety; and the king's servants came to Abram's house to seek him, but they could not find him, and they searched throughout the country and he was not to be found, and they went and searched in every direction and he was not to be met with. land of Canaan, out of the reach of injury from Nimrod; and serve thou the Lord who created thee in the earth and it will be well with thee; and cast away all the vain things which thou pursuest. 69. And Abram ceased to speak, when Noah and his son Shem an 62. And when the king's servants swered Terah, saying, true is the could not find Abram they returned word which Abram hath said unto to the king, but the king's anger thee. against Abram was stilled, as they did not find him, and the king drove from his mind this matter concerning Abram. 70. And Terah hearkened to the voice of his son Abram, and Terah did all that Abram said, for this was from the Lord, that the king should not cause Abram's death. CHAPTER XIII. 63. And Abram was concealed in Noah's house for one month until the king had forgotten this matter, but Abram was still afraid of the king; and Terah came to see Abram his son secretly in the house of Noah, and his grandson Lot, the son of and Terah was very great in the eyes of the king. 64. And Abram said to his father, dost thou not know that the king thinketh to slay me, and to annihilate my name from the earth by the advice of his wicked counsellors? 65. Now whom hast thou here and what hast thou in this land? Arise, let us go together to the land of Canaan, that we may be delivered from his hand, lest thou perish also through him in the latter days. 1. And Terah took his son Abram to Haran, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, the wife of his son Abram, and all the souls of his household and went with them from Ur Casdim to go the land of Canaan. And when they came as far as the land of Haran they remained there, for it was exceeding good land for pasture, and of sufficient extent for those who accompanied them. 2. And the people of the land of Haran saw that Abram was good and upright with God and men, and 66. Dost thou not know or hast that the Lord his God was with him, thou not heard, that it is not through and some of the people of the land love that Nimrod giveth thee all this of Haran came and joined Abram, honour, but it is only for his benefit and he taught them the instruction that he bestoweth all this good upon of the Lord and his ways; and these thee? men remained with Abram in his 67. And if he do unto thee greater house and they adhered to him. good than this, surely these are only 3. And Abram remained in the vanities of the world, for wealth and land three years, and at the expirariches cannot avail in the day of wrath and anger. 68. Now therefore hearken to my tion of three years the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him; I am the Lord who brought thee forth from Ur Casdim, and delivered thee from of Canaan, he, his wife, and all be the hands of all thine enemies. longing to him, and all those that ac4. And now therefore if thou wilt companied him, together with those hearken to my voice and keep my that joined him from the people of the commandments, my statutes and my land; but Nabor, Abram's brother, laws, then will I cause thy enemies and Terah his father, and Lot the to fall before thee, and I will multi- son of Haran and all belonging to ply thy seed like the stars of heaven, them dwelt in Haran. and I will send my blessing upon all 11. In the fifth year of Abram's the works of thy hands, and thou dwelling in the land of Canaan the shalt lack nothing. people of Sodom and Gomorrah and 5. Arise now, take thy wife and all the cities of the plain revolted all belonging to thee and go to the from the power of Chedorlaomer, king land of Canaan and remain there, of Elam; for all the kings of the and I will there be unto thee for a cities of the plain had served CheGod, and I will bless thee. And dorlaomer for twelve years, and given Abram rose and took his wife and all him a yearly tax, but in those days belonging to him, and he went to the in the thirteenth year, they rebelled land of Canaan as the Lord had told against him. him; and Abram was fifty years old when he went from Haran. 12. And in the tenth year of Abram's dwelling in the land of Ca6. And Abram came to the land naan there was war between Nimrod of Canaan and dwelt in the midst of king of Shinar and Chedorlaomer king the city, and he there pitched his tent of Elam, and Nimrod came to fight amongst the children of Canaan, in-with Chedorlaomer and to subdue him. habitants of the land. 13. For Chedorlaomer was at that 7. And the Lord appeared to Ab- time one of the princes of the hosts ram when he came to the land of of Nimrod, and when all the people Canaan, and said to him, this is the at the tower were dispersed and land which I gave unto thee and to those that remained were also scatthy seed after thee forever, and I will tered upon the face of the earth, Chemake thy seed like the stars of hea-dorlaomer went to the land of Elam ven, and I will give unto thy seed for and reigned over it and rebelled an inheritance all the lands which against his Lord. thou seest. 8. And Abram built an altar in the place where God had spoken to him, and Abram there called upon the 1 name of the Lord. 14. And in those days when Nimrod saw that the cities of the plain had rebelled, he came with pride and anger to war with Chedorlaomer, and Nimrod assembled all his princes 9. At that time, at the end of three and subjects, about seven hundred years of Abram's dwelling in the thousand men, and went against Cheland of Canaan, in that year Noah dorlaomer, and Chedorlaomer went died, which was the fifty-eighth year out to meet him with five thousand of the life of Abram; and all the men, and they prepared for battle in days that Noah lived were nine hun- the valley of Babel which is between dred and fifty years and he died. Elam and Shinar. 10. And Abram dwelt in the land 15. And all those kings fought there, and Nimrod and his people 21. And many of the people of were smitten before the people of Haran, about seventy two men, folChedorlaomer, and there fell from lowed Abram and Abram taught them Nimrod's men about six hundred the instruction of the Lord and his thousand, and Mardon the king's son ways, and he taught them to know the Lord. fell amongst them. 22. In those days the Lord appeared to Abram in Haran, and he said to him, behold, I spoke unto thee these twenty years back saying, 16. And Nimrod fled and returned in shame and disgrace to his land, and he was under subjection to Chedorlaomer for a long time, and Chedorlaomer returned to his land and 23. Go forth from thy land, from sent princes of his host to the kings thy birth-place and from thy father's that dwelt around him, to Arioch house, to the land which I have king of Elasar, and to Tidal king of shown thee to give it to thee and to Goyim, and made a covenant with thy children, for there in that land them, and they were all obedient to will I bless thee, and make thee a his commands. great nation, and make thy name great, and in thee shall the families of the earth be blessed. 17. And it was in the fifteenth year of Abram's dwelling in the land of Canaan, which is the seventieth year of the life of Abram, and the Lord appeared to Abram in that year and he said to him, I am the Lord who brought thee out from Ur Casdim to give thee this land for an inheritance. 18. Now therefore walk before me and be perfect and keep my commands, for to thee and to thy seed I will give this land for an inheritance, from the river Mitzraim unto the great river Euphrates. 24. Now therefore arise, go forth from this place, thou, thy wife, and all belonging to thee, also every one born in thy house and all the souls thou hast made in Haran, and bring them out with thee from here, and rise to return to the land of Canaan. 25. And Abram arose and took his wife Sarai and all belonging to him, and all that were born to him in his house and the souls which they had made in Haran, and they came out to go to the land of Canaan. 19. And thou shalt come to thy 26. And Abram went and returnfathers in peace and in good age, and ed to the land of Canaan, according the fourth generation shall return to the word of the Lord. And Lot here in this land and shall inherit it the son of his brother Haran went forever; and Abram built an altar, with him, and Abram was seventy and he called upon the name of the five years old when he went forth Lord who appeared to him, and he from Haran to return to the land of brought up sacrifices upon the altar Canaan. to the Lord. 27. And he came to the land of 20. At that time Abram returned Canaan according to the word of the and went to Haran to see his father Lord to Abram, and he pitched his and mother, and his father's house- tent and he dwelt in the plain of hold, and Abram and his wife and all Mamre, and with him was Lot his belonging to him returned to Haran, brother's son, and all belonging to and Abram dwelt in Haran five years. him. 28. And the Lord again appeared and he abided there all night in bitto Abram and said, to thy seed will terness of soul and pinched with I give this land; and he there built hunger, and sleep was removed from an altar to the Lord who appeared his eyes. 3. And when Rikayon came to Egypt he asked the inhabitants of Egypt concerning the king, and the inhabitants of Egypt told him the custom of the king of Egypt, for it was then the custom of the king of Egypt that he went from his royal palace and was seen abroad only one day in the year, and after that the king would return to his palace to remain there. 4. And on the day when the king went forth he passed judgment in the land, and every one having a suit came before the king that day to obtain his request. 5. And when Rikayon heard of the custom in Egypt and that he could not come into the presence of the king, he grieved greatly and was very sorrowful. 6. And in the evening Rikayon went out and found a house in ruins, formerly a bake house in Egypt, 7. And Rikayon considered within himself what he should do in the town until the king made his appearance, and how he might maintain himself there. 8. And he rose in the morning and walked about, and met in his way those who sold vegetables and various sorts of seed with which they supplied the inhabitants. 9. And Rikayon wished to do the same in order to get a maintenance in the city, but he was unacquainted with the custom of the people, and he was like a blind man among them. 10. And he went and obtained vegetables to sell them for his support, and the rabble assembled about him and ridiculed him, and took his vegetables from him and left him nothing. 11. And he rose up from there in bitterness of soul, and went sighing to the bake house in which he had remained all the night before, and he slept there the second night. 12. And on that night again he reasoned within himself how he could save himself from starvation, and he devised a scheme how to act. 13. And he rose up in the morning and acted ingeniously, and went and hired thirty strong men of the rabble, carrying their war instruments in their hands, and he led them to the top of the Egyptian sepulchre, and he placed them there. 14. And he commanded them, saying, thus saith the king, strengthen yourselves and be valiant men, and let no man be buried here until two hundred pieces of silver be given, and then he may be buried; and those men did according to the wicked thing in my land without order of Rikayon to the people of my command? Surely you will tell Egypt the whole of that year. me. 23. And they told him all the works of Rikayon and his men, and 15. And in eight months time Rikayon and his men gathered great riches of silver and gold, and Rikay- the king's anger was aroused, and on took a great quantity of horses he ordered Rikayon and his men to and other animals, and he hired more be brought before him. men, and he gave them horses and 24. And Rikayon took about a they remained with him. thousand children, sons and daugh 16. And when the year came ters, and clothed them in silk and round, at the time the king went embroidery, and he set them upon forth into the town, all the inhabi- horses and sent them to the king by tants of Egypt assembled together means of his men, and he also took to speak to him concerning the work of Rikayon and his men. 17. And the king went forth on the appointed day, and all the Egyptians came before him and cried unto him, saying, a great quantity of silver and gold and precious stones, and a strong and beautiful horse, as a present for the king, with which he came before the king and bowed down to the earth before him; and the king, his servants and all the inhabitants of Egypt wondered at the work of Rikayon, and they saw his riches and the present that he had brought to the 18. May the king live forever. What is this thing thou doest in the town to thy servants, not to suffer a dead body to be buried until so much silver and gold be given? Was king. there ever the like unto this done in 25. And it greatly pleased the the whole earth, from the days of king and he wondered at it; and former kings yea even from the days when Rikayon sat before him the of Adam, unto this day, that the dead should not be buried only for a set price? 19 We know it to be the custom of kings to take a yearly tax from the living, but thou dost not only do this, but from the dead also thou exactest a tax day by day. 20. Now, O king, we can no more bear this, for the whole city is ruined on this account, and dost thou not know it? 21. And when the king heard all that they had spoken he was very wroth, and his anger burned within him at this affair, for he had known nothing of it. 22. And the king said, who and where is he that dares to do this king asked him concerning all his works, and Rikayon spoke all his words wisely before the king, his servants and all the inhabitants of Egypt. 26. And when the king heard the words of Rikayon and his wisdom, Rikayon found grace in his sight, and he met with grace and kindness from all the servants of the king and from all the inhabitants of Egypt, on account of his wisdom and excellent speeches, and from that time they loved him exceedingly. 16. And the king answered and said to Rikayon, thy name shall no more be called Rikayon but Pharaoh* shall be thy name, since thou * Pharaoh from y, to get paid, to exact. |