Joseph and Asenath 23

1And thereupon both Joseph and Asenath went to their house; and Simeon and Levi, the sons of Leah, alone conducted them forth, but the sons of Balla and Zelpha, the handmaids of Leah and Rachel, did not join in conducting them forth, for that they envied and detested them.

2And Levi was at Asenath's right and Simeon at her left.

3And Asenath took hold of Levi's hand, for that she loved him exceedingly above all Joseph's brethren and as a prophet and a worshipper of God and one who feared the Lord.

4For he was an understanding man and a prophet of the Most High, and he himself saw letters written in heaven and read them and revealed them to Asenath in secret; for that Levi himself also loved Asenath much and saw the place of her rest in the highest.

5And it came to pass as Joseph and Asenath were passing by, when they were going to Jacob, Pharaoh's firstborn son saw them from the wall, and, when he saw Asenath, he became mad upon her by reason of her surpassing beauty.

6Then Pharaoh's son sent messengers, and called Simeon and Levi to him; and, when they came and stood before him, Pharaoh's firstborn son saith to them: "I for my part know that ye are to-day mighty men above all men upon the earth, and with these right hands of yours the city of the Sicimites was overthrown, and with your two swords 30,000 warriors were cut down.

7And I to-day will take you to myself as companions and give you much gold and silver and serving-men and handmaids and houses and great inheritances, and contend ye on my side and do me kindness; for that I received great despite from your brother Joseph, since he himself took Asenath to wife, and this woman was betrothed to me from of old.

8And now come with me, and I will fight against Joseph to slay him with my sword, and I will take Asenath to wife, and ye shall be to me as brethren and faithful friends.

9But, if ye shall not hearken to my words, I will slay you with my sword."

10And, when he had said these things, he drew out his sword and showed it to them.

11And Simeon was a bold and daring man, and he thought to lay his right hand upon the hilt of his sword and draw it from the sheath thereof and smite Pharaoh's son for that he had spoken hard words to them.

12Levi then saw the thought of his heart, because he was a prophet, and trod with his foot on Simeon's right foot and pressed it, signing to him to cease from his wrath.

13And Levi was saying quietly to Simeon: "Wherefore art thou angry against this man?

14We are men who worship God and it is not meet for us to render evil for evil."

15Then Levi said to Pharaoh's son openly with mildness of heart: "Wherefore speaketh our lord these words?

16We are men who worship God, and our father is a friend of God Most High, and our brother is as a son of God.

17And how shall we do this wicked thing, to sin in the sight of our God and of our father Israel and in the sight of our brother Joseph?

18And now hear my words.

19It is not meet for a man who worshippeth God to injure any man in any wise; and, if any wisheth to injure a man who worshippeth God, that man who worshippeth God avengeth not himself upon him, for that there is no sword in his hands.

20And do thou beware of speaking any more these words about our brother Joseph.

21But, if thou continuest in thine evil counsel, lo! our swords are drawn against thee."

22Then Simeon and Levi drew their swords from their sheaths and said: "Seest thou now these swords?

23With these two swords the Lord punished the despite of the Sicimites, wherewith they did despite to the sons of Israel through our sister Dinah, whom Sychem the son of Hamor defiled."