Joseph and Asenath 28

1And the sons of Balla and Zelpha, when they saw the strange miracle that had been wrought, feared and said: "The Lord fighteth against us on Asenath's behalf."

2Then they fell upon their faces on the earth and made obeisance to Asenath and said: "Have mercy on us thy bondmen, for that thou art our mistress and queen.

3We wickedly committed evil deeds against thee and against our brother Joseph, but the Lord requited us according to our works.

4Therefore we thy bondmen pray thee, have mercy on us the lowly and miserable and deliver us from the hands of our brethren, for that they will make themselves avengers of the despite done to thee and their swords are against us.

5Accordingly be gracious to thy bondmen, mistress, before them."

6And Asenath said to them: "Be of good cheer and be not ye afraid of your brethren, for that they themselves are men who worship God and fear the Lord; but go into the thicket of these reeds until I shall appease them on your behalf and stay their wrath on account of the great crimes which ye on your part have dared to commit against them.

7But the Lord see and judge between me and you."

8Then Dan and Gad fled into the thicket of the reeds; and their brethren, Leah's sons, came running like stags with great haste against them.

9And Asenath stepped down from the chariot that was her covert and gave them her right hand with tears, and they themselves fell down and made obeisance to her on the earth and wept with a loud voice; and they continued asking for their brethren the sons of the handmaids to put them to death.

10And Asenath said to them: "I pray you, spare your brethren, and render not to them evil for evil.

11For the Lord saved me from them and shattered their daggers and swords from out their hands, and lo! they have melted and were burned to ashes upon the earth like wax from before fire, and this is sufficient for us that the Lord fighteth for us against them.

12Accordingly do ye spare your brethren, for that they are your brethren and the blood of your father Israel."

13And Simeon said to her: "Wherefore speaketh our mistress good words on behalf of her enemies?

14Nay but rather we will cut them down limb from limb with our swords, for that they devised evil things concerning our brother Joseph and our father Israel and against thee, our mistress, to-day."

15Then Asenath stretched out her right hand and touched Simeon's beard and kissed him tenderly and said: "In no wise, brother, render evil for evil to thy neighbour, for that the Lord will avenge this despite.

16They themselves, ye know, are your brethren and the offspring of your father Israel, and they fled from afar from your face.

17Accordingly grant them pardon."

18Then Levi came up to her and kissed her right hand tenderly, for that he knew that she was fain to save the men from their brethren's anger that they should not slay them.

19And they themselves were nigh at hand in the thicket of the reed-bed: and Levi, knowing this, did not declare it to his brethren, for he feared lest in their anger they should cut their brethren down.