Testament of Gad 1

Pseudonymously presented as Gad's deathbed testament, one of the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs; actual author unknown and date debated (proposals span the 2nd century BC to the 2nd century AD). Gad confesses his own hatred of Joseph and warns his sons against the corrosive effects of hatred.

1THE copy of the testament of Gad, what things he spake unto his sons, in the hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life, saying unto them:

Ἀντίγραφον διαθήκης Γάδ, ἃ ἐλάλησε τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ ἑκατοστῷ εἰκοστῷ πέμπτῳ ἔτει τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ, λέγων αὐτοῖς. (14518)

2Hearken, my children, I was the ninth son born to Jacob, and I was valiant in keeping the flocks.

Ἀκούσατε, τέκνα μου, ἐγὼ ἐγενόμην ἔννατος υἱὸς τῷ Ἰακώβ, καὶ ἤμην ἀνδρεῖος ἐπὶ τῶν ποιμνίων. (9143)

3Accordingly I guarded at night the flock; and whenever the lion came, or the wolf, or any wild beast against the fold, I pursued it, and overtaking it I seized its foot with my hand and hurled it about a stone's throw, and so killed it.

Ἐγὼ οὖν ἐφύλαττον ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ τὸ ποίμνιον, καὶ ὅταν ἤρχετο ὁ λέων, ἢ ὁ λύκος, ἢ πᾶν θηρίον ἐπὶ τὴν ποίμνην, κατεδίωκον αὐτό, καὶ φθάνων ἐκράτουν τὸν πόδα αὐτοῦ τῇ χειρί μου καὶ ἠκόντισα αὐτὸ ὡσεὶ λίθου βολήν, καὶ ἀνήρουν αὐτό. (21675)

4Now Joseph my brother was feeding the flock with us for upwards of thirty days, and being young, he fell sick by reason of the heat.

Ὁ οὖν Ἰωσὴφ ὁ ἀδελφός μου ἐποίμαινε μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν, ἕως ἡμέρας τριάκοντα, καὶ ὑπάρχων νέος ἐμαλακίσθη ὑπὸ τοῦ καύσωνος. (12704)

5And he returned to Hebron to our father, who made him lie down near him, because he loved him greatly.

Καὶ ὑπέστρεψεν ἐν Χεβρὼν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα ἡμῶν. καὶ ἀνέκλινεν αὐτὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἠγάπα αὐτὸν πάνυ. (10260)

6And Joseph told our father that the sons of Zilpah and Bilhah were slaying the best of the flock and eating them against the judgement of Reuben and Judah.

Καὶ εἶπεν Ἰωσὴφ τῷ πατρὶ ἡμῶν, ὅτι οἱ υἱοὶ Ζέλφας καὶ Βάλλας θύουσι τὰ θρέμματα τὰ καλὰ καὶ ἐσθίουσιν αὐτὰ παρὰ γνώμην Ῥουβὶμ καὶ Ἰούδα. (12373)

7For he saw that I had delivered a lamb out of the mouth of a bear, and put the bear to death; but had slain the lamb, being grieved concerning it that it could not live, and that we had eaten it.

Ἦν γὰρ ἰδὼν ὅτι ἄρνα ἐξειλάμην ἐκ τοῦ στόματος τῆς ἄρκου, κἀκείνην ἐθανάτωσα, τὸν δὲ ἀρνὸν ἔθυσα· περὶ οὗ ἐλυπούμην, ὅτι οὐκ ἠδύνατο ζῆν, καὶ ἐφάγομεν αὐτόν. (12730)

8And regarding this matter I was wroth with Joseph until the day that he was sold.

Καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦτο ἐνεκότουν τῷ Ἰωσὴφ ἕως ἡμέρας διαπράσεως αὐτοῦ. (9275)

9And the spirit of hatred was in me, and I wished not either to hear of Joseph with the ears, or see him with the eyes, because he rebuked us to our faces saying that we were eating of the flock without Judah.

Καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ μίσους ἦν ἐν ἐμοί, καὶ οὐκ ἤθελον οὔτε δι᾽ ἀκοῆς οὔτε δι᾽ ὀφθαλμῶν ἰδεῖν τὸν Ἰωσήφ, ὅτι κατὰ πρόσωπον ἤλεγξεν ἡμᾶς λέγων, ὅτι χωρὶς Ἰούδα ἠσθίομεν τὰ θρέμματα. (16206)

10For whatsoever things he told our father, he believed him.

πάντα γὰρ ὅσα ἔλεγε τῷ πατρὶ ἐπείθετο αὐτῷ. (4431)

11I confess now my gin, my children, that oftentimes I wished to kill him, because I hated him from my heart.

Ὁμολογῶ τοίνυν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν μου, τέκνα, ὅτι πλειστάκις ἤθελον ἀνελεῖν αὐτόν, ἐπειδὴ ἐμίσουν αὐτὸν ἐκ ψυχῆς. (9731)

12Moreover, I hated him yet more for his dreams; and I wished to lick him out of the land of the living, even as an ox licketh up the grass of the field.

Καίγε διὰ τὰ ἐνύπνια προσεθέμην αὐτῷ τὸ μῖσος, καὶ ἤθελον αὐτὸν ἐκλεῖξαι ἐκ γῆς ζώντων, ὃν τρόπον ἐκλείχει ὁ μόσχος τὰ χλωρὰ τοῦ πεδίου. (13213)

13And Judah sold him secretly to the Ishmaelites.

Καὶ κρυφῇ πράσας αὐτὸν Ἰούδας τοῖς Ἰσμαιλίταις. (4539)

14Thus the God of our fathers delivered him from our hands, that we should not work great lawlessness in Israel.

Οὕτως ὁ Θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν ἐρρύσατο αὐτὸν ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ἡμῶν, ἵνα μὴ ποιήσωμεν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ ἀνομίαν μεγάλην. (14378)

15And now, my children, hearken to the words of truth to work righteousness, and all the law of the Most High, and go not astray through the spirit of hatred, for it is evil in all the doings of men.

Καὶ νῦν ἀκούσατε λόγον ἀληθείας, τοῦ ποιεῖν δικαιοσύνην, καὶ πάντα νόμον ὑψίστου, καὶ μὴ πλανᾶσθε τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ μίσους, ὅτι κακόν ἐστιν ἐπὶ πάσαις ταῖς πράξεσι τῶν ἀνθρώπων. (16487)

16Whatsoever a man doeth the hater abominateth him: and though a man worketh the law of the Lord, he praiseth him not; though a man feareth the Lord, and taketh pleasure in that which is righteous, he loveth him not.

Πᾶν ὃ ἐὰν ποιεῖ ὁ μισῶν βδελυκτόν ἐστιν. ἐὰν δέ τις ποιεῖ τὸν νόμον Κυρίου, τοῦτον οὐκ ἐπαινεῖ. ἐάν τις φοβεῖται Κύριον καὶ θέλει τὸ δίκαιον, τοῦτον οὐκ ἀγαπᾷ. (11844)

17He dispraiseth the truth, he envieth him that prospereth, he welcometh evil-speaking, he loveth arrogance, for hatred blindeth his soul; as I also then looked on Joseph.

Τὴν ἀλήθειαν ψέγει, τῷ κατορθοῦντι φθονεῖ, καταλαλιὰν ἀσπάζεται, ὑπερηφανίαν ἀγαπᾷ, ὅτι τὸ μῖσος ἐκτυφλοῖ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, ὡς κἀγὼ τότε ἔβλεπον τὸν Ἰωσήφ, (17180)

18Beware, therefore, my children of hatred, for it worketh lawlessness even against the Lord Himself.

Φυλάξασθε οὖν, τέκνα μου, ἀπὸ τοῦ μίσους, ὅτι καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν Κύριον ἀνομίαν ποιεῖ. (7367)

19For it will not hear the words of His commandments concerning the loving of one's--neighbour, and it sinneth against God.

Οὐ γὰρ θέλει ἀκούειν λόγων ἐντολῶν αὐτοῦ περὶ ἀγάπης τοῦ πλησίον καὶ εἰς Θεὸν ἁμαρτάνει. (7212)

See also: 1 John 3:15

24For the spirit of hatred worketh together with Satan, through hastiness of spirits, in all things to men's death; but the spirit of love worketh together with the law of God in long-suffering unto the salvation of men.

Τὸ γὰρ πνεῦμα τοῦ μίσους διὰ τῆς ὀλιγοψυχίας συνεργεῖ τῷ Σατανᾷ ἐν πᾶσιν εἰς θάνατον τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀγάπης ἐν μακροθυμίᾳ συνεργεῖ τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς σωτηρίαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων. (23228)

25Hatred, therefore, is evil, for it constantly mateth with lying, speaking against the truth; and it maketh small things to be great, and causeth the light to be darkness, and calleth the sweet bitter, and teacheth slander, and kindleth wrath, and stirreth up war, and violence and all covetousness; it filleth the heart with evils and devilish poison.

Κακὸν οὖν ἐστι τὸ μῖσος, ὅτι ἐνδελεχεῖ συνεχῶς τῷ ψεύδει, λαλῶν κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ τὰ μικρὰ μεγάλα ποιεῖ, τὸ φῶς σκότος παρέχει, καὶ τὸ γλυκὺ πικρὸν λέγει, καὶ συκοφαντίαν ἐκδιδάσκει καὶ ὀργὴν ἐκταράσσει καὶ πόλεμον διεγείρει, καὶ ὕβριν καὶ πᾶσαν πλεονεξίαν κακῶν καὶ ἰοῦ διαβολικοῦ τὴν καρδίαν ἐκπληροῖ. (23337)

26These things, therefore, I say to you from experience, my children, that ye may drive forth hatred, which is of the devil, and cleave to the love of God.

Ταῦτα οὖν ἐκ πείρας λέγω ὑμῖν, τέκνα μου, ὅπως ἐξώσητε τὸ μῖσος τὸ διαβολικόν, καὶ κολληθῆτε τῇ ἀγάπῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ. (10388)

27Righteousness casteth out hatred, humility destroyeth envy.

Ἡ δικαιοσύνη ἐκβάλλει τὸ μῖσος, ἡ ταπείνωσις ἀναιρεῖ τὸ ζῆλος. (4300)

28For he that is just and humble is ashamed to do what is unjust, being reproved not of another, but of his own heart, because the Lord looketh on his inclination.

ὁ γὰρ δίκαιος καὶ ταπεινὸς αἰδεῖται ποιῆσαι ἄδικον, οὐχ ὑπ᾽ ἄλλου καταγινωσκόμενος ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας καρδίας, ὅτι Κύριος ἐπισκοπεῖ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ. (12659)

29He speaketh not against a holy man, because the fear of God overcometh hatred.

Οὐ καταλαλεῖ ἀνδρὸς ὁσίου, ἐπειδὴ ὁ φόβος τοῦ Θεοῦ οἰκεῖ ἐν αὐτῷ. (5992)

30For fearing lest he should offend the Lord, he will not do wrong to any man, even in thought.

Φοβούμενος γὰρ μὴ προσκρούσαι Κυρίῳ, οὐ θέλει τὸ καθόλου οὐδὲ ἕως ἐννοίας ἀδικῆσαι ἄνθρωπον. (8923)

31These things I learnt at last, after I had repented concerning Joseph.

Ταῦτα ἐγὼ ἔσχατον ἔγνων μετὰ τὸ μετανοῆσαί με περὶ Ἰωσήφ. (7103)

32For true repentance after a godly sort destroyeth ignorance, and driveth away the darkness, and enlighteneth the eyes, and giveth knowledge to the soul, and leadeth the mind to salvation.

Ἡ γὰρ κατὰ Θεὸν ἀληθὴς μετάνοια ἀναιρεῖ τὴν ἄγνοιαν καὶ φυγαδεύει τὸ σκότος, καὶ φωτίζει τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς καὶ γνῶσιν παρέχει τῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ ὁδηγεῖ τὸ διαβούλιον πρὸς σωτηρίαν. (15591)

33And those things which it hath not learnt from man, it knoweth through repentance.

Καὶ οὐκ ἔμαθεν ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπων τοῦτο ἀλλ᾽ οἶδε διὰ μετανοίας τοὺς ἐπιστρέφοντας δέχεσθαι. (8279)

34For God brought upon me a disease of the liver; and had not the prayers of Jacob my father succoured me, it had hardly failed but my spirit had departed.

Ἐπήγαγε γάρ μοι ὁ Θεὸς νόσον ἥπατος, καὶ εἰ μὴ αἱ εὐχαὶ τοῦ πατρός μου ἐβοήθησάν μοι, ὀλίγου δεῖν ἐξέλειπε τὸ πνεῦμά μου. (7715)

35For by what things a man transgresseth by the same also is he punished .

Δι᾽ ὧν γὰρ ὁ ἄνθρωπος παρανομεῖ, δι᾽ ἐκείνων κολάζεται. (4103)

36Since, therefore, my liver was set mercilessly against Joseph, in my liver too I suffered mercilessly, and was judged for eleven months, for so long a time as I had been angry against Joseph.

Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἔκειτο τὰ ἥπατα μου ἀνίλεως κατὰ τοῦ Ἰωσήφ, τῷ ἥπατι πάσχων ἀνίλεως ἐκρινόμην ἐπὶ χρόνους δέκα, καθ᾽ ὧν χρόνων ἐνεῖχον τῷ Ἰωσήφ. (18189)