Testament of Reuben 1

Pseudonymously presented as Reuben's deathbed testament to his sons, modeled on Jacob's blessings in Genesis 49, one of the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs; actual author unknown. Scholars are divided on whether the collection is fundamentally a Jewish work with later Christian additions or a 2nd-century AD Christian composition drawing on older Jewish material, so proposed dates span roughly the 2nd century BC to the 2nd century AD. Reuben warns his sons against sexual immorality, confessing his own sin with Bilhah (Genesis 35:22).

1THE Copy of the Testament of Reuben, even the commands which he gave his sons before he died in the hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life.

Ἀντίγραφον διαθήκης Ῥουβήμ, ὅσα ἐνετείλατο τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτοῦ, πρὶν ἢ ἀποθανεῖν αὐτόν, ἐν ἑκατοστῷ εἰκοστῷ πέμπτῳ ἔτει τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ. (14273)

2Two years after the death of Joseph his brother, when Reuben fell ill, his sons and his sons' sons were gathered together to visit him.

Μετὰ ἔτη δύο τῆς τελευτῆς Ἰωσήφ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ, ἀρρωστήσαντος Ῥουβήμ, συνήχθησαν ἐπισκέψασθαι αὐτὸν υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ υἱοὶ τῶν υἱῶν αὐτοῦ. (19659)

3And he said to them: My children, behold I am dying, and go the way of my fathers.

Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Τέκνα μου, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποθνήσκω καὶ πορεύομαι ὁδὸν τῶν πατέρων μου. (8575)

4And seeing there Judah, and Gad, and Asher, his brethren, he said to them: Raise me up that I may tell to my brethren and to my children what things I have hidden in my heart, for behold now at length I am passing away.

Ἰδὼν δὲ ἐκεῖ Ἰούδαν καὶ Γὰδ καὶ Ἀσήρ, τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ, εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ἀναστήσατέ με, ὅπως εἴπω τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς μου καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις μου, ὅσα ἔχω ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου κρυπτά· ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἐκλείπω ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν ἐγώ. (20504)

5And he arose and kissed them, and said unto them: Hear, my brethren, and do ye my children, give ear to Reuben your father, in the commands which I give unto you.

Καὶ ἀναστὰς κατεφίλησεν αὐτοὺς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ἀκούσατε, ἀδελφοί μου καὶ υἱοί μου, ἐνωτίσασθε Ῥουβὴμ τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν ὅσα ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαι ὑμῖν. (14735)

6And behold I call to witness against you this day the God of heaven, that ye walk not in the sins of youth and fornication, wherein I was poured out, and defiled the bed of my father Jacob.

Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐπιμαρτύρομαι ὑμῖν τὸν Θεὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ σήμερον, ὅπως μὴ πορευθῆτε ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ νεότητος καὶ πορνείᾳ, ἐν ᾗ ἐξεχύθην ἐγὼ καὶ ἐμίανα κοίτην τοῦ πατρός μου Ἰακώβ. (14243)

7And I tell you that he smote me with a sore plague in my loins for seven months; and had not my father Jamb prayed for me to the Lord, the Lord would have destroyed me.

Λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν ὅτι ἔπληξέ με πληγὴ μεγάλη ἐπὶ τῆς λαγόνος μου ἕως μῆνας ἑπτά· καὶ εἰ μὴ ὁ πατήρ μου Ἰακὼβ προσηύξατο περὶ ἐμοῦ πρὸς Κύριον ἤθελε Κύριος ἀνελεῖν με. (11551)

8For I was thirty years old when I wrought the evil thing before the Lord, and for seven months I was sick unto death.

Ἤμην γὰρ ἐτῶν τριάκοντα ὅτε ἔπραξα τὸ πονηρὸν ἐνώπιον Κυρίου· καὶ ἐμαλακίσθην μῆνας ἑπτὰ ἕως θανάτου. (8628)

9And after this I repented with set purpose of my soul for seven years before the Lord.

Καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ἐν προαιρέσει ψυχῆς μου ἑπτὰ ἔτη μετενόησα ἐνώπιον Κυρίου, (8014)

10And wine and strong drink I drank not, and flesh entered not into my mouth, and I ate no pleasant food; but I mourned over my sin, for it was great, such as had not been in Israel.

Καὶ οἶνον καὶ σίκερα οὐκ ἔπιον, καὶ κρέας οὐκ εἰσῆλθεν ἐν τῷ στόματί μου· καὶ πᾶν ἄρτον ἐπιθυμίας οὐκ ἔφαγον ἀλλ' ἤμην πενθῶν ἐπὶ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ μου, μεγάλη γὰρ ἦν, οἷα οὐ γέγονεν ἐν Ἰσραὴλ οὕτως. (13347)

11And now hear me, my children, what things I saw concerning the seven spirits of deceit, when I repented.

Καὶ νῦν ἀκούσατέ μου, τέκνα μου, ἃ εἶδον περὶ τῶν ἑπτὰ πνευμάτων τῆς πλάνης ἐν τῇ μετανοίᾳ μου. (8748)

12Seven spirits therefore are appointed against man, and they are the leaders in the works of youth.

Ἑπτὰ οὖν πνεύματα ἐδόθη κατὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ ταῦτά εἰσιν αἱ κεφαλαὶ τῶν ἔργων τοῦ νεωτερισμοῦ, (11225)

13And seven other spirits are given to him at his creation, that through them should be done every work of man.

Καὶ ἕτερα ἑπτὰ πνεύματα ἐδόθη αὐτῷ ἐπὶ τῆς κτίσεως τοῦ εἶναι ἐν αὐτοῖς πᾶν ἔργον ἀνθρώπου. (9191)

14The first is the spirit of life, with which the constitution of man is created.

Πρῶτον πνεῦμα ζωῆς, μεθ' ἧς ἡ σύστασις κτίζεται. (5425)

15The second is the sense of sight, with which ariseth desire.

Δεύτερον πνεῦμα ὁράσεως, μεθ' ἧς γίνεται ἐπιθυμία. (4082)

16The third is the sense of hearing, with which cometh teaching.

Τρίτον πνεῦμα ἀκοῆς μεθ' ἧς γίνεται διδασκαλία. (2627)

17The fourth is the sense of smell, with which tastes are given to draw air and breath.

Τέταρτον πνεῦμα ὀσφρήσεως, μεθ' ἧς γίνονται γεύσεις δεδομέναι εἰς ὁλκὴν ἀέρος καὶ ἀναπνοῆς. (6813)

18The fifth is the power of speech, with which cometh knowledge.

Πέμπτον πνεῦμα λαλιᾶς, μεθ' ἧς γίνεται γνῶσις. (3377)

19The sixth is the sense of taste, with which cometh the eating of meats and drinks; and by it strength is produced, for in food is the foundation. of strength.

Ἕκτον πνεῦμα γεύσεως μεθ' ἧς γίνεται βρῶσις βρωμάτων τε καὶ πομάτων, καὶ ἰσχὺς ἐν αὐτῷ κτίζεται ὅτι ἐν βρώμασίν ἐστιν ἡ ὑπόστασις τῆς ἰσχύος. (17667)

20The seventh is the power of procreation and sexual intercourse, with which through love of pleasure sins enter in.

Ἕβδομον πνεῦμα σπορᾶς καὶ συνουσίας, μεθ' ἧς συνέρχονται διὰ τῆς φιληδονίας ἁμαρτίαι. (6947)

21Wherefore it is the last in order of creation, and the first in that of youth, because it is filled with ignorance, and leadeth the youth as a blind man to a pit, and as a beast to a precipice.

Διὰ τοῦτο ἔσχατόν ἐστι τῆς κτίσεως καὶ πρῶτον τῆς νεότητος, ὅτι ἀγνοίας πεπλήρωται, καὶ αὕτη τὸν νεώτερον ὁδηγεῖ ὥσπερ τυφλὸν ἐπὶ βόθρον καὶ ὡς κτῆνος ἐπὶ κρημνόν. (17693)

22Besides all these there is an eighth spirit of sleep, with which is brought about the trance of nature and the of death.

Ἐπὶ πᾶσιν δὲ τούτοις ὄγδοον πνεῦμα τοῦ ὕπνου ἐστί, μεθ' οὗ ἐκτίσθη ἔκστασις φύσεως καὶ εἰκὼν τοῦ θανάτου. (11557)

23With these spirits are mingled the spirits of error.

Τούτοις τοῖς πνεύμασι συμμίγνυται τὰ πνεύματα τῆς πλάνης. (6225)

24First, the spirit of fornication is seated in the nature and in the senses;

Πρῶτον τὸ τῆς πορνείας πνεῦμα ἐν τῇ φύσει καὶ ταῖς αἰσθήσεσιν ἔγκειται. (6437)

25The second, the spirit of insatiableness in the belly;

Δεύτερον πνεῦμα ἀπληστείας γαστρός. (3219)

26The third, the spirit of fighting, in the liver and gall.

Τρίτον πνεῦμα μάχης ἐν τῷ ἥπατι καὶ ἐν τῇ χόλῃ. (4911)