Testament of Zebulun 2

1AND now children, I you (sic) to keep the commands of the Lord, and to show mercy to your neighbours, and to have compassion towards all, not towards men only, but also towards beasts.

Καὶ νῦν, τέκνα μου, παραγγέλλω ὑμῖν τοῦ φυλάσσειν τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ ποιεῖν ἔλεος ἐπὶ τὸν πλησίον, καὶ εὐσπλαγχνίαν ἔχειν πρὸς πάντας οὐ μόνον ἐν ἀνθρώποις, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν ἀλόγοις ζῴοις. (16549)

2For all this thing's sake the Lord blessed me, and when all my brethren were sick, I escaped without sickness, for the Lord knoweth the purposes of each.

Διὰ γὰρ ταῦτα εὐλόγησέ με ὁ Κύριος· καὶ πάντων τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου ἀσθενούντων ἐγὼ ἄνοσος παρῆλθον· οἶδε γὰρ Κύριος ἑκάστου τὴν προαίρεσιν. (13774)

3Have, therefore, compassion in your hearts, my children, because even as a man doeth to his neighbour, even so also will the Lord do to him.

Ἔχετε οὖν ἔλεος ἐν σπλάγχνοις ὑμῶν, ὅτι εἴ τι ἂν ποιήσῃ τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ, οὕτω Κύριος ποιήσει μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ. (12454)

4For the sons of my brethren were sickening and were dying on account of Joseph, because they showed not mercy in their hearts; but my sons were preserved without sickness, as ye know.

Καὶ γὰρ υἱοὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου ἠσθένουν καὶ ἀπέθνησκον διὰ Ἰωσήφ, ὅτι οὐκ ἐποίησαν ἔλεος ἐν σπλάγχνοις αὐτῶν· οἱ δὲ ἐμοὶ υἱοὶ ἄνοσοι διεφυλάχθησαν καθὼς οἴδατε. (15321)

5And when I was in the land of Canaan, by the sea-coast, I made a catch of fish for Jacob my father; and when many were choked in the sea, I continued unhurt.

Καὶ ὅτε ἤμην ἐν γῇ Χαναὰν εἰς τὴν παραλίαν ἐθήρευον θήραν Ἰακὼβ τῷ πατρί μου, καὶ πολλῶν ἀγχομένων ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ, ἐγὼ ἀβλαβὴς διέμενον. (10684)

6I was the first to make a boat to sail upon the sea, for the Lord gave me understanding and wisdom therein.

Πρῶτος οὖν ἐγὼ ἐποίησα σκάφος ἐπιπλέειν ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ, ὅτι Κύριος ἔδωκέ μοι σύνεσιν καὶ σοφίαν ἐν αὐτῷ. (10797)

7And I let down a rudder behind it, and I stretched a sail upon another upright piece of wood in the midst.

Καὶ καθῆκα ξύλον ὄπισθεν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὀθόνην ἐξέτεινα ἐν ἑτέρῳ ξύλῳ ὀρθῷ ἐν μέσῳ. (7653)

8And I sailed therein along the shores, catching fish for the house of my father until we came to Egypt.

Καὶ ἤμην ἐν αὐτῷ διαπορευόμενος τοὺς αἰγιαλούς, ἁλιεύων ἰχθύας τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ πατρός μου ἕως ὅτου ἤλθομεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον. (14226)

9And through compassion I shared my catch with every stranger.

Καὶ ἐκ τῆς θήρας μου παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ ξένῳ σπλαγχνιζόμενος μετεδίδουν. (6892)

10And if a man were a stranger, or sick, or aged, I boiled the fish, and dressed them well, and offered them to all men, as every man had need, grieving with and having compassion upon them.

Εἰ δὲ ἦν ξένος, ἢ νοσῶν, ἢ γηράσας, ἐψήσας τοὺς ἰχθύας, καὶ ποιήσας αὐτὰ ἀγαθῶς κατὰ τὴν ἑκάστου χρείαν προσέφερον πᾶσι, συναλγῶν καὶ συμπάσχων. (15635)

11Wherefore also the Lord satisfied me with abundance of fish when catching fish; for he that shareth with his neighbour receiveth manifold more from the Lord.

Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Κύριος πολλοὺς ἰχθύας ἐνέπλησέ με ἐν τῇ ἄγρᾳ τῶν ἰχθύων. Ὁ γὰρ μεταδιδοὺς τῷ πλησίον, λαμβάνει πολλαπλασίονα παρὰ Κυρίου. (12801)

12For five years I caught fish and gave thereof to every man whom I saw, and sufficed for all the house of my father.

Πέντε οὖν ἔτη ἡλίευσα, παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ ὃν ἑώρακειν μεταδιδούς, καὶ παντὶ τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ πατρός μου ἐξαρκῶν. (11892)

13And in the summer I caught fish, and in the winter I kept sheep with my brethren.

Καὶ τὸ μὲν θέρος ἡλίευον, ἐν τῷ χειμῶνι δὲ ἐποίμαινον μετὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου. (7914)

14Now I will declare unto you what I did.

Νῦν ἀναγγελῶ ὑμῖν ἃ ἐποίησα. (2268)

15I saw a man in distress through nakedness in wintertime, and had compassion upon him, and stole away a garment secretly from my father's house, and gave it to him who was in distress.

Εἶδον θλιβόμενον ἐν γυμνότητι χειμῶνος, καὶ σπλαγχνισθεὶς ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν, κλέψας ἱμάτιον ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός μου, κρυφέως ἔδωκα τῷ θλιβομένῳ. (15625)

16Do you, therefore, my children, from that which God bestoweth upon you, show compassion and mercy without hesitation to all men, and give to every man with a good heart.

Καὶ ὑμεῖς οὖν, τέκνα μου, ἐξ ὧν παρέχει ὑμῖν ὁ Θεός, ἀδιακρίτως πάντας σπλαγχνιζόμενοι ἐλεᾶτε, καὶ παρέχετε παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐν ἀγαθῇ καρδίᾳ. (11933)

17And if ye have not the wherewithal to give to him that needeth, have compassion for him in bowels of mercy.

Εἰ δὲ μὴ ἔχετε δοῦναι τῷ χρῄζοντι, συμπάσχετε αὐτῷ ἐν σπλάγχνοις ἐλέους. (9108)

18I know that my hand found not the wherewithal to give to him that needed, and I walked with him weeping for seven furlongs, and my bowels yearned towards him in compassion.

Οἶδα ὅτι ἡ χείρ μου οὐχ εὗρε ἐπιδοῦναι τῷ χρῄζοντι, καὶ ἐπὶ ἑπτὰ σταδίους συμπορευόμενος αὐτῷ ἔκλαιον· καὶ τὰ σπλάγχνα μου ἐστρέφετο ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ εἰς συμπάθειαν. (17156)

19Have, therefore, yourselves also, my children, compassion towards every man with mercy, that the Lord also may have compassion and mercy upon you.

Καὶ ὑμεῖς οὖν, τέκνα μου, ἔχετε εὐσπλαγχνίαν κατὰ παντὸς ἀνθρώπου ἐν ἐλέει, ἵνα καὶ ὁ Κύριος εἰς ὑμᾶς σπλαγχνισθεὶς ἐλεήσῃ ὑμᾶς. (11193)