V.—The Testament of Issachar Concerning Simplicity.

1. The record of the words of Issachar. He called his sons, and said to them: Hearken, my children, to Issachar your father; give ear to my words, ye who are beloved of the Lord. I was the fifth son born to Jacob, even the hire of the mandrakes.  1  See Gen. xxx. 14 sqq. For Reuben  2  The Cam. ms. reads ᾽Ιακώβ by an obvious error. brought in mandrakes from the field, and Rachel met him and took them. And Reuben wept, and at his voice Leah my mother came forth. Now these mandrakes were sweet-smelling apples which the land of Aram produced on high ground below a ravine of water. And Rachel said, I will not give them to thee, for they shall be to me instead of children. Now there were two apples; and Leah said, Let it suffice thee that thou hast taken the husband of my virginity: wilt thou also take these? And she said, Behold, let Jacob be to thee this night instead of the mandrakes of thy son. And Leah said to her, Boast not, and vaunt not thyself; for Jacob is mine, and I am the wife of his youth. But Rachel said, How so? for to me was he first espoused, and for my sake he served our father fourteen years. What shall I do to thee, because the craft and the subtlety of men are increased, and craft prospereth upon the earth? And were it not so, thou wouldest not now see the face of Jacob. For thou art not his wife, but in craft wert taken to him in my stead. And my father deceived me, and removed me on that night, and suffered me not to see him; for had I been there, it had not happened thus. And Rachel said, Take one mandrake, and for the other thou shalt hire him from me for one night. And Jacob knew Leah, and she conceived and bare me, and on account of the hire  3  Sachar. I was called Issachar.

2. Then appeared to Jacob an angel of the Lord, saying, Two children shall Rachel bear; for she hath refused company with her husband, and hath chosen continency. And had not Leah my mother given up the two apples for the sake of his company, she would have borne eight sons; and for this thing she bare six, and Rachel two: because on account of the mandrakes the Lord visited her. For He knew that for the sake of children she wished to company with Jacob, and not for lust of pleasure.  4  [Tobit viii. 7, 8.] For she went further, and on the morrow too gave up Jacob that she might receive also the other mandrake. Therefore the Lord hearkened to Rachel because of the mandrakes: for though she desired them, she ate them not, but brought them to the priest of the Most High who was at that time, and offered them up in the house of the Lord.

3. When, therefore, I grew up, my children, I walked in uprightness of heart, and I became a husbandman for my parents and my brethren, and I brought in fruits from the field according to their season; and my father blessed me, for he saw that I walked in simplicity. And I was not a busybody in my doings, nor malicious and slanderous against my neighbour. I never spoke against any one, nor did I censure the life of any man, but walked in the simplicity of my eyes. Therefore when I was thirty years old I took to myself a wife, for my labour wore away my strength, and I never thought upon pleasure with women; but through my labour my sleep sufficed me, and my father always rejoiced in my simplicity. For on whatever I laboured I offered first to the Lord, by the hands of the priests, of all my produce and all first-fruits; then to my father, and then took for myself. And the Lord increased twofold His benefits in my hands; and Jacob also knew that God aided my simplicity, for on every poor man and every one in distress I bestowed the good things of the earth in simplicity of heart.

4. And now hearken to me, my children, and walk in simplicity of heart, for I have seen in it all that is well-pleasing to the Lord. The simple coveteth not gold, defraudeth not his neighbour, longeth not after manifold dainties, delighteth not in varied apparel, doth not picture to himself to live a long life, but only waiteth for the will of God, and the spirits of error have no power against him. For he cannot allow within his mind a thought of female beauty, that he should not pollute his mind in corruption. No envy can enter into his thoughts, no jealousy melteth away his soul, nor doth he brood over gain with insatiate desire; for he walketh in uprightness of life, and beholdeth all things in simplicity, not admitting in his eyes malice from the error of the world, lest he should see the perversion of any of the commandments of the Lord.

5. Keep therefore the law of God, my children, and get simplicity, and walk in guilelessness, not prying over-curiously into the commands of God and the business of your neighbour; but love the Lord and your neighbour, have compassion on the poor and weak. Bow down your back unto husbandry, and labour in tillage of the ground in all manner of husbandry, offering gifts unto the Lord with thanksgiving; for with the first-fruits of the earth did the Lord bless me, even as He blessed all the saints from Abel even until now. For no other portion is given to thee than of the fatness of the earth, whose fruits are raised by toil; for our father Jacob blessed me with blessings of the earth and of first-fruits. And Levi and Judah were glorified by the Lord among the sons of Jacob; for the Lord made choice of them, and to the one He gave the priesthood, to the other the kingdom. Them therefore obey, and walk in the simplicity of your father; for unto Gad hath it been given to destroy the temptations that are coming upon Israel.

6. I know, my children, that in the last times your sons will forsake simplicity, and will cleave unto avarice, and leaving guilelessness will draw near to malice, and forsaking the commandments of the Lord will cleave unto Beliar, and leaving husbandry will follow after their wicked devices, and shall be dispersed among the Gentiles, and shall serve their enemies. And do you therefore command these things to your children, that if they sin they may the more quickly return to the Lord; for He is merciful, and will deliver them even to bring them back into their land.

7. I am a hundred and twenty-two years old, and I know not against myself a sin unto death. Except my wife, I have not known any woman. I never committed fornication in the haughtiness of my eyes; I drank not wine, to be led astray thereby; I coveted not any desirable thing that was my neighbour’s; guile never entered in my heart; a lie never passed through my lips; if any man grieved, I wept with him, and I shared my bread with the poor. I never ate alone; I moved no landmark; in all my days I wrought godliness and truth. I loved the Lord with all my strength; likewise also did I love every man even as my own children. So ye also do these things, my children, and every spirit of Beliar shall flee from you, and no deed of malicious men shall rule over you; and every wild beast shall ye subdue, having with yourselves the God of heaven walking with men in simplicity of heart.

And he commanded them that they should carry him up to Hebron, and bury him there in the cave with his fathers. And he stretched out his feet and died, the fifth son of Jacob, in a good old age; and with every limb sound, and with strength unabated, he slept the eternal sleep.  5  [See Dan, note 12, p. 26, infra. “Eternal” ="long.”]

 ΔΙΑΘΗΚΗ ΙΣΑΧΑΡ ΠΕΡΙ ΑΠΛΟΤΗΤΟΣ 

[1] Ἀντίγραφον λόγων Ἰσάχαρ. Καλέσας τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ, εἶπεν αὐτοῖς: Ἀκούσατε, τέκνα, Ἰσάχαρ τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν, ἐνωτίσασθε ῥήματα, ἠγαπημένοι ὑπὸ Κυρίου. Ἐγὼ ἐτέχθην πέμπτος υἱὸς τῷ Ἰακώβ, ἐν μισθῷ τῶν μανδραγόρων. Ἰακὼβ γὰρ ἤνεγκε μανδραγόρους ἐκ τοῦ ἀγροῦ, καὶ προαπαντήσασα Ῥαχιὴλ ἔλαβεν αὐτούς. Ἔκλαιε δὲ Ῥουβήμ, καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ φωνῇ αὐτοῦ ἐξῆλθε Λία ἡ μήτηρ μου. Ταῦτα δὲ ἦσαν μῆλα εὐώδημα, ἃ ἐποίει ἡ γῆ Ἀρὰμ ἐν ὕψει ὑποκάτω φάραγγος ὑδάτων. Εἶπε δὲ Ῥαχήλ: Οὐ δώσω αὐτά σοι, ὅτι ἔσονταί μοι ἀντὶ τέκνων. Ἦσαν δὲ μῆλα δύο. Καὶ εἶπε Λία: Ἱκανούσθω σοι, ὅτι ἔλαβες τὸν ἄνδρα παρθενίας μου: μὴ καὶ ταῦτα λήψῃ; Ἡ δὲ εἶπεν: Ἰδού, ἔστω σοι Ἰακὼβ τὴν νύκτα ταύτην ἀντὶ τῶν μανδραγόρων τοῦ υἱοῦ σου. Εἶπε δὲ Λία πρὸς αὐτήν: Μὴ καυχῶ, καὶ μὴ δοξάζου: ἐμὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ Ἰακώβ, κἀγὼ γυνὴ νεότητος αὐτοῦ. Ἡ δὲ Ῥαχὴλ εἶπε: Τί οὖν; ὅτι ἐμοὶ πρῶτον ἥρμοσται, καὶ δι' ἐμὲ ἐδούλευσε τῷ πατρὶ ἡμῶν ἔτη δεκατέσσαρα. Τί σοι ποιήσω, ὅτι ἐπλήθυνεν ὁ δόλος καὶ ἡ πανουργία τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ὁ δόλος προχωρεῖ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Εἰ δὲ μή, οὐκ ἂν ᾖς σὺ ὁρῶσα πρόσωπον Ἰακώβ: οὐ γὰρ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ σὺ εἶ, ἀλλ' ἐν δόλῳ ἀντ' ἐμοῦ εἰσήχθης. Καὶ ἐπλάνησέ με ὁ πατήρ μου, καὶ μεταστήσας με τῇ νυκτὶ ἐκείνῃ, οὐκ εἴασέ με ἰδεῖν: ὅτι εἰ ἤμην ἐκεῖ, οὐκ ἐγίνετο τοῦτο. Καὶ εἶπε Ῥαχήλ: Λαβὲ ἕνα μανδραγόραν, καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ ἑνὸς ἐκμισθῶ σοι αὐτὸν ἐν μιᾷ νυκτί. Καὶ ἔγνω Ἰακὼβ τὴν Λίαν, καὶ συλλαβοῦσά με ἔτεκε: καὶ διὰ τὸν μισθὸν ἐκλήθην Ἰσάχαρ.

[2] Τότε ὤφθη τῷ Ἰακὼβ ἄγγελος Κυρίου λέγων ὅτι δύο τέκνα Ῥαχὴλ τέξεται, ὅτι διέπτυσε συνουσίαν ἀνδρός, καὶ ἐξελέξατο ἐγκράτειαν. Καὶ εἰ μὴ Λία ἡ μήτηρ μου ἀντὶ συνουσίας ἀπέδω τὰ δύο μῆλα, ὀκτὼ υἱοὺς εἶχε τεκεῖν: διὰ τοῦτο ἓξ ἔτεκε, τοὺς δὲ δύο Ῥαχήλ, ὅτι ἐν τοῖς μανδραγόροις ἐπεσκέψατο αὐτὴν Κύριος. Εἶδε γάρ, ὅτι διὰ τέκνα ἤθελε συνεῖναι τῷ Ἰακώβ, καὶ οὐ διὰ φιληδονίαν. Προσθῆσα γὰρ καὶ τῇ ἐπαύριον ἀπέδοτο τὸν Ἰακώβ, ἵνα λάβῃ καὶ τὸν ἄλλον μανδραγόρα. Διὰ τοῦτο ἐν τοῖς μανδραγόροις ἐπήκουσε Κύριος τῆς Ῥαχήλ: ὅτι καίγε ποθήσασα αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἔφαγεν, ἀλλὰ ἀνέθηκεν αὐτοὺς ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου, προσενέγκασα ἱερεῖ ὑψίστου, τῷ ὄντι ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ.

[3] Ὅτε οὖν ἡδρύνθην, τέκνα μου, ἐπορευόμην ἐν εὐθύτητι καρδίας, καὶ ἐγενόμην γεωργὸς τῶν πατέρων μου καὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου, καὶ ἔφερον καρποὺς ἐξ ἀγρῶν κατὰ καιρὸν αὐτῶν, καὶ εὐλόγησέ με ὁ πατήρ μου βλέπων, ὅτι ἐν ἁπλότητι πορεύομαι. Καὶ οὐκ ἤμην περίεργος ἐν ταῖς πράξεσί μου, οὐδὲ πονηρὸς καὶ βάσκανος τῷ πλησίον: οὐ κατελάλησά τινος, οὐδὲ ἔψεξα βίον ἀνθρώπου, πορευόμενος ἐν ἁπλότητι ὀφθαλμῶν. Διὰ τοῦτο τριάκοντα ἐτῶν ἔλαβον ἐμαυτῷ γυναῖκα, ὅτι ὁ κάματος κατήσθιε τὴν ἰσχύν μου: καὶ οὐκ ἐνενόουν ἡδονὴν γυναικός, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦ κόπου ὁ ὕπνος μου περιεγένετο, καὶ πάντοτε ἔχαιρεν ἐπὶ τῇ ἁπλότητί μου ὁ πατήρ μου. Εἴτι γὰρ ἔκαμνον, πᾶσαν ὀπώραν καὶ πᾶν πρωτογένημα πρῶτον διὰ τοῦ ἱερέως Κυρίῳ προσέφερον, ἔπειτα τῷ πατρί μου, καὶ τότε ἐγώ. Καὶ Κύριος ἐδιπλασίαζε τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἐν χερσί μου. Ἤιδει δὲ καὶ Ἰακώβ, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς συνεργεῖ τῇ ἁπλότητί μου: παντὶ γὰρ πένητι καὶ παντὶ θλιβομένῳ παρεῖχον τῆς γῆς τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἐν ἁπλότητι καρδίας.

[4] Καὶ νῦν ἀκούσατέ μου, τέκνα, καὶ πορεύεσθε ἐν ἁπλότητι καρδίας, ὅτι εἶδον ἐν αὐτῇ πᾶσαν εὐαρέστησιν Κυρίου. Ὁ ἁπλοῦς χρυσίον οὐκ ἐπιθυμεῖ, τὸν πλησίον οὐ πλεονεκτεῖ, βρωμάτων ποικίλων οὐκ ἐφίεται, ἐσθῆτα διάφορον οὐ θέλει, χρόνους μακροὺς οὐχ ὑπογράφει ζῆν, ἀλλὰ μόνον ἐκδέχεται τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ: καίγε τὰ πνεύματα τῆς πλάνης οὐδὲν ἰσχύουσι πρὸς αὐτόν. Οὐ γὰρ εἶδεν ἐπιδέξασθαι κάλλος θηλείας, ἵνα μὴ ἐν διαστροφῇ μιάνῃ τὸν νοῦν αὐτοῦ. οὐ ζῆλος ἐν διαβουλίοις αὐτοῦ ἐπελεύσεται: οὐ βασκανία ἐκτήκει ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ πορισμὸν ἐν ἀπληστείᾳ ἐννοεῖ: πορεύεται γὰρ ἐν εὐθύτητι ζωῆς, καὶ πάντα ὁρᾷ ἐν ἁπλότητι, μὴ ἐπιδεχόμενος ὀφθαλμοῖς πονηρίας ἀπὸ τῆς πλάνης τοῦ κόσμου, ἵνα μὴ ἴδῃ διεστραμμένως τι τῶν ἐντολῶν τοῦ Κυρίου.

[5] Φυλάξατε οὖν νόμον Θεοῦ, τέκνα μου, καὶ τὴν ἁπλότητα κτήσασθε, καὶ ἐν ἀκακίᾳ πορεύεσθε, μὴ περιεργαζόμενοι ἐντολὰς Κυρίου, καὶ τοῦ πλησίον τὰς πράξεις: ἀλλ' ἀγαπᾶτε Κύριον καὶ τὸν πλησίον, πένητα καὶ ἀσθενῆ ἐλεᾶτε. Ὑπόθετε τὸν νῶτον ὑμῶν εἰς τὸ γεωργεῖν, καὶ ἐργάζεσθε ἐν ἔργοις γῆς καθ' ἑκάστην γεωργείαν, δῶρα μετ' εὐχαριστείας Κυρίῳ προσφέροντες: ὅτι ἐν πρωτογενήμασι καρπῶν γῆς εὐλόγησε Κύριος, καθὼς εὐλόγησε πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους, ἀπὸ Ἄβελ ἕως τοῦ νῦν. Οὐ γὰρ δέδοταί σοι ἄλλη μερίς, ἢ τῆς πιότητος τῆς γῆς, ἧς ἐν πόνοις οἱ καρποί: ὅτι ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν Ἰακὼβ ἐν εὐλογίαις γῆς καὶ ἀπαρχῶν καρπῶν εὐλόγησέ με. Καὶ ὁ Λευὶ καὶ ὁ Ἰούδας ἐδοξάσθη παρὰ Κυρίου ἐν υἱοῖς Ἰακώβ. Καὶ γὰρ Κύριος ἐκλήρωσεν ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ τῷ μὲν ἔδωκε τὴν ἱερατείαν, τῷ δὲ τὴν βασιλείαν. Αὐτοῖς οὖν ὑπακούσατε, καὶ τῇ ἁπλότητι τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν περιπατήσατε: ὅτι καὶ τῷ Γὰδ ἐδόθη ἀπολέσαι τὰ πειρατήρια τὰ ἐπερχόμενα τῷ Ἰσραήλ.

[6] Οἶδα, τέκνα μου, ὅτι ἐν ἐσχάτοις καιροῖς καταλείψουσιν οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν τὴν ἁπλότητα, καὶ κολληθήσονται τῇ ἀπληστίᾳ: καὶ ἀφέντες τὴν ἀκακίαν, προσπελάσουσι τῇ κακουργίᾳ, καὶ καταλιπόντες τὰς ἐντολὰς Κυρίου, κολληθήσονται τῷ Βελίαρ: καὶ ἀφέντες τὸ γεώργειον, ἐξακολουθήσουσι τοῖς πονηροῖς διαβουλίοις αὐτῶν, καὶ διασπαρήσονται ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι, καὶ δουλεύσουσι τοῖς ἐχθροῖς αὐτῶν. Καὶ ὑμεῖς οὖν εἴπατε ταῦτα τοῖς τέκνοις ὑμῶν, ὅπως ἐὰν ἁμαρτήσωσι, τάχειον ἐπιστρέψουσι πρὸς Κύριον: ὅτι ἐλεήμων ἐστί, καὶ ἐξελεῖται αὐτούς, τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν.

[7] Ἑκατὸν εἰκοσιδύο ἐτῶν εἰμι ἐγώ: καὶ οὐκ ἔγνων ἐπ' ἐμὲ ἁμαρτίαν εἰς θάνατον. Πλὴν τῆς γυναικός μου, οὐκ ἔγνων ἄλλην: οὐκ ἐπόρνευσα ἐν μετεωρισμῷ ὀφθαλμῶν μου: οἶνον εἰς ἀποπλάνησιν οὐκ ἔπιον: πᾶν ἐπιθύμημα τοῦ πλησίον οὐκ ἐπόθησα: δόλος οὐκ ἐγένετο ἐν καρδίᾳ μου: ψεῦδος οὐκ ἀνῆλθε διὰ τῶν χειλέων μου. Παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ ὀδυνομένῳ συνεστέναξα, καὶ πτωχῷ μετέδωκα τὸν ἄρτον μου. Οὐκ ἔφαγον μόνος: ὅριον οὐκ ἔλυσα: εὐσέβειαν ἐποίησα ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἡμέραις μου καὶ ἀλήθειαν. Τὸν Κύριον ἠγάπησα ἐν πάσῃ τῇ ἰσχύι μου: ὁμοίως καὶ πάντα ἄνθρωπον ἠγάπησα, ὡς τέκνα μου. Ταῦτα καὶ ὑμεῖς ποιήσατε, τέκνα μου, καὶ πᾶν πνεῦμα τοῦ Βελίαρ φεύξεται ἀφ' ὑμῶν, καὶ πᾶσα πρᾶξις πονηρῶν ἀνθρώπων οὐ κυριεύσει ὑμῶν: καὶ πάντα ἄγριον θῆρα καταδουλώσεσθε, ἔχοντες μεθ' ἑαυτῶν τὸν Θεὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, συμπορευόμενον τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐν ἁπλότητι καρδίας. Καὶ ἐνετείλατο αὐτοῖς, ὅπως ἀναγάγωσιν αὐτὸν ἐν Χεβρών, κἀκεῖ αὐτὸν θάψωσιν ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ μετὰ τῶν πατέρων αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἐξέτεινε τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπέθανε πέμπτος ἐν γήρι καλῷ, πᾶν μέλος ἔχων ὑγιές, καὶ ἰσχύων ὕπνωσεν ὕπνον αἰώνιον.