XII.—The Testament of Benjamin Concerning a Pure Mind.

1. The record of the words of Benjamin, which he set forth to his sons, after he had lived a hundred and twenty years. And he kissed them, and said: As Isaac was born to Abraham in his hundredth year, so also was I to Jacob. Now since Rachel died in giving me birth, I had no milk; therefore I was suckled by Bilhah her handmaid. For Rachel remained barren for twelve years after that she had borne Joseph: and she prayed the Lord with fasting twelve days, and she conceived and bare me. For our father loved Rachel dearly, and prayed that he might see two sons born from her: therefore was I called the son of days, which is Benjamin.  1  The ordinary theory as to the meaning of Benjamin is comparatively late, and seems doubtful. The Targum Jerushalmi (on Gen. xxxv. 18), and the Breshith Rabba, § 82, make Benjamin and Benoni synonymous. Cf. Josephus, Antiq., i. 21. 3; Cyril, Glaph. in Gen., lib. iv. With the view mentioned in the text, cf. Arethas on Rev. vii. 8 (Cramer’s Catena, viii. 289).

2. When therefore I went into Egypt, and Joseph my brother recognised me, he said unto me, What did they tell my father in that they sold me? And I said unto him, They dabbled thy coat with blood and sent it, and said, Look if this is the coat of thy son. And he said to me, Even so, brother; for when the Ishmaelites took me, one of them stripped off my coat, and gave me a girdle, and scourged me, and bade me run. And as he went away to hide my garment, a lion met him, and slew him; and so his fellows were afraid, and sold me to their companions.

3. Do ye also therefore, my children, love the Lord God of heaven, and keep His commandments, and be followers of the good and holy man Joseph; and let your mind be unto good, even as ye know me. He that hath his mind good seeth all things rightly. Fear ye the Lord, and love your neighbour; and even though the spirits of Beliar allure you into all troublous wickedness, yet shall no troublous wickedness have dominion over you, even as it had not over Joseph my brother. How many men wished to slay him, and God shielded him! For he that feareth God and loveth his neighbour cannot be smitten by Beliar’s spirit of the air, being shielded by the fear of God; nor can he be ruled over by the device of men or of beasts, for he is aided by the love of the Lord which he hath towards his neighbour. For he even besought our father Jacob that he would pray for our brethren, that the Lord would not impute to them the evil that they devised concerning Joseph. And thus Jacob cried out, My child Joseph, thou hast prevailed over the bowels of thy father Jacob. And he embraced him, and kissed him for two hours, saying, In thee shall be fulfilled the prophecy of heaven concerning the Lamb of God, even the Saviour of the world, that spotless shall He be delivered up for transgressors, and sinless  2  This would seem to be the earliest instance of the application of the word ἀναμάρτητος to our Lord. shall He be put to death for ungodly men in the blood of the covenant, for the salvation  3  [How could any Christian more fully testify to the Nicene Faith? So the Gloria in Excelsis.] of the Gentiles and of Israel, and shall destroy Beliar, and them that serve him.

4. Know ye, my children, the end of the good man? Be followers of his compassion in a good mind, that ye also may wear crowns of glory. The good man hath not a dark eye; for he showeth mercy to all men, even though they be sinners, even though they devise evil concerning him. So he that doeth good overcometh the evil, being shielded by Him that is good; and he loveth the righteous as his own soul. If any one is glorified, he envieth him not; if any one is enriched, he is not jealous; if any one is valiant, he praiseth him; he trusteth and laudeth him that is sober-minded; he showeth mercy to the poor; he is kindly disposed toward the weak; he singeth the praises of God; as for him who hath the fear of God, he protecteth him as with a shield; him that loveth God he aideth; him that rejecteth the Most High he admonisheth and turneth back; and him that hath the grace of a good spirit, he loveth even as his own soul.

5. If ye have a good mind, my children, then will both wicked men be at peace with you, and the profligate will reverence you and turn unto good; and the covetous shall not only cease from their inordinate desire, but shall even give the fruits of their covetousness to them that are afflicted. If ye do well, even the unclean spirits shall flee from you; yea, the very beasts shall flee from you in dread. For where the reverence for good works is present unto the mind, darkness fleeth away from him. For if any one is injurious to a holy man, he repenteth; for the holy man showeth pity on his reviler, and holdeth his peace. And if any one betray a righteous soul, and the righteous man, though praying, be humbled for a little while, yet not long after he appeareth far more glorious, even as was Joseph my brother.

6. The mind of the good man is not in the power of the deceit of the spirit of Beliar, for the angel of peace guideth his soul. He gazeth not passionately on corruptible things, nor gathereth together riches unto desire of pleasure; he delighteth not in pleasure, he hurteth not his neighbour, he pampereth not himself with food, he erreth not in the pride of his eyes, for the Lord is his portion. The good mind admitteth not the glory and dishonour of men, neither knoweth it any guile or lie, fighting or reviling; for the Lord dwelleth in him and lighteth up his soul, and he rejoiceth towards all men at every time. The good mind hath not two tongues, of blessing and of cursing, of insult and of honour, of sorrow and of joy, of quietness and of trouble, of hypocrisy and of truth, of poverty and of wealth; but it hath one disposition, pure and uncorrupt, concerning all men. It hath no double sight,  4  [Matt. vi. 22; Luke xi. 34.] nor double hearing; for in everything which he doeth, or speaketh, or seeth, he knoweth that the Lord watcheth his soul, and he cleanseth his mind that he be not condemned by God and men. But of Beliar every work is twofold, and hath no singleness.

7. Flee ye therefore, my children, the evil-doing of Beliar; for it giveth a sword to them that obeyeth, and the sword is the mother of seven evils. First the mind conceiveth through Beliar, and first there is envy; secondly, desperation; thirdly, tribulation; fourthly, captivity; fifthly, neediness; sixthly, trouble; seventhly, desolation. Therefore also Cain is delivered over to seven vengeances by God, for in every hundred years the Lord brought one plague upon him. Two hundred years he suffered, and in the nine hundredth year he was brought to desolation at the flood, for Abel his righteous brother’s sake. In seven  5  For ἑπτακοσίοις ἔτεσιν the Ox. ms. reads simply ἑπτά. hundred years was Cain judged, and Lamech in seventy times seven; because for ever those who are likened unto Cain in envy unto hatred of brethren shall be judged with the same punishment.

8. Do ye also therefore, my children, flee ill-doing, envy, and hatred of brethren, and cleave to goodness and love. He that hath a pure mind in love, looketh not after a woman unto fornication; for he hath no defilement in his heart, because the Spirit of God resteth in him. For as the sun is not defiled by shining over dung and mire, but rather drieth up both and driveth away the ill smell: so also the pure mind, constrained among the defilements of the earth, rather edifieth, and itself suffereth no defilement.

9. Now I suppose, from the words of the righteous Enoch, that there will be also evil-doings among you: for ye will commit fornication with the fornication of Sodom, and shall perish all save a few, and will multiply inordinate lusts with women; and the kingdom of the Lord shall not be among you, for forthwith He will take it away. Nevertheless the temple of God shall be built in your portion, and shall be glorious among you. For He shall take it, and the twelve tribes shall be gathered together there, and all the Gentiles, until the Most High shall send forth His salvation in the visitation of His only-begotten one. And He shall enter into the front  6  This would seem to be the meaning of πρῶτος ναός. of the temple, and there shall the Lord be treated with outrage, and He shall be lifted up upon a tree. And the veil of the temple shall be rent, and the Spirit of God shall descend upon the Gentiles as fire poured forth. And He shall arise from the grave, and shall ascend from earth into heaven: and I know how lowly He shall be upon the earth, and how glorious in the heaven.

10. Now when Joseph was in Egypt, I longed to see his visage and the form of his countenance; and through the prayers of Jacob my father I saw him, while awake in the daytime, in his full and perfect shape. Know ye therefore, my children, that I am dying. Work therefore truth and righteousness each one with his neighbour, and judgment unto faithful doing, and keep the law of the Lord and His commandments; for these things do I teach you instead of all inheritance. Do ye also therefore give them to your children for an everlasting possession; for so did both Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. All these things they gave us for an inheritance, saying, Keep the commandments of God until the Lord shall reveal His salvation to all nations. Then shall ye see Enoch, Noah, and Shem, and Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, arising on the right hand in gladness. Then shall we also arise, each one over our tribe, worshipping the King of heaven, who appeared upon the earth in the form of a man of humility. And as many as believed on Him on the earth shall rejoice with Him;  7  [Rev. xx. 5, 6. See p. 25, note 4, supra.] and then shall all men arise, some unto glory and some unto shame. And the Lord shall judge Israel first, even for the wrong they did unto Him; for when He appeared as a deliverer, God in the flesh, they believed Him not. And then shall He judge all the Gentiles, as many as believed Him not when He appeared upon earth. And He shall reprove Israel among the chosen ones of the Gentiles, even as He reproved Esau among the Midianites, who deceived their brethren, so that they fell into fornication and idolatry; and they were alienated from God, and became as they that were no children in the portion of them that fear the Lord. But if ye walk in holiness in the presence of the Lord, ye shall dwell in hope again in me, and all Israel shall be gathered unto the Lord.

11. And I shall no longer be called a ravening wolf  8  Gen. xlix. 27. This passage, referring to St. Paul (who was of the tribe of Benjamin, Rom. xi. 1; Phil. iii. 5), is quoted by Tertullian, Adversus Marcionem, v. 1. [See vol. iii. p. 430, this series.] on account of your ravages, but a worker of the Lord, distributing food to them that work what is good. And one  9  Compare Scorpiace, cap. 13 [with reference to Gen. xxv. 34 and xxvii. 25, vol. iii. p. 646, this series. Lardner adds Origen, Hom. in Ezech., iv. tom. iii. p. 731; Theodoret, in Gen. Quæst., cx. tom. i. p. 77; and Augustine, Serm., 279 (and passim), tom. v. ed. Benedict.]. shall rise up from my seed in the latter times, beloved of the Lord, hearing upon the earth His voice, enlightening with new knowledge all the Gentiles, bursting in upon Israel for salvation with the light of knowledge, and tearing it away from it like a wolf, and giving it to the synagogue of the Gentiles. And until the consummation of the ages shall he be in the synagogues of the Gentiles, and among their rulers, as a strain of music in the mouth of all;  10  [“Mel in ore, melos in aure, melodia in corde.”—St. Bernard.] and he shall be inscribed in the holy books, both his work and his word, and he shall be a chosen one of God for ever; and because of him my father Jacob instructed me, saying, He shall fill up that which lacketh of thy tribe.

12. And when he finished his words, he said: I charge you, my children, carry up my bones out of Egypt, and bury me at Hebron, near my fathers. So Benjamin died a hundred and twenty-five years old, in a good old age, and they placed him in a coffin. And in the ninety-first year of the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt, they and their brethren brought up the bones of their fathers secretly in a place which is called Canaan; and they buried them in Hebron, by the feet of their fathers. And they returned from the land of Canaan, and dwelt in Egypt until the day of their departing from the land of Egypt.

 ΔΙΑΘΗΚΗ ΒΕΝΙΑΜΙΝ ΙΒ ΠΕΡΙ ΔΙΑΝΟΙΑΣ ΚΑΘΑΡΑΣ 

[1] Ἀντίγραφον λόγων Βενιαμίν, ὧν διέθετο τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτοῦ, ζήσας ἔτη ἑκατὸν εἴκοσι. Καὶ φιλήσας αὐτούς, εἶπεν: Ὡς Ἰσαὰκ ἑκατοστῷ ἔτει ἐτέχθη τῷ Ἀβραάμ, οὕτως κἀγὼ τῷ Ἰακώβ. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν Ῥαχὴλ τέθνηκε γεννῶσά με, γάλα οὐκ ἔσχον, Βάλλαν οὖν τὴν παιδίσκην αὐτῆς ἐθήλασα. Ἡ γὰρ Ῥαχὴλ μετὰ τὸ τεκεῖν τὸν Ἰωσήφ, δώδεκα ἔτη ἐστείρευσε: καὶ προσηύξατο Κυρίῳ μετὰ νηστείας δώδεκα ἡμέρας: καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτεκέ με. Σφόδρα γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν ἠγάπα τὴν Ῥαχήλ, καὶ ηὔχετο δύο υἱοὺς ἰδεῖν ἀπ' αὐτῆς. Διὰ τοῦτο ἐκλήθην υἱὸς ἡμερῶν, ὅ ἐστι Βενιαμίν.

[2] Ὅτε οὖν εἰσῆλθον εἰς Αἴγυπτον, καὶ ἀνεγνώρισέ με Ἰωσὴφ ὁ ἀδελφός μου, λέγει μοι: Τί εἶπον τῷ πατρί μου, ὅτι ἐπώλησάν με; Καὶ εἶπον αὐτῷ ὅτι ἔφυραν τὸν χιτῶνά σου αἵματι, καὶ πέμψαντες εἶπον: Ἐπίγνωθι εἰ ὁ χιτὼν τοῦ υἱοῦ σου οὗτος. Καὶ λέγει μοι: Ναί, ἄδελφε: καὶ γὰρ ὅτε ἔλαβόν με οἱ Ἰσμαηλῖται, εἷς ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀποδύσας με τὸν χιτῶνα, ἔδωκέ μοι περίζωμα, καὶ φραγελλώσας με εἶπε τρέχειν. Ἐν δὲ τῷ ὑπάγειν αὐτὸν κρύψαι τὸ ἱμάτιόν μου, ὑπήντησεν αὐτῷ λέων καὶ ἀνεῖλεν αὐτόν. Καὶ οὕτως οἱ μέτοχοι φοβηθέντες διαπωλοῦσί με τοῖς ἑτέροις αὐτῶν.

[3] Καὶ ὑμεῖς οὖν, τέκνα μου, ἀγαπήσατε Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ φυλάξατε ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ, μιμούμενοι τὸν ἀγαθὸν καὶ ὅσιον ἄνδρα Ἰωσήφ. Καὶ ἔστω ἡ διάνοια ὑμῶν εἰς τὸ ἀγαθόν, ὡς κἀμὲ οἴδατε. Ὁ ἔχων τὴν διάνοιαν ἀγαθὴν πάντα βλέπει ὀρθῶς. Φοβεῖσθε Κύριον, καὶ ἀγαπᾶτε τὸν πλησίον: καὶ ἐὰν τὰ πνεύματα τοῦ Βελίαρ εἰς πᾶσαν πονηρίαν θλίψεως ἐξαιτήσωνται ὑμᾶς, οὐ μὴ κατακυριεύσῃ ὑμῶν πᾶσα πονηρία θλίψεως, ὡς οὐδὲ Ἰωσὴφ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μου. Πόσοι τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἠθέλησαν ἀνελεῖν αὐτόν, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἐσκέπασεν αὐτόν; Ὁ γὰρ φοβούμενος τὸν Θεόν, καὶ ἀγαπῶν τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ, ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀερίου πνεύματος τοῦ Βελίαρ οὐ δύναται πληγῆναι, σκεπαζόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ φόβου τοῦ Θεοῦ: καὶ ὑπὸ ἐπιβουλῆς ἀνθρώπων ἢ θηρίων οὐ δύναται κυριευθῆναι, βοηθούμενος ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου ἀγάπης, ἧς ἔχει πρὸς τὸν πλησίον. Καὶ γὰρ ἐδεήθην τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἰακώβ, ἵνα προσεύξηται περὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν, ἵνα μὴ λογίσηται αὐτοῖς ὁ Κύριος, εἴτι ἐνεθυμήθησαν πονηρὸν περὶ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ οὕτως ἐβόα Ἰακώβ: Ὦ τέκνον Ἰωσήφ, ἐνίκησας τὰ σπλάγχνα Ἰακὼβ τοῦ πατρός σου. Καὶ περιλαβὼν αὐτόν, ἐπὶ δύο ὥρας κατεφίλει, λέγων: Πληρωθήσεται ἐν σοὶ προφητεία οὐρανοῦ περὶ τοῦ ἀμνοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ σωτῆρος τοῦ κόσμου, ὅτι ἄμωμος ὑπὲρ ἀνόμων παραδοθήσεται, καὶ ἀναμάρτητος ὑπὲρ ἀσεβῶν ἀποθανεῖται, ἐν αἵματι διαθήκης, ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ ἐθνῶν καὶ Ἰσραήλ, καὶ καταργήσει Βελίαρ καὶ τοὺς ὑπηρετοῦντας αὐτῷ.

[4] Εἴδετε, τέκνα, τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἀνδρὸς τὸ τέλος; μιμήσασθε ἐν ἀγαθῇ διανοίᾳ τὴν εὐσπλαγχνίαν αὐτοῦ, ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς στεφάνους δόξης φορέσητε. Ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἄνθρωπος οὐκ ἔχει σκοτεινὸν ὀφθαλμόν: ἐλεᾷ γὰρ πάντας, κἂν ὦσιν ἁμαρτωλοὶ, κἂν βουλεύωνται περὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς κακά. Οὕτως ὁ ἀγαθοποιῶν νικᾷ τὸ κακόν, σκεπαζόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ: τοὺς δὲ δικαίους ἀγαπᾷ, ὡς τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ. Ἐάν τις δοξάζηται, οὐ φθονεῖ: ἐάν τις πλουτῇ, οὐ ζηλοῖ: ἐάν τις ἀνδρεῖος, ἐπαινεῖ: τὸν σώφρονα πιστεύων ὑμνεῖ: τὸν πένητα ἐλεεῖ: τῷ ἀσθενεῖ συμπαθεῖ: τὸν Θεὸν ἀνυμνεῖ: τὸν ἔχοντα φόβον Θεοῦ, ὑπερασπίζει αὐτοῦ: τῷ ἀγαπῶντι τὸν Θεὸν συνεργεῖ: τὸν ἀθετοῦντα τὸν ὕψιστον νουθετῶν ἐπιστρέφει, καὶ τὸν ἔχοντα χάριν πνεύματος ἀγαθοῦ ἀγαπᾷ κατὰ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ.

[5] Ἐὰν ἔχητε ἀγαθὴν διάνοιαν, τέκνα, καὶ οἱ πονηροὶ ἄνθρωποι εἰρηνεύσωσιν ὑμῖν, καὶ οἱ ἄσωτοι αἰδεσθέντες ὑμᾶς ἐπιστρέψουσιν εἰς ἀγαθόν, καὶ οἱ πλεονέκται οὐ μόνον ἀποστήσονται τοῦ πάθους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τῆς πλεονεξίας δώσουσι τοῖς θλιβομένοις. Ἐὰν ἦτε ἀγαθοποιοῦντες, καὶ τὰ ἀκάθαρτα πνεύματα φεύξεται ἀφ' ὑμῶν, καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ θηρία φεύξεται ἀφ' ὑμῶν φοβηθέντες. Ὅπου γὰρ ἔνι φόβος ἀγαθῶν ἔργων εἰς διάνοιαν, τὸ σκότος ἀποδιδράσκει αὐτοῦ. Ἐὰν γὰρ ὑβρίσῃ τις ἄνδρα ὅσιον, μετανοεῖ: ἐλεεῖ γὰρ ὁ ὅσιος τὸν λοίδωρον, καὶ σιωπᾷ. Κἄν τις ψυχὴν δικαίαν προδοίη, καὶ ὁ δίκαιος προσευχόμενος πρὸς ὀλίγον ταπεινωθῇ, μεθ' οὗ πολὺ φαιδρότερος ἀναφαίνεται, οἷος γέγονεν Ἰωσὴφ ὁ ἀδελφός μου.

[6] Τὸ διαβούλιον τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἀνδρὸς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν χειρὶ πλάνης πνεύματος Βελίαρ: ὁ γὰρ ἄγγελος τῆς εἰρήνης ὁδηγεῖ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ. Οὐχ ὁρᾷ ἐμπαθῶς τοῖς φθαρτοῖς, οὐδὲ συνάγει πλοῦτον εἰς φιληδονίαν: οὐ τέρπεται ἡδονῇ, οὐ λυπεῖ τὸν πλησίον, οὐκ ἐμπιπλᾶται τροφῆς, οὐ πλανᾶται μετεωρισμοῖς ὀφθαλμῶν: Κύριος γάρ ἐστι μερὶς αὐτοῦ. Τὸ ἀγαθὸν διαβούλιον οὐκ ἐπιδέχεται δόξης καὶ ἀτιμίας ἀνθρώπων, καὶ πάντα δόλον ἢ ψεῦδος, μάχην καὶ λοιδωρίαν οὐκ οἶδε. Κύριος γὰρ ἐν αὐτῷ κατοικεῖ, καὶ φωτίζει τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ χαίρει πρὸς πάντας ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ. Ἡ ἀγαθὴ διάνοια οὐκ ἔχει δύο γλώσσας, εὐλογίας καὶ κατάρας, ὕβρεως καὶ τιμῆς, λύπης καὶ χαρᾶς, ἡσυχίας καὶ ταραχῆς, ὑποκρίσεως καὶ ἀληθείας, πενίας καὶ πλούτου: ἀλλὰ μίαν ἔχει περὶ πάντας εἰλικρινῆ καθαρὰν διάθεσιν. Οὐκ ἔχει ὅρασιν, οὐδὲ ἀκοὴν διπλῆν: πᾶν γάρ, ὃ ποιεῖ, ἢ λαλεῖ, ἢ ὁρᾷ, οἶδεν ὅτι Κύριος ἐπισκέπτει ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ καθαίρει τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτοῦ, πρὸς τὸ μὴ καταγνωσθῆναι ὑπὸ Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων: καὶ τοῦ Βελίαρ δὲ πᾶν ἔργον διπλοῦν ἐστι, καὶ οὐκ ἔχει ἁπλότητα.

[7] Διὰ τοῦτο, τέκνα μου, φεύγετε τὴν κακίαν τοῦ Βελίαρ, ὅτι μάχαιραν δίδωσι τοῖς πειθομένοις αὐτῇ. Ἡ δὲ μάχαιρα ἑπτὰ κακῶν μήτηρ ἐστί. Πρῶτον συλλαμβάνει ἡ διάνοια διὰ τοῦ Βελίαρ: ἔστι δὲ πρῶτος ὁ φθόνος: δεύτερον ἀπώλεια: τρίτον θλῖψις: τέταρτον αἰχμαλωσία: πέμπτον ἔνδεια: ἕκτον ταραχή: ἕβδομον ἐρήμωσις. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Κάιν ἑπτὰ ἐκδικίαις παραδίδοται ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ: κατὰ γὰρ ἑκατὸν ἔτη μίαν πληγὴν ἐπήγαγεν αὐτῷ ὁ Κύριος. Διακοσίων ἐτῶν πάσχει, καὶ ἐννακοσιοστῷ ἔτει ἐρημοῦται ἐπὶ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ διὰ Ἄβελ τὸν δίκαιον ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ. Ἐν τοῖς ἑπτακοσίοις ἔτεσιν ὁ Κάιν ἐκρίνετο, ὁ δὲ Λάμεχ ἐν τοῖς ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά: ὅτι ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος οἱ ὁμοιούμενοι τῷ Κάιν ἐν φθόνῳ εἰς τὴν μισαδελφίαν τῇ αὐτῇ κολάσει κριθήσονται.

[8] Καὶ ὑμεῖς οὖν, τέκνα μου, ἀποδράσατε τὴν κακίαν, φθόνον τε καὶ τὴν μισαδελφίαν, καὶ προσκολλᾶσθε τῇ ἀγαθότητι καὶ τῇ ἀγάπῃ. Ὁ ἔχων διάνοιαν καθαρὰν ἐν ἀγάπῃ οὐχ ὁρᾷ γυναῖκα εἰς πορνείαν: οὐ γὰρ ἔχει μιασμὸν ἐν καρδίᾳ, ὅτι ἀναπαύεται ἐν αὐτῷ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ ἥλιος οὐ μιαίνεται προσέχων ἐπὶ κόπρον καὶ βόρβορον, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἀμφότερα ψύγει, καὶ ἀπελαύνει τὴν δυσωδίαν, οὕτω καὶ ὁ καθαρὸς νοῦς ἐν τοῖς μιασμοῖς τῆς γῆς συνεχόμενος μᾶλλον οἰκοδομεῖ, αὐτὸς δὲ οὐ μιαίνεται.

[9] Ὑπονοῶ δὲ καὶ πράξεις ἐν ὑμῖν οὐ καλὰς ἔσεσθαι, ἀπὸ λόγων Ἐνὼχ τοῦ δικαίου. Πορνεύσετε γὰρ πορνείαν Σοδόμων, καὶ ἀπώλησθε ἕως βραχύ, καὶ ἀνανεώσησθε ἐν γυναιξὶ στρίνους, καὶ ἡ βασιλεία Κυρίου οὐκ ἔσται ἐν ὑμῖν: ὅτι εὐθὺς αὐτὸς λήψεται αὐτήν. Πλὴν ἐν μερίδι ὑμῶν γενήσεται ὁ ναὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἔνδοξος ἔσται ἐν ὑμῖν. Ὅτι αὐτὸς λήψεται αὐτήν, καὶ δώδεκα φυλαὶ ἐκεῖ συναχθήσονται, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη: ἕως οὗ ὁ ὕψιστος ἀποστείλῃ τὸ σωτήριον αὐτοῦ, ἐν ἐπισκοπῇ μονογενοῦς. Καὶ εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὸν πρῶτον ναόν, καὶ ἐκεῖ Κύριος ὑβρισθήσεται, καὶ ἐξουθενωθήσεται, καὶ ἐπὶ ξύλου ὑψωθήσεται. Καὶ ἔσται τὸ ἅπλωμα τοῦ ναοῦ σχιζόμενον, καὶ καταβήσεται τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπὶ τὰ ἔθνη, ὡς πῦρ ἐκχυνόμενον. Καὶ ἀνελθὼν ἐκ τοῦ ᾅδου, ἔσται ἀναβαίνων ἀπὸ γῆς εἰς οὐρανόν. Ἔγνω δὲ οἷος ἔσται ταπεινὸς ἐπὶ γῆς, καὶ οἷος ἔνδοξος ἐν οὐρανῷ.

[10] Ὅτι δὲ Ἰωσὴφ ἦν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, ἐπεθύμουν ἰδεῖν τὴν εἰδέαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μορφὴν τῆς ὄψεως αὐτοῦ: καὶ δι' εὐχῶν Ἰακὼβ τοῦ πατρός μου εἶδον αὐτόν, ἐν ἡμέρᾳ γρηγορῶν, καθ' ὃ ἦν πᾶσα ἡ εἰδέα αὐτοῦ. Γινώσκετε οὖν, τέκνα μου, ὅτι ἀποθνήσκω. Ποιήσατε οὖν ἀλήθειαν καὶ δικαιοσύνην ἕκαστος μετὰ τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ, καὶ κρῖμα εἰς πιστοποίησιν, καὶ τὸν νόμον Κυρίου καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ φυλάξατε: ταῦτα γὰρ ὑμᾶς ἀντὶ πάσης κληρονομίας διδάσκω. Καὶ ὑμεῖς οὖν δότε αὐτὰ τοῖς τέκνοις ὑμῶν εἰς κατάσχεσιν αἰώνιον. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐποίησαν καὶ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακώβ. Πάντα ταῦτα ἡμᾶς κατεκληρονόμησαν, εἰπόντες: Φυλάξατε τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἕως ὅτε ὁ Κύριος ἀποκαλύψῃ τὸ σωτήριον αὐτοῦ πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι. Τότε ὄψεσθε Ἐνὼχ Νῶε καὶ Σὴμ καὶ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ ἀνισταμένους ἐκ δεξιῶν ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει. Τότε καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀναστησόμεθα, ἕκαστος ἐπὶ σκῆπτρον ἡμῶν, προσκυνοῦντες τὸν βασιλέα τῶν οὐρανῶν, τὸν ἐπὶ γῆς φανέντα μορφῇ ἀνθρώπου ταπεινώσεως. Καὶ ὅσοι ἐπίστευσαν αὐτῷ ἐπὶ γῆς, συγχαρίσονται αὐτῷ: τότε καὶ πάντες ἀναστήσονται, οἱ μὲν εἰς δόξαν, οἱ δὲ εἰς ἀτιμίαν. Καὶ κρινεῖ Κύριος ἐν πρώτοις τὸν Ἰσραήλ, περὶ τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν ἀδικίας, ὅτι παραγενάμενον Θεὸν ἐν σαρκὶ ἐλευθερωτὴν οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν. Καὶ τότε κρινεῖ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, ὅσα οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν αὐτῷ ἐπὶ γῆς φανέντι: καὶ ἐλέγξει ἐν τοῖς ἐκλεκτοῖς τῶν ἐθνῶν τὸν Ἰσραήλ, ὥσπερ ἤλεγξε τὸν Ἡσαῦ ἐν τοῖς Μαδιναίοις, τοῖς ἀπατήσασιν ἀδελφοὺς αὐτῶν γενέσθαι διὰ τῆς πορνείας, καὶ τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας: καὶ ἀπηλλοτριώθησαν Θεοῦ, γενόμενοι οὐ τέκνα ἐν μερίδι φοβουμένων Κύριον: ὑμεῖς δὲ ἐὰν πορεύεσθε ἐν ἁγιασμῷ κατὰ πρόσωπον Κυρίου, πάλιν κατοικήσετε ἐπ' ἐλπίδι ἐν ἐμοί: καὶ συναχθήσεται πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ πρὸς Κύριον.

[11] Καὶ οὐκέτι κληθήσομαι λύκος ἅρπαξ διὰ τὰς ἁρπαγὰς ὑμῶν, ἀλλ' ἐργάτης Κυρίου, διαδιδὼν τροφὴν τοῖς ἐργαζομένοις τὸ ἀγαθόν: Καὶ ἀναστήσεται ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματός μου ἐν ὑστέροις καιροῖς ἀγαπητὸς Κυρίου, ἀκούων ἐπὶ γῆς φωνὴν αὐτοῦ, γνῶσιν καινὴν φωτίζων πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, φῶς γνώσεως ἐπεμβαίνων τῷ Ἰσραὴλ ἐν σωτηρίᾳ. καὶ ἁρπάζων ὡς λύκος ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ διδοὺς τῇ συναγωγῇ τῶν ἐθνῶν. Καὶ ἕως συντελείας τῶν αἰώνων ἔσται ἐν συναγωγαῖς ἐθνῶν καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἄρχουσιν αὐτῶν, ὡς μουσικὸν μέλος ἐν στόματι πάντων: καὶ ἐν βίβλοις ἁγίαις ἔσται ἀναγραφόμενος, καὶ τὸ ἔργον καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ: καὶ ἔσται ἐκλεκτὸς Θεοῦ ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος: καὶ δι' αὐτὸν συνέτισέ με Ἰακὼβ ὁ πατήρ μου, λέγων: Αὐτὸς ἀναπληρώσει τὰ ὑστερήματα τῆς φυλῆς σου.

[12] Καὶ ὡς ἐπλήρωσε τοὺς λόγους αὐτοῦ, εἶπεν: Ἐντέλλομαι ὑμῖν, τέκνα μου, ἀνενέγκατε τὰ ὀστᾶ μου ἐξ Αἰγύπτου, καὶ θάψατέ με εἰς Χεβρών, ἐγγὺς τῶν πατέρων μου. Καὶ ἀπέθανε Βενιαμὶν ἑκατὸν εἰκοσιπέντε ἐτῶν, ἐν γήρι καλῷ: καὶ ἔθηκαν αὐτὸν ἐν παραθήκῃ. Καὶ ἐνενηκοστῷ πρώτῳ ἔτει τῆς ἐξόδου τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου, αὐτοὶ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτῶν, ἀνήγαγον τὰ ὀστᾶ τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν ἐν κρυφῇ, ἐν τόπῳ λεγομένῳ Χαναάν: καὶ ἔθαψαν αὐτοὺς ἐν Χεβρών, παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν. Καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐπέστρεψαν ἐκ γῆς Χαναάν, καὶ ᾤκησαν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, ἕως ἡμέρας ἐξόδου αὐτῶν ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου.