The Testament Of Judah
1926 anthology, complete selected publisher reading text
Rutherford H. Platt
The Testament Of Judah
The Fourth Son of Jacob and Leah.
CHAP. I.
Judah, the fourth son of Jacob and Leah. He is the giant, athlete, warrior; he recounts heroic deeds. He runs so fast that he can outstrip a hind.
THE copy of the words of Judah, what things he spake to his sons before he died.
2 They gathered themselves together, therefore, and came to him, and he said to them: Hearken, my children, to Judah your father.
3 I was the fourth son born to my father Jacob; and Leah my mother named me Judah, saying, I give thanks to the Lord, because He hath given me a fourth son also.
4 I was swift in my youth, and obedient to my father in everything.
5 And I honoured my mother and my mother’s sister.
6 And it came to pass, when I became a man, that my father blessed me, saying, Thou shalt be a king, prospering in all things.
7 And the Lord showed me favour in all my works both in the field and in the house.
8 I know that I raced a hind, and caught it, and prepared the meat for my father, and he did eat.
9 And the roes I used to master in the chase, and overtake all that was in the plains.
10 A wild mare I overtook, and caught it and tamed it.
11 I slew a lion and plucked a kid out of its mouth.
12 I took a bear by its paw and hurled it down the cliff, and it was crushed.
13 I outran the wild boar, and seizing it as I ran, I tore it in sunder.
14 A leopard in Hebron leaped upon my dog, and I caught it by the tail, and hurled it on the rocks, and it was broken in twain
15 I found a wild ox feeding in the fields, and seizing it by the horns, and whirling it round and stunning it, I cast it from me and slew it.
16 And when the two kings of the Canaanites came sheathed, in armour against our flocks, and much people with them, single handed I rushed upon the king of Hazor, and smote him on the greives and dragged him down, and so I slew him.
17 And the other, the king of Tappuah, as he sat upon his horse, I slew, and so I scattered all his people.
18 Achor, the king, a man of giant stature, I found, hurling javelins before and behind as he sat on horseback, and I took up a stone of sixty pounds weight, and hurled it and smote his horse, and killed it.
19 And I fought with this other for two hours; and I clave his shield in twain, and I chopped off his feet, and killed him.
20 And as I was stripping off his breastplate, behold nine men his companions began to fight with me,
21 And I wound my garment on my hand; and I slung stones at them, and killed four of them, and the rest fled.
22 And Jacob my father slew Beelesath, king of all the kings, a giant in strength, twelve cubits high.
23 And fear fell upon them, and they ceased warring against us.
24 Therefore my father was free from anxiety in the wars when I was with my brethren.
25 For he saw in a vision concerning me that an angel of might followed me everywhere, that I should not be overcome.
26 And in the south there came upon us a greater war than that in Shechem; and I joined in battle array with my brethren, and pursued a thousand men, and slew of them two hundred men and four kings.
27 And I went up upon the wall, and I slew four mighty men.
28 And so we captured Hazor, and took all the spoil.
29 And the next day we departed to Aretan, a city strong and walled and inaccessible, threatening us with death.
30 But I and Gad approached on the east side of the city, and Reuben and Levi on the west.
31 And they that were upon the wall, thinking that we were alone, were drawn down against us.
32 And so my brothers secretly climbed up the wall on both sides by stakes, and entered the city, while the men knew it not.
33 And we took it with the edge of the sword.
34 And as for those who had taken refuge in the tower, we set fire to the tower and took both it and, them.
35 And as we were departing the men of Tappuah seized our spoil, and seeing this we fought with them.
36 And we slew them. all and recovered our spoil.