Joseph and Aseneth 1-15
I. It came to pass in the first year of the seven years of plenty, in the second month, that Pharaoh sent out Joseph to go round the whole land of Egypt. 2. And Joseph came, [1] in the fourth month of the first year, on the eighteenth day of the month, [2] into the district of Heliopolis. 3. And he was collecting all the corn of that land, as the sand of the sea. 4. Now there was in that city a man, a satrap of Pharaoh; and this man was the chief of all Pharaoh's satraps and lords. [3] 5. And he [4] was very rich, and wise, and generous, and he was Pharaoh's counsellor, and his name was Pentephres; and he was the priest of Heliopolis. [5] 6. And Pentephres had a virgin daughter of about eighteen years of age, tall and beautiful and graceful, more beautiful than any other virgin in the land. [6] 7. And she was quite unlike the daughters of the [7] Egyptians, but in every respect like the daughters [8] of the Hebrews. 8. And she was as tall as Sarah, and as beautiful as Rebecca, and as fair as Rachel; and this virgin's name was Aseneth. 9. And the fame of her beauty spread through all that land, even to its remotest corners; [9] and all the sons of the lords and of the satraps and of the kings sought her hand in marriage, young men all of them. 10. And there was great rivalry between them because of her, and they began to fight among themselves [10] because of Aseneth. 11. And Pharaoh's eldest son heard about her, and he begged his father to give her to him as his wife. 12. And he said to him, "Give me Aseneth the daughter of Pentephres the priest [11] of Heliopolis as my wife." And his father Pharaoh said to him, "Why should you want a wife of lower station than yourself? 12. Are you not king [12] of all the earth? [13] 14. No! See now, [14] the daughter of King Joakim [15]("\l "Notes1"") is betrothed to you, and she is a queen and very beautiful indeed: take her as your wife."
1. to go round . . . came: B om.
2. in the fourth . . . month: Slav. om.
3. and this man . . . lords: B om.
4. Lit. 'this man'.
5. B 'and Pentephres was the first man of Heliopolis'; D om.
6. Or 'upon the earth'.
7. d. of the: D om.
8. but . . . daughters = HA: BD Slav. 'and'.
9. even to . . . corners: Slav. om.
10. among themselves: B om.
11. B 'the first man'
12. So D: BE 'king as you are'; G 'For you are king'.
13. Or 'land'.
14. See now: D om.
15. So BD Slav.: FH 'of the king of Moab'; A 'of king Joachim of Moab'.
Return to Chapter 1 | Return to top("\l "top"")
II. Now Aseneth despised all men and regarded them with contempt; yet no man had ever seen her, for Pentephres had a tower in his house, and it was large and very high. 2. And the top storey had ten rooms in it. 3. The first room was large and pleasant; and it was paved with purple stones, and its walls were faced with precious stones of different kinds. 4. And the ceiling of that room was of gold; and within it [1] were ranged the innumerable gods of the Egyptians, in gold and silver. 5. And Aseneth worshipped all these; and she feared them and offered sacrifices to them. [2] 6. The second room contained all the finery for Aseneth's adornment and treasure chests. [3] 7. And there was much gold in it, and silver, and garments woven with gold, and precious stones of great price, and fine linens. 8. And all her girlish ornaments were there. [4] 9. The third room contained all the good things of the earth; [5] and it was Aseneth's store-house. 10. And seven virgins had the remaining seven rooms, one each. 11. And they used to wait on Aseneth, and were of the same age as she was, for they were all born on the same night as Aseneth; and they were very beautiful, like the stars of heaven, and no man or boy had ever had anything to do with them. 12. And Aseneth's large room, where she spent her time, [6] had three windows. 13. One window looked out over the courtyard to the east: the second looked to the north, onto the street; and the third to the south. 14. And a golden bed stood in the room, facing the east. 15. And the bed had a coverlet of purple woven with gold, embroidered with blue, and fine linen. 16. In this bed Aseneth used to sleep alone, and no man or woman ever [7] sat upon it, except Aseneth only. 17. And there was a great court all round the house, and a wall round the court, very high and built of great rectangular stones. 18. And there were four gates to the court, overlaid with iron; and eighteen strong young men-at-arms used to guard each one of them. 19. And along the wall inside the court every kind of beautiful tree that produces fruit had been planted; and the fruit on every one of them was ripe, for it was harvest time. 20. And on the right of the court there was an ever-bubbling [8] spring of water, and beneath the spring a great cistern [9]("\l "Notes2"") that received the water from the spring and out of which a river flowed through the middle of the court and watered all the trees in it.
1. Lit. 'that room'. 2. FH add 'daily'
3. In this verse the authorities differ not a little among themselves over the details, though without any change in the general sense.
4. Lit. 'And there was all the adornment of her virginity'.
5. Or 'land'
6. Lit. 'where her virginity was nurtured'.
7. So BH Slav.: D om.
8. Lit. 'rich': D om.
9. Slav. adds 'of marble'.
Return to Chapter 2 | Return to top("\l "top"")
III. And it came to pass [1] in the fourth month, on the eighteenth [2] day of the month, that Joseph came into the district of Heliopolis. [3] 2. And as he approached the city, Joseph sent twelve men in front of him to Pentephres, the priest of Heliopolis, saying, May I be your guest to-day, [4] for it is near noon and time for a mid-day meal? 3. The sun's heat is overpowering, and I would enjoy some refreshment under your roof. 4. When Pentephres heard this, he was overjoyed and said, 5. "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Joseph." And Pentephres called his steward [5] and said to him, 6. "Make haste and get my house into order, and prepare a great feast, because Joseph, the mighty man of God, is coming to us to-day. 7. And Aseneth heard that her father and mother had come back from their family estate in the country. [6] 8. And she rejoiced and said, I will go and see my father and my mother [7] for they have come back from their family estate in the country. 9. And Aseneth hurried [8] and put on a fine linen robe of blue woven with gold and a golden girdle round her waist, and she put [9]("\l "Notes3"") bracelets round her hands and feet, and she put on golden trousers and a necklace round her neck. 10. And there were precious stones all about her, with the names of Egyptian gods inscribed on them everywhere, on the bracelets and on the stones; and the names of the idols were stamped on the stones. 11. And she put a tiara on her head and bound a diadem round her temples and covered her head with a veil.
1. BH Slav. add 'in the first year of the seven years of plenty'.
2. So H Slav. Syr. Arm. Lat.: BDFA 'twenty eighth'.
3. B Slav. add 'and he was gathering the corn of that land' (Slav. + 'as the sand of the sea').
4. Lit. 'I will stay with you to-day'.
5. Lit. 'him who was over his house'.
6. Lit. 'the field of their inheritance'. And so similarly at iii.8, iv. 3, xvi.2, xx.5, xxiv.14, and xxvi.1.
7. and my mother: BF om.
8. B adds 'into the room where her robes lay'.
9. she put = Slav.: BD om.
Return to Chapter 3 | Return to top("\l "top"")
IV. And she hurried and came down by the staircase from her storey at the top; and she came to her father and mother and greeted them. 2. And it gave Pentephres and his wife great joy to see their daughter Aseneth adorned as the bride of God. And they took out all the good things they had brought from their estate in the country, and they gave them to their daughter. [1] 4. And Aseneth rejoiced at the good things, and at the fruit, the grapes and the dates, and at the doves and at the pomegranates and the figs, for they were all delightful. 5. And Pentephres said to his daughter Aseneth, "My child": she said, "Lo, here I am, my lord." 6. And he said to her, "Sit down, please, [2] between us: I want to talk to you." [3] And Aseneth sat down between her father and her mother. 7. And her father Pentephres [4] took her right hand [5] in his right hand and said to her, "My child"; and Aseneth said, "What is it, father?" [6] 8. And Pentephres said to her, "See, Joseph, the mighty man of God, is coming to us to-day, and he is ruler of all the land of Egypt, for Pharaoh has appointed him ruler of all our land; [7] and he is the distributor of corn throughout the country and is to save it from the famine that is come upon it. 9. And Joseph is a man that worships God: he is discriminating, and a virgin (as you are to-day), and a man of great wisdom and knowledge, and the spirit of God is [8] upon him, and the grace of the Lord is [9] with him. 10. So come, my child, and I will give you to him as his wife: you shall be his bride, and he shall be your bridegroom for ever." 11. And when Aseneth heard what her father said, a great red sweat came over her, and she was furious [10] and looked sideways at her father. [11] 12. And she said, "Why should my lord and my father speak like this and talk as if he would hand me over like a prisoner to a man of another race, a man who was a fugitive and was sold as a slave? 13. Is this not the shepherd's son from the land of Canaan, and he was abandoned by him? 14. Is not this the man who had intercourse with his mistress, [12] and his master threw him into prison where he lay in darkness, [13] and Pharaoh brought him out of prison, because he interpreted his dream? 15. No! I will marry the eldest son of the king, for he is king of all the earth." [14]("\l "Notes4"") 16. On hearing this, Pentephres thought it wiser to say no more to his daughter about Joseph, for she had answered him arrogantly and in anger.
1. and they gave . . . daughter: B om.
2. So BH: D om.
3. Lit. 'and I will speak my words to you'.
4. So D: B om.
5. in his right hand = B Slav.: D om.
6. Lit. 'Let my lord and (B om. 'my lord and') my father speak'.
7. of all our land: DF om.
8. So FA: BD 'was'; EH om.
9. BD 'was'.
10. Lit. 'she was angry with a great wrath'.
11. at her father: B om.
12. Is not . . . mistress = D Slav.: B om.
13. Lit. 'into the prison of darkness'.
14. Or 'land': D adds 'of Egypt'.
Return to Chapter 4 | Return to top("\l "top"")
V. And behold, one of the young men from Pentephres's retinue burst in and said, 2. "Lo. Joseph is at the gates of our court." And Aseneth quickly left her father and her mother and ran upstairs and went into her room and stood at the big window that looked towards the east, so as to see Joseph as he came into her father's house. 3. And Pentephres and his wife and all his relations went out to meet Joseph. 4. And the gates of the court that looked east were opened, and Joseph came in, sitting in Pharaoh's viceroy's chariot. 5. And there were four horses yoked together, white as snow, with golden reins; and the chariot was covered over [1] with gold. 6. And Joseph was wearing a marvellous white tunic, and the robe wrapped around him was purple, made of linen woven with gold: there was a golden crown on his head, and all round the crown were [2] twelve precious stones, and above the stones twelve golden rays; and a royal sceptre was in his right hand. 7. And he held an olive branch stretched out, and there was much fruit on it. 8. And Joseph came into the court, and the gates were shut. 9. And strangers, whether men or women, remained outside, because the gate-keepers had shut the doors. [3]("\l "Notes5"") 10. And Pentephres came, and his wife, and all his relatives, except their daughter Aseneth; and they made obeisance to Joseph with their faces to the ground. 11. And Joseph got down from his chariot and extended his right hand to them.
1. Lit. 'shaded over'. Is the reference to a golden awning over the chariot, or was the chariot itself overlaid with gold?
2. the crowns were: B om.
3. D adds 'and all strangers were shut out'.
Return to Chapter 5 | Return to top("\l "top"")
VI. And Aseneth saw Joseph and she was cut to the quick, her stomach turned over, [1] her knees became limp, and her whole body trembled. 2. And she was much afraid and cried out and said, "Where shall I go, and where can I hide myself from him? And how will Joseph, the son of God, regard me, for I have spoken evil [2] of him? 3. Where can I flee and hide myself, for he sees everything, and no secret is safe with him, because of the great light that is in him? 4. And now may Joseph's God be propitious to me [3] because I spoke evil in ignorance. 5. What can I hope for, [4] wretch that I am? Have I not spoken, saying, Joseph is coming, the shepherd's son from the land of Canaan? And now, behold the sun is come [5] to us from heaven in his chariot and has come into our house to-day. 6. But I was foolish and reckless to despise him, and I spoke evil of him and did not know that Joseph is the son of God. 7. For who among men will ever father such beauty, and what mother [6] will ever bear such a light? Wretch that I am and foolish, for I spoke evil of him to my father. 8. Now let my father give me to Joseph [7]("\l "Notes6"") as a maidservant and a slave, and I will serve him for ever."
1. Lit. 'and she was strongly pricked in the soul, and her inwards were broken'.
2. D om.
3. D 'have mercy on me'
4. Lit. 'What then shall I see (= DF: BA 'follow')'.
5. B 'like the sun is he come'.
6. Lit. 'what kind of womb'.
7. to Joseph: B om.
Return to Chapter 6 | Return to top("\l "top"")
VII. And Joseph came into Pentephres's house and sat down on a seat; and he washed his feet, and he placed [1] a table in front of him separately, because he would not eat with the Egyptians, for this was an abomination to him. 2. And Joseph spoke to Pentephres and all his relations, saying, "Who is that woman standing in the solar [2] by the window? Tell her to go away." [3] 3. (This was because Joseph was afraid she too might solicit him; [4] for all the wives and daughters of the lords and satraps of all the land of [5] Egypt use to solicit him to lie with him. [6] 4. And many of the wives and daughters [7] of the Egyptians suffered much, after seeing Joseph, because he was so handsome; and they would send emissaries to him with gold and silver and valuable gifts. [8] 5. And Joseph would reject them out of hand,[9] saying, I will not sin before the God of Israel. 6. And Joseph kept his father Jacob's face before his eyes continually,[10] and he remembered his father's commandments; for Jacob used to say to Joseph and his brothers, "Be on your guard, my children, against the strange woman, and have nothing to do with her, for she is ruin and destruction. 7. That is why Joseph said, "Tell that woman to go away." [11] ) 8. And Pentephres said to him, "My lord, the woman you have seen in the storey at the top is no stranger: she is our daughter, a virgin, who detests men; and no other [12] man has ever seen her, apart from you today. 9. And if you wish it, she shall come and speak with you; for our daughter is your sister. 10. And Joseph was overjoyed because Pentephres said, "She is a virgin who detests men." 11. And Joseph answered Pentephres and his wife and said, "If she is your daughter, then let her come, for she is my sister, and I will regard [13]("\l "Notes7"") her as my sister from to-day."
1. So BEA: D 'they placed'.
2. So BD: EFHA 'top storey'
3. Lit. 'Let her leave this house'.
4. she . . . him: D om.
5. the land of: BF om.
6. DE 'them'.
7. D adds 'of the potentates'.
8. gold . . . gifts: B 'many gifts'.
9. Lit. 'would send them back with threats and insults'.
10. DH Slav. om.
11. Lit. 'Let that (DFH 'the') woman leave this house'.
12. B 'strange'
13. Lit. 'love'.
Return to Chapter 7 | Return to top("\l "top"")
VIII. And Aseneth's mother went up to the top storey and brought Aseneth down to Joseph; and Pentephres said to his daughter Aseneth, "Greet your brother, for he too is a virgin as you are to-day, and he detests all strange women just as you detest strange men." 2. And Aseneth said to Joseph, "May you have joy, my lord, blessed as you are of God Most High"; and Joseph said to her, "May God, who has given all things life, bless you." 3. And Pentephres said to Aseneth, "Come near and kiss your brother." 4. And when she came near to kiss Joseph, Joseph stretched his right hand out, and laid it against her breast, and said, 5. "It is not right for a man who worships God, who with his mouth blesses the living God, and eats the blessed bread of life, and drinks the blessed cup of immortality, and is anointed with the blessed unction [1] of incorruption, to kiss a strange woman, who with her mouth blesses dead and dumb idols, and eats of their table the bread of anguish, [2] and drinks of their libations the cup of treachery, [3] and is anointed with the unction of destruction. 6. A man who worships God will kiss his mother and his sister that is of his own tribe and kin, [4] and the wife that shares his couch, who with their mouths bless the living God. 7. So too it is not right for a woman who worships God to kiss a strange man, because this is an abomination in God's eyes." 8. And when Aseneth heard what Joseph said, she was most distressed and cried out aloud; and she fixed her gaze on Joseph, and her eyes were filled with tears. 9. And Joseph saw her and his heart went out to her -- for Joseph was tender-hearted and compassionate and feared the Lord. [5]("\l "Notes8"") 10. And he lifted up his right hand above her head and said,
"O Lord, the God of my father Israel, the Most High, the Mighty One,
Who didst quicken all things, and didst call them from darkness into light.
And from error into truth, [6] and from death into life;
Do thou, O Lord, thyself quicken and bless this virgin,
11. And renew her by thy spirit, [7] and remould her by thy secret hand,
And quicken her with thy life.
And may she eat the bread of thy life, [8]
And may she drink the cup of thy blessing,
She whom thou didst choose before she was begotten, [9]("\l "Notes8"")
And may she enter into thy rest, which thou has prepared for thine elect."
1. of life . . . unction = HA: BD Slav. om.; cp. xv.4.
2. Lit. 'strangling': D 'shame'.
3. Lit. 'ambush'.
4. and kin: BE om.
5. for Joseph . . . Lord: D om.
6. And from . . . truth = HA: BD Slav. om.
7. DA 'holy spirit'.
8. and remould . . . thy life = F Lat.: BD Slav. om. (A om. 'and remould . . . hand').
9. She . . . begotten = BD Slav.: FA 'And number her with thy people which thou didst choose before all things came into being'.
Return to Chapter 8 | Return to top("\l "top"")
IX. And Aseneth was filled with joy at Joseph's blessing, and she went up [1] in haste to her storey at the top and fell on her couch exhausted, because she felt not only happy, but also disturbed and very frightened; [2] and she had been bathed in perspiration from the moment she heard Joseph speaking [3] to her in the name of God Most High. 2. And she wept bitterly, and she repented of her gods she used to worship; and she waited for evening to come. 3. And Joseph ate and drank; and he said to his servants, "Yoke the horses to the chariot" (for he said, "I must depart and go round the whole city and the district" [4] ). 4. And Pentephres said to Joseph, "Stay the night here, my lord and to-morrow go your way." 5. And Joseph said, "No! I must be going now, for this is the day when God began his works: in eight days time I will come back again [5]("\l "Notes9"") and stay the night here with you."
1. So BEA: Slav.: DFH 'away'.
2-3. Lit. 'and a continual (D om.) sweat was poured about her (= D: BFA om. 'was poured about her') when she heard these words from Joseph who had spoken'.
4. Lit. 'land'.
5. So D Slav.: BEFA om.
Return to Chapter 9 | Return to top("\l "top"")
X. Then Pentephres and his relations went away to their estate. 2. And Aseneth was left alone with the [1] virgins, and she was listless and wept until sunset: she ate no bread and drank no water; and while all slept she alone was awake. 3. And she opened the door and went down to the [1] gate; and she found the portress asleep with her children. 4. And Aseneth quickly took down the leather curtain from the door, and she filled it with ashes and carried it up to the top storey and laid it on the floor. 5. And she secured the door and fastened it with the iron bar from the side; and she groaned aloud and wept. 6. And the virgin that Aseneth loved most of all the virgins [2] heard her mistress groaning, and she roused the other virgins [3] and came [4] and found the door shut. 7. And she listened to Aseneth groaning and weeping and said, "Why are you so sorrowful my lady? What is it that its troubling you? 8. Open the door for us, so that we can see you." And Aseneth said to them from inside (shut in as she was, "I have a violent headache and am resting on my bed; and I have no strength left to open to you now, [5] for I am utterly exhausted; [6] but go each of you to her room." 9. And Aseneth got up and opened her door quietly, and went into her second room, where her treasure-chests and the finery for her adornment were, and she opened her wardrobe and took out a black and sombre tunic. 10. (And this was her mourning tunic, which she had worn for mourning when her eldest [7] brother died). And Aseneth took off her royal robe and put on the black one, and she untied her golden girdle and tied a rope around her waist instead, and she took her tiara off her head and the diadem, and the bracelets from her hands. 12. And she took her best robe, just as it was, [8] and threw it out of the window, for the poor. 13. And she took all her innumerable gold and silver gods and broke them up into little pieces, and threw them [9] out of the window for the poor and needy. [10] 14. And Aseneth took her royal dinner, even the fatted beasts and the fish and the meat, and all the sacrifices of her gods, and the wine-vessels for their libations; and she threw them all out of the window as food for the dogs. 15. And after this she took the ashes and poured them out on the floor. 16. And she took sackcloth and wrapped it round her waist, and she removed the fillet from her hair and sprinkled herself with ashes; and she fell down upon the ashes. 17. And she beat her breast repeatedly with her two [11] hands and wept bitterly and groaned all night until the morning. 18. And in the morning Aseneth got up and looked and lo, the ashes underneath her were like mud because of her tears. 19. And again, Aseneth fell down on her face upon the ashes until sunset. 20. And so Aseneth did for seven days; and she tasted neither food nor drink. [12]("\l "Notes10"")
1. D 'her'.
2. 'most of . . . virgins: D om.
3. and . . . virgins = EFA: BDGH Slav. om.
4. B 'made haste'.
5. BF om.
6. Lit. 'for I am grown weak in all my limbs'.
7. So BDA Slav.: EFG 'younger'.
8. Lit. 'all her chosen robe'. Is the reference to the 'royal robe' of verse 11 -- as we have assumed? Or ought we to take stolh ('robe') here in the more general sense of 'equipment' and translate 'all her choice apparel'? If so, the girdle, the tiara, the diadem, and the bracelets, which Aseneth had just taken off, will also be included (as the editors of the a recension distinctly state), and perhaps some other items as well -- though xiv.15 and xviii.3 make it clear that Aseneth did not empty her wardrobe completely!
9. D 'gave'.
10. and needy: D om.
11. B om.
12. Lit. 'and she tasted nothing at all'.
Return to Chapter 10 | Return to top("\l "top"")
XI. And it came to pass on the eighth day that Aseneth [1]("\l "Notes11"") looked up from the floor where she was lying (for she was losing the use of her limbs as a result of her great affliction).
1. D 'her'.
Return to Chapter 11 | Return to top("\l "top"")
XII. And she [1] stretched her hands out towards the east, and her eyes looked up to heaven, [2]("\l "Notes12"") and she said,
2. "O Lord, God of the ages, that didst give to all the breath of life,
That didst bring into the light the things unseen,
That hast made all things and made visible what was invisible,
3. That hast raised up the heaven and founded the earth upon the waters,
That hast fixed the great stones upon the abyss of water,
Which shall not be submerged,
But to the end they do thy will. [3]
4. O Lord, my God, to thee will I cry: hear my supplication; [4]
And [5] unto thee will I make confession of my sins,
And unto thee will I reveal my transgressions of thy law.
5. I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned:
I have transgressed thy law and acted impiously,
And I have spoken things evil before thee.
My mouth, O Lord, has been defiled by things offered to idols,
And by the table of the gods [6] of the Egyptians.
6. I have sinned, O Lord, before thee; I have sinned and acted impiously,
Worshipping idols deaf and dumb,
And I am not worthy to open my mouth unto thee, wretch that I am.
7. I have sinned, O Lord, before thee,
I, the daughter of Pentephres the priest,
I, the haughty and arrogant Aseneth.
To thee, O Lord, [7] I present my supplication, and unto thee will I cry:
Deliver me from my persecutors, for unto thee [8] have I fled,
Like a child to his father and his mother.
8. And do thou, O [9] Lord, stretch forth thy hands over me,
As a father that loves his children [10] and is tenderly affectionate, [11]
And snatch me from the hand of my enemy.
9. For lo, the wild primaeval Lion pursues [12]("\l "Notes12"") me;
And his children are the gods of the Egyptians that I have abandoned and destroyed;
And their father the Devil is trying to devour me.
10. But do thou, O Lord deliver me from his hands,
And rescue me from his mouth,
Lest he snatch me like a wolf and tear me,
And cast me into the abyss of fire, and into the tempest of the sea;
And let not the great Sea-monster swallow me.
11. Save me, O Lord, deserted as I am,
For my father and mother denied me,
Because I destroyed and shattered their gods;
And I have no other hope save in thee, O Lord;
For thou art the father of the orphans, and the champion of the persecuted,
And the help of them that are oppressed.
12. For [5] lo, all the gods [13]("\l "Notes12"") of my father Pentephres are but for a season and uncertain; but the inhabitants of thine inheritance, O Lord, are incorruptible and eternal.
1. D 'Aseneth'. B prefixes to this chapter the title 'Prayer and Confession of Aseneth', which is found also in A between verses 1 and 2.
2. looked up to heaven: BD Slav. om.
3. D 'ordinance'.
4. hear my supplication: B om.
5. D om.
6. to idols . . . the gods: D 'to the idols'.
7. O Lord = D Slav.: B 'also'.
8. will I cry . . . unto thee = B Slav.: D om.
9. B 'my'.
10. over . . . children = B Slav.: D om.
11. and is . . . affectionate = B: D Slav. om.
12. the wild . . . pursues = B: D 'as a lion he pursues'.
13. So B Slav.: DFH 'habitations'.
Return to Chapter 12 | Return to top("\l "top"")
XIII. Look upon my ophanhood, O Lord, [1] for unto thee did I flee, O Lord. 2. Lo, I took off my royal robe interwoven with gold and put on a black tunic instead. 3. Lo, I loosed my golden girdle and girt myself with a rope and sackcloth. 4. Lo, I threw off my diadem from my head and sprinkled myself with ashes. Lo, the floor of my room once scattered with stones of different colours and of purple, and besprinkled with myrrh, [2] is now sprinkled with my tears [3] and [4] scattered with ashes. [5] 6. Lo, Lord, from the ashes and from my tears there is as much mud inside my room as there is on a public [6] highway. 7. Lo, Lord, [7] my royal dinner and my fatted beasts have I given to the dogs. [8] 8. And lo, for seven days and seven nights [9] I have neither eaten bread nor drunk water; and my mouth is dry like a drum and my tongue like horn, and my lips like a potsherd, and my face is shrunken, and my eyes are failing as a result of my incessant tears. [10] 9. But do thou, O Lord, pardon me, for in ignorance did I sin against thee and uttered calumnies against my lord Joseph. 10. And I did not know, wretch that I am, that he is thy son, O Lord; for they told me that Joseph was a shepherd's son from the land of Canaan, and I believed them; but I was wrong, and I despised Joseph, thine elect one, and I spoke evil fo him, not knowing that he is thy son. 11. For what man ever was so handsome and who else is as wise and strong as Joseph? But to thee, my Lord, do I entrust him; for I love him more than mine own soul. 12. Preserve him in the wisdom of thy grace, and give me to him as a servant, so that I may wash his feet and serve him and be his slave for all [11]("\l "Notes13"") the seasons of my life.
1. O Lord . . . O Lord = D: B 'O Lord'; Slav. om altogether.
2. and bespr. with m.: B om.
3. with my tears: D om.
4. BD om.; Slav. adds 'to-day'.
5. scattered with ashes: D om.
6. Lit. 'broad'.
7. B 'my Lord'.
8. So BA: DFH Slav. 'the strange dogs'.
9. and seven nights: Slav. om.
10. Lit. 'as a result of the inflammation of my tears'.
11. B om.
Return to Chapter 13 | Return to top("\l "top"")
XIV. And as Aseneth finished her confession to the Lord, lo, the morning star rose in the eastern sky. 2. And Aseneth saw it and rejoiced and said, "The Lord God has indeed heard me, for this star is a messenger and herald of the light of the great day. 3. And lo, the heaven was torn open near the morning star and an indescribable light appeared. 4. And Aseneth fell on her face upon the ashes; and there came to her a man from heaven [1] and stood at her head; [2] and he called to her, "Aseneth". [3] 5. And she said, "Who called me? For the door of my room is shut and the tower is high: how then did anyone get into [4] my room?" 6. And the man [5] called her a second time and said, "Aseneth, Aseneth;" and she said, "Here am I, my lord, tell me who you are." 7. And the man said, "I am the commander [6] of the Lord's house [7] and chief captain [8] of all the host of the Most High: [9] stand up, [10] and I will speak to you." 8. And she looked up and saw a man like Joseph in every respect, with a robe and a crown and a royal staff. 9. But his face was like lightning, and his eyes were like the light of the sun, [11] and the hairs of his head like flames [12] of fire, and his hands and feet like iron from the fire. 10. And Aseneth looked at him, and she fell on her face at his feet in great fear and trembling. 11. And the man said to her, "Take heart, Aseneth, and do not be afraid; but stand up, [13] and I will speak to you." 12. And Aseneth got up, and the man said to her, "Take off the black tunic you are wearing and the sackcloth round your waist, [14] and shake the ashes off your head, and wash your face with water. 13. And put on a new robe that you have never worn before, [15] and tie your bright girdle round your waist -- the double girdle of your virginity. 14. And then come back to me, and I will tell you what I have been sent to you to say." 15. And Aseneth went into the room where her treasure-chests and the finery for her adornment were; [16] and she opened her wardrobe and took out a new, fine robe, and she took off her black robe and put on the new and brilliant one. 16. And she untied the rope and the sackcloth round her waist; [17]("\l "Notes14"") and she put on the brilliant double girdle of her virginity -- one girdle round her waist and the other round her breast. 17. And she shook the ashes off her head, and washed her face with pure water, and covered her head with a fine and lovely veil.
1. So FG: B 'a man of light from heaven; D 'the man of God'.
2. Lit. 'over her head'.
3. So B: D Slav. om.
4. Lit. 'and how did he come into' (=B Slav.: D 'and how did you come here into').
5. B 'And he'.
6. So BD: A 'chief captain'; EFG 'ruler'.
7. So BEF Slav.: G 'of the Lord': D 'of glory of the Lord'; A 'of the Lord God'.
8. So D: EFGA 'and commander'.
9. So GA Slav.: D 'of all the host of the Lord Most High'; F 'of all the heavenly host'; B om. 'and chief . . . High' altogether.
10. Lit. 'stand upon your feet' (D 'stand up fromt he floor').
11. B 'his eyes like the sun'.
12. Lit. 'a flame'
13. Lit. 'stand upon your feet' (D om. 'upon your feet').
14. round your waist (lit. 'from your loins') = FGA: B 'from you'; D Slav. om.
15. Lit. 'a new robe, undefiled'.
16. where . . . were: B om.
17. And . . . waist: D om.
Return to Chapter 14 | Return to top("\l "top"")
XV. And she came back to the man; and when the man saw her he said to her, "Take now the veil off your head, for to-day you are a pure virgin and your head is like a young man's." 2. So she took it off her head; and the man said to her, "Take heart, Aseneth, [1] for lo, the Lord has heard the words of your confession. 3. Take heart, Aseneth, [2] your name is written in the book of life, and it will never be blotted out. 4. From to-day you will be made new, and refashioned, and given new life; and you shall eat the bread of life and drink the cup of immortality, and be anointed with the unction of incorruption. [3] 5. Take heart, Aseneth: [4] lo, the Lord has given you to Joseph to be his bride, and he shall be your bridegroom. 6. And you shall no more be called Aseneth, but 'City of Refuge' shall be your name; for many nations shall take refuge in you, and under your wings shall [5] many peoples [6] find shelter, [7] and within your walls those who give their allegiance to God in penitence will find security. 7. For Penitence is the Most High's daughter and she entreats the Most High on your behalf every hour, [8] and on behalf of all who repent; [9] for he is the father of Penitence [10] and she the mother of virgins, and every hour she petitions him for those who repent; for [11] she has prepared a heavenly bridal chamber for those who love her, [12] and she will look after them for ever. 8. And Penitence is herself a virgin, very beautiful and pure and chaste and gentle; and God Most High loves her, and all his angels do her reverence. 9. And lo, I am on my way to Joseph, and I will talk to him about you, and he will come to you to-day and see you and rejoice over you; and he shall be your bridegroom. 10. So listen to me, Aseneth, and put on your wedding robe, the ancient [13] robe, [14] the first [15] that was stored away in your room, and deck yourself in all your finest jewellry, and adorn yourself as a bride, and be ready to meet him. 11. Fo lo, he is coming to you to-day; and he will see you and rejoice." 12. And when the man had finished speaking Aseneth was overjoyed. 13. And she fell at his feet and said to him, "Blessed be the Lord God [16] that sent you out to deliver me from darkness and bring me into light; and blessed be his name for ever. 14. Let me speak now, my lord, if I have found favour with you: sit down a little on the bed, and I will get a table ready and food for you to eat; [17] and I will bring you good wine, of the finest flavour, for your to drink; [18]("\l "Notes15"") and then you shall go your way."
1. BFHA Slav. add 'you pure virgin'.
2. Take heart Aseneth: D om., BA add 'you (A + 'pure') virgin'.
3. The authorities differ not a little in detail here. All, however, refer to Aseneth's eating of the bread and all except F to her drinking of the cup. Her anointing with the unction appears in HGA Arm., but not in BDEF Slav. Cp. viii.5.
4. BA add 'you (A + 'pure') virgin'.
5. under . . . shall: D om.
6. B 'nations'; G om.
7. find shelter (lit. 'shelter themselves') = EGH: B 'lodge and sh. th.'; D om.
8. on your b. every hour: B om.
9. and (B om.) on b. of all (BG om.) who r.: D om.
10. for . . . Penitence: D om.
11. she the mother . . . for: B om.
12. B 'him'.
13. So BEFHA: D om.
14. So BFA: DEH om.
15. So BD: HA 'even the first'; EF om.
16. B om.
17. Lit. '. . . and bread, and eat' (imperative).
18. Lit. 'wine, whose savour reaches to the heavens, and drink' (imperative).
Return to Chapter 15 | Return to top("\l "top"")