The Testament Of Gad: Chapter I

1The Ninth Son of Jacob and Zilpah. Gad, the ninth son of Jacob and Zilpah. Shepherd and strong man but a murderer at heart. Verse 25 is a notable definition of hatred. THE copy of the testament of Gad, what things he spake unto his sons, in the hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life, saying unto them:
2Hearken, my children, I was the ninth son born to Jacob, and I was valiant in keeping the flocks.
3Accordingly I guarded at night the flock; and whenever the lion came, or the wolf, or any wild beast against the fold, I pursued it, and overtaking it I seized its foot with my hand and hurled it about a stone's throw, and so killed it.
4Now Joseph my brother was feeding the flock with us for upwards of thirty days, and being young, he fell sick by reason of the heat.
5And he returned to Hebron to our father, who made him lie down near him, because he loved him greatly.
6And Joseph told our father that the sons of Zilpah and Bilhah were slaying the best of the flock and eating them against the judgement of Reuben and Judah.
7For he saw that I had delivered a lamb out of the mouth of a bear, and put the bear to death; but had slain the lamb, being grieved concerning it that it could not live, and that we had eaten it.
8And regarding this matter I was wroth with Joseph until the day that he was sold.
9And the spirit of hatred was in me, and I wished not either to hear of Joseph with the ears, or see him with the eyes, because he rebuked us to our faces saying that we were eating of the flock without Judah.
10For whatsoever things he told our father, he believed him.
11I confess now my gin, my children, that oftentimes I wished to kill him, because I hated him from my heart.
12Moreover, I hated him yet more for his dreams; and I wished to lick 1 him out of the land of the living, even as an ox licketh up the grass of the field.
13And Judah sold him secretly to the Ishmaelites.
14Thus the God of our fathers delivered him from our hands, that we should not work great lawlessness in Israel.
15And now, my children, hearken to the words of truth to work righteousness, and all the law of the Most High, and go not astray through the spirit of hatred, for it is evil in all the doings of men.
16Whatsoever a man doeth the hater abominateth him: and though a man worketh the law of the Lord, he praiseth him not; though a man feareth the Lord, and taketh pleasure in that which is righteous, he loveth him not.
17He dispraiseth the truth, he envieth him that prospereth, he welcometh evil-speaking, he loveth arrogance, for hatred blindeth his soul; as I also then looked on Joseph.
18Beware, therefore, my children of hatred, for it worketh lawlessness even against the Lord Himself.
19For it will not hear the words of His commandments concerning the loving of one's--neighbour, and it sinneth against God.
20For if a brother stumble, it delighteth immediately to proclaim it to all men, and is urgent that he should be judged for it, and be punished and be put to death.
21And if it be a servant it stirreth him up against his master, and with every affliction it deviseth against him, if possibly he can be put to death.
22For hatred worketh with envy also against them that prosper: so long as it heareth of or seeth their success it always languisheth.
23For as love would quicken even the dead, and would call back them that are condemned to die, so hatred would slay the living, and those that had sinned venially it would not suffer to live.
24For the spirit of hatred worketh together with Satan, through hastiness of spirits, in all things to men's death; but the spirit of love worketh together with the law of God in long-suffering unto the salvation of men.
25Hatred, therefore, is evil, for it constantly mateth with lying, speaking against the truth; and it maketh small things to be great, and causeth the light to be darkness, and calleth the sweet bitter, and teacheth slander, and kindleth wrath, and stirreth up war, and violence and all covetousness; it filleth the heart with evils and devilish poison.
26These things, therefore, I say to you from experience, my children, that ye may drive forth hatred, which is of the devil, and cleave to the love of God.
27Righteousness casteth out hatred, humility destroyeth envy.
28For he that is just and humble is ashamed to do what is unjust, being reproved not of another, but of his own heart, because the Lord looketh on his inclination.
29He speaketh not against a holy man, because the fear of God overcometh hatred.
30For fearing lest he should offend the Lord, he will not do wrong to any man, even in thought.
31These things I learnt at last, after I had repented concerning Joseph.
32For true repentance after a godly sort destroyeth ignorance, and driveth away the darkness, and enlighteneth the eyes, and giveth knowledge to the soul, and leadeth the mind to salvation.
33And those things which it hath not learnt from man, it knoweth through repentance.
34For God brought upon me a disease of the liver; and had not the prayers of Jacob my father succoured me, it had hardly failed but my spirit had departed.
35For by what things a man transgresseth by the same also is he punished .
36Since, therefore, my liver was set mercilessly against Joseph, in my liver too I suffered mercilessly, and was judged for eleven months, for so long a time as I had been angry against Joseph.

Footnotes

254:1 Even our present day slang is centuries old.