Best,
Seth
seth@risingpun.com

When they came to Goren Ha-Atad (”Bramble Threshing Floor”) in the land beyond the Jordan,
They took up a lament, an exceedingly heavy lament (for sorrow is important).
He held seven days mourning for his father. When the Canaanite inhabitants saw
All the mourning at Goren Ha-Atad, the Canaanites stared and were stricken with awe.
They said, “This is such mourning for Egypt.” So “Mourning-Meadow of Egypt” it was branded,
(Or “Abel-Mizraim”), beyond the Jordan. Thus his sons did as their father commanded.
They all carried him back to the land of Canaan, buried him in a cave in the field
Of Machpelah, the burial-site which Abraham got Ephron the Hittite to yield,
Facing Mamre. Then Joseph returned to Egypt, he, his brothers, and all of the herd
Who had gone up with Joseph to bury his father, after his father was interred.

When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge,
And decides to repay us for all of the ill that we caused him, serving as our judge?”
So they sent Joseph a message which said, “Before he died, your father commanded us,
‘Say this to Joseph, “Pray, forgive your brothers’ sin and offense, harm caused by animus.”’
Pray forgive the offense of the servants of your father’s God!” Joseph wept as they spoke.
Then his brothers came, flung themselves down before him, and said, “Here we are, slaves to your yoke.”
But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid. For am I to be your judge in God’s place?
Though you planned harm against me, God planned it for good, to bring this day about in his grace–
So that many will be kept alive. So now, don’t be afraid. I myself will provide
For both you and your children.” And he gave them comfort, and spoke to them kindly besides.

So Joseph stayed in Egypt, with his father’s household. He lived to one hundred and ten.
Joseph lived long enough to see Ephraim’s grandchildren of the third generation,
And also the sons of Machir, son of Manasseh, were adopted on Joseph’s knees.
Joseph said to his brothers, “I am dying, but God will take notice of you, surely,
And bring you up from this land to the land which he promised in an oath to Abraham,
To Isaac, and to Jacob.” Joseph had the sons of Israel swear an oath to him,
Saying, “Once God takes notice of you, you must bring my bones up from here.” And Joseph died,
At one hundred and ten. They embalmed him, put him in a coffin in Egypt to bide.

Now Simeon and Levi are brothers, weapons of violence are their swords. Such cruelty,
Let my person not come to their council nor ever be counted in their assembly.
For in anger they kill men, wantonly maim bulls. Cursed be their anger, too fierce to quell,
And their fury so harsh. I will split them up in Jacob, scatter them in Israel.
You, O Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the nape of your foes’ necks.
And your father’s sons, they shall bow down to you. A lion’s whelp, Judah commands respect.
From prey, my son, you have gone up. He squats and crouches like a lion, the king of beasts.
Who dares rouse him up? The scepter won’t depart him, nor the ruler’s staff leave from his feet,
Until Shiloh comes and people’s homage is his. He ties up his ass-foal to a vine,
His young colt to a choice crimson tendril, and then Judah washes his garment in wine,
His robe in blood of grapes. His eyes darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk. Zebulun,
He shall dwell on the seashore as haven for boats, and his own flank shall rest on Sidon.

Issachar, a strong-boned ass, crouching in the sheepfolds, saw the good of the resting turf,
And how pleasant the land. So he bent his shoulder to bear, and became a toiling serf.
Dan his people shall judge, as one tribe of Israel’s, and be a serpent by the road,
A viper by the path who bites the horse’s heel, so it throws off its passenger load.
I wait for your deliverance, Lord! Gad shall be raided by raiders, but raid their heels.
Asher’s food shall be rich, for it is royal dainties befitting a king he shall yield.
Naphtali is a hind let loose which yields lovely fawns. Joseph, a young wild ass.
A wild ass by a spring, donkeys along a wall. Archers all assailed him as he passed,
Shot at him bitterly, yet his bow remained firm, and his arms and hands both stayed agile,
By the means of the Mighty One of Jacob up there, the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel.
By your father’s God, may he help you, and Shaddai (Almighty), blessings may he bestow
Upon you; blessings both from the heavens above, and of the ocean crouching below,
Blessings of the breast and womb. The blessings of your father surpass the blessings of old,
Of my ancestors, of mountains eternal, to the boundries of hills with age untold.
May they rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the one chosen out of his brothers.
Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning his foe is the prey he devours.
Then in the evening, he divides up the spoils.” All these are the tribes of Israel, twelve,
And this is what their father told them, giving each an appropriate blessing farewell.

Then he charged them and said, “Soon I will be gathered to my kin, so please bury me right.
Bury me with my fathers in the cave which is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
At the cave in the field of Machpelah, which faces Mamre, in the land of Canaan.
The same field Abraham bought as a burial holding once from the Hittite Ephron.
There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah, there they buried Isaac and his wife
Rebekah. And there I buried Leah– … The field and cave in it, bought from the Hittites.”
And when Jacob had finally finished charging his sons and giving them instructions,
Then he gathered his feet up onto the bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his kin.

Now when Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” Joseph said to his father,
“They are my sons, whom God has given to me here.” And Israel said, “Bring them closer.
Bring them up to me so I can bless them.” For Israel’s eyes with old age had turned dim,
And he could not see. Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed them and then embraced them.
Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected that your face again I would see,
And yet here, God has let me see your children too.” Joseph then removed them from his knees.
And they all bowed low to the ground. Joseph took both of them, Ephraim with his right hand,
To Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand, to the right of Israel’s stand,
And brought them close to him. But Israel stretched out his right hand, laying it on the head
Of Ephraim (though he was the younger, and normally firstborn receive that instead),
And his left hand on Manasseh’s head. He crossed his arms (Manasseh’s firstborn right thus docked).
He blessed Joseph and said, “The God in whose ways my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
The God who has been my shepherd ever since the day that I was born, until this day,
The messenger who has redeemed me from ill fortune, may he bless the lads. And then pray,
May my name and my line be continued through them, and too my fathers’ names, Abraham,
And Isaac. May they teem like fish and become multitudes all through the midst of the land.”

When Joseph saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he thought it wrong;
So he took hold of his father’s hand to move it to Manasseh’s head, where it belonged.
Joseph said to his father, “Not so, father, this one is firstborn, place hand on his head.”
But his father refused, saying, “I know, my son, I know. From him too, tribes shall be bred.
He too shall be great, and yet his younger brother will be greater than he, his offspring
Shall become a great multitude of nations.” So then he blessed them on that day, saying,
“By you shall Israel give blessings, saying: God made you like Ephraim and Manasseh.”
And by speaking their names in that order, Israel put Ephraim before Manasseh.
Then Israel said to Joseph, “Here, I am about to die, but God will be with you.
He will have you return to the land of your fathers. And now, one more thing must I do.
Now I give you one portion, one shoulder, one mountain slope more than your brothers’ reward,
Which I once took away from the hand of the Amorite with my bow and with my sword.”

But there was no bread in all the land, due to the food shortage the famine had created.
Both the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan were completely depleted from famine.
Joseph gathered up all of the silver that was found in the lands of Egypt and Canaan,
As a payment for rations they’d bought. Then Joseph brought the silver into Pharaoh’s house.
When the silver in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan had all run out,
The Egyptians all came to Joseph and said, “Give us bread! Shall we die in front of you
Just because all our silver is gone?” Joseph said, “Give me your livestock, and that will do.
I will give you bread in exchange for your livestock, since the silver no longer amasses.”
So they brought their livestock to Joseph, who gave them bread for horses, sheep, cattle, and asses.
He got them through that year by allowing them to exchange all of their livestock for bread.
But when that year had ended, they came back to him during the following year and said,
“We can’t hide from my lord that if the silver has run out, and all our livestock you own,
There is nothing remaining for my lord aside from our soil and our flesh and bones.
Why should we die in front of your eyes, and not only us, but also our land and soil?
Take both us and our land for the bread, and from now on as serfs for Pharaoh we will toil.
Give us seeds so that we may live and not die, and so the soil won’t become desolate.”
So Joseph acquired all of the farm land in Egypt for Pharaoh at a speedy rate,
For each of the Egyptians sold his field because the famine was just too much to bear,
So the land all went over to Pharaoh. And as for the people who were living there,
Joseph transferred them into the cities from one edge of Egypt to the other edge.
Only the land of the priests he did not acquire, because the priests had Pharaoh’s pledge.
They received an allotment from Pharaoh and managed to live off of that allocation.
Therefore they did not sell their land to Joseph, but instead stayed at their former location.
Joseph said to the people, “Since on this day I have bought you and your land for Pharaoh,
You shall have seed. Now here is the seed for you, which in the land of Pharaoh you shall sow.
And at harvest time, you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh. The other four fifths are for you,
As more seed for the field, and as food for you, and for your household, your little ones too.”
They said, “You saved our lives! May it please our lord, from now on Pharaoh by us shall be served.”
And Joseph made it into a land law in Egypt, which still to this day is observed,
That the fifth part of all land shall go to Pharaoh, the exception being the priests’ soil.

And so Israel stayed in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen, being loyal.
They obtained holdings in it, bore fruit, multiplied, until they were exceedingly rife.
Jacob lived seventeen years in the land of Egypt so that the span of Jacob’s life
Came to one hundred and forty-seven years. When the time came for Israel to die,
He called his son Joseph and said, “If I’ve gained your favor, put your hand under my thigh,
Swear that you’ll deal with me in good faith and truth; pray do not bury me in Egypt.
When I lie down with my fathers, carry me from Egypt, and bury me in their crypt.”
Joseph told him, “I will do according to what you have spoken.” But Israel said,
“Swear to me!” So Joseph swore to him. And then Israel bowed at the head of his bed.

Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came down to Egypt on the trip:
Jacob and his sons: Jacob’s firstborn Reuben. His sons: Enoch, Pallu, Carmi, Hezron.
Simeon’s sons: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Saul (a Canaanite’s son).
Levi’s sons: Gershon, Kehat, and Merari. Judah’s sons: Shelah, Perez, Onan, Er,
And Zerah– but Onan and Er died in the land of Canaan. And Perez’s sons were:
Hezron and Hamul. The sons of Issachar were: Puvah, Iob, Shimron, and Tola.
Zebulun’s sons were: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. And those were the sons born by Leah.
Leah bore those sons to Jacob, along with his daughter Dinah, in Aram-country,
Hence the persons among all the daughters and sons of Jacob numbered thirty and three.
Gad’s sons: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, Areli. All Gad’s.
Asher’s sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, and Serah, the sister that they had.
And Beriah’s sons Heber and Malchiel. Those were the sons that were born by Zilpah,
Whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter. Zilpah bore Jacob sixteen persons in all.

The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife: Joseph and Benjamin. Then in the land of Egypt,
Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore Joseph two sons from her hips:
Their names were Manasseh and Ephraim. The sons of Benjamin were: Ard, and Huppim,
Bela, and Becher, and Ashbel, and Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, and Muppim.
Those were the sons of Rachel that were born to Jacob. In all, there were fourteen of them.
While Dan’s only son was: Hushim. Naphtali’s sons were: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, Shillem.
Those were the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban had given to Rachel his daughter as maid,
Bilhah bore all of these sons to Jacob. They were seven persons, when fully arrayed.
All the persons who came into Egypt with Jacob, the ones that were his own offspring,
Aside from the wives of Jacob’s sons, there were sixty-six persons when finished counting.
And then Joseph’s sons, who were born to him in Egypt, they numbered two. So it would be,
That the total number of all Joseph’s household that came to Egypt was seventy.

Now Jacob had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph, to point the way to Goshen.
When they came to the region of Goshen, Joseph had his chariot harnessed, and then
He went up to Goshen to meet his father Israel, presenting himself to him.
Joseph flung himself around his neck, and wept on it until in tears his face did swim.
Israel said to Joseph, “Now I can die, since I have seen your face– you’re still alive!”
Joseph said to his brothers and his father’s household, “Here is a plan so we can thrive:
I will go up and tell the news to Pharaoh, saying, ‘My brothers and father’s household,
Who were in the land of Canaan have come to me. They are shepherds, their calling of old.
They have always been breeders of livestock, they brought all they have, all their flocks and their herds.’
Now when Pharaoh has you called and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ Then you must answer,
‘Your servants have been breeders of livestock from our youth, both we and also our fathers.’
So that you may all settle in the region of Goshen to practice your occupation.
For to the Egyptians, every shepherd of flocks is no more than an abomination.”

Make haste, go back to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph does say,
“God has made me the lord of all Egypt, so come down to me here, and do not delay.
You shall stay in the region of Goshen, you shall be near me, you, and your sons, and their sons,
Your flocks, your herds, and all that is yours. I’ll sustain you through the coming five years of famine.
Otherwise, you and your household and all that is yours will be reduced to poverty.”’
Here, your eyes see, and my brother Benjamin’s eyes see, the one speaking to you is me.
So tell my father of all the weight that I carry in Egypt, and all that you’ve seen.
And make haste, bring my father down here!” Joseph flung himself on his brother Benjamin,
Then he wept as he hugged the neck of Benjamin, who wept on Joseph’s neck in release.
Joseph kissed all his brothers and wept on them. Only then could they speak to him in peace.

The news reached Pharaoh’s palace, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” Pharaoh and his servants were pleased.
Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do as follows, load up all of your beasts,
And go down to the land of Canaan. Fetch your father and your households, and come to me.
I will give you the best that Egypt has to offer; the fat of the land you will eat!’
Command them also, ‘Do this, take wagons from Egypt for your little ones and your wives,
Carry your father down and come! Do not regard with regret things from your former lives,
For the best that Egypt has to offer shall be yours.’” The sons of Israel did so,
Joseph gave them wagons and food for the journey as he’d been commanded by Pharaoh.
To each of them he gave a change of clothes, but to Benjamin he gave a great extent,
Three hundred silver pieces and five changes of clothes. And then to his father he sent
Ten male asses, all loaded with the best of Egypt, ten she-asses with grain and bread,
And provisions for his father on the journey. Then he sent off his brothers ahead.
As they went off, Joseph said to his brothers, “Don’t quarrel with each other on the way.”
They went up from Egypt, came to the land of Canaan, where their father Jacob did stay.
And they told him, “Joseph, he is still alive! Now he’s the ruler of all Egypt’s land!”
His heart failed, for he did not believe them. But then they spoke to him of Joseph’s command,
And when they spoke to their father of Joseph’s words, the words Joseph had spoken to them,
And when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent for the purpose of transporting him,
Then their father Jacob’s spirit came to life. And Israel (who is Jacob) then said,
“It’s enough! Joseph my son is still alive; I must go see him before I am dead!”

Twas in Benjamin’s pack. They rent their clothes, reloaded their asses, returned to the city.
Judah and his brothers came to the house of Joseph, who was still there, seeking his pity.
They flung themselves on the ground before him. Joseph said, “What deed is this that you have done?
Do you not know that a man like me can divine?” Judah said, “What thing can be spoken?
What can we say to my lord? How can we plead? How can we prove that we are innocent?
God has uncovered the crime of your servants, so here we are, to be my lord’s servants,
We, and the one in whose hand the goblet was found.” But then Joseph said, “Heaven Forbid!
No, far be it from me to make all of you my servants for what just one of you did.
The man in whose possession the goblet was found, he shall become a servant to me,
But the rest of you, go back in peace to your father.” Judah neared, and offered a plea:
“Please, my lord, pray let your servant speak a few words in the ears of my lord of our woe,
And please don’t let your anger flare up against your servant, for you are like the Pharaoh.
My lord asked of his servants, ‘Do you have a father or another brother?’ We said,
‘We do have an old father, and a young child of his old age, one whose brother is dead,
So that he alone is left of his mother, his father loves him.’ And then you decreed
To your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, for I wish to set my eyes upon him, indeed.’
Then we said to my lord, ‘The lad can’t leave his father, if he left, his father would die.’
But you said to your servants, ‘If your youngest brother does not come down with you hereby,
You shall not see my face again.’ Now it was when we went back to my father, your servant,
We told him my lord’s words, and our father said, ‘Go back and buy us some rations, it’s urgent!’
But we said, ‘We can’t go down. If our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down,
For if he is not with us, then we cannot see the man’s face.’ This made my father frown.
Now your servant, my father, told us, ‘You yourselves know that my wife bore two sons to me.
One is gone from me, and I said, “He has been torn by a beast, torn to pieces, surely.”
And I’ve not seen him since. Now if you take away this one from before my face as well,
Then should harm befall him, you will bring down my white head and grey hairs in grief to Sheol.’
So now, when I come back to your servant, my father, and the young lad is not with us,
The lad with whom his own life is so bound up, when he sees that the lad is not with us,
He will die. And your servants will send the grey hairs of our father to Sheol in grief.
For your servant pledged himself to my father for the boy’s safety, a concern in chief.
I said, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, I will forever be guilty before you.’
So now, pray let this servant of yours stay instead of the lad, to be a servant for you,
But let this lad go back with his brothers. How can I return to my father without him?
Then I would have to see the ill-fortune that would fall on my father, and all about him.

Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the lad in my care, we’ll be on our way,
So we may live and not die– we, you, and our children. The boy’s safety I pledge this day.
I will act as his pledge, at my hand you may seek him. If I don’t bring him back to you,
And set him before you, then I’ll forever bear the guilt that my duty I couldn’t do.
Indeed, had we not lingered, we could have been there and back twice in this time we just spake.”
Then their father Israel said to them all, “If it must be so, then do this thing: Take.
Take some of the choice produce of this land in your baggage, take them as gifts to the man–
Some basalm, honey, balm and laudanum, pistachios and almonds. Take in your hand
Silver doubled, two times over all of the silver that you found returned in your packs,
Return it in your hand, perhaps it was an oversight; if so they might want it back.
Take your brother too. Rise and return to the man, and may God Almighty grant to you
Mercy from the man, so he’ll release your other brother to you, and Benjamin too.
As for me, if I must be bereaved, then I must be bereaved.” The brothers took the gift,
Silver two times over and Benjamin as well, and went down to Egypt, to Joseph.
There they stood before him, and when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he told his house steward,
“Take those men in the house, and then slaughter an animal, have it prepared and procured,
For it is with me that these man shall dine this noon.” The man did just as Joseph instructed,
He brought the men into Joseph’s house, but the men were afraid at how they’d been conducted.
They were frightened to be there and said, “It’s because of the silver that we’ve been brought in,
All that silver returned in our packs last time makes us look like we’ve committed a sin.
They will take offense, roll on us, fall on us, seize us as slaves, and our asses as well.”
So they went to the chief steward of Joseph’s house at the entrance and said, “We must tell.
Please my lord, hear us out. We came down here before to buy rations, but that very night,
When we camped and then opened our packs, each man’s silver was in the packs, stacked to full height.
But we’ve brought it back here in our hand, and more silver as well to buy food rations here.
We do not know who put our silver in our packs.” He replied, “All is well, do not fear.
Your God, the God of your father must have put treasure in your bags for you, I’ve been paid,
Since your silver has already come to me.” And Simeon before them he conveyed.
Then the man had them come into Joseph’s house, and gave them water for washing their feet,
And gave their asses food. They prepared the gifts, until Joseph came back at noon to eat.

When Joseph came home, they gave him the gifts they’d brought to the house, from their hand, and then bowed.
They bowed low to the ground before him. Joseph greeted them, asked of their welfare aloud,
“Is your old father well, the one of whom you spoke? Is he still in good health?” They replied,
“It is well with your servant our father, he is in good health, and gladly has not died.”
They bowed in homage. Joseph then lifted his eyes up and saw his brother Benjamin,
The son of his mother, and he said, “Is this your youngest brother, the one you mentioned?”
Then he said to him, “May God be gracious to you, my boy.” With that, Joseph hurried out.
For he was overcome with feelings for his brother, and had to weep to let it out.
Joseph entered a chamber and wept there. He then washed his face, and returned, in control.
He said, “Serve bread!” They served him by himself, and them by themselves, with their own bread and rolls,
The Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, for with Hebrews they would not break bread.
(Such things are an abomination for Egyptians.) In his presence, they were seated,
The firstborn according to his firstborn-rank, the youngest according to his youth-rank.
And the brothers all stared at each other, astonished. (Was this an elaborate prank?)
Joseph had courses taken to them from his table, especially for Benjamin,
Whose food portions were five times as large as theirs were. Then they drank and were merry with him.

Joseph said to them, “It’s just as I have told you, ‘You are spies!’– Here is how you’ll be tested:
As Pharaoh lives, unless your youngest brother comes here, at this place you shall be arrested.
You shall not leave this place. Send one of you to fetch him, the rest shall as prisoners remain.
That way we will test your words and see whether there is truth in you, or if you just feign
And as Pharaoh lives, you are indeed spies!” He moved them into custody for three days.
Joseph said to them on the third day, “Do this and you shall live, for I follow God’s ways:
If you are honest, let one of you brothers stay as a prisoner in custody,
And the rest of you go back to your households with famine-rations for your family.
Then bring your youngest brother back to me, to prove your words truthful, and you will not die.”
They prepared to do so, but the brothers said to one another, “We cannot deny
We have guilt in regards to our brother– we saw his distress of heart as he implored,
And we listened not. That’s why this distress has come upon us: His distress, we ignored.”

Reuben spoke up and said, “Didn’t I tell you ‘Don’t sin against the child!’ But you would not hear.
So now reckoning has come for his blood.” They did not know that they had caught Joseph’s ear,
For he’d spoken to them through an interpreter (so they did not know he understood).
Joseph turned away from them and wept, but returned and spoke to them as soon as he could.
Joseph had Simeon taken away from them, and bound up and fettered before their eyes.
Then Joseph ordered that their bags be filled with grain, and each man’s silver returned likewise,
And that they should be given provisions for their journey. Joseph’s men did so for them.
Then they loaded their rations onto their donkeys, and departed from that place. But then,
As one opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the night camp, there in his pack
Was his silver. He said to his brothers, “My silver has been given back, in my sack!”
Their hearts gave way, and they trembled to one another, saying, “What has God done to us?”
They came home to their father Jacob, in the land of Canaan, bearing Egypt’s surplus.
They recounted all that had befallen them, saying, “The man, governor of the land,
Spoke harshly with us, since he mistook us for spies and thought some evil deeds we had planned.
Now we said to him, ‘We are honest, we have never been spies. We are twelve, brothers all,
Sons of our father. One is no more, and the youngest is in Canaan, at father’s call.’
Then the man, the lord of the land, said to us, ‘Here’s how I’ll tell if you are honest men:
Leave one of you brothers here with me, and bring food to your household to face the famine.
But bring your youngest brother back to me, so that I may know you are honest, not spies.
Then I will give your brother back to you, you may travel as you see best in your eyes.’”

But when all of them emptied their sacks, there was each man’s pouch of silver, filled and unlightened.
They looked at their pouches full of silver, both they and their father, and then became frightened.
Then their father Jacob said to them, “Why is it always me that you boys must bereave?
Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and now for Benjamin you would have me grieve!
All this has come upon me.” Reuben said to his father, “My two sons you may destroy
If I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I’ll return you the boy.”
But he said, “My son is not to go down with you, for his brother is already dead.
And he is left alone. Should some harm befall him on the path which you now wish to tread,
You will send down to Sheol (down to the grave) in sorrow every gray hair on my head.”