Yubalym (Jubilee) — 37

Asau disobeyed the vow to his Father & Mother and Asua attack Ya'aqub his brother 

1 And on the day that Yachaq the father of Ya'aqub and Asau died, the sons of Asau heard that Yachaq had given the portion of the elder to his younger son Ya'aqub and they were very angry.

2 And they strove with their father, saying: Why has your father given Ya'aqub the portion of the elder and passed over you, although you are the elder and Ya'aqub the younger?

3 And he said unto them: Because I sold my birthright to Ya'aqub for a small mess of lentils, and on the day my father sent me to hunt and catch and bring him something that he should eat and barak me, he came with guile and brought my father food and drink, and my father Baraked him and put me under his hand.

4 And now our father has caused us to swear, me and him, that we shall not mutually devise evil, either against his brother, and that we shall continue in love and in Shalum each with his brother and not make our ways corrupt.

5 And they said unto Asau: We shall not hearken unto you to make Shalum with him; for our strength is greater than his strength, and we are more powerful than he; we shall go against Ya'aqub and slay him and destroy him and his sons. And if you will not go with us, we shall do hurt to you also.

6 And now hearken unto us: let us send to Aram and Palahshath and Mu'ab and Ammun and let us choose for ourselves chosen men who are ardent for battle and let us go against Ya'aqub and do battle with him and let us exterminate him from the Arath before he grows strong.

7 And their father said unto them: Do not go and do not make war with him lest ye fall before him.

8 And they said unto him: This too, is exactly your mode of action from your youth until this day, and you are putting your neck under his yoke. We shall not hearken to these words.

9 And they sent to Aram, and to Aduram to the friend of their father, and they hired along with them one thousand fighting men, chosen men of war.

10 And there came to them from Mu'ab and from the children of Ammun, those who were hired, one thousand chosen men, and from Palahshath, one thousand chosen men of war, and from Adum and from the ChIriym one thousand chosen fighting men, and from the Kittiym mighty men of war.

11 And they said unto their father: Go forth with them and lead them, else we shall slay you.

12 And Asau was filled with wrath and indignation on seeing that his sons were forcing him to go before them to lead them against Ya'aqub his brother.

13 But afterward he remembered all the evil which lay hidden in his heart against Ya'aqub his brother; and he remembered not the oath which he had sworn to his father and to his mother that he would devise no evil all his days against Ya'aqub his brother.

14 And notwithstanding all this, Ya'aqub knew not that they were coming against him to battle, and he was mourning for La'ah, his woman, until they approached very near to the tower with four thousand warriors and chosen men of war.

15 And the men of Habrun sent message to Ya'aqub saying: Behold your brother has come against you to fight you, with four thousand girt with the sword, and they carry shields and weapons; for they loved Ya'aqub more than Asau.

16 So they told him; for Ya'aqub was a more liberal and merciful man than Asau. But Ya'aqub would not believe until they came very near to the tower.

17 And Ya'aqub closed the gates of the tower; and he stood on the battlements and spoke to his brother Asau and said: Noble is the comfort wherewith you have come to comfort me for my woman who has died. Is this the oath that you did swear to your father and again to your mother before they died? You have broken the oath, and on the moment that you did swear to your father you were condemned.

18 And then Asau answered and said unto him: Neither the children of men nor the beasts of the Arath have any oath of righteousness which in swearing they have sworn an oath valid forever; but every day they devise evil one against another, and how each may slay his adversary and foe.

19 And you do hate me and my children forever. And there is no observing the tie of brotherhood with you.

20 Hear these words which I declare unto you, if the boar can change its skin and make its bristles as soft as wool, or if it can cause horns to sprout forth on its head like the horns of a stag or of a sheep, then will I observe the tie of brotherhood with you and if the breasts separated themselves from their mother, for you have not been a brother to me.

21 And if the wolves make Shalum with the lambs so as not to devour or do them violence, and if their hearts are towards them for good, then there shall be Shalum in my heart towards you.

22 And if the lion becomes the friend of the ox and makes Shalum with him, and if he is bound under one yoke with him and plows with him, then will I make Shalum with you.

23 And when the raven becomes white as the raza, then know that I have loved you and shall make Shalum with you.

24 You shall be rooted out and your sons shall be rooted out and there shall be no Shalum for you.

25 And when Ya'aqub saw that he was so evilly disposed towards him with his heart, and with all his soul as to slay him, and that he had come springing like the wild boar which comes upon the spear that pierces and kills it, and recoils not from it; then he spoke to his own and to his servants that they should attack him and all his companions.