The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs 10

[stepan]

Chapter 5

IV.--The Testament of Judah Concerning Fortitude, and Love of Money, and Fornication.

1. The copy of the words of Judah, what things he spake to his sons before he died. They gathered themselves together, and came to him, and he said to them: I was the fourth son born to my father, and my mother called me Judah, saying, I give thanks to the Lord, because He hath given to me even a fourth son. [94] I was swift and active in my youth, and obedient to my father in everything. And I honoured my mother and my mother's sister. And it came to pass, when I became a man, that my father Jacob prayed over me, saying, Thou shalt be a king, and prosperous in all things.

2. And the Lord showed me favour in all my works both in the field and at

home. When I saw that I could run with the hind, then I caught it, and prepared meat for my father. I seized upon the roes in the chase, and all that was in the plains I outran. A wild mare I outran, and I caught it and tamed it; and I slew a lion, and plucked a kid out of its mouth. I took a bear by its paw, and rolled it over a cliff; and if any beast turned upon me, I rent it like a dog. I encountered the wild boar, and overtaking it in the chase, I tore it. A leopard in Hebron leaped upon the dog, and I caught it by the tail, and flung it from me, and it was dashed to pieces in the coasts of Gaza. A wild ox feeding in the field I seized by the horns; and whirling it round and stunning it, I cast it from me, and slew it.

3. And when the two kings of the Canaanites came in warlike array against our flocks, and much people with them, I by myself rushed upon King Sur and seized him; and I beat him upon the legs, and dragged him down, and so I slew him. And the other king, Taphue, [95] I slew as he sat upon his horse, and so I scattered all the people. Achor the king, a man of giant stature, hurling darts before and behind as he sat on horseback, I slew; for I hurled a stone of sixty pounds weight, and cast it upon his horse, and killed him. And I fought with Achor for two hours, and I killed him; and I clave his shield into two parts, and I chopped off his feet. And as I stripped off his breastplate, behold, eight men his companions began to fight with me. I wound round therefore my garment in my hand; and I slang stones at them, and killed four of them, and the rest fled. And Jacob my father slew Beelisa, king of all the kings, a giant in strength, twelve cubits high; and fear fell upon them, and they ceased from making war with us. Therefore my father had no care in the wars when I was among my brethren. For he saw in a vision concerning me, that an angel of might followed me everywhere, that I should not be overcome.

4. And in the south there befell 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. And I went up against them upon the wall, and two other kings I slew; and so we freed Hebron, and took all the captives of the kings.

5. On the next day we departed to Areta, [96] a city strong and walled and inaccessible, threatening us with death. Therefore I and Gad approached on the east side of the city, and Reuben and Levi on the west and south. And they that were upon the wall, thinking that we were alone, charged down upon us; and so our brethren secretly climbed up the wall on both sides by ladders, and entered into the city, while the men knew it not. And we took it with the edge of the sword; and those who had taken refuge in the tower, we set fire to the tower, and took both it and them. And as we were departing the men of Thaffu set upon our captives, and we took it with our sons, and fought with them even to Thaffu; and we slew them, and burnt their city, and spoiled all the things that were therein.

제5장
IV. — 용기와 금전욕, 그리고 음행에 관한 유다의 유언.
1. 유다가 죽기 전 아들들에게 남긴 말의 기록이다. 아들들이 함께 모여 그에게 나아오자 그가 그들에게 말했다. "나는 아버지에게서 태어난 넷째 아들이었다. 어머니는 나를 '유다'라 불렀는데, 이는 '주님께서 내게 넷째 아들까지 주셨으니 감사하다'고 말했기 때문이다. [94] 나는 젊은 시절 날렵하고 활동적이었으며, 모든 일에 있어 아버지께 순종했다. 또한 나는 어머니와 어머니의 자매를 공경했다. 내가 성인이 되었을 때, 아버지 야곱은 나를 위해 기도하며 '너는 왕이 될 것이며 모든 일에 번성할 것이다'라고 말씀하셨다."
2. "주님께서는 들에서나 집에서나 내가 하는 모든 일에 은혜를 베푸셨다. 나는 암사슴을 보고 뒤쫓아 잡아 아버지께 드릴 고기를 마련하곤 했다. 사냥할 때 노루를 붙잡았고, 들판에 있는 모든 짐승보다 빨리 달렸다. 야생 암말을 앞질러 달려가 붙잡아 길들였으며, 사자를 죽이고 그 입에서 새끼 염소를 빼앗아 내기도 했다. 곰의 발을 잡아 절벽 아래로 굴려 떨어뜨렸고, 어떤 짐승이 내게 덤벼들면 개를 찢듯이 찢어버렸다. 멧돼지를 만나면 추격하여 따라잡은 뒤 찢어 죽였다. 헤브론에서 표범이 개에게 달려들었을 때, 나는 그 꼬리를 잡아 내던졌고, 그것은 가사(Gaza) 지역에 떨어져 산산조각이 났다. 들판에서 풀을 뜯던 야생 소의 뿔을 붙잡아 빙글빙글 돌려 기절시킨 다음, 내던져 죽였다."
3. "가나안의 두 왕이 수많은 군사를 거느리고 우리 양 떼를 공격해 왔을 때, 나는 홀로 수르(Sur) 왕에게 달려들어 그를 붙잡았다. 나는 그의 다리를 쳐서 쓰러뜨린 뒤 죽였다. 또 다른 왕인 타푸에(Taphue) [95]는 그가 말을 타고 있을 때 죽였으며, 그렇게 하여 그들의 군대를 모두 흩어버렸다." 거대한 체구의 왕 아코르가 말을 탄 채 앞뒤로 투창을 던지며 덤벼들었으나, 나는 그를 죽였습니다. 나는 60파운드 무게의 돌을 던져 그의 말에 맞혔고, 그를 쓰러뜨렸습니다. 나는 아코르와 두 시간 동안 싸워 그를 죽였는데, 그의 방패를 둘로 쪼개고 그의 발을 잘라냈습니다. 그의 흉갑을 벗겨내려 할 때, 그의 동료 여덟 명이 내게 덤벼들었습니다. 그래서 나는 겉옷을 손에 감아 휘두르며 돌을 던져 그들 중 넷을 죽였고, 나머지는 도망쳤습니다. 한편 내 아버지 야곱은 모든 왕 중의 왕이자 힘이 장사이고 키가 12규빗이나 되는 거인 벨리사를 죽였습니다. 그러자 그들에게 두려움이 임했고, 그들은 우리와의 전쟁을 멈추었습니다. 그래서 내가 형제들과 함께 있을 때면 아버지는 전쟁에 대해 아무런 걱정도 하지 않으셨습니다. 왜냐하면 아버지는 환상을 통해, 내가 결코 패배하지 않도록 힘센 천사가 어디서나 나를 따르고 있음을 보셨기 때문입니다.
4. 그리고 남쪽에서 우리는 세겜에서보다 더 큰 전쟁을 치르게 되었습니다. 나는 형제들과 함께 전열을 갖추고 적군 천 명을 추격하여 그들 중 이백 명과 네 명의 왕을 죽였습니다. 나는 성벽 위로 올라가 또 다른 두 왕을 죽였고, 그렇게 우리는 헤브론을 해방시키고 그 왕들이 잡고 있던 포로들을 모두 구출했습니다.
5. 이튿날 우리는 아레타로 향했습니다. 그곳은 성벽이 견고하고 난공불락의 요새였으며 우리에게 죽음을 위협하고 있었습니다. 그래서 나와 갓은 성의 동쪽으로 접근했고, 르우벤과 레위는 서쪽과 남쪽으로 향했습니다. 성벽 위에 있던 자들은 우리가 소수라고 생각하고 우리에게 돌진해 내려왔습니다. 그 틈을 타 우리 형제들은 양쪽에서 몰래 사다리를 타고 성벽을 올라가, 적들이 눈치채지 못하는 사이에 성 안으로 진입했습니다. 우리는 칼날로 그 성을 정복했고, 탑으로 피신한 자들에 대해서는 탑에 불을 질러 탑과 그들 모두를 사로잡았습니다. 우리가 그곳을 떠날 때 타푸의 사람들이 우리의 포로들을 공격해 왔습니다. 그래서 우리는 아들들과 함께 그들과 맞서 싸우며 타푸까지 진격했습니다. 우리가 그들을 죽이고 그들의 성읍을 불살랐으며, 그 안에 있던 모든 물건을 약탈하였다.