The Abridged The Testament of Naphtali

1:1. This document is Naphtali's last will, written when he reached the age of 130, just before he died.

1:2. On the first day of the seventh month, while he was still in perfect health, he threw a party with food and wine for his children.

1:3. The next morning, he told his children that his life was ending, but they didn't believe him.

1:4. He felt charged with energy after praising God and announced that he was going to pass away right after the previous day's celebration.

1:5. He then urged: Listen to me, my children, the offspring of Naphtali; pay attention to what your father has to say.

1:6. I am the son of Bilhah because Rachel sent Bilhah to sleep with Jacob disguised as herself, leading to my birth as Bilhah held me on Rachel's lap; as a result, I was named Naphtali.

1:7. Rachel adored me deeply from birth since I was brought forth on her knees; when I was very young she would often kiss me and express her hope that she might have another son just like me.

1:8. As it turned out, Joseph and I shared a lot of similarities because God answered Rachel's prayers for a son like me.

1:9. My mother was called Bilhah, the daughter of Rotheus, who was the brother of Deborah. Deborah was Rebecca's nanny and the same age as Rachel.

1:10. Rotheus belonged to Abraham's family; he was a Chaldeans who believed in God, born free and from a distinguished line.

1:11. He got captured and sold as a slave to Laban, who then gave him Euna, his servant girl, for a wife. She gave birth to a girl named Zilpah, naming her after the place where Rotheus had been captured.

1:12. Her next child was Bilhah. She said Bilhah was quick to embrace new things because she immediately gripped and sucked at the breast when born.

1:13. I ran really fast like a deer, so my father Jacob made me his messenger. He even blessed me with the swiftness of a deer.

1:14. Just like how a potter knows how much clay is needed for a container he's making, God designs our bodies to be compatible with our spirits.

1:15. The body and the spirit match so closely that they don't differ by even the smallest measurement; every detail in creation was made with precision and care.

1:16. Like how the potter understands what purpose each container serves, God knows our physical limits and how long we stick to doing good before we start going wrong.

1:17. God knows every feeling and thought, because God made each person in their own image.

1:18. Just like a person's strength shows in their actions, their sight in their sleep, and their inner self in the words they speak—whether they follow God's guidelines or go against them.

1:19. There's a clear difference between light and darkness, or between sight and sound, just like there's a difference from one person to another, both in appearance and thoughts; no two people are exactly the same.

1:20. God skill includes everything with a purpose: the senses in our heads; the neck that supports the head, with hair for extra beauty; a heart for thought; an intestine for getting rid of waste; a stomach to break down food; breathing passages for inhaling air; various organs for emotions like anger and joy, laughter, careful thinking, power, breathing deep and strength—along with many more body parts that each have their special function.

1:21. Therefore, my children, do everything with thoughtful planning and with reverence for God—don't be reckless or act at inappropriate times out of disrespect.

1:22. Just as you can't ask your eyes to listen — you can't achieve anything good if you're living without guidance or understanding.

1:23. So don't ruin your actions by chasing after unnecessary riches or fool yourselves with misleading talk. If you maintain purity and silence of heart, you'll grasp how to stay true to what God wants and ignore temptations that lead you astristaytray.

1:24. The sun, moon, and stars don't stray from their routes—so too should you not deviate from following God’s rules through your reckless behavior.

1:25. People who didn't know God went the wrong way, left God behind, changed their beliefs, and followed false and deceiving spirits instead of the truth.

1:26. But do not follow that path, my children. Recognize God's presence in the sky, on land, in the seas, and in all things that have been made; don't be like Sodom, which acted against the natural way of things.

1:27. The angels who weren't faithful to their true nature were also cursed by God during the great flood; because of them, God left the earth empty and lifeless.

1:28. My children, I am warning you because I've read in Enoch's writings that you too will stray from God—living without following any laws like those who do not know God and committing acts that are deeply wrong—like those of Sodom.

1:29. And then you will face tough times—exiled and forced to serve your enemies—you'll suffer a lot until you've all been worn down by these hardships.

1:30. But when your numbers have decreased and there aren't many of you left, you'll turn back to recognise God; and because of God's great compassion, you'll be allowed to return to your own land.

1:31. When they settle back in their ancestor's land, they will once again forget about God and behave without regard for what is good or just.

1:32. As a result, God will spread them out everywhere—until a time comes when someone brings fairness and kindness for everyone living far away as well as those close by.

2:1. When I was in my fortieth year, I had a vision while I was at the Mount of Olives, which is to the east of Jerusalem, where the sun and moon appeared to be frozen in place.

2:2. And then I saw Isaac, who is my grandfather, telling us to grab them with all the strength we have; whoever manages to catch them will own the sun and moon.

2:3. We all took off running together. Levi grabbed hold of the sun and Judah ran faster than everyone else to grab the moon, and they were lifted up into the sky with them.

2:4. As Levi took on an appearance like a sun, a young man handed him twelve palm branches; and as Judah shined bright as a moon, they both stood on twelve beams of light.

2:5. Levi and Judah both rushed forward to take hold of them.

2:6. And there we saw a bull on the ground with large horns and the wings of an eagle on its back; we wanted to catch it but couldn't manage to do so.

2:7. But then Joseph came along, captured it, and soared into the sky with it.

2:8. I witnessed a vision where we saw a sacred message revealing that nations like the Assyrians, Medes, Persians, Chaldeans, and Syrians would conquer and rule over the twelve tribes of Israel.

2:9. Later, after a week had passed, we saw our ancestor Jacob by the shore of the sea of Jamnia, and we were there with him.

2:10. Then, we noticed a ship moving on its own without a crew or a guide; the name "The Ship of Jacob" was inscribed on it.

2:11. Jacob encouraged us to join him on the ship.

2:12. As soon as he boarded, a violent storm emerged with powerful winds; Jacob took charge but then was separated from us.

2:13. The storm tossed us around in the sea; water flooded our ship, and it was battered by huge waves until it fell apart.

2:14. Joseph managed to escape on a small boat while we were scattered on nine pieces of debris, with Levi and Judah ending up together.

2:15. And we were all separated, spread out to the far corners of the world.

2:16. Levi, wearing a rough garment of mourning, prayed to God on behalf of us all.

2:17. When the violent storm calmed down, the ship safely made it to shore.

2:18. Suddenly, our father arrived, and this made us all very happy together.

2:19. I shared two of my dreams with my father; he told me that these events would happen at the right time after Israel had gone through a lot of trouble.

2:20. My father told me that he truly believed that Joseph was still alive because he always felt that God was still taking account of Joseph along with us.

2:21. Crying, he said: Oh, my beloved son Joseph, you must be alive despite me not being able to see you nor you see Jacob, your father.

2:22. These words made me cry and my heart felt heavy with the urge to tell that Joseph had been sold, but the thought of how my brothers would react stopped me.

2:23. So children, I’ve described for you what’s going all to happen with Israel in the future.

2:24. Teach your own kids to stick close to Levi and Judah's descendants; because they will bring about Israel's rescue and make sure good things happen for Jacob's line.

2:25. Those two family groups will be important because through them God will show up and be among people on earth, saving Israel and bringing together good people from all over the world.

2:26. If you do good stuff, kids, everyone – people and angels – will say nice things about you; God’s work will be admired by people around the world because of what you do, scary creatures will steer clear of you, God will like you a lot, and angels will stick close by your side.

2:27. Just as a person who raises a child well is remembered fondly; a good act also leaves a positive memory with God.

2:28. On the other hand, if you don't do good deeds, both people and angels won't think well of you; your actions would make God look bad globally, troublemakers would target you as someone they can use, dangerous animals would dominate you, and God wouldn’t want anything to do with you.

2:29. There are two primary aspects to following the law, and one must use good judgment to fulfill these aspects.

2:30. There are appropriate times for a person to be physically close with their spouse and times to refrain in order to focus on prayer.

2:31. There are two main instructions; if not performed appropriately, this can lead to serious wrongdoing.

2:32. This idea applies to other instructions as well.

2:33. So, be smart and thoughtful in following God's commands and really get the logic behind every instruction so that you may earn God's affection.

2:34. After giving them a lot of advice, he told them to take his remains to Hebron and lay him to rest with his ancestors.

2:35. After having a joyful meal and drink, he covered his face, passed away contentedly.