The Abridged

The Testament of Issachar

Pseudapigrapha by Issachar
Written betwen 70CE-200CE
Unknown
Text

Issachar

Part 1

Chapter 1. Issachar's Farewell and Wisdom

Chapter 2. A Call to Remain Virtuous

Part 1

Issachar, Ch 1

Chapter 1

Issachar recounts his birth story linked to mandrakes, emphasizes living an honest and simple life dedicated to God and hard work, and advises his children to be sincere, avoid materialism, give the first fruits to God, and find contentment in God's decisions.

1:1. Here is the message of Issachar.

1:1. THE copy of the words of Issachar.

1:2. He gathered his children and told them: Listen up, my kids, to me, your dad Issachar; pay attention to the words of someone God loves.

1:2. For he called his sons and said to them: Hearken, my children, to Issachar your father; give ear to the words of him who is beloved of the Lord.

1:3. I was the fifth son born to our father Jacob, given as a reward for some special plants.

1:3. I was born the fifth son to Jacob, by way of hire for the mandrakes.

1:4. You see, my brother Reuben found these plants in a field and brought them home, but then Rachel took them from him.

1:4. For Reuben my brother brought in mandrakes from the field, and Rachel met him and took them.

1:5. Reuben cried about it, and his cries made our mom Leah go out to see what was wrong.

1:5. And Reuben wept, and at his voice Leah my mother came forth.

1:6. The plants were actually sweet-smelling fruits that grew near Haran by a stream.

1:6. Now these mandrakes were sweet-smelling apples which were produced in the land of Haran below a ravine of water.

1:7. Rachel declared: I won’t give the fruits back; I'm keeping them for myself because they're as precious to me as having kids would be.

1:7. And Rachel said: I will not give them to thee, but they shall be to me instead of children.

1:8. God has looked down on me because I have not had children for Jacob.

1:8. For the Lord hath despised me, and I have not borne children to Jacob.

1:9. Moreover, Leah found two apples; then Leah said to Rachel: Isn't it enough that you have my husband? Do you want to take these apples too?

1:9. Now there were two apples; and Leah said to Rachel: Let it suffice thee that thou hast taken my husband: wilt thou take these also?

1:10. Rachel replied: You can spend the night with Jacob if you give me your son's mandrakes.

1:10. And Rachel said to her: Thou shalt have Jacob this night for the mandrakes of thy son,

1:11. Leah responded: Jacob is mine because I was his first wife.

1:11. And Leah said to her: Jacob is mine, for I am the wife of his youth.

1:12. But Rachel countered: Don't be so proud; Jacob married me first, and he worked for our father for fourteen years just to be with me.

1:12. But Rachel said: Boast not, and vaunt not thyself; for he espoused me before thee, and for my sake he served our father fourteen years.

1:13. If people hadn't become so deceitful and bad behavior hadn't flourished, you wouldn't even be seeing Jacob right now.

1:13. And had not craft increased on the earth and the wickedness of men prospered, thou wouldst not now see the face of Jacob.

1:14. You're really not his chosen wife; you were sneakily put with him instead of me.

1:14. For thou art not his wife, but in craft wert taken to him in my stead.

1:15. My father tricked me and took me away that night, preventing Jacob from seeing me; if I had been there, what happened to him wouldn't have happened.

1:15. And my father deceived me, and removed me on that night, and did not suffer Jacob to see me; for had I been there, this had not happened to him.

1:16. Nevertheless, I've agreed to let Jacob spend a night with you in exchange for the mandrakes.

1:16. Nevertheless, for the mandrakes I am hiring Jacob to thee for one night.

1:17. Jacob slept with Leah, and she got pregnant and had me, and I was named Issachar as a result of this arrangement.

1:17. And Jacob knew Leah, and she conceived and bare me, and on account of the hire I was called Issachar.

1:18. Then an angel from God came to Jacob and said: Rachel will have two children because she has chosen not to be with her husband, preferring to remain pure.

1:18. Then appeared to Jacob an angel of the Lord, saying: Two children shall Rachel bear, inasmuch as she hath refused company with her husband, and hath chosen continency.

1:19. If Leah, my mother, hadn’t given two apples to be with Jacob, she would have had eight sons instead of six, while Rachel had two. This was because Leah got the mandrakes that led God to allow her to have children.

1:19. And had not Leah my mother paid the two apples for the sake of his company, she would have borne eight sons; for this reason she bare six, and Rachel bare the two: for on account of the mandrakes the Lord visited her.

1:20. God knew that her desire for children was the reason she wanted to be with Jacob, not for physical enjoyment.

1:20. For He knew that for the sake of children she wished to company with Jacob, and not for lust of pleasure.

1:21. The following day, she let Jacob go again.

1:21. For on the morrow also she again gave up Jacob.

1:22. Because Rachel gave God mandrakes, God listened to her.

1:22. Because of the mandrakes, therefore, the Lord hearkened to Rachel.

1:23. Although she wanted them, Rachel did not eat the mandrakes but instead gave them to the temple, presenting them to the high-ranking priest at that time.

1:23. For though she desired them, she cat them not, but offered them in the house of the Lord, presenting them to the priest of the Most High who was at that time.

1:24. As I grew older, my children, I lived honestly and worked as a farmer for my father and brothers, bringing in harvests when it was time.

1:24. When, therefore, I grew up, my children, I walked in uprightness of heart, and I became a husbandman for my father and my brethren, and I brought in fruits from the field according to their season.

1:25. And my father praised me because he saw that I lived honestly and was true to myself.

1:25. And my father blessed me, for he saw that I walked in rectitude before him.

1:26. I didn't interfere in others' business nor did I feel any negative feelings like jealousy or ill-will towards others.

1:26. And I was not a busybody in my doings, nor envious and malicious against my neighbour.

1:27. I never spoke falsely about anyone or criticized anyone's life because my intention was always pure and clear.

1:27. I never slandered any one, nor did I censure the life of any man, walking as I did in singleness of eye.

1:28. So, when I was thirty-five years old, I married. Hard work diminished my strength; I didn't focus on intimate relations because exhaustion from work led me to sleep instead.

1:28. Therefore, when I was thirty-five years old, I took to myself a wife, for my labour wore away my strength, and I never thought upon pleasure with women; but owing to my toil, sleep overcame me.

1:29. My father was always happy with how I lived because I gave the first of what I harvested to God through the priest, and then to my father as well.

1:29. And my father always rejoiced in my rectitude, because I offered through the priest to the Lord all first-fruits; then to my father also.

1:30. God greatly multiplied the good things in my life, and my father saw that it was because of my genuine and honest devotion.

1:30. And the Lord increased ten thousandfold His benefits in my hands; and also Jacob, my father, knew that God aided my singleness.

1:31. With an open heart, I shared the good things of the earth with those who were poor and suffering.

1:31. For on all the poor and oppressed I bestowed the good things of the earth in the singleness of my heart.

1:32. Now listen to me, children, and be sincere in your hearts because I've seen that this pleases God.

1:32. And now, hearken to me, my children, and walk in singleness of your heart, for I have seen in it all that is well-pleasing to the Lord. '

1:33. A person with a sincere heart isn't greedy for money, doesn't cheat others, isn't tempted by fancy foods or clothes.

1:33. The single-minded man coveteth not gold, he overreacheth not his neighbour, he longeth not after manifold dainties, he delighteth not in varied apparel.

1:34. Such a person doesn't worry about how long they live but instead is content with whatever God decides.

1:34. He doth not desire to live a long life, but only waiteth for the will of God.

1:35. They aren't enticed by lies or distracted by physical beauty which could lead to dirty thoughts.

1:35. And the spirits of deceit have no power against him, for he looketh not on the beauty of women, lest he should pollute his mind with corruption.

1:36. God doesn't feel jealousy, doesn't get bothered by mean people, or crave things endlessly.

1:36. There is no envy in his thoughts, no malicious person maketh his soul to pine away, nor worry with insatiable desire in his mind.

1:37. God is straightforward and sees everything clearly without being affected by the world's mistakes, making sure not to misinterpret any of God's rules.

1:37. For he walketh in singleness of soul, and beholdeth all things in uprightness of heart, shunning eyes made evil through the error of the world, lest he should see the perversion of any of the commandments of the Lord.

1:38. So, my children, follow God's ways, be honest and straightforward, avoid meddling, and show love to God and your neighbors; show kindness to those who are poor and weak.

1:38. Keep, therefore, my children, the law of God, and get singleness, and walk in guilelessness, not playing the busybody with the business of your neighbour, but love the Lord and your neighbour, have compassion on the poor and weak.

1:39. Work hard with your hands in farming or other labor, always showing gratitude by making offerings to God.

1:39. Bow down your back unto husbandry, and toil in labours in all manner of husbandry, offering gifts to the Lord with thanksgiving.

1:40. If you use the first and best part of what you grow to honor God, you will be blessed just as good people have been since ancient times.

1:40. For with the first-fruits of the earth will the Lord bless you, even as He blessed all the saints from Abel even until now.

1:41. Remember that you're meant to live off the rich produce from the land that comes from your hard work.

1:41. For no other portion is given to you than of the fatness of the earth, whose fruits are raised by toil.

1:42. For father Jacob gave me his blessing of abundant crops as well as these very first harvested goods.

1:42. For our father Jacob blessed me with blessings of the earth and of first-fruits.

Issachar, Ch 2

Chapter 2

The speaker forewarns posterity about straying from virtuous paths for cravings and dishonesty, advises adherence to goodness even in adversity by sharing life-lessons, and instructs for a noble burial after a well-lived life.

2:1. Be aware, my children, that in future times your descendants will abandon their straightforward ways and instead embrace overwhelming cravings.

2:1. KNOW ye therefore, my children, that in the last times your sons will forsake singleness, and will cleave unto insatiable desire.

2:2. They will turn from innocence and honesty towards harmful intentions, rejecting the instructions God gave and following after falsehood.

2:2. And leaving guilelessness, will draw near to malice; and forsaking the commandments of the Lord, they will cleave unto Beliar.

2:3. Abandoning farming and a simple life, they will chase their harmful plans and scatter among different nations, becoming subservients to their foes.

2:3. And leaving husbandry, they will follow after their own wicked devices, and they shall be dispersed among the Gentiles, and shall serve their enemies.

2:4. You must pass on these teachings to your children so that if they stray from what is right, they can find their way back to God more easily; for God is kind and will rescue them, even returning them to their home ground.

2:4. And do you therefore give these commands to your children, that, if they sin, they may the more quickly return to the Lord; For He is merciful, and will deliver them, even to bring them back into their land.

2:5. Just as you can see for yourselves, I've lived 126 years without knowingly doing anything morally wrong.

2:5. Behold, therefore, as ye see, I am a hundred and twenty-six years old and am not conscious of committing any sin.

2:6. Apart from my spouse, I've been faithful; I have not engaged in sexual activity with anyone else by allowing my gaze to lead me astray.

2:6. Except my wife I have not known any woman. I never committed fornication by the uplifting of my eyes.

2:7. I didn't drink wine in excess so as not to lose control of myself;

2:7. I drank not wine, to be led astray thereby;

2:8. I never craved what belonged to someone else, out of greed.

2:8. I coveted not any desirable thing that was my neighbour's.

2:9. I never let deceit take root in my heart;

2:9. Guile arose not in my heart;

2:10. I never told a lie.

2:10. A lie passed not through my lips.

2:11. Whenever someone was upset, I empathized with them.

2:11. If any man were in distress I joined my sighs with his,

2:12. I shared my food with those who didn’t have enough to eat.

2:12. And I shared my bread with the poor.

2:13. I always acted with integrity and honesty.

2:13. I wrought godliness, all my days I kept truth.

2:14. I deeply loved God and cared for every person with all my heart.

2:14. I loved the Lord; likewise also every man with all my heart.

2:15. You should do these things too, my children, then you'll be free from evil influences, and no harmful actions will have control over you.

2:15. So do you also these things, my children, and every spirit of Beliar shall flee from you, and no deed of wicked men shall rule over you;

2:16. You'll be able to overcome any challenge as long as you have God on your side and treat people with a pure heart.

2:16. And every wild beast shall ye subdue, since you have with you the God of heaven and earth and walk with men in singleness of heart.

2:17. Then he instructed his sons to take his body to Hebron and bury him in the cave where his ancestors were laid to rest.

2:17. And having said these things, he commanded his sons that they should carry him up to Hebron, and bury him there in the cave with his fathers.

2:18. He laid down, passed away at a ripe old age with his full health intact, without any decline in vigour, into a peaceful slumber that would last forever.

2:18. And he stretched out his feet and died, at a good old age; with every limb sound, and with strength unabated, he slept the eternal sleep.