1:1. Here's a record of what Dan said to his children when he knew he wasn't going to live much longer, at 125 years old.
1:2. He gathered his family and told them: Listen to what I'm going to tell you, my children of Dan; pay attention to what I, your father, am saying.
1:3. Throughout my life, I've found that living honestly and dealing fairly is a good thing and pleases God, while lying and getting mad are bad because they lead people down a path to bad behavior.
1:4. So today, kids, I'm admitting that there was a time when I hated my brother Joseph so much—even though he was innocent and kind—that I wanted him gone.
1:5. When he was sold off by us, I was happy about it because our father seemed to love him more than the rest of us.
1:6. I was jealous and thought about how important I wanted to be, telling myself that after all, I am also one of his children.
1:7. Then I was persuaded by a harmful thought: "Take a sword and kill Joseph; once he's gone, your father will direct his love toward you."
1:8. This urge to get rid of Joseph came from deep anger, making me want to strike like a leopard would tackle its prey.
1:9. But God didn't let me find the chance to act alone against him—to kill him—because doing so would have brought disaster upon another one of Israel's tribes.
1:10. My children, I'm close to dying, and I want you to know that if you don't avoid lying and anger, and if you don't embrace truthfulness and patience, you're going to face destruction.
1:11. Being angry makes you blind – it stops you from seeing the truth about anyone.
1:12. When angry, even if it's your parents, you'll treat them like they're against you; if it's your sibling, you won't recognize them; if it's a messenger from God or a morally upright person, you won't listen; even friends become strangers to you.
1:13. Anger traps you in lies, blinds your vision, messes up your understanding, and makes you see things in a twisted way.
1:14. How does anger blind someone? By filling their heart with spite so much that they become jealous of their brother.
1:15. Anger is harmful because it stirs up trouble within the very core of your being.
1:16. It takes over an angry person's body and controls their soul, giving the body energy to misbehave badly.
1:17. And when someone acts out in this way, their inner self justifies the actions because it's lost the ability to judge right from wrong properly.
1:18. So an angry person who has power becomes especially dangerous – they have triple strength in their anger: control over others who support them, the ability to manipulate with wealth unjustly, and their own natural vigor to perform harmful deeds.
1:19. Even if a person prone to anger is weak, they become unexpectedly powerful because anger fuels their harmful behavior.
1:20. Anger always works alongside deceit as Satan’s helper, to perform acts that are cruel and untruthful.
1:21. So you should realize that anger serves no good purpose.
1:22. It starts with someone saying something irritating; then it fuels the person who gets angry, causes them serious problems, and stirs up even more anger within them.
1:23. So, when someone speaks ill of you, don't let it get to you; and when they compliment you as being holy, don't let it go to your head—stay unaffected by either praise or insults.
1:24. Flattery can be pleasing to hear and then rouses the mind’s attention for potential issues that can make someone angry; he then convinces himself that his anger is justified.
1:25. My children, if you face any damage or destruction in your life, try not to feel too downhearted; because the drive for fleeting things—when frustrated—can lead to becoming angry about the ordeal.
1:26. Whether a setback is out of your control or caused by your own choices, avoid getting upset; because from such irritation comes deceitful anger.
1:27. Additionally, experiencing both deceptive ways and anger together cause double trouble—they support each other in upsetting a person's emotions; and when this turmoil persists continually in a person’s life, God steps away from them and evil takes over their heart.
2:1. Pay attention, my children, to the commands from God and live by them. Stay away from strong anger and don't lie, so that God can be close to you and bad influences will stay away.
2:2. Always be honest when you talk to others. By doing this, you'll avoid feeling angry and confused; you'll live in peace and not be troubled by conflict.
2:3. Love God throughout your life and care for each other sincerely.
2:4. I believe that in the future, you will turn away from God and fight with people from the groups of Levi and Judah; but they will be protected by an angel from God, for they will be key to the perseverance of Israel.
2:5. Whenever you stray from God's path, you will make bad choices and follow the harmful practices of other communities by seeking relationships that don’t follow your laws—a behavior influenced by negative forces within you.
2:6. I have read in Enoch's writings that your leader is opposed to what is good, that disruptive forces driven by arrogance will target Levi's descendants to push them against God's desires.
2:7. My descendants will join those of Levi in wrongdoing, while those of Judah will take others' belonging aggressively.
2:8. As a result, all of you will face the consequences of captivity, endure hardships like those experienced in Egypt, and suffer as other nations have suffered.
2:9. But if you turn back to God, you’ll receive compassion, be welcomed into a sacred place of worship with God offering peace.
2:10. From Judah and Levi's families, God's chosen rescuer will appear. This person will fight against evil forces.
2:11. They will enact lasting justice on our foes; they will rescue the pure-hearted people from the grip of evil, change the hearts of those who stray from God, and grant unending peace to those who seek God.
2:12. Pure-hearted people will find serenity in a place called Eden, and in a renewed city called New Jerusalem; good people will celebrate there, bringing eternal honor to God.
2:13. Jerusalem will no longer be neglected or its people taken away. God will be present there, ruling humbly over it—those who trust in them will also have leadership based on truth among humanity.
2:14. Be mindful of God's advice, my children, and stay away from evil and its misleading ways.
2:15. Keep a strong connection with God and the angel that pleads on your behalf—they act as a go-between for humanity and God to maintain peace for Israel.
2:16. This is why such menacing forces seek to ruin those who rely on god for help.
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2:18.
2:19. In times when Israel is not following God's rules, God will stay with them and change them into a people that follow God's wishes, since none of the angels are as great as they are.
2:20. God's reputation will be known everywhere in Israel and also among other nations.
2:21. So, my children, avoid harmful actions, let go of any intense anger, get rid of dishonesty, embrace truthfulness and the ability to wait patiently.
2:22. Share with your own kids what I have taught you so that the one who helps people from all nations know respect for you; he is trustworthy and patient, humble and puts others first, showing by what he does how to follow God's guidelines.
2:23. So stay away from what is not right according to God's standards, hold on to what God sees as right, and doing so can ensure your family's well-being forever.
2:24. And my wish is to be buried next to my ancestors.
2:25. After saying these things, he showed his love for them with a kiss and then died peacefully at an old age.
2:26. His sons buried him, and later it was ensured that his remains were placed next to patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
2:27. However, Dan warned them that they would forget about their dedication to God and become strangers in their own promised land as well as strangers from their community in Israel and their descendants.