The Abridged

The Testament of Asher


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


Asher

Table of Contents


Part 1
Chapter 1. Asher's Final Admonitions

Part 1

Asher, Ch 1

Chapter 1

Asher instructs his children, at the age of 125, to choose actions that genuinely please God rather than being hypocritical or self-serving, cautioning them about the deceits of mixed morals and urging adherence to God's commands for a righteous life and peaceful afterlife, while prophesying challenges until God's eventual salvific arrival on Earth.

1:1. This is a copy of Asher’s last words to his children when he was 125 years old.

1:1. THE copy of the Testament To Asher, what things he spake to his sons in the hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life.

1:2. While he was still strong, he said to them: "Listen, my children, and I will teach you everything that pleases God."

1:2. For while he was still in health, he said to them: Hearken, ye children of Asher, to your father, and I will declare to you all that is upright in the sight of the Lord.

1:3. God has offered people two paths, two desires, two kinds of actions, and each has its own results.

1:3. Two ways hath God given to the sons of men, and two inclinations, and two kinds of action, and two modes of action, and two issues.

1:4. Everything has a pair, one opposite the other.

1:4. Therefore all things are by twos, one over against the other.

1:5. There are paths of positive and negative choices; our hearts recognize which is which.

1:5. For there are two ways of good and evil, and with these are the two inclinations in our breasts discriminating them.

1:6. When a person enjoys doing the right thing, all their actions are just and fair; if they do wrong, they feel regret right away.

1:6. Therefore if the soul take pleasure in the good inclination, all its actions are in righteousness; and if it sin it straightway repenteth.

1:7. 

1:7. For, having its thoughts set upon righteousness, and casting away wickedness, it straightway overthroweth the evil, and uprooteth the sin.

1:9. Whenever someone starts to do something good, they turn it into something harmful because their motivations aren't pure; they're corrupted from the start.

1:9. For whenever it beginneth to do good, he forceth the issue of the action into evil for him, seeing that the treasure of the inclination is filled with an evil spirit.

1:10. A person might support good causes verbally for their own bad reasons, and the result of what they do ends up causing trouble.

1:10. A person then may with words help the good for the sake of the evil, yet the issue of the action leadeth to mischief.

1:11. Sometimes, a person lacks empathy for someone else who's used to carry out harmful actions; this situation can be looked at in different ways, but it's all around harmful.

1:11. There is a man who showeth no compassion upon him who serveth his turn in evil; and this thing bath two aspects, but the whole is evil.

1:12. Another person might love someone doing harmful things because they'd rather stick with them through bad actions; this situation also has multiple sides, but overall, it's not good.

1:12. And there is a man that loveth him that worketh evil, because he would prefer even to die in evil for his sake; and concerning this it is clear that it bath two aspects, but the whole is an evil work.

1:13. Even if there's love involved, hiding harmful activities to protect someone's reputation is not beneficial and ultimately leads to trouble.

1:13. Though indeed he have love, yet is he wicked who concealeth what is evil for the sake of the good name, but the end of the action tendeth unto evil.

1:14. Someone might steal or cheat yet show pity to the poor: this situation might seem complex, but overall, it’s not good behavior.

1:14. Another stealeth, doeth unjustly, plundereth, defraudeth, and withal pitieth the poor: this too bath a twofold aspect, but the whole is evil.

1:15. Cheating your neighbor angers God and it's like lying about the supreme being even if that person shows pity to the poor: they ignore what God has commanded and cause offense while also doing some good deeds, like helping the needy.

1:15. He who defraudeth his neighbour provoketh God, and sweareth falsely against the Most High, and yet pitieth the poor: the Lord who commanded the law he setteth at nought and provoketh, and yet he refresheth the poor.

1:16. They harm the spirit and indulge the body; they cause harm to many but show kindness to a few: this too might seem complex at first glance, but in total, it's harmful behavior.

1:16. He defileth the soul, and maketh gay the body; he killeth many, and pitieth a few: this, too, bath a twofold aspect, but the whole is evil.

1:17. A person might cheat on their partner and sleep around, avoiding certain foods, and doing wrong even while fasting. They might use their money to control others. Even if they follow some of God's requirements, they seemingly have mixed actions, but overall, their behavior is harmful.

1:17. Another committeth adultery and fornication, and abstaineth from meats, and when he fasteth he doeth evil, and by the power of his wealth overwhelmeth many; and notwithstanding his excessive wickedness he doeth the commandments: this, too, hath a twofold aspect, but the whole is evil.

1:18. Such people are like rabbits: they seem to be clean as some animals appear according to the rules but are actually not clean at all.

1:18. Such men are hares; clean,--like those that divide the hoof, but in very deed are unclean.

1:19. God's commandments state this clearly.

1:19. For God in the tables of the commandments hath thus declared.

1:20. Do not be like them, pretending to be good at times and not good at other times; stick to what is genuinely good because God is there, and people really look for that.

1:20. But do not ye, my children, wear two faces like unto them, of goodness and of wickedness; but cleave unto goodness only, for God hath his habitation therein, and men desire it.

1:21. Stay away from negative behavior and overpower any bad urges by acting positively; those who pretend to serve God but follow their own desires really serve themselves and aim to please both harmful influences and people similar to themselves.

1:21. But from wickedness flee away, destroying the evil inclination by your good works; for they that are double-faced serve not God, but their own lusts, so that they may please Beliar and men like unto themselves.

1:22. People who consistently do what’s right, although those who are inconsistent may accuse them of wrongdoing, are righteous in the eyes of God.

1:22. For good men, even they that are of single face, though they be thought by them that are double-faced to sin, are just before God.

1:23. At times a person might take out someone who does harm and this act has elements of both good and bad; but if it results in getting rid of something bad, it's seen as entirely good.

1:23. For many in killing the wicked do two works, of good and evil; but the whole is good, because he hath uprooted and destroyed that which is evil.

1:24. A person may despise someone who shows kindness but is unfair, or someone who cheats on a partner but fasts; this reaction can be seen in two ways, but the action itself is good because it follows God's approach in not mistaking apparent goodness for true goodness.

1:24. One man hateth the merciful and unjust man, and the man who committeth adultery and fasteth: this, too, hath a twofold aspect, but the whole work is good, because he followeth the Lord's example, in that he accepteth not the seeming good as the genuine good.

1:25. One person avoids spending good times with those who aren't good, afraid of harming their body or mind; this too may seem two-faced, but overall it is a good thing.

1:25. Another desireth not to see good day with them that not, lest be defile his body and pollute his soul; this, too, is double-faced, but the whole is good.

1:26. Such people are like deer; they might appear dirty like wild animals, but they're actually clean because they passionately follow God's ways and avoid things God dislikes and has told us not steps to do via their teachings, distinguishing harm from what is beneficial.

1:26. For such men are like to stags and to hinds, because in the manner of wild animals they seem to be unclean, but they are altogether clean; because they walk in zeal for the Lord and abstain from what God also hateth and forbiddeth by His commandments, warding off the evil from the good.

1:27. My kids, you see how everything comes with opposites, with one hiding behind the other: greed hides behind wealth, addiction behind socializing, sadness behind laughter, unfaithfulness behind marriage.

1:27. Ye see, my children, how that there are two in all things, one against the other, and the one is hidden by the other: in wealth is hidden covetousness, in conviviality drunkenness, in laughter grief, in wedlock profligacy.

1:28. After life comes death, disgrace follows honor, night follows day, darkness after light; and everything lies under the cycle of day—with right things aligned with life and wrong things with death. This is why eternal life comes after death.

1:28. Death succeedeth to life, dishonour to glory, night to day, and darkness to light; and all things are under the day, just things under life, unjust things under death; wherefore also eternal life awaiteth death.

1:29. You can't falsely claim that truth is a lie or that right is wrong because all truth exists in clarity just as all things exist under God's watch.

1:29. Nor may it be said that truth is a lie, nor right wrong; for all truth is under the light, even as all things are under God.

1:30. I have lived my life testing these principles without deviating from God's path; I carefully observed God's guidelines to the best of my abilities with unwavering focus on what's positive.

1:30. All these things, therefore, I proved in my life, and I wandered not from the truth of the Lord, and I searched out the commandments of the Most High, walking according to all my strength with singleness of face unto that which is good.

1:31. So pay careful attention to God's guidelines as well, my children, consistently sticking to the truth without being led astray.

1:31. Take heed, therefore, ye also, my children, to the commandments of the Lord, following the truth with singleness of face.

1:32. Those who show one thing but feel another are guilty twice over. They do wrong themselves and take pleasure in those who do wrong—imitating misleading spirits and opposing humanity.

1:32. For they that are double-faced are guilty of a twofold sin; for they both do the evil thing and they have pleasure in them that do it, following the example of the spirits of deceit, and striving against mankind.

1:33. So, my children, follow God's rules and don't get confused between bad and good; focus on what is truly good, and adhere to all of God's commands by living and embracing them.

1:33. Do ye, therefore, my children, keep the law of the Lord, and give not heed unto evil as unto good; but look unto the thing that is really good, and keep it in all commandments of the Lord, having your conversation therein, and resting therein.

1:34. At the end of their lives, people reveal if they've lived rightly or wrongly when they encounter God's messengers and those of the deceiver.

1:34. For the latter ends of men do show their righteousness or unrighteousness, when they meet the angels of the Lord and of Satan.

1:35. If a person dies in distress, they suffer due to the harmful spirit they followed through their harmful desires and actions.

1:35. for when the soul departs troubled, it is tormented by the evil spirit which also it served in lusts and evil works.

1:36. But if a person dies at peace and happy, they're greeted by the messenger of peace who guides them to everlasting life.

1:36. But if he is peaceful with joy he meeteth the angel of peace, and he leadeth him into eternal life.

1:37. Don't be like the people of Sodom who went against God's messengers and were destroyed forever.

1:37. Become not, my children, as Sodom, which sinned against the angels of the Lord, and perished for ever.

1:38. I'm aware that you'll make mistakes and fall into your enemies' hands; your lands will become empty wastelands, your sacred places will be ruined, and you'll be dispersed everywhere on earth.

1:38. For I know that ye shall sin, and be delivered into the hands of your enemies; and your land shall be made desolate, and your holy places destroyed, and ye shall be scattered unto the four corners of the earth.

1:39. You'll be treated as insignificant in exile, passing away like evaporating water.

1:39. And ye shall be set at nought in the dispersion vanishing away as water.

1:40. Until God comes to earth as a human being, living among us, eating and drinking, defeating the force of evil as symbolized by a dragon in the water.

1:40. Until the Most High shall visit the earth, coming Himself as man, with men eating and drinking, and breaking the head of the dragon in the water.

1:41. God will rescue Israel and all other nations. Imagine God talking as if God were a human.

1:41. He shall save Israel and all the Gentiles, God speaking in the person of man.

1:42. Therefore, you should also teach your kids these instructions: to always follow what God commands.

1:42. Therefore do ye also, my children, tell these things to your children, that they disobey Him not.

1:43. Because I know you'll definitely be disobedient and will choose to follow people's rules instead, being led astray by bad behavior.

1:43. For I have known that ye shall assuredly be disobedient, and assuredly act ungodly, not giving heed to the law of God, but to the commandments of men, being corrupted through wickedness.

1:44. And as a result, like my brothers Gad and Dan, you'll be torn away from your homes and won't recognize your heritage or language.

1:44. And therefore shall ye be scattered as Gad and Dan my brethren, and ye shall know not your lands, tribe, and tongue.

1:45. But out of kindness and recalling Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God will unite you all because of your shared belief.

1:45. But the Lord will gather you together in faith through His tender mercy, and for the sake of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

1:46. After giving these directions to his children, he asked them to ensure he would be buried in Hebron.

1:46. And when he had said these things unto them, he commanded them, saying: Bury me in Hebron.

1:47. Then he peacefully passed away when he was very old.

1:47. And he fell asleep and died at a good old age.

1:48. His children followed his instructions, took him to Hebron, and buried him alongside his ancestors.

1:48. And his sons did as he had commanded them, and they carried him up to Hebron, and buried him with his fathers.