Book of Jasher, Chapter 22 — The Covenant at Beersheba; the Children of Nahor; Terah Dies; Satan Accuses Abraham before the Lord
1And Ishmael then rose up and took his wife and his children and his cattle and all belonging to him, and he journeyed from there, and he went to his father in the land of the Philistines.
2And Abraham related to Ishmael his son the transaction with the first wife that Ishmael took, according to what she had done.
3And Ishmael and his children dwelt with Abraham many days in that land, and Abraham dwelt in the land of the Philistines a long time.
4And the days increased and reached twenty-six years; and after that, Abraham with his servants and all belonging to him went from the land of the Philistines and moved to a great distance, and they came near Hebron and remained there; and the servants of Abraham dug wells of water, and Abraham and all belonging to him dwelt by the water; and the servants of Abimelech king of the Philistines heard the report that Abraham's servants had dug wells of water in the borders of the land.
5And they came and quarreled with the servants of Abraham, and they robbed them of the great well which they had dug.
6And Abimelech king of the Philistines heard of this affair, and he, with Phicol the captain of his host and twenty of his men, came to Abraham; and Abimelech spoke to Abraham concerning his servants; and Abraham rebuked Abimelech concerning the well of which his servants had robbed him.
7And Abimelech said to Abraham, As the Lord lives, who created the whole earth, I did not hear of the act which my servants did to your servants until this day.
8And Abraham took seven ewe lambs and gave them to Abimelech, saying, Take these, I pray you, from my hands, that it may be a testimony for me that I dug this well.
9And Abimelech took the seven ewe lambs which Abraham had given him — for he had also given him cattle and herds in abundance — and Abimelech swore to Abraham concerning the well; therefore he called that well Beersheba, for there they both swore concerning it.
10And they both made a covenant in Beersheba; and Abimelech rose up, with Phicol the captain of his host and all his men, and they returned to the land of the Philistines; and Abraham and all belonging to him dwelt in Beersheba, and he was in that land a long time.
11And Abraham planted a large grove in Beersheba, and he made four gates for it facing the four sides of the earth, and he planted a vineyard in it; so that if a traveler came to Abraham, he entered whatever gate was in his road, and remained there, and ate and drank and satisfied himself, and then departed.
12For the house of Abraham was always open to the sons of men who passed and repassed, who came daily to eat and drink in the house of Abraham.
13And any man who was hungry and came to Abraham's house, Abraham would give him bread, that he might eat and drink and be satisfied; and anyone who came naked to his house he would clothe with garments as he might choose, and give him silver and gold, and make known to him the Lord who had created him in the earth; this Abraham did all his life.
14And Abraham and his children and all belonging to him dwelt in Beersheba, and he pitched his tent as far as Hebron.
15And Abraham's brother Nahor, and his father, and all belonging to them, dwelt in Haran, for they had not come with Abraham to the land of Canaan.
16And children were born to Nahor, whom Milca — the daughter of Haran and sister of Sarah, Abraham's wife — bore to him.
17And these are the names of those born to him: Uz, Buz, Kemuel, Kesed, Chazo, Pildash, Tidlaf, and Bethuel, being eight sons; these are the children of Milca, whom she bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.
18And Nahor had a concubine, and her name was Reumah; and she also bore to Nahor: Zebach, Gachash, Tachash, and Maacha, being four sons.
19And the children born to Nahor were twelve sons, besides his daughters; and they also had children born to them in Haran.
20And the children of Uz, the firstborn of Nahor, were Abi, Cheref, Gadin, Melus, and Deborah their sister.
21And the sons of Buz were Berachel, Naamath, Sheva, and Madonu.
22And the sons of Kemuel were Aram and Rechob.
23And the sons of Kesed were Anamlech, Meshai, Benon, and Yifi; and the sons of Chazo were Pildash, Mechi, and Opher.
24And the sons of Pildash were Arud, Chamum, Mered, and Moloch.
25And the sons of Tidlaf were Mushan, Cushan, and Mutzi.
26And the children of Bethuel were Sechar, Laban, and their sister Rebecca.
27These are the families of the children of Nahor that were born to them in Haran; and Aram the son of Kemuel, and Rechob his brother, went away from Haran and found a valley in the land by the river Euphrates.
28And they built a city there, and they called the name of the city after the name of Pethor the son of Aram; that is Aram Naherayim to this day.
29And the children of Kesed also went to dwell where they could find a place; and they went and found a valley opposite the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there.
30And there they built themselves a city, and they called the name of the city Kesed, after the name of their father; that is the land of Kasdim to this day; and the Kasdim dwelt in that land, and they were fruitful and multiplied exceedingly.
31And Terah, the father of Nahor and Abraham, went and took another wife in his old age, and her name was Pelilah; and she conceived and bore him a son, and he called his name Zoba.
32And Terah lived twenty-five years after he fathered Zoba.
33And Terah died in that year — that is, in the thirty-fifth year from the birth of Isaac son of Abraham.
34And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and he was buried in Haran.
35And Zoba the son of Terah lived thirty years, and he fathered Aram, Achlis, and Merik.
36And Aram, son of Zoba son of Terah, had three wives, and he fathered twelve sons and three daughters; and the Lord gave Aram the son of Zoba riches and possessions, and abundance of cattle, flocks, and herds, and the man increased greatly.
37And Aram the son of Zoba, and his brothers, and all his household, journeyed from Haran, and they went to dwell wherever they might find a place, for their property was too great for them to remain in Haran; for they could not stay in Haran together with their kinsmen, the children of Nahor.
38And Aram the son of Zoba went with his brothers, and they found a valley at a distance toward the eastern country, and they dwelt there.
39And they also built a city there, and they called its name Aram, after the name of their eldest brother; that is Aram Zoba to this day.
40And Isaac the son of Abraham was growing up in those days, and Abraham his father taught him the way of the Lord, to know the Lord; and the Lord was with him.
41And when Isaac was thirty-seven years old, Ishmael his brother was going about with him in the tent.
42And Ishmael boasted of himself to Isaac, saying, I was thirteen years old when the Lord spoke to my father to circumcise us, and I did according to the word of the Lord which he spoke to my father, and I gave my soul to the Lord, and I did not transgress his word which he commanded my father.
43And Isaac answered Ishmael, saying, Why do you boast to me about this — about a little bit of your flesh which you took from your body, concerning which the Lord commanded you?
44As the Lord lives, the God of my father Abraham — if the Lord should say to my father, Take now your son Isaac and bring him up as an offering before me, I would not hold back, but would joyfully consent to it.
45And the Lord heard the word that Isaac spoke to Ishmael, and it seemed good in the sight of the Lord, and he thought to test Abraham in this matter.
46And the day arrived when the sons of God came and placed themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with the sons of God before the Lord.
47And the Lord said to Satan, Where do you come from? And Satan answered the Lord and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
48And the Lord said to Satan, What is your word to me concerning all the children of the earth? And Satan answered the Lord and said, I have seen all the children of the earth who serve you and remember you when they require anything from you.
49And when you give them the thing they require from you, they sit at their ease, and forsake you, and remember you no more.
50Have you seen Abraham the son of Terah — who at first had no children, and he served you and erected altars to you wherever he came, and brought up offerings upon them, and proclaimed your name continually to all the children of the earth?
51And now that his son Isaac is born to him, he has forsaken you: he has made a great feast for all the inhabitants of the land — and the Lord he has forgotten.
52For amid all that he has done, he brought you no offering: neither burnt offering nor peace offering, neither ox, lamb, nor goat, of all that he killed on the day his son was weaned.
53Even from the time of his son's birth until now, being thirty-seven years, he has built no altar before you, nor brought any offering to you; for he saw that you gave him what he requested before you, and he therefore forsook you.
54And the Lord said to Satan, Have you thus considered my servant Abraham? For there is none like him upon earth — a perfect and an upright man before me, one who fears God and avoids evil. As I live, were I to say to him, Bring up Isaac your son before me, he would not withhold him from me — much less if I told him to bring up a burnt offering before me from his flock or herds.
55And Satan answered the Lord and said, Speak then now to Abraham as you have said, and you will see whether he will not this day transgress and cast aside your words.