Book of Jasher, Chapter 7 — The Generations of Noah; the Garments of Adam Descend to Nimrod; the Birth of Abram
1And these are the names of the sons of Noah: Japheth, Ham, and Shem; and children were born to them after the flood, for they had taken wives before the flood.
2These are the sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras — seven sons.
3And the sons of Gomer were Askinaz, Rephath, and Tegarmah.
4And the sons of Magog were Elichanaf and Lubal.
5And the children of Madai were Achon, Zeelo, Chazoni, and Lot.
6And the sons of Javan were Elisha, Tarshish, Chittim, and Dudonim.
7And the sons of Tubal were Ariphi, Kesed, and Taari.
8And the sons of Meshech were Dedon, Zaron, and Shebashni.
9And the sons of Tiras were Benib, Gera, Lupirion, and Gilak. These are the sons of Japheth according to their families, and their numbers in those days were about four hundred and sixty men.
10And these are the sons of Ham: Cush, Mitzraim, Phut, and Canaan — four sons. And the sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raama, and Satecha; and the sons of Raama were Sheba and Dedan.
11And the sons of Mitzraim were Lud, Anom, and Pathros, Chasloth, and Chaphtor.
12And the sons of Phut were Gebul, Hadan, Benah, and Adan.
13And the sons of Canaan were Zidon, Heth, Amori, Gergashi, Hivi, Arkee, Seni, Arodi, Zimodi, and Chamothi.
14These are the sons of Ham according to their families, and their numbers in those days were about seven hundred and thirty men.
15And these are the sons of Shem: Elam, Ashur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram — five sons. And the sons of Elam were Shushan, Machul, and Harmon.
16And the sons of Ashur were Mirus and Mokil; and the sons of Arpachshad were Shelach, Anar, and Ashcol.
17And the sons of Lud were Pethor and Bizayon; and the sons of Aram were Uz, Chul, Gather, and Mash.
18These are the sons of Shem according to their families, and their numbers in those days were about three hundred men.
19These are the generations of Shem: Shem fathered Arpachshad, and Arpachshad fathered Shelach, and Shelach fathered Eber; and to Eber were born two children — the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the sons of men were divided, and in the latter days the earth was divided.
20And the name of the second was Yoktan, meaning that in his days the lives of the sons of men were diminished and shortened.
21These are the sons of Yoktan: Almodad, Shelaf, Chazarmoveth, Yerach, Hadurom, Ozel, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these are the sons of Yoktan.
22And Peleg his brother fathered Yen, and Yen fathered Serug, and Serug fathered Nahor, and Nahor fathered Terah; and Terah was thirty-eight years old when he fathered Haran and Nahor.
23And Cush the son of Ham, the son of Noah, took a wife in those days, in his old age, and she bore a son; and they called his name Nimrod, saying, At that time the sons of men again began to rebel and transgress against God. And the child grew up, and his father loved him exceedingly, for he was the son of his old age.
24And the garments of skin that God made for Adam and his wife when they went out of the garden were given to Cush.
25For after the death of Adam and his wife, the garments were given to Enoch the son of Jared; and when Enoch was taken up to God, he gave them to Methuselah his son.
26And at the death of Methuselah, Noah took them and brought them to the ark, and they were with him until he went out of the ark.
27And in their going out, Ham stole those garments from Noah his father, and he took them and hid them from his brothers.
28And when Ham fathered his firstborn Cush, he gave him the garments in secret, and they were with Cush many days.
29And Cush too concealed them from his sons and brothers; and when Cush had fathered Nimrod, he gave him those garments out of his love for him. And Nimrod grew up, and when he was twenty years old he put on those garments.
30And Nimrod became strong when he put on the garments; and God gave him might and strength, and he was a mighty hunter in the earth — indeed, a mighty hunter in the field. And he hunted the animals, and he built altars, and he offered the animals upon them before the Lord.
31And Nimrod strengthened himself, and he rose up from among his brothers, and he fought the battles of his brothers against all their enemies round about.
32And the Lord delivered all the enemies of his brothers into his hands, and God prospered him from time to time in his battles, and he reigned upon the earth.
33Therefore it became a saying in those days, when a man sent out those he had trained for battle, he would say to them, Like God did to Nimrod, who was a mighty hunter in the earth and who succeeded in the battles against his brothers' enemies, delivering them from the hands of their enemies — so may God strengthen us and deliver us this day.
34And when Nimrod was forty years old, there was at that time a war between his brothers and the children of Japheth, and his brothers fell into the power of their enemies.
35And Nimrod went out at that time, and he assembled all the sons of Cush and their families — about four hundred and sixty men; and he hired also from some of his friends and acquaintances about eighty men, and he gave them their wages; and he went with them to battle. And on the way, Nimrod strengthened the hearts of the people who went with him.
36And he said to them, Do not fear, and do not be alarmed, for all our enemies will be delivered into our hands, and you may do with them as you please.
37And all the men who went were about five hundred; and they fought against their enemies, and they destroyed them and subdued them; and Nimrod set standing officers over them in their places.
38And he took some of their children as hostages, and they were all servants to Nimrod and to his brothers; and Nimrod and all the people who were with him turned homeward.
39And when Nimrod had joyfully returned from battle, after conquering his enemies, all his brothers, together with those who had known him before, assembled to make him king over them; and they placed the royal crown upon his head.
40And he set princes, judges, and rulers over his subjects and his people, as is the custom among kings.
41And he placed Terah the son of Nahor as prince of his host, and he dignified him and elevated him above all his princes.
42And while he was reigning according to his heart's desire, after conquering all his enemies around him, he took counsel with his advisers to build a city for his palace, and they did so.
43And they found a large valley opposite the east, and they built him a large and extensive city; and Nimrod called the name of the city that he built Shinar, for the Lord had mightily shaken his enemies and destroyed them.
44And Nimrod dwelt in Shinar, and he reigned securely; and he fought with his enemies and subdued them, and he prospered in all his battles, and his kingdom became very great.
45And all nations and tongues heard of his fame, and they gathered themselves to him and bowed down to the earth, and they brought him offerings; and he became their lord and king, and they all dwelt with him in the city at Shinar; and Nimrod reigned in the earth over all the sons of Noah, and they were all under his power and counsel.
46And all the earth was of one tongue and of united words; but Nimrod did not walk in the ways of the Lord, and he was more wicked than all the men who were before him, from the days of the flood until those days.
47And he made gods of wood and stone, and he bowed down to them; and he rebelled against the Lord, and taught all his subjects and the people of the earth his wicked ways; and Mardon his son was more wicked than his father.
48And everyone who heard of the deeds of Mardon the son of Nimrod would say of him, From the wicked goes forth wickedness; therefore it became a proverb in the whole earth — From the wicked goes forth wickedness — and it was current in the speech of men from that time to this.
49And Terah the son of Nahor, prince of Nimrod's host, was in those days very great in the sight of the king and his subjects; and the king and the princes loved him, and they elevated him very high.
50And Terah took a wife, and her name was Amthelo the daughter of Cornebo; and the wife of Terah conceived, and bore him a son in those days.
51Terah was seventy years old when he fathered him; and Terah called the name of his son who was born to him Abram, because the king had raised him in those days and dignified him above all the princes who were with him.