Chapter 77

1

ADIKAM was twenty years old when he reigned over Mitsrayim, he reigned four years.

2

In the two hundred and sixth year of Yashar'el's going down to Mitsrayim did Adikam reign over Mitsrayim, but he continued not so long in his reign over Mitsrayim as his fathers had continued their reigns.

3

For Melol his father reigned ninety four years in Mitsrayim, but he was ten years sick and died, for he had been wicked before Yahuah.

4

And all the Mitsriym called the name of Adikam Phar'oh like the name of his fathers, as was their custom to do in Mitsrayim.

5

And all the wise men of Phar'oh called the name of Adikam Ahuz, for short is called Ahuz in the Mitsriy language.

6

And Adikam was exceedingly ugly, and he was a cubit and a span and he had a great beard which reached to the soles of his feet.

7

And Phar'oh sat upon his father's throne to reign over Mitsrayim, and he conducted the government of Mitsrayim in his wisdom.

8

And while he reigned he exceeded his father and all the preceding kings in wickedness, and he increased his yoke over the children of Yashar'el.

9

And he went with his servants to Goshen to the children of Yashar'el, and he strengthened the labor over them and he said unto them, Complete your work, each day's task, and let not your hands slacken from our work from this day forward as you did in the days of my father.

10

And he placed officers over them from amongst the children of Yashar'el, and over these officers he placed taskmasters from amongst his servants.

11

And he placed over them a measure of bricks for them to do according to that number, day by day, and he turned back and went to Mitsrayim.

12

At that time the taskmasters of Phar'oh ordered the officers of the children of Yashar'el according to the command of Phar'oh, saying,

13

Thus says Phar'oh, Do your work each day, and finish your task, and observe the daily measure of bricks; diminish not anything.

14

And it shall come to pass that if you are deficient in your daily bricks, I will put your young children in their stead.

15

And the taskmasters of Mitsrayim did so in those days as Phar'oh had ordered them.

16

And whenever any deficiency was found in the children of Yashar'el's measure of their daily bricks, the taskmasters of Phar'oh would go to the women of the children of Yashar'el and take infants of the children of Yashar'el to the number of bricks deficient, they would take them by force from their mother's laps, and put them in the building instead of the bricks;

17

While their fathers and mothers were crying over them and weeping when they heard the weeping voices of their infants in the wall of the building.

18

And the taskmasters prevailed over Yashar'el, that the Yashar'e'liym should place their children in the building, so that a man placed his son in the wall and put mortar over him, while his eyes wept over him, and his tears ran down upon his child.

19

And the taskmasters of Mitsrayim did so to the babes of Yashar'el for many days, and no one pitied or had compassion over the babes of the children of Yashar'el.

20

And the number of all the children killed in the building was two hundred and seventy, some whom they had built upon instead of the bricks which had been left deficient by their fathers, and some whom they had drawn out dead from the building.

21

And the labor imposed upon the children of Yashar'el in the days of Adikam exceeded in hardship that which they performed in the days of his father.

22

And the children of Yashar'el sighed every day on account of their heavy work, for they had said to themselves, Behold when Phar'oh shall die, his son will rise up and lighten our work!

23

But they increased the latter work more than the former, and the children of Yashar'el sighed at this and their cry ascended to Elohiym on account of their labor.

24

And Elohiym heard the voice of the children of Yashar'el and their cry, in those days, and Elohiym remembered to them his covenant which he had made with Avraham, Yitschaq and Ya`aqov.

25

And Elohiym saw the burden of the children of Yashar'el, and their heavy work in those days, and he determined to deliver them.

26

And Mosheh the son of Amram was still confined in the dungeon in those days, in the house of Re'u'el the Midyaniy, and Tsipporah the daughter of Re'u'el did support him with food secretly day by day.

27

And Mosheh was confined in the dungeon in the house of Re'u'el for ten years.

28

And at the end of ten years which was the first year of the reign of Phar'oh over Mitsrayim, in the place of his father,

29

Tsipporah said to her father Re'u'el, No person inquires or seeks after the Ivriy man, whom you did bind in prison now ten years.

30

Now therefore, if it seem good in your sight, let us send and see whether he is living or dead, but her father knew not that she had supported him.

31

And Re'u'el her father answered and said to her, Has ever such a thing happened that a man should be shut up in a prison without food for ten years, and that he should live?

32

And Tsipporah answered her father, saying, Surely you have heard that the Elohiym of the Ivriym is great and awful, and does wonders for them at all times.

33

He it was who delivered Avraham from Ur of the Kasdiym, and Yitschaq from the sword of his father, and Ya`aqov from the angel of Yahuah who wrestled with him at the ford of Yabboq.

34

Also with this man has he done many things, he delivered him from the river in Mitsrayim and from the sword of Phar'oh, and from the children of Kush, so also can he deliver him from famine and make him live.

35

And the thing seemed good in the sight of Re'u'el, and he did according to the word of his daughter, and sent to the dungeon to ascertain what became of Mosheh.

36

And he saw, and behold the man Mosheh was living in the dungeon, standing upon his feet, praising and praying to the Elohiym of his ancestors.

37

And Re'u'el commanded Mosheh to be brought out of the dungeon, so they shaved him and he changed his prison garments and ate bread.

38

And afterward Mosheh went into the garden of Re'u'el which was behind the house, and he there prayed to Yahuah Elohayu, who had done mighty wonders for him.

39

And it was that while he prayed he looked opposite to him, and behold a caphire stick was placed in the ground, which was planted in the midst of the garden.

40

And he approached the stick and he looked, and behold the name of Yahuah Elohiym Tseva'oth was engraved thereon, written and developed upon the stick.

41

And he read it and stretched forth his hand and he plucked it like a forest tree from the thicket, and the stick was in his hand.

42

And this is the stick with which all the works of our Elohiym were performed, after he had created heaven and earth, and all the host of them, seas, rivers and all their fish.

43

And when Elohiym had driven A'dam from the Garden of Eden, he took the stick in his hand and went and tilled the ground from which he was taken.

44

And the stick came down to Noach and was given to Shem and his descendants, until it came into the hand of Avraham the Ivriy.

45

And when Avraham had given all he had to his son Yitschaq, he also gave to him this stick.

46

And when Ya`aqov had fled to Paddan Aram, he took it into his hand, and when he returned to his father he had not left it behind him.

47

Also when he went down to Mitsrayim he took it into his hand and gave it to Yoceph, one portion above his brethren, for Ya`aqov had taken it by force from his brother Esau.

48

And after the death of Yoceph, the nobles of Mitsrayim came into the house of Yoceph, and the stick came into the hand of Re'u'el the Midyaniy, and when he went out of Mitsrayim, he took it in his hand and planted it in his garden.

49

And all the mighty men of the Qeyniyiym tried to pluck it when they endeavored to get Tsipporah his daughter, but they were unsuccessful.

50

So that stick remained planted in the garden of Re'u'el, until he came who had a right to it and took it.

51

And when Re'u'el saw the stick in the hand of Mosheh, he wondered at it, and he gave him his daughter Tsipporah for a woman.



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