Testament of Judah 1:1–54

¹ THE copy of the words of Judah, what things he spake to his sons before he died. (T12) ² They gathered themselves together, therefore, and came to him, and he said to them: Hearken, my children, to Judah your father. (T12) ³ I was the fourth son born to my father Jacob; and Leah my mother named me Judah, saying, I give thanks to the Lord, because He hath given me a fourth son also. (T12) ⁴ I was swift in my youth, and obedient to my father in everything. (T12) ⁵ And I honoured my mother and my mother's sister. (T12) ⁶ And it came to pass, when I became a man, that my father blessed me, saying, Thou shalt be a king, prospering in all things. (T12) ⁷ And the Lord showed me favour in all my works both in the field and in the house. (T12) ⁸ I know that I raced a hind, and caught it, and prepared the meat for my father, and he did eat. (T12) ⁹ And the roes I used to master in the chase, and overtake all that was in the plains. (T12) ¹⁰ A wild mare I overtook, and caught it and tamed it. (T12) ¹¹ I slew a lion and plucked a kid out of its mouth. (T12) ¹² I took a bear by its paw and hurled it down the cliff, and it was crushed. (T12) ¹³ I outran the wild boar, and seizing it as I ran, I tore it in sunder. (T12) ¹⁴ A leopard in Hebron leaped upon my dog, and I caught it by the tail, and hurled it on the rocks, and it was broken in twain (T12) ¹⁵ I found a wild ox feeding in the fields, and seizing it by the horns, and whirling it round and stunning it, I cast it from me and slew it. (T12) ¹⁶ And when the two kings of the Canaanites came sheathed, in armour against our flocks, and much people with them, single handed I rushed upon the king of Hazor, and smote him on the greives and dragged him down, and so I slew him. (T12) ¹⁷ And the other, the king of Tappuah, as he sat upon his horse, I slew, and so I scattered all his people. (T12) ¹⁸ Achor, the king, a man of giant stature, I found, hurling javelins before and behind as he sat on horseback, and I took up a stone of sixty pounds weight, and hurled it and smote his horse, and killed it. (T12) ¹⁹ And I fought with this other for two hours; and I clave his shield in twain, and I chopped off his feet, and killed him. (T12) ²⁰ And as I was stripping off his breastplate, behold nine men his companions began to fight with me, (T12) ²¹ And I wound my garment on my hand; and I slung stones at them, and killed four of them, and the rest fled. (T12) ²² And Jacob my father slew Beelesath, king of all the kings, a giant in strength, twelve cubits high. (T12) ²³ And fear fell upon them, and they ceased warring against us. (T12) ²⁴ Therefore my father was free from anxiety in the wars when I was with my brethren. (T12) ²⁵ For he saw in a vision concerning me that an angel of might followed me everywhere, that I should not be overcome. (T12) ²⁶ And in the sout… (T12)