- And in the second year of this week in this jubilee, Rebecca called Jacob her son, and
spake unto [2109 A.M.] him, saying: 'My son, do not take thee a wife of the daughters of
Canaan, as Esau, thy brother, who took him two wives of the daughters of Canaan, and they have
embittered my soul with all their unclean deeds: for all their deeds are fornication and lust, and
there is no righteousness with them,
for (their deeds) are evil.
- And I, my son, love thee exceedingly, and my heart and my
affection
bless thee every hour of the day and watch of the night.
- And now, my son, hearken to
my voice, and do the will of thy mother, and do not take thee a wife of the daughters of this land,
but only of the house of my father, and of my father's kindred. Thou shalt take thee a wife of the
house of my father, and the Most High God will bless thee, and thy children shall be a righteous
generation and
a holy seed.'
- And then spake Jacob to Rebecca, his mother, and said unto her: 'Behold,
mother, I am nine weeks of years old, and I neither know nor have I touched any woman, nor
have I betrothed
myself to any, nor even think of taking me a wife of the daughters of Canaan.
- For I
remember, mother, the words of Abraham, our father, for he commanded me not to take a wife of
the daughters
of Canaan, but to take me a wife from the seed of my father's house and from my
kindred.
- I have heard before that daughters have been born to Laban, thy brother, and I have set
my heart on them
to take a wife from amongst them.
- And for this reason I have guarded myself in my
spirit against sinning or being corrupted in all my ways throughout all the days of my life; for with
regard to lust
and fornication, Abraham, my father, gave me many commands.
- And, despite all that he
has commanded me, these two and twenty years my brother has striven with me, and spoken
frequently to me and said: 'My brother, take to wife a sister of my two wives'; but I refuse to do
as he has done.
- I swear before thee, mother, that all the days of my life I will not take me a wife from
the daughters
of the seed of Canaan, and I will not act wickedly as my brother has done.
- Fear not,
mother; be
assured that I shall do thy will and walk in uprightness, and not corrupt my ways for
ever.'
- And thereupon she lifted up her face to heaven and extended the fingers of her hands, and
opened her mouth and blessed the Most High God, who had created the heaven and the earth, and
she gave Him
thanks and praise.
- And she said: 'Blessed be the Lord God, and may His holy name be
blessed for ever and ever, who has given me Jacob as a pure son and a holy seed; for he is Thine,
and Thine
shall his seed be continually and throughout all the generations for evermore.
- Bless
him, O Lord,
and place in my mouth the blessing of righteousness, that I may bless him.'
- And at that
hour, when the spirit of righteousness descended into her mouth, she placed both her hands on the
head of Jacob, and said:
- Blessed art thou, Lord of righteousness and God of the ages
And may He bless thee beyond all the generations of men.
May He give thee, my Son, the path of righteousness,
And reveal righteousness to thy seed.
- And may He make thy sons many during thy life,
And may they arise according to the number of the months of the year.
And may their sons become many and great beyond the stars of heaven,
And their numbers be more than the sand of the sea.
- And may He give them this goodly land -as He said He would give it to Abraham and to
his seed after him alway-
And may they hold it as a possession for ever.
- And may I see (born) unto thee, my son, blessed children during my life,
And a blessed and holy seed may all thy seed be.
- And as thou hast refreshed thy mother's spirit during her life,
The womb of her that bare thee blesses thee thus,
[My affection] and my breasts bless thee
And my mouth and my tongue praise thee greatly.
- Increase and spread over the earth,
And may thy seed be perfect in the joy of heaven and earth for ever;
And may thy seed rejoice,
And on the great day of peace may it have peace.
- And may thy name and thy seed endure to all the ages,
And may the Most High God be their God,
And may the God of righteousness dwell with them,
And by them may His sanctuary be built unto all the ages.
- Blessed be he that blesseth thee,
And all flesh that curseth thee falsely, may it be cursed.'
- And she kissed him, and said to him;
'May the Lord of the world love thee
As the heart of thy mother and her affection rejoice in thee and bless thee.'
And she ceased from blessing.