Testament of Simeon 1

Pseudonymously presented as Simeon's deathbed testament, one of the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs; actual author unknown and date debated (proposals span the 2nd century BC to the 2nd century AD, reflecting unresolved scholarly disagreement over Jewish versus Christian origin). Simeon confesses his jealousy of Joseph and warns his sons against the destructive power of envy.

1THE copy of the words of Simeon, the things which he spake to his sons before he died, in the hundred and twentieth year of his life, at which time Joseph, his brother, died.

Διαθήκη Συμεών τοῦ δευτέρου υἱοῦ Ἰακὼβ καὶ Λίας τέρες (6204)

2For when Simeon was sick, his sons came to visit him. and he strengthened himself and sat up and kissed them, and said:--

ἘΡΑντίγραφον λόγων Συμεών, ἐλάλησε τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἔπρὸ τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν αὐτὸν ἑκατοστῷ εἰκοστῷ ἔτειϊ τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ ᾧ χρόνῳ ἀπέθανεν Ἰωσὴφ ᾿ὁ ἀδελφὸς εἶπεν αὐτοῦ τοῦ Συμεὼν ἦλθον ἐπισκέ᾿ ψασθαι αὐτὸν οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐνισχύσας ἐκάθισεϊ, καὶ κατεφίλησεν αὐτοὺς καὶ ᾿ ΑΚουυσαγε Ἐτέκνα μου, Συμεὼν τοῦ πατρὸς ὕ ἡμῶν καὶ ἀναγγελῶ ὑμῖν ὅσα ἔχω ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου. Αἱ ὅσα. Συμ. υἱοῦ ᾿Ιακὼβ καὶ περὶ φθόνου περὶ φθόνον (45846)

3Hearken, my children, to Simeon your father and I will declare unto you what things I have in my heart.

Ἐγὼ ἐγεννήθην ἐξ ᾿Ιακὼβ δεύτερος τῷ πατρί μουδ, ἡ μήτηρ μου ἐκάλεσέ μεῖ Συμεῶναϑ, ὅτιθ ἤκουσε Κύριος τῆς δεήσεως αὐτῆς (12405)

4I was born of Jacob as my father's second son; and my mother Leah called me Simeon, because the Lord had heard her prayer.

ἘΔυνατὸς γὰρ ἐγενόμην σφύδρα οὐκ ἐδειλίασα πρᾶξιν οὐδὲ ἐφοβήθην παντὸς πράγματος (6254)

5Moreover, I became strong exceedingly; I shrank from no achievement nor was I afraid of ought. For my heart was hard, and my liver was immovable, and my bowels without compassion.

Ἡ γὰρ καρδία μου ἦν σκληρά, καὶ ἥπατά᾽ μου ἀκίνητα καὶ τὰ σπλάγχνα μου ἀσυμπαθῆ (5042)

6Because valour also has been given from the Most High to men in soul and body.

7For in the time of my youth I was jealous in many things of Joseph, because my father loved him beyond all.

Ἐ Ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἡ ἀνδρεία ἀπὸ ὑψίστου δίδοται Τοῖς. ἀνθρώποις ἐν ψυχαῖς καὶ σώμασιν. (8155)

8And I set my mind against him to destroy him because the prince of deceit sent forth the spirit of jealousy and blinded my mind, so that I regarded him not as a brother, nor did I spare even Jacob my father.

Ἐν γὰρ καὶ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς νεότητός μου πολλὰ ἐῴήλωσα τὸν ᾿Ιωσήφ, τῷ καιρῷ Ἐ γάπα αὐτὸν ὁ πατήρ μουξῖ Γπαρὰ πάντας καὶ ἐστήριξα ἐπ᾿ δῖ αὐτὸν τὰ ἥπατά μου ὥστε ἀνελεῖν ἡμῶν. αὐτόν, Ἔζηι ὁ ἄρχων τῆς πλάνης καὶ δέ πνεῦμα τοῦ Ἴλου ἐτύφλωσέ μου τὸν νοῦν, Ἐμὴ προσέχειν ὡς ἀδελφῷ λα. μηδὲδ φείσασθαι ἔτῷ πατρί μου Ἰακώβ. (34843)

9But his God and the God of his fathers sent forth His angel, and delivered him out of my hands.

᾿Αλλ᾽ ὁ ἐκίνησέ με εἰς ζῆλον κα, Α΄ ἀπέστειλε τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ζήλου καί. τὸν ἄγγελον αὐτοῦ ἐρρύσατο αὐτὸν ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ, (11435)

10For when I went to Shechem to bring ointment for the flocks, and Reuben to Dothan, where were our necessaries and all our stores, Judah my brother sold him to the Ishmaelites.

Ὡς γὰρ ἐγὼ ἐπορεύθην ἐν Σικίμοις ἐνέγκαι ἄλειμμα τοῖς ποιμνίοις καὶ Ῥρουβὶμδ εἰς ὁ Δοἡμῶν. θαείμ τὰ ἐγχρήζοντα δ᾽ ἡμῖν καὶ πᾶσαδϑ ἡ ἀπόθεσις Ἰούδας δ᾽ ὁ ἀδελφός. ἐπώλησεν ἀρὰ ρρυβήμ. τοῖς Ἰσμαηλίταις. (14020)

See also: Genesis 37:27

11And when Reuben heard these things he was grieved, for he wished to restore him to his father.

Καὶ Ἐδ Ῥουβὶμ ἀκούσας ταῦτα β-αἹ, ἐλυπήθη ἤθελεδϑ γὰρ αὐτὸν Ἶ ἀπαγαγεῖν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα (5616)

12But on hearing this I was exceedingly wroth against Judah in that he let him go away alive, and for five months I continued wrathful against him.

Ἐγὼ Ἔγαῦτα ἀκούσας ὠργίσθην ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰούδαν Γσφόδρα ὅτι ζῶντα αὐτὸν ἀπέλυσεν καὶ ἐποίησα μῆνας πέντε οὐκ ζέμενος ἐπ᾽ αὑτόν ἴ- (11575)

13But the Lord restrained me, and withheld from me the power of my hands; for my right hand was half withered for seven days.

Καίγε συνεπόδισέ με Κύριος καὶ ἐκώλυσεν δρᾶσιν ὃ χειρῶν ἐμοῦ (5964)

14And I knew, my children, that because of Joseph this had befallen me, and I repented and wept; and I besought the Lord God that my hand might be restored and that I might hold aloof from all pollution and envy and from all folly.

Ἐδτι ἡ χείρ μου ἡ δεξιὰ ἡμίξηρος γέγονεν ἐπὶ ἡμέρας ἑπτάδ. (3161)

15For I knew that I had devised an evil thing before the Lord and Jacob my father, on account of Joseph my brother, in that I envied him.

16And now, my children, hearken unto me and beware of the spirit of deceit and envy.

Καὶ ἔγνων, τέκνα ὅτι Ἰωσὴφδ Ἐτοῦτό μοι β-δὰ συνέβη καὶ μετανοήσας ἔκλαυσα καὶ Ἶ ηὐξάμην Ἐ Κυρίῳ νι τῷ Θεῷ ἵνα ἀποκατασταθῇ ἡ χείρ καὶ ἀποσχῶ σταθῶς ἀπὸ παντὸς μολυσμοῦ καὶ φθόνου ἀπὸ πάσης ἀφροσύνης ἵ, Ἔγνων γὰρ ὅτι πονηρὸν πρᾶγμα ἐνεθυμήθην ἐνώπιον κυρίου καὶ Ἐ Ἰακὼβ τοῦ πατρός μου Ἱ Ἰωσὴφ ἀδελφόν μου, φθονήσας αὐτῷ, τέκναϊ Γἀκούσατέ καὶ φυλάξασθε ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος τῆς πλάνης καὶ τοῦ φθόνου. (41410)

17For envy ruleth over the whole mind of a man, and suffereth him neither to eat nor to drink, nor to do any good thing. But it ever suggesteth to him to destroy him that he envieth; and so long as he that is envied flourisheth, he that envieth fadeth away.

Καὶ πνευμάς γὰρ ὃ φθόνος κυριεύει τῆς διανοίας τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ οὐκ ἀφίησινϊ αὐτὸν φαγεῖν, οὔτε πιεῖν, ποιῆσαί τς γε ἀγαθόν. (10615)

18Two years therefore I afflicted my soul with fasting in the fear of the Lord, and I learnt that deliverance from envy cometh by the fear of God.

᾿Αλλὰ Ἐπάντοτε ὑποβάλλει ἀνελεῖν τὸν φθονούμενον᾽ ὁ μὲν φθονούμενος πάντοτε ἀνθεῖ, ὁ δὲ φθονῶν μαραίνεται, Δύο οὖν ἔτη φόβῳ διὰ τὸν ἀδελφόν μοι τοῦτο συνέβη. συνέβη μαραίνεται. καὶ ὁ μὲν μακάριος πάντοτε ὁμοῖος ἄνθει, ἐγὼ δὲ φθόνῳ φθίνων ψυχήν μου ἐν νηστείᾳ καὶ ἔγνων ὅτι ἡ λύσις τοῦ φθόνου διὰ φόβου θεοῦ γίνεται (29351)

19For if a man flee to the Lord, the evil spirit runneth away from him and his mind is lightened.

Ἐὰν γάρ τις ἐπὶ Κύριον καταφύγῃ, Ἐλποτρέχει τὸ πονηρὸν πνεῦμα ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ γίνεται ἡ διάνοια κούφη. (8041)

20And henceforward he sympathiseth with him whom he envied and forgiveth those who are hostile to him, and so ceaseth from his envy.

Καὶ λοιπὸν συμπαθεῖ τῷ φθονουμένῳ, καὶ συγγινώσκει ἴ τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν, οὕτως παύεται τοῦ φθόνου. (12904)