- And Nimrod son of Cush was still in the land of Shinar, and he reigned over it and dwelt
there, and he built cities in the land of Shinar.
- And these are the names of the four cities which he built, and he called their names after
the occurrences that happened to them in the building of the tower.
- And he called the first Babel, saying, Because the Lord there confounded the language of
the whole earth; and the name of the second he called Erech, because from there God
dispersed them.
- And the third he called Eched, saying there was a great battle at that place; and the fourth
he called Calnah, because his princes and mighty men were consumed there, and they vexed
the Lord, they rebelled and transgressed against him.
- And when Nimrod had built these cities in the land of Shinar, he placed in them the
remainder of his people, his princes and his mighty men that were left in his kingdom.
- And Nimrod dwelt in Babel, and he there renewed his reign over the rest of his subjects,
and he reigned securely, and the subjects and princes of Nimrod called his name Amraphel,
saying that at the tower his princes and men fell through his means.
- And notwithstanding this, Nimrod did not return to the Lord, and he continued in wickedness
and teaching wickedness to the sons of men; and Mardon, his son, was worse than his father, and
continued to add to the abominations of his father.
- And he caused the sons of men to sin, therefore it is said, From the wicked goeth forth
wickedness.
- At that time there was war between the families of the children of Ham, as they were
dwelling in the cities which they had built.
- And Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, went away from the families of the children of Ham, and
he fought with them and he subdued them, and he went to the five cities of the plain and he
fought against them and he subdued them, and they were under his control.
- And they served him twelve years, and they gave him a yearly tax.
- At that time died Nahor, son of Serug, in the forty-ninth year of the life of Abram son of
Terah.
- And in the fiftieth year of the life of Abram son of Terah, Abram came forth from the house
of Noah, and went to his father's house.
- And Abram knew the Lord, and he went in his ways and instructions, and the Lord his God
was with him.
- And Terah his father was in those days, still captain of the host of king Nimrod, and he still
followed strange gods.
- And Abram came to his father's house and saw twelve gods standing there in their
temples, and the anger of Abram was kindled when he saw these images in his father's
house.
- And Abram said, As the Lord liveth these images shall not remain in my father's house; so
shall the Lord who created me do unto me if in three days' time I do not break them all.
- And Abram went from them, and his anger burned within him. And Abram hastened and
went from the chamber to his father's outer court, and he found his father sitting in the court,
and all his servants with him, and Abram came and sat before him.
- And Abram asked his father, saying, Father, tell me where is God who created heaven
and earth, and all the sons of men upon earth, and who created thee and me. And Terah
answered his son Abram and said, Behold those who created us are all with us in the house.
- And Abram said to his father, My lord, shew them to me I pray thee; and Terah brought
Abram into the chamber of the inner court, and Abram saw, and behold the whole room was
full of gods of wood and stone, twelve great images and others less than they without
number.
- And Terah said to his son, Behold these are they which made all thou seest upon earth,
and which created me and thee, and all mankind.
- And Terah bowed down to his gods, and he then went away from them, and Abram, his
son, went away with him.
- And when Abram had gone from them he went to his mother and sat before her, and he
said to his mother, Behold, my father has shown me those who made heaven and earth, and
all the sons of men.
- Now, therefore, hasten and fetch a kid from the flock, and make of it savory meat, that I
may bring it to my father's gods as an offering for them to eat; perhaps I may thereby become
acceptable to them.
- And his mother did so, and she fetched a kid, and made savory meat thereof, and brought it to Abram, and Abram took the savory meat from his mother and brought it
before his father's gods, and he drew nigh to them that they might eat; and Terah his father,
did not know of it.
- And Abram saw on the day when he was sitting amongst them, that they had no voice, no
hearing, no motion, and not one of them could stretch forth his hand to eat.
- And Abram mocked them, and said, Surely the savory meat that I prepared has not
pleased them, or perhaps it was too little for them, and for that reason they would not eat;
therefore tomorrow I will prepare fresh savory meat, better and more plentiful than this, in
order that I may see the result.
- And it was on the next day that Abram directed his mother concerning the savory meat,
and his mother rose and fetched three fine kids from the flock, and she made of them some
excellent savory meat, such as her son was fond of, and she gave it to her son Abram; and
Terah his father did not know of it.
- And Abram took the savory meat from his mother, and brought it before his father's gods
into the chamber; and he came nigh unto them that they might eat, and he placed it before
them, and Abram sat before them all day, thinking perhaps they might eat.
- And Abram viewed them, and behold they had neither voice nor hearing, nor did one of
them stretch forth his hand to the meat to eat.
- And in the evening of that day in that house Abram was clothed with the spirit of God.
- And he called out and said, Wo unto my father and this wicked generation, whose hearts
are all inclined to vanity, who serve these idols of wood and stone which can neither eat,
smell, hear nor speak, who have mouths without speech, eyes without sight, ears without
hearing, hands without feeling, and legs which cannot move; like them are those that made
them and that trust in them.
- And when Abram saw all these things his anger was kindled against his father, and he
hastened and took a hatchet in his hand, and came unto the chamber of the gods, and he
broke all his father's gods.
- And when he had done breaking the images, he placed the hatchet in the hand of the
great god which was there before them, and he went out; and Terah his father came home,
for he had heard at the door the sound of the striking of the hatchet; so Terah came into the
house to know what this was about.
- And Terah, having heard the noise of the hatchet in the room of images, ran to the room to
the images, and he met Abram going out.
- And Terah entered the room and found all the idols fallen down and broken, and the
hatchet in the hand of the largest, which was not broken, and the savory meat which Abram
his son had made was still before them.
- And when Terah saw this his anger was greatly kindled, and he hastened and went from
the room to Abram.
- And he found Abram his son still sitting in the house; and he said to him, What is this work
thou hast done to my gods?
- And Abram answered Terah his father and he said, Not so my lord, for I brought savory
meat before them, and when I came nigh to them with the meat that they might eat, they all at
once stretched forth their hands to eat before the great one had put forth his hand to eat.
- And the large one saw their works that they did before him, and his anger was violently
kindled against them, and he went and took the hatchet that was in the house and came to
them and broke them all, and behold the hatchet is yet in his hand as thou seest.
- And Terah's anger was kindled against his son Abram, when he spoke this; and Terah
said to Abram his son in his anger, What is this tale that thou hast told? Thou speakest lies to
me.
- Is there in these gods spirit, soul or power to do all thou hast told me? Are they not wood
and stone, and have I not myself made them, and canst thou speak such lies, saying that the
large god that was with them smote them? It is thou that didst place the hatchet in his hands,
and then sayest he smote them all.
- And Abram answered his father and said to him, And how canst thou then serve these
idols in whom there is no power to do any thing? Can those idols in which thou trustest deliver
thee? can they hear thy prayers when thou callest upon them? can they deliver thee from the
hands of thy enemies, or will they fight thy battles for thee against thy enemies, that thou
shouldst serve wood and stone which can neither speak nor hear?
- And now surely it is not good for thee nor for the sons of men that are connected with
thee, to do these things; are you so silly, so foolish or so short of understanding that you will
serve wood and stone, and do after this manner?
- And forget the Lord God who made heaven and earth, and who created you in the earth,
and thereby bring a great evil upon your souls in this matter by serving stone and wood?
- Did not our fathers in days of old sin in this matter, and the Lord God of the universe
brought the waters of the flood upon them and destroyed the whole earth?
- And how can you continue to do this and serve gods of wood and stone, who cannot hear,
or speak, or deliver you from oppression, thereby bringing down the anger of the God of the
universe upon you?
- Now therefore my father refrain from this, and bring not evil upon thy soul and the souls of
thy household.
- And Abram hastened and sprang from before his father, and took the hatchet from his
father's largest idol, with which Abram broke it and ran away.
- And Terah, seeing all that Abram had done, hastened to go from his house, and he went
to the king and he came before Nimrod and stood before him, and he bowed down to the
king; and the king said, What dost thou want?
- And he said, I beseech thee my lord, to hear me--Now fifty years back a child was born to
me, and thus has he done to my gods and thus has he spoken; and now therefore, my lord
and king, send for him that he may come before thee, and judge him according to the law,
that we may be delivered from his evil.
- And the king sent three men of his servants, and they went and brought Abram before the
king. And Nimrod and all his princes and servants were that day sitting before him, and Terah
sat also before them.
- And the king said to Abram, What is this that thou hast done to thy father and to his gods?
And Abram answered the king in the words that he spoke to his father, and he said, The large god that was with them in the house did to them
what thou hast heard.
- And the king said to Abram, Had they power to speak and eat and do as thou hast said?
And Abram answered the king, saying, And if there be no power in them why dost thou serve
them and cause the sons of men to err through thy follies?
- Dost thou imagine that they can deliver thee or do anything small or great, that thou
shouldst serve them? And why wilt thou not sense the God of the whole universe, who
created thee and in whose power it is to kill and keep alive?
- 0 foolish, simple, and ignorant king, woe unto thee forever.
- I thought thou wouldst teach thy servants the upright way, but thou hast not done this, but
hast filled the whole earth with thy sins and the sins of thy people who have followed thy
ways.
- Dost thou not know, or hast thou not heard, that this evil which thou doest, our ancestors
sinned therein in days of old, and the eternal God brought the waters of the flood upon them
and destroyed them all, and also destroyed the whole earth on their account? And wilt thou
and thy people rise up now and do like unto this work, in order to bring down the anger of the
Lord God of the universe, and to bring evil upon thee and the whole earth?
- Now therefore put away this evil deed which thou doest, and serve the God of the
universe, as thy soul is in his hands, and then it will be well with thee.
- And if thy wicked heart will not hearken to my words to cause thee to forsake thy evil ways,
and to serve the eternal God, then wilt thou die in shame in the latter days, thou, thy people
and all who are connected with thee, hearing thy words or walking in thy evil ways.
- And when Abram had ceased speaking before the king and princes, Abram lifted up his
eyes to the heavens, and he said, The Lord seeth all the wicked, and he will judge them.
[Book of Jasher
Referred to in Joshua and Second Samuel.
faithfully translated (1840)
from the Original Hebrew into English.
A Reprint of Photo Lithographic Reprint of Exact Edition
Published by J.H. Parry & Co., Salt Lake City: 1887]