Testaments of the Twelve PatriarchsSecond Temple / PseudepigraphaAccepted by Some TraditionsGreek with earlier Semitic traditions debatedShareTestament of Reuben 3R. H. Charles - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 availableR. H. CharlesLanguageEnglishEspañol‹Testament of Reuben 1Testament of Reuben 2Testament of Reuben 3Testament of Reuben 4Testament of Reuben 5Testament of Reuben 6Testament of Reuben 7Testament of Simeon 1Testament of Simeon 2Testament of Simeon 3Testament of Simeon 4Testament of Simeon 5Testament of Simeon 6Testament of Simeon 7Testament of Simeon 8Testament of Simeon 9Testament of Levi 1Testament of Levi 2Testament of Levi 3Testament of Levi 4Testament of Levi 5Testament of Levi 6Testament of Levi 7Testament of Levi 8Testament of Levi 9Testament of Levi 10Testament of Levi 11Testament of Levi 12Testament of Levi 13Testament of Levi 14Testament of Levi 15Testament of Levi 16Testament of Levi 17Testament of Levi 18Testament of Levi 19Testament of Judah 1Testament of Judah 2Testament of Judah 3Testament of Judah 4Testament of Judah 5Testament of Judah 6Testament of Judah 7Testament of Judah 8Testament of Judah 9Testament of Judah 10Testament of Judah 11Testament of Judah 12Testament of Judah 13Testament of Judah 14Testament of Judah 15Testament of Judah 16Testament of Judah 17Testament of Judah 18Testament of Judah 19Testament of Judah 20Testament of Judah 21Testament of Judah 22Testament of Judah 23Testament of Judah 24Testament of Judah 26Testament of Issachar 1Testament of Issachar 2Testament of Issachar 3Testament of Issachar 4Testament of Issachar 5Testament of Issachar 6Testament of Issachar 7Testament of Zebulun 1Testament of Zebulun 2Testament of Zebulun 3Testament of Zebulun 4Testament of Zebulun 5Testament of Zebulun 6Testament of Zebulun 7Testament of Zebulun 8Testament of Zebulun 9Testament of Zebulun 10Testament of Dan 1Testament of Dan 2Testament of Dan 3Testament of Dan 4Testament of Dan 5Testament of Dan 6Testament of Dan 7Testament of Naphtali 1Testament of Naphtali 2Testament of Naphtali 3Testament of Naphtali 4Testament of Naphtali 5Testament of Naphtali 6Testament of Naphtali 7Testament of Naphtali 8Testament of Naphtali 9Testament of Gad 1Testament of Gad 2Testament of Gad 3Testament of Gad 4Testament of Gad 5Testament of Gad 6Testament of Gad 7Testament of Gad 8Testament of Asher 1Testament of Asher 2Testament of Asher 3Testament of Asher 4Testament of Asher 5Testament of Asher 6Testament of Asher 7Testament of Asher 8Testament of Joseph 1Testament of Joseph 2Testament of Joseph 3Testament of Joseph 4Testament of Joseph 5Testament of Joseph 6Testament of Joseph 7Testament of Joseph 8Testament of Joseph 9Testament of Joseph 10Testament of Joseph 11Testament of Joseph 12Testament of Joseph 13Testament of Joseph 14Testament of Joseph 15Testament of Joseph 16Testament of Joseph 17Testament of Joseph 18Testament of Joseph 19Testament of Joseph 20Testament of Benjamin 1Testament of Benjamin 2Testament of Benjamin 3Testament of Benjamin 4Testament of Benjamin 5Testament of Benjamin 6Testament of Benjamin 7Testament of Benjamin 8Testament of Benjamin 9Testament of Benjamin 10Testament of Benjamin 11Testament of Benjamin 12›Testament of Reuben: THE FIRST-BORN SON OF JACOB AND LEAH Chapter 3Testament of Reuben 3ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter11 Besides all these there is an eighth spirit of sleep, with which is brought about the trance of 2 3 nature and the image of death. With these spirits are mingled the spirits of error.] First, the spirit of fornication is seated in the nature and in the senses; the second, the spirit of insatiableness, 4 in the belly; the third, the spirit of fighting, in the liver and gall. The fourth is the spirit of 5 obsequiousness and chicanery, that through officious attention one may be fair in seeming. The fifth is the spirit of pride, that one may be boastful and arrogant. The sixth is the spirit of lying, 6 in perdition and jealousy to practise deceits, and concealments from kindred and friends. The seventh is the spirit of injustice, with which are thefts and acts of rapacity, that a man may fulfill the desire of his heart; for injustice worketh together with the other spirits by the taking of gifts. 7, 8 And with all these the spirit of sleep is joined which is (that) of error and fantasy.] And so perisheth every young man, darkening his mind from the truth, and not understanding the law of 9 God, nor obeying the admonitions of his fathers as befell me also in my youth. And now, my children, love the truth, and it will preserve you: hear ye the words of Reuben your father. 210 Pay no heed to the face of a woman, Nor associate with another man's wife, Nor meddle with affairs of womankind. 11 For had I not seen Bilhah bathing in a covered place, I had not fallen into this great iniquity. 12 For my mind taking in the thought of the woman's nakedness, suffered me not to sleep until I had 13 wrought the abominable thing. For while Jacob our father had gone to Isaac his father, when we were in Eder, near to Ephrath in Bethlehem, Bilhah became drunk and was asleep uncovered in her 14 chamber. Having therefore gone in and beheld nakedness, I wrought the impiety without her 15 perceiving it, and leaving her sleeping I departed. And forthwith an angel of God revealed to my father concerning my impiety, and he came and mourned over me, and touched her no more. ‹Previous chapterTestament of Reuben 2Next chapterTestament of Reuben 4›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public-domain R. H. Charles English translation