1
And it came to pass at that time Par’oh king of Mitsrayim commanded all his people to make for him a strong palace in Mitsrayim.
2
And he also commanded the sons of Ya’aqov to assist the Mitsriym in the building, and the Mitsriym made a beautiful and elegant palace for a royal habitation, and he lived in it and he renewed his government and he reigned securely.
3
And Zevulun the son of Ya’aqov died in that year, that is the seventy-second year of the going down of the Yis’ra’eliym to Mitsrayim, and Zevulun died a hundred and fourteen years old, and was put into a coffin and given into the hands of his children.
4
And in the seventy-fifth year died his brother Shim’on, he was a hundred and twenty years old at his death, and he was also put into a coffin and given into the hands of his children.
5
And Zepho the son of Eliphaz the son of Esav, captain of the host to Angeas king of Dinhabah, was still daily enticing Angeas to prepare for battle to fight with the sons of Ya’aqov in Mitsrayim, and Angeas was unwilling to do this thing, for his servants had related to him all the might of the sons of Ya’aqov, what they had done to them in their battle with the children of Esav.
6
And Zepho was in those days daily enticing Angeas to fight with the sons of Ya’aqov in those days.
7
And after some time Angeas listened to the words of Zepho and consented to him to fight with the sons of Ya’aqov in Mitsrayim, and Angeas got all his people in order, a people numerous as the sand which is upon the sea shore, and he formed his resolution to go to Mitsrayim to battle.
8
And among the servants of Angeas was a youth fifteen years old, Bil’am the son of Beor was his name and the youth was very wise and understood the are of witchcraft.
9
And Angeas said to Bil’am, Conjure for us, I pray you, with the witchcraft, that we may know who will prevail in this battle to which we are now proceeding.
10
And Bil’am ordered that they should bring him wax, and he made of it the likeness of chariots and horsemen representing the army of Angeas and the army of Mitsrayim, and he put them in the cunningly prepared waters that he had for that purpose, and he took in his hand the boughs of myrtle trees, and he exercised his cunning, and he joined them over the water, and there appeared to him in the water the resembling images of the hosts of Angeas falling before the resembling images of the Mitsriym and the sons of Ya’aqov.
11
And Bil’am told this thing to Angeas, and Angeas despaired and did not arm himself to go down to Mitsrayim to battle, and he remained in his city.
12
And when Zepho the son of Eliphaz saw that Angeas despaired of going forth to battle with the Mitsriym, Zepho fled from Angeas from Africa, and he went and came to Chittim.
13
And all the people of Chittim received him with great honor, and they hired him to fight their battles all the days, and Zepho became exceedingly rich in those days, and the troops of the king of Africa still spread themselves in those days, and the children of Chittim assembled and went to Mount Cuptizia on account of the troops of Angeas king of Africa, who were advancing upon them.
14
And it was one day that Zepho lost a young heifer, and he went to seek it, and he heard it lowing round about the mountain.
15
And Zepho went and he saw and behold there was a large cave at the bottom of the mountain, and there was a great stone there at the entrance of the cave, and Zepho split the stone and he came into the cave and he looked and behold, a large animal was devouring the ox; from the middle upward it resembled a man, and from the middle downward it resembled an animal, and Zepho rose up against the animal and killed it with his swords.
16
And the inhabitants of Chittim heard of this thing, and they rejoiced exceedingly, and they said, What shall we do to this man who has slain this animal that devoured our cattle?
17
And they all assembled to consecrate one day in the year to him, and they called the name of it Zepho after his name, and they brought to him drink offerings year after year on that day, and they brought to him gifts.
18
At that time Yania the daughter of Uzu wife of king Angeas became ill, and her illness was heavily felt by Angeas and his officers, and Angeas said to his wise men, What shall I do to Yania and how shall I heal her from her illness? And his wise men said to him, Because the air of our country is not like the air of the land of Chittim, and our water is not like their water, therefore from this has the queen become ill.
19
For through the change of air and water she became ill, and also because in her country she drank only the water which came from Purmah, which her ancestors had brought up with bridges.
20
And Angeas commanded his servants, and they brought to him in vessels of the waters of Purmah belonging to Chittim, and they weighed those waters with all the waters of the land of Africa, and they found those waters lighter than the waters of Africa.
21
And Angeas saw this thing, and he commanded all his officers to assemble the hewers of stone in thousands and tens of thousands, and they hewed stone without number, and the builders came and they built an exceedingly strong bridge, and they conveyed the spring of water from the land of Chittim to Africa, and those waters were for Yania the queen and for all her concerns, to drink from and to bake, wash and bathe therewith, and also to water therewith all seed from which food can be obtained, and all fruit of the ground.
22
And the king commanded that they should bring of the soil of Chittim in large ships, and they also brought stones to build therewith, and the builders built palaces for Yania the queen, and the queen became healed of her illness.
23
And at the revolution of the year the troops of Africa continued coming to the land of Chittim to plunder as usual, and Zepho son of Eliphaz heard their report, and he gave orders concerning them and he fought with them, and they fled before him, and he delivered the land of Chittim from them.
24
And the children of Chittim saw the valor of Zepho, and the children of Chittim resolved and they made Zepho king over them, and he became king over them, and while he reigned they went to subdue the children of Tubal, and all the surrounding islands.
25
And their king Zepho went at their head and they made war with Tubal and the islands, and they subdued them, and when they returned from the battle they renewed his government for him, and they built for him a very large palace for his royal habitation and seat, and they made a large throne for him, and Zepho reigned over the whole land of Chittim and over the land of Italia fifty years.