Jubilees

And on the day when Isaac, the father of Jacob and Esau, died, the sons of Esau heard that Isaac had given the portion of the firstborn to his younger son Jacob and they were very angry.

And they quarreled with their father, saying: "Why did your father give Jacob the portion of the firstborn and pass it over you, even though you are the elder son and Jacob the younger?"

And he said to them: "Because I sold my birthright to Jacob for a small dish of lentils, and on the day my father sent me to hunt and catch and bring him something so that he might eat and bless me, he came with cunning and brought my father food and drink, and my father blessed him and put me under his hand.

And now our father made us swear, he and I, that we should not desire evil one against another, each against his brother, and that we should continue in love and peace each with his brother and not corrupt our ways."

And they said to him, "We will not listen to you and make peace with him; because our strength is greater than his strength, and we are more powerful than he; we will go against him and kill him, and destroy him and his sons. And if you do not go with us, we will also harm you.

And now listen to us: Let us send to Haran, Philistia, Moab and Ammon, and let them choose for us chosen men who are eager for battle, and let us go against them and make war against him, and let us exterminate him from the earth before he becomes strong."

And their father said to them, "Do not go nor make war against him, lest you fall before him."

And they said to him, "This also is exactly your way of acting from your youth until this day, and you have put your neck under his yoke. And we will not listen to these words."

And they sent to Haran to Aduram to their father's friend, and they hired with them a thousand warriors, chosen men of war.

And they came to them from Moab and from the sons of Ammon, those who were hired, a thousand chosen men, and from Philistia, a thousand chosen men of war, and from Edom and from the Horites a thousand chosen warriors, and from Kittim powerful men of war.

And they said to their father: "Go ahead and lead them, otherwise we will kill you."

And he was full of wrath and indignation to see that his sons were forcing him to go ahead and lead them against Jacob, his brother.

But afterwards he remembered all the evil that lay hidden in his heart against Jacob, his brother; and he did not remember the oath which he had sworn to his father and his mother that he would not desire any evil against Jacob, his brother, all his days.

And not enough all this, Jacob did not know that they were coming against him for war, and he was mourning for Leah, his wife, until they came very near the tower with four thousand warriors, chosen men of war.

And the men of Hebron sent him a message saying, "Behold, your brother has come against you, to fight against you, with four thousand girded with swords, and they carry shields and weapons!" because they loved Jacob more than Esau. So they told him; because Jacob was more generous and merciful than Esau.

But Jacob did not believe until they came very near the tower.

And he closed the gates of the tower; and he stood on the pinnacle and spoke to his brother Esau and said: "Noble is the comfort with which you come to comfort me for my wife who died. And this is the oath which you swore to your father and again to your mother before they died? You have broken the oath, and at the moment you swore to your father you were condemned."

And then Esau answered and said to him, "Neither the sons of men nor the beasts of the earth keep any oath with justice from the beginning; but every day they desire evil one against another, and how each may kill his adversary and enemy.

And you hate me and my sons forever. And there is no observance of brother with you.

Listen to these words that I say to you: If the boar can change his skin and make his bristles as soft as wool, or if he can cause horns to sprout from his head like the horns of a stag or a sheep, then I will observe brotherly love with you. And if the breasts separated from the mother, you would not be my brother.

And if the wolves make peace with the lambs so as not to devour them nor practice violence against them, and if their hearts were turned toward them for good, then there would be peace in my heart turned toward you.

And if the lion becomes friends with the young bull and makes peace with him, and if he were bound under the same yoke with him and on his same plow, then I would make peace with you.

And when the raven becomes white as a rose, then know that I have loved you and will make peace with you. You shall be exterminated and your sons shall be exterminated, and there shall be no peace for you."

And when Jacob saw that he was wickedly disposed against him with all his heart, and with all his soul to kill him, and that he came running like the wild boar that comes to the spear and is pierced and killed, and does not retreat;

then he spoke to his own and to his servants that they should attack him and all his companions.