|
[ch 1]
| Now, therefore, hearken unto me,
ye all who know Righteousness\1 and meditate upon the work of |
HWHY\2 . For
He has a controversy with all flesh\3 and He will execute judgment\4 upon
all who despise Him. For because of their treason that they forsook Him, He
hid His face\5 from Israel, and from His Sanctuary and delivered them unto
the sword\6. But when He remembered the covenant of the forefathers\7 He
left a remnant |5| to Israel and gave them not over unto extermination. And
at the end of the wrath\8, three hundred and ninety years after He had
delivered them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar\9, the King of Babylon,
He remembered them, and made bud from Israel and Aaron a Root of a plant\10
to inherit His land, and to rejoice in the wealth of His Earth. And they
meditated over their sin, and they knew that they were guilty men, and they
were like the blind *groping in the way\11 |10| twenty years\12. And
HWHY considered their deeds\13, for they sought Him with a perfect heart\14
and He raised for them a\15 Teacher of Righteousness\16 to make them walk in
the way of His Heart. ## And He made known to later generations what He has
wrought\17 in a *former generation\18 in an assembly of treacherous men\19.
They are those who turned out of the way\20. This is the time concerning
which it has been written: "As a backsliding heifer so did Israel slide
back\21," when there arose the man of scoffing\22 who dropped to Israel |15|
waters of deceitfulness\23 and caused them to wander in the wilderness where
there is no way\24, to bow down the loftiness of eternity\25, to turn away
from the paths of Righteousness, and to remove the bound which the
forefathers have set in their inheritance\26. So as to make cleave
unto them the curses of the Covenant\27, to deliver them to the sword that
shall execute the vengeance of the covenant\28. Because that they searched
in smooth things\29 and chose deceits, and looked forward to the
breaches\30. And they chose the pleasures of the throat\31 and justified the
wicked and condemned the just\32 |20| and *transgressed the covenants\33 and
broke the statute and\34 gathered themselves together against the soul of
the Righteous\35 man. And all that walked uprightly their soul abhorred\36
and they pursued them with the sword and *rejoiced at the* war of the
people\37. Therefore, was kindled the wrath of
HWHY against their
congregation\38 to make desolate their multitude, and their deeds* were
unclean\39 before Him.
[ch 2]
And now, hearken unto me ye
all who entered into the covenant\1 and I will reveal to you\2 concerning
the ways of the wicked. ##
HWHY loves Knowledge. Wisdom and Counsel\3
He placed before Him; Prudence 4 and Knowledge, they minister to Him.
Long-suffering \5 is with Him, and an abundance of forgiveness to atone for
those who return from sin\6, power, might and great wrath in flames of
fire\7. Therein are all the angels of destruction\8 for them who turned out
of the way, and despised the statute\9, so that there should be no remnant |
nor escaping\10 for them. For, before the world was,
HWHY chose them not,
and ere they were established. He knew their deeds, and He condemned
the generations of blood\11 and hid His face from the earth | to
*exterminate\12 them till they were consumed@ And He knew the years of the
station \14 and the number, and the explanation of their ends \15, for all
the *things that be everlasting and are to happen \16, to that which will
come to their ends \17, for all the years of eternity. And in all of them He
raised for Himself men called by Name\18, in order to leave a remnant to the
earth\19 and to fill the face of the world with their children \20. And
through His Anointed \21 He made them know His Qadesh Spirit, and he is
True \22 , and the *explanation of their Names \23, and them He hated He made go astray.
[ch 3]
Now, therefore, children, hearken
unto me\1 and I will open your eyes to see, and to
meditate over the deeds of
HWHY, and to choose what He desireth, and despise what He hateth. To walk uprightly\2 in all His ways, and not to seek
after *the thoughts of the imagination\3 guilt, and after the
*eyes of fornication\4. For many were led astray by them, and mighty men of
valor stumbled by them from beforetime, and hitherto.
Because they walked in the stubbornness | of their heart\5 fell
the *Watchers\6 of the heaven. By them\7 were they caught, because they kept
not The Commandment of
HWHY. And their children whose height was like the
height of the cedars\8 and whose bodies were like
mountains* likewise fell\9. All flesh that was on dry land
*also perished\10, and they were as though they had not been\11.
Because they did their own will, and kept not The
Commandment of their Maker until His wrath was kindled against them\12.
[ch 4]
By it* went astray the sons of Noah
and *their families\1, and because of it they were rooted
out 2. Abraham did not walk in it, and he *became friend\3 because he kept The Commandment of
HWHY, and
chose not the will of his own spirit. And he
delivered (it) to Isaac and to Yaaqov\4, and they observed (it)\6
and were recorded as friends of
HWHY\6 and men of the covenant forever\7.
## By them the sons of Yaaqov went astray and they were
punished* according\8 to |5| their error. And their children
in Egypt walked in the stubbornness of their heart to take
counsel against the Commandments of
HWHY and every man doing* that which was right in his own\9 eyes and they ate
blood \10. Therefore He exterminated their males in the
desert* when He spake* to them in the desert in Kadesh, Go up and possess* the
*land \11. *And they provoked* His spirit 12, and hearkened not unto
the voice of their Maker\13, The Commandments of their teachers \14, and murmured in their
tents\15. Therefore the wrath of
HWHY was kindled against their
congregations, and their children perished by it, and their kings were
exterminated by it, and their mighty men perished by it and their land *was
made desolate by it. By it were guilty the first that entered into
the covenant, and they were delivered unto the sword\19. Because
they forsook the Covenant of
HWHY and chose their* own will and sought
after the stubbornness of their heart, and every man doing according to his pleasure.
[ch 5]
But with them that held fast to\1
The Commandments of
HWHY, who were left among them,
HWHY
confirmed His Covenant with Israel forever, revealing unto them the hidden
things in which all Israel erred: His Qadash Sabbaths, and His Qadash
Festivals,
the testimony of His Righteousness, and the ways of His Truth, and the desires of His will which a
man shall do and live by them. He opened before them\3 and they digged a
well of many waters, and he that despises them shall not live, But
they wallowed in the transgression of man\6 and in the ways of the unclean
woman.
And they said that it belongs
to us\7 . But
HWHY in the abundance of His wonder made atonement for their
sins and forgave their transgression. And He built them a sure house in
Israel\10, the like of which never arose beforetime and hitherto. They who
hold fast to Him are for the life of eternity, and all Righteousness of man is for
them; as
HWHY confirmed it to them through Ezekiel, the prophet, saying: "The
priests and the Levites and the sons of Zadok that kept the charge of His
Sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from *them they shall
bring near unto me fat and blood."
[ch6]
The priests are the captivity of
Israel who have gone forth out of the land of Judah and they who have joined
them. And the sons of Zadok are the chosen of Israel called by names\3 that
arose at the end of the days. Behold the explanation of their names
according to their generations, the end of their station and the number of
their sufferings and the years of their sojourns\5 and the explanation of
their deeds. The Qadash they alter, which
HWHY made atonement for them\6. And
they justified the righteous and condemned the wicked\7. And all they who
come after them to do according to the interpretation of the Law in
which the forefathers were *instructed\8 until the *completing of the end of
these years. In accordance with the covenant which
HWHY has confirmed to the
forefathers to make atonement |10| for their sins, so shall
HWHY make
atonement for them\10. And after the completing of the end in accordance
with the number of these years one shall not join The House of Yudah \11,
but every man shall stand up against his net\12. The wall is built, the
decree is far removed \13. And during all these years there will be Belial
\14 let loose against Israel as
HWHY hath spoken through Isaiah, the prophet, the son of Amoz, saying: Fear and the net
and the snare are upon thee, O inhabitant of the land\15. Its explanation
is\16: three nets of Belial concerning which Levi the Son of Yaaqov hath spoken\17 by* which he ensnared Israel\18,
and *directed their faces to the three kinds of righteousness. The first is
fornication, the second is*wealth\19, the third is the *pollution of the
sanctuary\20. He that fleeth from this will be ensnared by that, and he
that escapeth the one will be ensnared by the other\21. ## They that builded the *wall\22 who walked after the *commanding one\23.
[ch 7]
The commanding one is he who
prophesies concerning which he said, "For
a surety they do drop words\1." They are ensnared by two:
by fornication\2, taking two wives during their
lifetimes\3, *but the foundation of the creation\4 is, "Male and female
created He them\5." And they who came into the Ark,
"Two and two went into the Ark\6." As to the prince\7 it is
written, "He shall not multiply wives unto
himself\8." *But David read not in the Book of the Law that was
sealed, which was in the Ark. For it was not opened in Israel from the day
of the Death of Eleazar and
oSWHY\9 and the Elders who
worshipped Ashtareth\10. And it was hidden |5| and was *not discovered\11 until
Zadok arose. But they *concealed\12 the deeds of David
save only the blood of Uriah\13 and
HWHY abandoned them to him. They also
contaminate the sanctuary as* they separate not\14 according to the
Law and lie with her who sees the blood of her issue\15. They take unto them
a wife\16 the daughter of their brother and the daughter of their
sisters\17. But
Moses said, "Thou shalt not approach the sister of thy mother: she is
thy mother's near kin\18," and the law of incest\19 for males is written,
and like them\20 are the females; and if the daughter of the brother
uncovers the nakedness of the brother of her father* he\21 is a near kin. ##
They also contaminated their Qadash spirit\22 and with a
tongue of reproaches they opened the mouth against the statutes of The Covenant of
HWHY, saying, They are
not proper. But abomination they speak concerning them. They all kindled\23
a fire and set in flames the sparks\24. The weaving of spiders are their
weavings and the eggs of adders are their eggs\25. He who comes near them shall not be innocent. Like *a
thing accursed shall his house be guilty\26* unless he was*
forced\27. Beforetimes\28
HWHY *observed their deeds and His wrath was
kindled because of their devices. For it is a people of no
understanding\29. They are a nation void of
counsel\30, because there is no understanding in them\31. For beforetimes rose\32 Moses and Aaron through the prince
of the Urim\33, *when\34 Belial raised Yochaneh and his brother\35 in
his device when Israel was delivered for the first time\36.
[ch 8]
And at the end of the
destruction of the land there arose those who removed the
bound\1 and led astray Israel. And in the age of devestation of the land there arose those who shifted the
boundary and made Israel stray. And the land became desolate
because they have spoken rebellion\2 against the Commandments of
HWHY
through Moses and also The Torah, And the land became desolate,
for they spoke of rebellion against
HWHY's
precepts through the hand of Moses and also against His Qadash Anointed
one\3, and they prophesied a lie to turn away Israel from after of the
Qadash anointed ones. They prophesied deceit in order to
divert Israel from following
HWHY. But
HWHY remembered the Covenant with the
forefathers\4. And He took from Aaron* men of
understanding and from Israel. But
HWHY remembered the
Covenant of the very first, and from Aaron raised men of knowledge and from
Israel wise men and made them*
understand\5, and they digged the well\6."The princes digged the well; they
digged it, wise men, and forced them to
listen. And they dug the well: {Num 21.18} "A well which the
princes dug, which the nobles of the people, by the lawgiver\7. The well is the Law, and they who digged it are the nobles of the people delved
with the staff."The well is the law. And those who
dug it are |5| captivity\8 of Israel who have
gone forth out of the land of Yudah\9 and sojourned in the
land of Damascus\10 the converts of Israel, who
left the land of Yudah and lived in the land
of Damascus, all of whom
HWHY called Princes. For they sought Him and their bough
was not turned back all of whom
HWHY called Princes, for they sought him, and their
renown has not been repudiated in the mouth of one\11. And the Lawgiver is he who
interprets the Law concerning whom in anyone's mouth. {blank} And the staff is the
Interpreter of
the Law, of whom Isaiah said, "He bringeth forth an
instrument for His work\12."And the nobles of the people are
they Isaiah said: {Isa 54.16} "He
produces a tool for his labor." {blank} And the nobles of the people
are who came to dig the well by the
precepts\13 which the Lawgiver ordained those who have arrived to dig
the well with the staves that the scepter decreed, to walk in *them\14 for all end
of the wickedness\15. And they shall reach *nothing beside
them\16 until there will arise\17 to walk in them throughout the
whole age of wickedness, and without which they will not
obtain it, until there arises the Teacher of Righteousness\18 in the end of
the days. And all they who were brought\19
into The Covenant, he who teaches justice at the
end of days. {blank} But all those who have been brought
into The Covenant they shall not enter into the
Sanctuary to kindle His altar, and be shutting shall not enter the temple to
kindle his altar in vain. They will be the ones who close the door,
concerning whom
HWHY
said, "Who is there among you who would shut the doors\20, neither
do you kindle My Altar the door, as
HWHY said: {Mal
1.10} "Whoever amongst you will close its door so that you don't kindle
my altar for naught\21." If\22 they will not observe to do\23 according to
the Interpretation of the Law, until the end of the wickedness\24, and to
separate in vain!" Unless they are careful to act in accordance with the
exact Interpretation of the Law for the age of wickedness: to separate
themselves |15| from the children of destruction\25, and to separate from
the wealth of wickedness which is contaminated by a vow and curse\26, from
the sons of the pit; to abstain from wicked wealth which defiles, either by
promise or by vow, and *from\27 the wealth of the sanctuary, and rob the
poor of his people (so that) widows be their prey, and from the wealth
of the temple and from stealing from the poor of the people, from making
their widows their spoils and they murder the fatherless and\28 to
distinguish between clean and unclean\29 and to make known between and from
murdering orphans; to separate unclean from clean and differentiate between
the Qadash and the profane, and to
observe the Sabbath according to its interpretation and
the Qadash Feasts and the common; to
keep the Sabbath day according to the exact
interpretation, and the Festivals and the Day of Fast\30* according
to the Command\31 of them who entered in to the New
Covenant\32 in the land of Damascus. and the day of Fasting,
according to what they had discovered, those who entered the New Covenant in
the land of Damascus; To raise their offerings according to their
interpretation\33, to love every one his neighbor as himself\34, and to
strengthen the hand of the poor and the needy and the stranger\35, ## and to
seek every one the peace of his neighbor. And no man shall commit treason
against his nearest of kin, separating himself from *fornication\36
according to the Law\37. To admonish every one his neighbor according to the
Law\38, and not to bear a grudge from day to day\39, and to separate from
all the contaminations according to their laws\40. And no man shall defile
his Qadash Spirit\41, *(even) as
HWHY
did separate them\42. All they who walk|5| in these things in the
perfection of Qadash\43 according to all the *instructions\44, The
Covenant of
HWHY [[MS B page 19 starts here]] stands fast to them to
preserve them for [[MS B + thousands of generations\1. *As it is written\2, "He keepeth
The
Covenant and mercy with them who love Him\3 and keep
His\4 Commandments for]] [[A = B]] a thousand generations.
[ch 9]
And if they settle in camps in accordance\7 with the *usage' [[B = laws]] of
the land [[B + which were\5 from of old]] and take wives [[B + in accordance
with the usage of the Law]] and beget children they shall walk\B6 according
to the Law, [[B ##]] and according to the *foundations\2 according to the
usage of the Law as He had spoken, "between man and his wife and between
father and his son\3" But upon all them that despise\4 ... [[B + the
commandments and the statutes]] [[A // when
HWHY
will bring a visitation upon the land, will be returned the desert of the
wicked;]] [[B // will be returned the desert of the wicked
HWHY will bring a visitation
upon the land,]]
[[A = B]]
|10| when there will come to pass
the word which is written [[A // in the words of Isaiah the
son of Amoz the prophet [[B // by the hand of Zechariah, the
prophet,]] [[A | who said, *" He will bring\5
upon thee and upon thy people and upon thy father's house days that
have* not\6 come from the day\7 that Ephraim departed from Yudah." When the
two houses of Israel\8 separated Ephraim* turned away\9 from Judah,
and those who turned back were delivered to the sword and
those who held fast\10 escaped into the land of the
North. ## As He said, "And I will cause to go into captivity\11
Siccuth your King and Chiyun your images\12, from
the tents of Damascus\13." The
Books
of the Law are the Tent of the King, as He said, "And I will raise up the
tent of David that is fallen\14." The King is the congregation and Chiyun the
images\15 are the Books of the Prophets whose words Israel has despised\16,
## and the Star\17 is he who explained the Law who came to Damascus, as it
is written, "There came forth a Star out of Yaaqov and a scepter
shall rise out of Israel\18." The Scepter
is the prince of all the congregation, and when he will rise
"he will destroy all the children of Seth\19." ]] [[B "O sword, awake, against | my
shepherd and against the man that is My fellow, says
HWHY\7, smite
the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered, and I will turn mine hand upon the
little ones." And they that watch him are the poor of the
flock\8.]] [[A These escaped\20 at the end of
the first visitation\21,]] [[A |page 8| and those who removed
back were delivered to the sword\22.]] [[B |10| These shall escape at the
end of the visitation\9, and they that remain will be
delivered to the sword, when there will come the Anointed *from Aaron and
Israel\10. As it was at the end of the first visitation concerning which * He\11
spoke through Ezekiel to mark a mark
upon the foreheads of them that sigh and cry\12, but they that remain will
be delivered to the sword that avengeth the vengeance of the
Covenant\13.]] [[A = B]] And this also will be the judgment
of all of them who have entered into His Covenant who will not hold fast to
these\23 to visit them *with\24 destruction through the hand of
Belial. This is the day on which
HWHY shall visit\25. The
princes of Judah were *like them that remove the bound. Upon
them I will pour out my wrath\B14 like water\26. [[A | For they became diseased
incurably\27 and they *crushed them\28. *They are all rebels\29,
because [[B Because they entered\15 into the
covenant of repentance | and *yet]] [[A |4| = B |17|]] they turned not out of the way |5| of the traitors and they
*wallowed [[B dealt want only]] in the ways of harlots [[B harlotry]]
and in the wealth of wickedness\31 and (in) revenge and
every man bearing grudge to his brother and every man
hating his neighbor \32. And they*committed treason\33[B16] every man
against his next of kin and were joined to unchastely \34
and *sold themselves to [[B and they were mighty\17 for]] wealth
and gain*\35 [[B + and]] every man of them did that which was
right in his own eyes\36. And they chose every man in [[B om
ev. man in]] the stubbornness of his heart\37 and
they separated not from the people\38 [[B + and their sins]].
And they cast off restraint with an high hand to walk in the way [[B ways]]
of the wicked; concerning whom
HWHY said, "Their wine is the poison
of dragons |10| and the head of asps that is
cruel\39." The dragons are the kings of the nations and their wine
is their ways, and the head of the asps is the head of the kings of Javan \40, who came to execute
vengeance upon them. But upon all these things they
meditated not who built the*wall\41 and daubed it with
untempered mortar. For [[A |13| one confused of spirit\42
and who dropped lies prophesied to them\43]] [[B |25| the *man walking in wind\18
and weighing storms the prophet of *man\19 | to lie]]
[[A = B]]
that the wrath of
HWHY was kindled
against all His congregation\44
| [[B ##]] and what Moses said [[B +
to Israel]], "Not for thy
righteousness or for the uprightness
of thine heart dost thou
go to inherit
|15| these nations\45, but because
He loved thy fathers and because
He would keep the oath\46."
| ## And [[ B om]] so is the law for
the captivity\47 of Israel who\B20
tumed out of the way of the
people\48. Through the love of
HWHY of
| the forefathers who *aroused the
people toward\B21 Him\49 [[B
HWHY*
and]], He loved them that came after
them. For to them
| is the covenant of the fathers, ##
but in his hatred\59 of [[B but
HWHY hates and despises]] them who builded the\51 *wall His wrath
was kindled [[B against them and
against all | who walk after
them]]. ## And like unto this
judgment
| it will be for everyone who
despises the Commandments of
HWHY,
and He forsook them and they turned
away in the stubbornness
of their heart.
[[A |20| ## This is the word which
Jeremiah has spoken to Baruch the
son of Neriah, and Elisha | to his
servant Gehazi.]]
[[B |33| So are]]
[[A = B]]
## All the men who entered into the
New Covenant in the land of
Damascus\52
[[Schecter's note to A reads "Here
is a break in the MS."]]
[[B |34| continues]]
but they turned and committed
treason and turned away from the
spring of living waters.
|35| *'They *shall not be\22 counted
in the assembly of people,
and in its writing\23 *they shall
not be written.' From the day
when there was gathered in\24
[[MS B, page 20]]
| the only teacher until there will
arise the Anointed from
Aaron and from Israel\25. ## And
this is also the Law
| for all that entered into the
congregation of men of perfection
of holiness\26, but he will
*cease\27 accomplishing the statutes
that are upright.
| He is the man who is melted in the
furnace. ## When his deeds
will appear\28 he shall be expelled
from the congregation
| as though his lot had not fallen
among them that are taught
by
HWHY\29. According to his treason
they shall record him\30
*with the men
|5| of * perversion\31 until he will
come back to stay in the
station of the men of perfect
holiness.
| And when his deeds shall appear
according to the interpretation
of the Law in which walk
| the men of perfection of holiness,
no man shall * profit\32
him in wealth and Tabour,
| for the saints of the Most High
have cursed him. And like this
judgment shall be to everyone who
despises both among them who
were before
| and among them who came after\33,
who placed idols upon their
hearts and walked in the
stubbornness
|10| of their hearts. They have no
share in the house of the Law.
## Like the judgment of their
neighbours who returned
| with the men of scoffing\34 they
shall be judged. For they
uttered error against the statutes
of righteousness and despised
| the covenant and the pledge of
faith which they have affirmed
in the land of Damascus; and this is
the New Covenant\23.
| And there shall not be unto them
or unto their families a share
in the house of the Law. ## And from
the day
| when there was gathered in the
only teacher\36 until all the
men of the war were wasted who
walked
|15| with the man of lies about
forty years\37. ## And at the end of
these there will be kindled
| the wrath of
HWHY against Israel as
He said, 'There is no
King, and no prince\38,' *and no
Judge, and none
| rebuking in righteousness\39. And
they who turn from
sin...\40 who observed the Covenant
of
HWHY ... man
| ... his brother He will support
their steps in the way of
HWHY.
'And
HWHY hearkened
| and heard and a book of
remembrance was written before Him
for them that fear
HWHY and think
|20| upon His Name\41' ... until
there will be brought up\42
salvation and righteousness for them
who fear\43
HWHY. Then shall
ye return and discern between the
righteous
| and wicked, between them that
served Him\44 and them that
served Him not." "And showeth mercy
*unto thousands\45 of them
that love Him
| and unto them that observe *His
commandments\46 for a
thousand generations," from the *
house of Peleg\47 that have
gone out from the city of the
sanctuary.
| And they confided in
HWHY at the
end of the treason of Israel
and they polluted the Sanctuary and
they came back unto
HWHY.
| The *prince of the people\48 with
few words\49 ... according to
His spirit they shall be judged ...
in the counsel
|25| of holiness. ## And all they
who broke through the bound of
the Law of those who entered into
the covenant when there will
shine forth
| the glory of
HWHY to Israel they
will be cut off from among
the camp and with them all they who
do wickedly\50
| of Judah in the days of its
trial\51. ## But all they who hold
steadfast to these laws to go out
| and to come in according to the
Law and listen to the voice of
the teacher and shall confess before
HWHY ... we
| are guilty, we and our fathers
because they walked contrary\52
unto the laws of the covenant
|30| and true is thy judgment
against us. And they will not lift
the hand against His holy statutes,
His righteous judgment
| and the testimony\53 of His truth.
And they will be chastised
by the first judgments in which
| the children of the men of the
only one were judged. And
they will listen to the voice of the
teacher of righteousness.
And they will not *answer\54
| the statutes of righteousness when
they hear them. They will
rejoice and be glad and their hearts
will exult\55 and they will
show themselves mighty
| against all the children of the
world, and
HWHY will make
atonement for them and they will
see\56 His Salvation for they
put their trust in His Qadash Name.
[[end of MS B]]
[[PRESCRIPTIONS (Fitzmyer; missing
in CD MSS)]]
[[CONSTITUTION: LIFE IN THE NEW
COVENANT (Fitzmyer)]]
[[relocate Schechter MS A pp. 15-16
here]]
page 15 [ch19] [[Schechter's note:
"Here perhaps some leaf or
leaves are missing in the MS."]]
| @@ ............\1 and also with <hb>Aleph
Lamed</> and also with
<hb>Aleph Daleth</>\2 , but an oath
of the *covenant\3 .........
| by the curses of the covenant. ##
But the Law of Moses\4
he shall not mention\5, for\6 ...
| ## And if he swears and
transgresses he will profane the Name\7.
## And if by the curses of the
Covenant ......
| the Judges. ## And if he
transgressed he is guilty and he shall
confess and shall return and shall
not bear ...\8
|5| death. ## And he who enters into
the covenant for the whole of
Israel a statute for ever with their
children *that\9 ...
| to pass among them that are
numbere\10 by the oath of the
covenant they shall confirm it upon
them. ## And this is also
| the law in every end of the
wickedness\11, for everyone who
returns from his corrupt way. On the
day of his speaking
| with the Censor of the many they
shall count him by the oath of
the covenant that Moses established
| with Israel. The covenant\12
...... *Moses with all heart\13 ...
|10| soul everything be found to be
done in them\14 .... And no
man shall make known to him\15 the
| laws until he will stand before
the Censor\16 be *persuaded\17
by him when he examines him.
| And when he will confirm it upon
him to return to the Law of
Moses with all his heart and all his
soul
| ...... of him if\18 ## and
everything which was revealed of the
Law with regard to a controversy\19
| ...... in him\20 ...... the Censor
him and shall command him
......
|15| until\21 ...... *killed him\22
...... and the madman and all
........
| till ................
| *daughter\23 ..........
| ..... [[Schechter's note: "The
Last six lines are entirely
missing."]]
page 16
| covenant with you and with the
whole of Israel. Therefore the
man shall confirm it upon
*himself\24 to return to
| the Law of Moses for in it
everything is *exactly explained\25.
[ch 20]
@@ ## As to the explanation of
their ends\1 *for a remembrance\2
| to Israel of all these, behold, it
is exactly explained in the
Book of the Divisions of the
Seasons\3
| according to their jubilees and
their weeks. And on the day on
which the man will confirm upon
himself to return
|5| to the Law of Moses the angel of
Mastema\4 will turn away
from behind him if he will fulfil
his word.
| Therefore Abraham was circumcised
on the day of his knowing
*it\5. ## As to what He said, "that
which is gone out of thy lips
| thou shalt keep\6" to confirm,
every oath of a bond\7 by which
a man will confirm upon himself
| to perform a commandment of the
Law till the *price of death\8
he shall not redeem it\9. ## Every
thing which
| ...\10 a man upon himsel\11...
till price of death he shall not
confirm it\12 ......
|10| the oath of the woman which
*Moses said\13 to disallow her
oath\14. No man
| shall disallow an oath which *no
man knew*\15. It is to be
fulfilled. As to disallowing\16
| if it is to transgress the
covenant *then he shall disallow it
and not confirm it. ## And so is
also the law for her father.
| As to the law of *offerings\17, no
man shall vow anything for
the altar under compulsion\18. Nor
| shall the *priests"\19 take
anything from the Israelites\20
...... a man *dedicate the food\21
......
|15| this is what he said, "They
hunt every man his brother with a
net*\22." ## Nor
| shall devote ........ of all
.......... his possession
| holy ............ shall be
punished ...
| he who takes a vow .............
| to the judge\23 .................
|20| ... [[Schechter's note: "The
last lines are entirely missing,
whilst from the preceding four
lines, only a few words remain."]]
[[For the join between MS A p. 16
and MS A p. 9, see now
4QD\b(=267) frg 17 col 2 (GM 54)]]
page 9
| @@ ## Any man who will destroy a
man\1* in accordance with the
statutes of the gentiles* so that he
is to be *put to death\2,
| *it is concerning him\3 that He
said, " Thou shalt not avenge
nor bear any grudge against the
children of thy people\4." And
every man of them who hath
*entered\5
| into the Covenant who shall bring
a* charge\6 against his
neighbour which is not* proved\7
before witnesses
| and* shall beat\8 him in his
fierce wrath or *speak against him
*to his elders so as to insult him,
is taking vengeance and
bearing grudge;
|5| ## but it is only written, "He\9
will take vengeance of his
adversaries and He is bearing grudge
against His enemies."
| If he held his peace from day to
day\10 but in his fierce wrath
he spake against him in a matter
concerning death\11
| his* sin is upon him\12 because he
did not fulfil the
Commandment
of
HWHY who said to him,
"Thou shalt surely rebuke
| thy neighbour\13 and not suffer
sin upon him." ## As to the oath
concerning which
| He said "thy hand shall not help
thee\14," if a man will make
*another *man swear in the open
field\15
|10| -- that is not* in the presence
of\16 the judges or their
word\17 -- his hand has helped him.
And he who has lost
| (anything), and it is not known
who has stolen it from the*
Tent\18 of the camp in which the
thing has been stolen, its owner
shall* proclaim\19
| it by the oath of cursing\20 and
whoso hears, if he knows and
utters it not, he shall be
guilty\21.
| ## In any* recompense made\22 for
that which has no owners he who
makes the recompense\23 shall
confess to the priest,
| and it shall all belong to him,
besides the ram of the guilt
offering. ## And so everything lost
that was found and has no
|15| owners it shall belong to the
priests, for he who* found
it\24 knows not its law.
| If its owners were not found they
shall keep it in trust. ## If a
man acts treacherously
| against any law and his neighbour
sees it and he is only one --
if it be a charge of death he shall
make it known*
| in his presence to the Censor,
proving\25 it to him. And the
Censor shall write it down with his
hand; until he will do it
| again before one, *and then he
shall come back and make it
known to the Censor. If he will be
caught again before
|20| another, his sentence shall be
finished\26. And if they are two
and they witness* against
| him in another thing\27 the man
shall be only excluded from the
Purity\28, if they are trustworthy.
| And on the day on which the man
sees it he shall make it known
to the Censor. And according* to the
statute ...\29 two
| trustworthy witnesses, and through
one* witness to exclude*
from the Purity. And there shall
rise no
page 10
| *witness\30 before the judges to
kill at his mouth\31 whose
days were not fulfilled to pass
| among them that are numbered\32*
and who fears* not\33
HWHY. ## No
man shall be* believed as a witness
against his neighbour
| who transgresses a word of the
commandment with a high hand
until he was worthy to repent\34.
[ch 11]
| @@ ## And this is the usage\1 of
the judges of the congregation\2.
Ten men selected\3
|5| of the congregation according to
the *age\4; four of the tribe
of Levi and Aaron and six of Israel
| learned in the Book of *the Hagu\5
and in the foundations of
the covenant, from five
| and twenty years old even unto
sixty years old\6. But none shall
be appointed after he be
| from sixty years old and above to
judge the congregation. For
through the unfaithfulness of man
| his days* diminished\7, and when
the wrath of
HWHY* was
kindled\8 against the inhabitants of
the earth, he said to
remove\9 their
|10| minds before they shall
complete their days\10.
[ch 12]
@@ As to be cleansed in water. No
| man shall wash in filthy waters or
not sufficient\1 for
*immersion\2 of a man.
| ## None shall cleanse himself in
the *waters\3 of a vessel.
And every pool in a rock in which
there is not sufficient
| water for* immersion which an
unclean person has touched, its
waters shall be contaminated *like\4
the waters of the vessel.
[ch 14]
| @@ As to the Sabbath to keep it
according to its law, ## no man
shall do work on the sixth day
|15| from the time in which the
globe of the sun\1
| is removed from the gate in its *fulness\2,
for it is He who
said, "Keep the
| Sabbath day to sanctify it\3." And
on the day of the Sabbath no
man shall utter a word
| of *folly\4 . And surely none
shall demand any debt of his
neighbour\5. None shall judge on
matters of property, and gain\6.
| None shall speak on matters of
work and labor to be done on the
following morning\7.
|20| ## No man shall walk in the
field to do the work of *his
affairs\8
| on *the day\9 of the Sabbath. None
shall walk outside his
city* more\10 than a thousand\11
cubits.
| ## No man shall eat on the day of
the Sabbath but of that which is
prepared\12 or perishing*
| in the field\13. None shall eat or
drink but *from that which
was* in the camp\14.
page 11
| *But if he was\15 on the way and
went down to wash he may drink
where he stands, ## but he shall not
draw
| into any vessel\16. No man shall
send the son of the
stranger\17 to do his affairs on the
day of the Sabbath.
| ## No man shall put on garments
that are filthy or were brought by
a gentile unless
| they were washed in water or
rubbed off with frankincense\18.
## No man shall *mingle\19 of his
own will
|5| on the Sabbath. ## No man shall
walk after the animal to feed it
outside of his city more than
| two thousand cubits\20. ## None
shall lift his hand to beat it
with his fist. ## If
| it be stubborn he shall not remove
it out of his house\21. ## No
man shall carry anything from the
house
| to the outside or from the outside
into the house and if he be
in the* gate\22 he shall * not carry
out
| anything of it or bring\23 in
anything into it. None shall*
open\24 the cover of a vessel that
is pasted on the Sabbath. ## No
man shall carry
|10| on him spices\25 to go out and
*come in on\26 the Sabbath.
## None shall\27 move in the house*
on the day of the Sabbath\28
| rock or earth. No nurse shall bear
the suckling child\29 to go
out and to come in on the
Sabbath\30.
| ## No man shall *provoke\31 his
manservant or his maidservant or
his* hireling\32 on the day of the
Sabbath.
| ## No man shall deliver an animal
on the day of the Sabbath\33.
## And if it falls into a pit
| or ditch, he shall not raise it on
the Sabbath\34. ## No man
shall *rest\35 in a place near
|15| to the gentiles on the day of
the Sabbath. ## No man shall
profane\36 the Sabbath for the sake
of wealth and gain.
| ## And if any person\37 falls into
a *gathering of water
or into a place
| of\38 ... he shall not bring him
up\39 by a ladder or a cord or
instrument. ## No man shall bring
anything on the altar on the
Sabbath,
| save the bumt-offering of the
Sabbath, for so it is written,
"Save your Sabbaths\40."
[ch 14]
@@ ## No man shall send
| to the altar burnt-offering or
meat-offering or frankincense or
wood through the hand of a man
contaminated by any
|20| of the uncleannesses\1,
allowing him\2 to contaminate the
altar, for it is written, "The
sacrifice
| of the wicked is abomination, but
the prayer of the *righteous
is like an offering of delight\3."
## And everyone who comes into
| the house of *worship\4 he shall
not enter when he is
contaminated *without\5 washing. And
when the trumpets of the
Congregation sound
| it shall be (done) before or
after\6, and they shall not disturb
the whole service *on the Sabbath\7
page 12
| it is holy. No man shall lie with
a woman in the city of the
Sanctuary to contaminate
| the city of the Sanctuary by their
uncleanness\8. ## Any man over
whom the spirits of Belial will have
dominion
| and he will speak rebellions, he
shall be judged according to
the law of the "Ob and Yiddeoni."
And he who will err
| to profane the Sabbath and the
Feasts shall not be put to
death; but\10 it is upon the sons of
man
|5| *to watch him\11 *whether\12 he
will be heal | 