--- title: "The Kebra Nagast" author: "Anonymous" translator: "E. A. Wallis Budge" languages: [en] shelf: "Ethiopian" section: 3 of 73 url: https://scriptura.si/works/kebra-nagast-budge/3/ cite: "Anonymous, tr. E. A. Wallis Budge, The Kebra Nagast, section 3. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/kebra-nagast-budge/3/" --- # The Kebra Nagast *Anonymous, tr. E. A. Wallis Budge* The Ethiopian royal epic of Solomon, the Queen of Sheba and the Ark of the Covenant. ## 3. Chapters 12–16 Source: https://scriptura.si/works/kebra-nagast-budge/3/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/kebra-nagast-budge/3/#p-N ### 12. Concerning Canaan [¶1] Now, it was Canaan who rent the kingdom from the children of Shem, and he transgressed the oath which his father Noah had made them to swear. And the sons of Canaan were seven mighty men, and he took seven mighty cities from the land of Shem, and set his sons over them; and likewise he also made his own portion double. And in later days God took vengeance upon the sons of Canaan, and made the sons of Shem to inherit their country. These are the nations whom they inherited: the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Jebusites, and the Girgasites; these are they whom Canaan seized by force from the seed of Shem. For it was not right for him to invade [his] kingdom, and to falsify the oath, and because of this they ceased to be, and their memorial perished, through transgressing [God’s] command, and worshipping idols, and bowing down to those who were not gods. [¶2] And after the death of Shem Arphaxad reigned, and after the death of Arphaxad Ḳâynân (Cainan) reigned, and after the death of Ḳâynân Sâlâ (Salah) reigned, and after him Eber reigned, and after him Pâlêḳ (Peleg) reigned, and after him Râgâw (Reu) reigned, and after him Sêrôḥ (Serug) reigned, and after him Nâkhôr (Nahor) reigned, and after him Târâ (Terah) reigned. And these are they who made magical images, and they went to the tombs of their fathers and made an image (or, picture) of gold, and silver, and brass, and a devil used to hold converse with them out of each of the images of their fathers, and say unto them, “O my son So-and-so, offer up unto me as a sacrifice the son whom thou lovest.” And they slaughtered their sons and their daughters to the devils, and they poured out innocent blood to filthy devils. ### 13. Concerning Abraham [¶4] And Târâ (Terah) begot a son and called him “Abraham” (or, Abrâm). And when Abraham was twelve years old his father Terah sent him to sell idols. And Abraham said, “These are not gods that can make deliverance”; and he took away the idols to sell even as his father had commanded him. And he said unto those unto whom he would sell them, “Do ye wish to buy gods that cannot make deliverance, [things] made of wood, and stone, and iron, and brass, which the hand of an artificer hath made?” And they refused to buy the idols from Abraham because he himself had defamed the images of his father. And as he was returning he stepped aside from the road, and he set the images down, and looked at them, and said unto them, “I wonder now if ye are able to do what I ask you at this moment, and whether ye are able to give me bread to eat or water to drink?” And none of them answered him, for they were pieces of stone and wood; and he abused them and heaped revilings upon them, and they spake never a word. And he buffeted the face of one, and kicked another with his feet, and a third he knocked over and broke to pieces with stones, and he said unto them, “If ye are unable to deliver yourselves from him that buffeteth you, and ye cannot requite with injury him that injureth you, how can ye be called ‘gods’? Those who worship you do so in vain, and as for myself I utterly despise you, and ye shall not be my gods.” Then he turned his face to the East, and he stretched out his hands and said, “Be Thou my God, O Lord, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Creator of the sun and the moon, Creator of the sea and the dry land, Maker of the majesty of the heavens and the earth, and of that which is visible and that which is invisible; O Maker of the universe, be Thou my God. I place my trust in Thee, and from this day forth I will place my trust in no other save Thyself.” And then there appeared unto him a chariot of fire which blazed, and Abraham was afraid and fell on his face on the ground; and [God] said unto him, “Fear thou not, stand upright.” And He removed fear from him. ### 14. Concerning the Covenant of Abraham [¶6] And God held converse with Abrâm, and He said unto him, “Fear thou not. From this day thou art My servant, and I will establish My Covenant with thee and with thy seed after thee, and I will multiply thy seed, and I will magnify thy name exceedingly. And I will bring down the Tabernacle of My Covenant upon the earth seven generations after thee, and it shall go round about with thy seed, and shall be salvation unto thy race and afterwards I will send My Word for the salvation of Adam and his sons for ever. And at this moment these who are of thy kinsmen are evil men (or, rebels), and My divinity, which is true, they have rejected. And as for thee, that day by day they may not seduce thee, come, get thee forth out of this land, the land of thy fathers, into the land which I will show thee, and I will give it unto thy seed after thee.” And Abrâm made obeisance to God, and was subject to his God. And [God] said unto him, “Thy name shall be Abraham”; and He gave him the salutation of peace and went up into heaven. And Abraham returned to his abode, and he took Sârâ (Sarah) his wife, and went forth and did not go back to his father, and his mother, and his house, and his kinsfolk; and he forsook them all for God’s sake. And he arrived in the city of Sâlêm, and dwelt there and reigned in righteousness, and did not transgress the commandment of God. And God blessed him exceedingly, and at length he possessed [3]18 stalwart servants, who were trained in war, and who stood before him and performed his will. And they wore tunics richly embroidered with gold, and they had chains of gold about their necks, and belts of gold round their loins, and they had crowns of gold on their heads; and by means of these men Abraham vanquished [his] foe. And he died in glory in God, and was more gracious and excellent than those who were before him. He was gracious, and held in honour, and highly esteemed. ### 15. Concerning Isaac and Jacob [¶8] And Isaac his son became king, and he did not transgress the commandment of God; and he was pure in his soul and in his body, and he died in honour. And his son Jacob reigned, and he also did not transgress the commandment of God, and his possessions became numerous, and his children were many; and God blessed him and he died in honour. ### 16. Concerning Rôbêl (Reuben) [¶10] And after him, Jacob’S firstborn son transgressed the commandment of God, and the kingdom departed from him and from his seed, because he had defiled his father’s wife; now it is not right to transgress the law which God hath commanded. And his father cursed him, and God was wroth with him, and he became the least among his brethren, and his children became leprous and scabby; and although he was the firstborn son [of Jacob] the kingdom was rent from him. And his younger brother reigned, and he was called Judah because of this. And his seed was blessed, and his kingdom flourished, and his sons were blessed. And after him Fârês (Pharez) his son reigned. And he died and ’Isârôm (Hezron) his son reigned. And after him his son ’Orni (Oren?) reigned, and after him Arâm (Aram) his son reigned, and after him Amînâdâb his son reigned, and after him Nâsôn (Naasson) his son reigned, and after him Sâlâ (Salmon?) his son reigned, and after him Bâ‛Os (Boaz) his son reigned, and after him ’Iyûbêd (Obed) his son reigned, and after him Ĕ’Sêy (Jesse) his son reigned. And this is what I say [concerning] the kingdom: The blessing of the father [was] on the son, so that it (i.e., the kingdom) was blessed with prosperity. And as for the kingship over Israel, after the death of Jesse David reigned in righteousness, and in integrity, and in graciousness.