Testament of Joseph 1

¹The copy of the Testament of Joseph. When he was about to die he called his sons and his brethren together, and said to them:-- ²My brethren and my children, Hearken to Joseph the beloved of Israel; Give ear, my sons, unto your father. ³I have seen in my life envy and death, Yet I went not astray, but persevered in the truth of the Lord. ⁴These my brethren hated me, but the Lord loved me: They wished to slay me, but the God of my fathers guarded me: ⁵They let me down into a pit, and the Most High brought me up again. I was sold into slavery, and the Lord of all made me free: I was taken into captivity, and His strong hand succoured me. I was beset with hunger, and the Lord Himself nourished me. ⁶I was alone, and God comforted me: I was sick, and the Lord visited me: I was in prison, and my God showed favour unto me; ⁷In bonds, and He released me; Slandered, and He pleaded my cause; Bitterly spoken against by the Egyptians, and He delivered me; Envied by my fellow-slaves, and He exalted me.