THE ELEVENTH SON OF JACOB AND RACHEL.

CHAPTER 1
Joseph, the eleventh son of Jacob and Rachel, the beautiful and beloved. His struggle against the Egyptian temptress. THE copy of the Testament of Joseph.

*2* When he was about to die he called his sons and his brethren together, and said to them:--

*3* My brethren and my children, listen to Joseph the beloved of Israel; give ear, my sons, to your father.

*4* I have seen in my life envy and death, yet I did not go astray, but persevered in the truth of the Lord.

*5* These my brethren hated me, but the Lord loved me:

*6* They wished to kill me, but the God of my fathers guarded me:

*7* They let me down into a pit, and the Most High brought me up again.

*8* I was sold into slavery, and the Lord of all made me free:

*9* I was taken into captivity, and His strong Hand helped me:

*10* I was beset with hunger, and the Lord Himself nourished me:

*11* I was alone, and God comforted me:

*12* I was sick, and the Lord visited me:

*13* I was in prison, and my God showed favour to me;

*14* In bonds, and He released me;

*15* Slandered, and He pleaded my cause;

*16* Bitterly spoken against by the Egyptians, and He delivered me;

*17* Envied by my fellow-slaves, and He exalted me;

*18* And this chief captain of Pharaoh entrusted to me his house;

*19* And I struggled against a shameless woman, urging me to transgress with her; but the God of Israel my father delivered me from the burning flame.

*20* I was cast into prison, I was beaten, I was mocked; but the Lord granted me to find mercy, in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

*21* For the Lord does not forsake them that fear Him, neither in darkness, nor in bonds, nor in tribulations, nor in necessities.

*22* For God is not ashamed as a man, nor is He afraid as the son of man, nor is He weak or affrighted as one that is earth-born.

*23* But in all those things He gives protection, and in divers ways He does comfort, though for a little space He hides Himself in order to try the inclination of the soul.

*24* In ten temptations He showed me approved, and in all of them I endured; for endurance is a mighty charm, and patience gives many good things.

*25* How often did the Egyptian woman threaten me with death!

*26* How often did she give me over to punishment, and then call me back and threaten me, and when I was unwilling to company with her, she said to me:

*27* "You shall be lord of me, and all that is in my house, if you will give yourself to me, and you shall be as our master."

*28* But I remembered the words of my father, and going into my chamber, I wept and prayed to the Lord.

*29* And I fasted in those seven years, and I appeared to the Egyptians as one living delicately, for they that fast for God's sake receive beauty of face, becoming more handsome.

*30* And if my master were away from home, I would not drink wine; nor for three days did I take my food, but I gave it to the poor and sick.

*31* And I sought the Lord early, and I wept because of that Egyptian woman of Memphis, for she troubled me very persuasively and unceasingly, for also at night she would come to me under pretence of visiting me.

*32* And because she had no male child she pretended to regard me as a son.

*33* And for a time she embraced me as a son, and I did not know it; but later, she sought to draw me into fornication.

*34* And when I perceived it I sorrowed to death; and when she had gone out, I came to myself, and lamented for her many days, because I recognized her guile and her deceit.

*35* And I declared to her the words of the Most High, if perhaps she would turn from her evil lust.

*36* Oftentimes, therefore, she would flatter me with words as a holy man, and guilefully in her talk, praise my chastity before her husband, while desiring to trap me when we were alone.

*37* For she lauded me openly as chaste, and in secret she said to me: "Do not fear my husband; for he is persuaded concerning your chastity: for even if one should tell him concerning us, he would not believe."

*38* Owing to all these things I laid on the ground, and besought God that the Lord would deliver me from her deceit.

*39* And when she did not succeed with that scheme, she came again to me under the plea of instruction, pretending she wants to learn the word of God from me.

*40* And she said to me: "If you are willing that I should leave my idols, then sleep with me, and I will persuade my husband to convert from his idols, and we will walk in the law of your Lord."

*41* And I said to her: "The Lord Will does not permit those who reverence Him to be in uncleanness or unholiness, neither does He take pleasure in them that commit adultery, but in those that approach Him with a pure heart and undefiled lips."

*42* But she heed her peace, longing to accomplish her evil desire.

*43* And I gave myself yet more to fasting and prayer, that the Lord might deliver me from her.

*44* And again, at another time she said to me: "If you will not commit adultery, I will kill my husband by poison; and take you to be my husband."

*45* I therefore, when I heard this, tore my garments, and said to her:

*46* "Woman, reverence God, and do not this evil deed, lest you be destroyed; for know indeed that I will tell this your device to all men."

*47* She therefore, being afraid, begged that I would not tell anyone this device.

*48* And she departed soothing me with gifts, and sending to me every delight of the sons of men.

*49* And afterwards she sent me food mingled with charms (enchantments).

*50* And when the eunuch who brought it came, I looked up and saw a terrible man giving me with the dish a sword, and I perceived that her scheme was to beguile me.

*51* And when he had gone out I wept, nor did I taste that or any other of her food.

*52* So then after one day she came to me and observed the food, and said to me: "Why is it that you have not eaten of the food?"

*53* And I said to her: "It is because you have filled it with deadly charms (enchantments); and how would you say: "I do not come near to idols but to the Lord alone.

*54* Now therefore know that the God of my father has revealed to me by His angel your wickedness, and I have kept it to convict you, if perhaps you may see and repent.

*55* "But to show you that the wickedness of the ungodly has no power over them that worship God with chastity, behold I will take of that you enchanted and eat it before you."

"56" And having said so, I prayed thus: "The God of my fathers and the angel of Abraham, be with me;" and I ate.

"57" And when she saw this she fell upon her face at my feet, weeping; and I raised her up and admonished her.

"58" And she promised never to do this iniquity any more.

"59" But her heart was still set upon evil, and she looked around how to ensnare me, and sighing deeply she became downcast, though she was not sick.

*60* And when her husband saw her, he said to her: "Why is your countenance fallen?"

*61* And she said to him: "I have a pain at my heart, and the groanings of my spirit oppress me;" and so he comforted her who was not sick.

*62* Then, accordingly seizing an opportunity, she rushed to me while her husband was yet wout, and said to me: "I will hang myself, or cast myself over a cliff, if you will not sleep with me."

*63* And when I saw the spirit of Beliar was troubling her, I prayed to the Lord, and said to her:

*64* "Why, wretched woman, are you troubled and disturbed, blinded through sins?

*65* Remember that if you kill yourself, Asteho, the concubine of your husband, your rival, will beat your children, and you will destroy your memorial from off the earth."

*66* And she said to me: "Lo, then you love me; let this suffice me: only strive for my life and my children, and I expect that I shall enjoy my desire also."

*67* But she did not know that it's because of my master I said that, and not because of her.

*68* For if a man has fallen before the passion of a wicked desire and become enslaved by it, even as she was, whatever good thing the man may hear with regard to that passion, he would receive it with a view to his wicked desire.

*69* I declare, therefore, to you, my children, that it was about the sixth hour when she departed from me; and I knelt before the Lord all day, and all the night; and about dawn I rose up, weeping the while and praying for a release from her.

*70* At last, then, she laid hold of my garments, forcibly dragging me to have sex with her.

*71* When, therefore, I saw that in her madness she was holding fast to my garment, I left it behind, and fled away naked.

*72* And holding fast to the garment she falsely accused me, and when her husband came he cast me into prison in his house; and on the next day he scourged me and transferred me into Pharaoh's prison.

*73* And when I was in chains, the Egyptian woman was oppressed with grief, and she came and heard how I gave thanks to the Lord and sang praises in the abode of darkness, and with glad voice rejoiced, glorifying my God that I was delivered from the lustful desire of the Egyptian woman.

*74* And oftentimes would she sent to me saying: "Agree to fulfil my desire, and I will release you from your chains, and I will free you from the darkness."

*75* And not even in thought did I incline to her.

*76" For God loves him who in a den of wickedness combines fasting with chastity, rather than the man who in kings' chambers combines luxury with license.

*77* And if a man lives in chastity, and desires also glory, and the Most High knows that it is important for him, He bestows this also upon him.

*78* How often, though she were sick, did she come down to me at unlooked for times, and listened to my voice as I prayed!

*79* And when I heard her groanings I held my peace.

*80* For when I was in her house she was wont to bare her arms, naked her breasts, and expose her legs, to seduce me that I might sleep with her; for she was very beautiful woman, splendidly adorned in order to beguile me.

*81* And the Lord guarded me from her devices.

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I am in awe of the perseverance of Joseph. Is this in the Bible? Thank you Jesus. When the devil wants to take the Glory of any man he comes with temptations.

Where is this in the Bible?

This is not writen like this in the bible i read,notwithstanding,i believe joseph went through every thing writen here.