Epistle of Barnabas 13:1-17

¹But let us see if this people is the heir, or the former, and if the covenant belongs to us or to them.

²Hear ye now what the Scripture saith concerning the people.

³Isaac prayed for Rebecca his wife, because she was barren; and she conceived.

⁴Furthermore also, Rebecca went forth to inquire of the Lord; and the Lord said to her, "Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples in thy belly; and the one people shall surpass the other, and the elder shall serve the younger."

⁵You ought to understand who was Isaac, who Rebecca, and concerning what persons He declared that this people should be greater than that.

⁶And in another prophecy Jacob speaks more clearly to his son Joseph, saying, "Behold, the Lord hath not deprived me of thy presence; bring thy sons to me, that I may bless them."

⁷And he brought Manasseh and Ephraim, desiring that Manasseh should be blessed, because he was the elder.

⁸With this view Joseph led him to the right hand of his father Jacob.

⁹But Jacob saw in spirit the type of the people to arise afterwards.

¹⁰And what says [the Scripture]?

¹¹And Jacob changed the direction of his bands, and laid his fight hand upon the head of Ephraim, the second and younger, and blessed him.

¹²And Joseph said to Jacob, "Transfer thy right hand to the head of Manasseh, for he is my first-born son."

¹³And Jacob said, "I know it, my son, I know it; but the elder shall serve the younger: yet he also shall be blessed."

¹⁴Ye see on whom he laid [his hands], that this people should be first, and heir of the covenant.

¹⁵If then, still further, the same thing was intimated through Abraham, we reach the perfection of our knowledge.

¹⁶What, then, says He to Abraham?

¹⁷"Because thou hast believed, it is imputed to thee for righteousness: behold, I have made thee the father of those nations who believe in the Lord while in [a state of] uncircumcision."