the antiquities of the jews-1-第120节

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wherein　he　was　hid；　and　brought　him　to　Ahab　as　he　sat　in　his
chariot。　So　Benhadad　worshipped　him；　and　Ahab　gave　him　his　hand；
and　made　him　come　up　to　him　into　his　chariot；　and　kissed　him；　and
bid　him　be　of　good　cheer；　and　not　to　expect　that　any　mischief
should　be　done　to　him。　So　Berthadad　returned　him　thanks；　and
professed　that　he　would　remember　his　kindness　to　him　all　the　days
of　his　life；　and　promised　he　would　restore　those　cities　of　the
Israelites　which　the　former　kings　had　taken　from　them；　and　grant
that　he　should　have　leave　to　come　to　Damascus；　as　his　forefathers
had　to　come　to　Samaria。　So　they　confirmed　their　covenant　by
oaths；　and　Ahab　made　him　many　presents；　and　sent　him　back　to　his
own　kingdom。　And　this　was　the　conclusion　of　the　war　that　Benhadad
made　against　Ahab　and　the　Israelites。

5。　But　a　certain　prophet；　whose　name　was　Micaiah；　（40）　came　to
one　of　the　Israelites；　and　bid　him　smite　him　on　the　head；　for　by
so　doing　he　would　please　God；　but　when　he　would　not　do　so；　he
foretold　to　him；　that　since　he　disobeyed　the　commands　of　God；　he
should　meet　with　a　lion；　and　be　destroyed　by　him。　When　that　sad
accident　had　befallen　the　man；　the　prophet　came　again　to　another；
and　gave　him　the　same　injunction；　so　he　smote　him；　and　wounded
his　skull；　upon　which　he　bound　up　his　head；　and　came　to　the　king；
and　told　him　that　he　had　been　a　soldier　of　his；　and　had　the
custody　of　one　of　the　prisoners　committed　to　him　by　an　officer；
and　that　the　prisoner　being　run　away；　he　was　in　danger　of　losing
his　own　life　by　the　means　of　that　officer；　who　had　threatened
him；　that　if　the　prisoner　escaped　he　would　kill　him。　And　when
Ahab　had　said　that　he　would　justly　die；　he　took　off　the　binding
about　his　head；　and　was　known　by　the　king　to　be　Micaiah　the
prophet；　who　made　use　of　this　artifice　as　a　prelude　to　his
following　words；　for　he　said　that　God　would　punish　him　who　had
suffered　Benhadad；　a　blasphemer　against　him；　to　escape
punishment；　and　that　he　would　so　bring　it　about；　that　he　should
die　by　the　other's　means　（41）　and　his　people　by　the　other's　army。
Upon　which　Ahab　was　very　angry　at　the　prophet；　and　gave
commandment　that　he　should　be　put　in　prison；　and　there　kept；　but
for　himself；　he　was　in　confusion　at　the　words　of　Micaiah；　and
returned　to　his　own　house。

CHAPTER　15。

Concerning　Jehoshaphat　The　King　Of　Jerusalem　And　How　Ahab　Made　An
Expedition　Against　The　Syrians　And　Was　Assisted　Therein　By
Jehoshaphat；　But　Was　Himself　Overcome　In　Battle　And　Perished
Therein。

1。　And　these　were　the　circumstances　in　which　Ahab　was。　But　I　now
return　to　Jehoshaphat；　the　king　of　Jerusalem；　who；　when　he　had
augmented　his　kingdom；　had　set　garrisons　in　the　cities　of　the
countries　belonging　to　his　subjects；　and　had　put　such　garrisons
no　less　into　those　cities　which　were　taken　out　of　the　tribe　of
Ephraim　by　his　grandfather　Abijah；　when　Jeroboam　reigned　over　the
ten　tribes　＇than　he　did　into　the　other＇。　But　then　he　had　God
favorable　and　assisting　to　him；　as　being　both　righteous　and
religious；　and　seeking　to　do　somewhat　every　day　that　should　be
agreeable　and　acceptable　to　God。　The　kings　also　that　were　round
about　him　honored　him　with　the　presents　they　made　him；　till　the
riches　that　he　had　acquired　were　immensely　great；　and　the　glory
he　had　gained　was　of　a　most　exalted　nature。

2。　Now；　in　the　third　year　of　this　reign；　he　called　together　the
rulers　of　the　country；　and　the　priests；　and　commanded　them　to　go
round　the　land；　and　teach　all　the　people　that　were　under　him；
city　by　city；　the　laws　of　Moses；　and　to　keep　them；　and　to　be
diligent　in　the　worship　of　God。　With　this　the　whole　multitude　was
so　pleased；　that　they　were　not　so　eagerly　set　upon　or　affected
with　any　thing　so　much　as　the　observation　of　the　laws。　The
neighboring　nations　also　continued　to　love　Jehoshaphat；　and　to　be
at　peace　with　him。　The　Philistines　paid　their　appointed　tribute；
and　the　Arabians　supplied　him　every　year　with　three　hundred　and
sixty　lambs；　and　as　many　kids　of　the　goats。　He　also　fortified　the
great　cities；　which　were　many　in　number；　and　of　great
consequence。　He　prepared　also　a　mighty　army　of　soldiers　and
weapons　against　their　enemies。　Now　the　army　of　men　that　wore
their　armor；　was　three　hundred　thousand　of　the　tribe　of　Judah；　of
whom　Adnah　was　the　chief；　but　John　was　chief　of　two　hundred
thousand。　The　same　man　was　chief　of　the　tribe　of　Benjamin；　and
had　two　hundred　thousand　archers　under　him。　There　was　another
chief；　whose　name　was　Jehozabad；　who　had　a　hundred　and　fourscore
thousand　armed　men。　This　multitude　was　distributed　to　he　ready
for　the　king's　service；　besides　those　whom　he　sent　to　the　best
fortified　cities。

3。　Jehoshaphat　took　for　his　son　Jehoram　to　wife　the　daughter　of
Ahab；　the　king　of　the　ten　tribes；　whose　name　was　Athaliah。　And
when；　after　some　time；　he　went　to　Samaria；　Ahab　received　him
courteously；　and　treated　the　army　that　followed　him　in　a　splendid
manner；　with　great　plenty　of　corn　and　wine；　and　of　slain　beasts；
and　desired　that　he　would　join　with　him　in　his　war　against　the
king　of　Syria；　that　he　might　recover　from　him　the　city　Ramoth；　in
Gilead；　for　though　it　had　belonged　to　his　father；　yet　had　the
king　of　Syria's　father　taken　it　away　from　him；　and　upon
Jehoshaphat's　promise　to　afford　him　his　assistance；　（for　indeed
his　army　was　not　inferior　to　the　other；）　and　his　sending　for　his
army　from　Jerusalem　to　Samaria；　the　two　kings　went　out　of　the
city；　and　each　of　them　sat　on　his　own　throne；　and　each　gave　their
orders　to　their　several　armies。　Now　Jehoshaphat　bid　them　call
some　of　the　prophets；　if　there　were　any　there；　and　inquire　of
them　concerning　this　expedition　against　the　king　of　Syria；
whether　they　would　give　them　counsel　to　make　that　expedition　at
this　time；　for　there　was　peace　at　that　time　between　Ahab　and　the
king　of　Syria；　which　had　lasted　three　years；　from　the　time　he　had
taken　him　captive　till　that　day。

4。　So　Ahab　called　his　own　prophets；　being　in　number　about　four
hundred；　and　bid　them　inquire　of　God　whether　he　would　grant　him
the　victory；　if　he　made　an　expedition　against　Benhadad；　and
enable　him　to　overthrow　that　city；　for　whose　sake　it　was　that　he
was　going　to　war。　Now　these　prophets　gave　their　counsel　for
making　this　expedition；　and　said　that　he　would　beat　the　king　of
Syria；　and；　as　formerly；　would　reduce　him　under　his　power。　But
Jehoshaphat；　understanding　by　their　words　that　they　were　false
prophets；　asked　Ahab　whether　there　were　not　some　other　prophet；
and　he　belonging　to　the　true　God；　that　we　may　have　surer
information　concerning　futurities。　Hereupon　Ahab　said　there　was
indeed　such　a　one；　but　that　he　hated　him；　as　having　prophesied
evil　to　him；　and　having　foretold　that　he　should　be　overcome　and
slain　by　the　king　of　Syria；　and　that　for　this　cause　he　had　him
now　in　prison；　and　that　his　name　was　Micaiah；　the　son　of　Imlah。
But　upon　Jehoshaphat's　desire　that　he　might　be　produced；　Ahab
sent　a　eunuch；　who　brought　Micaiah　to　him。　Now　the　eunuch　had
informed　him　by　the　way；　that　all　the　other　prophets　had　foretold
that　the　king　should　gain　the　victory；　but　he　said；　that　it　was
not　lawful　for　him　to　lie　against　God；　but　that　he　must　speak
what　he　should　say　to　him　about　the　king；　whatsoever　it　were。
When　he　came　to　Ahab；　and　he　had　adjured　him　upon　oath　to　speak
the　truth　to　him；　he　said　that　God　had　shown　to　him　the
Israelites　running　away；　and　pursued　by　the　Syrians；　and
dispersed　upon　the　mountains　by　them；　as　flocks　of　sheep　are
dispersed　when　their　shepherd　is　slain。　He　said　further；　that　God
signified　to　him；　that　those　Israelites　should　return　：in　peace
to　their　own　home；　and　that　he　only　should　fall　in　the　battle。
When　Micalab　had　thus　spoken；　Ahab　said　to　Jehoshaphat；　〃I　told
thee　a　little　while　ago　the　disposition　of　the　man　with　regard　to
me；　and　that　he　uses　to　prophesy　evil　to　me。〃　Upon　which　Micaiah
replied；　that　he　ought　to　hear　all；　whatsoever　it　be；　that　God
foretells；　and　that　in　particular；　they　were　false　prophets　that
encouraged　him　to　make　this　war　in　hope　of　victory；　whereas　he
must　fight　and　be　killed。　Whereupon　the　king　was　in　suspense　with
himself：　but　Zedekiah；　one　of　those　false　prophets；　came　near；
and　exhorted　him　not　to　hearken　to　Micaiah；　for　he　did　not　at　all
speak　truth；　as　a　demonstration　of　which　he　instanced　in　what
Elijah　had　said；　who　was　a　better　prophet　in　foretelling
futurities　than　Micaiah　（42）　for　he　foretold　that　the　dogs　should
lick　his　blood　in　the　city　of　Jezreel；　in　the　field　of　Naboth；　as
they　licked　the　blood　of　Naboth；　who　by　his　means　was　there
stoned　to　death　by　the　multitude；　that　therefore　it　was　plain
that　this　Micalab　was　a　liar；　as　contradicting　a　greater　prophet
than　himself；　and　saying　that　he　should　be　slain　at　three　days'
journey　distance：　〃and　＇said　he＇　you　shall　soon　know　whether　he
be　a　true　prophet；　and　hath　the　power　of　the　Divine　Spirit；　for　I
will　smite　him；　and　let　him　then　hurt　my　hand；　as　Jadon　caused
the　hand　of　Jeroboam　the　king　to　wither　when　he　would　have　caught
him；　for　I　suppose　thou　hast　certainly　heard　of　that　accident。〃
So　when；　upon　his　smiting　Micaiah；　no　harm　happened　to　him；　Ahab
took　courage；　and　readily　led　his　army　against　the　king　of　Syria；
for；　as　I　supp