the antiquities of the jews-1-第125节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


one　another　to　perish；　by　treading　on　one　another　in　the　press；
he　suffered　himself　in　that　very　way；　and　died　in　that　very
manner；　as　Elisha　had　foretold　such　his　death；　when　he　alone　of
them　all　disbelieved　what　he　said　concerning　that　plenty　of
provisions　which　they　should　soon　have。

6。　Hereupon；　when　Benhadad；　the　king　of　Syria；　had　escaped　to
Damascus；　and　understood　that　it　was　God　himself　that　cast　all
his　army　into　this　fear　and　disorder；　and　that　it　did　not　arise
from　the　invasion　of　enemies；　he　was　mightily　cast　down　at　his
having　God　so　greatly　for　his　enemy；　and　fell　into　a　distemper。
Now　it　happened　that　Elisha　the　prophet；　at　that　time；　was　gone
out　of　his　own　country　to　Damascus；　of　which　Berthadad　was
informed：　he　sent　Hazael；　the　most　faithful　of　all　his　servants；
to　meet　him；　and　to　carry　him　presents；　and　bade　him　inquire　of
him　about　his　distemper；　and　whether　he　should　escape　the　danger
that　it　threatened。　So　Hazael　came　to　Elisha　with　forty　camels；
that　carried　the　best　and　most　precious　fruits　that　the　country
of　Damascus　afforded；　as　well　as　those　which　the　king's　palace
supplied。　He　saluted　him　kindly；　and　said　that　he　was　sent　to　him
by　king　Berthadad；　and　brought　presents　with　him；　in　order　to
inquire　concerning　his　distemper；　whether　he　should　recover　from
it　or　not。　Whereupon　the　prophet　bid　him　tell　the　king　no
melancholy　news；　but　still　he　said　he　would　die。　So　the　king's
servant　was　troubled　to　hear　it；　and　Elisha　wept　also；　and　his
tears　ran　down　plenteously　at　his　foresight　of　what　miseries　his
people　would　undergo　after　the　death　of　Berthadad。　And　when
Hazael　asked　him　what　was　the　occasion　of　this　confusion　he　was
in；　he　said　that　he　wept　out　of　his　commiseration　for　the
multitude　of　the　Israelites；　and　what　terrible　miseries　they　will
suffer　by　thee；　〃for　thou　wilt　slay　the　strongest　of　them；　and
wilt　burn　their　strongest　cities；　and　wilt　destroy　their
children；　and　dash　them　against　the　stones；　and　wilt　rip　up　their
women　with　child。〃　And　when　Hazael　said；　〃How　can　it　be　that　I
should　have　power　enough　to　do　such　things　？〃　the　prophet
replied；　that　God　had　informed　him　that　he　should　be　king　of
Syria。　So　when　Hazael　was　come　to　Benhadad；　he　told　him　good　news
concerning　his　distemper　（12）　but　on　the　next　day　he　spread　a　wet
cloth；　in　the　nature　of　a　net；　over　him；　and　strangled　him；　and
took　his　dominion。　He　was　an　active　man；　and　had　the　good…will　of
the　Syrians；　and　of　the　people　of　Damascus；　to　a　great　degree；　by
whom　both　Benhadad　himself；　and　Hazael；　who　ruled　after　him；　are
honored　to　this　day　as　gods；　by　reason　of　their　benefactions；　and
their　building　them　temples　by　which　they　adorned　the　city　of　the
Damascenes。　They　also　every　day　do　with　great　pomp　pay　their
worship　to　these　kings；　（13）　and　value　themselves　upon　their
antiquity；　nor　do　they　know　that　these　kings　are　much　later　than
they　imagine；　and　that　they　are　not　yet　eleven　hundred　years　old。
Now　when　Joram；　the　king　of　Israel；　heard　that　Berthadad　was
dead；　he　recovered　out　of　the　terror　and　dread　he　had　been　in　on
his　account；　and　was　very　glad　to　live　in　peace。

CHAPTER　5。

Concerning　The　Wickedness　Of　Jehoram　King　O　Jerusalem；　His　Defeat
And　Death。

1。　Now　Jehoram　the　king　of　Jerusalem；　for　we　have　said　before
that　he　had　the　same　name　with　the　king　of　Israel；　as　soon　as　he
had　taken　the　government　upon　him；　betook　himself　to　the
slaughter　of　his　brethren；　and　his　father's　friends；　who　were
governors　under　him；　and　thence　made　a　beginning　and　a
demonstration　of　his　wickedness；　nor　was　he　at　all　better　than
those　kings　of　Israel　who　at　first　transgressed　against　the　laws
of　their　country；　and　of　the　Hebrews；　and　against　God's　worship。
And　it　was　Athaliah；　the　daughter　of　Ahab；　whom　he　had　married；
who　taught　him　to　be　a　bad　man　in　other　respects；　and　also　to
worship　foreign　gods。　Now　God　would　not　quite　root　out　this
family；　because　of　the　promise　he　had　made　to　David。　However；
Jehoram　did　not　leave　off　the　introduction　of　new　sorts　of
customs　to　the　propagation　of　impiety；　and　to　the　ruin　of　the
customs　of　his　own　country。　And　when　the　Edomites　about　that　time
had　revolted　from　him；　and　slain　their　former　king；　who　was　in
subjection　to　his　father；　and　had　set　up　one　of　their　own
choosing；　Jehoram　fell　upon　the　land　of　Edom；　with　the　horsemen
that　were　about　him；　and　the　chariots；　by　night；　and　destroyed
those　that　lay　near　to　his　own　kingdom；　but　did　not　proceed
further。　However；　this　expedition　did　him　no　service；　for　they
all　revolted　from　him；　with　those　that　dwelt　in　the　country　of
Libnah。　He　was　indeed　so　mad　as　to　compel　the　people　to　go　up　to
the　high　places　of　the　mountains；　and　worship　foreign　gods。

2。　As　he　was　doing　this；　and　had　entirely　cast　his　own　country
laws　out　of　his　mind；　there　was　brought　him　an　epistle　from
Elijah　the　prophet　（14）　which　declared　that　God　would　execute
great　judgments　upon　him；　because　he　had　not　imitated　his　own
fathers；　but　had　followed　the　wicked　courses　of　the　kings　of
Israel；　and　had　compelled　the　tribe　of　Judah；　and　the　citizens　of
Jerusalem；　to　leave　the　holy　worship　of　their　own　God；　and　to
worship　idols；　as　Ahab　had　compelled　the　Israelites　to　do；　and
because　he　had　slain　his　brethren；　and　the　men　that　were　good　and
righteous。　And　the　prophet　gave　him　notice　in　this　epistle　what
punishment　he　should　undergo　for　these　crimes；　namely；　the
destruction　of　his　people；　with　the　corruption　of　the　king's　own
wives　and　children；　and　that　he　should　himself　die　of　a　distemper
in　his　bowels；　with　long　torments；　those　his　bowels　falling　out
by　the　violence　of　the　inward　rottenness　of　the　parts；　insomuch
that；　though　he　see　his　own　misery；　he　shall　not　be　able　at　all
to　help　himself；　but　shall　die　in　that　manner。　This　it　was　which
Elijah　denounced　to　him　in　that　epistle。

3。　It　was　not　long　after　this　that　an　army　of　those　Arabians　that
lived　near　to　Ethiopia；　and　of　the　Philistines；　fell　upon　the
kingdom　of　Jehoram；　and　spoiled　the　country　and　the　king's　house。
Moreover；　they　slew　his　sons　and　his　wives：　one　only　of　his　sons
was　left　him；　who　escaped　the　enemy；　his　name　was　Ahaziah；　after
which　calamity；　he　himself　fell　into　that　disease　which　was
foretold　by　the　prophet；　and　lasted　a　great　while；　（for　God
inflicted　this　punishment　upon　him　in　his　belly；　out　of　his　wrath
against　him；）　and　so　he　died　miserably；　and　saw　his　own　bowels
fall　out。　The　people　also　abused　his　dead　body；　I　suppose　it　was
because　they　thought　that　such　his　death　came　upon　him　by　the
wrath　of　God；　and　that　therefore　he　was　not　worthy　to　partake　of
such　a　funeral　as　became　kings。　Accordingly；　they　neither　buried
him　in　the　sepulchers　of　his　fathers；　nor　vouchsafed　him　any
honors；　but　buried　him　like　a　private　man；　and　this　when　he　had
lived　forty　years；　and　reigned　eight。　And　the　people　of　Jerusalem
delivered　the　government　to　his　son　Ahaziah。

CHAPTER　6。

How　Jehu　Was　Anointed　King；　And　Slew　Both　Joram　And　Ahaziah；　As
Also　What　He　Did　For　The　Punishment　Of　The　Wicked。

1。　Now　Joram；　the　king　of　Israel；　after　the　death　of　Benhadad；
hoped　that　he　might　now　take　Ramoth；　a　city　of　Gilead；　from　the
Syrians。　Accordingly　he　made　an　expedition　against　it；　with　a
great　army；　but　as　he　was　besieging　it；　an　arrow　was　shot　at　him
by　one　of　the　Syrians；　but　the　wound　was　not　mortal。　So　he
returned　to　have　his　wound　healed　in　Jezreel；　but　left　his　whole
army　in　Ramorb；　and　Jehu；　the　son　of　Nimshi；　for　their　general；
for　he　had　already　taken　the　city　by　force；　and　he　proposed；
after　he　was　healed；：　to　make　war　with　the　Syrians；　but　Elisha
the　prophet　sent　one　of　his　disciples　to　Ramoth；　and　gave　him
holy　oil　to　anoint　Jehu；　and　to　tell　him　that　God　had　chosen　him
to　be　their　king。　He　also　sent　him　to　say　other　things　to　him；
and　bid　him　to　take　his　journey　as　if　he　fled；　that　when　he　came
away　he　might　escape　the　knowledge　of　all　men。　So　when　he　was
come　to　the　city；　he　found　Jehu　sitting　in　the　midst　of　the
captains　of　the　army；　as　Elisha　had　foretold　he　should　find　him。
So　he　came　up　to　him；　and　said　that　he　desired　to　speak　with　him
about　certain　matters；　and　when　he　was　arisen；　and　had　followed
him　into　an　inward　chamber；　the　young　man　took　the　oil；　and
poured　it　on　his　head；　and　said　that　God　ordained　him　to　be　king；
in　order　to　his　destroying　the　house　of　Ahab；　and　that　he　might
revenge　the　blood　of　the　prophets　that　were　unjustly　slain　by
Jezebel；　that　so　their　house　might　utterly　perish；　as　those　of
Jeroboam　the　son　of　Nebat；　and　of　Baasha；　had　perished　for　their
wickedness；　and　no　seed　might　remain　of　Ahab's　family。　So　when　he
had　said　this；　he　went　away　hastily　out　of　the　chamber；　and
endeavored　not　to　be　seen　by　any　of　the　army。

2。　But　Jehu　came　out；　and　went　to　the　place　where　he　before　sat
with　the　captains；　and　when　they　asked　him；　and　desired　him　to
tell　them；　wherefore　it　was　that　this　young　man　came　to　him；　and
added　withal　that　he　was　mad；　he　replied；　…　〃You　guess　right；　for
the　words　he　spake　were　the　words　of　a　madman；〃　and　when　they
were　eager　about　the　matter；　and　desired　he　would　tell　them；　he
answered；　that　God　had　said　he　had　chosen　him　to　be　king　over　the