the antiquities of the jews-1-第135节

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other　respects；　but　with　provisions　of　all　sorts　that　they
wanted。　And　indeed；　when　he　had　changed　his　former　course；　he　so
led　his　life　for　the　time　to　come；　that　from　the　time　of　his
return　to　piety　towards　God　he　was　deemed　a　happy　man；　and　a
pattern　for　imitation。　When　therefore　he　had　lived　sixty…seven
years；　he　departed　this　life；　having　reigned　fifty…five　years；
and　was　buried　in　his　own　garden；　and　the　kingdom　came　to　his　son
Amon；　whose　mother's　name　was　Meshulemeth；　of　the　city　of
Jotbath。

CHAPTER　4。

How　Amon　Reigned　Instead　Of　Manasseh；　And　After　Amon　Reigned
Josiah；　He　Was　Both　Righteous　And　Religious。　As　Also　Concerning
Huldah　The　Prophetess。

1。　This　Amon　imitated　those　works　of　his　father　which　he
insolently　did　when　he　was　young：　so　he　had　a　conspiracy　made
against　him　by　his　own　servants；　and　was　slain　in　his　own　house；
when　he　had　lived　twenty…four　years；　and　of　them　had　reigned　two。
But　the　multitude　punished　those　that　slew　Amon；　and　buried　him
with　his　father；　and　gave　the　kingdom　to　his　son　Josiah；　who　was
eight　years　old。　His　mother　was　of　the　city　of　Boscath；　and　her
name　was　Jedidah。　He　was　of　a　most　excellent　disposition；　and
naturally　virtuous；　and　followed　the　actions　of　king　David；　as　a
pattern　and　a　rule　to　him　in　the　whole　conduct　of　his　life。　And
when　he　was　twelve　years　old；　he　gave　demonstrations　of　his
religious　and　righteous　behavior；　for　he　brought　the　people　to　a
sober　way　of　living；　and　exhorted　them　to　leave　off　the　opinion
they　had　of　their　idols；　because　they　were　not　gods；　but　to
worship　their　own　God。　And　by　repeating　on　the　actions　of　his
progenitors；　he　prudently　corrected　what　they　did　wrong；　like　a
very　elderly　man；　and　like　one　abundantly　able　to　understand　what
was　fit　to　be　done；　and　what　he　found　they　had　well　done；　he
observed　all　the　country　over；　and　imitated　the　same。　And　thus　he
acted　in　following　the　wisdom　and　sagacity　of　his　own　nature；　and
in　compliance　with　the　advice　and　instruction　of　the　elders；　for
by　following　the　laws　it　was　that　he　succeeded　so　well　in　the
order　of　his　government；　and　in　piety　with　regard　to　the　Divine
worship。　And　this　happened　because　the　transgressions　of　the
former　kings　were　seen　no　more；　but　quite　vanished　away；　for　the
king　went　about　the　city；　and　the　whole　country；　and　cut　down　the
groves　which　were　devoted　to　strange　gods；　and　overthrew　their
altars；　and　if　there　were　any　gifts　dedicated　to　them　by　his
forefathers；　he　made　them　ignominious；　and　plucked　them　down；　and
by　this　means　he　brought　the　people　back　from　their　opinion　about
them　to　the　worship　of　God。　He　also　offered　his　accustomed
sacrifices　and　burnt…offerings　upon　the　altar。　Moreover；　he
ordained　certain　judges　and　overseers；　that　they　might　order　the
matters　to　them　severally　belonging；　and　have　regard　to　justice
above　all　things；　and　distribute　it　with　the　same　concern　they
would　have　about　their　own　soul。　He　also　sent　over　all　the
country；　and　desired　such　as　pleased　to　bring　gold　and　silver　for
the　repairs　of　the　temple；　according　to　every　one's　inclinations
and　abilities。　And　when　the　money　was　brought　in；　he　made　one
Maaseiah　the　governor　of　the　city；　and　Shaphan　the　scribe；　and
Joab　the　recorder；　and　Eliakim　the　high　priest；　curators　of　the
temple；　and　of　the　charges　contributed　thereto；　who　made　no
delay；　nor　put　the　work　off　at　all；　but　prepared　architects；　and
whatsoever　was　proper　for　those　repairs；　and　set　closely　about
the　work。　So　the　temple　was　repaired　by　this　means；　and　became　a
public　demonstration　of　the　king's　piety。

2。　But　when　he　was　now　in　the　eighteenth　year　of　his　reign；　he
sent　to　Eliakim　the　high　priest；　and　gave　order；　that　out　of　what
money　was　overplus；　he　should　cast　cups；　and　dishes；　and　vials；
for　ministration　＇in　the　temple＇；　and　besides；　that　they　should
bring　all　the　gold　or　silver　which　was　among　the　treasures；　and
expend　that　also　in　making　cups　and　the　like　vessels。　But　as　the
high　priest　was　bringing　out　the　gold；　he　lighted　upon　the　holy
books　of　Moses　that　were　laid　up　in　the　temple；　and　when　he　had
brought　them　out；　he　gave　them　to　Shaphan　the　scribe；　who；　when
he　had　read　them；　came　to　the　king；　and　informed　him　that　all　was
finished　which　he　had　ordered　to　be　done。　He　also　read　over　the
books　to　him；　who；　when　he　had　heard　them　read；　rent　his　garment；
and　called　for　Eliakim　the　high　priest；　and　for　＇Shaphan＇　the
scribe；　and　for　certain　＇other＇　of　his　most　particular　friends；
and　sent　them　to　Huldah　the　prophetess；　the　wife　of　Shallum；
（which　Shallum　was　a　man　of　dignity；　and　of　an　eminent　family；）
and　bid　them　go　to　her；　and　say　that　＇he　desired＇　she　would
appease　God；　and　endeavor　to　render　him　propitious　to　them；　for
that　there　was　cause　to　fear；　lest；　upon　the　transgression　of　the
laws　of　Moses　by　their　forefathers；　they　should　be　in　peril　of
going　into　captivity；　and　of　being　cast　out　of　their　own　country；
lest　they　should　be　in　want　of　all　things；　and　so　end　their　days
miserably。　When　the　prophetess　had　heard　this　from　the　messengers
that　were　sent　to　her　by　the　king；　she　bid　them　go　back　to　the
king；　and　say　that　〃God　had　already　given　sentence　against　them；
to　destroy　the　people；　and　cast　them　out　of　their　country；　and
deprive　them　of　all　the　happiness　they　enjoyed；　which　sentence
none　could　set　aside　by　any　prayers　of　theirs；　since　it　was
passed　on　account　of　their　transgressions　of　the　laws；　and　of
their　not　having　repented　in　so　long　a　time；　while　the　prophets
had　exhorted　them　to　amend；　and　had　foretold　the　punishment　that
would　ensue　on　their　impious　practices；　which　threatening　God
would　certainly　execute　upon　them；　that　they　might　be　persuaded
that　he　is　God；　and　had　not　deceived　them　in　any　respect　as　to
what　he　had　denounced　by　his　prophets；　that　yet；　because　Josiah
was　a　righteous　man；　he　would　at　present　delay　those　calamities；
but　that　after　his　death　he　would　send　on　the　multitude　what
miseries　he　had　determined　for　them。

3。　So　these　messengers；　upon　this　prophecy　of　the　woman；　came　and
told　it　to　the　king；　whereupon　he　sent　to　the　people　every　where；
and　ordered　that　the　priests　and　the　Levites　should　come　together
to　Jerusalem；　and　commanded　that　those　of　every　age　should　be
present　also。　And　when　they　had　gathered　together；　he　first　read
to　them　the　holy　books；　after　which　he　stood　upon　a　pulpit；　in
the　midst　of　the　multitude；　and　obliged　them　to　make　a　covenant；
with　an　oath；　that　they　would　worship　God；　and　keep　the　laws　of
Moses。　Accordingly；　they　gave　their　assent　willingly；　and
undertook　to　do　what　the　king　had　recommended　to　them。　So　they
immediately　offered　sacrifices；　and　that　after　an　acceptable
manner；　and　besought　God　to　be　gracious　and　merciful　to　them。　He
also　enjoined　the　high　priest；　that　if　there　remained　in　the
temple　any　vessel　that　was　dedicated　to　idols；　or　to　foreign
gods；　they　should　cast　it　out。　So　when　a　great　number　of　such
vessels　were　got　together；　he　burnt　them；　and　scattered　their
ashes　abroad；　and　slew　the　priests　of　the　idols　that　were　not　of
the　family　of　Aaron。

4。　And　when　he　had　done　thus　in　Jerusalem；　he　came　into　the
country；　and　utterly　destroyed　what　buildings　had　been　made
therein　by　king　Jeroboam；　in　honor　of　strange　gods；　and　he　burnt
the　bones　of　the　false　prophets　upon　that　altar　which　Jeroboam
first　built；　and；　as　the　prophet　＇Jadon＇；　who　came　to　Jeroboam
when　he　was　offering　sacrifice；　and　when　all　the　people　heard
him；　foretold　what　would　come　to　pass；　viz。　that　a　certain　man　of
the　house　of　David；　Josiah　by　name；　should　do　what　is　here
mentioned。　And　it　happened　that　those　predictions　took　effect
after　three　hundred　and　sixty…one　years。

5。　After　these　things；　Josiah　went　also　to　such　other　Israelites
as　had　escaped　captivity　and　slavery　under　the　Assyrians；　and
persuaded　them　to　desist　from　their　impious　practices；　and　to
leave　off　the　honors　they　paid　to　strange　gods；　but　to　worship
rightly　their　own　Almighty　God；　and　adhere　to　him。　He　also
searched　the　houses；　and　the　villages；　and　the　cities；　out　of　a
suspicion　that　somebody　might　have　one　idol　or　other　in　private；
nay；　indeed；　he　took　away　the　chariots　＇of　the　sun＇　that　were　set
up　in　his　royal　palace；　（7）　which　his　predecessors　had　framed；
and　what　thing　soever　there　was　besides　which　they　worshipped　as
a　god。　And　when　he　had　thus　purged　all　the　country；　he　called　the
people　to　Jerusalem；　and　there　celebrated　the　feast　of　unleavened
bread；　and　that　called　the　passover。　He　also　gave　the　people　for
paschal　sacrifices；　young　kids　of　the　goats；　and　lambs；　thirty
thousand；　and　three　thousand　oxen　for　burnt…offerings。　The
principal　of　the　priests　also　gave　to　the　priests　against　the
passover　two　thousand　and　six　hundred　lambs；　the　principal　of　the
Levites　also　gave　to　the　Levites　five　thousand　lambs；　and　five
hundred　oxen；　by　which　means　there　was　great　plenty　of
sacrifices；　and　they　offered　those　sacrifices　according　to　the
laws　of　Moses；　while　every　priest　explained　the　matter；　and
ministered　to　the　multitude。　And　indeed　there　had　been　no　other
festival　thus　celebrated　by　the　Hebrews　from　the　times　of　Samuel
the　prophet；　and　the　plenty　of　sacrifices　now　was　the