the antiquities of the jews-1-第137节

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Befell　Jeremiah。

1。　But　a　terror　seized　on　the　king　of　Babylon；　who　had　given　the
kingdom　to　Jehoiachin；　and　that　immediately；　he　was　afraid　that
he　should　bear　him　a　grudge；　because　of　his　killing　his　father；
and　thereupon　should　make　the　country　revolt　from　him；　wherefore
he　sent　an　army；　and　besieged　Jehoiachin　in　Jerusalem；　but
because　he　was　of　a　gentle　and　just　disposition；　he　did　not
desire　to　see　the　city　endangered　on　his　account；　but　he　took　his
mother　and　kindred；　and　delivered　them　to　the　commanders　sent　by
the　king　of　Babylon；　and　accepted　of　their　oaths；　that　neither
should　they　suffer　any　harm；　nor　the　city；　which　agreement　they
did　not　observe　for　a　single　year；　for　the　king　of　Babylon　did
not　keep　it；　but　gave　orders　to　his　generals　to　take　all　that
were　in　the　city　captives；　both　the　youth　and　the　handicraftsmen；
and　bring　them　bound　to　him；　their　number　was　ten　thousand　eight
hundred　and　thirty…two；　as　also　Jehoiachin；　and　his　mother　and
friends。　And　when　these　were　brought　to　him；　he　kept　them　in
custody；　and　appointed　Jehoiachin's　uncle；　Zedekiah；　to　be　king；
and　made　him　take　an　oath；　that　he　would　certainly　keep　the
kingdom　for　him；　and　make　no　innovation；　nor　have　any　league　of
friendship　with　the　Egyptians。

2。　Now　Zedekiah　was　twenty　and　one　year's　old　when　he　took　the
government；　and　had　the　same　mother　with　his　brother　Jehoiakim；
but　was　a　despiser　of　justice　and　of　his　duty；　for　truly　those　of
the　same　age　with　him　were　wicked　about　him；　and　the　whole
multitude　did　what　unjust　and　insolent　things　they　pleased；　for
which　reason　the　prophet　Jeremiah　came　often　to　him；　and
protested　to　him；　and　insisted；　that　he　must　leave　off　his
impieties　and　transgressions；　and　take　care　of　what　was　right；
and　neither　give　ear　to　the　rulers；　（among　whom　were　wicked　men；）
nor　give　credit　to　their　false　prophets；　who　deluded　them；　as　if
the　king　of　Babylon　would　make　no　more　war　against　them；　and　as
if　the　Egyptians　would　make　war　against　him；　and　conquer　him；
since　what　they　said　was　not　true；　and　the　events　would　not　prove
such　＇as　they　expected＇。　Now　as　to　Zedekiah　himself；　while　he
heard　the　prophet　speak；　he　believed　him；　and　agreed　to　every
thing　as　true；　and　supposed　it　was　for　his　advantage；　but　then
his　friends　perverted　him；　and　dissuaded　him　from　what　the
prophet　advised；　and　obliged　him　to　do　what　they　pleased。　Ezekiel
also　foretold　in　Babylon　what　calamities　were　coming　upon　the
people；　which　when　he　heard；　he　sent　accounts　of　them　unto
Jerusalem。　But　Zedekiah　did　not　believe　their　prophecies；　for　the
reason　following：　It　happened　that　the　two　prophets　agreed　with
one　another　in　what　they　said　as　in　all　other　things；　that　the
city　should　be　taken；　and　Zedekiah　himself　should　be　taken
captive；　but　Ezekiel　disagreed　with　him；　and　said　that　Zedekiah
should　not　see　Babylon；　while　Jeremiah　said　to　him；　that　the　king
of　Babylon　should　carry　him　away　thither　in　bonds。　And　be…

3。　Now　when　Zedekiah　had　preserved　the　league　of　mutual
assistance　he　had　made　with　the　Babylonians　for　eight　years；　he
brake　it；　and　revolted　to　the　Egyptians；　in　hopes；　by　their
assistance；　of　overcoming　the　Babylonians。　When　the　king　of
Babylon　knew　this；　he　made　war　against　him：　he　laid　his　country
waste；　and　took　his　fortified　towns；　and　came　to　the　city
Jerusalem　itself　to　besiege　it。　But　when　the　king　of　Egypt　heard
what　circumstances　Zedekiah　his　ally　was　in；　he　took　a　great　army
with　him；　and　came　into　Judea；　as　if　he　would　raise　the　siege；
upon　which　the　king　of　Babylon　departed　from　Jerusalem；　and　met
the　Egyptians；　and　joined　battle　with　them；　and　beat　them；　and
when　he　had　put　them　to　flight；　he　pursued　them；　and　drove　them
out　of　all　Syria。　Now　as　soon　as　the　king　of　Babylon　was　departed
from　Jerusalem；　the　false　prophets　deceived　Zedekiah；　and　said
that　the　king　of　Babylon　would　not　any　more　make　war　against　him
or　his　people；　nor　remove　them　out　of　their　own　country　into
Babylon；　and　that　those　then　in　captivity　would　return；　with　all
those　vessels　of　the　temple　of　which　the　king　of　Babylon　had
despoiled　that　temple。　But　Jeremiah　came　among　them；　and
prophesied　what　contradicted　those　predictions；　and　what　proved
to　be　true；　that　they　did　ill；　and　deluded　the　king；　that　the
Egyptians　would　be　of　no　advantage　to　them；　but　that　the　king　of
Babylon　would　renew　the　war　against　Jerusalem；　and　besiege　it
again；　and　would　destroy　the　people　by　famine；　and　carry　away
those　that　remained　into　captivity；　and　would　take　away　what　they
had　as　spoils；　and　would　carry　off　those　riches　that　were　in　the
temple；　nay；　that；　besides　this；　he　would　burn　it；　and　utterly
overthrow　the　city；　and　that　they　should　serve　him　and　his
posterity　seventy　years；　that　then　the　Persians　and　the　Medes
should　put　an　end　to　their　servitude；　and　overthrow　the
Babylonians；　〃and　that　we　shall　be　dismissed；　and　return　to　this
land；　and　rebuild　the　temple；　and　restore　Jerusalem。〃　When
Jeremiah　said　this；　the　greater　part　believed　him；　but　the
rulers；　and　those　that　were　wicked；　despised　him；　as　one
disordered　in　his　senses。　Now　he　had　resolved　to　go　elsewhere；　to
his　own　country；　which　was　called　Anathoth；　and　was　twenty
furlongs　distant　from　Jerusalem；　（12）　and　as　he　was　going；　one　of
the　rulers　met　him；　and　seized　upon　him；　and　accused　him　falsely；
as　though　he　were　going　as　a　deserter　to　the　Babylonians；　but
Jeremiah　said　that　he　accused　him　falsely；　and　added；　that　he　was
only　going　to　his　own　country；　but　the　other　would　not　believe
him；　but　seized　upon　him；　and　led　him　away　to　the　rulers；　and
laid　an　accusation　against　him；　under　whom　he　endured　all　sorts
of　torments　and　tortures；　and　was　reserved　to　be　punished；　and
this　was　the　condition　he　was　in　for　some　time；　while　he　suffered
what　I　have　already　described　unjustly。

4。　Now　in　the　ninth　year　of　the　reign　of　Zedekiah；　on　the　tenth
day　of　the　tenth　month；　the　king　of　Babylon　made　a　second
expedition　against　Jerusalem；　and　lay　before　it　eighteen　months；
and　besieged　it　with　the　utmost　application。　There　came　upon　them
also　two　of　the　greatest　calamities　at　the　same　time　that
Jerusalem　was　besieged；　a　famine　and　a　pestilential　distemper；
and　made　great　havoc　of　them。　And　though　the　prophet　Jeremiah　was
in　prison；　he　did　not　rest；　but　cried　out；　and　proclaimed　aloud；
and　exhorted　the　multitude　to　open　their　gates；　and　admit　the
king　of　Babylon；　for　that　if　they　did　so；　they　should　be
preserved；　and　their　whole　families；　but　if　they　did　not　so；　they
should　be　destroyed；　and　he　foretold；　that　if　any　one　staid　in
the　city；　he　should　certainly　perish　by　one　of　these　ways；　…
either　be　consumed　by　the　famine；　or　slain　by　the　enemy's　sword；
but　that　if　he　would　flee　to　the　enemy；　he　should　escape　death。
Yet　did　not　these　rulers　who　heard　believe　him；　even　when　they
were　in　the　midst　of　their　sore　calamities；　but　they　came　to　the
king；　and　in　their　anger　informed　him　what　Jeremiah　had　said；　and
accused　him；　and　complained　of　the　prophet　as　of　a　madman；　and
one　that　disheartened　their　minds；　and　by　the　denunciation　of
miseries　weakened　the　alacrity　of　the　multitude；　who　were
otherwise　ready　to　expose　themselves　to　dangers　for　him；　and　for
their　country；　while　he；　in　a　way　of　threatening；　warned　them　to
flee　to　the　enemy；　and　told　them　that　the　city　should　certainly
be　taken；　and　be　utterly　destroyed。

5。　But　for　the　king　himself；　he　was　not　at　all　irritated　against
Jeremiah；　such　was　his　gentle　and　righteous　disposition；　yet；
that　he　might　not　be　engaged　in　a　quarrel　with　those　rulers　at
such　a　time；　by　opposing　what　they　intended；　he　let　them　do　with
the　prophet　whatsoever　they　would；　whereupon；　when　the　king　had
granted　them　such　a　permission；　they　presently　came　into　the
prison；　and　took　him；　and　let　him　down　with　a　cord　into　a　pit
full　of　mire；　that　he　might　be　suffocated；　and　die　of　himself。　So
he　stood　up　to　the　neck　in　the　mire　which　was　all　about　him；　and
so　continued；　but　there　was　one　of　the　king's　servants；　who　was
in　esteem　with　him；　an　Ethiopian　by　descent；　who　told　the　king
what　a　state　the　prophet　was　in；　and　said　that　his　friends　and
his　rulers　had　done　evil　in　putting　the　prophet　into　the　mire；
and　by　that　means　contriving　against　him　that　he　should　suffer　a
death　more　bitter　than　that　by　his　bonds　only。　When　the　king
heard　this；　he　repented　of　his　having　delivered　up　the　prophet　to
the　rulers；　and　bid　the　Ethiopian　take　thirty　men　of　the　king's
guards；　and　cords　with　them；　and　whatsoever　else　they　understood
to　be　necessary　for　the　prophet's　preservation；　and　to　draw　him
up　immediately。　So　the　Ethiopian　took　the　men　he　was　ordered　to
take；　and　drew　up　the　prophet　out　of　the　mire；　and　left　him　at
liberty　＇in　the　prison＇。

6。　But　when　the　king　had　sent　to　call　him　privately；　and　inquired
what　he　could　say　to　him　from　God；　which　might　be　suitable　to　his
present　circumstances；　and　desired　him　to　inform　him　of　it；
Jeremiah　replied；　that　he　had　somewhat　to　say；　but　he　said
withal；　he　should　not　be　believed；　nor；　if　he　admonished　them；
should　be　hearkened　to；　〃for；〃　said　he；　〃thy　friends　have
determined　to　destroy　me；　as　though　I　had　been　guilty　of　some
wickedness；