the antiquities of the jews-1-第31节

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5。　On　the　next　day；　Moses　stripped　the　dead　bodies　of　their
enemies；　and　gathered　together　the　armor　of　those　that　were　fled；
and　gave　rewards　to　such　as　had　signalized　themselves　in　the
action；　and　highly　commended　Joshua；　their　general；　who　was
attested　to　by　all　the　army；　on　account　of　the　great　actions　he
had　done。　Nor　was　any　one　of　the　Hebrews　slain；　but　the　slain　of
the　enemy's　army　were　too　many　to　be　enumerated。　So　Moses　offered
sacrifices　of　thanksgiving　to　God；　and　built　an　altar；　which　he
named　The　Lord　the　Conqueror。　He　also　foretold　that　the
Amalekites　should　utterly　be　destroyed；　and　that　hereafter　none
of　them　should　remain；　because　they　fought　against　the　Hebrews；
and　this　when　they　were　in　the　wilderness；　and　in　their　distress
also。　Moreover；　he　refreshed　the　army　with　feasting。　And　thus　did
they　fight　this　first　battle　with　those　that　ventured　to　oppose
them；　after　they　were　gone　out　of　Egypt。　But　when　Moses　had
celebrated　this　festival　for　the　victory；　he　permitted　the
Hebrews　to　rest　for　a　few　days；　and　then　he　brought　them　out
after　the　fight；　in　order　of　battle；　for　they　had　now　many
soldiers　in　light　armor。　And　going　gradually　on；　he　came　to　Mount
Sinai；　in　three　months'　time　after　they　were　removed　out　of
Egypt；　at　which　mountain；　as　we　have　before　related；　the　vision
of　the　bush；　and　the　other　wonderful　appearances；　had　happened。

CHAPTER　3。

That　Moses　Kindly　Received…His　Father…In…Law；　Jethro；　When　He
Came　To　Him　To　Mount　Sinai。

Now　when　Raguel；　Moses's　father…in…law；　understood　in　what　a
prosperous　condition　his　affairs　were；　he　willingly　came　to　meet
him。　And　Moses　and　his　children；　and　pleased　himself　with　his
coming。　And　when　he　had　offered　sacrifice；　he　made　a　feast　for
the　multitude；　near　the　Bush　he　had　formerly　seen；　which
multitude；　every　one　according　to　their　families；　partook　of　the
feast。　But　Aaron　and　his　family　took　Raguel；　and　sung　hymns　to
God；　as　to　Him　who　had　been　the　author　procurer　of　their
deliverance　and　their　freedom。　They　also　praised　their　conductor；
as　him　by　whose　virtue　it　was　that　all　things　had　succeeded　with
them。　Raguel　also；　in　his　eucharistical　oration　to　Moses；　made
great　encomiums　upon　the　whole　multitude；　and　he　could　not　but
admire　Moses　for　his　fortitude；　and　that　humanity　he　had　shewn　in
the　delivery　of　his　friends。

CHAPTER　4。

How　Raguel　Suggested　To　Moses　To　Set　His　People　In　Order；　Under
Their　Rulers　Of　Thousands；　And　Rulers　Of　Hundreds；　Who　Lived
Without　Order　Before；　And　How　Moses　Complied　In　All　Things　With
His　Father…In…Law's　Admonition。

1。　The　next　day；　as　Raguel　saw　Moses　in　the　of　a　crowd　of
business　for　he　determined　the　differences　of　those　that　referred
them　to　him；　every　one　still　going　to　him；　and　supposing　that
they　should　then　only　obtain　justice；　if　he　were　the　arbitrator；
and　those　that　lost　their　causes　thought　it　no　harm；　while　they
thought　they　lost　them　justly；　and　not　by　partiality。　Raguel
however　said　nothing　to　him　at　that　time；　as　not　desirous　to　be
any　hinderance　to　such　as　had　a　mind　to　make　use　of　the　virtue　of
their　conductor。　But　afterward　he　took　him　to　himself；　and　when
he　had　him　alone；　he　instructed　him　in　what　he　ought　to　do；　and
advised　him　to　leave　the　trouble　of　lesser　causes　to　others；　but
himself　to　take　care　of　the　greater；　and　of　the　people's　safety；
for　that　certain　others　of　the　Hebrews　might　be　found　that　were
fit　to　determine　causes；　but　that　nobody　but　a　Moses　could　take
of　the　safety　of　so　many　ten　thousands。　〃Be　therefore；〃　says　he；
〃insensible　of　thine　own　virtue；　and　what　thou　hast　done　by
ministering　under　God　to　the　people's　preservation。　Permit；
therefore；　the　determination　of　common　causes　to　be　done　by
others；　but　do　thou　reserve　thyself　to　the　attendance　on　God
only；　and　look　out　for　methods　of　preserving　the　multitude　from
their　present　distress。　Make　use　of　the　method　I　suggest　to　you；
as　to　human　affairs；　and　take　a　review　of　the　army；　and　appoint
chosen　rulers　over　tens　of　thousands；　and　then　over　thousands；
then　divide　them　into　five　hundreds；　and　again　into　hundreds；　and
into　fifties；　and　set　rulers　over　each　of　them；　who　may
distinguish　them　into　thirties；　and　keep　them　in　order；　and　at
last　number　them　by　twenties　and　by　tens：　and　let　there　be　one
commander　over　each　number；　to　be　denominated　from　the　number　of
those　over　whom　they　are　rulers；　but　such　as　the　whole　multitude
have　tried；　and　do　approve　of；　as　being　good　and　righteous　men；
（8）　and　let　those　rulers　decide　the　controversies　they　have　one
with　another。　But　if　any　great　cause　arise；　let　them　bring　the
cognizance　of　it　before　the　rulers　of　a　higher　dignity；　but　if
any　great　difficulty　arise　that　is　too　hard　for　even　their
determination；　let　them　send　it　to　thee。　By　these　means　two
advantages　will　be　gained；　the　Hebrews　will　have　justice　done
them；　and　thou　wilt　be　able　to　attend　constantly　on　God；　and
procure　him　to　be　more　favorable　to　the　people。〃

2。　This　was　the　admonition　of　Raguel；　and　Moses　received　his
advice　very　kindly；　and　acted　according　to　his　suggestion。　Nor
did　he　conceal　the　invention　of　this　method；　nor　pretend　to　it
himself；　but　informed　the　multitude　who　it　was　that　invented　it：
nay；　he　has　named　Raguel　in　the　books　he　wrote；　as　the　person　who
invented　this　ordering　of　the　people；　as　thinking　it　right　to
give　a　true　testimony　to　worthy　persons；　although　he　might　have
gotten　reputation　by　ascribing　to　himself　the　inventions　of　other
men；　whence　we　may　learn　the　virtuous　disposition　of　Moses：　but
of　such　his　disposition；　we　shall　have　proper　occasion　to　speak
in　other　places　of　these　books。

CHAPTER　5。

How　Moses　Ascended　Up　To　Mount　Sinai；　And　Received　Laws　From　God；
And　Delivered　Them　To　The　Hebrews。

1。　Now　Moses　called　the　multitude　together；　and　told　them　that　he
was　going　from　them　unto　mount　Sinai　to　converse　with　God；　to
receive　from　him；　and　to　bring　back　with　him；　a　certain　oracle；
but　he　enjoined　them　to　pitch　their　tents　near　the　mountain；　and
prefer　the　habitation　that　was　nearest　to　God；　before　one　more
remote。　When　he　had　said　this；　he　ascended　up　to　Mount　Sinai；
which　is　the　highest　of　all　the　mountains　that　are　in　that
country　（9）　and　is　not　only　very　difficult　to　be　ascended　by　men；
on　account　of　its　vast　altitude；　but　because　of　the　sharpness　of
its　precipices　also；　nay；　indeed；　it　cannot　be　looked　at　without
pain　of　the　eyes：　and　besides　this；　it　was　terrible　and
inaccessible；　on　account　of　the　rumor　that　passed　about；　that　God
dwelt　there。　But　the　Hebrews　removed　their　tents　as　Moses　had
bidden　them；　and　took　possession　of　the　lowest　parts　of　the
mountain；　and　were　elevated　in　their　minds；　in　expectation　that
Moses　would　return　from　God　with　promises　of　the　good　things　he
had　proposed　to　them。　So　they　feasted　and　waited　for　their
conductor；　and　kept　themselves　pure　as　in　other　respects；　and　not
accompanying　with　their　wives　for　three　days；　as　he　had　before
ordered　them　to　do。　And　they　prayed　to　God　that　he　would
favorably　receive　Moses　in　his　conversing　with　him；　and　bestow
some　such　gift　upon　them　by　which　they　might　live　well。　They　also
lived　more　plentifully　as　to　their　diet；　and　put　on　their　wives
and　children　more　ornamental　and　decent　clothing　than　they
usually　wore。

2。　So　they　passed　two　days　in　this　way　of　feasting；　but　on　the
third　day；　before　the　sun　was　up；　a　cloud　spread　itself　over　the
whole　camp　of　the　Hebrews；　such　a　one　as　none　had　before　seen；
and　encompassed　the　place　where　they　had　pitched　their　tents；　and
while　all　the　rest　of　the　air　was　clear；　there　came　strong　winds；
that　raised　up　large　showers　of　rain；　which　became　a　mighty
tempest。　There　was　also　such　lightning；　as　was　terrible　to　those
that　saw　it；　and　thunder；　with　its　thunderbolts；　were　sent　down；
and　declared　God　to　be　there　present　in　a　gracious　way　to　such　as
Moses　desired　he　should　be　gracious。　Now；　as　to　these　matters；
every　one　of　my　readers　may　think　as　he　pleases；　but　I　am　under　a
necessity　of　relating　this　history　as　it　is　described　in　the
sacred　books。　This　sight；　and　the　amazing　sound　that　came　to
their　ears；　disturbed　the　Hebrews　to　a　prodigious　degree；　for
they　were　not　such　as　they　were　accustomed　to；　and　then　the　rumor
that　was　spread　abroad；　how　God　frequented　that　mountain；　greatly
astonished　their　minds；　so　they　sorrowfully　contained　themselves
within　their　tents；　as　both　supposing　Moses　to　be　destroyed　by
the　Divine　wrath；　and　expecting　the　like　destruction　for
themselves。

3。　When　they　were　under　these　apprehensions；　Moses　appeared　as
joyful　and　greatly　exalted。　When　they　saw　him；　they　were　freed
from　their　fear；　and　admitted　of　more　comfortable　hopes　as　to
what　was　to　come。　The　air　also　was　become　clear　and　pure　of　its
former　disorders；　upon　the　appearance　of　Moses；　whereupon　he
called　together　the　people　to　a　congregation；　in　order　to　their
hearing　what　God　would　say　to　them：　and　when　they　were　gathered
together；　he　stood　on　an　eminence　whence　they　might　all　hear　him；
and　said；　〃God　has　received　me　graciously；　O　Hebrews；　as　he　has
formerly　done；　and　has　suggested　a　happy　method　of　living　for
you；　and　an　order　of　political　government；　and　is　no