the antiquities of the jews-1-第40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！


themselves　in　motion；　and　at　the　fourth　signal　those　on　the　north
did　so　likewise。　They　also　made　use　of　these　trumpets　in　their
sacred　ministrations；　when　they　were　bringing　their　sacrifices　to
the　altar　as　well　on　the　Sabbaths　as　on　the　rest　of　the
＇festival＇　days；　and　now　it　was　that　Moses　offered　that　sacrifice
which　was　called　the　Passover　in　the　Wilderness；　as　the　first　he
had　offered　after　the　departure　out　of　Egypt。

CHAPTER　13。

Moses　Removed　From　Mount　Sinai；　And　Conducted　The　People　To　The
Borders　Of　The　Canaanites。

A　Little　while　afterwards　he　rose　up；　and　went　from　Mount　Sinai；
and；　having　passed　through　several　mansions；　of　which　we　will
speak　he　came　to　a　place　called　Hazeroth；　where　the　multitude
began　again　to　be　mutinous；　and　to　Moses　for　the　misfortunes　they
had　suffered　their　travels；　and　that　when　he　had　persuaded　to
leave　a　good　land；　they　at　once　had　lost　land；　and　instead　of
that　happy　state　he　had　them；　they　were　still　wandering　in　their
miserable　condition；　being　already　in　want　water；　and　if　the
manna　should　happen　to　fail；　must　then　utterly　perish。　Yet　while
they　spake　many　and　sore　things　against　the　there　was　one　of　them
who　exhorted　them　to　be　unmindful　of　Moses；　and　of　what　great
pains　he　had　been　at　about　their　common　safety；　not　to　despair　of
assistance　from　God。　The　multitude　thereupon　became　still　more
unruly；　and　mutinous　against　Moses　than　before。　Hereupon　Moses；
although　he　was　so　basely　abused　by　them　encouraged　them　in　their
despairing　conditioned　and　promised　that　he　would　procure　them　a
quantity　of　flesh…meat；　and　that　not　for　a　few　days　only；　but　for
many　days。　This　they　were　not　to　believe；　and　when　one　of　them
asked；　whence　he　could　obtain　such　vast　plenty　of　what　he
promised；　he　replied；　〃Neither　God　nor　I；　we　hear　such
opprobrious　language　from　will　leave　off　our　labors　for　you；　and
this　soon　appear　also。〃　As　soon　as　ever　he　had　this；　the　whole
camp　was　filled　with　quails；　they　stood　round　about　them；　and
gathered　great　numbers。　However；　it　was　not　long　ere　God　punished
the　Hebrews　for　their　insolence；　those　reproaches　they　had　used
towards　him；　no　small　number　of　them　died；　and　still　to　this　day
the　place　retains　the　memory　of　this　destruction　and　is　named
Kibrothhattaavah；　which　is；　Graves　of　Lust。

CHAPTER　14。

How　Moses　Sent　Some　Persons　To　Search　Out　The　Land　Of　The
Canaanites；　And　The　Largeness　Of　Their　Cities；　And　Further　That
When　Those　Who　Were　Sent　Were　Returned；　After　Forty　Days　And
Reported　That　They　Should　Not　Be　A　Match　For　Them；　And　Extolled
The　Strengh　Of　The　Canaanites　The　Multitude　Were　Disturbed　And
Fell　Into　Despair；　And　Were　Resolved　To　Stone　Moses；　And　To
Return　Back　Again　Into　Egypt；　And　Serve　The　Egyptians。

1。　When　Moses　had　led　the　Hebrews　away　from　thence　to　a　place
called　Paran；　which　was　near　to　the　borders　of　the　Canaanites；
and　a　place　difficult　to　be　continued　in；　he　gathered　the
multitude　together　to　a　congregation；　and　standing　in　the　midst
of　them；　he　said；　〃Of　the　two　things　that　God　determined　to
bestow　upon　us；　liberty；　and　the　possession　of　a　Happy　Country；
the　one　of　them　ye　already　are　partakers　of；　by　the　gift　of　God；
and　the　other　you　will　quickly　obtain；　for　we　now　have　our　abode
near　the　borders　of　the　Canaanites；　and　nothing　can　hinder　the
acquisition　of　it；　when　we　now　at　last　are　fallen　upon　it：　I　say；
not　only　no　king　nor　city；　but　neither　the　whole　race　of　mankind；
if　they　were　all　gathered　together；　could　do　it。　Let　us　therefore
prepare　ourselves　for　the　work；　for　the　Canaanites　will　not
resign　up　their　land　to　us　without　fighting；　but　it　must　be
wrested　from　them　by　great　struggles　in　war。　Let　us　then　send
spies；　who　may　take　a　view　of　the　goodness　of　the　land；　and　what
strength　it　is　of；　but；　above　all　things；　let　us　be　of　one　mind；
and　let　us　honor　God；　who　above　all　is　our　helper　and　assister。〃

2。　When　Moses　had　said　thus；　the　multitude　requited　him　with
marks　of　respect；　and　chose　twelve　spies；　of　the　most　eminent
men；　one　out　of　each　tribe；　who；　passing　over　all　the　land　of
Canaan；　from　the　borders　of　Egypt；　came　to　the　city　Hamath；　and
to　Mount　Lebanon；　and　having　learned　the　nature　of　the　land；　and
of　its　inhabitants；　they　came　home；　having　spent　forty　days　in
the　whole　work。　They　also　brought　with　them　of　the　fruits　which
the　land　bare；　they　also　showed　them　the　excellency　of　those
fruits；　and　gave　an　account　of　the　great　quantity　of　the　good
things　that　land　afforded；　which　were　motives　to　the　multitude　to
go　to　war。　But　then　they　terrified　them　again　with　the　great
difficulty　there　was　in　obtaining　it；　that　the　rivers　were　so
large　and　deep　that　they　could　not　be　passed　over；　and　that　the
hills　were　so　high　that　they　could　not　travel　along　for　them；
that　the　cities　were　strong　with　walls；　and　their　firm
fortifications　round　about　them。　They　told　them　also；　that　they
found　at　Hebron　the　posterity　of　the　giants。　Accordingly　these
spies；　who　had　seen　the　land　of　Canaan；　when　they　perceived　that
all　these　difficulties　were　greater　there　than　they　had　met　with
since　they　came　out　of　Egypt；　they　were　aftrighted　at　them
themselves；　and　endeavored　to　affright　the　multitude　also。

3。　So　they　supposed；　from　what　they　had　heard；　that　it　was
impossible　to　get　the　possession　of　the　country。　And　when　the
congregation　was　dissolved；　they；　their　wives　and　children；
continued　their　lamentation；　as　if　God　would　not　indeed　assist
them；　but　only　promised　them　fair。　They　also　again　blamed　Moses；
and　made　a　clamor　against　him　and　his　brother　Aaron；　the　high
priest。　Accordingly　they　passed　that　night　very　ill；　and　with
contumelious　language　against　them；　but　in　the　morning　they　ran
to　a　congregation；　intending　to　stone　Moses　and　Aaron；　and　so　to
return　back　into　Egypt。

4。　But　of　the　spies；　there　were　Joshua　the　son　of　Nun；　of　the
tribe　of　Ephraim；　and　Caleb　of　the　tribe　of　Judah；　that　were
afraid　of　the　consequence；　and　came　into　the　midst　of　them；　and
stilled　the　multitude；　and　desired　them　to　be　of　good　courage；
and　neither　to　condemn　God；　as　having　told　them　lies；　nor　to
hearken　to　those　who　had　aftrighted　them；　by　telling　them　what
was　not　true　concerning　the　Canaanites；　but　to　those　that
encouraged　them　to　hope　for　good　success；　and　that　they　should
gain　possession　of　the　happiness　promised　them；　because　neither
the。　height　of　mountains；　nor　the　depth　of　rivers；　could　hinder
men　of　true　courage　from　attempting　them；　especially　while　God
would　take　care　of　them　beforehand；　and　be　assistant　to　them。
〃Let　us　then　go；〃　said　they；　〃against　our　enemies；　and　have　no
suspicion　of　ill　success；　trusting　in　God　to　conduct　us；　and
following　those　that　are　to　be　our　leaders。〃　Thus　did　these　two
exhort　them；　and　endeavor　to　pacify　the　rage　they　were　in。　But
Moses　and　Aaron　fell　on　the　ground；　and　besought　God；　not　for
their　own　deliverance；　but　that　he　would　put　a　stop　to　what　the
people　were　unwarily　doing；　and　would　bring　their　minds　to　a
quiet　temper；　which　were　now　disordered　by　their　present　passion。
The　cloud　also　did　now　appear；　and　stood　over　the　tabernacle；　and
declared　to　them　the　presence　of　God　to　be　there。

CHAPTER　15。

How　Moses　Was　Displeased　At　This；　And　Foretold　That　God　Was　Angry
And　That　They　Should　Continue　In　The　Wilderness　For　Forty　Years
And　Not；　During　That　Time；　Either　Return　Into　Egypt　Or　Take
Possession　Of　Canaan。

1。　Moses　came　now　boldly　to　the　multitude；　and　informed　them　that
God　was　moved　at　their　abuse　of　him；　and　would　inflict　punishment
upon　them；　not　indeed　such　as　they　deserved　for　their　sins；　but
such　as　parents　inflict　on　their　children；　in　order　to　their
correction。　For；　he　said；　that　when　he　was　in　the　tabernacle；　and
was　bewailing　with　ears　that　destruction　which　was　coming　upon
them　God　put　him　in　mind　what　things　he　had　done　for　them；　and
what　benefits　they　had　received　from　him；　and　yet　how　ungrateful
they　had　been　to　him　that　just　now　they　had　been　induced；　through
the　timorousness　of　the　spies；　to　think　that　their　words　were
truer　than　his　own　promise　to　them；　and　that　on　this　account；
though　he　would　not　indeed　destroy　them　all；　nor　utterly
exterminate　their　nation；　which　he　had　honored　more　than　any
other　part　of　mankind；　yet　he　would　not　permit　them　to　take
possession　of　the　land　of　Canaan；　nor　enjoy　its　happiness；　but
would　make　them　wander　in　the　wilderness；　and　live　without　a
fixed　habitation；　and　without　a　city；　for　forty　years　together；
as　a　punishment　for　this　their　transgression；　but　that　he　had
promised　to　give　that　land　to　our　children；　and　that　he　would
make　them　the　possessors　of　those　good　things　which；　by　your
ungoverned　passions；　you　have　deprived　yourselves　of。

2。　When　Moses　had　discoursed　thus　to　them　according　to　the
direction　of　God；　the　multitude；　grieved；　and　were　in　affliction；
and　entreated　Most　to　procure　their　reconciliation　to　God；　and　to
permit　them　no　longer　to　wander　in　the　wilderness；　but　bestow
cities　upon　them。　But　he　replied；　that　God　would　not　admit　of　any
such　trial；　for　that　God　was　not　moved　to　this　determination　from
any　human　levity　or　anger；　but　that　he　had　judicially　condemned
them　to　that　punishment。　Now　we　a