the antiquities of the jews-1-第61节

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been　entertained；　under　great　affliction　at　what　had　happened；
and　was　very　sorrowful　upon　occasion　of　what　she　had　suffered；
and　durst　not　look　her　husband　in　the　face　for　shame；　for　she
concluded　that　he　would　never　forgive　her　for　what　she　had　done；
so　she　fell　down；　and　gave　up　the　ghost：　but　her　husband　supposed
that　his　wife　was　only　fast　asleep；　and；　thinking　nothing　of　a
more　melancholy　nature　had　happened；　endeavored　to　raise　her　up；
resolving　to　speak　comfortably　to　her；　since　she　did　not
voluntarily　expose　herself　to　these　men's　lust；　but　was　forced
away　to　their　house；　but　as　soon　as　he　perceived　she　was　dead；　he
acted　as　prudently　as　the　greatness　of　his　misfortunes　would
admit；　and　laid　his　dead　wife　upon　the　beast；　and　carried　her
home；　and　cutting　her；　limb　by　limb；　into　twelve　pieces；　he　sent
them　to　every　tribe；　and　gave　it　in　charge　to　those　that　carried
them；　to　inform　the　tribes　of　those　that　were　the　causes　of　his
wife's　death；　and　of　the　violence　they　had　offered　to　her。

9。　Upon　this　the　people　were　greatly　disturbed　at　what　they　saw；
and　at　what　they　heard；　as　never　having　had　the　experience　of
such　a　thing　before；　so　they　gathered　themselves　to　Shiloh；　out
of　a　prodigious　and　a　just　anger；　and　assembling　in　a　great
congregation　before　the　tabernacle；　they　immediately　resolved　to
take　arms；　and　to　treat　the　inhabitants　of　Gibeah　as　enemies；　but
the　senate　restrained　them　from　doing　so；　and　persuaded　them；
that　they　ought　not　so　hastily　to　make　war　upon　people　of　the
same　nation　with　them；　before　they　discoursed　them　by　words
concerning　the　accusation　laid　against　them；　it　being　part　of
their　law；　that　they　should　not　bring　an　army　against　foreigners
themselves；　when　they　appear　to　have　been　injurious；　without
sending　an　ambassage　first；　and　trying　thereby　whether　they　will
repent　or　not：　and　accordingly　they　exhorted　them　to　do　what　they
ought　to　do　in　obedience　to　their　laws；　that　is；　to　send　to　the
inhabitants　of　Gibeah；　to　know　whether　they　would　deliver　up　the
offenders　to　them；　and　if　they　deliver　them　up；　to　rest　satisfied
with　the　punishment　of　those　offenders；　but　if　they　despised　the
message　that　was　sent　them；　to　punish　them　by　taking；　up　arms
against　them。　Accordingly　they　sent　to　the　inhabitants　of　Gibeah；
and　accused　the　young　men　of　the　crimes　committed　in　the　affair
of　the　Levite's　wife；　and　required　of　them　those　that　had　done
what　was　contrary　to　the　law；　that　they　might　be　punished；　as
having　justly　deserved　to　die　for　what　they　had　done；　but　the
inhabitants　of　Gibeah　would　not　deliver　up　the　young　men；　and
thought　it　too　reproachful　to　them；　out　of　fear　of　war；　to　submit
to　other　men's　demands　upon　them；　vaunting　themselves　to　be　no
way　inferior　to　any　in　war；　neither　in　their　number　nor　in
courage。　The　rest　of　their　tribe　were　also　making　great
preparation　for　war；　for　they　were　so　insolently　mad　as　also　to
resolve　to　repel　force　by　force。

10。　When　it　was　related　to　the　Israelites　what　the　inhabitants　of
Gibeah　had　resolved　upon；　they　took　their　oath　that　no　one　of
them　would　give　his　daughter　in　marriage　to　a　Benjamite；　but　make
war　with　greater　fury　against　them　than　we　have　learned　our
forefathers　made　war　against　the　Canaanites；　and　sent　out
presently　an　army　of　four　hundred　thousand　against　them；　while
the　Benjamites'　army…was　twenty…five　thousand　and　six　hundred；
five　hundred　of　whom　were　excellent　at　slinging　stones　with　their
left　hands；　insomuch　that　when　the　battle　was　joined　at　Gibeah
the　Benjamites　beat　the　Israelites；　and　of　them　there　fell　two
thousand　men；　and　probably　more　had　been　destroyed　had　not　the
night　came　on　and　prevented　it；　and　broken　off　the　fight；　so　the
Benjamites　returned　to　the　city　with　joy；　and　the　Israelites
returned　to　their　camp　in　a　great　fright　at　what　had　happened。　On
the　next　day；　when　they　fought　again；　the　Benjamites　beat　them；
and　eighteen　thousand　of　the　Israelites　were　slain；　and　the　rest
deserted　their　camp　out　of　fear　of　a　greater　slaughter。　So　they
came　to　Bethel；　（13）　a　city　that　was　near　their　camp；　and　fasted
on　the　next　day；　and　besought　God；　by　Phineas　the　high　priest；
that　his　wrath　against　them　might　cease；　and　that　he　would　be
satisfied　with　these　two　defeats；　and　give　them　the　victory　and
power　over　their　enemies。　Accordingly　God　promised　them　so　to　do；
by　the　prophesying　of　Phineas。

11。　When　therefore　they　had　divided　the　army　into　two　parts；　they
laid　the　one　half　of　them　in　ambush　about　the　city　Gibeah　by
night；　while　the　other　half　attacked　the　Benjamites；　who　retiring
upon　the　assault；　the　Benjamites　pursued　them；　while　the　Hebrews
retired　by　slow　degrees；　as　very　desirous　to　draw　them　entirely
from　the　city；　and　the　other　followed　them　as　they　retired；　till
both　the　old　men　and　the　young　men　that　were　left　in　the　city；　as
too　weak　to　fight；　came　running　out　together　with　them；　as
willing　to　bring　their　enemies　under。　However；　when　they　were　a
great　way　from　the　city　the　Hebrews　ran　away　no　longer；　but
turned　back　to　fight　them；　and　lifted　up　the　signal　they　had
agreed　on　to　those　that　lay　in　ambush；　who　rose　up；　and　with　a
great　noise　fell　upon　the　enemy。　Now；　as　soon　as　ever　they
perceived　themselves　to　be　deceived；　they　knew　not　what　to　do；
and　when　they　were　driven　into　a　certain　hollow　place　which　was
in　a　valley；　they　were　shot　at　by　those　that　encompassed　them；
till　they　were　all　destroyed；　excepting　six　hundred；　which　formed
themselves　into　a　close　body　of　men；　and　forced　their　passage
through　the　midst　of　their　enemies；　and　fled　to　the　neighboring
mountains；　and；　seizing　upon　them；　remained　there；　but　the　rest
of　them；　being　about　twenty…five　thousand；　were　slain。　Then　did
the　Israelites　burn　Gibeah；　and　slew　the　women；　and　the　males
that　were　under　age；　and　did　the　same　also　to　the　other　cities　of
the　Benjamites；　and；　indeed；　they　were　enraged　to　that　degree；
that　they　sent　twelve　thousand　men　out　of　the　army；　and　gave　them
orders　to　destroy　Jabesh　Gilead；　because　it　did　not　join　with
them　in　fighting　against　the　Benjamites。　Accordingly；　those　that
were　sent　slew　the　men　of　war；　with　their　children　and　wives；
excepting　four　hundred　virgins。　To　such　a　degree　had　they
proceeded　in　their　anger；　because　they　not　only　had　the　suffering
of　the　Levite's　wife　to　avenge；　but　the　slaughter　of　their　own
soldiers。

12。　However；　they　afterward　were　sorry　for　the　calamity　they　had
brought　upon　the　Benjamites；　and　appointed　a　fast　on　that
account；　although　they　supposed　those　men　had　suffered　justly　for
their　offense　against　the　laws；　so　they　recalled　by　their
ambassadors　those　six　hundred　which　had　escaped。　These　had　seated
themselves　on　a　certain　rock　called　Rimmon；　which　was　in　the
wilderness。　So　the　ambassadors　lamented　not　only　the　disaster
that　had　befallen　the　Benjamites；　but　themselves　also；　by　this
destruction　of　their　kindred；　and　persuaded　them　to　take　it
patiently；　and　to　come　and　unite　with　them；　and　not；　so　far　as　in
them　lay；　to　give　their　suffrage　to　the　utter　destruction　of　the
tribe　of　Benjamin；　and　said　to　them；　〃We　give　you　leave　to　take
the　whole　land　of　Benjamin　to　yourselves；　and　as　much　prey　as　you
are　able　to　carry　away　with　you。〃　So　these　men　with　sorrow
confessed；　that　what　had　been　done　was　according　to　the　decree　of
God；　and　had　happened　for　their　own　wickedness；　and　assented　to
those　that　invited　them；　and　came　down　to　their　own　tribe。　The
Israelites　also　gave　them　the　four　hundred　virgins　of　Jabesh
Gilead　for　wives；　but　as　to　the　remaining　two　hundred；　they
deliberated　about　it　how　they　might　compass　wives　enough　for
them；　and　that　they　might　have　children　by　them；　and　whereas　they
had；　before　the　war　began；　taken　an　oath；　that　no　one　would　give
his　daughter　to　wife　to　a　Benjamite；　some　advised　them　to　have　no
regard　to　what　they　had　sworn；　because　the　oath　had　not　been
taken　advisedly　and　judiciously；　but　in　a　passion；　and　thought
that　they　should　do　nothing　against　God；　if　they　were　able　to
save　a　whole　tribe　which　was　in　danger　of　perishing；　and　that
perjury　was　then　a　sad　and　dangerous　thing；　not　when　it　is　done
out　of　necessity；　but　when　it　is　done　with　a　wicked　intention。
But　when　the　senate　were　affrighted　at　the　very　name　of　perjury；
a　certain　person　told　them　that　he　could　show　them　a　way　whereby
they　might　procure　the　Benjamites　wives　enough；　and　yet　keep
their　oath。　They　asked　him　what　his　proposal　was。　He　said；　〃That
three　times　in　a　year；　when　we　meet　in　Shiloh；　our　wives　and　our
daughters　accompany　us：　let　then　the　Benjamites　be　allowed　to
steal　away；　and　marry　such　women　as　they　can　catch；　while　we　will
neither　incite　them　nor　forbid　them；　and　when　their　parents　take
it　ill；　and　desire　us　to　inflict　punishment　upon　them；　we　will
tell　them；　that　they　were　themselves　the　cause　of　what　had
happened；　by　neglecting　to　guard　their　daughters；　and　that　they
ought　not　to　be　over　angry　at　the　Benjamites；　since　that　anger
was　permitted　to　rise　too　high　already。〃　So　the　Israelites　were
persuaded　to　follow　this　advice；　and　decreed；　That　the　Benjamites
should　be　allowed　thus　to　steal　themselves　wives。　So　when　the
festival　was　coming　on；　these　two　hundred　Be