the antiquities of the jews-1-第64节

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lighted　lamps　in　their　hands；　that　their　onset　might　not　be
discovered　by　their　enemies。　They　had　also　each　of　them　a　ram's
horn　in　his　right　hand；　which　he　used　instead　of　a　trumpet。　The
enemy's　camp　took　up　a　large　space　of　ground；　for　it　happened
that　they　had　a　great　many　camels；　and　as　they　were　divided　into
different　nations；　so　they　were　all　contained　in　one　circle。　Now
when　the　Hebrews　did　as　they　were　ordered　beforehand；　upon　their
approach　to　their　enemies；　and；　on　the　signal　given；　sounded　with
their　rams'　horns；　and　brake　their　pitchers；　and　set　upon　their
enemies　with　their　lamps；　and　a　great　shout；　and　cried；　〃Victory
to　Gideon；　by　God's　assistance；〃　a　disorder　and　a　fright　seized
upon　the　other　men　while　they　were　half　asleep；　for　it　was
night…time；　as　God　would　have　it；　so　that　a　few　of　them　were
slain　by　their　enemies；　but　the　greatest　part　by　their　own
soldiers；　on　account　of　the　diversity　of　their　language；　and　when
they　were　once　put　into　disorder；　they　killed　all　that　they　met
with；　as　thinking　them　to　be　enemies　also。　Thus　there　was　a　great
slaughter　made。　And　as　the　report　of　Gideon's　victory　came　to　the
Israelites；　they　took　their　weapons　and　pursued　their　enemies；
and　overtook　them　in　a　certain　valley　encompassed　with　torrents；
a　place　which　these　could　not　get　over；　so　they　encompassed　them；
and　slew　them　all；　with　their　kings；　Oreb　and　Zeeb。　But　the
remaining　captains　led　those　soldiers　that　were　left；　which　were
about　eighteen　thousand；　and　pitched　their　camp　a　great　way　off
the　Israelites。　However；　Gideon　did　not　grudge　his　pains；　but
pursued　them　with　all　his　army；　and　joining　battle　with　them；　cut
off　the　whole　enemies'　army；　and　took　the　other　leaders；　Zeba　and
Zalmuna；　and　made　them　captives。　Now　there　were　slain　in　this
battle　of　the　Midianites；　and　of　their　auxiliaries　the　Arabians；
about　a　hundred　and　twenty　thousand；　and　the　Hebrews　took　a　great
prey；　gold；　and　silver；　and　garments；　and　camels；　and　asses。　And
when　Gideon　was　come　to　his　own　country　of　Ophrah；　he　slew　the
kings　of　the　Midianites。

6。　However；　the　tribe　of　Ephraim　was　so　displeased　at　the　good
success　of　Gideon；　that　they　resolved　to　make　war　against　him；
accusing　him　because　he　did　not　tell　them　of　his　expedition
against　their　enemies。　But　Gideon；　as　a　man　of　temper；　and　that
excelled　in　every　virtue；　pleaded；　that　it　was　not　the　result　of
his　own　authority　or　reasoning；　that　made　him　attack　the　enemy
without　them；　but　that　it　was　the　command　of　God；　and　still　the
victory　belonged　to　them　as　well　as　those　in　the　army。　And　by
this　method　of　cooling　their　passions；　he　brought　more　advantage
to　the　Hebrews；　than　by　the　success　he　had　against　these　enemies；
for　he　thereby　delivered　them　from　a　sedition　which　was　arising
among　them；　yet　did　this　tribe　afterwards　suffer　the　punishment
of　this　their　injurious　treatment　of　Gideon；　of　which　we　will
give　an　account　in　due　time。

7。　Hereupon　Gideon　would　have　laid　down　the　government；　but　was
over…persuaded　to　take　it；　which　he　enjoyed　forty　years；　and
distributed　justice　to　them；　as　the　people　came　to　him　in　their
differences；　and　what　he　determined　was　esteemed　valid　by　all。
And　when　he　died；　he　was　buried　in　his　own　country　of　Ophrah。

CHAPTER　8。

That　The　Judges　Who　Succeeded　Gideon　Made　War　With　The　Adjoining
Nations　For　A　Long　Time。

1。　Now　Gideon　had　seventy　sons　that　were　legitimate；　for　he　had
many　wives；　but　he　had　also　one　that　was　spurious；　by　his
concubine　Drumah；　whose　name　was　Abimelech；　who；　after　his
father's　death；　retired　to　Shecbem　to　his　mother's　relations；　for
they　were　of　that　place：　and　when　he　had　got　money　of　such　of
them　as　were　eminent　for　many　instances　of　injustice；　he　came
with　them　to　his　father's　house；　and　slew　all　his　brethren；
except　Jotham；　for　he　had　the　good　fortune　to　escape　and　be
preserved；　but　Abimelech　made　the　government　tyrannical；　and
constituted　himself　a　lord；　to　do　what　he　pleased；　instead　of
obeying　the　laws；　and　he　acted　most　rigidly　against　those　that
were　the　patrons　of　justice。

2。　Now　when；　on　a　certain　time；　there　was　a　public　festival　at
Shechem；　and　all　the　multitude　was　there　gathered　together；
Jotham　his　brother；　whose　escape　we　before　related；　went　up　to
Mount　Gerizzim；　which　hangs　over　the　city　Shechem；　and　cried　out
so　as　to　be　heard　by　the　multitude；　who　were　attentive　to　him。　He
desired　they　would　consider　what　he　was　going　to　say　to　them：　so
when　silence　was　made；　he　said；　That　when　the　trees　had　a　human
voice；　and　there　was　an　assembly　of　them　gathered　together；　they
desired　that　the　fig…tree　would　rule　over　them；　but　when　that
tree　refused　so　to　do；　because　it　was　contented　to　enjoy　that
honor　which　belonged　peculiarly　to　the　fruit　it　bare；　and　not
that　which　should　be　derived　to　it　from　abroad；　the　trees　did　not
leave　off　their　intentions　to　have　a　ruler；　so　they　thought
proper　to　make　the　offer　of　that　honor　to　the　vine；　but　when　the
vine　was　chosen；　it　made　use　of　the　same　words　which　the　fig…tree
had　used　before；　and　excused　itself　from　accepting　the
government：　and　when　the　olive…tree　had　done　the　same；　the　brier；
whom　the　trees　had　desired　to　take　the　kingdom；　（it　is　a　sort　of
wood　good　for　firing；）　it　promised　to　take　the　government；　and　to
be　zealous　in　the　exercise　of　it；　but　that　then　they　must　sit
down　under　its　shadow；　and　if　they　should　plot　against　it　to
destroy　it；　the　principle　of　fire　that　was　in　it　should　destroy
them。　He　told　them；　that　what　he　had　said　was　no　laughing　matter；
for　that　when　they　had　experienced　many　blessings　from　Gideon；
they　overlooked　Abimelech；　when　he　overruled　all；　and　had　joined
with　him　in　slaying　his　brethren；　and　that　he　was　no　better　than
a　fire　himself。　So　when　he　had　said　this；　he　went　away；　and　lived
privately　in　the　mountains　for　three　years；　out　of　fear　of
Abimelech。

3。　A　little　while　after　this　festival；　the　Shechemites；　who　had
now　repented　themselves　of　having　slain　the　sons　of　Gideon；　drove
Abimelech　away；　both　from　their　city　and　their　tribe；　whereupon
he　contrived　how　he　might　distress　their　city。　Now　at　the　season
of　vintage；　the　people　were　afraid　to　go　out　and　gather　their
fruits；　for　fear　Abimelech　should　do　them　some　mischief。　Now　it
happened　that　there　had　come　to　them　a　man　of　authority；　one
Gaal；　that　sojourned　with　them；　having　his　armed　men　and　his
kinsmen　with　him；　so　the　Shechemites　desired　that　he　would　allow
them　a　guard　during　their　vintage；　whereupon　he　accepted　of　their
desires；　and　so　the　people　went　out；　and　Gaal　with　them　at　the
head　of　his　soldiery。　So　they　gathered　their　fruit　with　safety；
and　when　they　were　at　supper　in　several　companies；　they　then
ventured　to　curse　Abimelech　openly；　and　the　magistrates　laid
ambushes　in　places　about　the　city；　and　caught　many　of　Abimelech's
followers；　and　destroyed　them。

4。　Now　there　was　one　Zebul；　a　magistrate　of　the　Shechemites；　that
had　entertained　Abimelech。　He　sent　messengers；　and　informed　him
how　much　Gaal　had　irritated　the　people　against　him；　and　excited
him　to　lay　ambushes　before　the　city；　for　that　he　would　persuade
Gaal　to　go　out　against　him；　which　would　leave　it　in　his　power　to
be　revenged　on　him；　and　when　that　was　once　done；　he　would　bring
him　to　be　reconciled　to　the　city。　So　Abimelech　laid　ambushes；　and
himself　lay　with　them。　Now　Gaal　abode　in　the　suburbs；　taking
little　care　of　himself；　and　Zebul　was　with　him。　Now　as　Gaal　saw
the　armed　men　coming　on；　he　said　to　Zebul；　That　some　armed　men
were　coming；　but　the　other　replied；　They　were　only　shadows　of
huge　stones：　and　when　they　were　come　nearer；　Gaal　perceived　what
was　the　reality；　and　said；　They　were　not　shadows；　but　men　lying
in　ambush。　Then　said　Zebul；　〃Didst　not　thou　reproach　Abimelech
for　cowardice？　why　dost　thou　not　then　show　how　very　courageous
thou　art　thyself；　and　go　and　fight　him？〃　So　Gaal；　being　in
disorder；　joined　battle　with　Abimelech；　and　some　of　his　men　fell；
whereupon　he　fled　into　the　city；　and　took　his　men　with　him。　But
Zebul　managed　his　matters　so　in　the　city；　that　he　procured　them
to　expel　Gaal　out　of　the　city；　and　this　by　accusing　him　of
cowardice　in　this　action　with　the　soldiers　of　Ahimelech。　But
Abimelech；　when　he　had　learned　that　the　Shechemites　were　again
coming　out　to　gather　their　grapes；　placed　ambushes　before　the
city；　and　when　they　were　coming　out；　the　third　part　of　his　army
took　possession　of　the　gates；　to　hinder　the　citizens　from
returning　in　again；　while　the　rest　pursued　those　that　were
scattered　abroad；　and　so　there　was　slaughter　every　where；　and
when　he　had　overthrown　the　city　to　the　very　foundations；　for　it
was　not　able　to　bear　a　siege；　and　had　sown　its　ruins　with　salt；
he　proceeded　on　with　his　army　till　all　the　Shechemites　were
slain。　As　for　those　that　were　scattered　about　the　country；　and　so
escaped　the　danger；　they　were　gathered　together　unto　a　certain
strong　rock；　and　settled　themselves　upon　it；　and　prepared　to
build　a　wall　about　it：　and　when　Abimelech　knew　their　intentions；
he　prevented　them；　and　came　upon　them　with　his　forces；　and　laid
faggots　of　dry　wood　round　the　place；　he　himself　bringing　some　of
them；　and　by　his　example　encouraging　the　soldiers　to　do　the　same。