the antiquities of the jews-1-第82节

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marching；　he　learned　that　David　was　gone　away　from　the　Straits　of
Ziph；　and　Saul　removed　to　the　other　side　of　the　rock。　But　the
report　that　the　Philistines　had　again　made　an　incursion　into　the
country　of　the　Hebrews；　called　Saul　another　way　from　the　pursuit
of　David；　when　he　was　ready　to　be　caught；　for　he　returned　back
again　to　oppose　those　Philistines；　who　were　naturally　their
enemies；　as　judging　it　more　necessary　to　avenge　himself　of　them；
than　to　take　a　great　deal　of　pains　to　catch　an　enemy　of　his　own；
and　to　overlook　the　ravage　that　was　made　in　the　land。

4。　And　by　this　means　David　unexpectedly　escaped　out　of　the　danger
he　was　in；　and　came　to　the　Straits　of　Engedi；　and　when　Saul　had
driven　the　Philistines　out　of　the　land；　there　came　some
messengers；　who　told　him　that　David　abode　within　the　bounds　of
Engedi：　so　he　took　three　thousand　chosen　men　that　were　armed；　and
made　haste　to　him；　and　when　he　was　not　far　from　those　places；　he
saw　a　deep　and　hollow　cave　by　the　way…side；　it　was　open　to　a
great　length　and　breadth；　and　there　it　was　that　David　with　his
four　hundred　men　were　concealed。　When　therefore　he　had　occasion
to　ease　nature；　he　entered　into　it　by　himself　alone；　and　being
seen　by　one　of　David's　companions；　and　he　that　saw　him　saying　to
him；　that　he　had　now；　by　God's　providence；　an　opportunity　of
avenging　himself　of　his　adversary；　and　advising　him　to　cut　off
his　head；　and　so　deliver　himself　out　of　that　tedious；　wandering
condition；　and　the　distress　he　was　in；　he　rose　up；　and　only　cut
off　the　skirt　of　that　garment　which　Saul　had　on：　but　he　soon
repented　of　what　he　had　done；　and　said　it　was　not　right　to　kill
him　that　was　his　master；　and　one　whom　God　had　thought　worthy　of
the　kingdom；　〃for　that　although　he　were　wickedly　disposed　towards
us；　yet　does　it　not　behoove　me　to　be　so　disposed　towards　him。〃
But　when　Saul　had　left　the　cave；　David　came　near　and　cried　out
aloud；　and　desired　Saul　to　hear　him；　whereupon　the　king　turned
his　face　back；　and　David；　according　to　custom；　fell　down　on　his
face　before　the　king；　and　bowed　to　him；　and　said；　〃O　king；　thou
oughtest　not　to　hearken　to　wicked　men；　nor　to　such　as　forge
calumnies；　nor　to　gratify　them　so　far　as　to　believe　what　they
say；　nor　to　entertain　suspicions　of　such　as　are　your　best
friends；　but　to　judge　of　the　dispositions　of　all　men　by　their
actions；　for　calumny　deludes　men；　but　men's　own　actions　are　a
clear　demonstration　of　their　kindness。　Words　indeed；　in　their　own
nature；　may　be　either　true　or　false；　but　men's　actions　expose
their　intentions　nakedly　to　our　view。　By　these；　therefore　it　will
be　well　for　thee　to　believe　me；　as　to　my　regard　to　thee　and　to
thy　house；　and　not　to　believe　those　that　frame　such　accusations
against　me　as　never　came　into　my　mind；　nor　are　possible　to　be
executed；　and　do　this　further　by　pursuing　after　my　life；　and　have
no　concern　either　day　or　night；　but　how　to　compass　my　life　and　to
murder　me；　which　thing　I　think　thou　dost　unjustly　prosecute；　for
how　comes　it　about；　that　thou　hast　embraced　this　false　opinion
about　me；　as　if　I　had　a　desire　to　kill　thee？　Or　how　canst　thou
escape　the　crime　of　impiety　towards　God；　when　thou　wishest　thou
couldst　kill；　and　deemest　thine　adversary；　a　man　who　had　it　in
his　power　this　day　to　avenge　himself；　and　to　punish　thee；　but
would　not　do　it？　nor　make　use　of　such　an　opportunity；　which；　if
it　had　fallen　out　to　thee　against　me；　thou　hadst　not　let　it　slip；
for　when　I　cut　off　the　skirt　of　thy　garment；　I　could　have　done
the　same　to　thy　head。〃　So　he　showed　him　the　piece　of　his　garment；
and　thereby　made　him　agree　to　what　he　said　to　be　true；　and　added；
〃I；　for　certain；　have　abstained　from　taking　a　just　revenge　upon
thee；　yet　art　thou　not　ashamed　to　prosecute　me　with　unjust
hatred。　（23）　May　God　do　justice；　and　determine　about　each　of　our
dispositions。〃　…　But　Saul　was　amazed　at　the　strange　delivery　he
had　received；　and　being　greatly　affected　with　the　moderation　and
the　disposition　of　the　young　man；　he　groaned；　and　when　David　had
done　the　same；　the　king　answered　that　he　had　the　justest　occasion
to　groan；　〃for　thou　hast　been　the　author　of　good　to　me；　as　I　have
been　the　author　of　calamity　to　thee；　and　thou　hast　demonstrated
this　day；　that　thou　possessest　the　righteousness　of　the　ancients；
who　determined　that　men　ought　to　save　their　enemies；　though　they
caught　them　in　a　desert　place。　I　am　now　persuaded　that　God
reserves　the　kingdom　for　thee；　and　that　thou　wilt　obtain　the
dominion　over　all　the　Hebrews。　Give　me　then　assurances　upon　oath；
That　thou　wilt　not　root　out　my　family；　nor；　out　of　remembrance　of
what　evil　I　have　done　thee；　destroy　my　posterity；　but　save　and
preserve　my　house。〃　So　David　sware　as　he　desired；　and　sent　back
Saul　to　his　own　kingdom；　but　he；　and　those　that　were　with　him；
went　up　the　Straits　of　Mastheroth。

5。　About　this　time　Samuel　the　prophet　died。　He　was　a　man　whom　the
Hebrews　honored　in　an　extraordinary　degree：　for　that　lamentation
which　the　people　made　for　him；　and　this　during　a　long　time；
manifested　his　virtue；　and　the　affection　which　the　people　bore
for　him；　as　also　did　the　solemnity　and　concern　that　appeared
about　his　funeral；　and　about　the　complete　observation　of　all　his
funeral　rites。　They　buried　him　in　his　own　city　of　Ramah；　and　wept
for　him　a　very　great　number　of　days；　not　looking　on　it　as　a
sorrow　for　the　death　of　another　man；　but　as　that　in　which　they
were　every　one　themselves　concerned。　He　was　a　righteous　man；　and
gentle　in　his　nature；　and　on　that　account　he　was　very　dear　to
God。　Now　he　governed　and　presided　over　the　people　alone；　after
the　death　of　Eli　the　high　priest；　twelve　years；　and　eighteen
years　together　with　Saul　the　king。　And　thus　we　have　finished　the
history　of　Samuel。

6。　There　was　a　man　that　was　a　Ziphite；　of　the　city　of　Maon；　who
was　rich；　and　had　a　vast　number　of　cattle；　for　he　fed　a　flock　of
three　thousand　sheep；　and　another　flock　of　a　thousand　goats。　Now
David　had　charged　his　associates　to　keep　these　flocks　without
hurt　and　without　damage；　and　to　do　them　no　mischief；　neither　out
of　covetousness；　nor　because　they　were　in　want；　nor　because　they
were　in　the　wilderness；　and　so　could　not　easily　be　discovered；
but　to　esteem　freedom　from　injustice　above　all　other　motives；　and
to　look　upon　the　touching　of　what　belonged　to　another　man　as　a
horrible　crime；　and　contrary　to　the　will　of　God。　These　were　the
instructions　he　gave；　thinking　that　the　favors　he　granted　this
man　were　granted　to　a　good　man；　and　one　that　deserved　to　have
such　care　taken　of　his　affairs。　This　man　was　Nabal；　for　that　was
his　name；　…　a　harsh　man；　and　of　a　very　wicked　life；　being　like　a
cynic　in　the　course　of　his　behavior；　but　still　had　obtained　for
his　wife　a　woman　of　a　good　character；　wise　and　handsome。　To　this
Nabal；　therefore；　David　sent　ten　men　of　his　attendants　at　the
time　when　he　sheared　his　sheep；　and　by　them　saluted　him；　and　also
wished　he　might　do　what　he　now　did　for　many　years　to　come；　but
desired　him　to　make　him　a　present　of　what　he　was　able　to　give
him；　since　he　had；　to　be　sure；　learned　from　his　shepherds　that　we
had　done　them　no　injury；　but　had　been　their　guardians　a　long　time
together；　while　we　continued　in　the　wilderness；　and　he　assured
him　he　should　never　repent　of　giving　any　thing　to　David。　When　the
messengers　had　carried　this　message　to　Nabal；　he　accosted　them
after　an　inhuman　and　rough　manner；　for　he　asked　them　who　David
was？　and　when　he　heard　that　he　was　the　son　of　Jesse；　he　said；
〃Now　is　the　time　that　fugitives　grow　insolent；　and　make　a　figure；
and　leave　their　masters。〃　When　they　told　David　this；　he　was
wroth；　and　commanded　four　hundred　armed　men　to　follow　him；　and
left　two　hundred　to　take　care　of　the　stuff；　（for　he　had　already
six　hundred；　（24））　and　went　against　Nabal：　he　also　swore　that　he
would　that　night　utterly　destroy　the　whole　house　and　possessions
of　Nabal；　for　that　he　was　grieved；　not　only　that　he　had　proved
ungrateful　to　them；　without　making　any　return　for　the　humanity
they　had　shown　him；　but　that　he　had　also　reproached　them；　and
used　ill　language　to　them；　when　he　had　received　no　cause　of
disgust　from　them。

7。　Hereupon　one　of　those　that　kept　the　flocks　of　Nabal；　said　to
his　mistress；　Nabal's　wife；　that　when　David　sent　to　her　husband
he　had　received　no　civil　answer　at　all　from　him；　but　that　her
husband　had　moreover　added　very　reproachful　language；　while　yet
David　had　taken　extraordinary　care　to　keep　his　flocks　from　harm；
and　that　what　had　passed　would　prove　very　pernicious　to　his
master。　When　the　servant　had　said　this；　Abigail；　for　that　was　his
wife's　name；　saddled　her　asses；　and　loaded　them　with　all　sorts　of
presents；　and；　without　telling　her　husband　any　thing　of　what　she
was　about；　（for　he　was　not　sensible　on　account　of　his
drunkenness；）　she　went　to　David。　She　was　then　met　by　David　as　she
was　descending　a　hill；　who　was　coming　against　Nabal　with　four
hundred　men。　When　the　woman　saw　David；　she　leaped　down　from　her
ass；　and　fell　on　her　face；　and　bowed　down　to　the　ground；　and
entreated　him　not　to　bear　in　mind　the　words　of　Nabal；　since　he
knew　that　he　resembled　his　name。　Now　Nabal；　in　the　Hebrew　tongue；
signifies　folly。　So　she　made　her　apology；　that　she　did　not　see
the　messen