the antiquities of the jews-1-第92节

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Joab；　the　captain　of　his　host；　to　fight　against　the　Ammonites；
who　overran　all　their　country；　and　laid　it　waste；　and　shut　them
up　in　their　metropolis　Rabbah；　and　besieged　them　therein。

CHAPTER　7。

How　David　Fell　In　Love　With　Bathsheba；　And　Slew　Her　Husband
Uriah；　For　Which　He　Is　Reproved　By　Nathan。

1。　But　David　fell　now　into　a　very　grievous　sin；　though　he　were
otherwise　naturally　a　righteous　and　a　religious　man；　and　one　that
firmly　observed　the　laws　of　our　fathers；　for　when　late　in　an
evening　he　took　a　view　round　him　from　the　roof　of　his　royal
palace；　where　he　used　to　walk　at　that　hour；　he　saw　a　woman
washing　herself　in　her　own　house：　she　was　one　of　extraordinary
beauty；　and　therein　surpassed　all　other　women；　her　name　was
Bathsheba。　So　he　was　overcome　by　that　woman's　beauty；　and　was　not
able　to　restrain　his　desires；　but　sent　for　her；　and　lay　with　her。
Hereupon　she　conceived　with　child；　and　sent　to　the　king；　that　he
should　contrive　some　way　for　concealing　her　sin　（for；　according
to　the　laws　of　their　fathers；　she　who　had　been　guilty　of　adultery
ought　to　be　put　to　death）。　So　the　king　sent　for　Joab's
armor…bearer　from　the　siege；　who　was　the　woman's　husband；　and　his
name　was　Uriah。　And　when　he　was　come；　the　king　inquired　of　him
about　the　army；　and　about　the　siege；　and　when　he　had　made　answer
that　all　their　affairs　went　according　to　their　wishes；　the　king
took　some　portions　of　meat　from　his　supper；　and　gave　them　to　him；
and　bade　him　go　home　to　his　wife；　and　take　his　rest　with　her。
Uriah　did　not　do　so；　but　slept　near　the　king　with　the　rest　of　his
armor…bearers。　When　the　king　was　informed　of　this；　he　asked　him
why　he　did　not　go　home　to　his　house；　and　to　his　wife；　after　so
long　an　absence；　which　is　the　natural　custom　of　all　men；　when
they　come　from　a　long　journey。　He　replied；　that　it　was　not　right；
while　his　fellow　soldiers；　and　the　general　of　the　army；　slept
upon　the　ground；　in　the　camp；　and　in　an　enemy's　country；　that　he
should　go　and　take　his　rest；　and　solace　himself　with　his　wife。　So
when　he　had　thus　replied；　the　king　ordered　him　to　stay　there　that
night；　that　he　might　dismiss　him　the　next　day　to　the　general。　So
the　king　invited　Uriah　to　supper；　and　after　a　cunning　and
dexterous　manlier　plied　him　with　drink　at　supper；　till　he　was
thereby　disordered；　yet　did　he　nevertheless　sleep　at　the　king's
gates　without　any　inclination　to　go　to　his　wife。　Upon　this　the
king　was　very　angry　at　him；　and　wrote　to　Joab；　and　commanded　him
to　punish　Uriah；　for　he　told　him　that　he　had　offended　him；　and　he
suggested　to　him　the　manner　in　which　he　would　have　him　punished；
that　it　might　not　be　discovered　that　he　was　himself　the　author　of
this　his　punishment；　for　he　charged　him　to　set　him　over　against
that　part　of　the　enemy's　army　where　the　attack　would　be　most
hazardous；　and　where　he　might　be　deserted；　and　be　in　the　greatest
jeopardy；　for　he　bade　him　order　his　fellow　soldiers　to　retire　out
of　the　fight。　When　he　had　written　thus　to　him；　and　sealed　the
letter　with　his　own　seal；　he　gave　it　to　Uriah　to　carry　to　Joab。
When　Joab　had　received　it；　and　upon　reading　it　understood　the
king's　purpose；　he　set　Uriah　in　that　place　where　he　knew　the
enemy　would　be　most　troublesome　to　them；　and　gave　him　for　his
partners　some　of　the　best　soldiers　in　the　army；　and　said　that　he
would　also　come　to　their　assistance　with　the　whole　army；　that　if
possible　they　might　break　down　some　part　of　the　wall；　and　enter
the　city。　And　he　desired　him　to　be　glad　of　the　opportunity　of
exposing　himself　to　such　great　pains；　and　not　to　be　displeased　at
it；　since　he　was　a　valiant　soldier；　and　had　a　great　reputation
for　his　valor；　both　with　the　king　and　with　his　countrymen。　And
when　Uriah　undertook　the　work　he　was　set　upon　with　alacrity；　he
gave　private　orders　to　those　who　were　to　be　his　companions；　that
when　they　saw　the　enemy　make　a　sally；　they　should　leave　him。
When；　therefore；　the　Hebrews　made　an　attack　upon　the　city；　the
Ammonites　were　afraid　that　the　enemy　might　prevent　them；　and　get
up　into　the　city；　and　this　at　the　very　place　whither　Uriah　was
ordered；　so　they　exposed　their　best　soldiers　to　be　in　the
forefront；　and　opened　their　gates　suddenly；　and　fell　upon　the
enemy　with　great　vehemence；　and　ran　violently　upon　them。　When
those　that　were　with　Uriah　saw　this；　they　all　retreated　backward；
as　Joab　had　directed　them　beforehand；　but　Uriah；　as　ashamed　to
run　away　and　leave　his　post；　sustained　the　enemy；　and　receiving
the　violence　of　their　onset；　he　slew　many　of　them；　but　being
encompassed　round；　and　caught　in　the　midst　of　them；　he　was　slain；
and　some　other　of　his　companions　were　slain　with　him。

2。　When　this　was　done；　Joab　sent　messengers　to　the　king；　and
ordered　them　to　tell　him　that　he　did　what　he　could　to　take　the
city　soon；　but　that；　as　they　made　an　assault　on　the　wall；　they
had　been　forced　to　retire　with　great　loss；　and　bade　them；　if　they
saw　the　king　was　angry　at　it；　to　add　this；　that　Uriah　was　slain
also。　When　the　king　had　heard　this　of　the　messengers；　he　took　it
heinously；　and　said　that　they　did　wrong　when　they　assaulted　the
wall；　whereas　they　ought；　by　undermining　and　other　stratagems　of
war；　to　endeavor　the　taking　of　rite　city；　especially　when　they
had　before　their　eyes　the　example　of　Abimelech；　the　son　of
Gideon；　who　would　needs　take　the　tower　in　Thebes　by　force；　and
was　killed　by　a　large　stone　thrown　at　him　by　an　old　woman；　and
although　he　was　a　man　of　great　prowess；　he　died　ignominiously　by
the　dangerous　manner　of　his　assault：　that　they　should　remember
this　accident；　and　not　come　near　the　enemy's　wall；　for　that　the
best　method　of　making　war　with　success　was　to　call　to　mind　the
accidents　of　former　wars；　and　what　good　or　bad　success　had
attended　them　in　the　like　dangerous　cases；　that　so　they　might
imitate　the　one；　and　avoid　the　other。　But　when　the　king　was　in
this　disposition；　the　messenger　told　him　that　Uriah　was　slain
also；　whereupon　he　was　pacified。　So　he　bade　the　messenger　go　back
to　Joab　and　tell　him　that　this　misfortune　is　no　other　than　what
is　common　among　mankind；　and　that　such　is　the　nature；　and　such
the　accidents　of　war；　insomuch　that　sometimes　the　enemy　will　have
success　therein；　and　sometimes　others；　but　that　he　ordered　him　to
go　on　still　in　his　care　about　the　siege；　that　no　ill　accident
might　befall　him　in　it　hereafter；　that　they　should　raise　bulwarks
and　use　machines　in　besieging　the　city；　and　when　they　have　gotten
it；　to　overturn　its　very　foundations；　and　to　destroy　all　those
that　are　in　it。　Accordingly　the　messenger　carried　the　king's
message　with　which　he　was　charged；　and　made　haste　to　Joab。　But
Bathsheba；　the　wife　of　Uriah；　when　she　was　informed　of　the　death
of　her　husband；　mourned　for　his　death　many　days；　and　when　her
mourning　was　over；　and　the　tears　which　she　shed　for　Uriah　were
dried　up；　the　king　took　her　to　wife　presently；　and　a　son　was　born
to　him　by　her。

3。　With　this　marriage　God　was　not　well　pleased；　but　was　thereupon
angry　at　David；　and　he　appeared　to　Nathan　the　prophet　in　his
sleep；　and　complained　of　the　king。　Now　Nathan　was　a　fair　and
prudent　man；　and　considering　that　kings；　when　they　fall　into　a
passion；　are　guided　more　by　that　passion　than　they　are　by
justice；　he　resolved　to　conceal　the　threatenings　that　proceeded
from　God；　and　made　a　good…natured　discourse　to　him；　and　this
after　the。　manner　following：　…　He　desired　that　the　king　would
give　him　his　opinion　in　the　following　case：　…　There　were；〃　said
he；　〃two　men　inhabiting　the　same　city；　the　one　of　them　was　rich；
and　＇the　other　poor＇。　The　rich　man　had　a　great　many　flocks　of
cattle；　of　sheep；　and　of　kine；　but　the　poor　man　had　but　one　ewe
lamb。　This　he　brought　up　with　his　children；　and　let　her　eat　her
food　with　them；　and　he　had　the　same　natural　affection　for　her
which　any　one　might　have　for　a　daughter。　Now　upon　the　coming　of　a
stranger　to　the　rich　man；　he　would　not　vouchsafe　to　kill　any　of
his　own　flocks；　and　thence　feast　his　friend；　but　he　sent　for　the
poor　man's　lamb；　and　took　her　away　from　him；　and　made　her　ready
for　food；　and　thence　feasted　the　stranger。〃　This　discourse
troubled　the　king　exceedingly；　and　he　denounced　to　Nathan；　that
〃this　man　was　a　wicked　man　who　could　dare　to　do　such　a　thing；　and
that　it　was　but　just　that　he　should　restore　the　lamb　fourfold；
and　be　punished　with　death　for　it　also。〃　Upon　this　Nathan
immediately　said　that　he　was　himself　the　man　who　ought　to　suffer
those　punishments；　and　that　by　his　own　sentence；　and　that　it　was
he　who　had　perpetrated　this　'great　and　horrid　crime。　He　also
revealed　to　him；　and　laid　before　him；　the　anger　of　God　against
him；　who　had　made　him　king　over　the　army　of　the　Hebrews；　and　lord
of　all　the　nations；　and　those　many　and　great　nations　round　about
him；　who　had　formerly　delivered　him　out　of　the　hands　of　Saul；　and
had　given　him　such　wives　as　he　had　justly　and　legally　married；
and　now　this　God　was　despised　by　him；　and　affronted　by　his
impiety；　when　he　had　married；　and　now　had；　another　man's　wife；
and　by　exposing　her　husband　to　the　enemy；　had　really　slain　him；
'that　God　would　inflict　punishments　upon　him　on　account　of　those
instances　of　wickedness；　that　his　own　wives　should　be　forced　by
one　of　his　sons；　and　that　he　should　be　tre