the antiquities of the jews-1-第94节

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brethren；　to　come　and　feast　with　him：　but　when　David　excused
himself；　as　not　being　willing　to　be　burdensome　to　him；　Absalom
desired　he　would　however　send　his　brethren；　whom　he　did　send
accordingly。　Then　Absalom　charged　his　own　servants；　that　when
they　should　see　Amnon　disordered　and　drowsy　with　wine；　and　he
should　give　them　a　signal；　they　should　fear　nobody；　but　kill　him。

3。　When　they　had　done　as　they　were　commanded；　the　rest　of　his
brethren　were　astonished　and　disturbed；　and　were　afraid　for
themselves；　so　they　immediately　got　on　horseback；　and　rode　away
to　their　father；　but　somebody　there　was　who　prevented　them；　and
told　their　father　they　were　all　slain　by　Absalom；　whereupon　he
was　overcome　with　sorrow；　as　for　so　many　of　his　sons　that　were
destroyed　at　once；　and　that　by　their　brother　also；　and　by　this
consideration；　that　it　was　their　brother　that　appeared　to　have
slain　them；　he　aggravated　his　sorrow　for　them。　So　he　neither
inquired　what　was　the　cause　of　this　slaughter；　nor　staid　to　hear
any　thing　else；　which　yet　it　was　but　reasonable　to　have　done；
when　so　very　great；　and　by　that　greatness　so　incredible；　a
misfortune　was　related　to　him：　he　rent　his　clothes　and　threw
himself　upon　the　ground；　and　there　lay　lamenting　the　loss　of　all
his　sons；　both　those　who；　as　he　was　informed；　were　slain；　and　of
him　who　slew　them。　But　Jonadab；　the　son　of　his　brother　Shemeah；
entreated　him　not　to　indulge　his　sorrow　so　far；　for　as　to　the
rest　of　his　sons　he　did　not　believe　that　they　were　slain；　for　he
found　no　cause　for　such　a　suspicion；　but　he　said　it　might　deserve
inquiry　as　to　Amnon；　for　it　was　not　unlikely　that　Absalom　might
venture　to　kill　him　on　account　of　the　injury　he　had　offered　to
Tamar。　In　the　mean　time；　a　great　noise　of　horses；　and　a　tumult　of
some　people　that　were　coming；　turned　their　attention　to　them；
they　were　the　king's　sons；　who　were　fled　away　from　the　feast。　So
their　father　met　them　as　they　were　in　their　grief；　and　he　himself
grieved　with　them；　but　it　was　more　than　he　expected　to　see　those
his　sons　again；　whom　he　had　a　little　before　heard　to　have
perished。　However；　their　were　tears　on　both　sides；　they　lamenting
their　brother　who　was　killed；　and　the　king　lamenting　his　son；　who
was　killed　also；　but　Absalom　fled　to　Geshur；　to　his　grandfather
by　his　mother's　side；　who　was　king　of　that　country；　and　he
remained　with　him　three　whole　years。

4。　Now　David　had　a　design　to　send　to　Absalom；　not　that　he　should
come　to　be　punished；　but　that　he　might　be　with　him；　for　the
effects　of　his　anger　were　abated　by　length　of　time。　It　was　Joab；
the　captain　of　his　host；　that　chiefly　persuaded　him　so　to　do；　for
he　suborned　an　ordinary　woman；　that　was　stricken　in　age；　to　go　to
the　king　in　mourning　apparel；　who　said　thus　to　him：　…　That　two　of
her　sons；　in　a　coarse　way；　had　some　difference　between　them；　and
that　in　the　progress　of　that　difference　they　came　to　an　open
quarrel；　and　that　one　was　smitten　by　the　other；　and　was　dead；　and
she　desired　him　to　interpose　in　this　case；　and　to　do　her　the
favor　to　save　this　her　son　from　her　kindred；　who　were　very
zealous　to　have　him　that　had　slain　his　brother　put　to　death；　that
so　she　might　not　be　further　deprived　of　the　hopes　she　had　of
being　taken　care　of　in　her　old　age　by　him；　and　that　if　he　would
hinder　this　slaughter　of　her　son　by　those　that　wished　for　it；　he
would　do　her　a　great　favor；　because　the　kindred　would　not　be
restrained　from　their　purpose　by　any　thing　else　than　by　the　fear
of　him。　And　when　the　king　had　given　his　consent　to　what　the　woman
had　begged　of　him；　she　made　this　reply　to　him：　…　〃I　owe　thee
thanks　for　thy　benignity　to　me　in　pitying　my　old　age；　and
preventing　the　loss　of　my　only　remaining　child；　but　in　order　to
assure　me　of　this　thy　kindness；　be　first　reconciled　to　thine　own
son；　and　cease　to　be　angry　with　him；　for　how　shall　I　persuade
myself　that　thou　hast　really　bestowed　this　favor　upon　me；　while
thou　thyself　continuest　after　the　like　manner　in　thy　wrath　to
thine　own　son？　for　it　is　a　foolish　thing　to　add　willfully　another
to　thy　dead　son；　while　the　death　of　the　other　was　brought　about
without　thy　consent。〃　And　now　the　king　perceived　that　this
pretended　story　was　a　subornation　derived　from　Joab；　and　was　of
his　contrivance；　and　when；　upon　inquiry　of　the　old　woman；　he
understood　it　to　be　so　in　reality；　he　called　for　Joab；　and　told
him　he　had　obtained　what　he　requested　according　to　his　own　mind；
and　he　bid　him　bring　Absalom　back；　for　he　was　not　now　displeased；
but　had　already　ceased　to　be　angry　with　him。　So　Joab　bowed
himself　down　to　the　king；　and　took　his　words　kindly；　and　went
immediately　to　Geshur；　and　took　Absalom　with　him；　and　came　to
Jerusalem。

5。　However；　the　king　sent　a　message　to　his　son　beforehand；　as　he
was　coming；　and　commanded　him　to　retire　to　his　own　house；　for　he
was　not　yet　in　such　a　disposition　as　to　think　fit　at　present　to
see　him。　Accordingly；　upon　the　father's　command；　he　avoided
coming　into　his　presence；　and　contented　himself　with　the　respects
paid　him　by　his　own　family　only。　Now　his　beauty　was　not　impaired；
either　by　the　grief　he　had　been　under；　or　by　the　want　of　such
care　as　was　proper　to　be　taken　of　a　king's　son；　for　he　still
surpassed　and　excelled　all　men　in　the　tallness　of　his　body；　and
was　more　eminent　＇in　a　fine　appearance＇　than　those　that　dieted
the　most　luxuriously；　and　indeed　such　was　the　thickness　of　the
hair　of　his　head；　that　it　was　with　difficulty　that　he　was　polled
every　eighth　day；　and　his　hair　weighed　two　hundred　shekels　（15）
which　are　five　pounds。　However；　he　dwelt　in　Jerusalem　two　years；
and　became　the　father　of　three　sons；　and　one　daughter；　which
daughter　was　of　very　great　beauty；　and　which　Rehoboam；　the　son　of
Solomon；　took　to　wife　afterward；　and　had　by　her　a　son　named
Abijah。　But　Absalom　sent　to　Joab；　and　desired　him　to　pacify　his
father　entirely　towards　him；　and　to　beseech　him　to　give　him　leave
to　come　to　him　to　see　him；　and　speak　with　him。　But　when　Joab
neglected　so　to　do；　he　sent　some　of　his　own　servants；　and　set
fire　to　the　field　adjoining　to　him；　which；　when　Joab　understood；
he　came　to　Absalom；　and　accused　him　of　what　he　had　done；　and
asked　him　the　reason　why　he　did　so。　To　which　Absalom　replied；
that　〃I　have　found　out　this　stratagem　that　might　bring　thee　to
us；　while　thou　hast　taken　no　care　to　perform　the　injunction　I
laid　upon　thee；　which　was　this；　to　reconcile　my　father　to　me；　and
I　really　beg　it　of　thee；　now　thou　art　here；　to　pacify　my　father
as　to　me；　since　I　esteem　my　coming　hither　to　be　more　grievous
than　my　banishment；　while　my　father's　wrath　against　me
continues。〃　Hereby　Joab　was　persuaded；　and　pitied　the　distress
that　Absalom　was　in；　and　became　an　intercessor　with　the　king　for
him。　And　when　he　had　discoursed　with　his　father；　he　soon　brought
him　to　that　amicable　disposition　towards　Absalom；　that　he
presently　sent　for　him　to　come　to　him；　and　when　he　had　cast
himself　down　upon　the　ground；　and　had　begged　for　the　forgiveness
of　his　offenses；　the　king　raised　him　up；　and　promised　him　to
forget　what　he　had　formerly　done。

CHAPTER　9。

Concerning　The　Insurrection　Of　Absalom　Against　David　And
Concerning　Ahithophel　And　Hushai；　And　Concerning　Ziba　And　Shimei；
And　How　Ahithophel　Hanged　Himself。

1。　Now　Absalom；　upon　this　his　success　with　the　king；　procured　to
himself　a　great　many　horses；　and　many　chariots；　and　that　in　a
little　time　also。　He　had　moreover　fifty　armor…bearers　that　were
about　him；　and　he　came　early　every　day　to　the　king's　palace；　and
spake　what　was　agreeable　to　such　as　came　for　justice　and　lost
their　causes；　as　if　that　happened　for　want　of　good　counselors
about　the　king；　or　perhaps　because　the　judges　mistook　in　that
unjust　sentence　they　gave；　whereby　he　gained　the　good…will　of
them　all。　He　told　them；　that　had　he　but　such　authority　committed
to　him；　he　would　distribute　justice　to　them　in　a　most　equitable
manner。　When　he　had　made　himself　so　popular　among　the　multitude；
he　thought　he　had　already　the　good…will　of　the　people　secured　to
him；　but　when　four　years　（16）　had　passed　since　his　father's
reconciliation　to　him；　he　came　to　him；　and　besought　him　to　give
him　leave　to　go　to　Hebron；　and　pay　a　sacrifice　to　God；　because　he
vowed　it　to　him　when　he　fled　out　of　the　country。　So　when　David
had　granted　his　request；　he　went　thither；　and　great　multitudes
came　running　together　to　him；　for　he　had　sent　to　a　great　number
so　to　do。

2。　Among　them　came　Ahithophel　the　Gilonite；　a　counsellor　of
David's；　and　two　hundred　men　out　of　Jerusalem　itself；　who　knew
not　his　intentions；　but　were　sent　for　as　to　a　sacrifice。　So　he
was　appointed　king　by　all　of　them；　which　he　obtained　by　this
stratagem。　As　soon　as　this　news　was　brought　to　David；　and　he　was
informed　of　what　he　did　not　expect　from　his　son；　he　was
aftrighted　at　this　his　impious　and　bold　undertaking；　and　wondered
that　he　was　so　far　from　remembering　how　his　offense　had　been　so
lately　forgiven　him；　that　he　undertook　much　worse　and　more　wicked
enterprises；　first；　to　deprive　him　of　that　kingdom　which　was
given　him　of　God；　and　secondly；　to　take　away　his　own　father's
life。　He　therefore　resolved　to　fly　to　the　parts　beyond　Jordan：　so
he　called　his　most　intimate　friends　together；　and　commu