the antiquities of the jews-1-第97节

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name；　who　succeeded　his　father　in　the　kingdom；　but　of　these　we
shall　speak　in　a　part　of　our　history　which　will　be　more　proper。
After　the　death　of　Absalom；　they　returned　every　one　to　their　own
homes　respectively。

4。　But　now　Ahimaaz；　the　son　of　Zadok　the　high　priest；　went　to
Joab；　and　desired　he　would　permit　him　to　go　and　tell　David　of
this　victory；　and　to　bring　him　the　good　news　that　God　had
afforded　his　assistance　and　his　providence　to　him。　However；　he
did　not　grant　his　request；　but　said　to　him；　〃Wilt　thou；　who　hast
always　been　the　messenger　of　good　news；　now　go　and　acquaint　the
king　that　his　son　is　dead？〃　So　he　desired　him　to　desist。　He　then
called　Cushi；　and　committed　the　business　to　him；　that　he　should
tell　the　king　what　he　had　seen。　But　when　Ahimaaz　again　desired
him　to　let　him　go　as　a　messenger；　and　assured　him　that　he　would
only　relate　what　concerned　the　victory；　but　not　concerning　the
death　of　Absalom；　he　gave　him　leave　to　go　to　David。　Now　he　took　a
nearer　road　than　the　former　did；　for　nobody　knew　it　but　himself；
and　he　came　before　Cushi。　Now　as　David　was　sitting　between　the
gates；　（18）　and　waiting　to　see　when　somebody　would　come　to　him
from　the　battle；　and　tell　him　how　it　went；　one　of　the　watchmen
saw　Ahimaaz　running；　and　before　be　could　discern　who　he　was；　be
told　David　that　he　saw　somebody　coming　to　him；　who　said　he　was　a
good　messenger。　A　little　while　after；　he　informed　him　that
another　messenger　followed　him；　whereupon　the　king　said　that　he
also　was　a　good　messenger：　but　when　the　watchman　saw　Ahimaaz；　and
that　he　was　already　very　near；　he　gave　the　king　notice　that　it
was　the　son　of　Zadok　the　high　priest　who　came　running。　So　David
was　very　glad；　and　said　he　was　a　messenger　of　good　tidings；　and
brought　him　some　such　news　from　the　battle　as　be　desired　to　hear。

5。　While　the　king　was　saying　thus；　Ahimaaz　appeared；　and
worshipped　the　king。　And　when　the　king　inquired　of　him　about　the
battle；　he　said　he　brought　him　the　good　news　of　victory　and
dominion。　And　when　he　inquired　what　he　had　to　say　concerning　his
son；　he　said　that　he　came　away　on　the　sudden　as　soon　as　the　enemy
was　defeated；　but　that　he　heard　a　great　noise　of　those　that
pursued　Absalom；　and　that　he　could　learn　no　more；　because　of　the
haste　be　made　when　Joab　sent　him　to　inform　him　of　the　victory。
But　when　Cushi　was　come；　and　had　worshipped　him；　and　informed　him
of　the　victory；　he　asked　him　about　his　son；　who　replied；　〃May　the
like　misfortune　befall　thine　enemies　as　hath　befallen　Absalom。〃
That　word　did　not　permit　either　himself　or　his　soldiers　to
rejoice　for　the　victory；　though　it　was　a　very　great　one；　but
David　went　up　to　the　highest　part　of　the　city；　（19）　and　wept　for
his　son；　and　beat　his　breast；　tearing　＇the　hair　of＇　his　head；
tormenting　himself　all　manner　of　ways；　and　crying　out；　〃O　my　son！
I　wish　that　I　had　died　myself；　and　ended　my　days　with　thee！〃　for
he　was　of　a　tender　natural　affection；　and　had　extraordinary
compassion　for　this　son　in　particular。　But　when　the　army　and　Joab
heard　that　the　king　mourned　for　his　son；　they　were　ashamed　to
enter　the　city　in　the　habit　of　conquerors；　but　they　all　came　in
as　cast　down；　and　in　tears；　as　if　they　had　been　beaten。　Now　while
the　king　covered　himself；　and　grievously　lamented　his　son；　Joab
went　in　to　him；　and　comforted　him；　and　said；　〃O　my　lord　the　king；
thou　art　not　aware　that　thou　layest　a　blot　on　thyself　by　what
thou　now　doest；　for　thou　seemest　to　hate　those　that　love　thee；
and　undergo　dangers　for　thee　nay；　to　hate　thyself　and　thy　family；
and　to　love　those　that　are　thy　bitter　enemies；　and　to　desire　the
company　of　those　that　are　no　more；　and　who　have　been　justly
slain；　for　had　Absalom　gotten　the　victory；　and　firmly　settled
himself　in　the　kingdom；　there　had　been　none　of　us　left　alive；　but
all　of　us；　beginning　with　thyself　and　thy　children；　had　miserably
perished；　while　our　enemies　had　not　wept　for　his；　but　rejoiced
over　us；　and　punished　even　those　that　pitied　us　in　our
misfortunes；　and　thou　art　not　ashamed　to　do　this　in　the　case　of
one　that　has　been　thy　bitter　enemy；　who；　while　he　was　thine　own
son　hath　proved　so　wicked　to　thee。　Leave　off；　therefore；　thy
unreasonable　grief；　and　come　abroad　and　be　seen　of　thy　soldiers；
and　return　them　thanks　for　the　alacrity　they　showed　in　the　fight；
for　I　myself　will　this　day　persuade　the　people　to　leave　thee；　and
to　give　the　kingdom　to　another；　if　thou　continuest　to　do　thus；
and　then　I　shall　make　thee　to　grieve　bitterly　and　in　earnest。〃
Upon　Joab's　speaking　thus　to　him；　he　made　the　king　leave　off　his
sorrow；　and　brought　him　to　the　consideration　of　his　affairs。　So
David　changed　his　habit；　and　exposed　himself　in　a　manner　fit　to
be　seen　by　the　multitude；　and　sat　at　the　gates；　whereupon　all　the
people　heard　of　it；
and　ran　together　to　him；　and　saluted　him。　And　this　was　the
present　state　of　David's　affairs。

CHAPTER　11。

How　David；　When　He　Had　Recovered　His　Kingdom；　Was　Reconciled　To
Shimei；　And　To　Ziba；　And　Showed　A　Great　Affection　To　Barzillai；
And　How；　Upon　The　Rise　Of　A　Sedition；　He　Made　Amasa　Captain　Of
His　Host；　In　Order　To　Pursue　Seba；　Which　Amasa　Was　Slain　By　Joab。

1。　Now　those　Hebrews　that　had　been　With　Absalom；　and　had　retired
out　of　the　battle；　when　they　were　all　returned　home；　sent
messengers　to　every　city　to　put　them　in　mind　of　what　benefits
David　had　bestowed　upon　them；　and　of　that　liberty　which　he　had
procured　them；　by　delivering　them　from　many　and　great　wars。　But
they　complained；　that　whereas　they　had　ejected　him　out　of　his
kingdom；　and　committed　it　to　another　governor；　which　other
governor；　whom　they　had　set　up；　was　already　dead；　they　did　not
now　beseech　David　to　leave　off　his　anger　at　them；　and　to　become
friends　with　them；　and；　as　he　used　to　do；　to　resume　the　care　of
their　affairs；　and　take　the　kingdom　again。　This　was　often　told　to
David。　And；　this　notwithstanding；　David　sent　to　Zadok　and
Abiathar　the　high　priests；　that　they　should　speak　to　the　rulers
of　the　tribe　of　Judah　after　the　manner　following：　That　it　would
be　a　reproach　upon　them　to　permit　the　other　tribes　to　choose
David　for　their　king　before　their　tribe；　〃and　this；〃　said　he；
〃while　you　are　akin　to　him；　and　of　the　same　common　blood。〃　He
commanded　them　also　to　say　the　same　to　Amasa　the　captain　of　their
forces；　That　whereas　he　was　his　sister's　son；　he　had　not
persuaded　the　multitude　to　restore　the　kingdom　to　David；　that　he
might　expect　from　him　not　only　a　reconciliation；　for　that　was
already　granted；　but　that　supreme　command　of　the　army　also　which
Absalom　had　bestowed　upon　him。　Accordingly　the　high　priests；　when
they　had　discoursed　with　the　rulers　of　the　tribe；　and　said　what
the　king　had　ordered　them；　persuaded　Amasa　to　undertake　the　care
of　his　affairs。　So　he　persuaded　that　tribe　to　send　immediately
ambassadors　to　him；　to　beseech　him　to　return　to　his　own　kingdom。
The　same　did　all　the　Israelites；　at　the　like　persuasion　of　Amasa。

2。　When　the　ambassadors　came　to　him；　he　came　to　Jerusalem；　and
the　tribe　of　Judah　was　the　first　that　came　to　meet　the　king　at
the　river　Jordan。　And　Shimei；　the　son　of　Gera；　came　with　a
thousand　men；　which　he　brought　with　him　out　of　the　tribe　of
Benjamin；　and　Ziba；　the　freed…man　of　Saul；　with　his　sons；　fifteen
in　number；　and　with　his　twenty　servants。　All　these；　as　well　as
the　tribe　of　Judah；　laid　a　bridge　＇of　boats＇　over　the　river；　that
the　king；　and　those　that　were　with　him；　might　with　ease　pass　over
it。　Now　as　soon　as　he　was　come　to　Jordan；　the　tribe　of　Judah
saluted　him。　Shimei　also　came　upon　the　bridge；　and　took　hold　of
his　feet；　and　prayed　him　to　forgive　him　what　he　had　offended；　and
not　to　be　too　bitter　against　him；　nor　to　think　fit　to　make　him
the　first　example　of　severity　under　his　new　authority；　but　to
consider　that　he　had　repented　of　his　failure　of　duty；　and　had
taken　care　to　come　first　of　all　to　him。　While　he　was　thus
entreating　the　king；　and　moving　him　to　compassion；　Abishai；
Joab's　brother；　said；　〃And　shall　not　this　man　die　for　this；　that
he　hath　cursed　that　king　whom　God　hath　appointed　to　reign　over
us？〃　But　David　turned　himself　to　him；　and　said；　〃Will　you　never
leave　off；　ye　sons　of　Zeruiah？　Do　not　you；　I　pray；　raise　new
troubles　and　seditions　among　us；　now　the　former　are　over；　for　I
would　not　have　you　ignorant　that　I　this　day　begin　my　reign；　and
therefore　swear　to　remit　to　all　offenders　their　punishments；　and
not　to　animadvert　on　any　one　that　has　sinned。　Be　thou；
therefore；〃　said　he；　〃O　Shimei；　of　good　courage；　and　do　not　at
all　fear　being　put　to　death。〃　So　he　worshipped　him；　and　went　on
before　him。

3。　Mephibosheth　also；　Saul's　grandson；　met　David；　clothed　in　a
sordid　garment；　and　having　his　hair　thick　and　neglected；　for
after　David　was　fled　away；　he　was　in　such　grief　that　he　had　not
polled　his　head；　nor　had　he　washed　his　clothes；　as　dooming
himself　to　undergo　such　hardships　upon　occasion　of　the　change…of
the　king's　affairs。　Now　he　had　been　unjustly　calumniated　to　the
king　by　Ziba；　his　steward。　When　he　had　saluted　the　king；　and
worshipped　him；　the　king　began　to　ask　him　why　he　did　not　go　out
of　Jerusalem　with　him；　and　accompany　him　during　his　flight。　He
replied；　that　this　piece　of　injustice　was　owing　to　Ziba；　because；
when　he　was　o