the antiquities of the jews-1-第105章

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had　taken　the　other　cities　of　the　Ammonites　by　force；　he　treated
them　after　the　same　manner。

CHAPTER　8。

How　Absalom　Murdered　Amnon；　Who　Had　Forced　His　Own　Sister；　And
How　He　Was　Banished　And　Afterwards　Recalled　By　David。

1。　When　the　king　was　returned　to　Jerusalem；　a　sad　misfortune
befell　his　house；　on　the　occasion　following：　He　had　a　daughter；
who　was　yet　a　virgin；　and　very　handsome；　insomuch　that　she
surpassed　all　the　most　beautiful　women；　her　name　was　Tamar；　she
had　the　same　mother　with　Absalom。　Now　Amnon；　David's　eldest　son；
fell　in　love　with　her；　and　being　not　able　to　obtain　his　desires；
on　account　of　her　virginity；　and　the　custody　she　was　under；　was
so　much　out　of　order；　nay；　his　grief　so　eat　up　his　body；　that　he
grew　lean；　and　his　color　was　changed。　Now　there　was　one　Jenadab；
a　kinsman　and　friend　of　his；　who　discovered　this　his　passion；　for
he　was　an　extraordinary　wise　man；　and　of　great　sagacity　of　mind。
When；　therefore；　he　saw　that　every　morning　Amnon　was　not　in　body
as　he　ought　to　be；　he　came　to　him；　and　desired　him　to　tell　him
what　was　the　cause　of　it：　however；　he　said　that　he　guessed　that
it　arose　from　the　passion　of　love。　Amnon　confessed　his　passion；
that　he　was　in　love　with　a　sister　of　his；　who　had　the　same　father
with　himself。　So　Jenadab　suggested　to　him　by　what　method　and
contrivance　he　might　obtain　his　desires；　for　he　persuaded　him　to
pretend　sickness；　and　bade　him；　when　his　father　should　come　to
him；　to　beg　of　him　that　his　sister　might　come　and　minister　to
him；　for　if　that　were　done；　he　should　be　better；　and　should
quickly　recover　from　his　distemper。　So　Amnon　lay　down　on　his　bed；
and　pretended　to　be　sick；　as　Jonadab　had　suggested。　When　his
father　came；　and　inquired　how　he　did；　he　begged　of　him　to　send
his　sister　to　him。　Accordingly；　he　presently　ordered　her　to　be
brought　to　him；　and　when　she　was　come；　Amnon　bade　her　make　cakes
for　him；　and　fry　them　in　a　pan；　and　do　it　all　with　her　own　hands；
because　he　should　take　them　better　from　her　hand　＇than　from　any
one's　else＇。　So　she　kneaded　the　flour　in　the　sight　of　her
brother；　and　made　him　cakes；　and　baked　them　in　a　pan；　and　brought
them　to　him；　but　at　that　time　he　would　not　taste　them；　but　gave
order　to　his　servants　to　send　all　that　were　there　out　of　his
chamber；　because　he　had　a　mind　to　repose　himself；　free　from
tumult　and　disturbance。　As　soon　as　what　he　had　commanded　was
done；　he　desired　his　sister　to　bring　his　supper　to　him　into　the
inner　parlor；　which；　when　the　damsel　had　done；　he　took　hold　of
her；　and　endeavored　to　persuade　her　to　lie　with　him。　Whereupon
the　damsel　cried　out；　and　said；　〃Nay；　brother；　do　not　force　me；
nor　be　so　wicked　as　to　transgress　the　laws；　and　bring　upon
thyself　the　utmost　confusion。　Curb　this　thy　unrighteous　and
impure　lust；　from　which　our　house　will　get　nothing　but　reproach
and　disgrace。〃　She　also　advised　him　to　speak　to　his　father　about
this　affair；　for　he　would　permit　him　＇to　marry　her＇。　This　she
said；　as　desirous　to　avoid　her　brother's　violent　passion　at
present。　But　he　would　not　yield　to　her；　but；　inflamed　with　love
and　blinded　with　the　vehemency　of　his　passion；　he　forced　his
sister：　but　as　soon　as　Amnon　had　satisfied　his　lust；　he　hated　her
immediately；　and　giving　her　reproachful　words；　bade　her　rise　up
and　be　gone。　And　when　she　said　that　this　was　a　more　injurious
treatment　than　the　former；　if；　now　he　had　forced　her；　he　would
not　let　her　stay　with　him　till　the　evening；　but　bid　her　go　away
in　the　day…time；　and　while　it　was　light；　that　she　might　meet　with
people　that　would　be　witnesses　of　her　shame；　…　he　commanded　his
servant　to　turn　her　out　of　his　house。　Whereupon　she　was　sorely
grieved　at　the　injury　and　violence　that　had　been　offered　to　her；
and　rent　her　loose　coat；　（for　the　virgins　of　old　time　wore　such
loose　coats　tied　at　the　hands；　and　let　down　to　the　ankles；　that
the　inner　coats　might　not　be　seen；）　and　sprinkled　ashes　on　her
head；　and　went　up　the　middle　of　the　city；　crying　out　and
lamenting　for　the　violence　that　had　been　offered　her。　Now
Absalom；　her　brother；　happened　to　meet　her；　and　asked　her　what
sad　thing　had　befallen　her；　that　she　was　in　that　plight；　and　when
she　had　told　him　what　injury　had　been　offered　her；　he　comforted
her；　and　desired　her　to　be　quiet；　and　take　all　patiently；　and　not
to　esteem　her　being　corrupted　by　her　brother　as　an　injury。　So　she
yielded　to　his　advice；　and　left　off　her　crying　out；　and
discovering　the　force　offered　her　to　the　multitude；　and　she
continued　as　a　widow　with　her　brother　Absalom　a　long　time。

2。　When　David　his　father　knew　this；　he　was　grieved　at　the　actions
of　Amnon；　but　because　he　had　an　extraordinary　affection　for　him；
for　he　was　his　eldest　son；　he　was　compelled　not　to　afflict　him；
but　Absalom　watched　for　a　fit　opportunity　of　revenging　this　crime
upon　him；　for　he　thoroughly　hated　him。　Now　the　second　year　after
this　wicked　affair　about　his　sister　was　over；　and　Absalom　was
about　to　go　to　shear　his　own　sheep　at　Baalhazor；　which　is　a　city
in　the　portion　of　Ephraim；　he　besought　his　father；　as　well　as　his
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