the antiquities of the jews-1-第106章

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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　communicated　to
them　all　that　he　had　heard　of　his　son's　madness。　He　committed
himself　to　God；　to　judge　between　them　about　all　their　actions；
and　left　the　care　of　his　royal　palace　to　his　ten　concubines；　and
went　away　from　Jerusalem；　being　willingly　accompanied　by　the　rest
of　the　multitude；　who　went　hastily　away　with　him；　and
particularly　by　those　six　hundred　armed　men；　who　had　been　with
him　from　his　first　flight　in　the　days　of　Saul。　But　he　persuaded
Abiathar　and　Zadok；　the　high　priests；　who　had　determined　to　go
away　with　him；　as　also　all　the　Levites；　who　were　with　the　ark；　to
stay　behind；　as　hoping　that　God　would　deliver　him　without　its
removal；　but　he　charged　them　to　let　him　know　privately　how　all
things　went　on；　and　he　had　their　sons；　Ahimmaz　the　son　of　Zadok；
and　Jonathan　the　son　of　Abiathar；　for　faithful　ministers　in　all
things；　but　Ittai　the　Gitrite　went　out　with　him　whether　David
would　let　him　or　not；　for　he　would　。have　persuaded　him　to　stay；
and　on　that　account　he　appeared　the　more　friendly　to　him。　But　as
he　was　ascending　the　Mount　of　Olives　barefooted；　and　all　his
company　were　in　tears；　it　was　told　him　that　Ahithophel　was　with
Absalom；　and　was　of　his　side。　This　hearing　augmented　his　grief；
and　he　besought　God　earnestly　to　alienate　the　mind　of　Absalom
from　Ahithophel；　for　he　was　afraid　that　he　should　persuade　him　to
follow　his　pernicious　counsel；　for　he　was　a　prudent　man；　and　very
sharp　in　seeing　what　was　advantageous。　When　David　was　gotten　upon
the　top　of　the　mountain；　he　took　a　view　of　the　city；　and　prayed
to　God　with　abundance　of　tears；　as　having　already　lost　his
kingdom；　and　here　it　was　that　a　faithful　friend　of　his；　whose
name　was　Hushai；　met　him。　When　David　saw　him　with　his　clothes
rent；　and　having　ashes　all　over　his　head；　and　in　lamentation　for
the　great　change　of　affairs；　he　comforted　him；　and　exhorted　him
to　leave　off　grieving；　nay；　at　length　he　besought　him　to　go　back
to　Absalom；　and　appear　as　one　of　his　party；　and　to　fish　out　the
secretest　counsels　of　his　mind；　an