the antiquities of the jews-1-第130章

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encompassed　by　the　enemy。　So　they　all　at　once　implored　the　Divine
assistance；　while　the　priests　sounded　with　the　trumpet；　and　they
made　a　shout；　and　fell　upon　their　enemies；　and　God　brake　the
courage　and　cast　down　the　force　of　their　enemies；　and　made
Ahijah's　army　superior　to　them；　for　God　vouchsafed　to　grant　them
a　wonderful　and　very　famous　victory；　and　such　a　slaughter　was　now
made　of　Jeroboam's　army　（29）　as　is　never　recorded　to　have
happened　in　any　other　war；　whether　it　were　of　the　Greeks　or　of
the　Barbarians；　for　they　overthrew　＇and　slew＇　five　hundred
thousand　of　their　enemies；　and　they　took　their　strongest　cities
by　force；　and　spoiled　them；　and　besides　those；　they　did　the　same
to　Bethel　and　her　towns；　and　Jeshanah　and　her　towns。　And　after
this　defeat　Jeroboam　never　recovered　himself　during　the　life　of
Abijah；　who　yet　did　not　long　survive；　for　he　reigned　but　three
years；　and　was　buried　in　Jerusalem　in　the　sepulchers　of　his
forefathers。　He　left　behind　him　twenty…two　sons；　and　sixteen
daughters；　and　he　had　also　those　children　by　fourteen　wives；　and
Asa　his　son　succeeded　in　the　kingdom；　and　the　young　man's　mother
was　Michaiah。　Under　his　reign　the　country　of　the　Israelites
enjoyed　peace　for　ten　years。

4。　And　so　far　concerning　Abijah；　the　son　of　Rehoboam；　the　son　of
Solomon；　as　his　history　hath　come　down　to　us。　But　Jeroboam；　the
king　of　the　ten　tribes；　died　when　he　had　governed　them　two　and
twenty　years；　whose　son　Nadab　succeeded　him；　in　the　second　year
of　the　reign　of　Asa。　Now　Jeroboam's　son　governed　two　years；　and
resembled　his　father　in　impiety　and　wickedness。　In　these　two
years　he　made　an　expedition　against　Gibbethon；　a　city　of　the
Philistines；　and　continued　the　siege　in　order　to　take　it；　but　he
was　conspired　against　while　he　was　there　by　a　friend　of　his；
whose　name　was　Baasha；　the　son　of　Ahijah；　and　was　slain；　which
Baasha　took　the　kingdom　after　the　other's　death；　and　destroyed
the　whole　house　of　Jeroboam。　It　also　came　to　pass；　according　as
God　had　foretold；　that　some　of　Jeroboam's　kindred　that　died　in
the　city　were　torn　to　pieces　and　devoured　by　dogs；　and　that
others　of　them　that　died　in　the　fields　were　torn　and　devoured　by
the　fowls。　So　the　house　of　Jeroboam　suffered　the　just　punishment
of　his　impiety；　and　of　his　wicked　actions。

CHAPTER　12。

How　Zerah；　King　Of　The　Ethiopians；　Was　Beaten　By　Asa；　And　How
Asa；　Upon　Baasha's　Making　War　Against　Him；　Invited　The　King　Of
The　Damascens　To　Assist　Him；　And　How；　On　The　Destruction　Of　The
House　Of　Baasha　Zimri　Got　The　Kingdom　As　Did　His　Son　Ahab　After
Him。

1。　Now　Asa；　the　king　of　Jerusalem；　was　of　an　excellent　character；
and　had　a　regard　to　God；　and　neither　did　nor　designed　any　thing
but　what　had　relation　to　the　observation　of　the　laws。　He　made　a
reformation　of　his　kingdom；　and　cut　off　whatsoever　was　wicked
therein；　and　purified　it　from　every　impurity。　Now　he　had　an　army
of　chosen　men　that　were　armed　with　targets　and　spears；　out　of　the
tribe　of　Judah　three　hundred　thousand；　and　out　of　the　tribe　of
Benjamin；　that　bore　shields　and　drew　bows；　two　hundred　and　fifty
thousand。　But　when　he　had　already　reigned　ten　years；　Zerah；　king
of　Ethiopia；　（30）　made　an　expedition　against　him；　with　a　great
army；　of　nine　hundred　thousand　footmen；　and　one　hundred　thousand
horsemen；　and　three　hundred　chariots；　and　came　as　far　as
Mareshah；　a　city　that　belonged　to　the　tribe　of　Judah。　Now　when
Zerah　had　passed　so　far　with　his　own　army；　Asa　met　him；　and　put
his　army　in　array　over　against　him；　in　a　valley　called　Zephathah；
not　far　from　the　city；　and　when　he　saw　the　multitude　of　the
Ethiopians；　he　cried　out；　and　besought　God　to　give　him　the
victory；　and　that　he　might　kill　many　ten　thousands　of　the　enemy：
〃For；〃　said　he；　（31）　〃I　depend　on　nothing　else　but　that
assistance　which　I　expect　from　thee；　which　is　able　to　make　the
fewer　superior　to　the　more　numerous；　and　the　weaker　to　the
stronger；　and　thence　it　is　alone　that　I　venture　to　meet　Zerah；
and　fight　him。〃

2。　While　Asa　was　saying　this；　God　gave　him　a　signal　of　victory；
and　joining　battle　cheerfully　on　account　of　what　God　had　foretold
about　it；　he　slew　a　great　many　of　the　Ethiopians；　and　when　he　had
put　them　to　flight；　he　pursued　them　to　the　country　of　Gerar；　and
when　they　left　off　killing　their　enemies；　they　betook　themselves
to　spoiling　them；　（for　the　city　Gerar　was　already　taken；）　and　to
spoiling　their　camp；　so　that　they　carried　off　much　gold；　and　much
silver；　and　a　great　deal　of　＇other＇　prey；　and　camels；　and　great
cattle；　and　flocks　of　sheep。　Accordingly；　when　Asa　and　his　army
had　obtained　such　a　victory；　and　such　wealth　from　God；　they
returned　to　Jerusalem。　Now　as　they　were　coming；　a　prophet；　whose
name　was　Azariah；　met　them　on　the　road；　and　bade　them　stop　their
journey　a　little；　and　began　to　say　to　them　thus：　That　the　reason
why　they　had　obtained　this　victory　from　God　was　this；　that　they
had　showed　themselves　righteous　and　religious　men；　and　had　done
every　thing　according　to　the　will　of　God；　that　therefore；　he
said；　if　they　persevered　therein；　God　would　grant　that　they
should　always　overcome　their　enemies；　and　live　happily；　but　that
if　they　left　off　his　worship；　all　things　shall　fall　out　on　the
contrary；　and　a　time　should　come；　wherein　no　true　prophet　shall
be　left　in　your　whole　multitude；　nor　a　priest　who　shall　deliver
you　a　true　；answer　from　the　oracle；　but　your　cities　shall　be
overthrown；　and　your　nation　scattered　over　the　whole　earth；　and
live　the　life　of　strangers　and　wanderers。　So　he　advised　them；
while　they　had　time；　to　be　good；　and　not　to　deprive　themselves　of
the　favor　of　God。　When　the　king　and　the　people　heard　this；　they
rejoiced；　and　all　in　common；　and　every　one　in　particular；　took
great　care　to　behave　themselves　righteously。　The　king　also　sent
some　to　take　care　that　those　in　the　country　should　observe　the
laws　also。

3。　And　this　was　the　state　of　Asa；　king　of　the　two　tribes。　I　now
return　to　Baasha；　the　king　of　the　multitude　of　the　Israelites；
who　slew　Nadab；　the　son　of　Jeroboam；　and　retained　the　government。
He　dwelt　in　the　city　Tirzah；　having　made　that　his　habitation；　and
reigned　twenty…four　years。　He　became　more　wicked　and　impious　than
Jeroboam　or　his　son。　He　did　a　great　deal　of　mischief　to　the
multitude；　and　was　injurious　to　God；　who　sent　the　prophet　Jehu；
and　told　him　beforehand　that　his　whole　family　should　be
destroyed；　and　that　he　would　bring　the　same　miseries　on　his　house
which　had　brought　that　of　Jeroboam　to　ruin；　because　when　he　had
been　made　king　by　him；　he　had　not　requited　his　kindness；　by
governing　the　multitude　righteously　and　religiously；　which
things；　in　the　first　place；　tended　to　their　own　happiness；　and；
in　the　next　place；　were　pleasing　to　God：　that　he　had　imitated
this　very　wicked　king　Jeroboam；　and　although　that　man's　soul　had
perished；　yet　did　he　express　to　the　life　his　wickedness；　and　he
said　that　he　should　therefore　justly　experience　the　like　calamity
with　him；　since　he　had　been　guilty　of　the　like　wickedness。　But
Baasha；　though　he　heard　beforehand　what　miseries　would　befall　him
and　his　whole　family　for　their　insolent　behavior；　yet　did　not　he
leave　off　his　wicked　practices　for　the　time　to　come；　nor　did　he
care　to　appear　other　than　worse　and　worse　till　he　died；　nor　did
he　then　repent　of　his　past　actions；　nor　endeavor　to　obtain　pardon
of　God　for　them；　but　did　as　those　do　who　have　rewards　proposed　to
them；　when　they　have　once　in　earnest　set　about　their　work；　they
do　not　leave　off　their　labors；　for　thus　did　Baasha；　when　the
prophet　foretold　to　him　what　would　come　to　pass；　grow　worse；　as
if　what　were　threatened；　the　perdition　of　his　family；　and　the
destruction　of　his　house；　（which　are　really　among　the　greatest　of
evils；）　were　good　things；　and；　as　if　he　were　a　combatant　for
wickedness；　he　every　day　took　more　and　more　pains　for　it：　and　at
last　he　took　his　army　and　assaulted　a　certain　considerable　city
called　Ramah；　which　was　forty　furlongs　distant　from　Jerusalem；
and　when　he　had　taken　it；　he　fortified　it；　having　determined
beforehand　to　leave　a　garrison　in　it；　that　they　might　thence　make
excursions；　and　do　mischief　to　the　kingdom　of　Asa。

4。　Whereupon　Asa　was　afraid　of　the　attempts　the　enemy　might　ma