the antiquities of the jews-1-第141章

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customs　to　the　propagation　of　impiety；　and　to　the　ruin　of　the
customs　of　his　own　country。　And　when　the　Edomites　about　that　time
had　revolted　from　him；　and　slain　their　former　king；　who　was　in
subjection　to　his　father；　and　had　set　up　one　of　their　own
choosing；　Jehoram　fell　upon　the　land　of　Edom；　with　the　horsemen
that　were　about　him；　and　the　chariots；　by　night；　and　destroyed
those　that　lay　near　to　his　own　kingdom；　but　did　not　proceed
further。　However；　this　expedition　did　him　no　service；　for　they
all　revolted　from　him；　with　those　that　dwelt　in　the　country　of
Libnah。　He　was　indeed　so　mad　as　to　compel　the　people　to　go　up　to
the　high　places　of　the　mountains；　and　worship　foreign　gods。

2。　As　he　was　doing　this；　and　had　entirely　cast　his　own　country
laws　out　of　his　mind；　there　was　brought　him　an　epistle　from
Elijah　the　prophet　（14）　which　declared　that　God　would　execute
great　judgments　upon　him；　because　he　had　not　imitated　his　own
fathers；　but　had　followed　the　wicked　courses　of　the　kings　of
Israel；　and　had　compelled　the　tribe　of　Judah；　and　the　citizens　of
Jerusalem；　to　leave　the　holy　worship　of　their　own　God；　and　to
worship　idols；　as　Ahab　had　compelled　the　Israelites　to　do；　and
because　he　had　slain　his　brethren；　and　the　men　that　were　good　and
righteous。　And　the　prophet　gave　him　notice　in　this　epistle　what
punishment　he　should　undergo　for　these　crimes；　namely；　the
destruction　of　his　people；　with　the　corruption　of　the　king's　own
wives　and　children；　and　that　he　should　himself　die　of　a　distemper
in　his　bowels；　with　long　torments；　those　his　bowels　falling　out
by　the　violence　of　the　inward　rottenness　of　the　parts；　insomuch
that；　though　he　see　his　own　misery；　he　shall　not　be　able　at　all
to　help　himself；　but　shall　die　in　that　manner。　This　it　was　which
Elijah　denounced　to　him　in　that　epistle。

3。　It　was　not　long　after　this　that　an　army　of　those　Arabians　that
lived　near　to　Ethiopia；　and　of　the　Philistines；　fell　upon　the
kingdom　of　Jehoram；　and　spoiled　the　country　and　the　king's　house。
Moreover；　they　slew　his　sons　and　his　wives：　one　only　of　his　sons
was　left　him；　who　escaped　the　enemy；　his　name　was　Ahaziah；　after
which　calamity；　he　himself　fell　into　that　disease　which　was
foretold　by　the　prophet；　and　lasted　a　great　while；　（for　God
inflicted　this　punishment　upon　him　in　his　belly；　out　of　his　wrath
against　him；）　and　so　he　died　miserably；　and　saw　his　own　bowels
fall　out。　The　people　also　abused　his　dead　body；　I　suppose　it　was
because　they　thought　that　such　his　death　came　upon　him　by　the
wrath　of　God；　and　that　therefore　he　was　not　worthy　to　partake　of
such　a　funeral　as　became　kings。　Accordingly；　they　neither　buried
him　in　the　sepulchers　of　his　fathers；　nor　vouchsafed　him　any
honors；　but　buried　him　like　a　private　man；　and　this　when　he　had
lived　forty　years；　and　reigned　eight。　And　the　people　of　Jerusalem
delivered　the　government　to　his　son　Ahaziah。

CHAPTER　6。

How　Jehu　Was　Anointed　King；　And　Slew　Both　Joram　And　Ahaziah；　As
Also　What　He　Did　For　The　Punishment　Of　The　Wicked。

1。　Now　Joram；　the　king　of　Israel；　after　the　death　of　Benhadad；
hoped　that　he　might　now　take　Ramoth；　a　city　of　Gilead；　from　the
Syrians。　Accordingly　he　made　an　expedition　against　it；　with　a
great　army；　but　as　he　was　besieging　it；　an　arrow　was　shot　at　him
by　one　of　the　Syrians；　but　the　wound　was　not　mortal。　So　he
returned　to　have　his　wound　healed　in　Jezreel；　but　left　his　whole
army　in　Ramorb；　and　Jehu；　the　son　of　Nimshi；　for　their　general；
for　he　had　already　taken　the　city　by　force；　and　he　proposed；
after　he　was　healed；：　to　make　war　with　the　Syrians；　but　Elisha
the　prophet　sent　one　of　his　disciples　to　Ramoth；　and　gave　him
holy　oil　to　anoint　Jehu；　and　to　tell　him　that　God　had　chosen　him
to　be　their　king。　He　also　sent　him　to　say　other　things　to　him；
and　bid　him　to　take　his　journey　as　if　he　fled；　that　when　he　came
away　he　might　escape　the　knowledge　of　all　men。　So　when　he　was
come　to　the　city；　he　found　Jehu　sitting　in　the　midst　of　the
captains　of　the　army；　as　Elisha　had　foretold　he　should　find　him。
So　he　came　up　to　him；　and　said　that　he　desired　to　speak　with　him
about　certain　matters；　and　when　he　was　arisen；　and　had　followed
him　into　an　inward　chamber；　the　young　man　took　the　oil；　and
poured　it　on　his　head；　and　said　that　God　ordained　him　to　be　king；
in　order　to　his　destroying　the　house　of　Ahab；　and　that　he　might
revenge　the　blood　of　the　prophets　that　were　unjustly　slain　by
Jezebel；　that　so　their　house　might　utterly　perish；　as　those　of
Jeroboam　the　son　of　Nebat；　and　of　Baasha；　had　perished　for　their
wickedness；　and　no　seed　might　remain　of　Ahab's　family。　So　when　he
had　said　this；　he　went　away　hastily　out　of　the　chamber；　and
endeavored　not　to　be　seen　by　any　of　the　army。

2。　But　Jehu　came　out；　and　went　to　the　place　where　he　before　sat
with　the　captains；　and　when　they　asked　him；　and　desired　him　to
tell　them；　wherefore　it　was　that　this　young　man　came　to　him；　and
added　withal　that　he　was　mad；　he　replied；　…　〃You　guess　right；　for
the　words　he　spake　were　the　words　of　a　madman；〃　and　when　they
were　eager　about　the　matter；　and　desired　he　would　tell　them；　he
answered；　that　God　had　said　he　had　chosen　him　to　be　king　over　the
multitude。　When　he　had　said　this；　every　one　of　them　put　off　his
garment；　（15）　and　strewed　it　under　him；　and　blew　with　trumpets；
and　gave　notice　that　Jehu　was　king。　So　when　he　had　gotten　the
army　together；　he　was　preparing　to　set　out　immediately　against
Joram；　at　the　city　Jezreel；　in　which　city；　as　we　said　before；　he
was　healing　of　the　wound　which　he　had　received　in　the　siege　of
Ramoth。　It　happened　also　that　Ahaziah；　king　of　Jerusalem；　was　now
come　to　Joram；　for　he　was　his　sister's　son；　as　we　have　said
already；　to　see　how　he　did　after　his　wound；　and　this　upon　account
of　their　kindred；　but　as　Jehu　was　desirous　to　fall　upon　Joram；
and　those　with　him；　on　the　sudden；　he　desired　that　none　of　the
soldiers　might　run　away　and　tell　to　Joram　what　had　happened；　for
that　this　would　be　an　evident　demonstration　of　their　kindness　to
him；　and　would　show　that　their　real　inclinations　were　to　make　him
king。

3。　So　they　were　pleased　with　what　he　did；　and　guarded　the　roads；
lest　somebody　should　privately　tell　the　thing　to　those　that　were
at　Jezreel。　Now　Jehu　took　his　choice　horsemen；　and　sat　upon　his
chariot；　and　went　on　for　Jezreel；　and　when　he　was　come　near；　the
watchman　whom　Joram　had　set　there　to　spy　out　such　as　came　to　the
city；　saw　Jehu　marching　on；　and　told　Joram　that　he　saw　a　troop　of
horsemen　marching　on。　Upon　which　he　immediately　gave　orders；　that
one　of　his　horsemen　should　be　sent　out　to　meet　them；　and　to　know
who　it　was　that　was　coming。　So　when　the　horseman　came　up　to　Jehu；
he　asked　him　in　what　condition　the　army　was；　for　that　the　king
wanted　to　know　it；　but　Jehu　bid　him　not　at　all　to　meddle　with
such　matters；　but　to　follow　him。　When　the　watchman　saw　this；　he
told　Joram　that　the　horseman　had　mingled　himself　among　the
company；　and　came　along　with　them。　And　when　the　king　had　sent　a
second　messenger；　Jehu　commanded　him　to　do　as　the　former　did；　and
as　soon　as　the　watchman　told　this　also　to　Joram；　he　at　last　got
upon　his　chariot　himself；　together　with　Ahaziah；　the　king　of
Jerusalem；　for；　as　we　said　before；　he　was　there　to　see　how　Joram
did；　after　he　had　been　wounded；　as　being　his　relation。　So　he　went
out　to　meet　Jehu；　who　marched　slowly；　（16）　and　in　good　order；　and
when　Joram　met　him　in　the　field　of　Naboth；　he　asked　him　if　all
things　were　well　in　the　camp；　but　Jehu　reproached　him　bitterly；
and　ventured　to　call　his　mother　a　witch　and　a　harlot。　Upon　this
the　king；　fearing　what　he　intended；　and　suspecting　he　had　no　good
meaning；　turned　his　chariot　about　as　soon　as　he　could；　and　said
to　Ahaziah；　〃We　are　fought　against　by　deceit　and　treachery。〃　But
Jehu　drew　his　bow；　and　smote　him；　the　arrow　going　through　his
heart：　so　Joram　fell　down　immediately　on　his　knee；　and　gave　up
the　ghost。　Jehu　also　gave　orders　to　Bidkar；　the　captain　of　the
third　part　of　his　army；　to　cast　the　dead　body　of　Joram　into　the
field　of　Naboth；　putting　him　in　mind　of　the　prophecy　which　Elijah
prophesied　to　Ahab　his　father；　when　he　had　slain　Naboth；　that
both　he　and　his　family　should　perish　in　that　place；　for　tha