the antiquities of the jews-1-第145章

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very　young；　but　when　he　came　to　the　management　of　affairs；　and　to
the　government；　he　resolved　that　he　ought　first　of　all　to　avenge
his　father　Je…hoash；　and　to　punish　those　his　friends　that　had
laid　violent　hands　upon　him：　so　he　seized　upon　them　all；　and　put
them　to　death；　yet　did　he　execute　no　severity　on　their　children；
but　acted　therein　according　to　the　laws　of　Moses；　who　did　not
think　it　just　to　punish　children　for　the　sins　of　their　fathers。
After　this　he　chose　him　an　army　out　of　the　tribe　of　Judah　and
Benjamin；　of　such　as　were　in　the　flower　of　their　age；　and　about
twenty　years　old；　and　when　he　had　collected　about　three　hundred
thousand　of　them　together；　he　set　captains　of　hundreds　over　them。
He　also　sent　to　the　king　of　Israel；　and　hired　a　hundred　thousand
of　his　soldiers　for　a　hundred　talents　of　silver；　for　he　had
resolved　to　make　an　expedition　against　the　nations　of　the
Amatekites；　and　Edomites；　and　Gebalites：　but　as　he　was　preparing
for　his　expedition；　and　ready　to　go　out　to　the　war；　a　prophet
gave　him　counsel　to　dismiss　the　army　of　the　Israelites；　because
they　were　bad　men；　and　because　God　foretold　that　he　should　be
beaten；　if　he　made　use　of　them　as　auxiliaries；　but　that　he　should
overcome　his　enemies；　though　he　had　but　a　few　soldiers；　when　it
so　pleased　God。　And　when　the　king　grudged　at　his　having　already
paid　the　hire　of　the　Israelites；　the　prophet　exhorted　him　to　do
what　God　would　have　him；　because　he　should　thereby　obtain　much
wealth　from　God。　So　he　dismissed　them；　and　said　that　he　still
freely　gave　them　their　pay；　and　went　himself　with　his　own　army；
and　made　war　with　the　nations　before　mentioned；　and　when　he　had
beaten　them　in　battle；　he　slew　of　them　ten　thousand；　and　took　as
many　prisoners　alive；　whom　he　brought　to　the　great　rock　which　is
in　Arabia；　and　threw　them　down　from　it　headlong。　He　also　brought
away　a　great　deal　of　prey　and　vast　riches　from　those　nations。　But
while　Amaziah　was　engaged　in　this　expedition；　those　Israelites
whom　he　had　hired；　and　then　dismissed；　were　very　uneasy　at　it；
and　taking　their　dismission　for　an　affront；　（as　supposing　that
this　would　not　have　been　done　to　them　but　out　of　contempt；）　they
fell　upon　his　kingdom；　and　proceeded　to　spoil　the　country　as　far
as　Beth…horon；　and　took　much　cattle；　and　slew　three　thousand　men。

2。　Now　upon　the　victory　which　Amaziah　had　gotten；　and　the　great
acts　he　had　done；　he　was　puffed　up；　and　began　to　overlook　God；
who　had　given　him　the　victory；　and　proceeded　to　worship　the　gods
he　had　brought　out　of　the　country　of　the　Amalekites。　So　a　prophet
came　to　him；　and　said；　that　he　wondered　how　he　could　esteem　these
to　be　gods；　who　had　been　of　no　advantage　to　their　own　people　who
paid　them　honors；　nor　had　delivered　them　from　his　hands；　but　had
overlooked　the　destruction　of　many　of　them；　and　had　suffered
themselves　to　be　carried　captive；　for　that　they　had　been　carried
to　Jerusalem　in　the　same　manner　as　any　one　might　have　taken　some
of　the　enemy　alive；　and　led　them　thither。　This　reproof　provoked
the　king　to　anger；　and　he　commanded　the　prophet　to　hold　his
peace；　and　threatened　to　punish　him　if　he　meddled　with　his
conduct。　So　he　replied；　that　he　should　indeed　hold　his　peace；　but
foretold　withal；　that　God　would　not　overlook　his　attempts　for
innovation。　But　Amaziah　was　not　able　to　contain　himself　under
that　prosperity　which　God　had　given　him；　although　he　had
affronted　God　thereupon；　but　in　a　vein　of　insolence　he　wrote　to
Joash；　the　king　of　Israel；　and　commanded　that　he　and　all　his
people　should　be　obedient　to　him；　as　they　had　formerly　been
obedient　to　his　progenitors；　David　and　Solomon；　and　he　let　him
know；　that　if　he　would　not　be　so　wise　as　to　do　what　he　commanded
him；　he　must　fight　for　his　dominion。　To　which　message　Joash
returned　this　answer　in　writing：　〃King　Joash　to　king　Amaziah。
There　was　a　vastly　tall　cypress　tree　in　Mount　Lebanon；　as　also　a
thistle；　this　thistle　sent　to　the　cypress　tree　to　give　the
cypress　tree's　daughter　in　marriage　to　the　thistle's　son；　but　as
the　thistle　was　saying　this；　there　came　a　wild　beast；　and　trod
down　the　thistle：　and　this　may　be　a　lesson　to　thee；　not　to　be　so
ambitious；　and　to　have　a　care；　lest　upon　thy　good　success　in　the
fight　against　the　Amalekites　thou　growest　so　proud；　as　to　bring
dangers　upon　thyself　and　upon　thy　kingdom。〃

3。　When　Amaziah　had　read　this　letter；　he　was　more　eager　upon　this
expedition；　which；　I　suppose；　was　by　the　impulse　of　God；　that　he
might　be　punished　for　his　offense　against　him。　But　as　soon　as　he
led　out　his　army　against　Joash；　and　they　were　going　to　join
battle　with　him；　there　came　such　a　fear　and　consternation　upon
the　army　of　Amaziah；　as　God；　when　he　is　displeased；　sends　upon
men；　and　discomfited　them；　even　before　they　came　to　a　close
fight。　Now　it　happened；　that　as　they　were　scattered　about　by　the
terror　that　was　upon　them；　Amaziah　was　left　alone；　and　was　taken
prisoner　by　the　enemy；　whereupon　Joash　threatened　to　kill　him；
unless　he　would　persuade　the　people　of　Jerusalem　to　open　their
gates　to　him；　and　receive　him　and　his　army　into　the　city。
Accordingly　Amaziah　was　so　distressed；　and　in　such　fear　of　his
life；　that　he　made　his　enemy　to　be　received　into　the　city。　So
Joash　over　threw　a　part　of　the　wall；　of　the　length　of　four
hundred　cubits；　and　drove　his　chariot　through　the　breach　into
Jerusalem；　and　led　Amaziah　captive　along　with　him；　by　which　means
he　became　master　of　Jerusalem；　and　took　away　the　treasures　of
God；　and　carried　off　all　the　gold　and　silver　that　was　in　the
king's　palace；　and　then　freed　the　king　from　captivity；　and
returned　to　Samaria。　Now　these　things　happened　to　the　people　of
Jerusalem　in　the　fourteenth　year　of　the　reign　of　Amaziah；　who
after　this　had　a　conspiracy　made　against　him　by　his　friends；　and
fled　to　the　city　Lachish；　and　was　there　slain　by　the
conspirators；　who　sent　men　thither　to　kill　him。　So　they　took　up
his　dead　body；　and　carried　it　to　Jerusalem；　and　made　a　royal
funeral　for　him。　This　was　the　end　of　the　life　of　Amaziah；　because
of　his　innovations　in　religion；　and　his　contempt　of　God；　when　he
had　lived　fifty…four　years；　and　had　reigned　twenty…nine。　He　was
succeeded　by　his　son；　whose　name　was　Uzziah。

CHAPTER　10。

Concerning　Jeroboam　King　Of　Israel　And　Jonah　The　Prophet；　And　How
After　The　Death　Of　Jeroboam　His　Son　Zachariah　Took　The
Government。　How　Uzziah；　King　Of　Jerusalem；　Subdued　The　Nations
That　Were　Round　About　Him；　And　What　Befell　Him　When　He　Attempted
To　Offer　Incense　To　God。

1。　In　the　fifteenth　year　of　the　reign　of　Amaziah；　Jeroboam　the
son　of　Joash　reigned　over　Israel　in　Samaria　forty　years。　This
king　was　guilty　of　contumely　against　God；　（18）　and　became　very
wicked　in　worshipping　of　idols；　and　in　many　undertakings　that
were　absurd　and　foreign。　He　was　also　the　cause　of　ten　thousand
misfortunes　to　the　people　of　Israel。　Now　one　Jonah；　a　prophet；
foretold　to　him　that　he　should　make　war　with　the　Syrians；　and
conquer　their　army；　and　enlarge　the　bounds　of　his　kingdom　on　the
northern　parts　to　the　city　Hamath；　and　on　the　southern　to　the
lake　Asphaltitis；　for　the　bounds　of　the　Canaanites　originally
were　these；　as　Joshua　their　general　had　determined　them。　So
Jeroboam　made　an　expedition　against　the　Syrians；　and　overran　all
their　country；　as　Jonah　had　foretold。

2。　Now　I　cannot　but　think　it　necessary　for　me；　who　have　promised
to　give　an　accurate　account　of　our　affairs；　to　describe　the
actions　of　this　prophet；　so　far　as　I　have　found　them　written　down
in　the　Hebrew　books。　Jonah　had　been　commanded　by　God　to　go　to　the
kingdom　of　Nineveh；　and　when　he　was　there；　to　publish　it　in　that
city；　how　it　should　lose　the　dominion　it　had　over　the　nations。
But　he　went　not；　out　of　fear；　nay；　he　ran　away　from　God　to　the
city　of　Joppa；　and　finding　a　ship　there；　he　went　into　it；　and
sailed　to　Tarsus；　in　Cilicia　（19）　and　upon　the　rise　of　a　most
terrible　storm；　which　was　so　great　that　the　ship　was　in　danger　of
sinking；　the　mariners；　the　master；　and　the　pilot　himself；　made
prayers　and　vows；　in　case　they　escaped　the　sea：　but　Jonah　lay
still　and　covered　＇in　the　ship；＇　without　imitating　any　thing　that
the　others　did；　but　as　the　waves　grew　greater；　and　the　sea　became
more　violent　by　the　w