the antiquities of the jews-1-第150章

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he　shall　destroy　those　that　are　his　subjects　also。　When　Rabshakeh
had　made　this　speech　in　the　Hebrew　tongue；　for　he　was　skillful　in
that　language；　Eliakim　was　afraid　lest　the　multitude　that　heard
him　should　be　disturbed；　so　he　desired　him　to　speak　in　the　Syrian
tongue。　But　the　general；　understanding　what　he　meant；　and
perceiving　the　fear　that　he　was　in；　he　made　his　answer　with　a
greater　and　a　louder　voice；　but　in　the　Hebrew　tongue；　and　said；
that　〃since　they　all　heard　what　were　the　king's　commands；　they
would　consult　their　own　advantage　in　delivering　up　themselves　to
us；　for　it　is　plain　the　both　you　and　your　king　dissuade　the
people　from　submitting　by　vain　hopes；　and　so　induce　them　to
resist；　but　if　you　be　courageous；　and　think　to　drive　our　forces
away；　I　am　ready　to　deliver　to　you　two　thousand　of　these　horses
that　are　with　me　for　your　use；　if　you　can　set　as　many　horsemen　on
their　backs；　and　show　your　strength；　but　what　you　have　not　you
cannot　produce。　Why　therefore　do　you　delay　to　deliver　up
yourselves　to　a　superior　force；　who　can　take　you　without　your
consent？　although　it　will　be　safer　for　you　to　deliver　yourselves
up　voluntarily；　while　a　forcible　capture；　when　you　are　beaten；
must　appear　more　dangerous；　and　will　bring　further　calamities
upon　you。〃

3。　When　the　people；　as　well　as　the　ambassadors；　heard　what　the
Assyrian　commander　said；　they　related　it　to　Hezekiah；　who
thereupon　put　off　his　royal　apparel；　and　clothed　himself　with
sackcloth；　and　took　the　habit　of　a　mourner；　and；　after　the　manner
of　his　country；　he　fell　upon　his　face；　and　besought　God；　and
entreated　him　to　assist　them；　now　they　had　no　other　hope　of
relief。　He　also　sent　some　of　his　friends；　and　some　of　the
priests；　to　the　prophet　Isaiah；　and　desired　that　he　would　pray　to
God；　and　offer　sacrifices　for　their　common　deliverance；　and　so
put　up　supplications　to　him；　that　he　would　have　indignation　at
the　expectations　of　their　enemies；　and　have　mercy　upon　his
people。　And　when　the　prophet　had　done　accordingly；　an　oracle　came
from　God　to　him；　and　encouraged　the　king　and　his　friends　that
were　about　him；　and　foretold　that　their　enemies　should　be　beaten
without　fighting；　and　should　go　away　in　an　ignominious　manner；
and　not　with　that　insolence　which　they　now　show；　for　that　God
would　take　care　that　they　should　be　destroyed。　He　also　foretold
that　Sennacherib；　the　king　of　Assyria；　should　fail　of　his　purpose
against　Egypt；　and　that　when　he　came　home　he　should　perish　by　the
sword。

4。　About　the　same　time　also　the　king　of　Assyria　wrote　an　epistle
to　Hezekiah；　in　which　he　said　he　was　a　foolish　man；　in　supposing
that　he　should　escape　from　being　his　servant；　since　he　had
already　brought　under　many　and　great　nations；　and　he　threatened；
that　when　he　took　him；　he　would　utterly　destroy　him；　unless　he
now　opened　the　gates；　and　willingly　received　his　army　into
Jerusalem。　When　he　read　this　epistle；　he　despised　it；　on　account
of　the　trust　that　be　had　in　God；　but　he　rolled　up　the　epistle；
and　laid　it　up　within　the　temple。　And　as　he　made　his　further
prayers　to　God　for　the　city；　and　for　the　preservation　of　all　the
people；　the　prophet　Isaiah　said　that　God　had　heard　his　prayer；
and　that　he　should　not　be　besieged　at　this　time　by　the　king　of
Assyria　（2）　that　for　the　future　he　might　be　secure　of　not　being
at　all　disturbed　by　him；　and　that　the　people　might　go　on
peaceably；　and　without　fear；　with　their　husbandry　and　other
affairs。　But　after　a　little　while　the　king　of　Assyria；　when　he
had　failed　of　his　treacherous　designs　against　the　Egyptians；
returned　home　without　success；　on　the　following　occasion：　He
spent　a　long　time　in　the　siege　of　Pelusium；　and　when　the　banks
that　he　had　raised　over　against　the　walls　were　of　a　great　height；
and　when　he　was　ready　to　make　an　immediate　assault　upon　them；　but
heard　that　Tirhaka；　king　of　the　Ethiopians；　was　coming　and
bringing　great　forces　to　aid　the　Egyptians；　and　was　resolved　to
march　through　the　desert；　and　so　to　fall　directly　upon　the
Assyrians；　this　king　Sennacherib　was　disturbed　at　the　news；　and；
as　I　said　before；　left　Pelusium；　and　returned　back　without
success。　Now　concerning　this　Sennacherib；　Herodotus　also　says；　in
the　second　book　of　his　histories；　how　〃this　king　came　against　the
Egyptian　king；　who　was　the　priest　of　Vulcan；　and　that　as　he　was
besieging　Pelusium；　he　broke　up　the　siege　on　the　following
occasion：　This　Egyptian　priest　prayed　to　God；　and　God　heard　his
prayer；　and　sent　a　judgment　upon　the　Arabian　king。〃　But　in　this
Herodotus　was　mistaken；　when　he　called　this　king　not　king　of　the
Assyrians；　but　of　the　Arabians；　for　he　saith　that　〃a　multitude　of
mice　gnawed　to　pieces　in　one　night　both　the　bows　and　the　rest　of
the　armor　of　the　Assyrians；　and　that　it　was　on　that　account　that
the　king；　when　he　had　no　bows　left；　drew　off　his　army　from
Pelusium。〃　And　Herodotus　does　indeed　give　us　this　history；　nay；
and　Berosus；　who　wrote　of　the　affairs　of　Chaldea；　makes　mention
of　this　king　Sennacherib；　and　that　he　ruled　over　the　Assyrians；
and　that　he　made　an　expedition　against　all　Asia　and　Egypt；　and
says　thus：

5。　〃Now　when　Sennacherib　was　returning　from　his　Egyptian　war　to
Jerusalem；　he　found　his　army　under　Rabshakeh　his　general　in
danger　＇by　a　plague＇；　for　God　had　sent　a　pestilential　distemper
upon　his　army；　and　on　the　very　first　night　of　the　siege；　a
hundred　fourscore　and　five　thousand；　with　their　captains　and
generals；　were　destroyed。　So　the　king　was　in　a　great　dread　and　in
a　terrible　agony　at　this　calamity；　and　being　in　great　fear　for
his　whole　army；　he　fled　with　the　rest　of　his　forces　to　his　own
kingdom；　and　to　his　city　Nineveh；　and　when　he　had　abode　there　a
little　while；　he　was　treacherously　assaulted；　and　died　by　the
hands　of　his　elder　sons；　（3）　Adrammelech　and　Seraser；　and　was
slain　in　his　own　temple；　which　was　called　Araske。　Now　these　sons
of　his　were　driven　away　on　account　of　the　murder　of　their　father
by　the　citizens；　and　went　into　Armenia；　while　Assarachoddas　took
the　kingdom　of　Sennacherib。〃　And　this　proved　to　be　the　conclusion
of　this　Assyrian　expedition　against　the　people　of　Jerusalem。

CHAPTER　2。

How　Hezekiah　Was　Sick；　And　Ready　To　Die；　And　How　God　Bestowed
Upon　Him　Fifteen　Years　Longer　Life；　＇And　Secured　That　Promise＇　By
The　Going　Back　Of　The　Shadow　Ten　Degrees。

1。　Now　king　Hezekiah　being　thus　delivered；　after　a　surprising
manner；　from　the　dread　he　was　in；　offered　thank…offerings　to　God；
with　all　his　people；　because　nothing　else　had　destroyed　some　of
their　enemies；　and　made　the　rest　so　fearful　of　undergoing　the
same　fate　that　they　departed　from　Jerusalem；　but　that　Divine
assistance。　Yet；　while　he　was　very　zealous　and　diligent　about　the
worship　of　God；　did　he　soon　afterwards　fall　into　a　severe
distemper；　insomuch　that　the　physicians　despaired　of　him；　and
expected　no　good　issue　of　his　sickness；　as　neither　did　his
friends：　and　besides　the　distemper　（4）　itself；　there　was　a　very
melancholy　circumstance　that　disordered　the　king；　which　was　the
consideration　that　he　was　childless；　and　was　going　to　die；　and
leave　his　house　and　his　government　without　a　successor　of　his　own
body；　so　he　was　troubled　at　the　thoughts　of　this　his　condition；
and　lamented　himself；　and　entreated　of　God　that　he　would　prolong
his　life　for　a　little　while　till　he　had　some　children；　and　not
suffer　him　to　depart　this　life　before　he　was　become　a　father。
Hereupon　God　had　mercy　upon　him；　and　accepted　of　his
supplication；　because　the　trouble　he　was　under　at　his　supposed
death　was　not　because　he　was　soon　to　leave　the　advantages　he
enjoyed　in　the　kingdom；　nor　did　he　on　that　account　pray　that　he
might　have　a　longer　life　afforded　him；　but　in　order　to　have　sons；
that　might　receive　the　government　after　him。　And　God　sent　Isaiah
the　prophet；　and　commanded　him　to　inform　Hezekiah；　that　within
three　days'　time　he　should　get　clear　of　his　distemper；　and　should
survive　it　fifteen　years；　and　that　he　should　have　children　also。
Now；　upon　the　prophet's　saying　this；　as　God　had　commanded　him；　he
could　hardly　believe　it；　both　on　account　of　the　distemper　he　was
under；　which　was　very　sore；　and　by　reason　of　the　surprising
nature　of　what　was　told　him；　so　he　desired　that　Isaiah　would　give