the antiquities of the jews-1-第155章

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what　a　state　the　prophet　was　in；　and　said　that　his　friends　and
his　rulers　had　done　evil　in　putting　the　prophet　into　the　mire；
and　by　that　means　contriving　against　him　that　he　should　suffer　a
death　more　bitter　than　that　by　his　bonds　only。　When　the　king
heard　this；　he　repented　of　his　having　delivered　up　the　prophet　to
the　rulers；　and　bid　the　Ethiopian　take　thirty　men　of　the　king's
guards；　and　cords　with　them；　and　whatsoever　else　they　understood
to　be　necessary　for　the　prophet's　preservation；　and　to　draw　him
up　immediately。　So　the　Ethiopian　took　the　men　he　was　ordered　to
take；　and　drew　up　the　prophet　out　of　the　mire；　and　left　him　at
liberty　＇in　the　prison＇。

6。　But　when　the　king　had　sent　to　call　him　privately；　and　inquired
what　he　could　say　to　him　from　God；　which　might　be　suitable　to　his
present　circumstances；　and　desired　him　to　inform　him　of　it；
Jeremiah　replied；　that　he　had　somewhat　to　say；　but　he　said
withal；　he　should　not　be　believed；　nor；　if　he　admonished　them；
should　be　hearkened　to；　〃for；〃　said　he；　〃thy　friends　have
determined　to　destroy　me；　as　though　I　had　been　guilty　of　some
wickedness；　and　where　are　now　those　men　who　deceived　us；　and　said
that　the　king　of　Babylon　would　not　come　and　fight　against　us　any
more？　but　I　am　afraid　now　to　speak　the　truth；　lest　thou　shouldst
condemn　me　to　die。〃　And　when　the　king　had　assured　him　upon　oath；
that　he　would　neither　himself　put　him　to　death；　nor　deliver　him
up　to　the　rulers；　he　became　bold　upon　that　assurance　that　was
given　him；　and　gave　him　this　advice：　That　he　should　deliver　the
city　up　to　the　Babylonians；　and　he　said　that　it　was　God　who
prophesied　this　by　him；　that　＇he　must　do　so＇　if　he　would　be
preserved；　and　escape　out　of　the　danger　he　was　in；　and　that　then
neither　should　the　city　fall　to　the　ground；　nor　should　the　temple
be　burned；　but　that　＇if　he　disobeyed＇　he　would　be　the　cause　of
these　miseries　coming　upon　the　citizens；　and　of　the　calamity　that
would　befall　his　whole　house。　When　the　king　heard　this；　he　said
that　he　would　willingly　do　what　he　persuaded　him　to；　and　what　he
declared　would　be　to　his　advantage；　but　that　he　was　afraid　of
those　of　his　own　country　that　had　fallen　away　to　the　Babylonians；
lest　he　should　be　accused　by　them　to　the　king　of　Babylon；　and　be
punished。　But　the　prophet　encouraged　him；　and　said　he　had　no
cause　to　fear　such　punishment；　for　that　he　should　not　have　the
experience　of　any　misfortune；　if　he　would　deliver　all　up　to　the
Babylonians；　neither　himself；　nor　his　children；　nor　his　wives；
and　that　the　temple　should　then　continue　unhurt。　So　when　Jeremiah
had　said　this；　the　king　let　him　go；　and　charged　him　to　betray
what　they　had　resolved　on　to　none　of　the　citizens；　nor　to　tell
any　of　these　matters　to　any　of　the　rulers；　if　they　should　have
learned　that　he　had　been　sent　for；　and　should　inquire　of　him　what
it　was　that　he　was　sent　for；　and　what　he　had　said　to　him；　but　to
pretend　to　them　that　he　besought　him　that　he　might　not　be　kept　in
bonds　and　in　prison。　And　indeed　he　said　so　to　them；　for　they　came
to　the；　prophet；　and　asked　him　what　advice　it　was　that　he　came　to
give　the　king　relating　to　them。　And　thus　I　have　finished　what
concerns　this　matter。

CHAPTER　8。

How　The　King　Of　Babylon　Took　Jerusalem　And　Burnt　The　Temple　And
Removed　The　People　Of　Jerusalem　And　Zedekiah　To　Babylon。　As　Also；
Who　They　Were　That　Had　Succeeded　In　The　High　Priesthood　Under　The
Kings。

1。　Now　the　king　of　Babylon　was　very　intent　and　earnest　upon　the
siege　of　Jerusalem；　and　he　erected　towers　upon　great　banks　of
earth；　and　from　them　repelled　those　that　stood　upon　the　walls；　he
also　made　a　great　number　of　such　banks　round　about　the　whole
city；　whose　height　was　equal　to　those　walls。　However；　those　that
were　within　bore　the　siege　with　courage　and　alacrity；　for　they
were　not　discouraged；　either　by　the　famine；　or　by　the
pestilential　distemper；　but　were　of　cheerful　minds　in　the
prosecution　of　the　war；　although　those　miseries　within　oppressed
them　also；　and　they　did　not　suffer　themselves　to　be　terrified；
either　by　the　contrivances　of　the　enemy；　or　by　their　engines　of
war；　but　contrived　still　different　engines　to　oppose　all　the
other　withal；　till　indeed　there　seemed　to　be　an　entire　struggle
between　the　Babylonians　and　the　people　of　Jerusalem；　which　had
the　greater　sagacity　and　skill；　the　former　party　supposing　they
should　be　thereby　too　hard　for　the　other；　for　the　destruction　of
the　city；　the　latter　placing　their　hopes　of　deliverance　in
nothing　else　but　in　persevering　in　such　inventions　in　opposition
to　the　other；　as　might　demonstrate　the　enemy's　engines　were
useless　to　them。　And　this　siege　they　endured　for　eighteen　months；
until　they　were　destroyed　by　the　famine；　and　by　the　darts　which
the　enemy　threw　at　them　from　the　towers。

2。　Now　the　city　was　taken　on　the　ninth　day　of　the　fourth　month；
in　the　eleventh　year　of　the　reign　of　Zedekiah。　They　were　indeed
only　generals　of　the　king　of　Babylon；　to　whom　Nebuchadnezzar
committed　the　care　of　the　siege；　for　he　abode　himself　in　the　city
of　Riblah。　The　names　of　these　generals　who　ravaged　and　subdued
Jerusalem；　if　any　one　desire　to　know　them；　were　these：　Nergal
Sharezer；　Samgar　Nebo；　Rabsaris；　Sorsechim；　and　Rabmag。　And　when
the　city　was　taken　about　midnight；　and　the　enemy's　generals　were
entered　into　the　temple；　and　when　Zedekiah　was　sensible　of　it；　he
took　his　wives；　and　his　children；　and　his　captains；　and　his
friends；　and　with　them　fled　out　of　the　city；　through　the
fortified　ditch；　and　through　the　desert；　and　when　certain　of　the
deserters　had　informed　the　Babylonians　of　this；　at　break　of　day；
they　made　haste　to　pursue　after　Zedekiah；　and　overtook　him　not
far　from　Jericho；　and　encompassed　him　about。　But　for　those
friends　and　captains　of　Zedekiah　who　had　fled　out　of　the　city
with　him；　when　they　saw　their　enemies　near　them；　they　left　him；
and　dispersed　themselves；　some　one　way；　and　some　another；　and
every　one　resolved　to　save　himself；　so　the　enemy　took　Zedekiah
alive；　when　he　was　deserted　by　all　but　a　few；　with　his　children
and　his　wives；　and　brought　him　to　the　king。　When　he　was　come；
Nebuchadnezzar　began　to　call　him　a　wicked　wretch；　and　a
covenant…breaker；　and　one　that　had　forgotten　his　former　words；
when　he　promised　to　keep　the　country　for　him。　He　also　reproached
him　for　his　ingratitude；　that　when　he　had　received　the　kingdom
from　him；　who　had　taken　it　from　Jehoiachin；　and　given　it　to　him；
he　had　made　use　of　the　power　he　gave　him　against　him　that　gave
it；　〃but；〃　said　he；　〃God　is　great；　who　hated　that　conduct　of
thine；　and　hath　brought　thee　under　us。〃　And　when　he　had　used
these　words　to　Zedekiah；　he　commanded　his　sons　and　his　friends　to
be　slain；　while　Zedekiah　and　the　rest　of　the　captains　looked　on；
after　which　he　put　out　the　eyes　of　Zedekiah；　and　bound　him；　and
carried　him　to　Babylon。　And　these　things　happened　to　him；　（13）　as
Jeremiah　and　Ezekiel　had　foretold　to　him；　that　he　should　be
caught；　and　brought　before　the　king　of　Babylon；　and　should　speak
to　him　face　to　face；　and　should　see　his　eyes　with　his　own　eyes；
and　thus　far　did　Jeremiah　prophesy。　But　he　was　also　made　blind；
and　brought　to　Babylon；　but　did　not　see　it；　according　to　the
prediction　of　Ezekiel。

3。　We　have　said　thus　much；　because　it　was　sufficient　to　show　the
nature　of　God　to　such　as　are　ignorant　of　it；　that　it　is　various；
and　acts　many　different　ways；　and　that　all　events　happen　after　a
regular　manner；　in　their　proper　season；　and　that　it　foretells
what　must　come　to　pass。　It　is　also　sufficient　to　show　the
ignorance　and　incredulity　of　men；　whereby　they　are　not　permitted
to　foresee　any　thing　that　is　future；　and　are；　without　any　guard；
exposed　to　calamities；　so　that　it　is　impossible　for　them　to　avoid
the　experience　of　those　calamities。

4。　And　after　this　manner　have　the　kings　of　David's　race　ended
their　lives；　being　in　number　twenty…one；　until　the　last　king；　who
all　together　reigned　five　hundred　and　fourteen　years；　and　six
months；　and　ten　days；　of　whom　Saul；　who　was　their　first　king；
retained　the　government　twenty　years；　though　he　was　not　of　the
same　tribe　with　the　rest。

5。　And　now　it　was　that　the　king　of　Babylon　sent　Nebuzaradan；　the
general　of　his　army；　to　Jerusalem；