the antiquities of the jews-1-第157章

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ungrateful　towards　his　benefactor；　that　when　it　would　be　an
instance　of　wickedness　in　him　not　to　save　him；　had　he　been
treacherously　assaulted　by　others；　to　endeavor；　and　that
earnestly；　to　kill　him　with　his　own　hands：　that；　however；　if　he
ought　to　suppose　this　information　to　be　true；　it　was　better　for
himself　to　be　slain　by　the　other；　than　to　destroy　a　man　who　fled
to　him　for　refuge；　and　intrusted　his　own　safety　to　him；　and
committed　himself　to　his　disposal。

4。　So　Johanan；　and　the　rulers　that　were　with　him；　not　being　able
to　persuade　Gedaliah；　went　away。　But　after　the　interval　of　thirty
days　was　over；　Ishmael　came　again　to　Gedaliah；　to　the　city
Mispah；　and　ten　men　with　him；　and　when　he　had　feasted　Ishmael；
and　those　that　were　with　him；　in　a　splendid　manner　at　his　table；
and　had　given　them　presents；　he　became　disordered　in　drink；　while
he　endeavored　to　be　very　merry　with　them；　and　when　Ishmael　saw
him　in　that　case；　and　that　he　was　drowned　in　his　cups　to　the
degree　of　insensibility；　and　fallen　asleep；　he　rose　up　on　a
sudden；　with　his　ten　friends；　and　slew　Gedaliah；　and　those　that
were　with　him　at　the　feast；　and　when　he　had　slain　them；　he　went
out　by　night；　and　slew　all　the　Jews　that　were　in　the　city；　and
those　soldiers　also　which　were　left　therein　by　the　Babylonians。
But　the　next　day　fourscore　men　came　out　of　the　country　with
presents　to　Gedaliah；　none　of　them　knowing　what　had　befallen　him；
when　Ishmael　saw　them；　he　invited　them　in　to　Gedaliah；　and　when
they　were　come　in；　he　shut　up　the　court；　and　slew　them；　and　cast
their　dead　bodies　down　into　a　certain　deep　pit；　that　they　might
not　be　seen；　but　of　these　fourscore　men　Ishmael　spared　those　that
entreated　him　not　to　kill　them；　till　they　had　delivered　up　to　him
what　riches　they　had　concealed　in　the　fields；　consisting　of　their
furniture；　and　garments；　and　corn：　but　he　took　captive　the　people
that　were　in　Mispah；　with　their　wives　and　children；　among　whom
were　the　daughters　of　king　Zedekiah；　whom　Nebuzaradan；　the
general　of　the　army　of　Babylon；　had　left　with　Gedaliah。　And　when
he　had　done　this；　he　came　to　the　king　of　the　Ammonites。

5。　But　when　Johanan　and　the　rulers　with　him　heard　of　what　was
done　at　Mispah　by　Ishmael；　and　of　the　death　of　Gedaliah；　they　had
indignation　at　it；　and　every　one　of　them　took　his　own　armed　men；
and　came　suddenly　to　fight　with　Ishmael；　and　overtook　him　at　the
fountain　in　Hebron。　And　when　those　that　were　carried　away
captives　by　Ishmael　saw　Johanan　and　the　rulers；　they　were　very
glad；　and　looked　upon　them　as　coming　to　their　assistance；　so　they
left　him　that　had　carried　them　captives；　and　came　over　to
Johanan：　then　Ishmael；　with　eight　men；　fled　to　the　king　of　the
Ammonites；　but　Johanan　took　those　whom　he　had　rescued　out　of　the
hands　of　Ishmael；　and　the　eunuchs；　and　their　wives　and　children；
and　came　to　a　certain　place　called　Mandra；　and　there　they　abode
that　day；　for　they　had　determined　to　remove　from　thence　and　go
into　Egypt；　out　of　fear；　lest　the　Babylonians　should　slay　them；
in　case　they　continued　in　the　country；　and　that　out　of　anger　at
the　slaughter　of　Gedaliah；　who　had　been　by　them　set　over　it　for
governor。

6。　Now　while　they　were　under　this　deliberation；　Johanan；　the　son
of　Kareah；　and　the　rulers。　that　were　with　him；　came　to　Jeremiah
the　prophet；　and　desired　that　he　would　pray　to　God；　that　because
they　were　at　an　utter　loss　about　what　they　ought　to　do；　he　would
discover　it　to　them；　and　they　sware　that　they　would　do　whatsoever
Jeremiah　should　say　to　them。　And　when　the　prophet　said　he　would
be　their　intercessor　with　God；　it　came　to　pass；　that　after　ten
days　God　appeared　to　him；　and　said　that　he　should　inform　Johanan；
and　the　other　rulers；　and　all　the　people；　that　he　would　be　with
them　while　they　continued　in　that　country；　and　take　care　of　them；
and　keep　them　from　being　hurt　by　the　Babylonians；　of　whom　they
were　afraid；　but　that　he　would　desert　them　if　they　went　into
Egypt；　and；　out　of　this　wrath　against　them；　would　inflict　the
same　punishments　upon　them　which　they　knew　their　brethren　had
already　endured。　So　when　the　prophet　had　informed　Johanan　and　the
people　that　God　had　foretold　these　things；　he　was　not　believed；
when　he　said　that　God　commanded　them　to　continue　in　the　country；
but　they　imagined　that　he　said　so　to　gratify　Baruch；　his　own
disciple；　and　belied　God；　and　that　he　persuaded　them　to　stay
there；　that　they　might　be　destroyed　by　the　Babylonians。
Accordingly；　both　the　people　and　Johanan　disobeyed　the　counsel　of
God；　which　he　gave　them　by　the　prophet；　and　removed　into　Egypt；
and　carried　Jeremiah　and　Barnch　along　with　him。

7。　And　when　they　were　there；　God　signified　to　the　prophet　that
the　king　of　Babylon　was　about　making　an　expedition　against　the
Egyptians；　and　commanded　him　to　foretell　to　the　people　that　Egypt
should　be　taken；　and　the　king　of　Babylon　should　slay　some　of　them
and；　should　take　others　captive；　and　bring　them　to　Babylon；　which
things　came　to　pass　accordingly；　for　on　the　fifth　year　after　the
destruction　of　Jerusalem；　which　was　the　twenty…third　of　the　reign
of　Nebuchadnezzar；　he　made　an　expedition　against　Celesyria；　and
when　he　had　possessed　himself　of　it；　he　made　war　against　the
Ammonites　and　Moabites；　and　when　he　had　brought　all　these　nations
under　subjection；　he　fell　upon　Egypt；　in　order　to　overthrow　it；
and　he　slew　the　king　that　then　reigned　（15）　and　set　up　another；
and　he　took　those　Jews　that　were　there　captives；　and　led　them
away　to　Babylon。　And　such　was　the　end　of　the　nation　of　the
Hebrews；　as　it　hath　been　delivered　down　to　us；　it　having　twice
gone　beyond　Euphrates；　for　the　people　of　the　ten　tribes　were
carried　out　of　Samaria　by　the　Assyrians；　in　the　days　of　king
Hoshea；　after　which　the　people　of　the　two　tribes　that　remained
after　Jerusalem　was　taken　＇were　carried　away＇　by　Nebuchadnezzar；
the　king　of　Babylon　and　Chaldea。　Now　as　to　Shalmanezer；　he
removed　the　Israelites　out　of　their　country；　and　placed　therein
the　nation　of　the　Cutheans；　who　had　formerly　belonged　to　the
inner　parts　of　Persia　and　Media；　but　were　then　called　Samaritans；
by　taking　the　name　of　the　country　to　which　they　were　removed；　but
the　king　of　Babylon；　who　brought　out　the　two　tribes；　（16）　placed
no　other　nation　in　their　country；　by　which　means　all　Judea　and
Jerusalem；　and　the　temple；　continued　to　be　a　desert　for　seventy
years；　but　the　entire　interval　of　time　which　passed　from　the
captivity　of　the　Israelites；　to　the　carrying　away　of　the　two
tribes；　proved　to　be　a　hundred　and　thirty　years；　six　months；　and
ten　days。

CHAPTER　10。

Concerning　Daniel　And　What　Befell　Him　At　Babylon；

1。　But　now　Nebuchadnezzar；　king　of　Babylon；　took　some　of　the　most
noble　of　the　Jews　that　were　children；　and　the　kinsmen　of　Zedekiah
their　king；　such　as　were　remarkable　for　the　beauty　of　their
bodies；　and　the　comeliness　of　their　countenances；　and　delivered
them　into　the　hands　of　tutors；　and　to　the　improvement　to　be　made
by　them。　He　also　made　some　of　them　to　be　eunuchs；　which　course　he
took　also　with　those　of　other　nations　whom　he　had　taken　in　the
flower　of　their　age；　and　afforded　them　their　diet　from　his　own
table；　and　had　them　instructed　in　the　institutes　of　the　country；
and　taught　the　learning　of　the　Chaldeans；　and　they　had　now
exercised　themselves　sufficiently　in　that　wisdom　which　he　had
ordered　they　should　apply　themselves　to。　Now　among　these　there
were　four　of　the　family　of　Zedekiah；　of　most　excellent
dispositions；　one　of　whom　was　called　Daniel；　another　was　called
Ananias；　another　Misael；　and　the　fourth　Azarias；　and　the　king　of
Babylon　changed　their　names；　and　commanded　that　they　should　make
use　of　other　names。　Daniel　he　called　Baltasar；　Ananias；　Shadrach；
Misael；　Meshach；　and　Azarias；　Abednego。　These　the　king　had　in
esteem；　and　continued　to　love；　because　of　the　very　excellent
temper　they　were　of；　and　because　of　their　application　to
learning；　and　the　profess　they　had　made　in　wisdom。

2。　Now　Daniel　and　his　kinsmen　had　resolved　to　use　a　severe　diet；
and　to　abstain　from　those　kinds　of　food　which　came　from　the
king's　table；　and　entirely　to　forbear　to　eat　of　all　living
creatures。　So　he　came　to　Ashpenaz；　who　was　that　eunuch　to　whom
the　care　of　them　was　committe