the antiquities of the jews-1-第168章

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because　of　the　sins　which　the　people　had　committed；　while　they
had　cast　out　of　their　memories　what　their　fathers　had　undergone
on　account　of　their　wickedness；　and　he　besought　God；　who　had
saved　a　seed　and　a　remnant　out　of　the　calamity　and　captivity　they
had　been　in；　and　had　restored　them　again　to　Jerusalem；　and　to
their　own　land；　and　had　obliged　the　kings　of　Persia　to　have
compassion　on　them；　that　he　would　also　forgive　them　their　sins
they　had　now　committed；　which；　though　they　deserved　death；　yet；
was　it　agreeable　to　the　mercy　of　God；　to　remit　even　to　these　the
punishment　due　to　them。

4。　After　Esdras　had　said　this；　he　left　off　praying；　and　when　all
those　that　came　to　him　with　their　wives　and　children　were　under
lamentation；　one　whose　name　was　Jechonias；　a　principal　man　in
Jerusalem；　came　to　him；　and　said　that　they　had　sinned　in　marrying
strange　wives；　and　he　persuaded　him　to　adjure　them　all　to　cast
those　wives　out；　and　the　children　born　of　them；　and　that　those
should　be　punished　who　would　not　obey　the　law。　So　Esdras
hearkened　to　this　advice；　and　made　the　heads　of　the　priests；　and
of　the　Levites；　and　of　the　Israelites；　swear　that　they　would　put
away　those　wives　and　children；　according　to　the　advice　of
Jechonias。　And　when　he　had　received　their　oaths；　he　went　in　haste
out　of　the　temple　into　the　chamber　of　Johanan；　the　son　of
Eliasib；　and　as　he　had　hitherto　tasted　nothing　at　all　for　grief；
so　he　abode　there　that　day。　And　when　proclamation　was　made；　that
all　those　of　the　captivity　should　gather　themselves　together　to
Jerusalem；　and　those　that　did　not　meet　there　in　two　or　three　days
should　be　banished　from　the　multitude；　and　that　their　substance
should　b　appropriated　to　the　uses　of　the　temple；　according　to　the
sentence　of　the　elders；　those　that　were　of　the　tribes　of　Judah
and　Benjamin　came　together　in　three　days；　viz。　on　the　twentieth
day　of　the　ninth　month；　which；　according　to　the　Hebrews；　is
called　Tebeth；　and　according　to　the　Macedonians；　Apelleius。　Now
as　they　were　sitting　in　the　upper　room　of　the　temple；　where　the
elders　also　were　present；　but　were　uneasy　because　of　the　cold；
Esdras　stood　up　and　accused　them；　and　told　them　that　they　had
sinned　in　marrying　wives　that　were　not　of　their　own　nation；　but
that　now　they　would　do　a　thing　both　pleasing　to　God；　and
advantageous　to　themselves；　if　they　would　put　those　wives　away。
Accordingly；　they　all　cried　out　that　they　would　do　so。　That；
however；　the　multitude　was　great；　and　that　the　season　of　the　year
was　winter；　and　that　this　work　would　require　more　than　one　or　two
days。　〃Let　their　rulers；　therefore；　＇said　they；＇　and　those　that
have　married　strange　wives；　come　hither　at　a　proper　time；　while
the　elders　of　every　place；　that　are　in　common　to　estimate　the
number　of　those　that　have　thus　married；　are　to　be　there　also。〃
Accordingly；　this　was　resolved　on　by　them；　and　they　began　the
inquiry　after　those　that　had　married　strange　wives　on　the　first
day　of　the　tenth　month；　and　continued　the　inquiry　to　the　first
day　of　the　next　month；　and　found　a　great　many　of　the　posterity　of
Jeshua　the　high　priest；　and　of　the　priests　and　Levites；　and
Israelites；　who　had　a　greater　regard　to　the　observation　of　the
law　than　to　their　natural　affection；　（9）　and　immediately　cast　out
their　wives；　and　the　children　which　were　born　of　them。　And　in
order　to　appease　God；　they　offered　sacrifices；　and　slew　rams；　as
oblations　to　him；　but　it　does　not　seem　to　me　to　be　necessary　to
set　down　the　names　of　these　men。　So　when　Esdras　had　reformed　this
sin　about　the　marriages　of　the　forementioned　persons；　he　reduced
that　practice　to　purity；　so　that　it　continued　in　that　state　for
the　time　to　come。

5。　Now　when　they　kept　the　feast　of　tabernacles　in　the　seventh
month　（10）　and　almost　all　the　people　were　come　together　to　it；
they　went　up　to　the　open　part　of　the　temple；　to　the　gate　which
looked　eastward；　and　desired　of　Esdras　that　the　laws　of　Moses
might　be　read　to　them。　Accordingly；　he　stood　in　the　midst　of　the
multitude　and　read　them；　and　this　he　did　from　morning　to　noon。
Now；　by　hearing　the　laws　read　to　them；　they　were　instructed　to　be
righteous　men　for　the　present　and　for　the　future；　but　as　for
their　past　offenses；　they　were　displeased　at　themselves；　and
proceeded　to　shed　tears　on　their　account；　as　considering　with
themselves　that　if　they　had　kept　the　law；　they　had　endured　none
of　these　miseries　which　they　had　experienced。　But　when　Esdras　saw
them　in　that　disposition；　he　bade　them　go　home；　and　not　weep；　for
that　it　was　a　festival；　and　that　they　ought　not　to　weep　thereon；
for　that　it　was　not　lawful　so　to　do。　（11）　He　exhorted　them　rather
to　proceed　immediately　to　feasting；　and　to　do　what　was　suitable
to　a　feast；　and　what　was　agreeable　to　a　day　of　joy；　but　to　let
their　repentance　and　sorrow　for　their　former　sins　be　a　security
and　a　guard　to　them；　that　they　fell　no　more　into　the　like
offenses。　So　upon　Esdras's　exhortation　they　began　to　feast；　and
when　they　had　so　done　for　eight　days；　in　their　tabernacles；　they
departed　to　their　own　homes；　singing　hymns　to　God；　and　returning
thanks　to　Esdras　for　his　reformation　of　what　corruptions　had　been
introduced　into　their　settlement。　So　it　came　to　pass；　that　after
he　had　obtained　this　reputation　among　the　people；　he　died　an　old
man；　and　was　buried　in　a　magnificent　manner　at　Jerusalem。　About
the　same　time　it　happened　also　that　Joacim；　the　high　priest；
died；　and　his　son　Eliasib　succeeded　in　the　high　priesthood。
6。　Now　there　was　one　of　those　Jews　that　had　been　carried　captive
who　was　cup…bearer　to　king　Xerxes；　his　name　was　Nehemiah。　As　this
man　was　walking　before　Susa；　the　metropolis　of　the　Persians；　he
heard　some　strangers　that　were　entering　the　city；　after　a　long
journey；　speaking　to　one　another　in　the　Hebrew　tongue；　so　he　went
to　them；　and　asked　them　whence　they　came。　And　when　their　answer
was；　that　they　came　from　Judea；　he　began　to　inquire　of　them　again
in　what　state　the　multitude　was；　and　in　what　condition　Jerusalem
was；　and　when　they　replied　that　they　were　in　a　bad　state　（12）　for
that　their　walls　were　thrown　down　to　the　ground；　and　that　the
neighboring　nations　did　a　great　deal　of　mischief　to　the　Jews；
while　in　the　day　time　they　overran　the　country；　and　pillaged　it；
and　in　the　night　did　them　mischief；　insomuch　that　not　a　few　were
led　away　captive　out　of　the　country；　and　out　of　Jerusalem　itself；
and　that　the　roads　were　in　the　day　time　found　full　of　dead　men。
Hereupon　Nehemiah　shed　tears；　out　of　commiseration　of　the
calamities　of　his　countrymen；　and；　looking　up　to　heaven；　he　said；
〃How　long；　O　Lord；　wilt　thou　overlook　our　nation；　while　it
suffers　so　great　miseries；　and　while　we　are　made　the　prey　and
spoil　of　all　men？〃　And　while　he　staid　at　the　gate；　and　lamented
thus；　one　told　him　that　the　king　was　going　to　sit　down　to　supper；
so　he　made　haste；　and　went　as　he　was；　without　wishing　himself；　to
minister　to　the　king　in　his　office　of　cup…bearer。　But　as　the　king
was　very　pleasant　after　supper；　and　more　cheerful　than　usual；　he
cast　his　eyes　on　Nehemiah；　and　seeing　him　look　sad；　he　asked　him
why　he　was　sad。　Whereupon　he　prayed　to　God　to　give　him　favor；　and
afford　him　the　power　of　persuading　by　his　words；　and　said；　〃How
can　I；　O　king；　appear　otherwise　than　thus；　and　not　be　in　trouble；
while　I　hear　that　the　walls　of　Jerusalem；　the　city　where　are　the
sepulchers　of　my　fathers；　are　thrown　down　to　the　ground；　and　that
its　gates　are　consumed　by　fire？　But　do　thou　grant　me　the　favor　to
go　and　build　its　wall；　and　to　finish　the　building　of　the　temple。〃
Accordingly；　the　king　gave　him　a　signal　that　he　freely　granted
him　what　he　asked；　and　told　him　that　he　should　carry　an　epistle
to　the　governors；　that　they　might　pay　him　due　honor；　and　afford
him　whatsoever　assistance　he　wanted；　and　as　he　pleased。　〃Leave
off　thy　sorrow　then；〃　said　the　king；　〃and　be　cheerful　in　the
performance　of　thy　office　hereafter。〃　So　Nehemiah　worshipped　God；
and　gave　the　king　thanks　for　his　promise；　and　cleared　up　his　sad
and　cloudy　countenance；　by　the　pleasure　he　had　from　the　king's
promises。　Accordingly；　the　king　called　for　him　the　next　day；　and
gave　him　an　epistle　to　be　carried　to　Adeus；　the　governor　of
Syria；　and　Phoenicia；　and　Sa