the antiquities of the jews-1-第29章

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person　who　knew　them；　and　pretended　them　to　be　divine；　as　also　he
told　him；　that　when　he　brought　such　wonderful　sights　before　him；
he　would　only　be　believed　by　the　unlearned。　Now　when　the　priests
threw　down　their　rods；　they　became　serpents。　But　Moses　was　not
daunted　at　it；　and　said；　〃O　king；　I　do　not　myself　despise　the
wisdom　of　the　Egyptians；　but　I　say　that　what　I　do　is　so　much
superior　to　what　these　do　by　magic　arts　and　tricks；　as　Divine
power　exceeds　the　power　of　man：　but　I　will　demonstrate　that　what
I　do　is　not　done　by　craft；　or　counterfeiting　what　is　not　really
true；　but　that　they　appear　by　the　providence　and　power　of　God。〃
And　when　he　had　said　this；　he　cast　his　rod　down　upon　the　ground；
and　commanded　it　to　turn　itself　into　a　serpent。　It　obeyed　him；
and　went　all　round；　and　devoured　the　rods　of　the　Egyptians；　which
seemed　to　be　dragons；　until　it　had　consumed　them　all。　It　then
returned　to　its　own　form；　and　Moses　took　it　into　his　hand　again。

4。　However；　the　king　was　no　more　moved　when　was　done　than　before；
and　being　very　angry；　he　said　that　he　should　gain　nothing　by　this
his　cunning　and　shrewdness　against　the　Egyptians；　…　and　he
commanded　him　that　was　the　chief　taskmaster　over　the　Hebrews；　to
give　them　no　relaxation　from　their　labors；　but　to　compel　them　to
submit　to　greater　oppressions　than　before；　and　though　he　allowed
them　chaff　before　for　making　their　bricks；　he　would　allow　it　them
no　longer；　but　he　made　them　to　work　hard　at　brick…making　in　the
day…time；　and　to　gather　chaff　in　the　night。　Now　when　their　labor
was　thus　doubled　upon　them；　they　laid　the　blame　upon　Moses；
because　their　labor　and　their　misery　were　on　his　account　become
more　severe　to　them。　But　Moses　did　not　let　his　courage　sink　for
the　king's　threatenings；　nor　did　he　abate　of　his　zeal　on　account
of　the　Hebrews'　complaints；　but　he　supported　himself；　and　set　his
soul　resolutely　against　them　both；　and　used　his　own　utmost
diligence　to　procure　liberty　to　his　countrymen。　So　he　went　to　the
king；　and　persuaded　him　to　let　the　Hebrews　go　to　Mount　Sinai；　and
there　to　sacrifice　to　God；　because　God　had　enjoined　them　so　to
do。　He　persuaded　him　also　not　to　counterwork　the　designs　of　God；
but　to　esteem　his　favor　above　all　things；　and　to　permit　them　to
depart；　lest；　before　he　be　aware；　he　lay　an　obstruction　in　the
way　of　the　Divine　commands；　and　so　occasion　his　own　suffering
such　punishments　as　it　was　probable　any　one　that　counterworked
the　Divine　commands　should　undergo；　since　the　severest
afflictions　arise　from　every　object　to　those　that　provoke　the
Divine　wrath　against　them；　for　such　as　these　have　neither　the
earth　nor　the　air　for　their　friends；　nor　are　the　fruits　of　the
womb　according　to　nature；　but　every　thing　is　unfriendly　and
adverse　towards　them。　He　said　further；　that　the　Egyptians　should
know　this　by　sad　experience；　and　that　besides；　the　Hebrew　people
should　go　out　of　their　country　without　their　consent。

CHAPTER　14。

Concerning　The　Ten　Plagues　Which　Came　Upon　The　Egyptians。

1。　But　when　the　king　despised　the　words　of　Moses；　and　had　no
regard　at　all　to　them；　grievous　plagues　seized　the　Egyptians；
every　one　of　which　I　will　describe；　both　because　no　such　plagues
did　ever　happen　to　any　other　nation　as　the　Egyptians　now　felt；
and　because　I　would　demonstrate　that　Moses　did　not　fail　in　any
one　thing　that　he　foretold　them；　and　because　it　is　for　the　good
of　mankind；　that　they　may　learn　this　caution　…　Not　to　do　anything
that　may　displease　God；　lest　he　be　provoked　to　wrath；　and　avenge
their　iniquities　upon　them。　For　the　Egyptian　river　ran　with
bloody　water　at　the　command　of　God；　insomuch　that　it　could　not　be
drunk；　and　they　had　no　other　spring　of　water　neither；　for　the
water　was　not　only　of　the　color　of　blood；　but　it　brought　upon
those　that　ventured　to　drink　of　it；　great　pains　and　bitter
torment。　Such　was　the　river　to　the　Egyptians；　but　it　was　sweet
and　fit　for　drinking　to　the　Hebrews；　and　no　way　different　from
what　it　naturally　used　to　be。　As　the　king　therefore　knew　not　what
to　do　in　these　surprising　circumstances；　and　was　in　fear　for　the
Egyptians；　he　gave　the　Hebrews　leave　to　go　away；　but　when　the
plague　ceased；　he　changed　his　mind　again；　end　would　not　suffer
them　to　go。

2。　But　when　God　saw　that　he　was　ungrateful；　and　upon　the　ceasing
of　this　calamity　would　not　grow　wiser；　he　sent　another　plague
upon　the　Egyptians：　…　An　innumerable　multitude　of　frogs　consumed
the　fruit　of　the　ground；　the　river　was　also　full　of　them；
insomuch　that　those　who　drew　water　had　it　spoiled　by　the　blood　of
these　animals；　as　they　died　in；　and　were　destroyed　by；　the　water；
and　the　country　was　full　of　filthy　slime；　as　they　were　born；　and
as　they　died：　they　also　spoiled　their　vessels　in　their　houses
which　they　used；　and　were　found　among　what　they　eat　and　what　they
drank；　and　came　in　great　numbers　upon　their　beds。　There　was　also
an　ungrateful　smell；　and　a　stink　arose　from　them；　as　they　were
born；　and　as　they　died　therein。　Now；　when　the　Egyptians　were
under　the　oppression　of　these　miseries；　the　king　ordered　Moses　to
take　the　Hebrews　with　him；　and　be　gone。　Upon　which　the　whole
multitude　of　the　frogs　vanished　away；　and　both　the　land　and　the
river　returned　to　their　former　natures。　But　as　soon　as　Pharaoh
saw　the　land　freed　from　this　plague；　he　forgot　the　cause　of　it；
and　retained　the　Hebrews；　and；　as　though　he　had　a　mind　to　try　the
nature　of　more　such　judgments；　he　would　not　yet　suffer　Moses　and
his　people　to　depart；　having　granted　that　liberty　rather　out　of
fear　than　out　of　any　good　consideration。　（35）

3。　Accordingly；　God　punished　his　falseness　with　another　plague；
added　to　the　former；　for　there　arose　out　of　the　bodies　of　the
Egyptians　an　innumerable　quantity　of　lice；　by　which；　wicked　as
they　were；　they　miserably　perished；　as　not　able　to　destroy　this
sort　of　vermin　either　with　washes　or　with　ointments。　At　which
terrible　judgment　the　king　of　Egypt　was　in　disorder；　upon　the
fear　into　which　he　reasoned　himself；　lest　his　people　should　be
destroyed；　and　that　the　manner　of　this　death　was　also
reproachful；　so　that　he　was　forced　in　part　to　recover　himself
from　his　wicked　temper　to　a　sounder　mind；　for　he　gave　leave　for
the　Hebrews　themselves　to　depart。　But　when　the　plague　thereupon
ceased；　he　thought　it　proper　to　require　that　they　should　leave
their　children　and　wives　behind　them；　as　pledges　of　their　return；
whereby　he　provoked　God　to　be　more　vehemently　angry　at　him；　as　if
he　thought　to　impose　on　his　providence；　and　as　if　it　were　only
Moses；　and　not　God；　who　punished　the　Egyptians　for　the　sake　of
the　Hebrews：　for　he　filled　that　country　full　of　various　sorts　of
pestilential　creatures；　with　their　various　properties；　such
indeed　as　had　never　come　into　the　sight　of　men　before；　by　whose
means　the　men　perished　themselves；　and　the　land　was　destitute　of
husbandmen　for　its　cultivation；　but　if　any　thing　escaped
destruction　from　them；　it　was　killed　by　a　distemper　which　the　men
underwent　also。

4。　But　when　Pharaoh　did　not　even　then　yield　to　the　will　of　God；
but；　while　he　gave　leave　to　the　husbands　to　take　their　wives　with
them；　yet　insisted　that　the　children　should　be　left　behind；　God
presently　resolved　to　punish　his　wickedness　with　several　sorts　of
calamities；　and　those　worse　than　the　foregoing；　which　yet　had　so
generally　afflicted　them；　for　their　bodies　had　terrible　boils；
breaking　forth　with　blains；　while　they　were　already　inwardly
consumed；　and　a　great　part　of　the　Egyptians　perished　in　this
manner。　But　when　the　king　was　not　brought　to　reason　by　this
plague；　hail　was　sent　down　from　heaven；　and　such　hail　it　was；　as
the　climate　of　Egypt　had　never　suffered　before；　nor　was　it　like
to　that　which　falls　in　other　climates　in　winter　time；　（26）　but
was　larger　than　that　which　falls　in　the　middle　of　spring　to　those
that　dwell　in　the　northern　and　north…western　regions。　This　hail
broke　down　their　boughs　laden　with　fruit。　After　this　a　tribe　of
locusts　consumed　the　seed　which　was　not　hurt　by　the　hail；　so　that
to　the　Egyptians　all　hopes　of　the　future　fruits　of　the　ground
were　entirely　lost。

5。　One　would　think　the　forementioned　calamities　might　have　been
sufficient　for　one　that　was　only　foolish；　without　wickednes