the antiquities of the jews-1-第71章

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and　pitched　his　camp　not　far　from　the　enemy；　whereupon　the
Israelites；　and　Barak　himself；　were　so　aftrighted　at　the
multitude　of　those　enemies；　that　they　were　resolved　to　march　off；
had　not　Deborah　retained　them；　and　commanded　them　to　fight　the
enemy　that　very　day；　for　that　they　should　conquer　them；　and　God
would　be　their　assistance。

4。　So　the　battle　began；　and　when　they　were　come　to　a　close　fight；
there　came　down　from　heaven　a　great　storm；　with　a　vast　quantity
of　rain　and　hail；　and　the　wind　blew　the　rain　in　the　face　of　the
Canaanites；　and　so　darkened　their　eyes；　that　their　arrows　and
slings　were　of　no　advantage　to　them；　nor　would　the　coldness　of
the　air　permit　the　soldiers　to　make　use　of　their　swords；　while
this　storm　did　not　so　much　incommode　the　Israelites；　because　it
came　in　their　backs。　They　also　took　such　courage；　upon　the
apprehension　that　God　was　assisting　them；　that　they　fell　upon　the
very　midst　of　their　enemies；　and　slew　a　great　number　of　them；　so
that　some　of　them　fell　by　the　Israelites；　some　fell　by　their　own
horses；　which　were　put　into　disorder；　and　not　a　few　were　killed
by　their　own　chariots。　At　last　Sisera；　as　soon　as　he　saw　himself
beaten；　fled　away；　and　came　to　a　woman　whose　name　was　Jael；　a
Kenite；　who　received　him；　when　he　desired　to　be　concealed；　and
when　he　asked　for　somewhat　to　drink；　she　gave　him　sour　milk；　of
which　he　drank　so　unmeasurably　that　he　fell　asleep；　but　when　he
was　asleep；　Jael　took　an　iron　nail；　and　with　a　hammer　drove　it
through　his　temples　into　the　floor；　and　when　Barak　came　a　little
afterward；　she　showed　Sisera　nailed　to　the　ground：　and　thus　was
this　victory　gained　by　a　woman；　as　Deborah　had　foretold。　Barak
also　fought　with　Jabin　at　Hazor；　and　when　he　met　with　him；　he
slew　him：　and　when　the　general　was　fallen；　Barak　overthrew　the
city　to　the　foundation；　and　was　the　commander　of　the　Israelites
for　forty　years。

CHAPTER　6。

How　The　Midianites　And　Other　Nations　Fought　Against　The
Israelites　And　Beat　Them；　And　Afflicted　Their　Country　For　Seven
Years；　How　They　Were　Delivered　By　Gideon；　Who　Ruled　Over　The
Multitude　For　Forty　Years。

1。　Now　when　Barak　and　Deborah　were　dead；　whose　deaths　happened
about　the　same　time；　afterwards　the　Midianites　called　the
Amalekites　and　Arabians　to　their　assistance；　and　made　war　against
the　Israelites；　and　were　too　hard　for　those　that　fought　against
them；　and　when　they　had　burnt　the　fruits　of　the　earth；　they
carried　off　the　prey。　Now　when　they　had　done　this　for　three
years；　the　multitude　of　the　Israelites　retired　to　the　mountains；
and　forsook　the　plain　country。　They　also　made　themselves　hollows
under　ground；　and　caverns；　and　preserved　therein　whatsoever　had
escaped　their　enemies；　for　the　Midianites　made　expeditions　in
harvest…time；　but　permitted　them　to　plough　the　land　in　winter；
that　so；　when　the　others　had　taken　the　pains；　they　might　have
fruits　for　them　to　carry　away。　Indeed；　there　ensued　a　famine　and
a　scarcity　of　food；　upon　which　they　betook　themselves　to　their
supplications　to　God；　and　besought　him　to　save　them。

2。　Gideon　also；　the　son　of　Joash；　one　of　the　principal　persons　of
the　tribe　of　Manasseh；　brought　his　sheaves　of　corn　privately；　and
thrashed　them　at　the　wine…press；　for　he　was　too　fearful　of　their
enemies　to　thrash　them　openly　in　the　thrashing…floor。　At　this
time　somewhat　appeared　to　him　in　the　shape　of　a　young　man；　and
told　him　that　he　was　a　happy　man；　and　beloved　of　God。　To　which　he
immediately　replied；　〃A　mighty　indication　of　God's　favor　to　me；
that　I　am　forced　to　use　this　wine…press　instead　of　a
thrashing…floor！〃　But　the　appearance　exhorted　him　to　be　of　good
courage；　and　to　make　an　attempt　for　the　recovery　of　their
liberty。　He　answered；　that　it　was　impossible　for　him　to　recover
it；　because　the　tribe　to　which　he　belonged　was　by　no　means
numerous；　and　because　he　was　but　young　himself；　and　too
inconsiderable　to　think　of　such　great　actions。　But　the　other
promised　him；　that　God　would　supply　what　he　was　defective　in；　and
would　afford　the　Israelites　victory　under　his　conduct。

3。　Now；　therefore；　as　Gideon　was　relating　this　to　some　young　men；
they　believed　him；　and　immediately　there　was　an　army　of　ten
thousand　men　got　ready　for　fighting。　But　God　stood　by　Gideon　in
his　sleep；　and　told　him　that　mankind　were　too　fond　of　themselves；
and　were　enemies　to　such　as　excelled　in　virtue。　Now　that　they
might　not　pass　God　over；　but　ascribe　the　victory　to　him；　and
might　not　fancy　it　obtained　by　their　own　power；　because　they　were
a　great　many；　and　able　of　themselves　to　fight　their　enemies；　but
might　confess　that　it　was　owing　to　his　assistance；　he　advised　him
to　bring　his　army　about　noon；　in　the　violence　of　the　heat；　to　the
river；　and　to　esteem　those　that　bent　down　on　their　knees；　and　so
drank；　to　be　men　of　courage；　but　for　all　those　that　drank
tumultuously；　that　he　should　esteem　them　to　do　it　out　of　fear；
and　as　in　dread　of　their　enemies。　And　when　Gideon　had　done　as　God
had　suggested　to　him；　there　were　found　three　hundred　men　that
took　water　with　their　hands　tumultuously；　so　God　bid　him　take
these　men；　and　attack　the　enemy。　Accordingly　they　pitched　their
camp　at　the　river　Jordan；　as　ready　the　next　day　to　pass　over　it。

4。　But　Gideon　was　in　great　fear；　for　God　had　told　him　beforehand
that　he　should　set　upon　his　enemies　in　the　night…time；　but　God；
being　willing　to　free　him　from　his　fear；　bid　him　take　one　of　his
soldiers；　and　go　near　to　the　Midianites'　tents；　for　that　he
should　from　that　very　place　have　his　courage　raised；　and　grow
bold。　So　he　obeyed；　and　went　and　took　his　servant　Phurah　with
him；　and　as　he　came　near　to　one　of　the　tents；　he　discovered　that
those　that　were　in　it　were　awake；　and　that　one　of　them　was
telling　to　his　fellow　soldier　a　dream　of　his　own；　and　that　so
plainly　that　Gideon　could　hear　him。　The　dream　was　this：　…　He
thought　he　saw　a　barley…cake；　such　a　one　as　could　hardly　be　eaten
by　men；　it　was　so　vile；　rolling　through　the　camp；　and
overthrowing　the　royal　tent；　and　the　tents　of　all　the　soldiers。
Now　the　other　soldier　explained　this　vision　to　mean　the
destruction　of　the　army；　and　told　them　what　his　reason　was　which
made　him　so　conjecture；　viz。　That　the　seed　called　barley　was　all
of　it　allowed　to　be　of　the　vilest　sort　of　seed；　and　that　the
Israelites　were　known　to　be　the　vilest　of　all　the　people　of　Asia；
agreeably　to　the　seed　of　barley；　and　that　what　seemed　to　look　big
among　the　Israelites　was　this　Gideon　and　the　army　that　was　with
him；　〃and　since　thou　sayest　thou　didst　see　the　cake　overturning
our　tents；　I　am　afraid　lest　God　hath　granted　the　victory　over　us
to　Gideon。〃

5。　When　Gideon　had　heard　this　dream；　good　hope　and　courage　came
upon　him；　and　he　commanded　his　soldiers　to　arm　themselves；　and
told　them　of　this　vision　of　their　enemies。　They　also　took　courage
at　what　was　told　them；　and　were　ready　to　perform　what　he　should
enjoin　them。　So　Gideon　divided　his　army　into　three　parts；　and
brought　it　out　about　the　fourth　watch　of　the　night；　each　part
containing　a　hundred　men：　they　all　bare　empty　pitchers　and
lighted　lamps　in　their　hands；　that　their　onset　might　not　be
discovered　by　their　enemies。　They　had　also　each　of　them　a　ram's
horn　in　his　right　hand；　which　he　used　instead　of　a　trumpet。　The
enemy's　camp　took　up　a　large　space　of　ground；　for　it　happened
that　they　had　a　great　many　camels；　and　as　they　were　divided　into
different　nations；　so　they　were　all　contained　in　one　circle。　Now
when　the　Hebrews　did　as　they　were　ordered　beforehand；　upon　their
approach　to　their　enemies；　and；　on　the　signal　given；　sounded　with
their　rams'　horns；　and　brake　their　pitchers；　and　set　upon　their
enemies　with　their　lamps；　and　a　great　shout；　and　cried；　〃Victory
to　Gideon；　by　God's　assistance；〃　a　disorder　and　a　fright　seized
upon　the　other　men　while　they　were　half　asleep；　for　it　was
night…time；　as　God　would　have　it；　so　that　a　few　of　them　were
slain　by　their　enemies；　but　the　greatest　part　by　their　own
soldiers；　on　account　of　the　diversity　of　their　language；　and　when
they　were　once　put　into　disorder；　they　killed　all　that　they　met
with；　as　thinking　them　to　be　enemies　also。　Thus　there　was　a　great
slaughter　made。　And　as　the　report　of　Gideon's　victory　came　to　the