the antiquities of the jews-1-第82章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　cause　of　the　confusion　and　sadness　they　were　in；　he　was
seized　with　a　divine　fury；　and　sent　away　the　ambassadors　from　the
inhabitants　of　Jabesh；　and　promised　them　to　come　to　their
assistance　on　the　third　day；　and　to　beat　their　enemies　before
sun…rising；　that　the　sun　upon　its　rising　might　see　that　they　had
already　conquered；　and　were　freed　from　the　fears　they　were　under：
but　he　bid　some　of　them　stay　to　conduct　them　the　right　way　to
Jabesh。

3。　So　being　desirous　to　turn　the　people　to　this　war　against　the
Ammonites　by　fear　of　the　losses　they　should　otherwise　undergo；
and　that　they　might　the　more　suddenly　be　gathered　together；　he
cut　the　sinews　of　his　oxen；　and　threatened　to　do　the　same　to　all
such　as　did　not　come　with　their　armor　to　Jordan　the　next　day；　and
follow　him　and　Samuel　the　prophet　whithersoever　they　should　lead
them。　So　they　came　together；　out　of　fear　of　the　losses　they　were
threatened　with；　at　the　appointed　time。　And　the　multitude　were
numbered　at　the　city　Bezek。　And　he　found　the　number　of　those　that
were　gathered　together；　besides　that　of　the　tribe　of　Judah；　to　be
seven　hundred　thousand；　while　those　of　that　tribe　were　seventy
thousand。　So　he　passed　over　Jordan；　and　proceeded　in　marching　all
that　night；　thirty　furlongs；　and　came　to　Jabesh　before
sun…rising。　So　he　divided　the　army　into　three　companies；　and　fell
upon　their　enemies　on　every　side　on　the　sudden；　and　when　they
expected　no　such　thing；　and　joining　battle　with　them；　they　slew　a
great　many　of　the　Ammonites；　as　also　their　king　Nabash。　This
glorious　action　was　done　by　Saul；　and　was　related　with　great
commendation　of　him　to　all　the　Hebrews；　and　he　thence　gained　a
wonderful　reputation　for　his　valor：　for　although　there　were　some
of　them　that　contemned　him　before；　they　now　changed　their　minds；
and　honored　him；　and　esteemed　him　as　the　best　of　men：　for　he　did
not　content　himself　with　having　saved　the　inhabitants　of　Jabesh
only；　but　he　made　an　expedition　into　the　country　of　the
Ammonites；　and　laid　it　all　waste；　and　took　a　large　prey；　and　so
returned　to　his　own　country　most　gloriously。　So　the　people　were
greatly　pleased　at　these　excellent　performances　of　Saul；　and
rejoiced　that　they　had　constituted　him　their　king。　They　also　made
a　clamor　against　those　that　pretended　he　would　be　of　no　advantage
to　their　affairs；　and　they　said；　Where　now　are　these　men？　…　let
them　be　brought　to　punishment；　with　all　the　like　things　that
multitudes　usually　say　when　they　are　elevated　with　prosperity；
against　those　that　lately　had　despised　the　authors　of　it。　But
Saul；　although　he　took　the　good…will　and　the　affection　of　these
men　very　kindly；　yet　did　he　swear　that　he　would　not　see　any　of
his　countrymen　slain　that　day；　since　it　was　absurd　to　mix　this
victory；　which　God　had　given　them；　with　the　blood　and　slaughter
of　those　that　were　of　the　same　lineage　with　themselves；　and　that
it　was　more　agreeable　to　be　men　of　a　friendly　disposition；　and　so
to　betake　themselves　to　feasting。

4。　And　when　Samuel　had　told　them　that　he　ought　to　confirm　the
kingdom　to　Saul　by　a　second　ordination　of　him；　they　all　came
together　to　the　city　of　Gilgal；　for　thither　did　he　command　them
to　come。　So　the　prophet　anointed　Saul　with　the　holy　oil　in　the
sight　of　the　multitude；　and　declared　him　to　be　king　the　second
time。　And　so　the　government　of　the　Hebrews　was　changed　into　a
regal　government；　for　in　the　days　of　Moses；　and　his　disciple
Joshua；　who　was　their　general；　they　continued　under　an
aristocracy；　but　after　the　death　of　Joshua；　for　eighteen　years　in
all；　the　multitude　had　no　settled　form　of　government；　but　were　in
an　anarchy；　after　which　they　returned　to　their　former　government；
they　then　permitting　themselves　to　be　judged　by　him　who　appeared
to　be　the　best　warrior　and　most　courageous；　whence　it　was　that
they　called　this　interval　of　their　government　the　Judges。

5。　Then　did　Samuel　the　prophet　call　another　assembly　also；　and
said　to　them；〃　I　solemnly　adjure　you　by　God　Almighty；　who　brought
those　excellent　brethren；　I　mean　Moses　and　Aaron；　into　the　world；
and　delivered　our　fathers　from　the　Egyptians；　and　from　the
slavery。　they　endured　under　them；　that　you　will　not　speak　what
you　say　to　gratify　me；　nor　suppress　any　thing　out　of　fear　of　me；
nor　be　overborne　by　any　other　passion；　but　say；　What　have　I　ever
done　that　was　cruel　or　unjust？　or　what　have　I　done　out　of　lucre
or　covetousness；　or　to　gratify　others？　Bear　witness　against　me；
if　I　have　taken　an　ox　or　a　sheep；　or　any　such　thing；　which　yet
when　they　are　taken　to　support　men；　it　is　esteemed　blameless；　or
have　I　taken　an　ass　for　mine　own　use　of　any　one　to　his　grief？　…
lay　some　one　such　crime　to　my　charge；　now　we　are　in　your　king's
presence。〃　But　they　cried　out；　that　no　such　thing　had　been　done
by　him；　but　that　he　had　presided　over　the　nation　after　a　holy　and
righteous　manner。

6。　Hereupon　Samuel；　when　such　a　testimony　had　been　given　him　by
them　all；　said；　〃Since　you　grant　that　you　are　not　able　to　lay　any
ill　thing　to　my　charge　hitherto；　come　on　now；　and　do　you　hearken
while　I　speak　with　great　freedom　to　you。　You　have　been　guilty　of
great　impiety　against　God；　in　asking　you　a　king。　It　behoves　you
to　remember　that　our　grandfather　Jacob　came　down　into　Egypt；　by
reason　of　a　famine；　with　seventy　souls　only　of　our　family；　and
that　their　posterity　multiplied　there　to　many　ten　thousands；　whom
the　Egyptians　brought　into　slavery　and　hard　oppression；　that　God
himself；　upon　the　prayers　of　our　fathers；　sent　Moses　and　Aaron；
who　were　brethren；　and　gave　them　power　to　deliver　the　multitude
out　of　their　distress；　and　this　without　a　king。　These　brought　us
into　this　very　land　which　you　now　possess：　and　when　you　enjoyed
these　advantages　from　God；　you　betrayed　his　worship　and　religion；
nay；　moreover；　when　you　were　brought　under　the　hands　of　your
enemies；　he　delivered　you；　first　by　rendering　you　superior　to　the
Assyrians　and　their　forces；　he　then　made　you　to　overcome　the
Ammonites　and　the　Moabites；　and　last　of　all　the　Philistines；　and
these　things　have　been　achieved　under　the　conduct　of　Jephtha　and
Gideon。　What　madness　therefore　possessed　you　to　fly　from　God；　and
to　desire　to　be　under　a　king？　…　yet　have　I　ordained　him　for　king
whom　he　chose　for　you。　However；　that　I　may　make　it　plain　to　you
that　God　is　angry　and　displeased　at　your　choice　of　kingly
government；　I　will　so　dispose　him　that　he　shall　declare　this　very
plainly　to　you　by　strange　signals；　for　what　none　of　you　ever　saw
here　before；　I　mean　a　winter　storm　in　the　midst　of　harvest；　（10）
I　will　entreat　of　God；　and　will　make　it　visible　to　you。〃　Now；　as
soon　as　he　had　said　this；　God　gave　such　great　signals　by　thunder
and　lightning；　and　the　descent　of　hail；　as　attested　the　truth　of
all　that　the　prophet　had　said；　insomuch　that　they　were　amazed　and
terrified；　and　confessed　they　had　sinned；　and　had　fallen　into
that　sin　through　ignorance；　and　besought　the　prophet；　as　one　that
was　a　tender　and　gentle　father　to　them；　to　render　God　so　merciful
as　to　forgive　this　their　sin；　which　they　had　added　to　those　other
offenses　whereby　they　had　affronted　him　and　transgressed　against
him。　So　he　promised　them　that　he　would　beseech　God；　and　persuade
him　to　forgive　them　these　their　sins。　However；　he　advised　them　to
be　righteous；　and　to　be　good；　and　ever　to　remember　the　miseries
that　had　befallen　them　on　account　of　their　departure　from　virtue：
as　also　to　remember　the　strange　signs　God　had　shown　them；　and　the
body　of　laws　that　Moses　had　given　them；　if　they　had　any　desire　of
being　preserved　and　made　happy　with　their　king。　But　he　said；　that
if　they　should　grow　careless　of　these　things；　great　judgments
would　come　from　God　upon　them；　and　upon　their　king。　And　when
Samuel　had　thus　prophesied　to　the　Hebrews；　he　dismissed　them　to
their　own　homes；　having　confirmed　the　kingdom　to　Saul　the　second
time。

CHAPTER　6。

How　The　Philistines　Made　Another　Expedition　Against　The　Hebrews
And　Were　Beaten。

1。　Now　Saul　chose　out　of　the　multitude　about　three　thousand　men；
and　he　took　two　thousand　of　them　to　be　the　guards　of　his　own
body；　and　abode　in　the　city　Bethel；　but　he　gave　the　rest　of　them
to　Jonathan　his　son；　to　be　the　guards　of　his　body；　and　sent　him
to　Gibeah