the antiquities of the jews-1-第84章

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That　if　any　one　put　a　stop　to　his　slaughter　of　the　enemy；　and
fell　on　eating；　and　left　off　the　slaughter　or　the　pursuit　before
the　night　came　on；　and　obliged　them　so　to　do；　he　should　be
accursed。　Now　after　Saul　had　denounced　this　curse；　since　they
were　now　in　a　wood　belonging　to　the　tribe　of　Ephraim；　which　was
thick　and　full　of　bees；　Saul's　son；　who　did　not　hear　his　father
denounce　that　curse；　nor　hear　of　the　approbation　the　multitude
gave　to　it；　broke　off　a　piece　of　a　honey…comb；　and　ate　part　of
it。　But；　in　the　mean　time；　he　was　informed　with　what　a　curse　his
father　had　forbidden　them　to　taste　any　thing　before　sun…setting：
so　he　left　off　eating；　and　said　his　father　had　not　done　well　in
this　prohibition；　because；　had　they　taken　some　food；　they　had
pursued　the　enemy　with　greater　rigor　and　alacrity；　and　had　both
taken　and　slain　many　more　of　their　enemies。

4。　When；　therefore；　they　had　slain　many　ten　thousands　of　the
Philistines；　they　fell　upon　spoiling　the　camp　of　the　Philistines；
but　not　till　late　in　the　evening。　They　also　took　a　great　deal　of
prey　and　cattle；　and　killed　them；　and　ate　them　with　their　blood。
This　was　told　to　the　king　by　the　scribes；　that　the　multitude　were
sinning　against　God　as　they　sacrificed；　and　were　eating　before
the　blood　was　well　washed　away；　and　the　flesh　was　made　clean。
Then　did　Saul　give　order　that　a　great　stone　should　be　rolled　into
the　midst　of　them；　and　he　made　proclamation　that　they　should　kill
their　sacrifices　upon　it；　and　not　feed　upon　the　flesh　with　the
blood；　for　that　was　not　acceptable　to　God。　And　when　all　the
people　did　as　the　king　commanded　them；　Saul　erected　an　altar
there；　and　offered　burnt…offerings　upon　it　to　God　（14）　This　was
the　first　altar　that　Saul　built。

5。　So　when　Saul　was　desirous　of　leading　his　men　to　the　enemy's
camp　before　it　was　day；　in　order　to　plunder　it；　and　when　the
soldiers　were　not　unwilling　to　follow　him；　but　indeed　showed
great　readiness　to　do　as　he　commanded　them；　the　king　called
Ahitub　the　high　priest；　and　enjoined　him　to　know　of　God　whether
he　would　grant　them　the　favor　and　permission　to　go　against　the
enemy's　camp；　in　order　to　destroy　those　that　were　in　it。　And　when
the　priest　said　that　God　did　not　give　any　answer；　Saul　replied；
〃And　not　without　some　cause　does　God　refuse　to　answer　what　we
inquire　of　him；　while　yet　a　little　while　ago　he　declared　to　us
all　that　we　desired　beforehand；　and　even　prevented　us　in　his
answer。　To　be　sure　there　is　some　sin　against　him　that　is
concealed　from　us；　which　is　the　occasion　of　his　silence。　Now　I
swear　by　him　himself；　that　though　he　that　hath　committed　this　sin
should　prove　to　be　my　own　son　Jonathan；　I　will　slay　him；　and　by
that　means　will　appease　the　anger　of　God　against　us；　and　that　in
the　very　same　manner　as　if　I　were　to　punish　a　stranger；　and　one
not　at　all　related　to　me；　for　the　same　offense。〃　So　when　the
multitude　cried　out　to　him　so　to　do；　he　presently　set　all　the
rest　on　one　side；　and　he　and　his　son　stood　on　the　other　side；　and
he　sought　to　discover　the　offender　by　lot。　Now　the　lot　appeared
to　fall　upon　Jonathan　himself。　So　when　he　was　asked　by　his　father
what　sin　he　had　been　guilty　of；　and　what　he　was　conscious　of　in
the　course　of　his　life　that　might　be　esteemed　instances　of　guilt
or　profaneness；　his　answer　was　this；　〃O　father；　I　have　done
nothing　more　than　that　yesterday；　without　knowing　of　the　curse
and　oath　thou　hadst　denounced；　while　I　was　in　pursuit　of　the
enemy；　I　tasted　of　a　honey…comb。〃　But　Saul　sware　that　he　would
slay　him；　and　prefer　the　observation　of　his　oath　before　all　the
ties　of　birth　and　of　nature。　And　Jonathan　was　not　dismayed　at
this　threatening　of　death；　but；　offering　himself　to　it　generously
and　undauntedly；　he　said；　〃Nor　do　I　desire　you；　father；　to　spare
me：　death　will　be　to　me　very　acceptable；　when　it　proceeds　from
thy　piety；　and　after　a　glorious　victory；　for　it　is　the　greatest
consolation　to　me　that　I　leave　the　Hebrews　victorious　over　the
Philistines。〃　Hereupon　all　the　people　were　very　sorry；　and
greatly　afflicted　for　Jonathan；　and　they　sware　that　they　would
not　overlook　Jonathan；　and　see　him　die；　who　was　the　author　of
their　victory。　By　which　means　they　snatched　him　out　of　the　danger
he　was　in　from　his　father's　curse；　while　they　made　their　prayers
to　God　also　for　the　young　man；　that　he　would　remit　his　sin。

6。　So　Saul；　having　slain　about　sixty　thousand　of　the　enemy；
returned　home　to　his　own　city；　and　reigned　happily：　and　he　also
fought　against　the　neighboring　nations；　and　subdued　the
Ammonites；　and　Moabites；　and　Philistines；　and　Edomites；　and
Amalekites；　as　also　the　king　of　Zobah。　He　had　three　male
children；　Jonathan；　and　Isui；　and　Melchishua；　with　Merab　and
Michal　his　daughters。　He　had　also　Abner；　his　uncle's　son；　for　the
captain　of　his　host：　that　uncle's　name　was　Ner。　Now　Ner；　and　Kish
the　father　of　Saul；　were　brothers。　Saul　had　also　a　great　many
chariots　and　horsemen；　and　against　whomsoever　he　made　war　he
returned　conqueror；　and　advanced　the　affairs　of　the　Hebrews　to　a
great　degree　of　success　and　prosperity；　and　made　them　superior　to
other　nations；　and　he　made　such　of　the　young　men　as　were
remarkable　for　tallness　and　comeliness　the　guards　of　his　body。

CHAPTER　7。

Saul's　War　With　The　Amalekites；　And　Conquest　Of　Them。

1。　Now　Samuel　came　unto　Saul；　and　said　to　him；　that　he　was　sent
by　God　to　put　him　in　mind　that　God　had　preferred　him　before　all
others；　and　ordained　him　king；　that　he　therefore　ought　to　be
obedient　to　him；　and　to　submit　to　his　authority；　as　considering；
that　though　he　had　the　dominion　over　the　other　tribes；　yet　that
God　had　the　dominion　over　him；　and　over　all　things。　That
accordingly　God　said　to　him；　that　〃because　the　Amalekites　did　the
Hebrews　a　great　deal　of　mischief　while　they　were　in　the
wilderness；　and　when；　upon　their　coming　out　of　Egypt；　they　were
making　their　way　to　that　country　which　is　now　their　own；　I　enjoin
thee　to　punish　the　Amalekites；　by　making　war　upon　them；　and　when
thou　hast　subdued　them；　to　leave　none　of　them　alive；　but　to
pursue　them　through　every　age；　and　to　slay　them；　beginning　with
the　women　and　the　infants；　and　to　require　this　as　a　punishment　to
be　inflicted　upon　them　for　the　mischief　they　did　to　our
forefathers；　to　spare　nothing；　neither　asses　nor　other　beasts；
nor　to　reserve　any　of　them　for　your　own　advantage　and　possession；
but　to　devote　them　universally　to　God；　and；　in　obedience　to　the
commands　of　Moses；　to　blot　out　the　name　of　Amalek　entirely。〃　（15）

2。　So　Saul　promised　to　do　what　he　was　commanded；　and　supposing
that　his　obedience　to　God　would　be　shown；　not　only　in　making　war
against　the　Amalekites；　but　more　fully　in　the　readiness　and
quickness　of　his　proceedings；　he　made　no　delay；　but　immediately
gathered　together　all　his　forces；　and　when　he　had　numbered　them
in　Gilgal；　he　found　them　to　be　about　four　hundred　thousand　of　the
Israelites；　besides　the　tribe　of　Judah；　for　that　tribe　contained
by　itself　thirty　thousand。　Accordingly；　Saul　made　an　irruption
into　the　country　of　the　Amalekites；　and　set　many　men　in　several
parties　in　ambush　at　the　river；　that　so　he　might　not　only　do　them
a　mischief　by　open　fighting；　but　might　fall　upon　them
unexpectedly　in　the　ways；　and　might　thereby　compass　them　round
about；　and　kill　them。　And　when　he　had　joined　battle　with　the
enemy；　he　beat　them；　and　pursuing　them　as　they　fled；　he　destroyed
them　all。　And　when　that　undertaking　had　succeeded；　according　as
God　had　foretold；　he　set　upon　the　cities　of　the　Amalekites；　he
besieged　them；　and　took　them　by　force；　partly　by　warlike
machines；　partly　by　mines　dug　under　ground；　and　partly　by
building　walls　on　the　outsides。　Some　they　starved　out　with
famine；　and　some　they　gained　by　other　methods；　and　after　all；　he
betook　himself　to　slay　the　women　and　the　children；　and　thought　he
did　not　act　therein　either　barbarously　or　inhumanly；　first；
because　they　were　enemies　whom　he　thus　treated；　and；　in　the　next
place；　because　it　was　done　by　the　command　of　God；　whom　it　was
dangerous　not　to　obey。　He　also　took　Agag；　the　enemies'　king；
captive；　…　the　beauty　and　tallness　of　whose　body　he　admired　so
much；　that　he　thought　him　worthy　of　preservation。　Yet　was　not
this　done　however　acc