the antiquities of the jews-1-第115节

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〃Since　I　made　thee　a　great　man　when　thou　wast　little；　or　rather
wast　nothing；　and　rent　the　kingdom　from　the　house　of　David；　and
gave　it　to　thee；　and　thou　hast　been　unmindful　of　these　benefits；
hast　left　off　my　worship；　hast　made　thee　molten　gods　and　honored
them；　I　will　in　like　manner　cast　thee　down　again；　and　will
destroy　all　thy　house；　and　make　them　food　for　the　dogs　and　the
fowls；　for　a　certain　king　is　rising　up；　by　appointment；　over　all
this　people；　who　shall　leave　none　of　the　family　of　Jeroboam
remaining。　The　multitude　also　shall　themselves　partake　of　the
same　punishment；　and　shall　be　cast　out　of　this　good　land；　and
shall　be　scattered　into　the　places　beyond　Euphrates；　because　they
have　followed　the　wicked　practices　of　their　king；　and　have
worshipped　the　gods　that　he　made；　and　forsaken　my　sacrifices。　But
do　thou；　O　woman；　make　haste　back　to　thy　husband；　and　tell　him
this　message；　but　thou　shalt　then　find　thy　son　dead；　for　as　thou
enterest　the　city　he　shall　depart　this　life；　yet　shall　he　be
buried　with　the　lamentation　of　all　the　multitude；　and　honored
with　a　general　mourning；　for　he　was　the　only　person　of　goodness
of　Jeroboam's　family。〃　When　the　prophet　had　foretold　these
events；　the　woman　went　hastily　away　with　a　disordered　mind；　and
greatly　grieved　at　the　death　of　the　forenamed　child。　So　she　was
in　lamentation　as　she　went　along　the　road；　and　mourned　for　the
death　of　her　son；　that　was　just　at　hand。　She　was　indeed　in　a
miserable　condition　at　the　unavoidable　misery　of　his　death；　and
went　apace；　but　in　circumstances　very　unfortunate；　because　of　her
son：　for　the　greater　haste　she　made；　she　would　the　sooner　see　her
son　dead；　yet　was　she　forced　to　make　such　haste　on　account　of　her
husband。　Accordingly；　when　she　was　come　back；　she　found　that　the
child　had　given　up　the　ghost；　as　the　prophet　had　said；　and　she
related　all　the　circumstances　to　the　king。

2。　Yet　did　not　Jeroboam　lay　any　of　these　things　to　heart；　but　he
brought　together　a　very　numerous　army；　and　made　a　warlike
expedition　against　Abijah；　the　son　of　Rehoboam；　who　had　succeeded
his　father　in　the　kingdom　of　the　two　tribes；　for　he　despised　him
because　of　his　age。　But　when　he　heard　of　the　expedition　of
Jeroboam；　he　was　not　affrighted　at　it；　but　proved　of　a　courageous
temper　of　mind；　superior　both　to　his　youth　and　to　the　hopes　of
his　enemy；　so　he　chose　him　an　army　out　of　the　two　tribes；　and　met
Jeroboam　at　a　place　called　Mount　Zemaraim；　and　pitched　his　camp
near　the　other；　and　prepared　everything　necessary　for　the　fight。
His　army　consisted　of　four　hundred　thousand；　but　the　army　of
Jeroboam　was　double　to　it。　Now　as　the　armies　stood　in　array；
ready　for　action　and　dangers；　and　were　just　going　to　fight；
Abijah　stood　upon　an　elevated　place；　and　beckoning　with　his　hand；
he　desired　the　multitude　and　Jeroboam　himself　to　hear　first　with
silence　what　he　had　to　say。　And　when　silence　was　made；　he　began
to　speak；　and　told　them；　…　〃God　had　consented　that　David　and　his
posterity　should　be　their　rulers　for　all　time　to　come；　and　this
you　yourselves　are　not　unacquainted　with；　but　I　cannot　but　wonder
how　you　should　forsake　my　father；　and　join　yourselves　to　his
servant　Jeroboam；　and　are　now　here　with　him　to　fight　against
those　who；　by　God's　own　determination；　are　to　reign；　and　to
deprive　them　of　that　dominion　which　they　have　still　retained；　for
as　to　the　greater　part　of　it；　Jeroboam　is　unjustly　in　possession
of　it。　However；　I　do　not　suppose　he　will　enjoy　it　any　longer；　but
when　he　hath　suffered　that　punishment　which　God　thinks　due　to　him
for　what　is　past；　he　will　leave　off　the　transgressions　he　hath
been　guilty　of；　and　the　injuries　he　hath　offered　to　him；　and
which　he　hath　still　continued　to　offer　and　hath　persuaded　you　to
do　the　same：　yet　when　you　were　not　any　further　unjustly　treated
by　my　father；　than　that　he　did　not　speak　to　you　so　as　to　please
you；　and　this　only　in　compliance　with　the　advice　of　wicked　men；
you　in　anger　forsook　him；　as　you　pretended；　but；　in　reality；　you
withdrew　yourselves　from　God；　and　from　his　laws；　although　it　had
been　right　for　you　to　have　forgiven　a　man　that　was　young　in　age；
and　not　used　to　govern　people；　not　only　some　disagreeable　words；
but　if　his　youth　and　unskilfulness　in　affairs　had　led　him　into
some　unfortunate　actions；　and　that　for　the　sake　of　his　father
Solomon；　and　the　benefits　you　received　from　him；　for　men　ought　to
excuse　the　sins　of　posterity　on　account　of　the　benefactions　of
parent；　but　you　considered　nothing　of　all　this　then；　neither　do
you　consider　it　now；　but　come　with　so　great　an　army　against　us。
And　what　is　it　you　depend　upon　for　victory？　Is　it　upon　these
golden　heifers；　and　the　altars　that　you　have　on　high　places；
which　are　demonstrations　of　your　impiety；　and　not　of　religious
worship？　Or　is　it　the　exceeding　multitude　of　your　army　which
gives　you　such　good　hopes？　Yet　certainly　there　is　no　strength　at
all　in　an　army　of　many　ten　thousands；　when　the　war　is　unjust；　for
we　ought　to　place　our　surest　hopes　of　success　against　our　enemies
in　righteousness　alone；　and　in　piety　towards　God；　which　hope　we
justly　have；　since　we　have　kept　the　laws　from　the　beginning；　and
have　worshipped　our　own　God；　who　was　not　made　by　hands　out　of
corruptible　matter；　nor　was　he　formed　by　a　wicked　king；　in　order
to　deceive　the　multitude；　but　who　is　his　own　workmanship；　（28）
and　the　beginning　and　end　of　all　things。　I　therefore　give　you
counsel　even　now　to　repent；　and　to　take　better　advice；　and　to
leave　off　the　prosecution　of　the　war；　to　call　to　mind　the　laws　of
your　country；　and　to　reflect　what　it　hath　been　that　hath　advanced
you　to　so　happy　a　state　as　you　are　now　in。〃

3。　This　was　the　speech　which　Abijah　made　to　the　multitude。　But
while　he　was　still　speaking　Jeroboam　sent　some　of　his　soldiers
privately　to　encompass　Abijab　round　about；　on　certain　parts　of
the　camp　that　were　not　taken　notice　of；　and　when　he　was　thus
within　the　compass　of　the　enemy；　his　army　was　affrighted；　and
their　courage　failed　them；　but　Abijah　encouraged　them；　and
exhorted　them　to　place　their　hopes　on　God；　for　that　he　was　not
encompassed　by　the　enemy。　So　they　all　at　once　implored　the　Divine
assistance；　while　the　priests　sounded　with　the　trumpet；　and　they
made　a　shout；　and　fell　upon　their　enemies；　and　God　brake　the
courage　and　cast　down　the　force　of　their　enemies；　and　made
Ahijah's　army　superior　to　them；　for　God　vouchsafed　to　grant　them
a　wonderful　and　very　famous　victory；　and　such　a　slaughter　was　now
made　of　Jeroboam's　army　（29）　as　is　never　recorded　to　have
happened　in　any　other　war；　whether　it　were　of　the　Greeks　or　of
the　Barbarians；　for　they　overthrew　＇and　slew＇　five　hundred
thousand　of　their　enemies；　and　they　took　their　strongest　cities
by　force；　and　spoiled　them；　and　besides　those；　they　did　the　same
to　Bethel　and　her　towns；　and　Jeshanah　and　her　towns。　And　after
this　defeat　Jeroboam　never　recovered　himself　during　the　life　of
Abijah；　who　yet　did　not　long　survive；　for　he　reigned　but　three
years；　and　was　buried　in　Jerusalem　in　the　sepulchers　of　his
forefathers。　He　left　behind　him　twenty…two　sons；　and　sixteen
daughters；　and　he　had　also　those　children　by　fourteen　wives；　and
Asa　his　son　succeeded　in　the　kingdom；　and　the　young　man's　mother
was　Michaiah。　Under　his　reign　the　country　of　the　Israelites
enjoyed　peace　for　ten　years。

4。　And　so　far　concerning　Abijah；　the　son　of　Rehoboam；　the　son　of
Solomon；　as　his　history　hath　come　down　to　us。　But　Jeroboam；　the
king　of　the　ten　tribes；　died　when　he　had　governed　them　two　and
twenty　years；　whose　son　Nadab　succeeded　him；　in　the　second　year
of　the　reign　of　Asa。　Now　Jeroboam's　son　governed　two　years；　and
resembled　his　father　in　impiety　and　wickedness。　In　these　two
years　he　made　an　expedition　against　Gibbethon；　a　city　of　the
Philistines；　and　continued　the　siege　in　order　to　take　it；　but　he
was　conspired　against　while　he　was　there　by　a　friend　of　his；
whose　name　was　Baasha；　the　son　of　Ahijah；　and　was　slain；　which
Baasha　took　the　kingdom　after　the　other's　death；　and　destroyed
the　whole　house　of　Jeroboam。　It　also　came　to　pass；　according　as
God　had　foretold；　that　some　of　Jeroboam's　kindred　that　died　in
the　city　were　torn　to　pieces　and　devoured　by　dogs；　and　that
others　of　them　that　died　in　the　fields　were　torn　and　devoured　by
the　fowls。　So　the　house　of　Jeroboam　suffered　the　just　punishment
of　his　impiety；　and　of　his　wicked　actions。

CHAPTER　12。

How　Zerah；　King　Of　The　Ethiopians；　Was　Beaten　By　Asa；　And　How
Asa；　Upon　Baasha's　Making　War　Against　Him；　Invited　The　King　Of
The　Damascens　To　Assist　Him；　And　How；　On　The　Destruction　Of　The
House　Of　Baasha　Zimri　Got　The　Kingdom　As　Did　His　Son　Ahab　After
Him。

1。　Now　Asa；　the　king　of　Jerusalem；　was　of　an　excellent　character；
and　had　a　regard　to　God；　and　neither　did　nor　designed　any　thing
but　what　had　relation　to　the　observation　of　the　laws。　He　made　a
reformation　of　his　kingdom；　and　cut　off　whatsoever　was　wicked
therein；　and　purified　it　from　every　impurity。　Now　he　had　an　army
of　chosen　men　that　were　armed　with　targets　and　spears；　out　of　the
tribe　of　Judah　three　hundred　thousand；　and　out　of　the　tribe　of
Benjamin；　that　bore　shields　and　drew　bows；　two　hundred　and　fifty
thousand。　But　when　he　had　already　reigned　ten