the antiquities of the jews-1-第15节

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they　prayed　that　no　part　of　what　they　suspected　to　be　its　meaning
might　come　to　pass；　and　they　bare　a　still　greater　hatred　to　him
on　that　account。

3。　But　God；　in　opposition　to　their　envy；　sent　a　second　vision　to
Joseph；　which　was　much　more　wonderful　than　the　former；　for　it
seemed　to　him　that　the　sun　took　with　him　the　moon；　and　the　rest
of　the　stars；　and　came　down　to　the　earth；　and　bowed　down　to　him。
He　told　the　vision　to　his　father；　and　that；　as　suspecting　nothing
of　ill…will　from　his　brethren；　when　they　were　there　also；　and
desired　him　to　interpret　what　it　should　signify。　Now　Jacob　was
pleased　with　the　dream：　for；　considering　the　prediction　in　his
mind；　and　shrewdly　and　wisely　guessing　at　its　meaning；　he
rejoiced　at　the　great　things　thereby　signified；　because　it
declared　the　future　happiness　of　his　son；　and　that；　by　the
blessing　of　God；　the　time　would　come　when　he　should　be　honored；
and　thought　worthy　of　worship　by　his　parents　and　brethren；　as
guessing　that　the　moon　and　sun　were　like　his　mother　and　father；
the　former；　as　she　that　gave　increase　and　nourishment　to　all
things；　and　the　latter；　he　that　gave　form　and　other　powers　to
them；　and　that　the　stars　were　like　his　brethren；　since　they　were
eleven　in　number；　as　were　the　stars　that　receive　their　power　from
the　sun　and　moon。

4。　And　thus　did　Jacob　make　a　judgment　of　this　vision；　and　that　a
shrewd　one　also。　But　these　interpretations　caused　very　great
grief　to　Joseph's　brethren；　and　they　were　affected　to　him
hereupon　as　if　he　were　a　certain　stranger；　that　was　to　those　good
things　which　were　signified　by　the　dreams　and　not　as　one　that　was
a　brother；　with　whom　it　was　probable　they　should　be
joint…partakers；　and　as　they　had　been　partners　in　the　same
parentage；　so　should　they　be　of　the　same　happiness。　They　also
resolved　to　kill　the　lad；　and　having　fully　ratified　that
intention　of　theirs；　as　soon　as　their　collection　of　the　fruits
was　over；　they　went　to　Shechem；　which　is　a　country　good　for
feeding　of　cattle；　and　for　pasturage；　there　they　fed　their
flocks；　without　acquainting　their　father　with　their　removal
thither；　whereupon　he　had　melancholy　suspicions　about　them；　as
being　ignorant　of　his　sons'　condition；　and　receiving　no　messenger
from　the　flocks　that　could　inform　him　of　the　true　state　they　were
in；　so；　because　he　was　in　great　fear　about　them；　he　sent　Joseph
to　the　flocks；　to　learn　the　circumstances　his　brethren　were　in；
and　to　bring　him　word　how　they　did。

CHAPTER　3。

How　Joseph　Was　Thus　Sold　By　His　Brethren　Into　Egypt；　By　Reason　Of
Their　Hatred　To　Him；　And　How　He　There　Grew　Famous　And　Illustrious
And　Had　His　Brethren　Under　His　Power。

1。　Now　these　brethren　rejoiced　as　soon　as　they　saw　their　brother
coming　to　them；　not　indeed　as　at　the　presence　of　a　near　relation；
or　as　at　the　presence　of　one　sent　by　their　father；　but　as　at　the
presence　of　an　enemy；　and　one　that　by　Divine　Providence　was
delivered　into　their　hands；　and　they　already　resolved　to　kill
him；　and　not　let　slip　the　opportunity　that　lay　before　them。　But
when　Reubel；　the　eldest　of　them；　saw　them　thus　disposed；　and　that
they　had　agreed　together　to　execute　their　purpose；　he　tried　to
restrain　them；　showing　them　the　heinous　enterprise　they　were
going　about；　and　the　horrid　nature　of　it；　that　this　action　would
appear　wicked　in　the　sight　of　God；　and　impious　before　men；　even
though　they　should　kill　one　not　related　to　them；　but　much　more
flagitious　and　detestable　to　appear　to　have　slain　their　own
brother；　by　which　act　the　father　must　be　treated　unjustly　in　the
son's　slaughter；　and　the　mother　（1）　also　be　in　perplexity　while
she　laments　that　her　son　is　taken　away　from　her；　and　this　not　in
a　natural　way　neither。　So　he　entreated　them　to　have　a　regard　to
their　own　consciences；　and　wisely　to　consider　what　mischief　would
betide　them　upon　the　death　of　so　good　a　child；　and　their　youngest
brother；　that　they　would　also　fear　God；　who　was　already　both　a
spectator　and　a　witness　of　the　designs　they　had　against　their
brother；　that　he　would　love　them　if　they　abstained　from　this　act；
and　yielded　to　repentance　and　amendment；　but　in　case　they
proceeded　to　do　the　fact；　all　sorts　of　punishments　would　overtake
them　from　God　for　this　murder　of　their　brother；　since　they
polluted　his　providence；　which　was　every　where　present；　and　which
did　not　overlook　what　was　done；　either　in　deserts　or　in　cities；
for　wheresoever　a　man　is；　there　ought　he　to　suppose　that　God　is
also。　He　told　them　further；　that　their　consciences　would　be　their
enemies；　if　they　attempted　to　go　through　so　wicked　an　enterprise；
which　they　can　never　avoid；　whether　it　be　a　good　conscience；　or
whether　it　be　such　a　one　as　they　will　have　within　them　when　once
they　have　killed　their　brother。　He　also　added　this　besides　to
what　he　had　before　said；　that　it　was　not　a　righteous　thing　to
kill　a　brother；　though　he　had　injured　them；　that　it　is　a　good
thing　to　forget　the　actions　of　such　near　friends；　even　in　things
wherein　they　might　seem　to　have　offended；　but　that　they　were
going　to　kill　Joseph；　who　had　been　guilty　of　nothing　that　was　ill
towards　them；　in　whose　case　the　infirmity　of　his　small　age　should
rather　procure　him　mercy；　and　move　them　to　unite　together　in　the
care　of　his　preservation。　That　the　cause　of　killing　him　made　the
act　itself　much　worse；　while　they　determined　to　take　him　off　out
of　envy　at　his　future　prosperity；　an　equal　share　of　which　they
would　naturally　partake　while　he　enjoyed　it；　since　they　were　to
him　not　strangers；　but　the　nearest　relations；　for　they　might
reckon　upon　what　God　bestowed　upon　Joseph　as　their　own；　and　that
it　was　fit　for　them　to　believe；　that　the　anger　of　God　would　for
this　cause　be　more　severe　upon　them；　if　they　slew　him　who　was
judged　by　God　to　be　worthy　of　that　prosperity　which　was　to　be
hoped　for；　and　while；　by　murdering　him；　they　made　it　impossible
for　God　to　bestow　it　upon　him。

2。　Reubel　said　these　and　many　other　things；　and　used　entreaties
to　them；　and　thereby　endeavored　to　divert　them　from　the　murder　of
their　brother。　But　when　he　saw　that　his　discourse　had　not
mollified　them　at　all；　and　that　they　made　haste　to　do　the　fact；
he　advised　them　to　alleviate　the　wickedness　they　were　going
about；　in　the　manner　of　taking　Joseph　off；　for　as　he　had　exhorted
them　first；　when　they　were　going　to　revenge　themselves；　to　be
dissuaded　from　doing　it；　so；　since　the　sentence　for　killing　their
brother　had　prevailed；　he　said　that　they　would　not；　however；　be
so　grossly　guilty；　if　they　would　be　persuaded　to　follow　his
present　advice；　which　would　include　what　they　were　so　eager
about；　but　was　not　so　very　bad；　but；　in　the　distress　they　were
in；　of　a　lighter　nature。　He　begged　of　them；　therefore；　not　to
kill　their　brother　with　their　own　hands；　but　to　cast　him　into　the
pit　that　was　hard　by；　and　so　to　let　him　die；　by　which　they　would
gain　so　much；　that　they　would　not　defile　their　own　hands　with　his
blood。　To　this　the　young　men　readily　agreed；　so　Reubel　took　the
lad　and　tied　him　to　a　cord；　and　let　him　down　gently　into　the　pit；
for　it　had　no　water　at　all　in　it；　who；　when　he　had　done　this；
went　his　way　to　seek　for　such　pasturage　as　was　fit　for　feeding
his　flocks。

3。　But　Judas；　being　one　of　Jacob's　sons　also；　seeing　some
Arabians；　of　the　posterity　of　Ismael；　carrying　spices　and　Syrian
wares　out　of　the　land　of　Gilead　to　the　Egyptians；　after　Rubel　was
gone；　advised　his　brethren　to　draw　Joseph　out　of　the　pit；　and
sell　him　to　the　Arabians；　for　if　he　should　die　among　strangers　a
great　way　off；　they　should　be　freed　from　this　barbarous　action。
This；　therefore；　was　resolved　on；　so　they　drew　Joseph　up　out　of
the　pit；　and　sold　him　to　the　merchants　for　twenty　pounds　（2）　He
was　now　seventeen　years　old。　But　Reubel；　coming　in　the　night…time
to　the　pit；　resolved　to　save　Joseph；　without　the　privity　of　his
brethren；　and　when；　upon　his　calling　to　him；　he　made　no　answer；
he　was　afraid　that　they　had　destroyed　him　after　he　was　gone；　of
which　he　complained　to　his　brethren；　but　when　they　had　told　him
what　they　had　done；　Reubel　left　off　his　mourning。

4。　When　Joseph's　brethren　had　done　thus　to　him；　they　considered
what　they　should　do　to　escape　the　suspicions　of　their　father。　Now
they　had　taken　away　from　Joseph　the　coat　which　he　had　on　when　he
came　to　them　at　the　time　they　let　him　down　into　the　pit；　so　they
thought　proper　to　tear　that　coat　to　pieces；　and　to　dip　it　into
goats'　blood；　and　then　to　carry　it　and　show　it　to　their　father；
that　he　might　believe　he　was　destroyed　by　wild　beasts。　And　when
they　had　so　done；　they　came　to　the　old　man；　but　this　not　till
what　had　happened　to　his　son　had　already　come　to　his　knowledge。
Then　they　said　that　they　had　not　seen　Joseph；　nor　knew　what
mishap　had　befallen　him；　but　that　they　had　found　his　coat　bloody
and　torn　to　pieces；　whence　they　had　a　suspicion　that　he　had
fallen　among　wild　beasts；　and　so　perished；　if　that　was　the　coat
he　had　on　when　he　came　from　home。　Now　Jacob　had　before　some
better　hopes　that　his　son　was　only　made　a　captive；　but　now　he
laid　aside　that　notion；　and　supposed　that　this　coat　was　an
evident　argument　that　he　was　dead；　for　he　well　remembered　that
this　was　the　coat　he　had　on　when　he　sent　him　to　his　brethren；　so
he　hereafter　lam