the antiquities of the jews-1-第103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！


for　that　pay；　and　Shobach。　Now　these　kings　had　twenty　thousand
footmen。　They　also　hired　the　king　of　the　country　called　Maacah；
and　a　fourth　king；　by　name　Ishtob；　which　last　had　twelve　thousand
armed　men。

2。　But　David　was　under　no　consternation　at　this　confederacy；　nor
at　the　forces　of　the　Ammonites；　and　putting　his　trust　in　God；
because　he　was　going　to　war　in　a　just　cause；　on　account　of　the
injurious　treatment　he　had　met　with；　he　immediately　sent　Joab；
the　captain　of　his　host；　against　them；　and　gave　him　the　flower　of
his　army；　who　pitched　his　camp　by　Rabbah；　the　metropolis　of　the
Ammonites；　whereupon　the　enemy　came　out；　and　set　themselves　in
array；　not　all　of　them　together；　but　in　two　bodies；　for　the
auxiliaries　were　set　in　array　in　the　plain　by　themselves；　but　the
army　of　the　Ammonites　at　the　gates　over　against　the　Hebrews。　When
Joab　saw　this；　he　opposed　one　stratagem　against　another；　and
chose　out　the　most　hardy　part　of　his　men；　and　set　them　in
opposition　to　the　king　of　Syria；　and　the　kings　that　were　with
him；　and　gave　the　other　part　to　his　brother　Abishai；　and　bid　him
set　them　in　opposition　to　the　Ammonites；　and　said　to　him；　that　in
case　he　should　see　that　the　Syrians　distressed　him；　and　were　too
hard　for　him；　he　should　order　his　troops　to　turn　about　and　assist
him；　and　he　said　that　he　himself　would　do　the　same　to　him；　if　he
saw　him　in　the　like　distress　from　the　Ammonites。　So　he　sent　his
brother　before；　and　encouraged　him　to　do　every　thing　courageously
and　with　alacrity；　which　would　teach　them　to　be　afraid　of
disgrace；　and　to　fight　manfully；　and　so　he　dismissed　him　to　fight
with　the　Ammonites；　while　he　fell　upon　the　Syrians。　And　though
they　made　a　strong　opposition　for　a　while；　Joab　slew　many　of
them；　but　compelled　the　rest　to　betake　themselves　to　flight；
which；　when　the　Ammonites　saw；　and　were　withal　afraid　of　Abishai
and　his　army；　they　staid　no　longer；　but　imitated　their
auxiliaries；　and　fled　to　the　city。　So　Joab；　when　he　had　thus
overcome　the　enemy；　returned　with　great　joy　to　Jerusalem　to　the
king。

3。　This　defeat　did　not　still　induce　the　Ammonites　to　be　quiet；
nor　to　own　those　that　were　superior　to　them　to　be　so；　and　be
still；　but　they　sent　to　Chalaman；　the　king　of　the　Syrians；　beyond
Euphrates；　and　hired　him　for　an　auxiliary。　He　had　Shobach　for　the
captain　of　his　host；　with　eighty　thousand　footmen；　and　ten
thousand　horsemen。　Now　when　the　king　of　the　Hebrews　understood
that　the　Ammonites　had　again　gathered　so　great　an　army　together；
he　determined　to　make　war　with　them　no　longer　by　his　generals；
but　he　passed　over　the　river　Jordan　himself　with　all　his　army；
and　when　he　met　them　he　joined　battle　with　them；　and　overcame
them；　and　slew　forty　thousand　of　their　footmen；　and　seven
thousand　of　their　horsemen。　He　also　wounded　Shobach；　the　general
of　Chalaman's　forces；　who　died　of　that　stroke；　but　the　people　of
Mesopotamia；　upon　such　a　conclusion　of　the　battle；　delivered
themselves　up　to　David；　and　sent　him　presents；　who　at　winter　time
returned　to　Jerusalem。　But　at　the　beginning　of　the　spring　he　sent
Joab；　the　captain　of　his　host；　to　fight　against　the　Ammonites；
who　overran　all　their　country；　and　laid　it　waste；　and　shut　them
up　in　their　metropolis　Rabbah；　and　besieged　them　therein。

CHAPTER　7。

How　David　Fell　In　Love　With　Bathsheba；　And　Slew　Her　Husband
Uriah；　For　Which　He　Is　Reproved　By　Nathan。

1。　But　David　fell　now　into　a　very　grievous　sin；　though　he　were
otherwise　naturally　a　righteous　and　a　religious　man；　and　one　that
firmly　observed　the　laws　of　our　fathers；　for　when　late　in　an
evening　he　took　a　view　round　him　from　the　roof　of　his　royal
palace；　where　he　used　to　walk　at　that　hour；　he　saw　a　woman
washing　herself　in　her　own　house：　she　was　one　of　extraordinary
beauty；　and　therein　surpassed　all　other　women；　her　name　was
Bathsheba。　So　he　was　overcome　by　that　woman's　beauty；　and　was　not
able　to　restrain　his　desires；　but　sent　for　her；　and　lay　with　her。
Hereupon　she　conceived　with　child；　and　sent　to　the　king；　that　he
should　contrive　some　way　for　concealing　her　sin　（for；　according
to　the　laws　of　their　fathers；　she　who　had　been　guilty　of　adultery
ought　to　be　put　to　death）。　So　the　king　sent　for　Joab's
armor…bearer　from　the　siege；　who　was　the　woman's　husband；　and　his
name　was　Uriah。　And　when　he　was　come；　the　king　inquired　of　him
about　the　army；　and　about　the　siege；　and　when　he　had　made　answer
that　all　their　affairs　went　according　to　their　wishes；　the　king
took　some　portions　of　meat　from　his　supper；　and　gave　them　to　him；
and　bade　him　go　home　to　his　wife；　and　take　his　rest　with　her。
Uriah　did　not　do　so；　but　slept　near　the　king　with　the　rest　of　his
armor…bearers。　When　the　king　was　informed　of　this；　he　asked　him
why　he　did　not　go　home　to　his　house；　and　to　his　wife；　after　so
long　an　absence；　which　is　the　natural　custom　of　all　men；　when
they　come　from　a　long　journey。　He　replied；　that　it　was　not　right；
while　his　fellow　soldiers；　and　the　general　of　the　army；　slept
upon　the　ground；　in　the　camp；　and　in　an　enemy's　country；　that　he
should　go　and　take　his　rest；　and　solace　himself　with　his　wife。　So
when　he　had　thus　replied；　the　king　ordered　him　to　stay　there　that
night；　that　he　might　dismiss　him　the　next　day　to　the　general。　So
the　king　invited　Uriah　to　supper；　and　after　a　cunning　and
dexterous　manlier　plied　him　with　drink　at　supper；　till　he　was
thereby　disordered；　yet　did　he　nevertheless　sleep　at　the　king's
gates　without　any　inclination　to　go　to　his　wife。　Upon　this　the
king　was　very　angry　at　him；　and　wrote　to　Joab；　and　commanded　him
to　punish　Uriah；　for　he　told　him　that　he　had　offended　him；　and　he
suggested　to　him　the　manner　in　which　he　would　have　him　punished；
that　it　might　not　be　discovered　that　he　was　himself　the　author　of
this　his　punishment；　for　he　charged　him　to　set　him　over　against
that　part　of　the　enemy's　army　where　the　attack　would　be　most
hazardous；　and　where　he　might　be　deserted；　and　be　in　the　greatest
jeopardy；　for　he　bade　him　order　his　fellow　soldiers　to　retire　out
of　the　fight。　When　he　had　written　thus　to　him；　and　sealed　the
letter　with　his　own　seal；　he　gave　it　to　Uriah　to　carry　to　Joab。
When　Joab　had　received　it；　and　upon　reading　it　understood　the
king's　purpose；　he　set　Uriah　in　that　place　where　he　knew　the
enemy　would　be　most　troublesome　to　them；　and　gave　him　for　his
partners　some　of　the　best　soldiers　in　the　army；　and　said　that　he
would　also　come　to　their　assistance　with　the　whole　army；　that　if
possible　they　might　break　down　some　part　of　the　wall；　and　enter
the　city。　And　he　desired　him　to　be　glad　of　the　opportunity　of
exposing　himself　to　such　great　pains；　and　not　to　be　displeased　at
it；　since　he　was　a　valiant　soldier；　and　had　a　great　reputation
for　his　valor；　both　with　the　king　and　with　his　countrymen。　And
when　Uriah　undertook　the　work　he　was　set　upon　with　alacrity；　he
gave　private　orders　to　those　who　were　to　be　his　companions；　that
when　they　saw　the　enemy　make　a　sally；　they　should　leave　him。
When；　therefore；　the　Hebrews　made　an　attack　upon　the　city；　the
Ammonites　were　afraid　that　the　enemy　might　prevent　them；　and　get
up　into　the　city；　and　this　at　the　very　place　whither　Uriah　was
ordered；　so　they　exposed　their　best　soldiers　to　be　in　the
forefront；　and　opened　their　gates　suddenly；　and　fell　upon　the
enemy　with　great　vehemence；　and　ran　violently　upon　them。　When
those　that　were　with　Uriah　saw　this；　they　all　retreated　backward；
as　Joab　had　directed　them　beforehand；　but　Uriah；　as　ashamed　to
run　away　and　leave　his　post；　sustained　the　enemy；　and　receiving
the　violence　of　their　onset；　he　slew　many　of　them；　but　being
encompassed　round；　and　caught　in　the　midst　of　them；　he　was　slain；
and　some　other　of　his　companions　were　slain　with　him。

2。　When　this　was　done；　Joab　sent　messengers　to　the　king；　and
ordered　them　to　tell　him　that　he　did　what　he　could　to　take　the
city　soon；　but　that；　as　they　made　an　assault　on　the　wall；　they
had　been　forced　to　retire　with　great　loss；　and　bade　them；　if　they
saw　the　king　was　angry　at　it；　to　add　this；　that　Uriah　was　slain
also。　When　the　king　had　heard　this　of　the　messengers；　he　took　it
heinously；　and　said　that　they　did　wrong　when　they　assaulted　the
wall；　whereas　they　ought；　by　undermining　and