the antiquities of the jews-1-第137章

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God　with　their　instruments　of　music。

3。　As　soon　as　it　was　day；　and　the　king　was　come　into　that
wilderness　which　is　under　the　city　of　Tekoa；　he　said　to　the
multitude；　〃that　they　ought　to　give　credit　to　what　the　prophet
had　said；　and　not　to　set　themselves　in　array　for　fighting；　but　to
set　the　priests　with　their　trumpets；　and　the　Levites　with　the
singers　of　hymns；　to　give　thanks　to　God；　as　having　already
delivered　our　country　from　our　enemies。〃　This　opinion　of　the　king
pleased　＇the　people＇；　and　they　did　what　he　advised　them　to　do。　So
God　caused　a　terror　and　a　commotion　to　arise　among　the　Ammonites；
who　thought　one　another　to　be　enemies；　and　slew　one　another；
insomuch　that　not　one　man　out　of　so　great　an　army　escaped；　and
when　Jehoshaphat　looked　upon　that　valley　wherein　their　enemies
had　been　encamped；　and　saw　it　full　of　dead　men；　he　rejoiced　at　so
surprising　an　event；　as　was　this　assistance　of　God；　while　he
himself　by　his　own　power；　and　without　their　labor；　had　given　them
the　victory。　He　also　gave　his　army　leave　to　take　the　prey　of　the
enemy's　camp；　and　to　spoil　their　dead　bodies；　and　indeed　so　they
did　for　three　days　together；　till　they　were　weary；　so　great　was
the　number　of　the　slain；　and　on　the　fourth　day；　all　the　people
were　gathered　together　unto　a　certain　hollow　place　or　valley；　and
blessed　God　for　his　power　and　assistance；　from　which　the　place
had　this　name　given　it；　the　Valley　of　＇Berachah；　or＇　Blessing。

4。　And　when　the　king　had　brought　his　army　back　to　Jerusalem；　he
betook　himself　to　celebrate　festivals；　and　offer　sacrifices；　and
this　for　many　days。　And　indeed；　after　this　destruction　of　their
enemies；　and　when　it　came　to　the　ears　of　the　foreign　nations；
they　were　all　greatly　aftrighted；　as　supposing　that　God　would
openly　fight　for　him　hereafter。　So　Jehoshaphat　from　that　time
lived　in　great　glory　and　splendor；　on　account　of　his
righteousness　and　his　piety　towards　God。　He　was　also　in
friendship　with　Ahab's　son；　who　was　king　of　Israel；　and　he　joined
with　him　in　the　building　of　ships　that　were　to　sail　to　Pontus；
and　the　traffic　cities　of　Thrace　（3）　but　he　failed　of　his　gains；
for　the　ships　were　destroyed　by　being　so　great　＇and　unwieldy＇；　on
which　account　he　was　no　longer　concerned　about　shipping。　And　this
is　the　history　of　Jehoshaphat；　the　king　of　Jerusalem。

CHAPTER　2。

Concerning　Ahaziah；　The　King　Of　Israel；　And　Again　Concerning　The
Prophet　Elijah。

1。　And　now　Ahaziah；　the　son　of　Ahab；　reigned　over　Israel；　and
made　his　abode　in　Samaria。　He　was　a　wicked　man；　and　in　all
respects　like　to　both　his　parents　and　to　Jeroboam；　who　first　of
all　transgressed；　and　began　to　deceive　the　people。　In　the　second
year　of　his　reign；　the　king　of　Moab　fell　off　from　his　obedience；
and　left　off　paying　those　tributes　which　he　before　paid　to　his
father　Ahab。　Now　it　happened　that　Ahaziah；　as　he　was　coming　down
from　the　top　of　his　house；　fell　down　from　it；　and　in　his　sickness
sent　to　the　Fly；　which　was　the　god　of　Ekron；　for　that　was　this
god's　name；　to　inquire　about　his　recovery　（4）　but　the　God　of　the
Hebrews　appeared　to　Elijah　the　prophet；　and　commanded　him　to　go
and　meet　the　messengers　that　were　sent；　and　to　ask　them；　whether
the　people　of　Israel　had　pot　a　God　of　their　own；　that　the　king
sent　to　a　foreign　god　to　inquire　about　his　recovery？　and　to　bid
them　return　and　tell　the　king　that　he　would　not　escape　this
disease。　And　when　Elijah　had　performed　what　God　had　commanded
him；　and　the　messengers　had　heard　what　he　said；　they　returned　to
the　king　immediately；　and　when　the　king　wondered　how　they　could
return　so　soon；　and　asked　them　the　reason　of　it；　they　said　that　a
certain　man　met　them；　and　forbade　them　to　go　on　any　farther；　but
to　return　and　tell　thee；　from　the　command　of　the　God　of　Israel；
that　this　disease　will　have　a　bad　end。　And　when　the　king　bid　them
describe　the　man　that　said　this　to　them；　they　replied　that　he　was
a　hairy　man；　and　was　girt　about　with　a　girdle　of　leather。　So　the
king　understood　by　this　that　the　man　who　was　described　by　the
messengers　was　Elijah；　whereupon　he　sent　a　captain　to　him；　with
fifty　soldiers；　and　commanded　them　to　bring　Elijah　to　him；　and
when　the　captain　that　was　sent　found　Elijah　sitting　upon　the　top
of　a　hill；　he　commanded　him　to　come　down；　and　to　come　to　the
king；　for　so　had　he　enjoined；　but　that　in　case　he　refused；　they
would　carry　him　by　force。　Elijah　said　to　him；　〃That　you　may　have
a　trial　whether　I　be　a　true　prophet；　I　will　pray　that　fire　may
fall　from　heaven；　and　destroy　both　the　soldiers　and　yourself。〃
（5）　So　he　prayed；　and　a　whirlwind　of　fire　fell　＇from　heaven＇；　and
destroyed　the　captain；　and　those　that　were　with　him。　And　when　the
king　was　informed　of　the　destruction　of　these　men；　he　was　very
angry；　and　sent　another　captain　with　the　like　number　of　armed　men
that　were　sent　before。　And　when　this　captain　also　threatened　the
prophet；　that　unless　he　came　down　of　his　own　accord；　he　would
take　him　and　carry　him　away；　upon　his　prayer　against　him；　the
fire　＇from　heaven＇　slew　this　captain　as　well　the　other。　And　when；
upon　inquiry；　the　king　was　informed　of　what　happened　to　him；　he
sent　out　a　third　captain。　But　when　this　captain；　who　was　a　wise
man；　and　of　a　mild　disposition；　came　to　the　place　where　Elijah
happened　to　be；　and　spake　civilly　to　him；　and　said　that　he　knew
that　it　was　without　his　own　consent；　and　only　in　submission　to
the　king's　command　that　he　came　to　him；　and　that　those　that　came
before　did　not　come　willingly；　but　on　the　same　account；　…　he
therefore　desired　him　to　have　pity　on　those　armed　men　that　were
with　him；　and　that　he　would　come　down　and　follow　him　to　the　king。
So　Elijah　accepted　of　his　discreet　words　and　courteous　behavior；
and　came　down　and　followed　him。　And　when　he　came　to　the　king；　he
prophesied　to　him　and　told　him　that　God　said；　〃Since　thou　hast
despised　him　as　not　being　God；　and　so　unable　to　foretell　the
truth　about　thy　distemper；　but　hast　sent　to　the　god　of　Ekron　to
inquire　of　him　what　will　be　the　end　of　this　thy　distemper；　know
this；　that　thou　shalt　die。〃

2。　Accordingly　the　king　in　a　very　little　time　died；　as　Elijah　had
foretold；　but　Jehoram　his　brother　succeeded　him　in　the　kingdom；
for　he　died　without　children：　but　for　this　Jehoram；　he　was　like
his　father　Ahab　in　wickedness；　and　reigned　twelve　years；
indulging　himself　in　all　sorts　of　wickedness　and　impiety　towards
God；　for；　leaving　off　his　worship；　he　worshipped　foreign　gods；
but　in　other　respects　he　was　an　active　man。　Now　at　this　time　it
was　that　Elijah　disappeared　from　among　men；　and　no　one　knows　of
his　death　to　this　very　day；　but　he　left　behind　him　his　disciple
Elisha；　as　we　have　formerly　declared。　And　indeed；　as　to　Elijah；
and　as　to　Enoch；　who　was　before　the　deluge；　it　is　written　in　the
sacred　books　that　they　disappeared；　but　so　that　nobody　knew　that
they　died。

CHAPTER　3。

How　Joram　And　Jehoshaphat　Made　An　Expedition　Against　The
Moabites；　As　Also　Concerning　The　Wonders　Of　Elisha；　And　The　Death
Of　Jehoshaphat。

1。　When　Joram　had　taken　upon　him　the　kingdom；　he　determined　to
make　an　expedition　against　the　king　of　Moab；　whose　name　was
Mesha；　for；　as　we　told　you　before；　he　was　departed　from　his
obedience　to　his　brother　＇Ahaziah＇；　while　he　paid　to　his　father
Ahab　two　hundred　thousand　sheep；　with　their　fleeces　of　wool。　When
therefore　he　had　gathered　his　own　army　together；　he　sent　also　to
Jehoshaphat；　and　entreated　him；　that　since　he　had　from　the
beginning　been　a　friend　to　his　father；　he　would　assist　him　in　the
war　that　he　was　entering　into　against　the　Moabites；　who　had
departed　from　their　obedience；　who　not　only　himself　promised　to
assist　him；　but　would　also　oblige　the　king　of　Edom；　who　was　under
his　authority；　to　make　the　same　expedition　also。　When　Joram　had
received　these　assurances　of　assistance　from　Jehoshaphat；　he　took
his　army　with　him；　and　came　to　Jerusalem；　and　when　he　had　been
sumptuously　entertained　by　the　king　of　Jerusalem；　it　was　resolved
upon　by　them　to　take　their　march　against　their　enemies　through
the　wilderness　of　Edom。　And　when　they　had　taken　a　compass　of
seven　days'　journey；　they　were　in　distress　for　want　of　water　for
the　cattle；　and　for　the　army；　from　the　mistake　of　their　roads　by
the　guides