the antiquities of the jews-1-第96章

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together　with　his　friends；　and　indeed　he　was　so　cast　down　with
these　misfortunes；　that　at　length　tears　themselves　failed　him。　He
was　also　in　danger　of　being　stoned　to　death　by　his　companions；
who　were　greatly　afflicted　at　the　captivity　of　their　wives　and
children；　for　they　laid　the　blame　upon　him　of　what　had　happened。
But　when　he　had　recovered　himself　out　of　his　grief；　and　had
raised　up　his　mind　to　God；　he　desired　the　high　priest　Abiathar　to
put　on　his　sacerdotal　garments；　and　to　inquire　of　God；　and　to
prophesy　to　him；　whether　God　would　grant；　that　if　he　pursued
after　the　Amalekites；　he　should　overtake　them；　and　save　their
wives　and　their　children；　and　avenge　himself　on　the　enemies。　And
when　the　high　priest　bade　him　to　pursue　after　them；　he　marched
apace；　with　his　four　hundred　men；　after　the　enemy；　and　when　he
was　come　to　a　certain　brook　called　Besor；　and　had　lighted　upon
one　that　was　wandering　about；　an　Egyptian　by　birth；　who　was
almost　dead　with　want　and　famine；　（for　he　had　continued　wandering
about　without　food　in　the　wilderness　three　days；）　he　first　of　all
gave　him　sustenance；　both　meat　and　drink；　and　thereby　refreshed
him。　He　then　asked　him　to　whom　he　belonged；　and　whence　he　came。
Whereupon　the　man　told　him　he　was　an　Egyptian　by　birth；　and　was
left　behind　by　his　master；　because　he　was　so　sick　and　weak　that
he　could　not　follow　him。　He　also　informed　him　that　he　was　one　of
those　who　had　burnt　and　plundered；　not　only　other　parts　of　Judea；
but　Ziklag　itself　also。　So　David　made　use　of　him　as　a　guide　to
find　oat　the　Amalekites；　and　when　he　had　overtaken　them；　as　they
lay　scattered　about　on　the　ground；　some　at　dinner；　some
disordered；　and　entirely　drunk　with　wine；　and　in　the　fruition　of
their　spoils　and　their　prey；　he　fell　upon　them　on　the　sudden；　and
made　a　great　slaughter　among　them；　for　they　were　naked；　and
expected　no　such　thing；　but　had　betaken　themselves　to　drinking
and　feasting；　and　so　they　were　all　easily　destroyed。　Now　some　of
them　that　were　overtaken　as　they　lay　at　the　table　were　slain　in
that　posture；　and　their　blood　brought　up　with　it　their　meat　and
their　drink。　They　slew　others　of　them　as　they　were　drinking　to
one　another　in　their　cups；　and　some　of　them　when　their　full
bellies　had　made　them　fall　asleep；　and　for　so　many　as　had　time　to
put　on　their　armor；　they　slew　them　with　the　sword；　with　no　less
case　than　they　did　those　that　were　naked；　and　for　the　partisans
of　David；　they　continued　also　the　slaughter　from　the　first　hour
of　the　day　to　the　evening；　so　that　there　were；　not　above　four
hundred　of　the　Amalekites　left；　and　they　only　escaped　by　getting
upon　their　dromedaries　and　camels。　Accordingly　David　recovered
not　only　all　the　other　spoils　which　the　enemy　had　carried　away；
but　his　wives　also；　and　the　wives　of　his　companions。　But　when
they　were　come　to　the　place　where　they　had　left　the　two　hundred
men；　which　were　not　able　to　follow　them；　but　were　left　to　take
care　of　the　stuff；　the　four　hundred　men　did　not　think　fit　to
divide　among　them　any　other　parts　of　what　they　had　gotten；　or　of
the　prey；　since　they　did　not　accompany　them；　but　pretended　to　be
feeble；　and　did　not　follow　them　in　pursuit　of　the　enemy；　but　said
they　should　be　contented　to　have　safely　recovered　their　wives；
yet　did　David　pronounce　that　this　opinion　of　theirs　was　evil　and
unjust；　and　that　when　God　had　granted　them　such　a　favor；　that
they　had　avenged　themselves　on　their　enemies；　and　had　recovered
all　that　belonged　to　themselves；　they　should　make　an　equal
distribution　of　what　they　had　gotten　to　all；　because　the　rest　had
tarried　behind　to　guard　their　stuff；　and　from　that　time　this　law
obtained　among　them；　that　those　who　guarded　the　stuff；　should
receive　an　equal　share　with　those　that　fought　in　the　battle。　Now
when　David　was　come　to　Ziklag；　he　sent　portions　of　the　spoils　to
all　that　had　been　familiar　with　him；　and　to　his　friends　in　the
tribe　of　Judah。　And　thus　ended　the　affairs　of　the　plundering　of
Ziklag；　and　of　the　slaughter　of　the　Amalekites。

7。　Now　upon　the　Philistines　joining　battle；　there　followed　a
sharp　engagement；　and　the　Philistine；　became　the　conquerors；　and
slew　a　great　number　of　their　enemies；　but　Saul　the　king　of
Israel；　and　his　sons；　fought　courageously；　and　with　the　utmost
alacrity；　as　knowing　that　their　entire　glory　lay　in　nothing　else
but　dying　honorably；　and　exposing　themselves　to　the　utmost　danger
from　the　enemy　（for　they　had　nothing　else　to　hope　for）；　so　they
brought　upon　themselves　the　whole　power　of　the　enemy；　till　they
were　encompassed　round　and　slain；　but　not　before　they　had　killed
many　of　the　Philistines　Now　the　sons　of　Saul　were　Jonathan；　and
Abinadab；　and　Malchisua；　and　when　these　were　slain　the　multitude
of　the　Hebrews　were　put　to　flight；　and　all　was　disorder；　and
confusion；　and　slaughter；　upon　the　Philistines　pressing　in　upon
them。　But　Saul　himself　fled；　having　a　strong　body　of　soldiers
about　him；　and　upon　the　Philistines　sending　after　them　those　that
threw　javelins　and　shot　arrows；　he　lost　all　his　company　except　a
few。　As　for　himself；　he　fought　with　great　bravery；　and　when　he
had　received　so　many　wounds；　that　he　was　not　able　to　bear　up　nor
to　oppose　any　longer；　and　yet　was　not　able　to　kill　himself；　he
bade　his　armor…bearer　draw　his　sword；　and　run　him　through；　before
the　enemy　should　take　him　alive。　But　his　armor…bearer　not　daring
to　kill　his　master；　he　drew　his　own　sword；　and　placing　himself
over　against　its　point；　he　threw　himself　upon　it；　and　when　he
could　neither　run　it　through　him；　nor；　by　leaning　against　it；
make　the　sword　pass　through　him；　he　turned　him　round；　and　asked　a
certain　young　man　that　stood　by　who　he　was；　and　when　he
understood　that　he　was　an　Amalekite；　he　desired　him　to　force　the
sword　through　him；　because　he　was　not　able　to　do　it　with　his　own
hands；　and　thereby　to　procure　him　such　a　death　as　he　desired。
This　the　young　man　did　accordingly；　and　he　took　the　golden
bracelet　that　was　on　Saul's　arm；　and　his　royal　crown　that　was　on
his　head；　and　ran　away。　And　when　Saul's　armor…bearer　saw　that　he
was　slain；　he　killed　himself；　nor　did　any　of　the　king's　guards
escape；　but　they　all　fell　upon　the　mountain　called　Gilboa。　But
when　those　Hebrews　that　dwelt　in　the　valley　beyond　Jordan；　and
those　who　had　their　cities　in　the　plain；　heard　that　Saul　and　his
sons　were　fallen；　and　that　the　multitude　about　them　were
destroyed；　they　left　their　own　cities；　and　fled　to　such　as　were
the　best　fortified　and　fenced；　and　the　Philistines；　finding　those
cities　deserted；　came　and　dwelt　in　them。

8。　On　the　next　day；　when　the　Philistines　came　to　strip　their
enemies　that　were　slain；　they　got　the　bodies　of　Saul　and　of　his
sons；　and　stripped　them；　and　cut　off　their　heads；　and　they　sent
messengers　all　about　their　country；　to　acquaint　them　that　their
enemies　were　fallen；　and　they　dedicated　their　armor　in　the　temple
of　Astarte；　but　hung　their　bodies　on　crosses　at　the　walls　of　the
city　Bethshun；　which　is　now　called　Scythepolls。　But　when　the
inhabitants　of　Jabesh…Gilead　heard　that　they　had　dismembered　the
dead　bodies　of　Saul　and　of　his　sons；　they　deemed　it　so　horrid　a
thing　to　overlook　this　barbarity；　and　to　suffer　them　to　be
without　funeral　rites；　that　the　most　courageous　and　hardy　among
them　（and　indeed　that　city　had　in　it　men　that　were　very　stout
both　in　body　and　mind）　journeyed　all　night；　and　came　to　Bethshun；
and　approached　to　the　enemy's　wall；　and　taking　down　the　bodies　of
Saul　and　of　his　sons；　they　carried　them　to　Jabesh；　while　the
enemy　were　not　able　enough　nor　bold　enough　to　hinder　them；
because　of　their　great　courage。　So　the　people　of　Jabesh　wept　all
in　general；　and　buried　their　bodies　in　the　best　place　of　their
country；　which　was　named　Areurn；　and　they　observed　a　public
mourning　for　them　seven　days；　with　their　wives　and　children；
beating　their　breasts；　and　lamenting　the　king　and　his　sons；
without　either　tasting　meat　or　drink　（29）　＇till　the　evening。＇

9。　To　this　his　end　did　Saul　come；　according　to　the　prophecy　of
Samuel；　because　he　disobeyed　the　commands　of　God　about　the
Amalekites；　and　on　the　account　of　his　destroying　the　family　of
Ahimelech　the　high　priest；　with　Ahimelech　himself；　and　the　city
of　the　high　priests。　Now　S