the antiquities of the jews-1-第98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！


Joab　and　Abishai　carried　to　Bethlehem；　and　when　they　had　buried
him　in　the　sepulcher　of　their　fathers；　they　came　to　David　to
Hebron。　From　this　time　therefore　there　began　an　intestine　war；
which　lasted　a　great　while；　in　which　the　followers　of　David　grew
stronger　in　the　dangers　they　underwent；　and　the　servants　and
subjects　of　Saul's　sons　did　almost　every　day　become　weaker。

4。　About　this　time　David　was　become　the　father　of　six　sons；　born
of　as　many　mothers。　The　eldest　was　by　Ahinoam；　and　he　was　called
Arenon；　the　second　was　Daniel；　by　his　wife　Abigail；　the　name　of
the　third　was　Absalom；　by　Maacah；　the　daughter　of　Talmai；　king　of
Geshur；　the　fourth　he　named　Adonijah；　by　his　wife　Haggith；　the
fifth　was　Shephatiah；　by　Abital；　the　sixth　he　called　Ithream；　by
Eglah。　Now　while　this　intestine　war　went　on；　and　the　subjects　of
the　two　kings　came　frequently　to　action　and　to　fighting；　it　was
Abner；　the　general　of　the　host　of　Saul's　son；　who；　by　his
prudence；　and　the　great　interest　he　had　among　the　multitude；　made
them　all　continue　with　Ishbosheth；　and　indeed　it　was　a
considerable　time　that　they　continued　of　his　party；　but
afterwards　Abner　was　blamed；　and　an　accusation　was　laid　against
him；　that　he　went　in　unto　Saul's　concubine：　her　name　was　Rispah；
the　daughter　of　Aiah。　So　when　he　was　complained　of　by　Ishbosheth；
he　was　very　uneasy　and　angry　at　it；　because　he　had　not　justice
done　him　by　Ishbosheth；　to　whom　he　had　shown　the　greatest
kindness；　whereupon　he　threatened　to　transfer　the　kingdom　to
David；　and　demonstrate　that　he　did　not　rule　over　the　people
beyond　Jordan　by　his　own　abilities　and　wisdom；　but　by　his　warlike
conduct　and　fidelity　in　leading　his　army。　So　he　sent　ambassadors
to　Hebron　to　David；　and　desired　that　he　would　give　him　security
upon　oath　that　he　would　esteem　him　his　companion　and　his　friend；
upon　condition　that　he　should　persuade　the　people　to　leave　Saul's
son；　and　choose　him　king　of　the　whole　country；　and　when　David　had
made　that　league　with　Abner；　for　he　was　pleased　with　his　message
to　him；　he　desired　that　he　would　give　this　as　the　first　mark　of
performance　of　the　present　league；　that　he　might　have　his　wife
Michal　restored　to　him；　as　her　whom　he　had　purchased　with　great
hazards；　and　with　those　six　hundred　heads　of　the　Philistines
which　he　had　brought　to　Saul　her　father。　So　Abner　took　Michal
from　Phaltiel；　who　was　then　her　husband；　and　sent　her　to　David；
Ishbosheth　himself　affording　him　his　assistance；　for　David　had
written　to　him　that　of　right　he　ought　to　have　this　his　wife
restored　to　him。　Abner　also　called　together　the　elders　of　the
multitude；　the　commanders　and　captains　of　thousands；　and　spake
thus　to　them：　That　he　had　formerly　dissuaded　them　from　their　own
resolution；　when　they　were　ready　to　forsake　Ishbosheth；　and　to
join　themselves　to　David；　that；　however；　he　now　gave　them　leave
so　to　do；　if　they　had　a　mind　to　it；　for　they　knew　that　God　had
appointed　David　to　be　king　of　all　the　Hebrews　by　Samuel　the
prophet；　and　had　foretold　that　he　should　punish　the　Philistines；
and　overcome　them；　and　bring　them　under。　Now　when　the　elders　and
rulers　heard　this；　and　understood　that　Abner　was　come　over　to
those　sentiments　about　the　public　affairs　which　they　were　of
before；　they　changed　their　measures；　and　came　in　to　David。　When
these　men　had　agreed　to　Abner's　proposal；　he　called　together　the
tribe　of　Benjamin；　for　all　of　that　tribe　were　the　guards　of
Ishbosheth's　body；　and　he　spake　to　them　to　the　same　purpose。　And
when　he　saw　that　they　did　not　in　the　least　oppose　what　he　said；
but　resigned　themselves　up　to　his　opinion；　he　took　about　twenty
of　his　friends　and　came　to　David；　in　order　to　receive　himself
security　upon　oath　from　him；　for　we　may　justly　esteem　those
things　to　be　firmer　which　every　one　of　us　do　by　ourselves；　than
those　which　we　do　by　another。　He　also　gave　him　an　account　of　what
he　had　said　to　the　rulers；　and　to　the　whole　tribe　of　Benjamin；
and　when　David　had　received　him　in　a　courteous　manner；　and　had
treated　him　with　great　hospitality　for　many　days；　Abner；　when　he
was　dismissed；　desired　him　to　bring　the　multitude　with　him；　that
he　might　deliver　up　the　government　to　him；　when　David　himself　was
present；　and　a　spectator　of　what　was　done。

5。　When　David　had　sent　Abner　away；　Joab；　the　of　his　army；　came
immediately　to　Hebron；　he　had　understood　that　Abner　had　been　with
David；　and　had　parted　with　him　a　little　before　under　leagues　and
agreements　that　the　government　should　be　delivered　up　to　David；
he　feared　lest　David　should　place　Abner；　who　had　assisted　him　to
gain　the　kingdom；　in　the　first　rank　of　dignity；　especially　since
he　was　a　shrewd　man　in　other　respects；　in　understanding　affairs；
and　in　managing　them　artfully；　as　proper　seasons　should　require；
and　that　he　should　himself　be　put　lower；　and　be　deprived　of　the
command　of　the　army；　so　he　took　a　knavish　and　a　wicked　course。　In
the　first　place；　he　endeavored　to　calumniate　Abner　to　the　king；
exhorting　him　to　have　a　care　of　him；　and　not　to　give　attention　to
what　he　had　engaged　to　do　for　him；　because　all　he　did　tended　to
confirm　the　government　to　Saul's　son；　that　he　came　to　him
deceitfully　and　with　guile；　and　was　gone　away　in　hopes　of　gaining
his　purpose　by　this　management：　but　when　he　could　not　thus
persuade　David；　nor　saw　him　at　all　exasperated；　he　betook　himself
to　a　project　bolder　than　the　former：　…　he　determined　to　kill
Abner；　and　in　order　thereto；　he　sent　some　messengers　after　him；
to　whom　he　gave　in　charge；　that　when　they　should　overtake　him
they　should　recall　him　in　David's　name；　and　tell　him　that　he　had
somewhat　to　say　to　him　about　his　affairs；　which　he　had　not
remembered　to　speak　of　when　he　was　with　him。　Now　when　Abner　heard
what　the　messengers　said；　（for　they　overtook　him　in　a　certain
place　called　Besira；　which　was　distant　from　Hebron　twenty
furlongs；）　he　suspected　none　of　the　mischief　　which　was　befalling
him；　and　came　back。　Hereupon　Joab　met　him　in　the　gate；　and
received　him　in　the　kindest　manner；　as　if　he　were　Abner's　most
benevolent　acquaintance　and　friend；　for　such　as　undertake　the
vilest　actions；　in　order　to　prevent　the　suspicion　of　any　private
mischief　intended；　do　frequently　make　the　greatest　pretenses　to
what　really　good　men　sincerely　do。　So　he　took　him　aside　from　his
own　followers；　as　if　he　would　speak　with　him　in　private；　and
brought　him　into　a　void　place　of　the　gate；　having　himself　nobody
with　him　but　his　brother　Abishai；　then　he　drew　his　sword；　and
smote　him　in　the　groin；　upon　which　Abner　died　by　this　treachery
of　Joab；　which；　as　he　said　himself；　was　in　the　way　of　punishment
for　his　brother　Asahel；　whom　Abner　smote　and　slew　as　he　was
pursuing　after　him　in　the　battle　of　Hebron；　but　as　the　truth　was；
out　of　his　fear　of　losing　his　command　of　the　army；　and　his
dignity　with　the　king；　and　lest　he　should　be　deprived　of　those
advantages；　and　Abner　should　obtain　the　first　rank　in　David's
court。　By　these　examples　any　one　may　learn　how　many　and　how　great
instances　of　wickedness　men　will　venture　upon　for　the　sake　of
getting　money　and　authority；　and　that　they　may　not　fail　of　either
of　them；　for　as　when　they　are　desirous　of　obtaining　the　same；
they　acquire　them　by　ten　thousand　evil　practices；　so　when　they
are　afraid　of　losing　them；　they　get　them　confirmed　to　them　by
practices　much　worse　than　the　former；　as　if　no　other　calamity　so
terrible　could　befall　them　as　the　failure　of　acquiring　so　exalted
an　authority；　and　when　they　have　acquired　it；　and　by　long　custom
found　the　sweetness　of　it；　the　losing　it　again：　and　since　this
last　would　be　the　heaviest　of　all　afflictions　they　all　of　them
contrive　and　venture　upon　the　most　difficult　actions；　out　of　the
fear　of　losing　the　same。　But　let　it　suffice　that　I　have　made
these　short　reflections　upon　that　subject。

6。　When　David　heard　that　Abner　was　slain；　it　grieved　his　soul；
and　he　called　all　men　to　witness；　with　stretching　out　his　hands
to　God；　and　crying　out　that　he　was　not　a　partaker　in　the　murder
of　Abner；　and　that　his　death　was　not　procured　by　his　command　or
approbation。　He　also　wished　the　heaviest　curses　might　light　upon
him　that　slew　him　and　upon　his　whole　house；　and　he　devoted　those
that　had　assisted　him　in　thi