the antiquities of the jews-1-第106章

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peace；　and　threatened　to　punish　him　if　he　meddled　with　his
conduct。　So　he　replied；　that　he　should　indeed　hold　his　peace；　but
foretold　withal；　that　God　would　not　overlook　his　attempts　for
innovation。　But　Amaziah　was　not　able　to　contain　himself　under
that　prosperity　which　God　had　given　him；　although　he　had
affronted　God　thereupon；　but　in　a　vein　of　insolence　he　wrote　to
Joash；　the　king　of　Israel；　and　commanded　that　he　and　all　his
people　should　be　obedient　to　him；　as　they　had　formerly　been
obedient　to　his　progenitors；　David　and　Solomon；　and　he　let　him
know；　that　if　he　would　not　be　so　wise　as　to　do　what　he　commanded
him；　he　must　fight　for　his　dominion。　To　which　message　Joash
returned　this　answer　in　writing：　〃King　Joash　to　king　Amaziah。
There　was　a　vastly　tall　cypress　tree　in　Mount　Lebanon；　as　also　a
thistle；　this　thistle　sent　to　the　cypress　tree　to　give　the
cypress　tree's　daughter　in　marriage　to　the　thistle's　son；　but　as
the　thistle　was　saying　this；　there　came　a　wild　beast；　and　trod
down　the　thistle：　and　this　may　be　a　lesson　to　thee；　not　to　be　so
ambitious；　and　to　have　a　care；　lest　upon　thy　good　success　in　the
fight　against　the　Amalekites　thou　growest　so　proud；　as　to　bring
dangers　upon　thyself　and　upon　thy　kingdom。〃

3。　When　Amaziah　had　read　this　letter；　he　was　more　eager　upon　this
expedition；　which；　I　suppose；　was　by　the　impulse　of　God；　that　he
might　be　punished　for　his　offense　against　him。　But　as　soon　as　he
led　out　his　army　against　Joash；　and　they　were　going　to　join
battle　with　him；　there　came　such　a　fear　and　consternation　upon
the　army　of　Amaziah；　as　God；　when　he　is　displeased；　sends　upon
men；　and　discomfited　them；　even　before　they　came　to　a　close
fight。　Now　it　happened；　that　as　they　were　scattered　about　by　the
terror　that　was　upon　them；　Amaziah　was　left　alone；　and　was　taken
prisoner　by　the　enemy；　whereupon　Joash　threatened　to　kill　him；
unless　he　would　persuade　the　people　of　Jerusalem　to　open　their
gates　to　him；　and　receive　him　and　his　army　into　the　city。
Accordingly　Amaziah　was　so　distressed；　and　in　such　fear　of　his
life；　that　he　made　his　enemy　to　be　received　into　the　city。　So
Joash　over　threw　a　part　of　the　wall；　of　the　length　of　four
hundred　cubits；　and　drove　his　chariot　through　the　breach　into
Jerusalem；　and　led　Amaziah　captive　along　with　him；　by　which　means
he　became　master　of　Jerusalem；　and　took　away　the　treasures　of
God；　and　carried　off　all　the　gold　and　silver　that　was　in　the
king's　palace；　and　then　freed　the　king　from　captivity；　and
returned　to　Samaria。　Now　these　things　happened　to　the　people　of
Jerusalem　in　the　fourteenth　year　of　the　reign　of　Amaziah；　who
after　this　had　a　conspiracy　made　against　him　by　his　friends；　and
fled　to　the　city　Lachish；　and　was　there　slain　by　the
conspirators；　who　sent　men　thither　to　kill　him。　So　they　took　up
his　dead　body；　and　carried　it　to　Jerusalem；　and　made　a　royal
funeral　for　him。　This　was　the　end　of　the　life　of　Amaziah；　because
of　his　innovations　in　religion；　and　his　contempt　of　God；　when　he
had　lived　fifty…four　years；　and　had　reigned　twenty…nine。　He　was
succeeded　by　his　son；　whose　name　was　Uzziah。

CHAPTER　10。

Concerning　Jeroboam　King　Of　Israel　And　Jonah　The　Prophet；　And　How
After　The　Death　Of　Jeroboam　His　Son　Zachariah　Took　The
Government。　How　Uzziah；　King　Of　Jerusalem；　Subdued　The　Nations
That　Were　Round　About　Him；　And　What　Befell　Him　When　He　Attempted
To　Offer　Incense　To　God。

1。　In　the　fifteenth　year　of　the　reign　of　Amaziah；　Jeroboam　the
son　of　Joash　reigned　over　Israel　in　Samaria　forty　years。　This
king　was　guilty　of　contumely　against　God；　（18）　and　became　very
wicked　in　worshipping　of　idols；　and　in　many　undertakings　that
were　absurd　and　foreign。　He　was　also　the　cause　of　ten　thousand
misfortunes　to　the　people　of　Israel。　Now　one　Jonah；　a　prophet；
foretold　to　him　that　he　should　make　war　with　the　Syrians；　and
conquer　their　army；　and　enlarge　the　bounds　of　his　kingdom　on　the
northern　parts　to　the　city　Hamath；　and　on　the　southern　to　the
lake　Asphaltitis；　for　the　bounds　of　the　Canaanites　originally
were　these；　as　Joshua　their　general　had　determined　them。　So
Jeroboam　made　an　expedition　against　the　Syrians；　and　overran　all
their　country；　as　Jonah　had　foretold。

2。　Now　I　cannot　but　think　it　necessary　for　me；　who　have　promised
to　give　an　accurate　account　of　our　affairs；　to　describe　the
actions　of　this　prophet；　so　far　as　I　have　found　them　written　down
in　the　Hebrew　books。　Jonah　had　been　commanded　by　God　to　go　to　the
kingdom　of　Nineveh；　and　when　he　was　there；　to　publish　it　in　that
city；　how　it　should　lose　the　dominion　it　had　over　the　nations。
But　he　went　not；　out　of　fear；　nay；　he　ran　away　from　God　to　the
city　of　Joppa；　and　finding　a　ship　there；　he　went　into　it；　and
sailed　to　Tarsus；　in　Cilicia　（19）　and　upon　the　rise　of　a　most
terrible　storm；　which　was　so　great　that　the　ship　was　in　danger　of
sinking；　the　mariners；　the　master；　and　the　pilot　himself；　made
prayers　and　vows；　in　case　they　escaped　the　sea：　but　Jonah　lay
still　and　covered　＇in　the　ship；＇　without　imitating　any　thing　that
the　others　did；　but　as　the　waves　grew　greater；　and　the　sea　became
more　violent　by　the　winds；　they　suspected；　as　is　usual　in　such
cases；　that　some　one　of　the　persons　that　sailed　with　them　was　the
occasion　of　this　storm；　and　agreed　to　discover　by　lot　which　of
them　it　was。　When　they　had　cast　lots；　（21）　the　lot　fell　upon　the
prophet；　and　when　they　asked　him　whence　he　came；　and　what　he　had
done？　he　replied；　that　he　was　a　Hebrew　by　nation；　and　a　prophet
of　Almighty　God；　and　he　persuaded　them　to　cast　him　into　the　sea；
if　they　would　escape　the　danger　they　were　in；　for　that　he　was　the
occasion　of　the　storm　which　was　upon　them。　Now　at　the　first　they
durst　not　do　so；　as　esteeming　it　a　wicked　thing　to　cast　a　man　who
was　a　stranger；　and　who　had　committed　his　life　to　them；　into　such
manifest　perdition；　but　at　last；　when　their　misfortune　overbore
them；　and　the　ship　was　just　going　to　be　drowned；　and　when　they
were　animated　to　do　it　by　the　prophet　himself；　and　by　the　fear
concerning　their　own　safety；　they　cast　him　into　the　sea；　upon
which　the　sea　became　calm。　It　is　also　reported　that　Jonah　was
swallowed　down　by　a　whale；　and　that　when　he　had　been　there　three
days；　and　as　many　nights；　he　was　vomited　out　upon　the　Euxine　Sea；
and　this　alive；　and　without　any　hurt　upon　his　body；　and　there；　on
his　prayer　to　God；　he　obtained　pardon　for　his　sins；　and　went　to
the　city　Nineveh；　where　he　stood　so　as　to　be　heard；　and　preached；
that　in　a　very　little　time　they　should　lose　the　dominion　of　Asia。
And　when　he　had　published　this；　he　returned。　Now　I　have　given
this　account　about　him　as　I　found　it　written　＇in　our　books。＇

3。　When　Jeroboam　the　king　had　passed　his　life　in　great　happiness；
and　had　ruled　forty　years；　he　died；　and　was　buried　in　Samaria；
and　his　son　Zachariah　took　the　kingdom。　After　the　same　manner　did
Uzziah；　the　son　of　Amaziah；　begin　to　reign　over　the　two　tribes　in
Jerusalem；　in　the　fourteenth　year　of　the　reign　of　Jeroboam。　He
was　born　of　Jecoliah；　his　mother；　who　was　a　citizen　of　Jerusalem。
He　was　a　good　man；　and　by　nature　righteous　and　magnanimous；　and
very　laborious　in　taking　care　of　the　affairs　of　his　kingdom。　He
made　an　expedition　also　against　the　Philistines；　and　overcame
them　in　battle；　and　took　the　cities　of　Gath　and　Jabneh；　and　brake
down　their　walls；　after　which　expedition　he　assaulted　those　Arabs
that　adjoined　to　Egypt。　He　also　built　a　city　upon　the　Red　Sea；
and　put　a　garrison　into　it。　He；　after　this；　overthrew　the
Ammonites；　and　appointed　that　they　should　pay　tribute。　He　also
overcame　all　the　countries　as　far　as　the　bounds　of　Egypt；　and
then　began　to　take　care　of　Jerusalem　itself　for　the　rest　of　his
life；　for　he　rebuilt　and　repaired　all　those　parts　of　the　wall
which　had　either　fallen　down　by　length　of　time；　or　by　the
carelessness　of　the　kings；　his　predecessors；　as　well　as　all　that
part　which　had　been　thrown　down　by　the　king　of　Israel；　when　he
took　his　father　Amaziah　prisoner；　and　entered　with　him　into　the
city。　Moreover；　he　built　a　great　many　towers；　of　one　hundred　and
fifty　cubits　high；　and　built　walled　towns　in　desert　places；　and
put　garrisons　into　them；　and　dug　many　channels　for　conveyance　of
water。　He　had　also　many　beasts　for　labor；　and　an　immense　number
of　cattle；　for　his　country　was　fit　for　pasturage。　He　was　also
given　to　husbandry；　and　took　care　to　cultivate　the　ground；　and
planted　it　with　all　sorts　of　plants；　and　sowed　it　with　all　sorts
of　seeds。　He　had　also　about　him　an　army　composed　of　chosen　men；
in　number　three　hundred　and　seventy　thousand；　who　were　governed
by　general　officers　and　captains　of　thousands；　who　were　men　of
valor；　and　of　unconquerable　strength；　in　number　two　thousand。　He
also　divided　his　whole　army　into　bands；　and　armed　them；　giving
every　one　a　sword；　with　brazen　bucklers　and　breastplates；　with
bows　and　slings；　and　besides　these；　he　made　for　them　many　engines
of　war　for　besieging　of　cities；　such　as　cast　stones　and　darts；
with　grapplers；　and　other　instruments　of　that　sort。

4。　While　Uzziah　was　in　this　state；　and　making　preparation　＇for
futurity＇；　he　was　corrupted　in　his　mind　by　pride；　and　became
insolent；　and　this　on　account　of　that　abundance　which　he　had　of
things　that　will　soon　perish；　and　despised　that　power　which　is　of
eternal　duration　（which　consisted　in　piety　towards　God；　and　in
the　observation　of　the　laws）；　so　he　fell　by　occasion　of　the　good
success　of　his　affairs；　and　was　carried　headlong　into　those　sins
of　his　father；　which　the　splendor　of　that　prosperity　he　enjoyed；
and　the　glorious　actions　he　had　done；　led　him　into；　while　he　was
not　able　to　govern　himself　well　about　them。　Accordingly；　when　a
remarkable　day　was　come；　and　a　general　festival　was　to　be
celebrated；　he　put　on　the　holy　garment；　and　went　into　the　temple
to　offer　incense　to　God　upon　the　golden　altar；　which　he　was
prohibited　to　do　by　Azariah　the　high　priest；　who　had　fourscore
priests　with　him；　and　who　told　him　that　it　was　not　lawful　for　him
to　offer　sacrifice；　and　that　〃none　besides　the　posterity　of　Aaron
were　permitted　so　to　do。〃　And　when　they　cried　out　that　he　must　go
out　of　the　temple；　and　not　transgress　against　God；　he　was　wroth
at　them；　and　threatened　to　kill　them；　unless　they　would　hold
their　peace。　In　the　mean　time　a　great　earthquake　shook　the　ground
（26）　and　a　rent　was　made　in　the　temple；　and　the　bright　rays　of
the　sun　shone　through　it；　and　fell　upon　the　king's　face；　insomuch
that　the　leprosy　seized　upon　him　immediately。　And　before　the
city；　at　a　place　called　Eroge；　half　the　mountain　broke　off　from
the　rest　on　the　west；　and　rolled　itself　four　furlongs；　and　stood
still　at　the　east　mountain；　till　the　roads；　as　well　as　the　king's
gardens；　were　spoiled　by　the　obstruction。　Now；　as　soon　as　the
priests　saw　that　the　king's　face　was　infected　with　the　leprosy；
they　told　him　of　the　calamity　he　was　under；　and　commanded　that　he
should　go　out　of　the　city　as　a　polluted　person。　Hereupon　he　was
so　confounded　at　the　sad　distemper；　and　sensible　that　he　was　not
at　liberty　to　contradict；　that　he　did　as　he　was　commanded；　and
underwent　this　miserable　and　terrible　punishment　for　an　intention
beyond　what　befitted　a　man　to　have；　and　for　that　impiety　against
God　which　was　implied　therein。　So　he　abode　out