the antiquities of the jews-1-第110章

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leave　his　house　and　his　government　without　a　successor　of　his　own
body；　so　he　was　troubled　at　the　thoughts　of　this　his　condition；
and　lamented　himself；　and　entreated　of　God　that　he　would　prolong
his　life　for　a　little　while　till　he　had　some　children；　and　not
suffer　him　to　depart　this　life　before　he　was　become　a　father。
Hereupon　God　had　mercy　upon　him；　and　accepted　of　his
supplication；　because　the　trouble　he　was　under　at　his　supposed
death　was　not　because　he　was　soon　to　leave　the　advantages　he
enjoyed　in　the　kingdom；　nor　did　he　on　that　account　pray　that　he
might　have　a　longer　life　afforded　him；　but　in　order　to　have　sons；
that　might　receive　the　government　after　him。　And　God　sent　Isaiah
the　prophet；　and　commanded　him　to　inform　Hezekiah；　that　within
three　days'　time　he　should　get　clear　of　his　distemper；　and　should
survive　it　fifteen　years；　and　that　he　should　have　children　also。
Now；　upon　the　prophet's　saying　this；　as　God　had　commanded　him；　he
could　hardly　believe　it；　both　on　account　of　the　distemper　he　was
under；　which　was　very　sore；　and　by　reason　of　the　surprising
nature　of　what　was　told　him；　so　he　desired　that　Isaiah　would　give
him　some　sign　or　wonder；　that　he　might　believe　him　in　what　he　had
said；　and　be　sensible　that　he　came　from　God；　for　things　that　are
beyond　expectation；　and　greater　than　our　hopes；　are　made　credible
by　actions　of　the　like　nature。　And　when　Isaiah　had　asked　him　what
sign　he　desired　to　be　exhibited；　he　desired　that　he　would　make
the　shadow　of　the　sun；　which　he　had　already　made　to　go　down　ten
steps　＇or　degrees＇　in　his　house；　to　return　again　to　the　same
place；　（5）　and　to　make　it　as　it　was　before。　And　when　the　prophet
prayed　to　God　to　exhibit　this　sign　to　the　king；　he　saw　what　he
desired　to　see；　and　was　freed　from　his　distemper；　and　went　up　to
the　temple；　where　he　worshipped　God；　and　made　vows　to　him。

2。　At　this　time　it　was　that　the　dominion　of　the　Assyrians　was
overthrown　by　the　Medes；　（6）　but　of　these　things　I　shall　treat
elsewhere。　But　the　king　of　Babylon；　whose　name　was　Baladan；　sent
ambassadors　to　Hezekiah；　with　presents；　and　desired　he　would　be
his　ally　and　his　friend。　So　he　received　the　ambassadors　gladly；
and　made　them　a　feast；　and　showed　them　his　treasures；　and　his
armory；　and　the　other　wealth　he　was　possessed　of；　in　precious
stones　and　in　gold；　and　gave　them　presents　to　be　carried　to
Baladan；　and　sent　them　back　to　him。　Upon　which　the　prophet　Isaiah
came　to　him；　and　inquired　of　him　whence　those　ambassadors　came；
to　which　he　replied；　that　they　came　from　Babylon；　from　the　king；
and　that　he　had　showed　them　all　he　had；　that　by　the　sight　of　his
riches　and　forces　he　might　thereby　guess　at　＇the　plenty　he　was
in＇；　and　be　able　to　inform　the　king　of　it。　But　the　prophet
rejoined；　and　said；　〃Know　thou；　that；　after　a　little　while；　these
riches　of　thine　shall　be　carried　away　to　Babylon；　and　thy
posterity　shall　be　made　eunuchs　there；　and　lose　their　manhood；
and　be　servants　to　the　king　of　Babylon；　for　that　God　foretold
such　things　would　come　to　pass。〃　Upon　which　words　Hezekiah　was
troubled；　and　said　that　he　was　himself　unwilling　that　his　nation
should　fall　into　such　calamities；　yet　since　it　is　not　possible　to
alter　what　God　had　determined；　he　prayed　that　there　might　be
peace　while　he　lived。　Berosus　also　makes　mention　of　this　Baladan；
king　of　Babylon。　Now　as　to　this　prophet　＇Isaiah＇；　he　was　by　the
confession　of　all；　a　divine　and　wonderful　man　in　speaking　truth；
and　out　of　the　assurance　that　he　had　never　written　what　was
false；　he　wrote　down　all　his　prophecies；　and　left　them　behind　him
in　books；　that　their　accomplishment　might　be　judged　of　from　the
events　by　posterity：　nor　did　this　prophet　do　so　alone；　but　the
others；　which　were　twelve　in　number；　did　the　same。　And　whatsoever
is　done　among　us；　Whether　it　be　good；　or　whether　it　be　bad；　comes
to　pass　according　to　their　prophecies；　but　of　every　one　of　these
we　shall　speak　hereafter。

CHAPTER　3。

How　Manasseh　Reigned　After　Hezekiah；　And　How　When　He　Was　In
Captivity　He　Returned　To　God　And　　Was　Restored　To　His　Kingdom　And
Left　It　To　＇His　Son＇　Amon。

1。　When　king　Hezekiah　had　survived　the　interval　of　time　already
mentioned；　and　had　dwelt　all　that　time　in　peace；　he　died；　having
completed　fifty…four　years　of　his　life；　and　reigned　twenty…nine。
But　when　his　son　Manasseh；　whose　mother's　name　was　Hephzibah；　of
Jerusalem；　had　taken　the　kingdom；　he　departed　from　the　conduct　of
his　father；　and　fell　into　a　course　of　life　quite　contrary
thereto；　and　showed　himself　in　his　manners　most　wicked　in　all
respects；　and　omitted　no　sort　of　impiety；　but　imitated　those
transgressions　of　the　Israelites；　by　the　commission　of　which
against　God　they　had　been　destroyed；　for　he　was　so　hardy　as　to
defile　the　temple　of　God；　and　the　city；　and　the　whole　country；
for；　by　setting　out　from　a　contempt　of　God；　he　barbarously　slew
all　the　righteous　men　that　were　among　the　Hebrews；　nor　would　he
spare　the　prophets；　for　he　every　day　slew　some　of　them；　till
Jerusalem　was　overflown　with　blood。　So　God　was　angry　at　these
proceedings；　and　sent　prophets　to　the　king；　and　to　the　multitude；
by　whom　he　threatened　the　very　same　calamities　to　them　which
their　brethren　the　Israelites；　upon　the　like　affronts　offered　to
God；　were　now　under。　But　these　men　would　not　believe　their　words；
by　which　belief　they　might　have　reaped　the　advantage　of　escaping
all　those　miseries；　yet　did　they　in　earnest　learn　that　what　the
prophets　had　told　them　was　true。

2。　And　when　they　persevered　in　the　same　course　of　life；　God
raised　up　war　against　them　from　the　king　of　Babylon　and　Chaldea；
who　sent　an　army　against　Judea；　and　laid　waste　the　country；　and
caught　king　Manasseh　by　treachery；　and　ordered　him　to　be　brought
to　him；　and　had　him　under　his　power　to　inflict　what　punishment　he
pleased　upon　him。　But　then　it　was　that　Manasseh　perceived　what　a
miserable　condition　he　was　in；　and　esteeming　himself　the　cause　of
all；　he　besought　God　to　render　his　enemy　humane　and　merciful　to
him。　Accordingly；　God　heard　his　prayer；　and　granted　him　what　he
prayed　for。　So　Manasseh　was　released　by　the　king　of　Babylon；　and
escaped　the　danger　he　was　in；　and　when　he　was　come　to　Jerusalem；
he　endeavored；　if　it　were　possible；　to　cast　out　of　his　memory
those　his　former　sins　against　God；　of　which　he　now　repented；　and
to　apply　himself　to　a　very　religious　life。　He　sanctified　the
temple；　and　purged　the　city；　and　for　the　remainder　of　his　days　he
was　intent　on　nothing　but　to　return　his　thanks　to　God　for　his
deliverance；　and　to　preserve　him　propitious　to　him　all　his　life
long。　He　also　instructed　the　multitude　to　do　the　same；　as　having
very　nearly　experienced　what　a　calamity　he　was　fallen　into　by　a
contrary　conduct。　He　also　rebuilt　the　altar；　and　offered　the
legal　sacrifices；　as　Moses　commanded。　And　when　he　had
re…established　what　concerned　the　Divine　worship；　as　it　ought　to
be；　he　took　care　of　the　security　of　Jerusalem：　he　did　not　only
repair　the　old　walls　with　great　diligence；　but　added　another　wall
to　the　former。　He　also　built　very　lofty　towers；　and　the
garrisoned　places　before　the　city　he　strengthened；　not　only　in
other　respects；　but　with　provisions　of　all　sorts　that　they
wanted。　And　indeed；　when　he　had　changed　his　former　course；　he　so
led　his　life　for　the　time　to　come；　that　from　the　time　of　his
return　to　piety　towards　God　he　was　deemed　a　happy　man；　and　a
pattern　for　imitation。　When　therefore　he　had　lived　sixty…seven
years；　he　departed　this　life；　having　reigned　fifty…five　years；
and　was　buried　in　his　own　garden；　and　the　kingdom　came　to　his　son
Amon；　whose　mother's　name　was　Meshulemeth；　of　the　city　of
Jotbath。

CHAPTER　4。

How　Amon　Reigned　Instead　Of　Manasseh；　And　After　Amon　Reigned
Josiah；　He　Was　Both　Righteous　And　Religious。　As　Also　Concerning
Huldah　The　Prophetess。

1。　This　Amon　imitated　those　works　of　his　father　which　he
insolently　did　when　he　was　young：　so　he　had　a　conspiracy　made
against　him　by　his　own　servants；　and　was　slain　in　his　own　house；
when　he　had　lived　twenty…four　years；　and　of　them　had　reigned　two。
But　the　multitude　punished　those　that　slew　Amon；　and　buried　him
with　his　father；　and　gave　the　kingdom　to　his　son　Josiah；　who　was
eight　years　old。　His　mother　was　of　the　city　of　Boscath；　and　her
name　was　Jedidah。　He　was　of　a　most　excellent　disposition；　and
naturally　virtuous；　and　followed　the　actions　of　king　David；　as　a
pattern　and　a　rule　to　him　in　the　whole　conduct　of　his　life。　And
when　he　was　twelve　years　old；　he　gave　demonstrations　of　his
religious　and　righteous　behavior；　for　he　brought　the　people　to　a
sober　way　of　living；　and　exhorted　them　to　leave　off　the　opinion
they　had　of　their　idols；　because　they　were　not　gods；　but　to
worship　their　own　God。　And　by　repeating　on　the　actions　of　his
progenitors；　he　prudently　corrected　what　they　did　wrong；　like　a
very　elderly　man；　and　like　one　abundantly　able　to　understand　what
was　fit　to　be　done；　and　what　he　found　they　had　well　done；　he
observed　all　the　country　over；　and　imitated　the　same。　And　thus　he
acted　in　following　the　wisdom　and　sagacity　of　his　own　nature；　and
in　compliance　with　the　advice　and　instruction　of　the　elders；　for
by　following　the　laws　it　was　that　he　succeeded　so　well　in　the
order　of　his　government；　and　in　piety　with　regard　to　the　Divine
worship。　And　this　happened　because　the　transgressions　of　the
former　kings　were　seen　no　more；　but　quite　vanished　away；　for　the
king　went　about　the　city；　and　the　whole　country；　and　cut　down　the
groves　which　were　devoted　to　strange　gods；　and　overthrew　their
altars；　and　if　there　were　any　gifts　dedicated　to　them　by　his
forefathers；　he　made　them　ignominious；　and　plucked　them　down；　and
by　this　means　he　brought　the　people　back　from　their　opinion　about
them　to　the　worship　of　God。　He　also　offered　his　accustomed
sacrifices　and　burnt…offerings　upon　the　altar。　Moreover；　he
ordained　certain　judges　and　overseers；　that　they　might　order　the
matters　to　them　severally　belonging；　and　have　regard　to　justice
above　all　things；　and　distribute　it　with　the　same　concern　they
would　have　about　their　own　soul。　He　also　sent　over　all　the
country；　and　desired　such　as　pleased　to　bring　gold　and　silver　for
the　repairs　of　the　temple；　according　to　every　one's　inclinations
and　abilities。　And　when　the　money　was　brought　in；　he　made　one
Maaseiah　the　governor　of　the　city；　and　Shaphan　the　scribe；　and
Joab　the　recorder；　and　Eliakim　the　high　priest；　curators　of　the
temple；　and　of　the　charges　contributed　thereto；　who　made　no
delay；　nor　put　the　work　off　at　all；　but　prepared　architects；　and
whatsoever　was　proper　for　those　repairs；　and　set　closely　about
the　work。　So　the　temple　was　repaired　by　this　means；　and　became　a
public　demonstration　of　the　king's　piety。

2。　But　when　he　was　now　in　the　eighteenth　year　of　his　reign；　he
sent　to　Eliakim　the　high　priest；　and　gave　order；　that　out　of　what
money　was　overplus；　he　should　cast　cups；　and　dishes；　and　vials；
for　ministration　＇in　the　temple＇；　and　besides；　that　they　should
bring　all　the　gold　or　silver　which　was　among　the　treasures；　and
expend　that　also　in　making　cups　and　the　like　vessels。　But　as　the
high　priest　was　bringing　out　the　gold；　he　lighted　upon　the　holy
books　of　Moses　that　were　laid　up　in　the　temple；　and　when　he　had
brought　them　out