the antiquities of the jews-1-第76章

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is　common　among　mankind；　and　that　such　is　the　nature；　and　such
the　accidents　of　war；　insomuch　that　sometimes　the　enemy　will　have
success　therein；　and　sometimes　others；　but　that　he　ordered　him　to
go　on　still　in　his　care　about　the　siege；　that　no　ill　accident
might　befall　him　in　it　hereafter；　that　they　should　raise　bulwarks
and　use　machines　in　besieging　the　city；　and　when　they　have　gotten
it；　to　overturn　its　very　foundations；　and　to　destroy　all　those
that　are　in　it。　Accordingly　the　messenger　carried　the　king's
message　with　which　he　was　charged；　and　made　haste　to　Joab。　But
Bathsheba；　the　wife　of　Uriah；　when　she　was　informed　of　the　death
of　her　husband；　mourned　for　his　death　many　days；　and　when　her
mourning　was　over；　and　the　tears　which　she　shed　for　Uriah　were
dried　up；　the　king　took　her　to　wife　presently；　and　a　son　was　born
to　him　by　her。

3。　With　this　marriage　God　was　not　well　pleased；　but　was　thereupon
angry　at　David；　and　he　appeared　to　Nathan　the　prophet　in　his
sleep；　and　complained　of　the　king。　Now　Nathan　was　a　fair　and
prudent　man；　and　considering　that　kings；　when　they　fall　into　a
passion；　are　guided　more　by　that　passion　than　they　are　by
justice；　he　resolved　to　conceal　the　threatenings　that　proceeded
from　God；　and　made　a　good…natured　discourse　to　him；　and　this
after　the。　manner　following：　…　He　desired　that　the　king　would
give　him　his　opinion　in　the　following　case：　…　There　were；〃　said
he；　〃two　men　inhabiting　the　same　city；　the　one　of　them　was　rich；
and　＇the　other　poor＇。　The　rich　man　had　a　great　many　flocks　of
cattle；　of　sheep；　and　of　kine；　but　the　poor　man　had　but　one　ewe
lamb。　This　he　brought　up　with　his　children；　and　let　her　eat　her
food　with　them；　and　he　had　the　same　natural　affection　for　her
which　any　one　might　have　for　a　daughter。　Now　upon　the　coming　of　a
stranger　to　the　rich　man；　he　would　not　vouchsafe　to　kill　any　of
his　own　flocks；　and　thence　feast　his　friend；　but　he　sent　for　the
poor　man's　lamb；　and　took　her　away　from　him；　and　made　her　ready
for　food；　and　thence　feasted　the　stranger。〃　This　discourse
troubled　the　king　exceedingly；　and　he　denounced　to　Nathan；　that
〃this　man　was　a　wicked　man　who　could　dare　to　do　such　a　thing；　and
that　it　was　but　just　that　he　should　restore　the　lamb　fourfold；
and　be　punished　with　death　for　it　also。〃　Upon　this　Nathan
immediately　said　that　he　was　himself　the　man　who　ought　to　suffer
those　punishments；　and　that　by　his　own　sentence；　and　that　it　was
he　who　had　perpetrated　this　'great　and　horrid　crime。　He　also
revealed　to　him；　and　laid　before　him；　the　anger　of　God　against
him；　who　had　made　him　king　over　the　army　of　the　Hebrews；　and　lord
of　all　the　nations；　and　those　many　and　great　nations　round　about
him；　who　had　formerly　delivered　him　out　of　the　hands　of　Saul；　and
had　given　him　such　wives　as　he　had　justly　and　legally　married；
and　now　this　God　was　despised　by　him；　and　affronted　by　his
impiety；　when　he　had　married；　and　now　had；　another　man's　wife；
and　by　exposing　her　husband　to　the　enemy；　had　really　slain　him；
'that　God　would　inflict　punishments　upon　him　on　account　of　those
instances　of　wickedness；　that　his　own　wives　should　be　forced　by
one　of　his　sons；　and　that　he　should　be　treacherously　supplanted
by　the　same　son；　and　that　although　he　had　perpetrated　his
wickedness　secretly；　yet　should　that　punishment　which　he　was　to
undergo　be　inflicted　publicly　upon　him；　〃that；　moreover；〃　said
he；　〃the　child　which　was　born　to　thee　of　her　shall　soon　die。〃
When　the　king　was　troubled　at　these　messages；　and　sufficiently
confounded；　and　said　with　tears　and　sorrow　that　he　had　sinned；
（for　he　was　without　controversy　a　pious　man；　and　guilty　of　no　sin
at　all　in　his　whole　life；　excepting　those　in　the　matter　of
Uriah；）　God　had　compassion　on　him；　and　was　reconciled　to　him；　and
promised　that　he　would　preserve　to　him　both　his　life　and　his
kingdom；　for　he　said　that；　seeing　he　repented　of　the　things　he
had　done；　he　was　no　longer　displeased　with　him。　So　Nathan；　when
he　had　delivered　this　prophecy　to　the　king；　returned　home。

4。　However；　God　sent　a　dangerous　distemper　upon　the　child　that
was　born　to　David　of　the　wife　of　Uriah；　at　which　the　king　was
troubled；　and　did　not　take　any　food　for　seven　days；　although　his
servants　almost　forced　him　to　take　it；　but　he　clothed　himself　in
a　black　garment；　and　fell　down；　and　lay　upon　the　ground　in
sackcloth；　entrusting　God　for　the　recovery　of　the　child；　for　he
vehemently　loved　the　child's　mother；　but　when；　on　the　seventh
day；　the　child　was　dead；　the　king's　servants　durst　not　tell　him
of　it；　as　supposing　that　when　he　knew　it；　he　would　still　less
admit　of　food；　and　other　care　of　himself；　by　reason　of　his　grief
at　the　death　of　his　son；　since　when　the　child　was　only　sick；　he
so　greatly　afflicted　himself；　and　grieved　for　him：　but　when　the
king　perceived　that　his　servants　were　in　disorder；　and　seemed　to
be　affected；　as　those　who　are　very　desirous　to　conceal　something；
he　understood　that　the　child　was　dead；　and　when　he　had　called　one
of　his　servants　to　him；　and　discovered　that　so　it　was；　he　arose
up　and　washed　himself；　and　took　a　white　garment；　and　came　into
the　tabernacle　of　God。　He　also　commanded　them　to　set　supper
before　him；　and　thereby　greatly　surprised　his　kindred　and
servants；　while　he　did　nothing　of　this　when　the　child　was　sick；
but　did　it　all　when　he　was　dead。　Whereupon　having　first　begged
leave　to　ask　him　a　question；　they　besought　him　to　tell　them　the
reason　of　this　his　conduct；　he　then　called　them　unskillful
people；　and　instructed　them　how　he　had　hopes　of　the　recovery　of
the　child　while　it　was　alive；　and　accordingly　did　all　that　was
proper　for　him　to　do；　as　thinking　by　such　means　to　render　God
propitious　to　him；　but　that　when　the　child　was　dead；　there　was　no
longer　any　occasion　for　grief；　which　was　then　to　no　purpose。　When
he　had　said　this；　they　commended　the　king's　wisdom　and
understanding。　He　then　went　in　unto　Bathsheba　his　wife；　and　she
conceived　and　bare　a　son；　and　by　the　command　of　Nathan　the
prophet　called　his　name　Solomon。

5。　But　Joab　sorely　distressed　the　Ammonites　in　the　siege；　by
cutting　off　their　waters；　and　depriving　them　of　other　means　of
subsistence；　till　they　were　in　the　greatest　want　of　meat　and
drink；　for　they　depended　only　on　one　small　well　of　water；　and
this　they　durst　not　drink　of　too　freely；　lest　the　fountain　should
entirely　fail　them。　So　he　wrote　to　the　king；　and　informed　him
thereof；　and　persuaded　him　to　come　himself　to　take　the　city；　that
he　might　have　the　honor　of　the　victory。　Upon　this　letter　of
Joab's；　the　king　accepted　of　his　good…will　and　fidelity；　and　took
with　him　his　army；　and　came　to　the　destruction　of　Rabbah；　and
when　he　had　taken　it　by　force；　he　gave　it　to　his　soldiers　to
plunder　it；　but　he　himself　took　the　king　of　the　Ammonites'　crown；
whose　weight　was　a　talent　of　gold；　（13）　and　it　had　in　its　middle
a　precious　stone　called　a　sardonyx；　which　crown　David　ever　after
wore　on　his　own　head。　He　also　found　many　other　vessels　in　the
city；　and　those　both　splendid　and　of　great　price；　but　as　for　the
men；　he　tormented　them；　（14）　and　then　destroyed　them；　and　when　he
had　taken　the　other　cities　of　the　Ammonites　by　force；　he　treated
them　after　the　same　manner。

CHAPTER　8。

How　Absalom　Murdered　Amnon；　Who　Had　Forced　His　Own　Sister；　And
How　He　Was　Banished　And　Afterwards　Recalled　By　David。

1。　When　the　king　was　returned　to　Jerusalem；　a　sad　misfortune
befell　his　house；　on　the　occasion　following：　He　had　a　daughter；
who　was　yet　a　virgin；　and　very　handsome；　insomuch　that　she
surpassed　all　the　most　beautiful　women；　her　name　was　Tamar；　she
had　the　same　mother　with　Absalom。　Now　Amnon；　David's　eldest　son；
fell　in　love　with　her；　and　being　not　able　to　obtain　his　desires；
on　account　of　her　virginity；　and　the　custody　she　was　under；　was
so　much　out　of　order；　nay；　his　grief　so　eat　up　his　body；　that　he
grew　lean；　and　his　color　was　changed。　Now　there　was　one　Jenadab；
a　kinsman　and　friend　of　his；　who　discovered　this　his　passion；　for
he　was　an　extraordinary　wise　man；　and　of　great　sagacity　of　mind。
When；　therefore；　he　saw　that　every　morning　Amnon　was　not　in　body
as　he　ought　to　be；　he　came　to　him；　and　desired　him　to　tell　him
what　was　the　cause　of　it：　however；　he　said　that　he　guessed　that
it　arose　from　the　passion　of　love。　Amnon　confessed　his　passion；
that　he　was　in　love　with　a　sister　of　his；　who　had　the　same　father
with　himself。　So　Jenadab　suggested　to　him　by　what　method　and
contrivance　he　might　obtain　his　desires；　for　he　persuaded　him　to
pretend　sickness；　and　bade　him；　when　his　father　should　come　to
him；　to　beg　of　him　that　his　sister　might　come　and　minister　to
him；　for　if　that　were　done；　he　should　be　better；　and　should
quickly　recover　from　his　distemper。　So　Amnon　lay　down　on　his　bed；
and　pretended　to　be　sick；　as　Jonadab　had　suggested。　When　his
father　came；　and　inquired　how　he　did；　he　begged　of　him　to　send
his　sister　to　him。　Accordingly；　he　presently　ordered　her　to　be
brought　to　him；　and　when　she　was　come；　Amnon　bade　her　make　cakes
for　him；　and　fry　them　in　a　pan；　and　do　it　all　with　her　own　hands；
because　he　should　take　them　better　from　her　hand　＇than　from　any
one's　else＇。　So　she　kneaded　the　flour　in　the　sight　of　her
brother；　and　made　him　cakes；　and　baked　them　in　a　pan；　and　brought
them　to　him；　but　at　that　time　he　would　not　taste　them；　but　gave
order　to　his　servants　to　send　all　that　were　there　out　of　his
chamber；　because　he　had　a　mind　to　repose　himself；　free　from
tumult　and　disturbance。　As　soon　as　what　he　had　commanded　was
done；　he　desired　his　sister　to　bring　his　supper　to　him　into　the
inner　parlor；　which；　when　the　damsel　had　done；　he　took　hold　of
her；　and　endeavored　to　persuade　her　to　lie　with　him。　Whereupon
the　damsel　cried　out；　and　said；　〃Nay；　brother；　do　not　force　me；
nor　be　so　wicked　as　to　transgress　the　laws；　and　bring　upon
thyself　the　utmost　confusion。　Curb　this　thy　unrighteous　and
impure　lust；　from　which　our　house　will　get　nothing　but　reproach
and　disgrace。〃　She　also　advised　him　to　speak　to　his　father　about
this　affair；　for　he　would　permit　him　＇to　marry　her＇。　This　she
said；　as　desirous　to　avoid　her　brother's　violent　passion　at
present。　But　he　would　not　yield　to　her；　but；　inflamed　with　love
and　blinded　with　the　vehemency　of　his　passion；　he　forced　his
sister：　but　as　soon　as　Amnon　had　satisfied　his　lust；　he　hated　her
immediately；　and　giving　her　reproachful　words；　bade　her　rise　up
and　be　gone。　And　when　she　said　that　this　was　a　more　injurious
treatment　than　the　former；　if；　now　he　had　forced　her；　he　would
not　let　her　stay　with　him　till　the　evening；　but　bid　her　go　away
in　the　day…time；　and　while　it　was　light；　that　she　might　meet　with
people　that　would　be　witnesses　of　her　shame；　…　he　commanded　his
servant　to　turn　her　out　of　his　house。　Whereupon　she　was　sorely
grieved　at　the　injury　and　violence　that　had　been　offered　to　her；
and　rent　her　loose　coat；　（for　the　virgins　of　old　time　wore　such
loose　coats　tied　at　the　hands；　and　let　down　to　the　ankles；　that
the　inner　coats　might　not　be　seen；）　and　sprinkled　ashes　on　her
head；　and　went　up　the　middle　of　the　city；　crying　out　and
lamenting　for　the　violence　that　had　been　offered　her。　Now
Absalom；　her　brother；　happened　to　meet　her；　and　asked　her　what
sad　thing　had　befallen　her；　that　she　was　in