the antiquities of the jews-1-第123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！


neighboring　nations　did　a　great　deal　of　mischief　to　the　Jews；
while　in　the　day　time　they　overran　the　country；　and　pillaged　it；
and　in　the　night　did　them　mischief；　insomuch　that　not　a　few　were
led　away　captive　out　of　the　country；　and　out　of　Jerusalem　itself；
and　that　the　roads　were　in　the　day　time　found　full　of　dead　men。
Hereupon　Nehemiah　shed　tears；　out　of　commiseration　of　the
calamities　of　his　countrymen；　and；　looking　up　to　heaven；　he　said；
〃How　long；　O　Lord；　wilt　thou　overlook　our　nation；　while　it
suffers　so　great　miseries；　and　while　we　are　made　the　prey　and
spoil　of　all　men？〃　And　while　he　staid　at　the　gate；　and　lamented
thus；　one　told　him　that　the　king　was　going　to　sit　down　to　supper；
so　he　made　haste；　and　went　as　he　was；　without　wishing　himself；　to
minister　to　the　king　in　his　office　of　cup…bearer。　But　as　the　king
was　very　pleasant　after　supper；　and　more　cheerful　than　usual；　he
cast　his　eyes　on　Nehemiah；　and　seeing　him　look　sad；　he　asked　him
why　he　was　sad。　Whereupon　he　prayed　to　God　to　give　him　favor；　and
afford　him　the　power　of　persuading　by　his　words；　and　said；　〃How
can　I；　O　king；　appear　otherwise　than　thus；　and　not　be　in　trouble；
while　I　hear　that　the　walls　of　Jerusalem；　the　city　where　are　the
sepulchers　of　my　fathers；　are　thrown　down　to　the　ground；　and　that
its　gates　are　consumed　by　fire？　But　do　thou　grant　me　the　favor　to
go　and　build　its　wall；　and　to　finish　the　building　of　the　temple。〃
Accordingly；　the　king　gave　him　a　signal　that　he　freely　granted
him　what　he　asked；　and　told　him　that　he　should　carry　an　epistle
to　the　governors；　that　they　might　pay　him　due　honor；　and　afford
him　whatsoever　assistance　he　wanted；　and　as　he　pleased。　〃Leave
off　thy　sorrow　then；〃　said　the　king；　〃and　be　cheerful　in　the
performance　of　thy　office　hereafter。〃　So　Nehemiah　worshipped　God；
and　gave　the　king　thanks　for　his　promise；　and　cleared　up　his　sad
and　cloudy　countenance；　by　the　pleasure　he　had　from　the　king's
promises。　Accordingly；　the　king　called　for　him　the　next　day；　and
gave　him　an　epistle　to　be　carried　to　Adeus；　the　governor　of
Syria；　and　Phoenicia；　and　Samaria；　wherein　he　sent　to　him　to　pay
due　honor　to　Nehemiah；　and　to　supply　him　with　what　he　wanted　for
his　building。

7。　Now　when　he　was　come　to　Babylon；　and　had　taken　with　him　many
of　his　countrymen；　who　voluntarily　followed　him；　he　came　to
Jerusalem　in　the　twenty　and　fifth　year　of　the　reign　of　Xerxes。
And　when　he　had　shown　the　epistles　to　God　（13）　he　gave　them　to
Adeus；　and　to　the　other　governors。　He　also　called　together　all
the　people　to　Jerusalem；　and　stood　in　the　midst　of　the　temple；
and　made　the　following　speech　to　them：　〃You　know；　O　Jews；　that
God　hath　kept　our　fathers；　Abraham；　and　Isaac；　and　Jacob；　in　mind
continually；　and　for　the　sake　of　their　righteousness　hath　not
left　off　the　care　of　you。　Indeed　he　hath　assisted　me　in　gaining
this　authority　of　the　king　to　raise　up　our　wall；　and　finish　what
is　wanting　of　the　temple。　I　desire　you；　therefore　who　well　know
the　ill…will　our　neighboring　nations　bear　to　us；　and　that　when
once　they　are　made　sensible　that　we　are　in　earnest　about
building；　they　will　come　upon　us；　and　contrive　many　ways　of
obstructing　our　works；　that　you　will；　in　the　first　place；　put
your　trust　in　God；　as　in　him　that　will　assist　us　against　their
hatred；　and　to　intermit　building　neither　night　nor　day；　but　to
use　all　diligence；　and　to　hasten　on　the　work；　now　we　have　this
especial　opportunity　for　it。〃　When　he　had　said　this；　he　gave
order　that　the　rulers　should　measure　the　wall；　and　part　the　work
of　it　among　the　people；　according　to　their　villages　and　cities；
as　every　one's　ability　should　require。　And　when　he　had　added　this
promise；　that　he　himself；　with　his　servants；　would　assist　them；
he　dissolved　the　assembly。　So　the　Jews　prepared　for　the　work：
that　is　the　name　they　are　called　by　from　the　day　that　they　came
up　from　Babylon；　which　is　taken　from　the　tribe　of　Judah；。　which
came　first　to　these　places；　and　thence　both　they　and　the　country
gained　that　appellation。

8。　But　now　when　the　Ammonites；　and　Moabites；　and　Samaritans；　and
all　that　inhabited　Celesyria；　heard　that　the　building　went　on
apace；　they　took　it　heinously；　and　proceeded　to　lay　snares　for
them；　and　to　hinder　their　intentions。　They　also　slew　many　of　the
Jews；　and　sought　how　they　might　destroy　Nehemiah　himself；　by
hiring　some　of　the　foreigners　to　kill　him。　They　also　put　the　Jews
in　fear；　and　disturbed　them；　and　spread　abroad　rumors；　as　if　many
nations　were　ready　to　make　an　expedition　against　them；　by　which
means　they　were　harassed；　and　had　almost　left　off　the　building。
But　none　of　these　things　could　deter　Nehemiah　from　being　diligent
about　the　work；　he　only　set　a　number　of　men　about　him　as　a　guard
to　his　body；　and　so　unweariedly　persevered　therein；　and　was
insensible　of　any　trouble；　out　of　his　desire　to　perfect　this
work。　And　thus　did　he　attentively；　and　with　great　forecast；　take
care　of　his　own　safety；　not　that　he　feared　death；　but　of　this
persuasion；　that　if　he　were　dead；　the　walls　for　his　citizens
would　never　be　raised。　He　also　gave　orders　that　the　builders
should　keep　their　ranks；　and　have　their　armor　on　while　they　were
building。　Accordingly；　the　mason　had　his　sword　on；　as　well　as　he
that　brought　the　materials　for　building。　He　also　appointed　that
their　shields　should　lie　very　near　them；　and　he　placed　trumpeters
at　every　five　hundred　feet；　and　charged　them；　that　if　their
enemies　appeared；　they　should　give　notice　of　it　to　the　people；
that　they　might　fight　in　their　armor；　and　their　enemies　might　not
fall　upon　them　naked。　He　also　went　about　the　compass　of　the　city
by　night；　being　never　discouraged；　neither　about　the　work　itself；
nor　about　his　own　diet　and　sleep；　for　he　made　no　use　of　those
things　for　his　pleasure；　but　out　of　necessity。　And　this　trouble
he　underwent　for　two　years　and　four　months；　（14）　for　in　so　long　a
time　was　the　wall　built；　in　the　twenty…eighth　year　of　the　reign
of　Xerxes；　in　the　ninth　month。　Now　when　the　walls　were　finished；
Nehemiah　and　the　multitude　offered　sacrifices　to　God　for　the
building　of　them；　and　they　continued　in　feasting　eight　days。
However；　when　the　nations　which　dwelt　in　Syria　heard　that　the
building　of　the　wall　was　finished；　they　had　indignation　at　it。
But　when　Nehemiah　saw　that　the　city　was　thin　of　people；　he
exhorted　the　priests　and　the　Levites　that　they　would　leave　the
country；　and　remove　themselves　to　the　city；　and　there　continue；
and　he　built　them　houses　at　his　own　expenses；　and　he　commanded
that　part　of　the　people　which　were　employed　in　cultivating　the
land　to　bring　the　tithes　of　their　fruits　to　Jerusalem；　that　the
priests　and　Levites　having　whereof　they　might　live　perpetually；
might　not　leave　the　Divine　worship；　who　willingly　hearkened　to
the　constitutions　of　Nehemiah；　by　which　means　the　city　Jerusalem
came　to　be　fuller　of　people　than　it　was　before。　So　when　Nehemiah
had　done　many　other　excellent　things；　and　things　worthy　of
commendation；　in　a　glorious　manner；　he　came　to　a　great　age；　and
then　died。　He　was　a　man　of　a　good　and　righteous　disposition；　and
very　ambitious　to　make　his　own　nation　happy；　and　he　hath　left　the
walls　of　Jerusalem　as　an　eternal　monument　for　himself。　Now　this
was　done　in　the　days　of　Xerxes。

CHAPTER　6。

Concerning　Esther　And　Mordecai　And　Haman；　And　How　In　The　Reign　Of
Artaxerxes　The　Whole　Nation　Of　The　Jews　Was　In　Danger　Of
Perishing。

1。　After　the　death　of　Xerxes；　the　kingdom　came　to　be　transferred
to　his　son　Cyrus；　whom　　the　Greeks　called　Artaxerxes。　When　this
man　had　obtained　the　government　over　the　Persians；　the　whole
nation　of　the　Jews；　（15）　with　their　wives　and　children；　were　in
danger　of　perishing；　the　occasion　whereof　we　shall　declare　in　a
little　time；　for　it　is　proper；　in　the　first　place；　to　explain
somewhat　relating　to　this　king；　and　how　he　came　to　marry　a　Jewish
wife；　who　was　herself　of　the　royal　family　also；　and　who　is
related　to　have　saved　our　nation；　for　when　Artaxerxes　had　taken
the　kingdom；　and　had　set　governors　over　the　hundred　twenty　and
seven　provinces；　from　India　even　unto　Ethiopia；　in　the　third　year
of　his　reign；　he　made　a　costly　feast　for　his　friends；　and　for　the
nations　of　Persia；　and　for　their　governors；　such　a　one　as　was
proper　for　a　king　to　make；　when　he　had　a　mind　to　make　a　public
demonstration　of　his　riches；　and　this　for　a　hundred　and　fourscore
days；　after　which　he　made　a　feast　for　other　nations；　and　for
their　ambassadors；　at　Shushan；　for　seven　days。　Now　this　feast　was
ordered　after　the　manner　following：　He　caused　a　tent　to　be
pitched；　which　was　supported　by　pillars　of　gold　and　silver；　with
curtains　of　linen　and　purple　spread　over　them；　that　it　might
afford　room　for　many　ten　thousands　to　sit　down。　The　cups　with
which　the　waiters　ministered　were　of　gold；　and　adorned　with
precious　stones；　for　pleasure　and　for　sight。　He　also　gave　order
to　the　servants　that　they　should　not　force　them　to　drink；　by
bringing　them　wine　continually；　as　is　the　practice　of　the
Persians；　but　to　permit　every　one　of　the　guests　to　enjoy　himself
according　to　his　own　inclination。　Moreover；　he　sent　messengers
through　the　country；　and　gave　order　that　they　should　have　a
remission　of　their　labors；　and　should　keep　a　festival　many　days；
on　account　of　his　kingdom。　In　like　manner　did　Vashti　the　queen
gather　her　guests　together；　and　made　them　a　feast　in　the　palace。
Now　the　king　was　desirous　to　show　her；　who　exceeded　all　other
women　in　beauty；　to　those　that　feasted　with　him；　and　he　sent　some
to　command　her　to　come　to　his　feast。　But　she；　out　of　regard　to
the　laws　of　the　Persians；　which　forbid　the　wives　to　be　seen　by
strangers；　did　not　go　to　the　king　（16）　and　though　he　oftentimes
sent　the　eunuchs　to　her；　she　did　nevertheless　stay　away；　and
refused　to　come；　till　the　king　was　so　much　irritated；　that　he
brake　up　the　entertainment；　and　rose　up；　and　called　for　those
seven　who　had　the　interpretation　of　the　laws　committed　to　them；
and　accused　his　wife；　and　said　that　he　had　been　affronted　by　her；
because　that　when　she　was　frequently　called　by　him　to　his　feast；
she　did　not　obey　him　once。　He　therefore　gave　order　that　they
should　inform　him　what　could　be　done　by　the　law　against　her。　So
one　of　them；　whose　name　was　Memucan；　said　that　this　affront　was
offered　not　to　him　alone；　but　to　all　the　Persians；　who　were　in
danger　of　leading　their　lives　very　ill　with　their　wives；　if　they
must　be　thus　despised　by　them；　for　that　none　of　their　wives　would
have　any　reverence　for　their　husbands；　if　they　had〃　such　an
example　of　arrogance　in　the　queen　towards　thee；　who　rulest　over
all。〃　Accordingly；　he　exhorted　him　to　punish　her；　who　had　been
guilty　of　so　great　an　affront　to　him；　after　a　severe　manner；　and
when　he　had　so　done；　to　publish　to　the　nations　what　had　been
decreed　about　the　queen。　So　the　resolution　was　to　put　Vashti
away；　and　to　give　her　dignity　to　another　woman。

2。　But　the　king　having　been　fond　of　her；　did　not　well　bear　a
separation；　and　yet　by　the　law　he　could　not　admit　of　a
reconciliation；　so　he　was　under　trouble；　as　not　having　it　in　his
power　to　do　what　he　desired　to　do。　But　when　his　friends　saw　him
so　uneasy；　they　advised　him　to　cast　the　memory　of　his　wife；　and
his　love　for　her；　out　of　his　mind；　but　to　send　abroad　over　all
the