the antiquities of the jews-1-第126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！


more；　Sabuchadas　the　eunuch　came　in　and　accused　Haman；　and　said；〃
He　found　a　gallows　at　his　house；　prepared　for　Mordecai；　for　that
the　servant　told　him　so　much　upon　his　inquiry；　when　he　was　sent
to　him　to　call　him　to　supper。〃　He　said　further；　that　the　gallows
was　fifty　cubits　high：　which；　when　the　king　heard；　he　determined
that　Haman　should　be　punished　after　no　other　manner　than　that
which　had　been　devised　by　him　against　Mordecai；　so　he　gave　order
immediately　that　he　should　be　hung　upon　those　gallows；　and　be　put
to　death　after　that　manner。　And　from　hence　I　cannot　forbear　to
admire　God；　and　to　learn　hence　his　wisdom　and　his　justice；　not
only　in　punishing　the　wickedness　of　Haman；　but　in　so　disposing
it；　that　he　should　undergo　the　very　same　punishment　which　he　had
contrived　for　another；　as　also　because　thereby　he　teaches　others
this　lesson；　that　what　mischiefs　any　one　prepares　against
another；　he；　without　knowing　of　it；　first　contrives　it　against
himself。

12。　Wherefore　Haman；　who　had　immoderately　abused　the　honor　he　had
from　the　king；　was　destroyed　after　this　manner；　and　the　king
granted　his　estate　to　the　queen。　He　also　called　for　Mordecai；
（for　Esther　had　informed　him　that　she　was　akin　to　him；）　and　gave
that　ring　to　Mordecai　which　he　had　before　given　to　Haman。　The
queen　also　gave　Haman's　estate　to　Mordecai；　and　prayed　the　king
to　deliver　the　nation　of　the　Jews　from　the　fear　of　death；　and
showed　him　what　had　been　written　over　all　the　country　by　Haman
the　son　of　Ammedatha；　for　that　if　her　country　were　destroyed；　and
her　countrymen　were　to　perish；　she　could　not　bear　to　live　herself
any　longer。　So　the　king　promised　her　that　he　would　not　do　any
thing　that　should　be　disagreeable　to　her；　nor　contradict　what　she
desired；　but　he　bid　her　write　what　she　pleased　about　the　Jews；　in
the　king's　name；　and　seal　it　with　his　seal；　and　send　it　to　all
his　kingdom；　for　that　those　who　read　epistles　whose　authority　is
secured　by　having　the　king's　seal　to　them；　would　no　way
contradict　what　was　written　therein。　So　he　commanded　the　king's
scribes　to　be　sent　for；　and　to　write　to　the　nations；　on　the　Jews'
behalf；　and　to　his　lieutenants　and　governors；　that　were　over　his
hundred　twenty　and　seven　provinces；　from　India　to　Ethiopia。　Now
the　contents　of　this　epistle　were　these：　〃The　great　king
Artaxerxes　to　our　rulers；　and　those　that　are　our　faithful
subjects；　sendeth　greeting。　（19）　Many　men　there　are　who；　on
account　of　the　greatness　of　the　benefits　bestowed　on　them；　and
because　of　the　honor　which　they　have　obtained　from　the　wonderful
kind　treatment　of　those　that　bestowed　it；　are　not　only　injurious
to　their　inferiors；　but　do　not　scruple　to　do　evil　to　those　that
have　been　their　benefactors；　as　if　they　would　take　away　gratitude
from　among　men；　and　by　their　insolent　abuse　of　such　benefits　as
they　never　expected；　they　turn　the　abundance　they　have　against
those　that　are　the　authors　of　it；　and　suppose　they　shall　lie
concealed　from　God　in　that　case；　and　avoid　that　vengeance　which
comes　from　him。　Some　of　these　men；　when　they　have　had　the
management　of　affairs　committed　to　them　by　their　friends；　and
bearing　private　malice　of　their　own　against　some　others；　by
deceiving　those　that　have　the　power；　persuade　them　to　be　angry　at
such　as　have　done　them　no　harm；　till　they　are　in　danger　of
perishing；　and　this　by　laying　accusations　and　calumnies：　nor　is
this　state　of　things　to　be　discovered　by　ancient　examples；　or
such　as　we　have　learned　by　report　only；　but　by　some　examples　of
such　impudent　attempts　under　our　own　eyes；　so　that　it　is　not　fit
to　attend　any　longer　to　calumnies　and　accusations；　nor　to　the
persuasions　of　others；　but　to　determine　what　any　one　knows　of
himself　to　have　been　really　done；　and　to　punish　what　justly
deserves　it；　and　to　grant　favors　to　such　as　are　innocent。　This
hath　been　the　case　of　Haman；　the　son　of　Ammedatha；　by　birth　an
Amalekite；　and　alien　from　the　blood　of　the　Persians；　who；　when　he
was　hospitably　entertained　by　us；　and　partook　of　that　kindness
which　we　bear　to　all　men　to　so　great　a　degree；　as　to　be　called　my
father；　and　to　be　all　along　worshipped；　and　to　have　honor　paid
him　by　all　in　the　second　rank　after　the　royal　honor　due　to
ourselves；　he　could　not　bear　his　good　fortune；　nor　govern　the
magnitude　of　his　prosperity　with　sound　reason；　nay；　he　made　a
conspiracy　against　me　and　my　life；　who　gave　him　his　authority；　by
endeavoring　to　take　away　Mordecai；　my　benefactor；　and　my　savior；
and　by　basely　and　treacherously　requiring　to　have　Esther；　the
partner　of　my　life；　and　of　my　dominion；　brought　to　destruction；
for　he　contrived　by　this　means　to　deprive　me　of　my　faithful
friends；　and　transfer　the　government　to　others：　（20）　but　since　I
perceived　that　these　Jews；　that　were　by　this　pernicious　fellow
devoted　to　destruction；　were　not　wicked　men；　but　conducted　their
lives　after　the　best　manner；　and　were　men　dedicated　to　the
worship　of　that　God　who　hath　preserved　the　kingdom　to　me　and　to
my　ancestors；　I　do　not　only　free　them　from　the　punishment　which
the　former　epistle；　which　was　sent　by　Haman；　ordered　to　be
inflicted　on　them；　to　which　if　you　refuse　obedience；　you　shall　do
well；　but　I　will　that　they　have　all　honor　paid　to　them。
Accordingly；　I　have　hanged　up　the　man　that　contrived　such　things
against　them；　with　his　family；　before　the　gates　of　Shushan；　that
punishment　being　sent　upon　him　by　God；　who　seeth　all　things。　And
I　give　you　in　charge；　that　you　publicly　propose　a　copy　of　this
epistle　through　all　my　kingdom；　that　the　Jews　may　be　permitted
peaceably　to　use　their　own　laws；　and　that　you　assist　them；　that
at　the　same　season　whereto　their　miserable　estate　did　belong；
they　may　defend　themselves　the　very　same　day　from　unjust
violence；　the　thirteenth　day　of　the　twelfth　month；　which　is　Adar；
for　God　hath　made　that　day　a　day　of　salvation　instead　of　a　day　of
destruction　to　them；　and　may　it　be　a　good　day　to　those　that　wish
us　well；　and　a　memorial　of　the　punishment　of　the　conspirators
against　us：　and　I　will　that　you　take　notice；　that　every　city；　and
every　nation；　that　shall　disobey　any　thing　that　is　contained　in
this　epistle；　shall　be　destroyed　by　fire　and　sword。　However；　let
this　epistle　be　published　through　all　the　country　that　is　under
our　obedience；　and　let　all　the　Jews；　by　all　means；　be　ready
against　the　day　before　mentioned；　that　they　may　avenge　themselves
upon　their　enemies。〃

13。　Accordingly；　the　horsemen　who　carried　the　epistles　proceeded
on　the　ways　which　they　were　to　go　with　speed：　but　as　for
Mordecai；　as　soon　as　he　had　assumed　the　royal　garment；　and　the
crown　of　gold；　and　had　put　the　chain　about　his　neck；　he　went
forth　in　a　public　procession；　and　when　the　Jews　who　were　at
Shushan　saw　him　in　so　great　honor　with　the　king；　they　thought　his
good　fortune　was　common　to　themselves　also；　and　joy　and　a　beam　of
salvation　encompassed　the　Jews；　both　those　that　were　in　the
cities；　and　those　that　were　in　the　countries；　upon　the
publication　of　the　king's　letters；　insomuch　that　many　even　of
other　nations　circumcised　their　foreskin　for　fear　of　the　Jews；
that　they　might　procure　safety　to　themselves　thereby；　for　on　the
thirteenth　day　of　the　twelfth　month；　which　according　to　the
Hebrews　is　called　Adar；　but　according　to　the　Macedonians；
Dystrus；　those　that　carried　the　king's　epistle　gave　them　notice；
that　the　same　day　wherein　their　danger　was　to　have　been；　on　that
very　day　should　they　destroy　their　enemies。　But　now　the　rulers　of
the　provinces；　and　the　tyrants；　and　the　kings；　and　the　scribes；
had　the　Jews　in　esteem；　for　the　fear　they　were　in　of　Mordecai
forced　them　to　act　with　discretion。　Now　when　the　royal　decree　was
come　to　all　the　country　that　was　subject　to　the　king；　it　fell　out
that　the　Jews　at　Shushan　slew　five　hundred　of　their　enemies；　and
when　the　king　had　told　Esther　the　number　of　those　that　were　slain
in　that　city；　but　did　not　well　know　what　had　been　done　in　the
provinces；　he　asked　her　whether　she　would　have　any　thing　further
done　against　them；　for　that　it　should　be　done　accordingly：　upon
which　she　desired　that　the　Jews　might　be　permitted　to　treat　their
remaining　enemies　in　the　same　manner　the　next　day；　as　also　that
they　might　hang　the　ten　sons　of　Haman　upon　the　gallows。　So　the
king　permitted　the　Jews　so　to　do；　as　desirous　not　to　contradict
Esther。　So　they　gathered　themselves　together　again　on　the
fourteenth　day　of　the　month　Dystrus；　and　slew　about　three　hundred
of　their　enemies；　but　touched　nothing　of　what　riches　they　had。
Now　there　were　slain　by　the　Jews　that　were　in　the　country；　and　in
the　other　cities；　seventy…five　thousand　of　their　enemies；　and
these　were　slain　on　the　thirteenth　day　of　the　month；　and　the　next
day　they　kept　as　a　festival。　In　like　manner　the　Jews　that　were　in
Shushan　gathered　themselves　together；　and　feasted　on　the
fourteenth　day；　and　that　which　followed　it；　whence　it　is　that
even　now　all　the　Jews　that　are　in　the　habitable　earth　keep　these
days　festival；　and　send　portions　to　one　another。　Mordecai　also
wrote　to　the　Jews　that　lived　in　the　kingdom　of　Artaxerxes　to
observe　these　days；　and　celebrate　them　as　festivals；　and　to
deliver　them　down　to　posterity；　that　this　festival　might　continue
for　all　time　to　come；　and　that　it　might　never　be　buried　in
oblivion；　for　since　they　were　about　to　be　destroyed　on　these　days
by　Haman；　they　would　do　a　right　thing；　upon　escaping　the　danger
in　them；　and　on　them　inflicting　punishment　on　their　enemies；　to
observe　those　days；　and　give　thanks　to　God　on　them；　for　which
cause　the　Jews　still　keep　the　forementioned　days；　and　call　them
days　of　Phurim　＇or　Purim。＇　（21）　And　Mordecai　became　a　great　and
illustrious　person　with　the　king；　and　assisted　him　in　the
government　of　the　people。　He　also　lived　with　the　queen；　so　that
the　affairs　of　the　Jews　were；　by　their　means；　better　than　they
could　ever　have　hoped　for。　And　this　was　the　state　of　the　Jews
under　the　reign　of　Artaxerxes。

CHAPTER　7。

How　John　Slew　His　Brother　Jesus　In　The　Temple；　And　How　Bagoses
Offered　Many　Injuries　To　The　Jews；　And　What　Sanballat　Did。

1。　When　Eliashib　the　high　priest　was　dead；　his　son　Judas
succeeded　in　the　high　priesthood；　and　when　he　was　dead；　his　son
John　took　that　dignity；　on　whose　account　it　was　also　that
Bagoses；　the　general　of　another　Artaxerxes's　army；　（22）　polluted
the　temple；　and　imposed　tributes　on　the　Jews；　that　out　of　the
public　stock；　before　they　offered　the　daily　sacrifices；　they
should　pay　for　every　lamb　fifty　shekels。　Now　Jesus　was　the
brother　of　John；　and　was　a　friend　of　Bagoses；　who　had　promised　to
procure　him　the　high　priesthood。　In　confidence　of　whose　support；
Jesus　quarreled　with　John　in　the　temple；　and　so　provoked　his
brother；　that　in　his　anger　his　brother　slew　him。　Now　it　was　a
horrible　thing　for　John；　when　he　was　high　priest；　to　perpetrate
so　great　a　crime；　and　so　much　the　more　horrible；　that　there　never
was　so　cruel　and　impious　a　thing　done；　neither　by　the　Greeks　nor
Barbarians。　However；　God　did　not　neglect　its　punishment；　but　the
people　were　on　that　very　account　enslaved；　and　the　temple　was
polluted　by　the　Persians。　Now　when　Bagoses；　the　general　of
Artaxerxes's　army；　knew　that　John；　the　high　priest　of　the　Jews；
had　slain　his　own　brother　Jesus　in　the　temple；　he　came　upon　the
Jews　im