the antiquities of the jews-1-第138部分

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another　history；　the　king　stopped　him；　and　inquired　〃whether　it
was　not　added　that　Mordecai　had　a　reward　given　him？〃　and　when　he
said　there　was　no　such　addition；　he　bade　him　leave　off；　and　he
inquired　of　those　that　were　appointed　for　that　purpose；　what　hour
of　the　night　it　was；　and　when　he　was　informed　that　it　was　already
day；　he　gave　order；　that　if　they　found　any　one　of　his　friends
already　come；　and　standing　before　the　court；　they　should　tell
him。　Now　it　happened　that　Haman　was　found　there；　for　he　was　come
sooner　than　ordinary　to　petition　the　king　to　have　Mordecai　put　to
death；　and　when　the　servants　said　that　Haman　was　before　the
court；　he　bid　them　call　him　in；　and　when　he　was　come　in；　he　said；
〃Because　I　know　that　thou　art　my　only　fast　friend；　I　desire　thee
to　give　me　advice　how　I　may　honor　one　that　I　greatly　love；　and
that　after　a　manner　suitable　to　my　magnificence。〃　Now　Haman
reasoned　with　himself；　that　what　opinion　he　should　give　it　would
be　for　himself；　since　it　was　he　alone　who　was　beloved　by　the
king：　so　he　gave　that　advice　which　he　thought　of　all　other　the
best；　for　he　said；　〃If　thou　wouldst　truly　honor　a　man　whom　thou
sayest　thou　dost　love；　give　order　that　he　may　ride　on　horseback；
with　the　same　garment　on　which　thou　wearest；　and　with　a　gold
chain　about　his　neck；　and　let　one　of　thy　intimate　friends　go
before　him；　and　proclaim　through　the　whole　city；　that　whosoever
the　king　honoreth　obtaineth　this　mark　of　his　honor。〃　This　was　the
advice　which　Haman　gave；　out　of　a　supposal　that　such　a　reward
would　come　to　himself。　Hereupon　the　king　was　pleased　with　the
advice；　and　said；　〃Go　thou　therefore；　for　thou　hast　the　horse；
the　garment；　and　the　chain；　ask　for　Mordecai　the　Jew；　and　give
him　those　things；　and　go　before　his　horse　and　proclaim
accordingly；　for　thou　art；〃　said　he；　〃my　intimate　friend；　and
hast　given　me　good　advice；　be　thou　then　the　minister　of　what　thou
hast　advised　me　to。　This　shall　be　his　reward　from　us；　for
preserving　my　life。〃　When　he　heard　this　order；　which　was　entirely
unexpected；　he　was　confounded　in　his　mind；　and　knew　not　what　to
do。　However；　he　went　out　and　led　the　horse；　and　took　the　purple
garment；　and　the　golden　chain　for　the　neck；　and　finding　Mordecai
before　the　court；　clothed　in　sackcloth；　he　bid　him　put　that
garment　off；　and　put　the　purple　garment　on。　But　Mordecai；　not
knowing　the　truth　of　the　matter；　but　thinking　that　it　was　done　in
mockery；　said；　〃O　thou　wretch；　the　vilest　of　all　mankind；　dost
thou　thus　laugh　at　our　calamities？〃　But　when　he　was　satisfied
that　the　king　bestowed　this　honor　upon　him；　for　the　deliverance
he　had　procured　him　when　he　convicted　the　eunuchs　who　had
conspired　against　him；　he　put　on　that　purple　garment　which　the
king　always　wore；　and　put　the　chain　about　his　neck；　and　got　on
horseback；　and　went　round　the　city；　while　Haman　went　before　and
proclaimed；　〃This　shall　be　the　reward　which　the　king　will　bestow
on　every　one　whom　he　loves；　and　esteems　worthy　of　honor。〃　And
when　they　had　gone　round　the　city；　Mordecai　went　in　to　the　king；
but　Haman　went　home；　out　of　shame；　and　informed　his　wife　and
friends　of　what　had　happened；　and　this　with　tears；　who　said；　that
he　would　never　be　able　to　be　revenged　of　Mordecai；　for　that　God
was　with　him。

11。　Now　while　these　men　were　thus　talking　one　to　another；
Esther's　eunuchs　hastened　Haman　away　to　come　to　supper；　but　one
of　the　eunuchs；　named　Sabuchadas；　saw　the　gallows　that　was　fixed
in　Haman's　house；　and　inquired　of　one　of　his　servants　for　what
purpose　they　had　prepared　it。　So　he　knew　that　it　was　for　the
queen's　uncle；　because　Haman　was　about　to　petition　the　king　that
he　might　be　punished；　but　at　present　he　held　his　peace。　Now　when
the　king；　with　Haman；　were　at　the　banquet；　he　desired　the　queen
to　tell　him　what　gifts　she　desired　to　obtain；　and　assured　her
that　she　should　have　whatsoever　she　had　a　mind　to。　She　then
lamented　the　danger　her　people　were　in；　and　said　that　〃she　and
her　nation　were　given　up　to　be　destroyed；　and　that　she；　on　that
account；　made　this　her　petition；　that　she　would　not　have　troubled
him　if　he　had　only　given　order　that　they　should　be　sold　into
bitter　servitude；　for　such　a　misfortune　would　not　have　been
intolerable；　but　she　desired　that　they　might　be　delivered　from
such　destruction。〃　And　when　the　king　inquired　of　her　whom　was　the
author　of　this　misery　to　them；　she　then　openly　accused　Haman；　and
convicted　him；　that　he　had　been　the　wicked　instrument　of　this；
and　had　formed　this　plot　against　them。　When　the　king　was　hereupon
in　disorder；　and　was　gone　hastily　out　of　the　banquet　into　the
gardens；　Haman　began　to　intercede　with　Esther；　and　to　beseech　her
to　forgive　him；　as　to　what　he　had　offended；　for　he　perceived　that
he　was　in　a　very　bad　case。　And　as　he　had　fallen　upon　the　queen's
bed；　and　was　making　supplication　to　her；　the　king　came　in；　and
being　still　more　provoked　at　what　he　saw；　〃O　thou　wretch；〃　said
he；　〃thou　vilest　of　mankind；　dost　thou　aim　to　force　in　wife？〃　And
when　Haman　was　astonished　at　this；　and　not　able　to　speak　one　word
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