The Young Captives Part 2

"Then thou art commanded, without delay, to appear in my master's presence, and there learn his sovereign will concerning thyself and the city."

"Commanded! Ha, ha, ha! Go thy way, and inform thy master that if he desires to see Jehoiakim, King of Judah, he must call at the royal palace, where he may have his desires gratified."

"Then I go. Faithfully will I convey thy answer to my ill.u.s.trious sovereign."

The minister hastened from the royal palace, to convey to the king the result of the interview, while the King of Judah, waxing more desperate, still applied himself to his cups.

The King of Babylon, on his arrival in Jerusalem, ordered his magnificent royal tent to be pitched in the center of a large square in the very heart of the city. The great body of the army was stationed in another part--the royal guard remaining near the royal tent. From this spot went forth the summons to the King of Judah to appear in the presence of the King of Babylon.

"Where is his Royal Highness, the King of Judah?" asked Nebuchadnezzar.

"In his palace, O king, indulging in excess of wine, apparently perfectly at ease."

"Is he not forthcoming?" asked the king, with a darkened brow.

"He laughs to scorn thy commands, O king! and wishes to inform thee that if thou hast aught to communicate he may be consulted at his palace."

"By all the G.o.ds, the fellow is mad!" cried Nebuchadnezzar in a pa.s.sion.

"I'll have to bend his stubborn will--yea, I shall do it. I thirst not for his blood; but let the guilty monarch beware how he trifles with my commands! Balphoras! haste thee back with a double guard, and inform Jehoiakim that my orders are not to be trifled with; and moreover, that if he persists in his stubbornness, I shall send sufficient force to drag him into my presence as a guilty culprit."

The communication was in perfect accordance with the desires and expectations of the Chaldean officer. Balphoras was in possession of an amiable mind. He was respectful to his superiors, kind and gentle to his inferiors. Wherever he was known among his countrymen he was greatly beloved. However, he was not insensible to injury or indifferent to abuse. He felt deeply; but had learned to be a greater conqueror than his master, inasmuch as he that governeth his own spirit is greater than he that taketh a city. Balphoras, without being unkind or selfish, desired to witness the humiliation of the King of Judah. The command of his king, therefore, was put in immediate execution, and the Chaldean minister, accompanied by a strong and imposing guard, once more was on his way to demand admission into the presence of the King of Judah.

"Jared! Well would I have served those guilty dogs, if I had given orders to have their heads taken off. What sayest thou, Jared?"

"They richly deserved it, O king," answered Jared, with his face in another direction, on which played a suppressed smile.

"Let them beware how they insult the King of Judah! Jared! hast thou learned aught of Sherakim's whereabouts?"

"Naught, O king."

"Ungrateful dog! Cowardly fool! Miserable brawler!--Sherakim! Bah! Jared, order more wine. Whom should Jehoiakim fear? Jared! what trouble is there in the porch? Haste thee and see."

Jared hastened to obey the commands of his drunken sovereign, and presently returned.

"The same messenger from the King of the Chaldeans demands an interview with the King of Judah."

"Let him be admitted. Ha! ha! What next?"

Balphoras, with a firm, dignified step, walked into the presence of Jehoiakim, who, in spite of his wine-propped courage, almost trembled beneath the Chaldean's penetrating glance.

"And what hast thou to communicate at this time?"

"My communication is short and decisive."

"The shorter the better--let it be delivered."

"My ill.u.s.trious sovereign, the King of Babylon, wishes the King of Judah to understand, that his commands are not to be trifled with; and, moreover, that if the King of Judah persists in his stubbornness, he must be dragged into his presence as a guilty culprit."

"Who dares to utter such words in my presence?" cried Jehoiakim, in a rage.

"The Chaldean minister, as the words of his ill.u.s.trious sovereign."

"Go and tell thine 'ill.u.s.trious sovereign' that Jehoiakim spits upon his insolent demands."

"Thy raving is in vain. Better far to bridle thy rage and comply. Be it known to the King of Judah, that I have three hundred chosen men of war at my bidding, who wait for the word of command. What is the choice of the King of Judah?"

"Be it known to thee, insolent fool," cried the exasperated king, "that Jehoiakim laughs to scorn thy threats, and spurns thy counsels."

"Alas for thine obstinacy, proud and reckless man!" answered Balphoras, as he left the apartment; "thy doom is sealed!"

After the departure of the Chaldean, Jehoiakim gave orders to his officers to be ready, at all hazards, to defend the royal enclosures against all further intrusion from the Chaldeans.

"A curse upon his guilty head! Ha, ha! 'Dragged into his presence,' eh!

Never! Fools! Villains! Let them beware of Jehoiakim's vengeance."

While the King of Judah thus indulged in his wild delirium, a strong detachment of the Chaldean army was on a rapid march towards the royal palace, with orders to make a prisoner of Jehoiakim, and bring him into the presence of the King of Babylon. They soon reached the king's gate, and demanded admittance; which demand was promptly and haughtily refused.

This was but the signal for attack, and a furious combat followed. Both the Chaldeans and Jehoiakim's men fought valiantly. The pa.s.sage was defended with extreme bravery and valor; but after a most desperate struggle, the Chaldeans proved successful in forcing an entrance. The sentry at the palace door was soon overcome, and a company of Chaldeans rushed into the royal mansion; and, after some search, they found the king. Without ceremony he was dragged from his hiding place, and ejected from his palace. A shout of triumph broke from the Chaldeans, which only exasperated their antagonists. Another desperate rush was made for the rescue of their king, but it proved unavailing. He was conducted to the open street amid a general fight. The din of battle brought together vast mult.i.tudes, who, seeing their king a captive, added greatly to the strength of Judah's forces; and the Chaldeans found themselves continually attacked from unexpected quarters. Thus the conflict waxed hotter and hotter as the Chaldeans desperately fought their way through the exasperated men of Judah.

Finally, the King of Judah was carried into the presence of Nebuchadnezzar and had he, even then, humbled himself, he might have escaped an awful doom. The behavior of Jehoiakim in the presence of the Chaldean monarch was that of a madman. To every inquiry he replied in the most insulting and abusive epithets; and to seal his own fate he madly rushed on the King of Babylon with his sword, and had it not been that this potentate was on his guard, it would have gone hard with him. This was beyond endurance. Nebuchadnezzar, stung to the quick, grasped his sword, commanded his officers to stand aloof, and faced his enraged foe.

They made a few pa.s.ses, and the sword of the Chaldean was plunged into the heart of the King of Judah."

"Take the ungrateful dog," said the excited Babylonian, "and drag his worthless carca.s.s, and throw it outside the city walls."

The command was immediately put in execution.

Thus perished the wicked king, according to the word of the Lord, by the mouth of his servant Jeremiah.

CHAPTER VI.

NEBUCHADNEZZAR called together a number of the leading men of Judah and explained his intentions with regard to the government. He also described the killing of Jehoiakim. It was not the policy of the conqueror to establish any rigorous system of public control. He required that Judah should remain as a tributary power, but he desired the country to make progress in its own way, and he took occasion to proclaim that Jeconiah should reign in the place of his father, Jehoiakim, who had just met his fate at the hands of the invader. Those who listened to Nebuchadnezzar were well pleased with his words and also with the elevation of Jeconiah to the throne.

The Babylonian ruler, having now fully accomplished his ends, gave orders for the early departure of the victorious army for the plains of Chaldea.

He decided to take with him, as prisoners of war, a number of youths of Judah. He had the twofold object of showing to his people some tangible evidence of his victory and of gaining for his court the advantage of having as aids and attendants some of the more cultured young men of Judea. With the aid of Jeconiah a list of suitable youths was soon prepared by the victorious monarch's officers. These chosen ones were notified, the day of departure was fixed, and all energies were bent toward the speedy return of the army to the land of the Euphrates.

Let us now visit some of the homes of Judah, where the mandate of the Babylonian king had fallen as a pall upon the inmates. With one of these homes, located centrally and bearing evidence of prosperity and culture, the reader is already somewhat acquainted. In the room where young Ezrom took leave of his sisters, twenty-five years before, an interesting group had gathered. Monroah, the last survivor of Salome's children, had wedded Amon.o.ber, and four lovely children blessed their union. These youths were now orphans, however, the youngest being a maiden of sixteen, who possessed the rare beauty for which the family was noted. Her name was Perreeza. The three brothers were named Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.

The love of these brothers for their sister was returned with all the ardor of an affectionate and sincere girl. These youths were among those selected as prisoners of war.

In company with the young men, when they broke the news of the king's decision to Perreeza, was Jeremiah the Prophet.

"Oh, brothers!" exclaimed the distressed maiden, "must ye be torn away from an only sister? Oh, man of G.o.d! What will Perreeza do? My heart will break. Oh, my brothers! We cannot part!" and she fell on the neck of Hananiah and wept bitterly.

"We think it not strange, dear damsel," said the prophet, "that thy young heart is made sad. But the things that are enshrouded in mystery to-day will yet beam forth in wondrous wisdom."