Ben Hur by Lew Wallace (best romance ebooks TXT) 📕

Edom, which is in the desert south, you will not find a lisper of the Shema, an almsgiver in the Temple, or anyone who has ever eaten of the lamb of the Passover, to tell you the kingdom the King is coming to build for us, the children of the covenant, is other than of this world, like our father David’s. Now where got they the faith, ask you! We will see presently.”

Esther here returned, bringing a number of rolls carefully enveloped in dark-brown linen lettered quaintly in gold.

“Keep them, daughter, to give to me as I call for them,” the father said, in the tender voice he always used in speaking to her, and continued his argument:

“It were long, good my master⁠—too long, indeed⁠—for me to repeat to you the names of the holy men who, in the providence of God, succeeded the prophets, only a little less favored than they⁠—the seers who have written and the preachers who have taught since the Captivity; the very wise who borrowed their lights from the lamp of Malachi, the last of his line, and whose great names Hillel and Shammai never tired of repeating in the colleges. Will you ask them of the kingdom? Thus, the Lord of the sheep in the Book of Enoch⁠—who is he? Who but the King of whom we are speaking? A throne is set up for him; he smites the earth, and the other kings are shaken from their thrones, and the scourges of Israel flung into a cavern of fire flaming with pillars of fire. So also the singer of the Psalms of Solomon⁠—‘Behold, O Lord, and raise up to Israel their king, the son of David, at the time thou knowest, O God, to rule Israel, thy children.⁠ ⁠… And he will bring the peoples of the heathen under his yoke to serve him.⁠ ⁠… And he shall be a righteous king taught of God,⁠ ⁠… for he shall rule all the earth by the word of his mouth forever.’ And last, though not least, hear Ezra, the second Moses, in his visions of the night, and ask him who is the lion with human voice that says to the eagle⁠—which is Rome⁠—‘Thou hast loved liars, and overthrown the cities of the industrious, and razed their walls, though they did thee no harm. Therefore, begone, that the earth may be refreshed, and recover itself, and hope in the justice and piety of him who made her.’ Whereat the eagle was seen no more. Surely, O my master, the testimony of these should be enough! But the way to the fountain’s head is open. Let us go up to it at once.⁠—Some wine, Esther, and then the Torah.”

“Dost thou believe the prophets, master?” he asked, after drinking. “I know thou dost, for of such was the faith of all thy kindred.⁠—Give me, Esther, the book which hath in it the visions of Isaiah.”

He took one of the rolls which she had unwrapped for him, and read, “ ‘The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.⁠ ⁠… For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder.⁠ ⁠… Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.’⁠—Believest thou the prophets, O my master?⁠—Now, Esther, the word of the Lord that came to Micah.”

She gave him the roll he asked.

“ ‘But thou,’ ” he began reading⁠—“ ‘but thou, Bethlehem Ephrath, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel.’⁠—This was he, the very child Balthasar saw and worshipped in the cave. Believest thou the prophets, O my master?⁠—Give me, Esther, the words of Jeremiah.”

Receiving that roll, he read as before, “ ‘Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely.’ As a king he shall reign⁠—as a king, O my master! Believest thou the prophets?⁠—Now, daughter, the roll of the sayings of that son of Judah in whom there was no blemish.”

She gave him the Book of Daniel.

“Hear, my master,” he said: “ ‘I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven.⁠ ⁠… And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.’⁠—Believest thou the prophets, O my master?”

“It is enough. I believe,” cried Ben-Hur.

“What then?” asked Simonides. “If the King come poor, will not my master, of his abundance, give him help?”

“Help him? To the last shekel and the last breath. But why speak of his coming poor?”

“Give me, Esther, the word of the Lord as it came to Zechariah,” said Simonides.

She gave him one of the rolls.

“Hear how the King will enter Jerusalem.” Then he read, “ ‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion.⁠ ⁠… Behold, thy King cometh unto thee with justice and salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass.’ ”

Ben-Hur looked away.

“What see you, O my master?”

“Rome!” he answered, gloomily⁠—“Rome, and her legions. I have dwelt with them in their camps. I know them.”

“Ah!” said Simonides. “Thou shalt be a master of legions for the King, with millions to choose from.”

“Millions!” cried Ben-Hur.

Simonides sat a moment thinking.

“The question of power should not trouble you,” he next said.

Ben-Hur looked at him inquiringly.

“You were seeing the lowly King in the act of coming to his own,” Simonides answered⁠—“seeing