以斯帖記 2

這事以後，亞哈隨魯王的忿怒止息，就想念瓦實提和她所行的，並怎樣降旨辦她。

zhè shì yǐ hòu ， yà hā suí lǔ wáng de fèn nù zhǐ xī ， jiù xiǎng niàn wǎ shí tí hé tā suǒ xíng de ， bìng zěn yàng jiàng zhǐ bàn tā 。

After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was pacified, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.

於是王的侍臣對王說：「不如為王尋找美貌的處女。

yú shì wáng de shì chén duì wáng shuō ：「 bù rú wèi wáng xún zhǎo měi mào de chǔ nǚ 。

Then the king’s servants who served him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.

王可以派官在國中的各省招聚美貌的處女到書珊城 的女院，交給掌管女子的太監希該，給她們當用的香品。

wáng kě yǐ pài guān zài guó zhōng de gè shěng zhāo jù měi mào de chǔ nǚ dào shū shān chéng de nǚ yuàn ， jiāo gěi zhǎng guǎn nǚ zǐ de tài jian xī gāi ， gěi tā men dāng yòng de xiāng pǐn 。

Let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins to the citadel of Susa, to the women’s house, to the custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women. Let cosmetics be given them;

王所喜愛的女子可以立為王后，代替瓦實提。」王以這事為美，就如此行。

wáng suǒ xǐ ài de nǚ zǐ kě yǐ lì wèi wáng hòu ， dài tì wǎ shí tí 。」 wáng yǐ zhè shì wèi měi ， jiù rú cǐ xíng 。

and let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” The thing pleased the king, and he did so.

書珊城有一個猶大人，名叫末底改，是便雅憫人基士的曾孫，示每的孫子，睚珥的兒子。

shū shān chéng yǒu yí gè yóu dà rén ， míng jiào mò dǐ gǎi ， shì biàn yǎ mǐn rén jī shì de zēng sūn ， shì měi de sūn zi ， yá ěr de ér zi 。

There was a certain Jew in the citadel of Susa whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite,

從前巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒將猶大王耶哥尼雅 和百姓從耶路撒冷擄去，末底改也在其內。

cóng qián bā bǐ lún wáng ní bù jiǎ ní sā jiāng yóu dà wáng yē gē ní yǎ hé bǎi xìng cóng yē lù sā lěng lǔ qù ， mò dǐ gǎi yě zài qí nèi 。

who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.

末底改撫養他叔叔的女兒哈大沙（後名以斯帖），因為她沒有父母。這女子又容貌俊美；她父母死了，末底改就收她為自己的女兒。

mò dǐ gǎi fǔ yǎng tā shū shu de nǚ ér hā dà shā （ hòu míng yǐ sī tiē ）， yīn wèi tā méi yǒu fù mǔ 。 zhè nǚ zǐ yòu róng mào jùn měi ； tā fù mǔ sǐ le ， mò dǐ gǎi jiù shōu tā wèi zì jǐ de nǚ ér 。

He brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter; for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.

王的諭旨傳出，就招聚許多女子到書珊城，交給掌管女子的希該；以斯帖也送入王宮，交付希該。

wáng de yù zhǐ chuán chū ， jiù zhāo jù xǔ duō nǚ zǐ dào shū shān chéng ， jiāo gěi zhǎng guǎn nǚ zǐ de xī gāi ； yǐ sī tiē yě sòng rù wáng gōng ， jiāo fù xī gāi 。

So, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together to the citadel of Susa, to the custody of Hegai, Esther was taken into the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.

希該喜悅以斯帖，就恩待她，急忙給她需用的香品和她所當得的分，又派所當得的七個宮女服事她，使她和她的宮女搬入女院上好的房屋。

xī gāi xǐ yuè yǐ sī tiē ， jiù ēn dài tā ， jí máng gěi tā xū yòng de xiāng pǐn hé tā suǒ dāng dé de fēn ， yòu pài suǒ dāng dé de qī gè gōng nǚ fú shì tā ， shǐ tā hé tā de gōng nǚ bān rù nǚ yuàn shàng hǎo de fáng wū 。

The maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness from him. He quickly gave her cosmetics and her portions of food, and the seven choice maidens who were to be given her out of the king’s house. He moved her and her maidens to the best place in the women’s house.

以斯帖未曾將籍貫宗族告訴人，因為末底改囑咐她不可叫人知道。

yǐ sī tiē wèi céng jiāng jí guàn zōng zú gào sù rén ， yīn wèi mò dǐ gǎi zhǔ fù tā bù kě jiào rén zhī dào 。

Esther had not made known her people nor her relatives, because Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make it known.

末底改天天在女院前邊行走，要知道以斯帖平安不平安，並後事如何。

mò dǐ gǎi tiān tiān zài nǚ yuàn qián biān xíng zǒu ， yào zhī dào yǐ sī tiē píng ān bù píng ān ， bìng hòu shì rú hé 。

Mordecai walked every day in front of the court of the women’s house, to find out how Esther was doing, and what would become of her.

眾女子照例先潔淨身體十二個月：六個月用沒藥油，六個月用香料和潔身之物。滿了日期，然後挨次進去見亞哈隨魯王。

zhòng nǚ zǐ zhào lì xiān jié jìng shēn tǐ shí èr gè yuè ： liù gè yuè yòng mò yào yóu ， liù gè yuè yòng xiāng liào hé jié shēn zhī wù 。 mǎn le rì qī ， rán hòu āi cì jìn qù jiàn yà hā suí lǔ wáng 。

Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after her purification for twelve months (for so were the days of their purification accomplished, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet fragrances and with preparations for beautifying women).

女子進去見王是這樣：從女院到王宮的時候，凡她所要的都必給她。

nǚ zǐ jìn qù jiàn wáng shì zhè yàng ： cóng nǚ yuàn dào wáng gōng de shí hòu ， fán tā suǒ yào de dōu bì gěi tā 。

The young woman then came to the king like this: whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the women’s house to the king’s house.

晚上進去，次日回到女子第二院，交給掌管妃嬪的太監沙甲；除非王喜愛她，再提名召她，就不再進去見王。

wǎn shàng jìn qù ， cì rì huí dào nǚ zǐ dì èr yuàn ， jiāo gěi zhǎng guǎn fēi pín de tài jiān shā jiǎ ； chú fēi wáng xǐ ài tā ， zài tí míng zhào tā ， jiù bú zài jìn qù jiàn wáng 。

In the evening she went, and on the next day she returned into the second women’s house, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch, who kept the concubines. She came in to the king no more, unless the king delighted in her, and she was called by name.

末底改叔叔亞比孩的女兒，就是末底改收為自己女兒的以斯帖，按次序當進去見王的時候，除了掌管女子的太監希該所派定給她的，她別無所求。凡看見以斯帖的都喜悅她。

mò dǐ gǎi shū shū yà bǐ hái de nǚ ér ， jiù shì mò dǐ gǎi shōu wèi zì jǐ nǚ ér de yǐ sī tiē ， àn cì xù dāng jìn qù jiàn wáng de shí hòu ， chú le zhǎng guǎn nǚ zǐ de tài jian xī gāi suǒ pài dìng gěi tā de ， tā bié wú suǒ qiú 。 fán kàn jiàn yǐ sī tiē de dōu xǐ yuè tā 。

Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, came to go in to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the keeper of the women, advised. Esther obtained favor in the sight of all those who looked at her.

亞哈隨魯王第七年十月，就是提別月，以斯帖被引入宮見王。

yà hā suí lǔ wáng dì qī nián shí yuè ， jiù shì tí bié yuè ， yǐ sī tiē bèi yǐn rù gōng jiàn wáng 。

So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal house in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

王愛以斯帖過於愛眾女，她在王眼前蒙寵愛比眾處女更甚。王就把王后的冠冕戴在她頭上，立她為王后，代替瓦實提。

wáng ài yǐ sī tiē guò yú ài zhòng nǚ ， tā zài wáng yǎn qián méng chǒng ài bǐ zhòng chǔ nǚ gèng shèn 。 wáng jiù bǎ wáng hòu de guān miǎn dài zài tā tóu shàng ， lì tā wèi wáng hòu ， dài tì wǎ shí tí 。

The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

王因以斯帖的緣故給眾首領和臣僕設擺大筵席，又豁免各省的租稅，並照王的厚意大頒賞賜。

wáng yīn yǐ sī tiē de yuán gù gěi zhòng shǒu lǐng hé chén pú shè bǎi dà yán xí ， yòu huō miǎn gè shěng de zū shuì ， bìng zhào wáng de hòu yì dà bān shǎng cì 。

Then the king made a great feast for all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces, and gave gifts according to the king’s bounty.

第二次招聚處女的時候，末底改坐在朝門。

dì èr cì zhāo jù chǔ nǚ de shí hòu ， mò dǐ gǎi zuò zài cháo mén 。

When the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate.

以斯帖照着末底改所囑咐的，還沒有將籍貫宗族告訴人；因為以斯帖遵*末底改的命，如撫養她的時候一樣。

yǐ sī tiē zhào zhe mò dǐ gǎi suǒ zhǔ fù de ， hái méi yǒu jiāng jí guàn zōng zú gào sù rén ； yīn wèi yǐ sī tiē zūn mò dǐ gǎi de mìng ， rú fǔ yǎng tā de shí hòu yí yàng 。

Esther had not yet made known her relatives nor her people, as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther obeyed Mordecai, like she did when she was brought up by him.

當那時候，末底改坐在朝門，王的太監中有兩個守門的，辟探和提列，惱恨亞哈隨魯王，想要下手害他。

dāng nà shí hòu ， mò dǐ gǎi zuò zài cháo mén ， wáng de tài jian zhōng yǒu liǎng gè shǒu mén de ， pì tàn hé tí liè ， nǎo hèn yà hā suí lǔ wáng ， xiǎng yào xià shǒu hài tā 。

In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, who were doorkeepers, were angry, and sought to lay hands on the King Ahasuerus.

末底改知道了，就告訴王后以斯帖。以斯帖奉末底改的名，報告於王；

mò dǐ gǎi zhī dào le ， jiù gào sù wáng hòu yǐ sī tiē 。 yǐ sī tiē fèng mò dǐ gǎi de míng ， bào gào yú wáng ；

This thing became known to Mordecai, who informed Esther the queen; and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name.

究察這事，果然是實，就把二人掛在木頭上，將這事在王面前寫於歷史上。

jiū chá zhè shì ， guǒ rán shì shí ， jiù bǎ èr rén guà zài mù tou shàng ， jiāng zhè shì zài wáng miàn qián xiě yú lì shǐ shàng 。

When this matter was investigated, and it was found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the king’s presence.