Esther:Chapter 2

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Esther:Chapter 2

艾斯德爾傳	Esther
¹這些事以後，薛西斯王的盛怒遂平息了，不再回念瓦市提和她所作的事，也不再追究對她所決定的事。	¹After this, when the wrath of king Assuerus was appeased, he remembered Vasthi, and what she had done and what she had suffered:
²於是侍奉君王的僕役說：「應為大王另選美貌的年輕處女；	²And the king's servants and his officers said: Let young women be sought for the king, virgins and beautiful,
³大王可指派委員到全國各省，把所有美貌的輕處女，都召集到穌撒禁城的後宮來，由管理嬪妃的王家太監赫革負責照應，供給她們美容潤身的香料。	³And let some persons be sent through all the provinces to look for beautiful maidens and virgins: and let them bring them to the city of Susan, and put them into the house of the women under the hand of Egeus the eunuch, who is the overseer and keeper of the king's women: and let them receive women's ornaments, and other things necessary for their use.
⁴那中悅君王的處女，就得代瓦市提為后。」這建議正合了王的心，王就照樣進行。	⁴And whosoever among them all shall please the king's eyes, let her be queen instead of Vasthi. The word pleased the king: and he commanded it should be done as they had suggested.
⁵在穌撒禁城內，有一個猶太人，名叫摩爾德開，是雅依爾的兒子，史米的孫子，本雅明族人克士的曾孫，	⁵There was a man in the city of Susan, a Jew, named Mardochai, the son of Jair, the son of Semei, the son of Cis, of the race of Jemini,
⁶克士是巴比倫王拿步高由耶路撒冷將猶大王耶苛尼雅擄去時，被擄的俘虜之一。	⁶Who had been carried away from Jerusalem at the time that Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon carried away Jechonias king of Juda,
⁷摩爾德開撫養了他的堂妹哈達撒，又名叫艾斯德爾，她自幼就喪失父母。這女孩身材標致，容貌美麗，自她父母去世後，摩爾德開就收她作自己的女兒。	⁷And he had brought up his brother's daughter Edissa, who by another name was called Esther: now she had lost both her parents: and was exceeding fair and beautiful. And her father and mother being dead, Mardochai adopted her for his daughter.
⁸不久，皇帝的諭旨和詔令，傳遍了全國，許多少女都被召到穌撒禁城，受赫革的監護，艾斯德爾也被帶到王宮，交與管理嬪妃的赫革看管。	⁸And when the king's ordinance was noised abroad, and according to his commandment many beautiful virgins were brought to Susan, and were delivered to Egeus the eunuch: Esther also among the rest of the maidens was delivered to him to be kept in the number of the women.
⁹她很討赫革喜悅，大得他的寵愛，遂立即供給她美容潤身的物品和所需食品，並選派了七個美麗的宮女服侍她，又將她和她的侍女遷移到後宮最好的宮院裏。	⁹And she pleased him, and found favour in his sight. And he commanded the eunuch to hasten the women's ornaments, and to deliver to her her part, and seven of the most beautiful maidens of the king's house, and to adorn and deck out both her and her waiting maids.
¹⁰但艾斯德爾卻沒有說出她自己的民族和身世，因為摩爾德開早已吩咐她不要提及此事。	¹⁰And she would not tell him her people nor her country. For Mardochai had charged her to say nothing at all of that:
¹¹此後，摩爾德開天天在後宮的庭院前徘徊，好打聽艾斯德爾的消息，想知道她的情形如何。	¹¹And he walked every day before the court of the house, in which the chosen virgins were kept, having a care for Esther's welfare, and desiring to know what would befall her.
¹²在每個處女輪流去見薛西斯王以前，都該先按嬪妃的規則，度過十二個月的「潤身期」：六個月應用沒藥汁，六個月應用香液，以及女人潤身的修飾品。	¹²Now when every virgin's turn came to go in to the king, after all had been done for setting them off to advantage, it was the twelfth month: so that for six months they were anointed with oil of myrrh, and for other six months they used certain perfumes and sweet spices.
¹³有了這樣的準備，少女纔可去見君王；凡她所要求的，都應讓她由後宮帶進王宮去。	¹³And when they were going in to the king, whatsoever they asked to adorn themselves they received: and being decked out, as it pleased them, they passed from the chamber of the women to the king's chamber.
¹⁴她晚上進去，次日早晨回到另一座後宮，受君王管理嬪妃的太監沙市加次的監護；除非君王寵愛她，提名召她，她不得再親近君王。	¹⁴And she that went in at evening, came out in the morning, and from thence she was conducted to the second house, that was under the hand of Susagaz the eunuch, who had the charge over the king's concubines: neither could she return any more to the king, unless the king desired it, and had ordered her by name to come.
¹⁵一輪到摩爾德開的叔父阿彼海耳的女兒──即摩爾德開的養女──艾斯德爾去見君王的時候，除了管理嬪妃的王家太監赫革給她預備的東西以外，她什麼也不要；凡看見艾斯德爾的人，沒有不喜愛她的。	¹⁵And as the time came orderly about, the day was at hand, when Esther, the daughter of Abihail the brother of Mardochai, whom he had adopted for his daughter, was to go in to the king. But she sought not women's ornaments, but whatsoever Egeus the eunuch the keeper of the virgins had a mind, he gave her to adorn her. For she was exceeding fair, and her incredible beauty made her appear agreeable and amiable in the eyes of all.
¹⁶艾斯德爾在薛西斯為王第七年十月即「太貝特」月，被召進王宮。	¹⁶So she was brought to the chamber of king Assuerus the tenth month, which is called Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
¹⁷王愛艾斯德爾超過所有的嬪妃。在所有的處女中，她最得君王的歡心和喜愛。王便將后冠戴在她頭上，立她為王后，以代瓦市提。	¹⁷And the king loved her more than all the women, and she had favour and kindness before him above all the women, and he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vasthi.
¹⁸於是，王給眾文武官員擺設盛宴，一連七天，號為艾斯德爾宴，又給全國各省頒賜大赦，並按照君王的法度敕贈御品。	¹⁸And he commanded a magnificent feast to be prepared for all the princes, and for his servants, for the marriage and wedding of Esther. And he gave rest to all the provinces, and bestowed gifts according to princely magnificence.
¹⁹當二次召集處女時，摩爾德開仍在御門供職。	¹⁹And when the virgins were sought the second time, and gathered together, Mardochai stayed at the king's gate,
²⁰那時艾斯德爾，按着摩爾德開事先給她吩咐了的，還沒有透露自己的身世和種族：凡摩爾德開吩咐的，艾斯德爾必盡力遵守，如同昔日受他撫養時一樣。	²⁰Neither had Esther as yet declared her country and people, according to his commandment. For whatsoever he commanded, Esther observed: and she did all things in the same manner as she was wont at that time when he brought her up a little one.
²¹摩爾德開在御門供職的時候，王的兩個守門大監，彼革堂和特勒士，因一時忿怒，就設計對薛西斯王下毒手。	²¹At that time, therefore, when Mardochai abode at the king's gate, Bagathan and Thares, two of the king's eunuchs, who were porters, and presided in the first entry of the palace, were angry: and they designed to rise up against the king, and to kill him.
²²但摩爾德開一發覺了那陰謀，就告知艾斯德爾王后，艾斯德爾便以摩爾德開的名義轉告君王。	²²And Mardochai had notice of it, and immediately he told it to queen Esther: and she to the king in Mardochai's name, who had reported the thing unto her.
²³那陰謀經過調查證實以後，就將他們二人懸在木架上，處以極刑。此事的原委，當着君王的面，記錄在年鑑內。	²³It was inquired into, and found out: and they were both hanged on a gibbet. And it was put in the histories, and recorded in the chronicles before the king.

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