Esther:Chapter 8

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Esther:Chapter 8

艾斯德爾傳	Esther
¹薛西斯王當日就將猶太人的敵人哈曼的家業，賜給了艾斯德爾王后；艾斯德爾同時也說明瞭摩爾德開與她自己的關係，摩爾德開就來覲見君王。	¹On that day king Assuerus gave the house of Aman, the Jews' enemy, to queen Esther, and Mardochai came in before the king. For Esther had confessed to him that he was her uncle.
²君王於是取下由哈曼那裏拿回來的指璽，給了摩爾德開，艾斯德爾以後叫摩爾德開管理哈曼的家業。	²And the king took the ring which he had commanded to be taken again from Aman, and gave it to Mardochai. And Esther set Mardochai over her house.
³艾斯德爾又去向君王求情，俯伏在他足下，含淚哀求他取消阿加格人哈曼所加的禍害，和他為害猶太人所設的陰謀。	³And not content with these things, she fell down at the king's feet and wept, and speaking to him besought him, that he would give orders that the malice of Aman the Agagite, and his most wicked devices which he had invented against the Jews, should be of no effect.
⁴王向艾斯德爾伸出金杖，艾斯德爾就起來，站在君王前，	⁴But he, as the manner was, held out the golden sceptre with his hand, which was the sign of clemency: and she arose up and stood before him,
⁵說：「如果大王喜歡，如果我得陛下寵幸，如果大王認為合理且喜愛我，就請寫一道諭令，把大王為消滅全國各省的猶太人所頒下的文書，即阿加格人哈默大達的兒子哈曼的陰謀廢除。	⁵And said: If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and my request be not disagreeable to him, I beseech thee, that the former letters of Aman the traitor and enemy of the Jews, by which he commanded that they should be destroyed in all the king's provinces, may be reversed by new letters.
⁶事實上，我怎能忍見我的民族遭受迫害？我怎能忍見我的親屬消滅？」	⁶For how call I endure the murdering and slaughter of my people?
⁷薛西斯王對艾斯德爾后和猶太人摩爾德開說：「我已將哈曼的家業賜給了艾斯德爾，而他本人已被懸在刑架上，因為他竟要對猶太人下毒手。	⁷And king Assuerus answered Esther the queen, and Mardochai the Jew: I have given Aman's house to Esther, and I have commanded him to be hanged on a gibbet, because he durst lay hands on the Jews.
⁸如今就照你們的意思，以君王的名義，為保護猶太人寫一道文書，蓋上君王的玉印。凡以君王名義所寫，且蓋有君王玉印的文書，決不得廢除。」	⁸Write ye therefore to the Jews, as it pleaseth you, in the king's name, and seal the letters with my ring. For this was the custom, that no man durst gainsay the letters which were sent in the king's name, and were sealed with his ring.
⁹就在那時候，即在三月──「息汪」月二十三日，召集了眾御史，要依照摩爾德開為保護猶太人提示的一切，用各省的文字，各民族的語言，也給猶太人以他們的文字語言，寫了一道文書，公告由印度至雇士一百二十七省的猶太人、御史大臣、各省省長及首長。	⁹Then the king's scribes and secretaries were called for (now it was the time of the third month which is called Siban) the three and twentieth day of the month, and letters were written, as Mardochai had a mind, to the Jews, and to the governors, and to the deputies, and to the judges, who were rulers over the hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India even to Ethiopia: to province and province, to people and people, according to their languages and characters, and to the Jews, according as they could read and hear.
¹⁰摩爾德開遂以薛西斯王的名義，寫了這道文書，蓋上君王的玉印，然後派遣驛使，騎着御廐裏的駿馬，傳遞文書。	¹⁰And these letters which were sent in the king's name, were sealed with his ring, and sent by posts: who were to run through all the provinces, to prevent the former letters with new messages.
¹¹文書上載着：君王恩准在各城市的猶太人，有團結自衛的權利，也准許他們破壞、殺害、消滅那些侵害他們的各族和各省的軍民，也可殺他們的婦孺，搶奪他們的財產；	¹¹And the king gave orders to them, to speak to the Jews in every city, and to command them to gather themselves together, and to stand for their lives, and to kill and destroy all their enemies with their wives and children and all their houses, and to take their spoil.
¹²且應在十二月「阿達爾」月十三日那一天，在薛西斯帝國各省內開始生效。	¹²And one day of revenge was appointed through all the provinces, to wit, the thirteenth of the twelfth month Adar.
補錄戊
¹諭文如下：「薛西斯大王致候由印度至厄提約丕雅一百二十七省省長，並忠於朕之官員	¹³And this was the content of the letter, that it should be notified in all lands and peoples that were subject to the empire of king Assuerus, that the Jews were ready to be revenged of their enemies.
²查有多人，恩主愈加之高官厚祿，其人反而愈妄自尊大，不僅企圖危害朕之所屬為滿足，進而圖謀推倒其恩主。	¹⁴So the swift posts went out carrying the messages, and the king's edict was hung up in Susan.
³彼等不惟將知恩報愛之義由人間抹殺，且更與無知之輩，驕矜自大，對常鑒臨萬物，嫉惡如仇至公義之天主，自以為可以逃避。	¹⁵And Mardochai going forth out of the palace, and from the king's presence, shone in royal apparel, to wit, of violet and sky colour, wearing a golden crown on his head, and clothed with a cloak of silk and purple. And all the city rejoiced and was glad.
⁴彼等多居顯位，屢受公卿友朋妄言之煽惑，而共謀傾流無辜者之血，因而陷於不可挽救之禍殃：	¹⁶But to the Jews a new light seemed to rise, joy, honour, and dancing.
⁵彼等利用乖戾欺詐之計謀，迷惑忠貞純良之公卿。	¹⁷And in all peoples, cities, and provinces, whithersoever the king's commandments came, there was wonderful rejoicing, feasts and banquets, and keeping holy day: insomuch that many of other nations and religion, joined themselves to their worship and ceremonies. For a great dread of the name of the Jews had fallen upon all.
⁶此處無須引證留傳於我儕之古籍，爾輩考察此輩惡劣掌權者所做敗德惡行，即可知曉。
⁷是以為防患於未然，使帝國免於禍亂，人人得享安樂，
⁸朕不復妄聽讒言，務以正義裁判，處斷呈遞於朕之案件。
⁹今哈默大達之子，馬其頓人哈曼，實非波斯血統，本不堪朕之寬仁，然朕仍收為客卿，
¹⁰親歷朕對各族所有之優惠，竟被尊稱為父，受萬民敬禮，位居帝座之次。
¹¹今高官厚祿，而心猶不足，竟欲奪朕位，害朕命，
¹²更千方百計，企圖將朕之救命恩主摩爾德開，並朕之無辜后妃艾斯德爾，與其全族上下，予以消滅。
¹³如此，欲乘朕之孤立，交波斯帝國於馬其頓人。
¹⁴然據朕察知，此敗類欲消滅之猶太人，原非作惡歹徒，實乃奉公守法之民，
¹⁵彼等乃賜朕與朕祖國昌盛之至高至大，永生天主之子民。
¹⁶是以爾輩不宜履行哈默大達之子哈曼頒發之文書，因其撰者與全家已懸首於穌撒門前矣！此乃主宰萬物者天主使其得此報應。
¹⁷因此，是項文告，爾輩應四處公佈，准猶太人遵守其固有之法律，且應在擇定迫害彼等之日，即「阿達爾」十二月十三日，協助彼等敵抗殺害彼等之人。
¹⁸蓋主宰萬物者天主，已將此消滅選民之日化為喜樂之日。
¹⁹是以於爾輩之慶節中，也應隆重慶祝此紀念日，使現今與未來皆慶祝朕與親善波斯者之勝利，但為圖謀害朕之輩，乃滅亡之紀念日。
²⁰凡不履行此命令之城市或區域，應毫不留情，一律火焚刀斬，使此城區非但人跡不至，即鳥獸也視為畏途，直達永遠。
¹³這道文書應視為法律，公佈在各省內，通告各民族一律遵守，好使猶太人準備在這一天，可向自己的敵人復仇。
¹⁴驛使迫於君令，騎着御馬，火速出發。這諭文同時也在穌撒禁城公佈。
¹⁵摩爾德開於是拜別君王出來，身穿紫白相間的御袍，戴着大金冠，披着純白和朱紅的氅衣。此時穌撒城歡欣雀躍。
¹⁶猶太人終於得到了光明、喜樂、幸福和榮耀。
¹⁷在各省各城中，凡是君令、上諭所到之處，猶太人無不歡欣雀躍，休假宴飲；各地的異民有許多人因為害怕猶太人，而入了猶太籍。

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