| 艾斯德爾傳 |
Esther |
| 1那一夜，君王因失眠，便令人取大事錄，即年鑑來，在他面前誦讀。 |
1That night the king, unable to sleep, asked that the chronicle of notable events be brought in. While this was being read to him, |
| 2書上這樣記載：摩爾德開如何告發了君王的兩個守門太監彼革堂和特勒士，企圖殺害薛西斯王的事。 |
2the passage occurred in which Mordecai reported Bagathan and Teresh, two of the royal eunuchs who guarded the entrance, for seeking to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. |
| 3王問說：「摩爾德開為這事得到什麼尊榮和地位？」服侍他的僕役答說：「他什麼也沒有得到。」 |
3The king asked, "What was done to reward and honor Mordecai for this?" The king's attendants replied, "Nothing was done for him." |
| 4正當君王探聽摩爾德開的賢德時，恰巧哈曼在庭院裏，於是王問說：「是誰在庭院裏？」原來哈曼正走到了王宮的外庭，要請求君王把摩爾德開懸在他豎起的刑架上。 |
4"Who is in the court?" the king asked. Now Haman had entered the outer court of the king's palace to suggest to the king that Mordecai should be hanged on the gibbet he had raised for him. |
| 5王的僕役答應說：「是哈曼站在庭院裏。」王說：「叫他進來！」 |
5The king's servants answered him, "Haman is waiting in the court." "Let him come in," the king said. |
| 6哈曼進來，王對他說：「假如君王要顯耀一個人，應該怎樣對待他？」哈曼心想：除我以外，君王還能顯耀誰呢？ |
6When Haman entered, the king said to him, "What should be done for the man whom the king wishes to reward?" Now Haman thought to himself, "Whom would the king more probably wish to reward than me?" |
| 7於是哈曼對君王說：「大王對願顯耀的人， |
7So he replied to the king: "For the man whom the king wishes to reward |
| 8應拿出大王穿的龍袍和大王騎的頭戴「御馬冠」的駿馬； |
8there should be brought the royal robe which the king wore and the horse on which the king rode when the royal crown was placed on his head. |
| 9將龍袍和駿馬交給大王的一個大臣，叫他給大王所要顯耀的人穿上，領他騎着御馬在城中的廣場遊行，還要有人走在他前面喊道：看，凡皇上願意顯耀的人，就是這樣的待他。」 |
9The robe and the horse should be consigned to one of the noblest of the king's officials, who must clothe the man the king wishes to reward, have him ride on the horse in the public square of the city, and cry out before him, "This is what is done for the man whom the king wishes to reward!' " |
| 10王對哈曼說：「趕快拿龍袍和駿馬來，就照你所說的，去對待坐在御門旁的那猶太人摩爾德開罷！凡你所說的，一點也不可忽略！」 |
10Then the king said to Haman: "Hurry! Take the robe and horse as you have proposed, and do this for the Jew Mordecai, who is sitting at the royal gate. Do not omit anything you proposed." |
| 11哈曼就拿了龍袍和駿馬來，先給摩爾德開穿上龍袍，然後扶他騎上駿馬，領他在市內的廣場遊行，還走在他前面喊道：「凡皇上願意顯耀的人，就是這樣的待他。」 |
11So Haman took the robe and horse, clothed Mordecai, had him ride in the public square of the city, and cried out before him, "This is what is done for the man whom the king wishes to reward!" |
| 12事後，摩爾德開回到御門，哈曼卻趕快回了家，蒙着頭飲泣。 |
12Mordecai then returned to the royal gate, while Haman hurried home, his head covered in grief. |
| 13哈曼將所遭遇的，都給他的愛妻則勒士和朋友述說了。他的謀士和愛妻則勒士對他說：「在摩爾德開前，你既開始失敗，如果他真是猶太人，你決不能得勝他，終必敗於他前。」 |
13When he told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him, his advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, "If Mordecai, before whom you are beginning to decline, is of the Jewish race, you will not prevail against him, but will surely be defeated by him." |
| 14他們正同他談論時，王的太監來催哈曼赴艾斯德爾設的盛宴。 |
14While they were speaking with him, the king's eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman off to the banquet Esther had prepared. |
