以斯帖記 2
Chinese Union Version, punctuated (Traditional)
Berean Standard Bible
1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。
1Some time later, when the anger of King Xerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.
2於是王的侍臣對王說：「不如為王尋找美貌的處女。
2Then the king’s attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king,
3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。
3and let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom to assemble all the beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women, and let them be given beauty treatments.
4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。
4Then let the young woman who pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti.” This suggestion pleased the king, and he acted accordingly.
5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。
5Now there was at the citadel of Susa a Jewish man from the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish.
6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。
6He had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon among those taken captive with Jeconiah king of Judah.
7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。
7And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah (that is, Esther), the daughter of his uncle, because she did not have a father or mother. The young woman was lovely in form and appearance, and when her father and mother had died, Mordecai had taken her in as his own daughter.
8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 。
8When the king’s command and edict had been proclaimed, many young women gathered at the citadel of Susa under the care of Hegai. Esther was also taken to the palace and placed under the care of Hegai, the custodian of the women.
9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。
9And the young woman pleased him and obtained his favor, so he quickly provided her with beauty treatments and the special diet. He assigned to her seven select maidservants from the palace and transferred her with them to the best place in the harem.
10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。
10Esther did not reveal her people or her lineage, because Mordecai had instructed her not to do so.
11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。
11And every day Mordecai would walk back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn about Esther’s welfare and what was happening to her.
12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。
12In the twelve months before her turn to go to King Xerxes, the harem regulation required each young woman to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months, and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months.
13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。
13When the young woman would go to the king, she was given whatever she requested to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace.
14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。
14She would go there in the evening, and in the morning she would return to a second harem under the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he delighted in her and summoned her by name.
15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。
15Now Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle from whom Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. And when it was her turn to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s trusted official in charge of the harem, had advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her.
16亞哈隨魯 王第七年十月，就是提別月， 以斯帖 被引入宮見王。
16She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal palace in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17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 。
17And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she found grace and favor in his sight more than all of the other virgins. So he placed the royal crown upon her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.
18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。
18Then the king held a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his officials and servants. He proclaimed a tax holiday in the provinces and gave gifts worthy of the king’s bounty.
19第二次招聚處女的時候， 末底改 坐在朝門。
19When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.
20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。
20Esther still had not revealed her lineage or her people, just as Mordecai had instructed. She obeyed Mordecai’s command, as she had done under his care.
21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。
21In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, grew angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
22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；
22When Mordecai learned of the plot, he reported it to Queen Esther, and she informed the king on Mordecai’s behalf.
23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。
23After the report had been investigated and verified, both officials were hanged on the gallows. And all this was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in the presence of the king.
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