以斯帖記 5
1 第三天，艾斯德爾身穿王后的華服，站在王宮的內院，面向宮殿；那時君王正坐在宮殿的寶座上，面向宮門。
Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal clothing, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, next to the king's house. The king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, next to the entrance of the house.
2 君王一見艾斯德爾王后在庭院內，就對她起了寵幸的心，於是向艾斯德爾伸出手中的金杖，艾斯德爾遂上前來，摸了金杖的頂端。
When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther came near, and touched the top of the scepter.
3 君王問她說：「艾斯德爾后，你有什麼事﹖你要求什麼﹖即使要求一半江山，我也必賜給你! 」
Then the king asked her, "What would you like, queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you even to the half of the kingdom."
4 艾斯德爾答說：「若大王開恩，請大王今日與哈曼同去飲妾為陛下所預備的酒宴。」
Esther said, "If it seems good to the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him."
5 王遂說：「快叫哈曼來，以滿足艾斯德爾的心願! 」於是王和哈曼一同去赴艾斯德爾預備的酒宴。
Then the king said, "Bring Haman quickly, so that it may be done as Esther has said." So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
6 酒興之餘，王對艾斯德爾說：「你要求什麼，我必給你；不管你求什麼，那怕是半壁江山，也必照辦。」
The king said to Esther at the banquet of wine, "What is your petition? It shall be granted you. What is your request? Even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed."
7 艾斯德爾答說：「這即是我的懇請和要求：
Then Esther answered and said, "My petition and my request is this.
8 如果我見寵於大王，如果大王樂意俯允我的懇請，實踐我的要求，就請大王明天與哈曼，再來飲妾所設的酒宴；明天我必依照君王的命答覆陛下。」
If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it please the king to grant my petition and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I will prepare for them, and I will do tomorrow as the king has said."
9 那一天，哈曼出去，非常高興，滿心喜樂；但是哈曼一見在御門前的猶太人摩爾德開既不起立，也不退避，就對他滿懷憤恨，
Then Haman went out that day joyful and glad of heart, but when Haman saw Mordecai in the King's Gate, that he did not stand up nor move for him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai.
10 卻仍忍氣回了家，且打發人叫他的朋友和愛妻則勒士來，
Nevertheless Haman restrained himself, and went home. There, he sent and called for his friends and Zeresh his wife.
11 向他們誇耀自己如何富貴榮華，子女如何眾多，君王如何尊崇他，如何高舉他在眾公卿和朝臣之上。
Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, the multitude of his children, all the things in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and servants of the king.
12 他又說：「甚至，艾斯德爾王后，除我以外，沒有請任何人與君王一同赴她設的盛宴；明天又請我再同君王到她那裏去。
Haman also said, "Yes, Esther the queen let no man come in with the king to the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and tomorrow I am also invited by her together with the king.
13 但每當我一見坐在御門前的猶太人摩爾德開時，這一切於我都乏味了! 」
Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the King's Gate."
14 他的愛妻則勒士和他的朋友便對他說：「該做一個高五十尺的刑架，天一亮就對君王說：把摩爾德開懸在上面! 這樣你可欣然與君王共同赴筵了。」哈曼看這主意不錯，就叫人做了一個刑架。
Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, "Let a gallows be made seventy-three feet eight inches high, and in the morning speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on it. Then go in merrily with the king to the banquet." This pleased Haman, so he had the gallows made.
