以斯帖記 7
1 君王和哈曼同來與艾斯德爾王后宴飲。
So the king and Haman came in, to banquet with Esther the queen.
2 在這第二天的酒興之餘，王又對艾斯德爾說：「艾斯德爾后! 你要求什麼，我必給你；不論要求什麼，即便是半壁江山，也必照辦。」
Then said the king unto Esther, on the second day also, during the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, Queen Esther, that it may be granted thee? and what is thy request—unto the half of the kingdom—that it may be performed?
3 艾斯德爾后答說：「大王! 如果我獲得你垂青寵愛，如果大王歡喜，請饒我一命，這是我的懇請；也饒我民族一命，這是我的要求，
Then answered Esther the queen, and said, If I have found favour in thine eyes, O king, and if, unto the king, it seem good, let my life be granted me, as my petition, and my people, as my request;
4 因為我和我的民族，已被人出賣，快要遭受蹂躪、屠殺、毀滅。若是我們只被人賣為奴婢，那麼我必不開口；但這仇人毫不顧及君王所受的災害。」
For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain and to be caused to perish. If indeed, for bondmen and for bondwomen, we had been sold, I had held my peace, although the adversary could not have made good the damage to the king.
5 薛西斯王問艾斯德爾后說：「這人是誰﹖那心內打算做這事的人在那裏﹖」
Then spake King Ahasuerus, and said unto Esther the queen, —Who is he now, and where is he, whose heart is set to act thus?
6 艾斯德爾答說：「這仇人和死敵，就是這敗類哈曼。」哈曼立時在君王及王后前，驚惶萬分。
And Esther said, A man who is an adversary and enemy, this wicked Haman. And, Haman, was terrified, before the king and the queen.
7 於是君王勃然大怒，即刻退席，走進了御苑；哈曼遂起來懇求艾斯德爾后饒他一命，因為他看出了君王已決意要將他置於死地。
Now, the king, arising in his wrath from the banquet of wine, and going into the palace garden, Haman, stood to make request for his life from Esther the queen, for he saw that ruin, was determined against him, by the king.
8 王由御苑回到餐廳，哈曼正俯伏在艾斯德爾所坐的榻旁，王惡聲叱叱說：「在王宮內，當著我的面，居然膽敢存心侮辱王后! 」王的話一出口，僕人就蒙起哈曼的臉。
When, the king, returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine, Haman, was lying prostrate upon the couch whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he, even dare to force the queen, while I am in the house? No sooner had the word gone forth out of the mouth of the king, than, the face of Haman, they had covered.
9 君王座前的一個太監哈波納說：「正巧，在哈曼家裏，有他給那位曾一言造福大王的摩爾德開，豎立的一個五十尺高的刑架。」王說：「將他懸在上面! 」
Then said Harbonah—one of the eunuchs before the king—Yea lo! the gallows that Haman made ready for Mordecai, who had spoken well for the king, is standing in Haman’s house, of a height of fifty cubits. Then said the king, Hang him thereon.
10 人們遂把嚨哈曼懸在他自己為摩爾德開所做的刑架上；王的忿怒這纔平息。
So they hanged Haman on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai, —and, the wrath of the king, was appeased.
