< 以斯帖記 9 >

1 十二月,「阿達爾」月十三日,是該執行君令和上諭的那一天,也是猶太人的敵人原想殲滅猶太人的日期,卻變成了猶太人制服敵人的日子。
On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the king’s command and edict were to be executed. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but their plan was overturned and the Jews overpowered those who hated them.
2 住在薛西斯王各省各城的猶太人,都聚集起來,動手攻打那些想謀害他們的人,但沒有一個人能敵擋他們,因為所有人民都害怕他們。
In each of the provinces of King Xerxes, the Jews assembled in their cities to attack those who sought to harm them. No man could withstand them, because the fear of them had fallen upon all peoples.
3 各省的首長,御史大臣和省長,以及為君王服務的人,都擁護猶太人,因為害怕摩爾德開。
And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and the king’s administrators helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai had fallen upon them.
4 的確,摩爾德開在王宮裏已掌大權,聲譽傳遍各省,而摩爾德開的權力越來越大。
For Mordecai exercised great power in the palace, and his fame spread throughout the provinces as he became more and more powerful.
5 這樣猶太人就用刀屠殺,消滅了一切敵人,任意對待了仇恨他們的人;
The Jews put all their enemies to the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did as they pleased to those who hated them.
6 只在穌撒禁城,猶太人就殺死了五百人,
In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men,
7 也殺了帕商大達、達耳豐、阿斯帕達、
including Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,
8 頗辣達、阿黎大達、
Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,
9 帕瑪市達、阿黎賽、阿黎待與耶匝達,
Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha.
10 即哈曼大達的兒子,猶太人的仇人哈曼的十個兒子,但沒有下手搶奪財物。
They killed these ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
11 當天,君王就知道了在穌撒禁城內殺死的人數。
On that day the number of those killed in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king,
12 對艾斯德爾后說:「在穌撒禁城內,猶太人已殺死了五百人和哈曼的十個兒子,在帝國其他各省內,他們更將做出何事﹖如今你還請求什麼,我必賜給你;你還要求什麼,我都必履行。」
who said to Queen Esther, “In the citadel of Susa the Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men, including Haman’s ten sons. What have they done in the rest of the royal provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given to you. And what further do you request? It will be fulfilled.”
13 艾斯德爾答說:「如蒙大王賜恩,請恩准住在穌撒的猶太人,明天也照今天的法律行事,把哈曼的十個兒子懸在刑架上。」
Esther replied, “If it pleases the king, may the Jews in Susa also have tomorrow to carry out today’s edict, and may the bodies of Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows.”
14 王就下令照辦。於是在穌撒發出了一道諭旨,要把哈曼的十個兒子懸在刑架上。
So the king commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa, and they hanged the ten sons of Haman.
15 在「阿達爾」月十四日那一天,住在穌撒的猶太人又集合起來,在那裏擊殺了三百人,但沒有下手搶奪財物。
On the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, the Jews in Susa came together again and put to death three hundred men there, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
16 住在君王各省的他猶太人,也聚集起來保衛自己,擺脫敵人的侵害,把他們的七萬五千仇人殺死,但沒有下手搶奪財物。
The rest of the Jews in the royal provinces also assembled to defend themselves and rid themselves of their enemies. They killed 75,000 who hated them, but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
17 這是「阿達爾」月十三日的事;十四日那天,他們安息,舉行慶功的歡宴。
This was done on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested, making it a day of feasting and joy.
18 住在穌撒的猶太人,因為在十三十四日聚集復仇,便於十五日安息,舉行慶功的歡宴。
The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and the fourteenth days of the month. So they rested on the fifteenth day, making it a day of feasting and joy.
19 從此以後,那些住在村莊的猶太鄉民,奉「阿達爾」月十四日為慶日,歡宴慶祝,互送禮物;但居住在城市的猶太人卻以「阿達爾」月十五日為慶日,互送禮物。
This is why the rural Jews, who live in the villages, observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting. It is a holiday for sending gifts to one another.
20 摩爾德開於是將這些事記錄下來,並向薛西斯王各省遠近的猶太人頒發文書,
Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews in all the provinces of King Xerxes, both near and far,
21 通告他們應每年慶祝「阿達爾」月十四十五兩天,
to establish among them an annual celebration on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar
22 因為這兩是猶太人徹底擺脫仇敵的日子,而這一月為他們是化憂為喜,化凶為吉的一月,因此該以歡宴慶祝這兩天,互贈禮物,救濟窮困。
as the days on which the Jews gained rest from their enemies and the month in which their sorrow turned to joy and their mourning into a holiday. He wrote that these were to be days of feasting and joy, of sending gifts to one another and to the poor.
23 猶太人便把已開始舉行的和摩爾德開給他們規定的事,奉為永遠當守的盛典。
So the Jews agreed to continue the custom they had started, as Mordecai had written to them.
24 原來阿加格人哈默大達的兒子哈曼,那全猶太人的仇人曾蓄意加害猶太人,要將他們滅絕,就抽出「普爾」即籤,來擇定剷除殲滅他們的日子。
For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the Pur (that is, the lot) to crush and destroy them.
25 但是君王一洞悉此事,便下諭令說:「哈曼加害猶太人想出來的陰謀,應加在他自己頭上! 」就判處他和他的兒子們懸在刑架上。
But when it came before the king, he commanded by letter that the wicked scheme which Haman had devised against the Jews should come back upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.
26 從此,人就援用「普爾」一名,稱這兩天為「普凌節。」依照這文書記載的,和他們有關此事親身看見及經歷的一切,
Therefore these days are called Purim, from the word Pur. Because of all the instructions in this letter, and because of all they had seen and experienced,
27 猶太人便給自己,給自己的子孫,給一切加入他們集會的人,規定了「每年該照規定依時慶祝這兩天」為不可更改的法律;
the Jews bound themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should not fail to celebrate these two days at the appointed time each and every year, according to their regulation.
28 世世代代,家家戶戶,各省各城,應紀念和慶祝這兩天;猶太人決不可廢除這兩天的「普凌節,」他們的子孫也決不可忘掉這慶節。
These days should be remembered and celebrated by every generation, family, province, and city, so that these days of Purim should not fail to be observed among the Jews, nor should the memory of them fade from their descendants.
29 阿彼海耳的女兒艾斯德爾后與猶太人摩爾德開,又以全權再度寫了一道核准「普凌節」的文書。
So Queen Esther daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim.
30 然後把此文書分發給所有住在薛西斯帝國一百二十七省內的猶太人,以平如誠懇的言詞,
And Mordecai sent letters with words of peace and truth to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Xerxes,
31 勸他們遵照猶太人摩爾德開對這「普凌節」所規定的,依時舉行。至於禁食和哀歌的吟詠等禮,則可依照他們自己及自己的後代所規定的去行。
in order to confirm these days of Purim at their appointed time, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established them and had committed themselves and their descendants to the times of fasting and lamentation.
32 從此,艾斯德爾的命令,便成了「普凌節」的規定,並記載於史冊。
So Esther’s decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, which were written into the record.

< 以斯帖記 9 >