以斯帖记 3

1 这事以后，亚哈随鲁王抬举亚甲族哈米大他的儿子哈曼，使他高升，叫他的爵位超过与他同事的一切臣宰。

And after this king Artaxerxes highly honored Aman [son] of Amadathes, the Bugaean, and exalted him, and set his seat above all his friends.

2 在朝门的一切臣仆都跪拜哈曼，因为王如此吩咐；惟独末底改不跪不拜。

And all in the palace did him obeisance, for so the king had given orders to do: but Mardochaeus did not do him obeisance.

3 在朝门的臣仆问末底改说：“你为何违背王的命令呢？”

And they in the king's palace said to Mardochaeus, Mardochaeus, why do you transgress the commands of the king?

4 他们天天劝他，他还是不听，他们就告诉哈曼，要看末底改的事站得住站不住，因他已经告诉他们自己是犹大人。

[Thus] they spoke daily to him, but he listened not to them; so they represented to Aman that Mardochaeus resisted the commands of the king: and Mardochaeus had shown to them that he was a Jew.

5 哈曼见末底改不跪不拜，他就怒气填胸。

And when Aman understood that Mardochaeus did not obeisance to him, he was greatly enraged,

6 他们已将末底改的本族告诉哈曼；他以为下手害末底改一人是小事，就要灭绝亚哈随鲁王通国所有的犹大人，就是末底改的本族。

and took counsel to destroy utterly all the Jews who were under the rule of Artaxerxes.

7 亚哈随鲁王十二年正月，就是尼散月，人在哈曼面前，按日日月月掣普珥，就是掣签，要定何月何日为吉，择定了十二月，就是亚达月。

And he made a decree in the twelfth year of the reign of Artaxerxes, and cast lots daily and monthly, to kill in one day the race of Mardochaeus: and the lot fell on the fourteenth [day] of the month which is Adar.

8 哈曼对亚哈随鲁王说：“有一种民散居在王国各省的民中；他们的律例与万民的律例不同，也不守王的律例，所以容留他们与王无益。

And he spoke to king Artaxerxes, saying, There is a nation scattered among the nations in all your kingdom, and their laws differ from [those of] all the [other] nations; and they disobey the laws of the king; and it is not expedient for the king to let them alone.

9 王若以为美，请下旨意灭绝他们；我就捐一万他连得银子交给掌管国帑的人，纳入王的府库。”

If it seem good to the king, let him make a decree to destroy them: and I will remit into the king's treasury ten thousand talents of silver.

10 于是王从自己手上摘下戒指给犹大人的仇敌—亚甲族哈米大他的儿子哈曼。

And the king took off his ring, and gave it into the hands of Aman, to seal the decrees against the Jews.

11 王对哈曼说：“这银子仍赐给你，这民也交给你，你可以随意待他们。”

And the king said to Aman, Keep the silver, and treat the nation as you will.

12 正月十三日，就召了王的书记来，照着哈曼一切所吩咐的，用各省的文字、各族的方言，奉亚哈随鲁王的名写旨意，传与总督和各省的省长，并各族的首领；又用王的戒指盖印，

So the king's recorders were called in the first month, on the thirteenth [day], and they wrote as Aman commanded to the captains and governors in every province, from India even to Ethiopia, to a hundred and twenty-seven provinces; and to the rulers of the nations according to their [several] languages, in the name of king Artaxerxes.

13 交给驿卒传到王的各省，吩咐将犹大人，无论老少妇女孩子，在一日之间，十二月，就是亚达月十三日，全然剪除，杀戮灭绝，并夺他们的财为掠物。

And [the message] was sent by posts throughout the kingdom of Artaxerxes, to destroy utterly the race of the Jews on the first day of the twelfth month, which is Adar, and to plunder their goods.

14 抄录这旨意，颁行各省，宣告各族，使他们预备等候那日。

And the copies of the letters were published in every province; and an order was given to all the nations to be ready against that day.

15 驿卒奉王命急忙起行，旨意也传遍书珊城。王同哈曼坐下饮酒，书珊城的民却都慌乱。

And the business was hastened, and [that] at Susa: and the king and Aman began to drink; but the city was troubled.