以斯帖記 5
1 第三日，以斯帖穿上朝服，進王宮的內院，對殿站立。王在殿裏坐在寶座上，對着殿門。
Now on the third day, 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 王見王后以斯帖站在院內，就施恩於她，向她伸出手中的金杖；以斯帖便向前摸杖頭。
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 王對她說：「王后以斯帖啊，你要甚麼？你求甚麼，就是國的一半也必賜給你。」
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 以斯帖說：「王若以為美，就請王帶着哈曼今日赴我所預備的筵席。」
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 王說：「叫哈曼速速照以斯帖的話去行。」於是王帶着哈曼赴以斯帖所預備的筵席。
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 在酒席筵前，王又問以斯帖說：「你要甚麼，我必賜給你；你求甚麼，就是國的一半也必為你成就。」
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 以斯帖回答說：「我有所要，我有所求。
Then Esther answered and said, “My petition and my request is this.
8 我若在王眼前蒙恩，王若願意賜我所要的，准我所求的，就請王帶着哈曼再赴我所要預備的筵席。明日我必照王所問的說明。」
If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases 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 那日哈曼心中快樂，歡歡喜喜地出來；但見末底改在朝門不站起來，連身也不動，就滿心惱怒末底改。
Then Haman went out that day joyful and glad of heart, but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, that he didn’t stand up nor move for him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai.
10 哈曼暫且忍耐回家，叫人請他朋友和他妻子細利斯來。
Nevertheless Haman restrained himself, and went home. There, he sent and called for his friends and Zeresh his wife.
11 哈曼將他富厚的榮耀、眾多的兒女，和王抬舉他使他超乎首領臣僕之上，都述說給他們聽。
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 princes and servants of the king.
12 哈曼又說：「王后以斯帖預備筵席，除了我之外不許別人隨王赴席。明日王后又請我隨王赴席；
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 只是我見猶大人末底改坐在朝門，雖有這一切榮耀，也與我無益。」
Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
14 他的妻細利斯和他一切的朋友對他說：「不如立一個五丈高的木架，明早求王將末底改掛在其上，然後你可以歡歡喜喜地隨王赴席。」哈曼以這話為美，就叫人做了木架。
Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows be made fifty cubits 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.
