以斯帖記 9
1 十二月，乃亞達月十三日，王的諭旨將要舉行，就是猶大人的仇敵盼望轄制他們的日子，猶大人反倒轄制恨他們的人。
On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the king's order and decree were to be carried out. That day the enemies of the Jews had thought they would crush them, but the exact opposite happened—the Jews crushed their enemies.
2 猶大人在亞哈隨魯王各省的城裏聚集，下手擊殺那要害他們的人。無人能敵擋他們，因為各族都懼怕他們。
The Jews gathered in their cities throughout the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those who wanted to destroy them. Nobody could oppose them, because all the other people were afraid of them.
3 各省的首領、總督、省長，和辦理王事的人，因懼怕末底改，就都幫助猶大人。
All the officials of the provinces, the chief officers, the governors, and the king's officials helped the Jews, because they were afraid of Mordecai.
4 末底改在朝中為大，名聲傳遍各省，日漸昌盛。
Mordecai had a great deal of power in the royal palace, and his reputation spread throughout the provinces as his power increased.
5 猶大人用刀擊殺一切仇敵，任意殺滅恨他們的人。
The Jews attacked their enemies with swords, killing and destroying them, and they did whatever they wanted to their enemies.
6 在書珊城，猶大人殺滅了五百人；
In the fortress of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men.
7 又殺巴珊大他、達分、亞斯帕他、
This included Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,
8 破拉他、亞大利雅、亞利大他、
Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,
9 帕瑪斯他、亞利賽、亞利代、瓦耶撒他；
Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha,
10 這十人都是哈米大他的孫子、猶大人仇敵哈曼的兒子。猶大人卻沒有下手奪取財物。
the ten sons of Haman, son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they did not take their possessions.
11 當日，將書珊城被殺的人數呈在王前。
The same day, when the number of those killed in the fortress of Susa was reported to the king,
12 王對王后以斯帖說：「猶大人在書珊城殺滅了五百人，又殺了哈曼的十個兒子，在王的各省不知如何呢？現在你要甚麼，我必賜給你；你還求甚麼，也必為你成就。」
he said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men in the fortress of Susa, including Haman's ten sons. Imagine what they've done in the rest of the royal provinces! Now what is it you'd like to ask? It will be given to you. What more do you want? It will be granted.”
13 以斯帖說：「王若以為美，求你准書珊的猶大人，明日也照今日的旨意行，並將哈曼十個兒子的屍首掛在木架上。」
“If it please Your Majesty,” Esther replied, “allow the Jews in Susa be allowed to do the same tomorrow as they did today, following the decree. Also, let the ten sons of Haman be impaled on poles.”
14 王便允准如此行。旨意傳在書珊，人就把哈曼十個兒子的屍首掛起來了。
The king ordered this to be done. A decree was issued in Susa, and they impaled the bodies of Haman's ten sons.
15 亞達月十四日，書珊的猶大人又聚集在書珊，殺了三百人，卻沒有下手奪取財物。
On the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, the Jews in Susa gathered together again and killed three hundred men there, but again they did not take their possessions.
16 在王各省其餘的猶大人也都聚集保護性命，殺了恨他們的人七萬五千，卻沒有下手奪取財物。這樣，就脫離仇敵，得享平安。
The other Jews in the king's provinces also gathered to defend themselves and get rid of their enemies. They killed 75,000 who hated them, but did not touch their possessions.
17 亞達月十三日，行了這事；十四日安息，以這日為設筵歡樂的日子。
This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and celebration.
18 但書珊的猶大人，這十三日、十四日聚集殺戮仇敵；十五日安息，以這日為設筵歡樂的日子。
However, the Jews in Susa had gathered to fight on the thirteenth and the fourteenth days of the month. So they rested on the fifteenth day, and made that a day of feasting and celebration.
19 所以住無城牆鄉村的猶大人，如今都以亞達月十四日為設筵歡樂的吉日，彼此餽送禮物。
To this day rural Jews, living in the villages, observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day of celebration and feasting, a holiday when they send gifts to one another.
20 末底改記錄這事，寫信與亞哈隨魯王各省遠近所有的猶大人，
Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces ruled by King Xerxes, near and far,
21 囑咐他們每年守亞達月十四、十五兩日，
requiring them to celebrate every year the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar
22 以這月的兩日為猶大人脫離仇敵得平安、轉憂為喜、轉悲為樂的吉日。在這兩日設筵歡樂，彼此餽送禮物，賙濟窮人。
as the time when the Jews rested from their victory over their enemies, and as the month when their sadness was turned into joy and their mourning into a time of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving gifts of food to one another and presents to the poor.
23 於是，猶大人按着末底改所寫與他們的信，應承照初次所守的守為永例；
The Jews agreed to continue what they had already started doing, following what Mordecai had written to them.
24 是因猶大人的仇敵亞甲族哈米大他的兒子哈曼設謀殺害猶大人，掣普珥，就是掣籤，為要殺盡滅絕他們；
For Haman, son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted to destroy the Jews, and had cast “pur” (meaning a “lot”) to crush and destroy them.
25 這事報告於王，王便降旨使哈曼謀害猶大人的惡事歸到他自己的頭上，並吩咐把他和他的眾子都掛在木架上。
But when it came to the king's attention, he sent out letters ordering that the evil scheme which Haman had planned against the Jews should rebound on him, and that he and his sons should be impaled on poles.
26 照着普珥的名字，猶大人就稱這兩日為「普珥日」。他們因這信上的話，又因所看見所遇見的事，
(That's why these days are called Purim, from the word Pur.) As a result of all the instructions in Mordecai's letter, and what they'd seen, and what had happened to them,
27 就應承自己與後裔，並歸附他們的人，每年按時必守這兩日，永遠不廢。
the Jews committed themselves to adopt the practice that they and their descendants and all who join them should not forget to celebrate these two days as set down, and at the right time every year.
28 各省各城、家家戶戶、世世代代紀念遵守這兩日，使這「普珥日」在猶大人中不可廢掉，在他們後裔中也不可忘記。
These days were to be remembered and celebrated by every generation, family, province, and city, so that these days of Purim would always be observed among the Jews, and they would not be forgotten by their descendants.
29 亞比孩的女兒－王后以斯帖和猶大人末底改以全權寫第二封信，堅囑猶大人守這「普珥日」，
Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, wrote a letter, along with Mordecai the Jew, giving in her letter full authority to Mordecai's letter about Purim.
30 用和平誠實話寫信給亞哈隨魯王國中一百二十七省所有的猶大人，
Letters expressing peace and reassurance were also sent all the Jews in the 127 provinces of the empire of King Xerxes.
31 勸他們按時守這「普珥日」，禁食呼求，是照猶大人末底改和王后以斯帖所囑咐的，也照猶大人為自己與後裔所應承的。
They established these days of Purim at their given time as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had ordered, committing themselves and their descendants to the times of fasting and mourning.
32 以斯帖命定守「普珥日」，這事也記錄在書上。
In this way Esther's decree confirmed these practices regarding Purim, which were entered in the official record.
