以斯帖記 1
1 亞哈隨魯作王，從印度直到古實，統管一百二十七省。
And it came to pass in the days of Achashverosh, of the same Achashverosh who reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over a hundred and seven and twenty provinces,
2 亞哈隨魯王在書珊城的宮登基；
In those days, when this king Achashverosh was sitting on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the capital,
3 在位第三年，為他一切首領臣僕設擺筵席，有波斯和米底亞的權貴，就是各省的貴冑與首領，在他面前。
That, in the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants, the army of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of the provinces who were near him:
4 他把他榮耀之國的豐富和他美好威嚴的尊貴給他們看了許多日，就是一百八十日。
When he showed the riches and the glory of his kingdom, and the brilliance [and] the splendor of his greatness, during many days, a hundred and eighty days.
5 這日子滿了，又為所有住書珊城的大小人民在御園的院子裏設擺筵席七日。
And when these days were completed, the king made unto all the people that were found in Shushan the capital, unto every one, from the great even to the small, a feast of seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace;
6 有白色、綠色、藍色的帳子，用細麻繩、紫色繩從銀環內繫在白玉石柱上；有金銀的床榻擺在紅、白、黃、黑玉石的鋪石地上。
[Where were] white, green, and blue [hangings], fastened with cords of fine linen and purple, on rollers of silver and pillars of marble; couches of gold and silver, upon a pavement of green, and white, and yellow, and black marble.
7 用金器皿賜酒，器皿各有不同。御酒甚多，足顯王的厚意。
And they gave them to drink in vessels of gold, —the vessels being diverse one from the other, —and the royal wine was in abundance, according to the ability of the king.
8 喝酒有例，不准勉強人，因王吩咐宮裏的一切臣宰，讓人各隨己意。
And the drinking was, according to the [king's] order, without compulsion; for so had the king enjoined on all the officers of his house, to do according to the pleasure of every man.
9 王后瓦實提在亞哈隨魯王的宮內也為婦女設擺筵席。
Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women, in the royal house which belonged to king Achashverosh.
10 第七日，亞哈隨魯王飲酒，心中快樂，就吩咐在他面前侍立的七個太監米戶幔、比斯他、哈波拿、比革他、亞拔他、西達、甲迦，
On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Charbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcass, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of king Achashverosh,
11 請王后瓦實提頭戴王后的冠冕到王面前，使各等臣民看她的美貌，因為她容貌甚美。
To bring Vashti the queen before the king [ornamented] with the royal crown, to show the people and the princes her beauty; for she was handsome in appearance.
12 王后瓦實提卻不肯遵太監所傳的王命而來，所以王甚發怒，心如火燒。
But queen Vashti refused to come at the word of the king brought by the hand of the chamberlains; and the king was very wroth, and his fury burnt in him.
13 那時，在王左右常見王面、國中坐高位的，有波斯和米底亞的七個大臣，就是甲示拿、示達、押瑪他、他施斯、米力、瑪西拿、米母干，都是達時務的明哲人。按王的常規，辦事必先詢問知例明法的人。王問他們說：
Then said the king to the wise men, who knew [the occurrences of] the times; for so [came] every affair of the king before all acquainted with law and state institutions;
And those next unto him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tharshish, Meress, Marsena, and Memuchan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who could see [at all times] the king's face, who sat in the first rank in the kingdom:
15 「王后瓦實提不遵太監所傳的王命，照例應當怎樣辦理呢？」
What should according to law be done with queen Vashti; because she had not fulfilled the order of king Achashverosh by the hand of the chamberlains?
16 米母干在王和眾首領面前回答說：「王后瓦實提這事，不但得罪王，並且有害於王各省的臣民；
Then said Memuchan before the king and the princes, Not against the king alone hath Vashti the queen done wrong, but also against all the princes, and against all the people that are in all the provinces of king Achashverosh.
17 因為王后這事必傳到眾婦人的耳中，說：『亞哈隨魯王吩咐王后瓦實提到王面前，她卻不來』，她們就藐視自己的丈夫。
For the conduct of the queen will go abroad unto all the women, so that they will despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, King Achashverosh ordered Vashti the queen to be brought into his presence, but she came not.
18 今日波斯和米底亞的眾夫人聽見王后這事，必向王的大臣照樣行；從此必大開藐視和忿怒之端。
And even this day will the ladies of Persia and Media, who have heard of the conduct of the queen, say this unto all the princes of the king; and there will arise too much contempt and quarrel.
19 王若以為美，就降旨寫在波斯和米底亞人的例中，永不更改，不准瓦實提再到王面前，將她王后的位分賜給比她還好的人。
If it please the king, let there go forth a royal order from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that no one transgress it, That Vashti come no more before king Achashverosh: and let the king give her royal dignity unto another that is better than she.
20 所降的旨意傳遍通國（國度本來廣大），所有的婦人，無論丈夫貴賤都必尊敬他。」
And when the king's decree which he will make shall be published throughout all his kingdom, however great it is: all the wives will show respect to their husbands, unto every one, from the great even to the small.
21 王和眾首領都以米母干的話為美，王就照這話去行，
And the speech was pleasing in the eyes of the king and of the princes; and the king did according to the speech of Memuchan.
22 發詔書，用各省的文字、各族的方言通知各省，使為丈夫的在家中作主，各說本地的方言。
And he sent letters unto all the provinces of the king, unto every province according to its writing, and to every people according to its language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, however he may speak according to the language of his people.
