Esther 2
1 Some time later, when the anger of King Xerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.
這事以後，亞哈隨魯王的忿怒止息，就想念瓦實提和她所行的，並怎樣降旨辦她。
2 Then the king’s attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king,
於是王的侍臣對王說：「不如為王尋找美貌的處女。
3 and let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom to assemble all the beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women, and let them be given beauty treatments.
王可以派官在國中的各省招聚美貌的處女到書珊城的女院，交給掌管女子的太監希該，給她們當用的香品。
4 Then let the young woman who pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti.” This suggestion pleased the king, and he acted accordingly.
王所喜愛的女子可以立為王后，代替瓦實提。」王以這事為美，就如此行。
5 Now there was at the citadel of Susa a Jewish man from the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish.
書珊城有一個猶大人，名叫末底改，是便雅憫人基士的曾孫，示每的孫子，睚珥的兒子。
6 He had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon among those taken captive with Jeconiah king of Judah.
從前巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒將猶大王耶哥尼雅和百姓從耶路撒冷擄去，末底改也在其內。
7 And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah (that is, Esther), the daughter of his uncle, because she did not have a father or mother. The young woman was lovely in form and appearance, and when her father and mother had died, Mordecai had taken her in as his own daughter.
末底改撫養他叔叔的女兒哈大沙（後名以斯帖），因為她沒有父母。這女子又容貌俊美；她父母死了，末底改就收她為自己的女兒。
8 When the king’s command and edict had been proclaimed, many young women gathered at the citadel of Susa under the care of Hegai. Esther was also taken to the palace and placed under the care of Hegai, the custodian of the women.
王的諭旨傳出，就招聚許多女子到書珊城，交給掌管女子的希該；以斯帖也送入王宮，交付希該。
9 And the young woman pleased him and obtained his favor, so he quickly provided her with beauty treatments and the special diet. He assigned to her seven select maidservants from the palace and transferred her with them to the best place in the harem.
希該喜悅以斯帖，就恩待她，急忙給她需用的香品和她所當得的分，又派所當得的七個宮女服事她，使她和她的宮女搬入女院上好的房屋。
10 Esther did not reveal her people or her lineage, because Mordecai had instructed her not to do so.
以斯帖未曾將籍貫宗族告訴人，因為末底改囑咐她不可叫人知道。
11 And every day Mordecai would walk back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn about Esther’s welfare and what was happening to her.
末底改天天在女院前邊行走，要知道以斯帖平安不平安，並後事如何。
12 In the twelve months before her turn to go to King Xerxes, the harem regulation required each young woman to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months, and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months.
眾女子照例先潔淨身體十二個月：六個月用沒藥油，六個月用香料和潔身之物。滿了日期，然後挨次進去見亞哈隨魯王。
13 When the young woman would go to the king, she was given whatever she requested to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace.
女子進去見王是這樣：從女院到王宮的時候，凡她所要的都必給她。
14 She would go there in the evening, and in the morning she would return to a second harem under the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he delighted in her and summoned her by name.
晚上進去，次日回到女子第二院，交給掌管妃嬪的太監沙甲；除非王喜愛她，再提名召她，就不再進去見王。
15 Now Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle from whom Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. And when it was her turn to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s trusted official in charge of the harem, had advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her.
末底改叔叔亞比孩的女兒，就是末底改收為自己女兒的以斯帖，按次序當進去見王的時候，除了掌管女子的太監希該所派定給她的，她別無所求。凡看見以斯帖的都喜悅她。
16 She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal palace in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
亞哈隨魯王第七年十月，就是提別月，以斯帖被引入宮見王。
17 And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she found grace and favor in his sight more than all of the other virgins. So he placed the royal crown upon her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.
王愛以斯帖過於愛眾女，她在王眼前蒙寵愛比眾處女更甚。王就把王后的冠冕戴在她頭上，立她為王后，代替瓦實提。
18 Then the king held a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his officials and servants. He proclaimed a tax holiday in the provinces and gave gifts worthy of the king’s bounty.
王因以斯帖的緣故給眾首領和臣僕設擺大筵席，又豁免各省的租稅，並照王的厚意大頒賞賜。
19 When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.
第二次招聚處女的時候，末底改坐在朝門。
20 Esther still had not revealed her lineage or her people, just as Mordecai had instructed. She obeyed Mordecai’s command, as she had done under his care.
以斯帖照着末底改所囑咐的，還沒有將籍貫宗族告訴人；因為以斯帖遵末底改的命，如撫養她的時候一樣。
21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, grew angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
當那時候，末底改坐在朝門，王的太監中有兩個守門的，辟探和提列，惱恨亞哈隨魯王，想要下手害他。
22 When Mordecai learned of the plot, he reported it to Queen Esther, and she informed the king on Mordecai’s behalf.
末底改知道了，就告訴王后以斯帖。以斯帖奉末底改的名，報告於王；
23 After the report had been investigated and verified, both officials were hanged on the gallows. And all this was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in the presence of the king.
究察這事，果然是實，就把二人掛在木頭上，將這事在王面前寫於歷史上。
