Esther 3
1 And after this king Artaxerxes highly honoured Aman [son] of Amadathes, the Bugæan, and exalted him, and set his seat above all his friends.
此後，薛西斯王擢陞阿加格人哈默大達的兒子哈曼，使他進級，位居所有同僚公卿之上。
2 And all in the palace did him obeisance, for so the king had given orders to do: but Mardochæus did not do him obeisance.
君王下命，凡在御門供職的臣僕，都應向哈曼俯首下拜，只有摩爾德開不肯向他低頭，也不下拜。
3 And they in the king’s palace said to Mardochæus, Mardochæus, why dost thou transgress the commands of the king?
於是御門供職的臣僕問摩爾德開說：「為什麼你違犯王命﹖」
4 [Thus] they spoke daily to him, but he hearkened not unto them; so they represented to Aman that Mardochæus resisted the commands of the king: and Mardochæus had shewn to them that he was a Jew.
他們天天這樣問他，他也不聽；他們便告訴了哈曼，說摩爾德開背版王命，想觀察摩爾德開的態度是否堅持到底，因為他曾給他們說自己是猶太人。
5 And when Aman understood that Mardochæus did not obeisance to him, he was greatly enraged,
哈曼見摩爾德開不向他低頭下拜，就非常忿怒，
6 and took counsel to destroy utterly all the Jews who were under the rule of Artaxerxes.
心想只殺害摩爾德開一人，不足洩恨，因為人向他告訴了摩爾德開的身世；於是哈曼打算把薛西斯王整個帝國內的一切猶太人，和摩爾德開一起殺盡滅絕。
7 And he made a decree in the twelfth year of the reign of Artaxerxes, and cast lots daily and monthly, to slay in one day the race of Mardochæus: and the lot fell on the fourteenth [day] of the month which is Adar.
在薛西斯為王第十二年正月，即「尼散」月，有人在哈曼前抽「普爾，」就是抽籤，為定一個日子和月份，好在那一天滅絕摩爾德開的種族。結果，抽出了十二月，即「阿達爾」月十三日。
8 And he spoke to king Artaxerxes, saying, There is a nation scattered among the nations in all thy 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.
於是哈曼對薛西斯王說：「在你全國各省內，有一個民族，散居在各民族之間，他們的法律和各民族的都不同，又不遵守王法；容留他們，於君王實在不利。
9 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.
若君王贊同，可諭令把他們滅絕，我願捐一萬「塔冷通」銀子，交與管理國庫的人，歸入王庫。」
10 And the king took off his ring, and gave it into the hands of Aman, to seal the decrees against the Jews.
於是君王由自己的手上，取下指璽，交與那迫害猶太人的阿加格人哈默大達的兒子哈曼。
11 And the king said to Aman, Keep the silver, and treat the nation as thou wilt.
接著對哈曼說：「錢仍還給你，至於這個民族，你可任意處置。」
12 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.
即在正月十三日召集了眾御史，根據哈曼的旨意，用各省習用的文字，和各民族的方言，擬定了一道文書，頒發給各省御史大臣，各民族族長；文書用薛西斯王的名義措辭，並蓋上君王的指璽；
13 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.
然後由眾驛使傳遞至帝國各省，限令在一天內，即十二月，「阿達爾」月十三日，把全國所有的猶太人，不論老幼婦孺，一律加以殲滅、屠殺、剷除，財產一律沒收。
14 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.
諭文應在各省公佈，通知天下人民，準備應付這一天。
15 And the business was hastened, and [that] at Susa: and the king and Aman began to drink; but the city was troubled.
驛使因迫於君令，就迅速出發；在穌撒禁城裏立即公佈了這道上諭。此時君王與哈曼同席共飲；但是穌撒全城卻陷於混亂。
