< Esther 6 >
1 On that night sleep fled from the king. And he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
那一夜,君王因失眠,便命人取大事錄,即年鑑來,在他面前誦讀。
2 And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, keepers of the threshold, who had sought to lay hand on king Ahasuerus.
書上這樣記載:摩爾德開如何告發了君王的兩個守門太監彼革堂和特勒士,企圖殺害薛西斯王的事。
3 And the king said, What honour and dignity has been done to Mordecai for this? And the king's servants that attended upon him said, Nothing has been done for him.
王問說:「摩爾德開為這事得到什尊榮和地位﹖」服侍他的僕答說:「他什麼也沒有得到。」
4 And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman had come into the outward court of the king's house, to speak to the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
正當君王探聽摩爾德開的賢德時,恰巧哈曼在庭院裏,於是王問說:「是誰在庭院裏﹖」原來哈曼正走到了王宮的外庭,要請求君王把摩爾德開懸在他豎起的刑架上。
5 And the king's servants said to him, Behold, Haman is standing in the court. And the king said, Let him come in.
王的僕役答應說:「是哈曼站在庭院裏。」王說:「叫他進來! 」
6 So Haman came in. And the king said to him, What is to be done with the man whom the king delights to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to me?
哈曼進來,王對他說:「假如君王要顯耀一個人,應該怎樣對待他﹖」哈曼心想:除我以外,君王還能顯耀誰呢﹖
7 And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delights to honour,
於是哈曼對君王說:「大王對願顯耀的人,
8 let the royal apparel be brought with which the king arrays himself, and the horse that the king rides upon, and on the head of which the royal crown is set;
應拿出大王穿的龍袍和大王騎的頭戴「御馬冠」的駿馬;
9 and let the apparel and horse be delivered into the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, and let them array the man whom the king delights to honour, and cause him to ride on the horse through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honour!
將龍袍和駿馬交給大王的一個大臣,叫他給大王所要顯耀的人穿上,領他騎著御馬在城中的廣場遊行,還要有人走在他前面喊道:看,凡皇上願意顯耀的人,就是這樣的待他。」
10 And the king said to Haman, Make haste, take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou hast said.
王對哈曼說:「趕快拿龍袍和駿馬來,就照你所說的,去對待坐在御門旁的那猶太人摩爾德開罷! 凡你所說的,一點也不可忽略! 」
11 And Haman took the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and caused him to ride through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honour!
哈曼就拿了龍袍和駿馬來,先給摩爾德開穿上龍袍,然後扶他騎上駿馬,領他在市內的廣場遊行,還走在他前面喊道:「凡皇上願意顯耀的人,就是這樣的待他。」
12 And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house, mourning and having his head covered.
事後,摩爾德開回到御門,哈曼卻趕快回了家,蒙著頭飲泣。
13 And Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and to all his friends all that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife to him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but wilt certainly fall before him.
哈曼將所遭遇的,都給他的愛妻則勒士和朋友述說了。他的謀士和愛妻則勒士對他說:「在摩爾德開前,你既開始失敗,如果他真是猶太人,你決不能得勝他,終必敗於他前。」
14 While they were yet talking with him, the king's chamberlains came, and hasted to bring Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
他們正同他談論時,王的太監來催哈曼赴艾斯德爾設的盛宴。