< Esther 9 >

1 So in the twelft moneth, which is the moneth Adar, vpon the thirteenth daye of the same, when the Kings commandement and his decree drew neere to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Iewes hoped to haue power ouer them (but it turned contrary: for the Iewes had rule ouer them that hated them)
十二月,「阿達爾」月十三日,是該執行君令和上諭的那一天,也是猶太人的敵人原想殲滅猶太人的日期,卻變成了猶太人制服敵人的日子。
2 The Iewes gathered themselues together into their cities throughout all the prouinces of the King Ahashuerosh, to lay hande on such as sought their hurt, and no man coulde withstande them: for the feare of them fel vpon al people.
住在薛西斯王各省各城的猶太人,都聚集起來,動手攻打那些想謀害他們的人,但沒有一個人能敵擋他們,因為所有人民都害怕他們。
3 And all the rulers of the prouinces, and the princes and the captaines, and the officers of the King exalted the Iewes: for the feare of Mordecai fell vpon them.
各省的首長,御史大臣和省長,以及為君王服務的人,都擁護猶太人,因為害怕摩爾德開。
4 For Mordecai was great in the kings house, and the report of him went through all the prouinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater.
的確,摩爾德開在王宮裏已掌大權,聲譽傳遍各省,而摩爾德開的權力越來越大。
5 Thus the Iewes smote all their enemies with strokes of the sworde and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they woulde vnto those that hated them.
這樣猶太人就用刀屠殺,消滅了一切敵人,任意對待了仇恨他們的人;
6 And at Shushan the palace slewe the Iewes and destroyed fiue hundreth men,
只在穌撒禁城,猶太人就殺死了五百人,
7 And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha,
也殺了帕商大達、達耳豐、阿斯帕達、
8 And Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha,
頗辣達、阿黎大達、
9 And Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vaiezatha,
帕瑪市達、阿黎賽、阿黎待與耶匝達,
10 The ten sonnes of Haman, ye sonne of Ammedatha, the aduersarie of the Iewes slewe they: but they layd not their hands on the spoyle.
即哈曼大達的兒子,猶太人的仇人哈曼的十個兒子,但沒有下手搶奪財物。
11 On the same day came ye nomber of those that were slayne, vnto the palace of Shushan before the King.
當天,君王就知道了在穌撒禁城內殺死的人數。
12 And the King sayd vnto the Queene Ester, The Iewes haue slayne in Shushan the palace and destroyed fiue hundreth men, and the ten sonnes of Haman: what haue they done in the rest of the Kings prouinces? and what is thy petition, that it may be giuen thee? or what is thy request moreouer, that it may be performed?
對艾斯德爾后說:「在穌撒禁城內,猶太人已殺死了五百人和哈曼的十個兒子,在帝國其他各省內,他們更將做出何事﹖如今你還請求什麼,我必賜給你;你還要求什麼,我都必履行。」
13 Then sayd Ester, If it please the King, let it be granted also to morow to the Iewes that are in Shushan, to do according vnto this daies decree, that they may hang vpon ye tree Hamans ten sonnes.
艾斯德爾答說:「如蒙大王賜恩,請恩准住在穌撒的猶太人,明天也照今天的法律行事,把哈曼的十個兒子懸在刑架上。」
14 And the King charged to doe so, and the decree was giuen at Shushan, and they hanged Hamans ten sonnes.
王就下令照辦。於是在穌撒發出了一道諭旨,要把哈曼的十個兒子懸在刑架上。
15 So the Iewes that were in Shushan, assembled themselues vpon the fourteenth day of the moneth Adar, and slew three hundreth men in Shushan, but on the spoyle they layd not their hand.
在「阿達爾」月十四日那一天,住在穌撒的猶太人又集合起來,在那裏擊殺了三百人,但沒有下手搶奪財物。
16 And the rest of the Iewes that were in the Kings prouinces assembled themselues, and stood for their liues, and had rest from their enemies, and slewe of them that hated them, seuentie and fiue thousand: but they layd not their hand on the spoyle.
住在君王各省的他猶太人,也聚集起來保衛自己,擺脫敵人的侵害,把他們的七萬五千仇人殺死,但沒有下手搶奪財物。
17 This they did on the thirteenth day of the moneth Adar, and rested the fourteenth day thereof, and kept it a day of feasting and ioy.
這是「阿達爾」月十三日的事;十四日那天,他們安息,舉行慶功的歡宴。
18 But the Iewes that were in Shushan assembled themselues on the thirteenth day, and on the fourteenth therof, and they rested on the fifteenth of the same, and kept it a day of feasting and ioy.
住在穌撒的猶太人,因為在十三十四日聚集復仇,便於十五日安息,舉行慶功的歡宴。
19 Therefore the Iewes of the villages that dwelt in the vnwalled townes, kept the foureteenth day of the moneth Adar with ioy and feasting, euen a ioyfull day, and euery one sent presents vnto his neighbour.
從此以後,那些住在村莊的猶太鄉民,奉「阿達爾」月十四日為慶日,歡宴慶祝,互送禮物;但居住在城市的猶太人卻以「阿達爾」月十五日為慶日,互送禮物。
20 And Mordecai wrote these words, and sent letters vnto all the Iewes that were through all the prouinces of the King Ahashuerosh, both neere and farre,
摩爾德開於是將這些事記錄下來,並向薛西斯王各省遠近的猶太人頒發文書,
21 Inioyning them that they shoulde keepe the fourteenth day of the moneth Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, euery yeere.
通告他們應每年慶祝「阿達爾」月十四十五兩天,
22 According to the dayes wherein the Iewes rested from their enemies, and the moneth which was turned vnto them from sorowe to ioy, and from mourning into a ioyfull day, to keepe them the dayes of feasting, and ioy, and to sende presents euery man to his neyghbour, and giftes to the poore.
因為這兩是猶太人徹底擺脫仇敵的日子,而這一月為他們是化憂為喜,化凶為吉的一月,因此該以歡宴慶祝這兩天,互贈禮物,救濟窮困。
23 And the Iewes promised to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written vnto them,
猶太人便把已開始舉行的和摩爾德開給他們規定的事,奉為永遠當守的盛典。
24 Because Haman the sonne of Hammedatha the Agagite al the Iewes aduersarie, had imagined against the Iewes, to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is a lot) to consume and destroy them.
原來阿加格人哈默大達的兒子哈曼,那全猶太人的仇人曾蓄意加害猶太人,要將他們滅絕,就抽出「普爾」即籤,來擇定剷除殲滅他們的日子。
25 And when she came before the King, he commanded by letters, Let this wicked deuise (which he imagined against the Iewes) turne vpon his owne head, and let them hang him and his sonnes on the tree.
但是君王一洞悉此事,便下諭令說:「哈曼加害猶太人想出來的陰謀,應加在他自己頭上! 」就判處他和他的兒子們懸在刑架上。
26 Therfore they called these dayes Purim, by the name of Pur, and because of all the wordes of this letter, and of that which they had seene besides this, and of that which had come vnto them.
從此,人就援用「普爾」一名,稱這兩天為「普凌節。」依照這文書記載的,和他們有關此事親身看見及經歷的一切,
27 The Iewes also ordeined, and promised for them and for their seede, and for all that ioyned vnto them, that they would not faile to obserue those two dayes euery yeere, according to their writing, and according to their season,
猶太人便給自己,給自己的子孫,給一切加入他們集會的人,規定了「每年該照規定依時慶祝這兩天」為不可更改的法律;
28 And that these dayes shoulde be remembred, and kept throughout euery generation and euery familie, and euery prouince, and euery citie: euen these daies of Purim should not faile among the Iewes, and the memoriall of them should not perish from their seede.
世世代代,家家戶戶,各省各城,應紀念和慶祝這兩天;猶太人決不可廢除這兩天的「普凌節,」他們的子孫也決不可忘掉這慶節。
29 And the Queene Ester ye daughter of Abihail and Mordecai the Iew wrote with al authoritie (to cofirme this letter of Purim ye second time)
阿彼海耳的女兒艾斯德爾后與猶太人摩爾德開,又以全權再度寫了一道核准「普凌節」的文書。
30 And he sent letters vnto al the Iewes to the hundreth and seuen and twentie prouinces of the kingdome of Ahashuerosh, with words of peace and trueth,
然後把此文書分發給所有住在薛西斯帝國一百二十七省內的猶太人,以平如誠懇的言詞,
31 To confirme these dayes of Purim, according to their seasons, as Mordecai the Iewe and Ester the Queene had appointed them, and as they had promised for them selues and for their seede with fasting and prayer.
勸他們遵照猶太人摩爾德開對這「普凌節」所規定的,依時舉行。至於禁食和哀歌的吟詠等禮,則可依照他們自己及自己的後代所規定的去行。
32 And the decree of Ester confirmed these words of Purim, and was written in the booke.
從此,艾斯德爾的命令,便成了「普凌節」的規定,並記載於史冊。

< Esther 9 >