Esther 2
1 After these things, at the ceasing of the fury of King Ahasuerus, he has remembered Vashti, and that which she did, and that which has been decreed concerning her;
這些事以後，薛西斯王的盛怒遂平息了，不再回念瓦市提和她所作的事，也不再追究對她所決定的事。
2 and servants of the king, his ministers, say, “Let them seek for the king young women, virgins, of good appearance,
於是侍奉君王的僕役說：「應為大王另選美貌的年輕處女；
3 and the king appoints inspectors in all provinces of his kingdom, and they gather every young woman—virgin, of good appearance—to Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, to the hand of Hegai eunuch of the king, keeper of the women, and to give their purifications,
大王可指派委員到全國各省，把所有美貌的年輕處女，都召集到穌撒禁城的後宮來，由管理嬪妃的王家太監赫革負責照應，供給她們美容潤身的香料。
4 and the young woman who is good in the eyes of the king reigns instead of Vashti”; and the thing is good in the eyes of the king, and he does so.
那中悅君王的處女就得代瓦市提為后。」這建議正合了王的心，王就照樣進行。
5 A man, a Jew, there has been in Shushan the palace, and his name [is] Mordecai son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjamite—
在穌撒禁城內，有一個猶太人，名叫摩爾德開，是雅依爾的兒子，史米的孫子，本雅明族人克士的曾孫，
6 who had been removed from Jerusalem with the expulsion that was removed with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed—
克士是巴比倫王拿步高由耶路撒冷將猶大王耶苛尼雅擄去時，被擄的俘虜之一。
7 and he is supporting Hadassah—she [is] Esther—daughter of his uncle, for she has neither father nor mother, and the young woman [is] of beautiful form, and of good appearance, and at the death of her father and her mother Mordecai has taken her to himself for a daughter.
摩爾德開撫養了他的堂妹哈達撒，又名叫艾斯德爾，她自幼就喪失父母。這女孩身材標致，容貌美麗，自她父母去世後，摩爾德開就收她作自己的女兒。
8 And it comes to pass, in the word of the king, even his law, being heard, and in many young women being gathered to Shushan the palace, to the hand of Hegai, that Esther is taken to the house of the king, to the hand of Hegai, keeper of the women,
不久，皇帝的諭旨和詔令，傳遍了全國，許多少女都被召到穌撒禁城，受赫革的監護，艾斯德爾也被帶到王宮，交與管理嬪妃的赫革看管。
9 and the young woman is good in his eyes, and she receives kindness before him, and he hurries her purifications and her portions—to give to her, and the seven young women who are provided—to give to her, from the house of the king, and he changes her and her young women to a good [place in] the house of the women.
她很討赫革喜悅，大得他的寵愛，遂立即供給她美容潤身的物品和所需食品，並選派了七個美麗的宮女服侍她，又將她和她的侍女遷移到後宮最好的宮院裏。
10 Esther has not declared her people, and her family, for Mordecai has laid a charge on her that she does not declare [it];
但艾斯德爾卻沒有說出她自己的民族和身世，因為摩爾德開早已吩咐她不要提及此事。
11 and during every day Mordecai is walking up and down before the court of the house of the women to know the welfare of Esther, and what is done with her.
此後，摩爾德開天天在後宮的庭院前徘徊，好打聽艾斯德爾的消自，想知道她的情形如何。
12 And in the drawing near of the turn of each young woman to come in to King Ahasuerus, at the end of there being to her—according to the law of the women—twelve months, for so they fulfill the days of their purifications; six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes, and with the purifications of women,
在每個處女輪流去見薛西斯王以前，都該先按嬪妃的規則，度過十二個月的「潤身期」：六個月應用沒藥汁，六個月應用香液，以及女人潤身的修飾品。
13 and with this the young woman has come in to the king, all that she says is given to her to go in with her out of the house of the women to the house of the king;
有了這樣的準備，少女纔可去見君王；凡她所要求的，都應讓她由後宮帶進王宮去。
14 in the evening she has gone in, and in the morning she has turned back to the second house of the women, to the hand of Shaashgaz eunuch of the king, keeper of the concubines; she does not come in anymore to the king except the king has delighted in her, and she has been called by name.
她晚上進去，次日早晨回到另一座後宮，受君王管理嬪妃的太監沙市加次的監護；除非君王寵愛她，提名召她，她不得再親近君王。
15 And in the drawing near of the turn of Esther—daughter of Abihail, uncle of Mordecai, whom he had taken to himself for a daughter—to come in to the king, she has not sought a thing except that which Hegai eunuch of the king, keeper of the women, says, and Esther is receiving grace in the eyes of all seeing her.
一輪到摩爾德開的叔父阿彼海耳的女兒──即摩爾德開的養女──艾斯德爾去見君王的時候，除了管理嬪妃的王家太監赫革給她預備的東西以外，她什麼也不要；凡看見艾斯德爾的人，沒有不喜愛她的。
16 And Esther is taken to King Ahasuerus, to his royal house, in the tenth month—it [is] the month of Tebeth—in the seventh year of his reign,
艾斯德爾在薛西斯為王第七年十月，即「太貝特」月，被召進王宮。
17 and the king loves Esther above all the women, and she receives grace and kindness before him above all the virgins, and he sets a royal crown on her head, and causes her to reign instead of Vashti,
王愛艾斯德爾超過所有的嬪妃。在所有的處女中，她最得君王的歡心和喜愛。王便將后冠戴在她頭上，立她為王后，以代瓦市提。
18 and the king makes a great banquet to all his heads and his servants—the banquet of Esther—and has made a release to the provinces, and gives gifts as a memorial of the king.
於是王給眾文武官員擺設盛宴，一連七天，號為艾斯德爾宴，又給全國各省頒賜大赦，並按照君王的法度敕贈御品。
19 And in the virgins being gathered a second time, then Mordecai is sitting in the gate of the king;
當二次召集處女時，摩爾德開仍在御門供職。
20 Esther is not declaring her family and her people, as Mordecai has laid a charge on her, and the saying of Mordecai Esther is doing as when she was truly with him.
那時艾斯德爾，按著摩爾德開事先給她吩咐了的，還沒有透露自己的身世和種族：凡摩爾德開吩咐的，艾斯德爾必盡力遵守，如同昔日受他撫養時一樣。
21 In those days, when Mordecai is sitting in the gate of the king, has Bigthan been angry, and Teresh (two of the eunuchs of the king, the keepers of the threshold), and they seek to put forth a hand on King Ahasuerus,
摩爾德開在御門供職的時候，王的兩個守門太監，彼革堂和特勒士，因一時忿怒，就設計對薛西斯王下毒手。
22 and the thing is known to Mordecai, and he declares [it] to Esther the queen, and Esther speaks to the king in the name of Mordecai,
但摩爾德開一發覺了那陰謀，就告知艾斯德爾王后，艾斯德爾便以摩爾德開的名義轉告君王。
23 and the thing is sought out, and found, and both of them are hanged on a tree, and it is written in the scroll of the Chronicles before the king.
那陰謀經過調查證實以後，就將他們二人懸在木架上，處以極刑。此事的原委，當著君王的面記錄在年鑑內。
