< Esther 3 >

1 After these things has King Ahasuerus exalted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and lifts him up, and sets his throne above all the heads who [are] with him,
這事以後,亞哈隨魯王抬舉亞甲族哈米大他的兒子哈曼,使他高升,叫他的爵位超過與他同事的一切臣宰。
2 and all servants of the king, who [are] in the gate of the king, are bowing and doing homage to Haman, for so the king has commanded for him; and Mordecai does not bow nor pay respect.
在朝門的一切臣僕都跪拜哈曼,因為王如此吩咐;惟獨末底改不跪不拜。
3 And the servants of the king, who [are] in the gate of the king, say to Mordecai, “Why [are] you transgressing the command of the king?”
在朝門的臣僕問末底改說:「你為何違背王的命令呢?」
4 And it comes to pass, in their speaking to him, day by day, and he has not listened to them, that they declare [it] to Haman, to see whether the words of Mordecai stand, for he has declared to them that he [is] a Jew.
他們天天勸他,他還是不聽,他們就告訴哈曼,要看末底改的事站得住站不住,因他已經告訴他們自己是猶大人。
5 And Haman sees that Mordecai is not bowing and doing homage to him, and Haman is full of fury,
哈曼見末底改不跪不拜,他就怒氣填胸。
6 and it is contemptible in his eyes to put forth a hand on Mordecai by himself, for they have declared to him the people of Mordecai, and Haman seeks to destroy all the Jews who [are] in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus—the people of Mordecai.
他們已將末底改的本族告訴哈曼;他以為下手害末底改一人是小事,就要滅絕亞哈隨魯王通國所有的猶大人,就是末底改的本族。
7 In the first month—it [is] the month of Nisan—in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, has one caused to fall Pur (that [is] the lot) before Haman, from day to day, and from month to month, [to] the twelfth, it [is] the month of Adar.
亞哈隨魯王十二年正月,就是尼散月,人在哈曼面前,按日日月月掣普珥,就是掣籤,要定何月何日為吉,擇定了十二月,就是亞達月。
8 And Haman says to King Ahasuerus, “There is one people scattered and separated among the peoples, in all provinces of your kingdom, and their laws [are] diverse from all people, and the laws of the king they are not doing, and for the king it is not profitable to permit them;
哈曼對亞哈隨魯王說:「有一種民散居在王國各省的民中;他們的律例與萬民的律例不同,也不守王的律例,所以容留他們與王無益。
9 if to the king [it be] good, let it be written to destroy them, and ten thousand talents of silver I weigh into the hands of those doing the work, to bring [it] into the treasuries of the king.”
王若以為美,請下旨意滅絕他們;我就捐一萬他連得銀子交給掌管國帑的人,納入王的府庫。」
10 And the king turns aside his signet from off his hand, and gives it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, adversary of the Jews;
於是王從自己手上摘下戒指給猶大人的仇敵-亞甲族哈米大他的兒子哈曼。
11 and the king says to Haman, “The silver is given to you, and the people, to do with it as [it is] good in your eyes.”
王對哈曼說:「這銀子仍賜給你,這民也交給你,你可以隨意待他們。」
12 And scribes of the king are called, on the first month, on the thirteenth day of it, and it is written according to all that Haman has commanded, to lieutenants of the king, and to the governors who [are] over province and province, and to the heads of people and people, province and province, according to its writing, and people and people according to its tongue, in the name of King Ahasuerus it has been written and sealed with the signet of the king,
正月十三日,就召了王的書記來,照着哈曼一切所吩咐的,用各省的文字、各族的方言,奉亞哈隨魯王的名寫旨意,傳與總督和各省的省長,並各族的首領;又用王的戒指蓋印,
13 and letters to be sent by the hand of the runners to all provinces of the king, to cut off, to slay, and to destroy all the Jews, from young even to old, infant and women, on one day, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month—it [is] the month of Adar—and to seize their spoil,
交給驛卒傳到王的各省,吩咐將猶大人,無論老少婦女孩子,在一日之間,十二月,就是亞達月十三日,全然剪除,殺戮滅絕,並奪他們的財為掠物。
14 a copy of the writing to be made law in each and every province is revealed to all the peoples, to be ready for this day.
抄錄這旨意,頒行各省,宣告各族,使他們預備等候那日。
15 The runners have gone forth, hurried by the word of the king, and the law has been given in Shushan the palace, and the king and Haman have sat down to drink, and the city Shushan is perplexed.
驛卒奉王命急忙起行,旨意也傳遍書珊城。王同哈曼坐下飲酒,書珊城的民卻都慌亂。

< Esther 3 >