Esther 1
1 And it comes to pass, in the days of Ahasuerus—he [is] Ahasuerus who is reigning from Hodu even to Cush, one hundred twenty-seven provinces—
在薛西斯為王時，發生了這樣的事：──這薛西斯當時管轄的版圖，自印度至雇士，共計一百二十七省──
2 in those days, at the sitting of King Ahasuerus on the throne of his kingdom, that [is] in Shushan the palace,
他在穌撒禁城登極後，
3 in the third year of his reign, he has made a banquet to all his heads and his servants; of the force of Persia and Media, the chiefs and heads of the provinces [are] before him,
第三年設宴款待所有的公卿朝臣，波斯與瑪待的將官，各省的賢達與總督，
4 in his showing the wealth of the glory of his kingdom, and the glory of the beauty of his greatness, many days—one hundred eighty days.
一連一百八十天，天天誇耀他帝國的豪華富裕，和他赫赫堂皇的榮耀。
5 And at the fullness of these days the king has made a banquet to all the people who are found in Shushan the palace, from great even to small, [for] seven days, in the court of the garden of the house of the king—
這些日子過了以後，王又在官內的御苑裏，一連七天，歡宴穌撒禁城的全體人民，不分尊卑，都來參加。
6 white linen, white cotton, and blue, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple on rings of silver, and pillars of marble, couches of gold, and of silver, on a pavement of smaragdus, and white marble, and mother-of-pearl, and black marble—
庭院各處裝飾著白色和紫紅色的壁氈，繫著純白色和朱紅色的彩帶，懸在白大理石柱的銀環子上；在碧玉、白玉、珍珠和寶石舖砌的地面上，陳設了金銀的床榻。
7 and the giving of drink in vessels of gold, and the vessels [are] various vessels, and the royal wine [is] abundant, as a memorial of the king.
進飲的器皿，都是金銀製的，大小俱全；御釀豐美，以示王家的厚贈。
8 And the drinking [is] according to law, none is pressing, for so the king has appointed for every chief one of his house, to do according to the pleasure of man and man.
飲酒隨意，無須強勸，因為王已命宮內侍役，應隨各人所好，善加招待。
9 Also Vashti the queen has made a banquet for women, in the royal house that King Ahasuerus has.
同時瓦市提皇后，在薛西斯王的後宮，也擺設盛宴，款待婦女。
10 On the seventh day, as the heart of the king is glad with wine, he has commanded to Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs who are ministering in the presence of King Ahasuerus,
至第七日，君王一時酒酣耳熱，就命默胡曼、彼次達、哈波納、彼革達、阿巴革達、則塔爾和加爾加斯，──七個侍從薛西斯王的宦官──
11 to bring in Vashti the queen before the king, with a royal crown, to show the peoples and the heads her beauty, for she [is] of good appearance,
去召瓦市提王后，叫她頭戴后冠，到君王跟前來，讓眾百姓與朝臣瞻仰她的美麗，因為她的容貌，嬌媚可愛。
12 and the queen Vashti refuses to come in at the word of the king that [is] by the hand of the eunuchs, and the king is very angry, and his fury has burned in him.
但是瓦市提王后拒絕前來，不肯遵行宦官傳來的王命。於是君王勃然大怒，五內如焚，
13 And the king says to wise men, knowing the times—for so [is] the word of the king before all knowing law and judgment,
遂與通達時務的朝臣商議說：──因為當時君王要辦一事，必與精通法律民情的朝臣商議；
14 and he who is near to him [is] Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memucan, seven heads of Persia and Media seeing the face of the king, who are sitting first in the kingdom—
那時在王身傍有加爾舍納、舍塔爾、阿德瑪達、塔爾史士、默勒斯、瑪色納、默慕干，七位波斯和瑪待的公卿；他們常在君王左右，分居國家的高位──「
15 “According to law, what should [I] do with Queen Vashti, because that she has not done the saying of King Ahasuerus by the hand of the eunuchs?”
按法律應如何處置瓦市提王后呢﹖因為沒有覆行宦官傳下的王命。」
16 And Memucan says before the king and the heads, “Queen Vashti has not done perversely against the king by himself, but against all the heads, and against all the peoples that [are] in all provinces of King Ahasuerus;
默慕干在君王及公卿前建議說：「瓦市提王后不但得罪了君王，並且還得罪了薛西斯王各省的諸候與人民，
17 for the word of the queen goes forth to all the women, to render their husbands contemptible in their eyes, in their saying, King Ahasuerus commanded to bring in Vashti the queen before him, and she did not come;
因為王后的這種行為，一傳到所有的婦女耳中，她們必將效尤，輕視自己的丈夫，而且說：薛西斯王命人召瓦市提王后到他跟前，她卻沒有來；
18 indeed, this day princesses of Persia and Media, who have heard the word of the queen, say [so] to all heads of the king, even according to the sufficiency of contempt and wrath.
今日凡聽到王后這種舉動的波斯與瑪待的公主貴婦，也必說同樣的話，對一切王家公卿，也照樣輕視忿怒。
19 If to the king [it be] good, there goes forth a royal word from before him, and it is written with the laws of Persia and Media, and does not pass away, that Vashti does not come in before King Ahasuerus, and the king gives her royalty to her companion who [is] better than she;
陛下如果贊成，可下一道上諭，附於波斯與瑪待的法典內，成為法律，禁止瓦市提后今後朝見薛西斯王；至於她的后位，王可賜與另一位比她賢淑的國妃。
20 and the sentence of the king that he makes has been heard in all his kingdom—for it [is] great—and all the wives give honor to their husbands, from great even to small.”
當君王下的這道命令，傳遍整個版圖廣闊的國土時，全國的婦女，不拘尊卑，對自己的丈夫必表示尊敬。」
21 And the thing is good in the eyes of the king, and of the princes, and the king does according to the word of Memucan,
對這建議，君王和公卿都表示贊成；王就依照默慕干的建議施行，
22 and sends letters to all provinces of the king, to province and province according to its writing, and to people and people according to its tongue, for every man being head in his own house—and speaking according to the language of his people.
向全國各省，傳遞文告，依各省的文字和各民族的語言，敕令天下所有的丈夫，應為一家之主，可隨意發號施令。
