Esther 5

1 And it cometh to pass on the third day, that Esther putteth on royalty, and standeth in the inner-court of the house of the king over-against the house of the king, and the king is sitting on his royal throne, in the royal-house, over-against the opening of the house,

第三天，艾斯德爾身穿王后的華服，站在王宮的內院，面向宮殿；那時君王正坐在宮殿的寶座上，面向宮門。

2 and it cometh to pass, at the king's seeing Esther the queen standing in the court, she hath received grace in his eyes, and the king holdeth out to Esther the golden sceptre that [is] in his hand, and Esther draweth near, and toucheth the top of the sceptre.

君王一見艾斯德爾王后在庭院內，就對她起了寵幸的心，於是向艾斯德爾伸出手中的金杖，艾斯德爾遂上前來，摸了金杖的頂端。

3 And the king saith to her, 'What — to thee Esther, O queen? and what thy request? unto the half of the kingdom — and it is given to thee.'

君王問她說：「艾斯德爾后，你有什麼事﹖你要求什麼﹖即使要求一半江山，我也必賜給你! 」

4 And Esther saith, 'If unto the king [it be] good, the king doth come in, and Haman, to-day, unto the banquet that I have made for him;'

艾斯德爾答說：「若大王開恩，請大王今日與哈曼同去飲妾為陛下所預備的酒宴。」

5 and the king saith, 'Haste ye Haman — to do the word of Esther;' and the king cometh in, and Haman, unto the banquet that Esther hath made.

王遂說：「快叫哈曼來，以滿足艾斯德爾的心願! 」於是王和哈曼一同去赴艾斯德爾預備的酒宴。

6 And the king saith to Esther, during the banquet of wine, 'What [is] thy petition? and it is given to thee; and what thy request? unto the half of the kingdom — and it is done.'

酒興之餘，王對艾斯德爾說：「你要求什麼，我必給你；不管你求什麼，那怕是半壁江山，也必照辦。」

7 And Esther answereth and saith, 'My petition and my request [is]:

艾斯德爾答說：「這即是我的懇請和要求：

8 if I have found grace in the eyes of the king, and if unto the king [it be] good, to give my petition, and to perform my request, the king doth come, and Haman, unto the banquet that I make for them, and to-morrow I do according to the word of the king.'

如果我見寵於大王，如果大王樂意俯允我的懇請，實踐我的要求，就請大王明天與哈曼，再來飲妾所設的酒宴；明天我必依照君王的命答覆陛下。」

9 And Haman goeth forth on that day rejoicing and glad in heart, and at Haman's seeing Mordecai in the gate of the king, and he hath not risen nor moved for him, then is Haman full of fury against Mordecai.

那一天，哈曼出去，非常高興，滿心喜樂；但是哈曼一見在御門前的猶太人摩爾德開既不起立，也不退避，就對他滿懷憤恨，

10 And Haman forceth himself, and cometh in unto his house, and sendeth, and bringeth in his friends, and Zeresh his wife,

卻仍忍氣回了家，且打發人叫他的朋友和愛妻則勒士來，

11 and Haman recounteth to them the glory of his wealth, and the abundance of his sons, and all that with which the king made him great, and with which he lifted him up above the heads and servants of the king.

向他們誇耀自己如何富貴榮華，子女如何眾多，君王如何尊崇他，如何高舉他在眾公卿和朝臣之上。

12 And Haman saith, 'Yea, Esther the queen brought none in with the king, unto the feast that she made, except myself, and also for to-morrow I am called to her, with the king,

他又說：「甚至，艾斯德爾王后，除我以外，沒有請任何人與君王一同赴她設的盛宴；明天又請我再同君王到她那裏去。

13 and all this is not profitable to me, during all the time that I am seeing Mordecai the Jew sitting in the gate of the king.'

但每當我一見坐在御門前的猶太人摩爾德開時，這一切於我都乏味了! 」

14 And Zeresh his wife saith to him, and all his friends, 'Let them prepare a tree, in height fifty cubits, and in the morning speak to the king, and they hang Mordecai on it, and go thou in with the king unto the banquet rejoicing;' and the thing is good before Haman, and he prepareth the tree.

他的愛妻則勒士和他的朋友便對他說：「該做一個高五十尺的刑架，天一亮就對君王說：把摩爾德開懸在上面! 這樣你可欣然與君王共同赴筵了。」哈曼看這主意不錯，就叫人做了一個刑架。