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,

第三日，以斯帖穿上朝服，進王宮的內院，對殿站立。王在殿裏坐在寶座上，對着殿門。

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.

王見王后以斯帖站在院內，就施恩於她，向她伸出手中的金杖；以斯帖便向前摸杖頭。

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.'

王對她說：「王后以斯帖啊，你要甚麼？你求甚麼，就是國的一半也必賜給你。」

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;'

以斯帖說：「王若以為美，就請王帶着哈曼今日赴我所預備的筵席。」

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.

王說：「叫哈曼速速照以斯帖的話去行。」於是王帶着哈曼赴以斯帖所預備的筵席。

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.'

在酒席筵前，王又問以斯帖說：「你要甚麼，我必賜給你；你求甚麼，就是國的一半也必為你成就。」

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

以斯帖回答說：「我有所要，我有所求。

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.'

我若在王眼前蒙恩，王若願意賜我所要的，准我所求的，就請王帶着哈曼再赴我所要預備的筵席。明日我必照王所問的說明。」

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.

那日哈曼心中快樂，歡歡喜喜地出來；但見末底改在朝門不站起來，連身也不動，就滿心惱怒末底改。

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

哈曼暫且忍耐回家，叫人請他朋友和他妻子細利斯來。

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.

哈曼將他富厚的榮耀、眾多的兒女，和王抬舉他使他超乎首領臣僕之上，都述說給他們聽。

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,

哈曼又說：「王后以斯帖預備筵席，除了我之外不許別人隨王赴席。明日王后又請我隨王赴席；

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.'

只是我見猶大人末底改坐在朝門，雖有這一切榮耀，也與我無益。」

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.

他的妻細利斯和他一切的朋友對他說：「不如立一個五丈高的木架，明早求王將末底改掛在其上，然後你可以歡歡喜喜地隨王赴席。」哈曼以這話為美，就叫人做了木架。