Esther 5
1 Three days later Esther put on her royal robes and went and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, opposite the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the king's hall, facing the entrance.
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 When the king saw Queen Esther standing in the inner court she won his approval so he acted favorably by holding out his scepter to her. So Esther went over and touched the end of the scepter.
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 The king asked her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What do you want? I'll give it to you, as much as half my empire!”
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 Esther replied, “If it please Your Majesty, may the king and Haman come today to a dinner I have prepared 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 “Bring Haman here at once so we can do what Esther has requested,” the king ordered. The king and Haman went to the dinner that Esther had prepared.
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 As they drank their wine, the king asked Esther, “What are you really asking for? It will be given to you. What do you want? You shall have it, as much as half my empire!”
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 Esther answered, “This is what I'm asking for, and this is what I want.
以斯帖回答說：「我有所要，我有所求。
8 If the king looks on me favorably, and if it please Your Majesty to grant my request and do as I ask, may the king and Haman come to a dinner I will prepare for them. Tomorrow I will answer Your Majesty's question.”
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 When Haman left that day he was very happy and pleased with himself. But when he saw Mordecai at the palace gate and that he didn't stand up or tremble with fear before him, Haman was furious with 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 However, Haman controlled himself and he went home. There he invited his friends over. Once they and his wife Zeresh had gathered,
哈曼暫且忍耐回家，叫人請他朋友和他妻子細利斯來。
11 Haman went into great detail about how much money and possessions he had, and how many children, and how the king had made him so important by promoting him above all the other nobles and officials.
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 “Added to all that,” Haman went on, “I was the only other person Queen Esther invited to come to a dinner she had prepared for the king. I'm also invited by her to eat together with the king tomorrow.”
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 Then he said, “But all of this is worthless to me while I keep on seeing Mordecai the Jew sitting at the palace gate.”
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 His wife Zeresh and his friends told him, “Arrange for a pole to be set up, fifty cubits high. Then, in the morning, go and ask the king to have Mordecai impaled on it. Afterwards, you'll be happy as you go with the king to the dinner.” Haman thought this was good advice, so he had the pole set up.
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。
