< Esther 5 >

1 And on the third day Ester put on her royal apparel, and stood in the court of the Kings palace within, ouer against the Kings house: and the King sate vpon his royal throne in the Kings palace ouer against the gate 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 when the King saw Ester the Queene standing in the court, shee founde fauour in his sight: and the King held out the golden scepter that was in his hand: so Ester drewe neere, and touched the toppe of the scepter.
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 Then saide the King vnto her, What wilt thou, Queene Ester? and what is thy request? it shall be euen giuen thee to the halfe of ye kingdome.
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 Then saide Ester, If it please the King, let the King and Haman come this day vnto the banket, that I haue prepared 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 sayd, Cause Haman to make haste that he may doe as Ester hath sayde. So the King and Haman came to the banket that Ester had prepared.
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 sayd vnto Ester at the banket of wine, What is thy petition, that it may be giuen thee? and what is thy request? it shall euen be performed vnto the halfe of the kingdome.
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 Then answered Ester, and sayd, 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 haue found fauour in the sight of the King, and if it please the King to giue me my petition, and to perfourme my request, let the King and Haman come to the banket that I shall prepare for them, and I will doe to morowe according to the Kings saying.
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 Then went Haman forth the same day ioyfull and with a glad heart. But when Haman sawe Mordecai in the Kings gate, that he stoode not vp, nor moued for him, then was Haman full of indignation at 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 Neuerthelesse Haman refrayned himselfe: and when he came home, he sent, and called for 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 tolde them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the King had promoted him, and how that he had set him aboue the princes and seruants 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 Haman sayde moreouer, Yea, Ester the Queene did let no man come in with the King to the banket that she had prepared, saue me: and to morowe am I bidden vnto her also 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 But al this doth nothing auaile me, as long as I see Mordecai ye Iewe sitting at ye Kings gate.
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 Then sayde Zeresh his wife and all his friends vnto him, Let them make a tree of fiftie cubites hie, and to morowe speake thou vnto the King, that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then shalt thou goe ioyfully with the King vnto the banket. And the thing pleased Haman, and he caused to make 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。

< Esther 5 >