< Esther 3 >

1 After these events King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him to a place above all the officials who were with him.
这事以后,亚哈随鲁王抬举亚甲族哈米大他的儿子哈曼,使他高升,叫他的爵位超过与他同事的一切臣宰。
2 All the king’s courtiers who were in the king’s gate used to bow down before Haman, for so the king had commanded, but Mordecai did not bow down nor prostrate himself.
在朝门的一切臣仆都跪拜哈曼,因为王如此吩咐;惟独末底改不跪不拜。
3 Then the king’s courtiers, who were in the king’s gate, said to Mordecai, ‘Why do you disobey the king’s command?’
在朝门的臣仆问末底改说:“你为何违背王的命令呢?”
4 When they had spoken to him day after day without his listening to them, they informed Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s acts would be tolerated, for he had told them that he was a Jew.
他们天天劝他,他还是不听,他们就告诉哈曼,要看末底改的事站得住站不住,因他已经告诉他们自己是犹大人。
5 When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down nor prostrate himself before him, he was furious.
哈曼见末底改不跪不拜,他就怒气填胸。
6 But it seemed to him beneath his dignity to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him who Mordecai’s people were. Instead Haman sought to destroy all the people of Mordecai, all the Jews throughout the kingdom of Ahasuerus.
他们已将末底改的本族告诉哈曼;他以为下手害末底改一人是小事,就要灭绝亚哈随鲁王通国所有的犹大人,就是末底改的本族。
7 In the first month (the month of Nisan) in the twelfth year of the reign of King Ahasuerus, Haman had “pur” (which means “lot”) cast before him to determine the best day and best month for his actions. The lot fell on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month – the month of Adar.
亚哈随鲁王十二年正月,就是尼散月,人在哈曼面前,按日日月月掣普珥,就是掣签,要定何月何日为吉,择定了十二月,就是亚达月。
8 So Haman said to King Ahasuerus, ‘There is a certain people scattered among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom, whose laws differ from those of every other and who do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not right for the king to tolerate them.
哈曼对亚哈随鲁王说:“有一种民散居在王国各省的民中;他们的律例与万民的律例不同,也不守王的律例,所以容留他们与王无益。
9 If it seems best to the king, let an order be given to destroy them, and I will pay ten thousand silver coins into the royal treasury.’
王若以为美,请下旨意灭绝他们;我就捐一万他连得银子交给掌管国帑的人,纳入王的府库。”
10 So the king took off his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.
于是王从自己手上摘下戒指给犹大人的仇敌—亚甲族哈米大他的儿子哈曼。
11 ‘The money is yours,’ the king said to Haman, ‘and the people also to do with them as you wish.’
王对哈曼说:“这银子仍赐给你,这民也交给你,你可以随意待他们。”
12 And so, on the thirteenth day of the first month, the king’s secretaries were summoned and as Haman instructed an edict was issued to the king’s satraps and provincial governors and the rulers of each of the peoples in their own script and their own language. The edict was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with his ring.
正月十三日,就召了王的书记来,照着哈曼一切所吩咐的,用各省的文字、各族的方言,奉亚哈随鲁王的名写旨意,传与总督和各省的省长,并各族的首领;又用王的戒指盖印,
13 Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces, saying: Destroy, kill, put an end to all the Jews, young and old, little children and women, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, and plunder their possessions.
交给驿卒传到王的各省,吩咐将犹大人,无论老少妇女孩子,在一日之间,十二月,就是亚达月十三日,全然剪除,杀戮灭绝,并夺他们的财为掠物。
14 A copy of the edict was to be published as a decree in every province – publicly displayed so that everyone might be ready for that day.
抄录这旨意,颁行各省,宣告各族,使他们预备等候那日。
15 By command of the king the couriers raced off, and the edict was published in Susa itself. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in turmoil.
驿卒奉王命急忙起行,旨意也传遍书珊城。王同哈曼坐下饮酒,书珊城的民却都慌乱。

< Esther 3 >