Esther 2

1 Some time later, when the anger of King Xerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.

1 这事之后，亚哈随鲁王的怒气平息下来，就想起瓦实提和她的所作所为，并怎样降旨惩罚她的事。

2 Then the king’s attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king,

2 王的侍臣说：“让人为王物色一些年轻貌美的处女吧。

3 and let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom to assemble all the beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women, and let them be given beauty treatments.

3 请王在国中各省委派专使把所有年轻漂亮的处女选入书珊城的女宫，交给管理女子的太监希该，供给她们美容用品。

4 Then let the young woman who pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti.” This suggestion pleased the king, and he acted accordingly.

4 哪个女子讨王欢心，便立她为王后，代替瓦实提。”王觉得这个建议很好，就采纳了。

5 Now there was at the citadel of Susa a Jewish man from the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish.

5 当时，书珊城中有个犹太人，名叫末底改，是便雅悯人基士的曾孙、示每的孙子、雅珥的儿子。

6 He had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon among those taken captive with Jeconiah king of Judah.

6 巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒曾从耶路撒冷掳走犹大王耶哥尼雅和百姓，末底改也在其中。

7 And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah (that is, Esther), the daughter of his uncle, because she did not have a father or mother. The young woman was lovely in form and appearance, and when her father and mother had died, Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter.

7 末底改收养了叔叔的女儿哈大沙，又名以斯帖，把她认作自己的女儿，因为她父母双亡。这女子体态优美，容貌动人。

8 When the king’s command and edict had been proclaimed, many young women gathered at the citadel of Susa under the care of Hegai. Esther was also taken to the palace and placed under the care of Hegai, the custodian of the women.

8 王的谕旨一下，许多年轻的女子被召到书珊城中，交给管理女子的希该照管。以斯帖也被送到王宫中交给希该。

9 And the young woman pleased him and obtained his favor, so he quickly provided her with beauty treatments and the special diet. He assigned to her seven select maidservants from the palace and transferred her with them to the best place in the harem.

9 希该喜欢以斯帖，就恩待她，急忙给她需用的美容用品和膳食，又从王宫为她挑选七名宫女，让她和她的宫女搬进女宫上好的房屋。

10 Esther did not reveal her people or her lineage, because Mordecai had instructed her not to do so.

10 以斯帖没有向人透露过自己的种族和身世，因为末底改吩咐她不要透露。

11 And every day Mordecai would walk back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn about Esther’s welfare and what was happening to her.

11 末底改天天在女宫的庭院前徘徊，好打听以斯帖的消息，了解她的情况。

12 In the twelve months before her turn to go to King Xerxes, the harem regulation required each young woman to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months, and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months.

12 每个女子依次晋见亚哈随鲁王之前，都要照规矩洁净十二个月：六个月用没药油，六个月用香料和洁身用品。

13 When the young woman would go to the king, she was given whatever she requested to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace.

13 每个女子从女宫到王宫晋见王时，她所要求的一切都要给她。

14 She would go there in the evening, and in the morning she would return to a second harem under the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he delighted in her and summoned her by name.

14 她晚上进去，次日被带到另一个女宫，交给管理妃嫔的太监沙甲。除非王喜欢她，提名召见她，否则她不会再见到王。

15 Now Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle from whom Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. And when it was her turn to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s trusted official in charge of the harem, had advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her.

15 以斯帖是末底改的叔叔亚比孩的女儿，后来被末底改收养。轮到她晋见王时，除了管理女子的太监希该给她的东西外，她没有别的要求。凡看见她的人都喜欢她。

16 She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal palace in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

16 亚哈随鲁王执政第七年十月，即提别月，以斯帖被带进宫中见王。

17 And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she found grace and favor in his sight more than all of the other virgins. So he placed the royal crown upon her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.

17 王爱以斯帖胜过爱其他所有女子，她比其他处女更得王的恩宠。于是，王把后冠戴在她头上，立她为王后，代替瓦实提。

18 Then the king held a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his officials and servants. He proclaimed a tax holiday in the provinces and gave gifts worthy of the king’s bounty.

18 王为以斯帖大摆宴席招待文武百官，又宣布各省休假 ，并厚赐礼物。

19 When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.

19 第二次召集处女时，末底改已坐在宫门供职。

20 Esther still had not revealed her lineage or her people, just as Mordecai had instructed. She obeyed Mordecai’s command, as she had done under his care.

20 以斯帖依照末底改的吩咐，没有向人透露自己的身世和籍贯，因为她像幼年时一样听从末底改的话。

21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, grew angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.

21 一天，末底改正在宫门供职，两个守门的太监辟探和提列恼恨亚哈随鲁王，想要下手害他。

22 When Mordecai learned of the plot, he reported it to Queen Esther, and she informed the king on Mordecai’s behalf.

22 末底改知道后，便通知以斯帖王后，以斯帖就以末底改的名义禀告王。

23 After the report had been investigated and verified, both officials were hanged on the gallows. And all this was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in the presence of the king.

23 王查明确有此事后，便命人把二人吊死在木架上，并将这事当着他的面写入史书。