1After these things when the anger of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her.
1這事以後，亞哈隨魯王的忿怒止息，就想念瓦實提和他所行的，並怎樣降旨辦他。
2Then the king's attendants, who served him, said, 'Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.
2於是王的侍臣對王說：不如為王尋找美貌的處女。
3'Let the king appoint overseers in all the provinces of his kingdom that they may gather every beautiful young virgin to the citadel of Susa, to the harem, into the custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let their cosmetics be given [them].
3王可以派官在國中的各省招聚美貌的處女到書珊城（或譯：宮）的女院，交給掌管女子的太監希該，給他們當用的香品。
4'Then let the young lady who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti.' And the matter pleased the king, and he did accordingly.
4王所喜愛的女子可以立為王后，代替瓦實提。」王以這事為美，就如此行。
5[Now] there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite,
5書珊城有一個猶大人，名叫末底改，是便雅憫人基士的曾孫，示每的孫子，睚珥的兒子。
6who had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the captives who had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled.
6從前巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒將猶大王耶哥尼雅（又名約雅斤）和百姓從耶路撒冷擄去，末底改也在其內。
7He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young lady was beautiful of form and face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.
7末底改撫養他叔叔的女兒哈大沙（後名以斯帖），因為他沒有父母。這女子又容貌俊美；他父母死了，末底改就收他為自己的女兒。
8So it came about when the command and decree of the king were heard and many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken to the king's palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women.
8王的諭旨傳出，就招聚許多女子到書珊城，交給掌管女子的希該；以斯帖也送入王宮，交付希該。
9Now the young lady pleased him and found favor with him. So he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and food, gave her seven choice maids from the king's palace and transferred her and her maids to the best place in the harem.
9希該喜悅以斯帖，就恩待他，急忙給他需用的香品和他所當得的分，又派所當得的七個宮女服事他，使他和他的宮女搬入女院上好的房屋。
10Esther did not make known her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make [them] known.
10以斯帖未曾將籍貫宗族告訴人，因為末底改囑咐他不可叫人知道。
11Every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and how she fared.
11末底改天天在女院前邊行走，要知道以斯帖平安不平安，並後事如何。
12Now when the turn of each young lady came to go in to King Ahasuerus, after the end of her twelve months under the regulations for the women-- for the days of their beautification were completed as follows: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and the cosmetics for women--
12眾女子照例先潔淨身體十二個月：六個月用沒藥油，六個月用香料和潔身之物。滿了日期，然後挨次進去見亞哈隨魯王。
13the young lady would go in to the king in this way: anything that she desired was given her to take with her from the harem to the king's palace.
13女子進去見王是這樣：從女院到王宮的時候，凡他所要的都必給他。
14In the evening she would go in and in the morning she would return to the second harem, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not again go in to the king unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.
14晚上進去，次日回到女子第二院，交給掌管妃嬪的太監沙甲；除非王喜愛他，再提名召他，就不再進去見王。
15Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai who had taken her as his daughter, came to go in to the king, she did not request anything except what Hegai, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the women, advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her.
15末底改叔叔亞比孩的女兒，就是末底改收為自己女兒的以斯帖，按次序當進去見王的時候，除了掌管女子的太監希該所派定給他的，他別無所求。凡看見以斯帖的都喜悅他。
16So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus to his royal palace in the tenth month which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
16亞哈隨魯王第七年十月，就是提別月，以斯帖被引入宮見王。
17The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
17王愛以斯帖過於愛眾女，他在王眼前蒙寵愛比眾處女更甚。王就把王后的冠冕戴在他頭上，立他為王后，代替瓦實提。
18Then the king gave a great banquet, Esther's banquet, for all his princes and his servants; he also made a holiday for the provinces and gave gifts according to the king's bounty.
18王因以斯帖的緣故給眾首領和臣僕設擺大筵席，又豁免各省的租稅，並照王的厚意大頒賞賜。
19When the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate.
19第二次招聚處女的時候，末底改坐在朝門。
20Esther had not yet made known her kindred or her people, even as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther did what Mordecai told her as she had done when under his care.
20以斯帖照著末底改所囑咐的，還沒有將籍貫宗族告訴人；因為以斯帖遵末底改的命，如撫養他的時候一樣。
21In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's officials from those who guarded the door, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.
21當那時候，末底改坐在朝門，王的太監中有兩個守門的，辟探和提列，惱恨亞哈隨魯王，想要下手害他。
22But the plot became known to Mordecai and he told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai's name.
22末底改知道了，就告訴王后以斯帖。以斯帖奉末底改的名，報告於王；
23Now when the plot was investigated and found [to be so], they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the Book of the Chronicles in the king's presence.
23究察這事，果然是實，就把二人掛在木頭上，將這事在王面前寫於歷史上。