以斯帖記 Esther

4:1	[hb5]	末底改知道所作的這一切事、就撕裂衣服、穿麻衣、蒙灰塵、在城中行走、痛哭哀號．
	[kjv]	When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;
	[bbe]	Now when Mordecai saw what was done, pulling off his robe, he put on haircloth, with dust on his head, and went out into the middle of the town, crying out with a loud and bitter cry.
4:2	[hb5]	到了朝門前停住腳步．因為穿麻衣的不可進朝門。
	[kjv]	And came even before the king's gate: for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.
	[bbe]	And he came even before the king's doorway; for no one might come inside the king's door clothed in haircloth.
4:3	[hb5]	王的諭旨所到的各省各處、猶大人大大悲哀、禁食哭泣哀號．穿麻衣躺在灰中的甚多。
	[kjv]	And in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
	[bbe]	And in every part of the kingdom, wherever the king's word and his order came, there was great sorrow among the Jews, and weeping and crying and going without food; and numbers of them were stretched on the earth covered with dust and haircloth.
4:4	[hb5]	王后以斯帖的宮女和太監來把這事告訴以斯帖、他甚是憂愁．就送衣服給末底改穿、要他脫下麻衣、他卻不受。
	[kjv]	So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not.
	[bbe]	And Esther's women and her servants came and gave her word of it. Then great was the grief of the queen: and she sent robes for Mordecai, so that his clothing of haircloth might be taken off; but he would not have them.
4:5	[hb5]	以斯帖就把王所派伺候他的一個太監、名叫哈他革召來、吩咐他去見末底改、要知道這是甚麼事、是甚麼緣故．
	[kjv]	Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was.
	[bbe]	Then Esther sent for Hathach, one of the king's unsexed servants whom he had given her for waiting on her, and she gave him orders to go to Mordecai and see what this was and why it was.
4:6	[hb5]	於是哈他革出到朝門前的寬闊處見末底改．
	[kjv]	So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city, which was before the king's gate.
	[bbe]	So Hathach went out and saw Mordecai in the open square of the town before the king's doorway.
4:7	[hb5]	末底改將自己所遇的事、並哈曼為滅絕猶大人應許捐入王庫的銀數、都告訴了他．
	[kjv]	And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.
	[bbe]	And Mordecai gave him an account of what had taken place, and of the amount of money which Haman had said he would put into the king's store for the destruction of the Jews.
4:8	[hb5]	又將所抄寫傳遍書珊城要滅絕猶大人的旨意交給哈他革、要給以斯帖看、又要給他說明、並囑咐他進去見王、為本族的人、在王面前懇切祈求。
	[kjv]	Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people.
	[bbe]	And he gave him the copy of the order which had been given out in Shushan for their destruction, ordering him to let Esther see it, and to make it clear to her; and to say to her that she was to go in to the king, requesting his mercy, and making prayer for her people.
4:9	[hb5]	哈他革回來、將末底改的話告訴以斯帖．
	[kjv]	And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
	[bbe]	And Hathach came back and gave Esther an account of what Mordecai had said.
4:10	[hb5]	以斯帖就吩咐哈他革去見末底改說、
	[kjv]	Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai;
	[bbe]	Then Esther sent Hathach to say to Mordecai:
4:11	[hb5]	王的一切臣僕、和各省的人民、都知道有一個定例、若不蒙召、擅入內院見王的、無論男女必被治死．除非王向他伸出金杖、不得存活．現在我沒有蒙召進去見王已經三十日了。
	[kjv]	All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.
	[bbe]	It is common knowledge among all the king's servants and the people of every part of the kingdom, that if anyone, man or woman, comes to the king in his inner room without being sent for, there is only one law for him, that he is to be put to death; only those to whom the king's rod of gold is stretched out may keep their lives: but I have not been sent for to come before the king these thirty days.
4:12	[hb5]	人就把以斯帖這話告訴末底改。
	[kjv]	And they told to Mordecai Esther's words.
	[bbe]	And they said these words to Mordecai.
4:13	[hb5]	末底改託人回覆以斯帖說、你莫想在王宮裡強過一切猶大人、得免這禍．
	[kjv]	Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.
	[bbe]	Then Mordecai sent this answer back to Esther: Do not have the idea that you in the king's house will be safe from the fate of all the Jews.
4:14	[hb5]	此時你若閉口不言、猶大人必從別處得解脫、蒙拯救、你和你父家、必致滅亡．焉知你得了王后的位分、不是為現今的機會麼。
	[kjv]	For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
	[bbe]	If at this time you say nothing, then help and salvation will come to the Jews from some other place, but you and your father's family will come to destruction: and who is to say that you have not come to the kingdom even for such a time as this?
4:15	[hb5]	以斯帖就吩咐人回報末底改說、
	[kjv]	Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,
	[bbe]	Then Esther sent them back to Mordecai with this answer:
4:16	[hb5]	你當去招聚書珊城所有的猶大人、為我禁食三晝三夜、不喫不喝．我和我的宮女、也要這樣禁食．然後我違例進去見王．我若死就死罷。
	[kjv]	Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
	[bbe]	Go, get together all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and go without food for me, taking no food or drink night or day for three days: and I and my women will do the same; and so I will go in to the king, which is against the law: and if death is to be my fate, then let it come.
4:17	[hb5]	於是末底改照以斯帖一切所吩咐的去行。
	[kjv]	So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.
	[bbe]	So Mordecai went away and did everything as Esther had said.