以斯帖記 2	Esther 2
以斯帖記 2:1 ^ 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。	Esther 2:1 ^ After these things, when the king's feelings were calmer, the thought of Vashti and what she had done and the order he had made against her, came back to his mind.
以斯帖記 2:2 ^ 於是王的侍臣對王說、不如為王尋找美貌的處女．	Esther 2:2 ^ Then the servants who were waiting on the king said to him, Let search be made for some fair young virgins for the king:
以斯帖記 2:3 ^ 王可以派官在國中的各省招聚美貌的處女到書珊城〔或作宮〕的女院、交給掌管女子的太監希該、給他們當用的香品．	Esther 2:3 ^ Let the king give authority to certain men in all the divisions of his kingdom, to get together all the fair young virgins and send them to Shushan, the king's town, to the women's house, under the care of Hegai, the king's servant, the keeper of the women: and let the things needed for making them clean be given to them;
以斯帖記 2:4 ^ 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。	Esther 2:4 ^ And let the girl who is pleasing to the king be queen in place of Vashti. And the king was pleased with this suggestion; and he did so.
以斯帖記 2:5 ^ 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．	Esther 2:5 ^ Now there was a certain Jew in Shushan named Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;
以斯帖記 2:6 ^ 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。	Esther 2:6 ^ Who had been taken away from Jerusalem among those who had been made prisoner with Jeconiah, king of Judah, when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had taken him away.
以斯帖記 2:7 ^ 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。	Esther 2:7 ^ And he had been a father to Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his father's brother: for she had no father or mother, and she was very beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his daughter.
以斯帖記 2:8 ^ 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．	Esther 2:8 ^ So when the order made by the king was publicly given out, and a number of girls had been placed in the care of Hegai in the king's house in Shushan, Esther was taken into the king's house and put in the care of Hegai, the keeper of the women.
以斯帖記 2:9 ^ 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。	Esther 2:9 ^ And he was pleased with the girl and was kind to her; and he quickly gave her what was needed for making her clean, and the things which were hers by right, and seven servant-girls who were to be hers from the king's house: and he had her and her servant-girls moved to the best place in the women's part of the house.
以斯帖記 2:10 ^ 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。	Esther 2:10 ^ Esther had not said what family or people she came from, for Mordecai had given her orders not to do so.
以斯帖記 2:11 ^ 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。	Esther 2:11 ^ And every day Mordecai took his walk before the square of the women's house, to see how Esther was and what would be done to her.
以斯帖記 2:12 ^ 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．	Esther 2:12 ^ Now every girl, when her turn came, had to go in to King Ahasuerus, after undergoing, for a space of twelve months, what was ordered by the law for the women (for this was the time necessary for making them clean, that is, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with sweet perfumes and such things as are needed for making women clean):
以斯帖記 2:13 ^ 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．	Esther 2:13 ^ And in this way the girl went in to the king; whatever she had a desire for was given to her to take with her from the women's house into the house of the king.
以斯帖記 2:14 ^ 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。	Esther 2:14 ^ In the evening she went, and on the day after she came back to the second house of the women, into the keeping of Shaashgaz, one of the king's unsexed servants who had the care of the king's wives: only if the king had delight in her and sent for her by name did she go in to him again.
以斯帖記 2:15 ^ 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。	Esther 2:15 ^ Now when the time came for Esther, the daughter of Abihail, his father's brother, whom Mordecai had taken as his daughter, to go in to the king, she made request for nothing but what Hegai, the king's servant and keeper of the women, had given her. And Esther was looked on kindly by all who saw her.
以斯帖記 2:16 ^ 亞哈隨魯王第七年十月、就是提別月、以斯帖被引入宮見王．	Esther 2:16 ^ So Esther was taken in to King Ahasuerus in his house in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his rule.
以斯帖記 2:17 ^ 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．	Esther 2:17 ^ And Esther was more pleasing to the king than all the women, and to his eyes she was fairer and more full of grace than all the other virgins: so he put his crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.
以斯帖記 2:18 ^ 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。	Esther 2:18 ^ Then the king gave a great feast for all his captains and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he gave orders through all the divisions of his kingdom for a day of rest from work, and gave wealth from his store.
以斯帖記 2:19 ^ 第二次招聚處女的時候、末底改坐在朝門。	Esther 2:19 ^ And when the virgins came together in the second house of the women, Mordecai took his seat in the doorway of the king's house.
以斯帖記 2:20 ^ 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。	Esther 2:20 ^ Esther had still said nothing of her family or her people, as Mordecai had given her orders; for Esther did what Mordecai said, as when she was living with him.
以斯帖記 2:21 ^ 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．	Esther 2:21 ^ In those days, while Mordecai was seated at the king's doorway, two of the king's servants, Bigthan and Teresh, keepers of the door, being angry, were looking for a chance to make an attack on King Ahasuerus.
以斯帖記 2:22 ^ 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．	Esther 2:22 ^ And Mordecai, having knowledge of their purpose, sent word of it to Esther the queen; and Esther gave the news to the king in Mordecai's name.
以斯帖記 2:23 ^ 究察這事、果然是實、就把二人挂在木頭上、將這事在王面前寫於歷史上。	Esther 2:23 ^ And when the thing had been looked into, it was seen to be true, and the two of them were put to death by hanging on a tree: and it was put down in the records before the king.