Esther 5
1 Three days later, Esther [prepared a big banquet/feast. Then she] put on the robes that showed that she was queen, and she went to the inner courtyard of the palace, across from the room where the king was. He was sitting on the throne, facing the entrance [of the room].
第三日，以斯帖穿上朝服，进王宫的内院，对殿站立。王在殿里坐在宝座上，对着殿门。
2 When the king saw Esther standing there in the courtyard, he extended the gold scepter/staff toward her [to signal that he would be glad to talk to her]. So Esther came close and touched the tip of the scepter/staff.
王见王后以斯帖站在院内，就施恩于她，向她伸出手中的金杖；以斯帖便向前摸杖头。
3 Then the king asked her, “Esther, what do you want? Tell me, and I will give you what you want, even if you ask me to give you half of my kingdom!”
王对她说：“王后以斯帖啊，你要什么？你求什么，就是国的一半也必赐给你。”
4 Esther replied, “[Your majesty, ] if it pleases you, you and Haman come to the banquet that I have prepared for you!”
以斯帖说：“王若以为美，就请王带着哈曼今日赴我所预备的筵席。”
5 The king said [to his servants], “Go and tell Haman to come quickly to a banquet that Esther has prepared for the two of us!” So the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared for them.
王说：“叫哈曼速速照以斯帖的话去行。”于是王带着哈曼赴以斯帖所预备的筵席。
6 While they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, “Tell me what you [really] want. I will give it to you, even if [you ask for] half of my kingdom.”
在酒席筵前，王又问以斯帖说：“你要什么，我必赐给你；你求什么，就是国的一半也必为你成就。”
7 Esther replied, “[I will tell you] what I want [most of all. Your majesty], if you are pleased with me, and if you are willing to give me what I am requesting, please come [again] tomorrow to another banquet that I will prepare for the two of you. Then I will tell you [what I really want”].
以斯帖回答说：“我有所要，我有所求。
我若在王眼前蒙恩，王若愿意赐我所要的，准我所求的，就请王带着哈曼再赴我所要预备的筵席。明日我必照王所问的说明。”
9 Haman was feeling very happy as he left the banquet. But then he saw Mordecai sitting at the gate of the palace. Mordecai did not stand up and tremble fearfully in front of Haman, so Haman became extremely angry.
那日哈曼心中快乐，欢欢喜喜地出来；但见末底改在朝门不站起来，连身也不动，就满心恼怒末底改。
10 However, he did not show that he was angry; he [just] went home. Then he gathered together his wife Zeresh and his friends,
哈曼暂且忍耐回家，叫人请他朋友和他妻子细利斯来。
11 and he boasted to them about being very rich, and about having many children. He also boasted that the king had greatly honored him, and that the king had (promoted him/given him the second-most important job in the empire), so that [all] the other officials had to respect him.
哈曼将他富厚的荣耀、众多的儿女，和王抬举他使他超乎首领臣仆之上，都述说给他们听。
12 Then Haman added, “And that is not all! Queen Esther invited just two of us, the king and me, to a banquet she prepared for us today. And she is inviting [only] the two of us to another banquet that she will prepare tomorrow!”
哈曼又说：“王后以斯帖预备筵席，除了我之外不许别人随王赴席。明日王后又请我随王赴席；
13 Then Haman said, “But those things (mean nothing to me/do not make me happy) while I keep seeing that Jew, Mordecai, [just] sitting there at the gate of the palace [and ignoring me]!”
只是我见犹大人末底改坐在朝门，虽有这一切荣耀，也与我无益。”
14 So Haman’s wife Zeresh and all his friends [who were there] suggested, “[Why don’t you quickly] set up (a gallows/posts on which to hang someone). Make it 75 feet tall. Then tomorrow morning ask the king to hang Mordecai on it. After that, you can go to the banquet with the king and be cheerful.” That idea pleased Haman [very much], so he gave [men] orders to set up the gallows/posts.
他的妻细利斯和他一切的朋友对他说：“不如立一个五丈高的木架，明早求王将末底改挂在其上，然后你可以欢欢喜喜地随王赴席。”哈曼以这话为美，就叫人做了木架。
