全新四年樂活讀經
經文：以斯帖一8-11；15
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。
2:9 希該喜悅以斯帖，就恩待她，急忙給她需用的香品和她所當得的分，又派所當得的七個宮女服事她，使她和她的宮女搬入女院上好的房屋。
2:10 以斯帖未曾將籍貫宗族告訴人，因為末底改囑咐她不可叫人知道。
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。
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她的，她別無所求。凡看見以斯帖的都喜悅她。
默想: 以斯帖本是孤女，被堂哥末底改所收養。而以斯帖是一位非常聽話的女孩，因為末底改要她不得向外人提起自的籍貫宗族，以斯帖就未曾向人提起。以斯帖的個性謙虛，完全聽從末底改的意見。同時她應該也是一個容易相處的人，從掌管女子的希該喜悅她、恩待她，可以推測，她不是一個容易驕傲、仗勢的人。因為雖然她被安排搬入女院上好的房屋(9)，但是，除了「希該所派定給她的，她別無所求。」(15)可見得她節制，不貪圖一時的享受，「凡看見以斯帖的都喜悅她」(15)若只是因為她是長得美貌就喜悅她，也是不可能，因為自古以來，女子仗勢美貌爭寵鬥爭的不時有耳聞。若沒有好的人際關係與應對的態度，是不容易得到眾人的喜愛。
題目: 你從本章經文中看見以斯帖的人格有那些優點呢？
2:1 這事以後，亞哈隨魯王的忿怒止息，就想念瓦實提和她所行的，並怎樣降旨辦她。
After these things, when the anger of King Ahasu-e'rus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her.
2:2 於是王的侍臣對王說：「不如為王尋找美貌的處女。
Then the king's servants who attended him said, "Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king.
2:3 王可以派官在國中的各省招聚美貌的處女到書珊城（或譯：宮）的女院，交給掌管女子的太監希該，給她們當用的香品。
And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in Susa the capital, under custody of Hegai the king's eunuch who is in charge of the women; let their ointments be given them.
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。
And let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti." This pleased the king, and he did so.
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。
Now there was a Jew in Susa the capital whose name was Mor'decai, the son of Ja'ir, son of Shim'e-i, son of Kish, a Benjaminite,
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。
who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconi'ah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnez'zar king of Babylon had carried away.
2:7 末底改撫養他叔叔的女兒哈大沙（後名以斯帖），因為她沒有父母。這女子又容貌俊美；她父母死了，末底改就收她為自己的女兒。
He had brought up Hadas'sah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother; the maiden was beautiful and lovely, and when her father and her mother died, Mor'decai adopted her as his own daughter.
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。
So when the king's order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many maidens were gathered in Susa the capital in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put in custody of Hegai who had charge of the women.
2:9 希該喜悅以斯帖，就恩待她，急忙給她需用的香品和她所當得的分，又派所當得的七個宮女服事她，使她和她的宮女搬入女院上好的房屋。
And the maiden pleased him and won his favor; and he quickly provided her with her ointments and her portion of food, and with seven chosen maids from the king's palace, and advanced her and her maids to the best place in the harem.
2:10 以斯帖未曾將籍貫宗族告訴人，因為末底改囑咐她不可叫人知道。
Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mor'decai had charged her not to make it known.
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。
And every day Mor'decai walked in front of the court of the harem, to learn how Esther was and how she fared.
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。
Now when the turn came for each maiden to go in to King Ahasu-e'rus, after being twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this was the regular period of their beautifying, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and ointments for women --
2:13 女子進去見王是這樣：從女院到王宮的時候，凡她所要的都必給她。
when the maiden went in to the king in this way she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the harem to the king's palace.
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；除非王喜愛她，再提名召她，就不再進去見王。
In the evening she went, and in the morning she came back to the second harem in custody of Sha-ash'gaz the king's eunuch who was in charge of the concubines; she did not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.
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她的，她別無所求。凡看見以斯帖的都喜悅她。
When the turn came for Esther the daughter of Ab'ihail the uncle of Mor'decai, who had adopted her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king's eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her.
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。
And when Esther was taken to King Ahasu-e'rus into his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign,
2:17 王愛以斯帖過於愛眾女，她在王眼前蒙寵愛比眾處女更甚。王就把王后的冠冕戴在她頭上，立她為王后，代替瓦實提。
the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
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。
Then the king gave a great banquet to all his princes and servants; it was Esther's banquet. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces, and gave gifts with royal liberality.
2:19 第二次招聚處女的時候，末底改坐在朝門。
When the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mor'decai was sitting at the king's gate.
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，如撫養她的時候一樣。
Now Esther had not made known her kindred or her people, as Mor'decai had charged her; for Esther obeyed Mor'decai just as when she was brought up by him.
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。
And in those days, as Mor'decai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasu-e'rus.
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；
And this came to the knowledge of Mor'decai, and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mor'decai.
2:23 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。
When the affair was investigated and found to be so, the men were both hanged on the gallows. And it was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in the presence of the king.
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