2:1 这些事以后，亚哈随鲁王的忿怒止息，就想念瓦实提和她所行的，并怎样降旨办她。
After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her.
2:2 于是王的侍臣对王说，不如为王寻找美貌的年少处女。
Then the king's attendants who served him said, Let young virgins, beautiful in appearance, be sought for the king;
2:3 王可以派官员在国中的各省，把一切美貌的年少处女招聚到书珊京城的女院，交在王的太监，那照管女子的希该手下，给她们美容润身的用品。
And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the young virgins, beautiful in appearance, to Susa the capital, to the house of the women and into the custody of Hegai the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let their cosmetics be given to them.
2:4 王所喜爱的少女可以立为王后，代替瓦实提。王以这事为美，就如此行。
And let the young woman who pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti. And the word pleased the king, and he did so.
2:5 在书珊京城有一个犹大人，名叫末底改，是便雅悯人基士的曾孙，示每的孙子，睚珥的儿子；
There was a Jew in Susa the capital whose name was Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjaminite,
2:6 从前巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒将犹大王耶哥尼雅迁徙去，末底改也在那些与耶哥尼雅一同被掳的人中，从耶路撒冷被迁去。
Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been carried away with Jeconiah the king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
2:7 末底改抚养他叔叔的女儿哈大沙，就是以斯帖，因为她没有父母；这女子形貌美丽。她父母死了，末底改就收她为自己的女儿。
And he was foster father to Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had neither father nor mother; and the young woman was beautiful in form and appearance. And when her father and mother died, Mordecai took her to himself as his daughter.
2:8 王的谕旨和法令传出，许多少女被招聚到书珊京城，交在希该手下，以斯帖也在这时候被带进王宫，交在照管女子的希该手下。
So when the king's commandment and his decree were heard, and when many young women were gathered to Susa the capital into the custody of Hegai, Esther was taken to the king's house into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women.
2:9 这少女得希该喜悦，就在他面前得恩慈。希该急速给她美容润身的用品，和她所当得的分，又给她所当得、七个从王宫挑选的侍女，并使她和她的侍女搬入女院上好的地方。
And the young woman pleased him, and she obtained kindness in his presence. And he quickly gave her her cosmetics and her portions as well as the seven choice young maids who were to be given her from the king's house. And he transferred her and her young maids to the best place in the house of the women.
2:10 以斯帖未曾将她是那一族、有那些亲属告诉人，因为末底改嘱咐她不可叫人知道。
Esther did not make known her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had charged her not to make these known.
2:11 末底改天天在女院前行走，要知道以斯帖平安不平安，并情况如何。
And every day Mordecai walked in front of the court of the house of the women to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her.
2:12 原来女子要先美容润身，六个月用没药油，六个月用香料和女子美容润身的用品，美容润身的日期才满足；每个少女按女子的定例预备满十二个月，挨次进去见亚哈随鲁王时，
Now when the turn of each young woman came to go in to King Ahasuerus, at the end of the twelve months of her preparation according to the regulation 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 with the women's cosmetics),
2:13 乃是这样进去见王：从女院到王宫的时候，凡她所要的，都必给她带去。
The young woman would go in to the king in this way: Anything that she desired was given her to go with her from the house of the women to the house of the king.
2:14 晚上进去，次日早晨回到女子第二院，交在王的太监，那照管妃嫔的沙甲手下。除非王喜爱她，她被题名召见，就不再进去见王。
In the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the concubines. She would not go again in to the king unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.
2:15 末底改叔叔亚比孩的女儿，就是末底改收为自己女儿的以斯帖，按次序当进去见王的时候，除了照管女子的太监希该所指定的，她别无所求。凡看见以斯帖的都喜悦她。
Now when the turn of Esther the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her to himself as his daughter, came to go in to the king, she requested nothing except what Hegai the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the women, advised. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her.
2:16 亚哈随鲁王在位第七年十月，就是提别月，以斯帖被引入王宫见王。
So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus in his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
2:17 王爱以斯帖过于爱众女子；她在王面前得蒙恩宠与恩慈，比众处女更甚；王就把后冠戴在她头上，立她为王后，代替瓦实提。
And the king loved Esther more than all the other women. And she obtained favor and kindness with him more than all the other virgins, so he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.
2:18 王给众首领和臣仆设摆盛大的筵宴，称之为以斯帖的筵宴，又向各省行豁免的事，并照王的厚意大颁赏赐。
And the king held a great banquet for all his princes and his servants, Esther's banquet; and he made it a holiday for the provinces and gave gifts according to the king's bounty.
2:19 第二次招聚处女的时候，末底改坐在王门那里。
And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting in the king's gate.
2:20 以斯帖照着末底改所嘱咐的，还没有将她有那些亲属，是那一族告诉人；因为以斯帖遵行末底改所说的，如同受他抚养的时候一样。
Esther had not yet made known her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had charged her; for Esther did what Mordecai told her, as she had when he was bringing her up.
2:21 当那些日子，末底改坐在王门那里，王有两个太监辟探和提列，是守门的，恼恨亚哈随鲁王，想要下手害他。
In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king's gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, among those who were in charge of the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.
2:22 这事给末底改知道了，他就告诉王后以斯帖；以斯帖奉末底改的名，报告于王。这事经过究察，果然是实，就把二人挂在木架上；
And the thing became known to Mordecai, and he told Esther the queen; and Esther told the king in Mordecai's name.
2:23 这事且在王面前写在年代志上。
And when the matter was investigated and found to be so, the two of them were hanged on the gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.
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