6
The King Honors Mordecai
1That night the king could not sleep. So one was commanded to bring ⚓the book of the records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
2And it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, the doorkeepers who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.
3Then the king said, “What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?”
And the king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.”
4So the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered ⚓the outer court of the king’s palace ⚓to suggest that the king hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
5The king’s servants said to him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.”
And the king said, “Let him come in.”
6So Haman came in, and the king asked him, “What shall be done for the man whom the king delights to honor?”
Now Haman thought in his heart, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than ⚓me?”
7And Haman answered the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor,
8let a royal robe be brought which the king has worn, and ⚓a horse on which the king has ridden, which has a royal crest placed on its head.
9Then let this robe and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that he may array the man whom the king delights to honor. Then parade him on horseback through the city square, ⚓and proclaim before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!’ ”
10Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry, take the robe and the horse, as you have suggested, and do so for Mordecai the Jew who sits within the king’s gate! Leave nothing undone of all that you have spoken.”
11So Haman took the robe and the horse, arrayed Mordecai and led him on horseback through the city square, and proclaimed before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!”
12Afterward Mordecai went back to the king’s gate. But Haman ⚓hurried to his house, mourning ⚓and with his head covered.
13When Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him, his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail against ⚓him but will surely fall before him.”
14While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs came, and hastened to bring Haman to ⚓the banquet which Esther had prepared.
6
王賜末底改榮譽
1那夜王睡不着覺，吩咐人取歷史書，就是史籍，念給他聽，
2發現書上寫着：王有兩個守門的太監辟探和提列，想要下手害亞哈隨魯王，末底改告發了這件事。
3王說：「末底改做了這事，有沒有賜給他甚麼尊榮或高位呢？」伺候王的臣僕說：「沒有賜給他甚麼。」
4王說：「誰在院子裏？」那時哈曼正進入王宮的外院，要請王把末底改掛在他所預備的木架上。
5王的臣僕對他說：「看哪，哈曼站在院子裏。」王說：「叫他進來。」
6哈曼就進去。王對他說：「王所喜愛要賜尊榮的人，當如何待他呢？」哈曼心裏說：「王所喜愛要賜尊榮的人，除了我，還有誰呢？」
7哈曼就對王說：「王所喜愛要賜尊榮的人，
8當把王所穿的王袍拿來，牽了戴冠的御馬，
9把王袍和御馬都交給王一個極尊貴的大臣，吩咐人把王袍給王所喜愛要賜尊榮的人穿上，領他騎着御馬走遍城裏的廣場，在他面前宣告：『王所喜愛要賜尊榮的人，就是這樣待他。』」
10王對哈曼說：「你速速把這王袍和御馬，照你所說的，向坐在朝門的猶太人末底改去做。凡你所說的，一樣都不可缺。」
11於是哈曼把王袍給末底改穿上，領他騎着御馬走遍城裏的廣場，在他面前宣告：「王所喜愛要賜尊榮的人，就是這樣待他。」
12末底改仍回到朝門，哈曼卻憂憂悶悶地蒙着頭，急忙回家去了。
13哈曼把所遭遇的一切都說給他妻子細利斯和他所有的朋友聽。他的智囊團和他的妻子細利斯對他說：「你在末底改面前開始敗落；他既是猶太人，你必不能勝過他，終必在他面前敗落。」
14他們正跟哈曼說話的時候，王的幾位太監來了，催哈曼快去赴以斯帖所預備的宴席。