王賜末底改尊榮
1那夜王睡不著覺，就吩咐人拿史書念給他聽。 2剛好念到末底改揭發兩位守門太監辟探和提列謀害亞哈隨魯王的事， 3王便問：「末底改既行此事，可曾賜他什麼尊榮和爵位嗎？」服侍王的臣僕回答說：「沒有賜他什麼。」 4王問：「誰在院子裡？」那時哈曼剛進到王宮外院，想請求王將末底改吊在他預備的木架上。 5服侍王的臣僕回答說：「是哈曼站在院子裡。」王說：「讓他進來。」 6哈曼進來後，王問他：「王願意賞識一個人，該怎麼做呢？」哈曼心想：「王願意賞識的人不是我是誰呢？」 7於是，他就對王說：「王若願意賞識一個人， 8可以拿來王穿過的袍子，牽來王騎過的戴冠的御馬， 9交給王最尊貴的一位大臣，給王所願意賞識的人穿上，讓他騎著馬在城中的廣場上遊行，並派人在他前面宣告，『王願意賞識誰，就會這樣待他。』」 10王對哈曼說：「快去照你說的，把王袍和御馬賜給在宮門供職的猶太人末底改。你所說的一樣也不可少。」 11於是，哈曼將袍子給末底改穿上，讓他騎著馬在城中的廣場上遊行，並在他前面宣告：「王願意賞識誰，就會這樣待他。」
12之後，末底改回到宮門那裡，哈曼卻悲傷地蒙著頭匆匆回家去了。 13他將自己的遭遇詳細告訴妻子細利斯和所有的朋友。他的謀士及其妻子細利斯對他說：「你開始在末底改面前敗落。如果他是猶太人，你必勝不過他，終必在他面前敗落。」
14他們正在談論的時候，王的太監來催哈曼趕快去赴以斯帖預備的宴席。
Mordecai honoured
1That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. 2It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
3‘What honour and recognition has Mordecai received for this?’ the king asked.
‘Nothing has been done for him,’ his attendants answered.
4The king said, ‘Who is in the court?’ Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about impaling Mordecai on the pole he had set up for him.
5His attendants answered, ‘Haman is standing in the court.’
‘Bring him in,’ the king ordered.
6When Haman entered, the king asked him, ‘What should be done for the man the king delights to honour?’
Now Haman thought to himself, ‘Who is there that the king would rather honour than me?’ 7So he answered the king, ‘For the man the king delights to honour, 8let them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. 9Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king’s most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honour, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honour!” ’
10‘Go at once,’ the king commanded Haman. ‘Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.’
11So Haman got the robe and the horse. He robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king delights to honour!’
12Afterwards Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief, 13and told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him.
His advisors and his wife Zeresh said to him, ‘Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him – you will surely come to ruin!’ 14While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman away to the banquet Esther had prepared.
