Yǐsītièjì 8

1 Dāng rì , Yàhāsuílǔ wáng bǎ Yóudà rén chóudí Hāmàn de jiā chǎn , cìgĕi wáng hòu Yǐsītiĕ . Mòdǐgǎi yĕ lái dào wáng miànqián , yīnwei Yǐsītiĕ yǐjing gàosu wáng , Mòdǐgǎi shì tāde qīnshǔ .

2 Wáng zhāi xià zìjǐ de jièzhi , jiù shì cóng Hāmàn zhuī huí de , gĕi le Mòdǐgǎi . Yǐsītiĕ paì Mòdǐgǎi guǎnlǐ Hāmàn de jiā chǎn .

3 Yǐsītiĕ yòu fǔfú zaì wáng jiǎo qián , liú leì āigào , qiú tā chúdiào Yàjiǎ zú Hāmàn haì Yóudà rén de è móu .

4 Wáng xiàng Yǐsītiĕ shēn chū jīn zhàng , Yǐsītiĕ jiù qǐlai , zhàn zaì wáng qián .

5 Shuō , Yàjiǎ zú Hāmǐdàtāde érzi Hāmàn shè móu chuán zhǐ , yào shā miè zaì wáng gè shĕng de Yóudà rén . xiànjīn wáng ruò yuànyì , wǒ ruò zaì wáng yǎnqián méng ēn , wáng ruò yǐwéi mĕi , ruò xǐyuè wǒ , qǐng wáng Lìng xià zhǐyì , feì chú Hāmàn suǒ chuán de nà zhǐyì .

6 Wǒ hé rĕn jiàn wǒ bĕn zú de rén shòu haì . hé rĕn jiàn wǒ tóng zōng de rén beì miè ne .

7 Yàhāsuílǔ wáng duì wáng hòu Yǐsītiĕ , hé Yóudà rén Mòdǐgǎi shuō , yīn Hāmàn yào xià shǒu haì Yóudà rén , wǒ yǐ jiāng tāde jiā chǎn cìgĕi Yǐsītiĕ , rén yĕ jiāng Hāmàn guà zaì mù jià shang .

8 Xiànzaì nǐmen kĕyǐ suíyì , fèng wáng de míng xiĕ yù zhǐ gĕi Yóudà rén , yòng wáng de jièzhi gaì yìn . yīnwei fèng wáng míng suǒ xiĕ , yòng wáng jièzhi gaì yìn de yù zhǐ , rén dōu bùnéng feì chú .

9 Sān yuè , jiù shì xī wān yuè èr shí sān rì , jiāng wáng de shū jì zhào lái . àn zhe Mòdǐgǎi suǒ fēnfu de , yòng gè shĕng de wén zì , gè zú de fāngyán , bìng Yóudà rén de wén zì fāngyán xiĕ yù zhǐ . chuán gĕi nà cóng yìn dù zhídào Gǔshí yī bǎi èr shí qī shĕng de Yóudà rén hé zǒng dū shĕng zhǎng shǒulǐng .

10 Mòdǐgǎi fèng Yàhāsuílǔ wáng de míng xiĕ yù zhǐ , yòng wáng de jièzhi gaì yìn , jiāo gĕi qí yù mǎ juān kuaì mǎ de yì cù , chuán dào gè chù .

11 Yù zhǐ zhōng , wáng zhún gè shĕng gè chéng de Yóudà rén zaì yī rì zhī jiān , shí èr yuè , jiù shì Yàdá yuè shí sān rì , jùjí bǎohù xìngméng ,

12 Jiǎnchú shā lù mièjué nà yào gōngjī Yóudà rén de yīqiè chóudí , hé tāmende qīzi érnǚ , duó qǔ tāmende cái wèi lüè wù .

13 Chāo lù zhè yù zhǐ , bān xíng gè shĕng , xuāngào gè zú , shǐ Yóudà rén yùbeì dĕnghòu nà rì , zaì chóudí shēnshang bàochóu .

14 Yúshì qí kuaì mǎ de yì cù beì wáng méng cuīcù , jímáng qǐ xíng . yù zhǐ yĕ chuán biàn Shūshān chéng .

15 Mòdǐgǎi chuān zhe lán sè bái sè de zhāo fù , tóu daì dà jīn guānmiǎn , yòu chuān zǐse xìmábù de waì paó , cóng wáng miànqián chūlai . Shūshān chéng de rénmín dōu huānhū kuaìlè .

16 Yóudà rén yǒu guāngróng , huānxǐ kuaìlè ér dé zūnguì .

17 Wáng de yù zhǐ suǒ dào de gè shĕng gè chéng , Yóudà rén dōu huānxǐ kuaìlè , shè bǎi yán yàn , yǐ nà rì wèi jí rì . nà guó de rénmín , yǒu xǔduō yīn jùpà Yóudà rén , jiù rù le Yóudà jí .

Yǐsītièjì 8 Commentary

Chapter 8

Mordecai is advanced. (1,2) Esther makes suit for the Jews. (3-14) Mordecai honoured, The joy of the Jews. (15-17)

Verses 1-2 What Haman would have done mischief with, Esther will do good with. All the trust the king had reposed in Haman, he now placed in Mordecai: a happy change. See the vanity of laying up treasure upon earth; he that heapeth up riches, knoweth not who shall gather them. With what little pleasure, nay, with what constant vexation, would Haman have looked upon his estate, if he could have foreseen that Mordecai, the man he hated above all men in the world, should have rule over all that wherein he had laboured! It is our interest to make sure of those riches which will not be left behind, but which will go with us to another world.

Verses 3-14 It was time to be earnest, when the church of God was at stake. Esther, though safe herself, fell down and begged for the deliverance of her people. We read of no tears when she begged for her own life, but although she was sure of that, she wept for her people. Tears of pity and tenderness are the most Christ-like. According to the constitution of the Persian government, no law or decree could be repealed or recalled. This is so far from speaking to the wisdom and honour of the Medes and Persians, that it clearly shows their pride and folly. This savours of that old presumption which ruined all, We will be as gods! It is God's prerogative not to repent, or to say what can never be altered or unsaid. Yet a way was found, by another decree, to authorize the Jews to stand upon their defence. The decree was published in the languages of all the provinces. Shall all the subjects of an earthly prince have his decrees in languages they understand, and shall God's oracles and laws be locked up from any of his servants in an unknown tongue?

Verses 15-17 Mordecai's robes now were rich. These things are not worth notice, but as marks of the king's favour, and the fruit of God's favour to his church. It is well with a land, when ensigns of dignity are made the ornaments of serious piety. When the church prospers, many will join it, who will be shy of it when in trouble. When believers have rest, and walk in the fear of the Lord, and the comfort of the Holy Ghost, they will be multiplied. And the attempts of Satan to destroy the church, always tend to increase the number of true Christians.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ESTHER 8

This chapter relates the gifts Ahasuerus gave to Esther and Mordecai, Es 8:1,2, the suit Esther made to him to reverse the letters for the destruction of the Jews, Es 8:3-6, which, though it could not be formally granted, was in effect done by letters sent to the Jews, giving them power to rise in their own defence, and slay their enemies, Es 8:7-14, the consequence of which, and the advancement of Mordecai, were matter of great joy to the Jews, Es 8:15-17.