Yǐsītièjì 2

1 Zhè shì yǐhòu , Yàhǎsuílǔ wáng de fèn nù zhǐxī , jiù xiǎngniàn Wǎshítí hé tā suǒ xíng de , bìng zĕnyàng jiàng zhǐ bàn tā .

2 Yúshì wáng de shì chén duì wáng shuō , bù rú wèi wáng xúnzhǎo mĕimào de chǔnǚ .

3 Wáng kĕyǐ paì guān zaì guó zhōng de gè shĕng , zhāo jù mĕimào de chǔnǚ dào Shūshān chéng ( huò zuò gōng ) de nǚ yuàn , jiāo gĕi zhǎng guǎn nǚzi de taì jiān Xīgāi , gĕi tāmen dāng yòng de xiāng pǐn .

4 Wáng suǒ xǐaì de nǚzi kĕyǐ Lìwèi wáng hòu , daìtì Wǎshítí . wáng yǐ zhè shì wèi mĕi , jiù rúcǐ xíng .

5 Shūshān chéng yǒu yī gè Yóudà rén , míng jiào Mòdǐgǎi , shì Biànyǎmǐn rén jī shì de céng sūn , Shìmĕi de sūnzi , Yáĕr de érzi .

6 Cóng qián Bābǐlún wáng Níbùjiǎnísǎ , jiāng Yóudà wáng Yēgēníyǎ ( yòu míng yuē Yǎjīn ) hé bǎixìng cóng Yēlùsǎlĕng lǔ qù , Mòdǐgǎi yĕ zaìqí neì .

7 Mòdǐgǎi fǔ yǎng tā shūshu de nǚér Hādàshā ( hòu míng Yǐsītiĕ ) , yīnwei tā méiyǒu fùmǔ . zhè nǚzi yòu róngmào jùnmĕi , tā fùmǔ sǐ le , Mòdǐgǎi jiù shōu tā wèi zìjǐ de nǚér .

8 Wáng de yù zhǐ chuán chū , jiù zhāo jù xǔduō nǚzi dào Shūshān chéng , jiāo gĕi zhǎng guǎn nǚzi de Xīgāi . Yǐsītiĕ yĕ sòng rù wánggōng , jiāofù Xīgāi .

9 Xī gāi xǐyuè Yǐsītiĕ , jiù ēn dāi tā . jímáng gĕi tā xū yòng de xiāng pǐn hé tā suǒ dāng dé de fēn , yòu paì suǒ dāng dé de qī gè gōng nǚ fúshì tā , shǐ tā hé tāde gōng nǚ bān rù nǚ yuàn shang hǎo de fángwū .

10 Yǐsītiĕ wèicéng jiāng jí guàn zōngzú gàosu rén , yīnwei Mòdǐgǎi zhǔfu tā bùkĕ jiào rén zhīdào .

11 Mòdǐgǎi tiāntiān zaì nǚ yuàn qiánbiān xíng zǒu , yào zhīdào Yǐsītiĕ píngān bù píngān , bìng hòu shì rúhé .

12 Zhòng nǚzi zhàolì xiān jiéjìng shēntǐ shí èr gè yuè . liù gè yuè yòng mòyào yóu , liù gè yuè yòng xiāngliào hé jié shēn zhī wù . mǎn le rìqī , ránhòu ái cì jìn qù jiàn Yàhǎsuílǔ wáng .

13 Nǚzi jìn qù jiàn wáng shì zhèyàng . cóng nǚ yuàn dào wánggōng de shíhou , fán tā suǒ yào de dōu bì gĕi tā .

14 Wǎnshang jìn qù , cì rì huí dào nǚzi dì èr yuàn , jiāo gĕi zhǎng guǎn fēi pín de taì jiān Shājiǎ . chúfēi wáng xǐaì tā , zaì tí míng zhào tā , jiù bu zaì jìn qù jiàn wáng .

15 Mòdǐgǎi shūshu Yàbǐhái de nǚér , jiù shì Mòdǐgǎi shōu wèi zìjǐ nǚér de Yǐsītiĕ , àn cìxù dāng jìn qù jiàn wáng de shíhou , chúle zhǎng guǎn nǚzi de taì jiān Xīgāi suǒ paì déng gĕi tāde , tā bié wú suǒ qiú . fán kànjian Yǐsītiĕ de dōu xǐyuè tā .

16 Yàhǎsuílǔ wáng dì qī nián shí yuè , jiù shì tí bié yuè , Yǐsītiĕ beì yǐn rù gōng jiàn wáng .

17 Wáng aì Yǐsītiĕ guòyú aì zhòng nǚ , tā zaì wáng yǎnqián méng chǒngaì bǐ zhòng chǔnǚ gèng shén . wáng jiù bǎ wáng hòu de guānmiǎn daì zaì tā tóu shang , lì tā wèi wáng hòu , daìtì Wǎshítí .

18 Wáng yīn Yǐsītiĕ de yuángù gĕi zhòng shǒulǐng hé chénpú shè bǎi dà yánxí , yòu huō miǎn gè shĕng de zū shuì , bìng zhào wáng de hòu yì dà bān shǎngcì .

19 Dì èr cì zhāo jù chǔnǚ de shíhou , Mòdǐgǎi zuò zaì zhāo mén .

20 Yǐsītiĕ zhào zhe Mòdǐgǎi suǒ zhǔfu de , hái méiyǒu jiāng jí guàn zōngzú gàosu rén . yīnwei Yǐsītiĕ zūn Mòdǐgǎi de méng , rú fǔ yǎng tāde shíhou yíyàng .

21 Dāng nàshíhòu , Mòdǐgǎi zuò zaì zhāo mén , wáng de taì jiān zhōng yǒu liǎng gè shǒu mén de , Pītàn hé Tíliè , nǎohèn Yàhǎsuílǔ wáng , xiǎng yào xià shǒu haì tā .

22 Mòdǐgǎi zhīdào le , jiù gàosu wáng hòu Yǐsītiĕ . Yǐsītiĕ fèng Mòdǐgǎi de míng , bàogào yú wáng .

23 Jiū chá zhè shì , guǒrán shì shí , jiù bǎ èr rén guà zaì mùtou shang , jiāng zhè shì zaì wáng miànqián xiĕ yú lìshǐ shang .

Yǐsītièjì 2 Commentary

Chapter 2

Esther chosen queen. (1-20) Mordecai discovers a plot against the king. (21-23)

Verses 1-20 We see to what absurd practices those came, who were destitute of Divine revelation, and what need there was of the gospel of Christ, to purify men from the lusts of the flesh, and to bring them back to the original institution of marriage. Esther was preferred as queen. Those who suggest that Esther committed sin to come at this dignity, do not consider the custom of those times and countries. Every one that the king took was married to him, and was his wife, though of a lower rank. But how low is human nature sunk, when such as these are the leading pursuits and highest worldly happiness of men! Disappointment and vexation must follow; and he most wisely consults his enjoyment, even in this present life, who most exactly obeys the precepts of the Divine law. But let us turn to consider the wise and merciful providence of God, carrying on his deep but holy designs in the midst of all this. And let no change in our condition be a pretext for forgetting our duties to parents, or the friends who have stood in their place.

Verses 21-23 Good subjects must not conceal any bad design they know of against the prince, or the public peace. Mordecai was not rewarded at the time, but a remembrance was written. Thus, with respect to those who serve Christ, though their recompence is not till the resurrection of the just, yet an account is kept of their work of faith and labour of love, which God is not unrighteous to forget. The servant of God must be faithful to every trust, and watchful for those who employ him. If he appear to be neglected now, he will be remembered hereafter. None of our actions can be forgotten; even our most secret thoughts are written in lasting registers, ( Revelation 20:12 ) .

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO ESTHER 2

By the advice of the ministers of King Ahasuerus, fair virgins were sought for throughout his dominions, and brought to his chamberlain, the keeper of the women, among whom was Esther, a Jewish virgin, Es 2:1-8, who found favour with the chamberlain, and afterwards with the king, who made her queen instead of Vashti, and a feast on that account, Es 2:9-18. Mordecai, to whom Esther was related, and according to whose advice she acted, sitting in the king's gate, discovered a conspiracy against the king, which he now made known to Esther, Es 2:19-23.