但以理書 5
1 伯沙撒王為他的一千大臣設擺盛筵，與這一千人對面飲酒。
[Several years later, ] Belshazzar [became the] king [of Babylon. One day] he invited 1,000 of his officers to a big feast, and he drank [a lot of] wine with them.
2 伯沙撒歡飲之間，吩咐人將他父尼布甲尼撒從耶路撒冷殿中所掠的金銀器皿拿來，王與大臣、皇后、妃嬪好用這器皿飲酒。
While he was drinking, he commanded [his servants] bring to him the gold and silver cups that the previous king, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. [He did that] because he wanted himself and his officials, his wives, and [even] his (concubines/slave wives) to drink from them, [making fun of the god that we Israelis worshiped].
3 於是他們把耶路撒冷上帝殿庫房中所掠的金器皿拿來，王和大臣、皇后、妃嬪就用這器皿飲酒。
So his servants brought in [all] those gold cups, that had been taken [many years previously] from the temple of [the true] God in Jerusalem. Then the king and his officials and his wives and his slave wives drank [wine] from those cups.
4 他們飲酒，讚美金、銀、銅、鐵、木、石所造的神。
They drank to praise/honor their idols that were made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and [even] wood and stone.
5 當時，忽有人的指頭顯出，在王宮與燈臺相對的粉牆上寫字。王看見寫字的指頭
Suddenly they saw a man’s hand writing on the plaster of the wall opposite the lampstand. The king also saw the hand as it was writing.
6 就變了臉色，心意驚惶，腰骨好像脫節，雙膝彼此相碰，
He became very frightened, and his face became pale/white. His knees started shaking, and his legs became very weak, with the result that he could not stand up.
7 大聲吩咐將用法術的和迦勒底人並觀兆的領進來，對巴比倫的哲士說，誰能讀這文字，把講解告訴我，他必身穿紫袍，項帶金鍊，在我國中位列第三。
[Then] he shouted to summon the men who worked magic, the men who studied the stars, and the fortune-tellers. He said, “I will [greatly honor] any one of them who can read this writing and tell me what it means. I will give him a purple [robe like I wear because I am the king], and I will put a gold chain around his neck. He will become a very important official in my kingdom; there will be only two others who will be more important than he will be.”
8 於是王的一切哲士都進來，卻不能讀那文字，也不能把講解告訴王。
But when all those wise men came in, none of them could read the writing, or tell him what it meant.
9 伯沙撒王就甚驚惶，臉色改變，他的大臣也都驚奇。
So King Belshazzar became more afraid. His face became [even] paler/whiter. And [all] his officials [who were there at the feast] did not know what to do.
10 太后因王和他大臣所說的話，就進入宴宮，說：「願王萬歲！你心意不要驚惶，臉面不要變色。
But when the mother of the king (OR, of the previous king) heard the king and his officials talking [loudly about what had happened], she entered the room where they were having the feast. She said [to Belshazzar], “(Your majesty/O King), I hope you will live for a long time! But do not be pale and afraid about this.
11 在你國中有一人，他裏頭有聖神的靈，你父在世的日子，這人心中光明，又有聰明智慧，好像神的智慧。你父尼布甲尼撒王，就是王的父，立他為術士、用法術的，和迦勒底人，並觀兆的領袖。
There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. When Nebuchadnezzar was ruling, they discovered that this man understood many things and was wise, just like the gods. The man who was king previously, Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him to be in charge of all the men [in Babylon] who worked magic, the men who worked sorcery, the men who studied the stars, and the fortune-tellers.
12 在他裏頭有美好的靈性，又有知識聰明，能圓夢，釋謎語，解疑惑。這人名叫但以理，尼布甲尼撒王又稱他為伯提沙撒，現在可以召他來，他必解明這意思。」
That man’s name is Daniel; the king gave him a [new] name, Belteshazzar. He is very intelligent and is able to know and understand many things. He is [even] able to tell the meaning of dreams, and explain riddles, and explain things that are very difficult to understand. Summon him, and he will tell you what [this writing] means.”
13 但以理就被領到王前。王問但以理說：「你是被擄之猶大人中的但以理嗎？就是我父王從猶大擄來的嗎？
So they [went and] brought me in. The king asked me, “You [must] be Daniel [RHQ]! [They told me that you are] one of those who was brought [here] from Judah by the previous king.
14 我聽說你裏頭有神的靈，心中光明，又有聰明和美好的智慧。
I have [also] heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you are very wise and understand many things.
15 現在哲士和用法術的都領到我面前，為叫他們讀這文字，把講解告訴我，無奈他們都不能把講解說出來。
My wise men and men who work magic have tried to read the writing on this wall and tell me what it means, but they are not able to do it.
16 我聽說你善於講解，能解疑惑；現在你若能讀這文字，把講解告訴我，就必身穿紫袍，項戴金鍊，在我國中位列第三。」
[Someone] told me that you can tell what dreams mean and explain things that are very difficult to understand. If you can read these words and tell me what they mean, [I] give you a purple robe [like I wear because I am the king], and I will put a gold chain around your neck. You will become a very important official in my kingdom; there will be only two others who will be more important than you will be.”
17 但以理在王面前回答說：「你的贈品可以歸你自己，你的賞賜可以歸給別人；我卻要為王讀這文字，把講解告訴王。
I replied, “[I do not want] your gifts; keep them, or give them to someone else. But I will read for you the writing [on the wall], and I will tell you what it means.
18 王啊，至高的上帝曾將國位、大權、榮耀、威嚴賜與你父尼布甲尼撒；
(Your Majesty/O king), the Supreme God caused the man who was king before you, Nebuchadnezzar, to become a great ruler, who was greatly praised and honored.
19 因上帝所賜他的大權，各方、各國、各族的人都在他面前戰兢恐懼。他可以隨意生殺，隨意升降。
Because God caused him to become [very] great, people of many [HYP] people-groups and nations and who spoke many different languages were very much afraid of him. He [commanded his soldiers to] kill those whom he wanted to be killed, and he (spared/allowed to live) those whom he wanted to spare. He honored those whom he wanted to honor, and he caused to be disgraced those whom he wanted to be disgraced.
20 但他心高氣傲，靈也剛愎，甚至行事狂傲，就被革去王位，奪去榮耀。
But when he became very proud and stubborn [IDM], he was removed from being king [MTY]. People did not consider him to be glorious/great any more.
21 他被趕出離開世人，他的心變如獸心，與野驢同居，吃草如牛，身被天露滴濕，等他知道至高的上帝在人的國中掌權，憑自己的意旨立人治國。
[His officials] sent him away in order that he would not be near [other] people. [God] caused him to have a mind like animals have. He lived among the wild donkeys. He ate grass like cows do, and dew from the sky caused his body to be damp/wet [each morning]. [He was like that] until he learned that the Supreme God is [really the one who] rules the kingdoms of this world, and that he appoints whomever he chooses to rule those kingdoms.
22 伯沙撒啊，你是他的兒子，你雖知道這一切，你心仍不自卑，
Now, Belshazzar, you have become the king. You [also] knew all those things, but you have not made yourself humble.
23 竟向天上的主自高，使人將他殿中的器皿拿到你面前，你和大臣、皇后、妃嬪用這器皿飲酒。你又讚美那不能看、不能聽、無知無識、金、銀、銅、鐵、木、石所造的神，卻沒有將榮耀歸與那手中有你氣息，管理你一切行動的上帝。
You have considered yourself to be greater than [God], the Lord of heaven. [So you have commanded your servants to] bring to you these sacred cups, [which were dedicated to the Supreme God, and which were taken] from his temple [in Jerusalem]. You and your officials and your wives and your (concubines/slave wives) have been drinking wine from these cups, while you have been praising [your own] gods—gods which are made of gold and silver and bronze and iron and wood and stone. [Those are gods] that cannot see, that cannot hear, and that do not know anything! You have not honored the God who gives you breath and who controls everything that happens to you.
24 因此從上帝那裏顯出指頭來寫這文字。
So God sent that hand to write a message [for you].
25 「所寫的文字是：『彌尼，彌尼，提客勒，烏法珥新。』
This is the message that it wrote: ‘Mene, mene, tekel, parsin.’
26 講解是這樣：彌尼，就是上帝已經數算你國的年日到此完畢。
This is what those words mean: Mene [means] ‘numbered/counted’. [That means that] God has been counting the days that you will rule, and he has [now] decided that you will not rule any more.
27 提客勒，就是你被稱在天平裏，顯出你的虧欠。
Tekel [means ‘weighed’. It is as though God] has weighed you on a scale, and you do not weigh what you should, [which means that you have not been doing what you should; you are not fit to be a king] [MET].
28 毗勒斯，就是你的國分裂，歸與米底亞人和波斯人。」
Parsin [means ‘divided’. That means that God] has divided your kingdom. Some of it will be ruled by people from Media and some will be ruled by people from Persia.”
29 伯沙撒下令，人就把紫袍給但以理穿上，把金鍊給他戴在頸項上，又傳令使他在國中位列第三。
Then Belshazzar [did what he had promised]. He put on me a purple robe [like the one he himself wore. He] put a gold chain around my neck. And he proclaimed that there would be only two others who would be more important than me in his kingdom.
30 當夜，迦勒底王伯沙撒被殺。
But that same night [soldiers from Media entered the city and] killed Belshazzar, the King of Babylonia.
31 米底亞人大流士年六十二歲，取了迦勒底國。
Darius, the King of Media, became the King [of Babylonia] when he was 62 years old.
