Daniel 5
1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, drinking wine before the thousand.
Le roi Balthasar donna un grand festin à ses grands, au nombre de mille; et, en présence de ces mille, il buvait du vin.
2 Belshazzar, while he was overcome with wine, gave orders for them to put before him the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar, his father, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem; so that the king and his lords, his wives and his other women, might take their drink from them.
Sous l’influence de la boisson, Balthasar ordonna d’apporter les vases d’or et d’argent, que son père Nabuchodonosor avait enlevés du temple de Jérusalem, afin que le roi, ses grands, ses épouses et ses concubines s’en servissent pour boire.
3 Then they took in the gold and silver vessels which had been in the Temple of the house of God at Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives and his other women, took wine from them.
Aussitôt on apporta les vases d’or qui avaient été enlevés de l’enceinte du temple de Dieu à Jérusalem. Le roi, ses grands, ses épouses et ses concubines s’en servirent pour boire.
4 They took their wine and gave praise to the gods of gold and silver, of brass and iron and wood and stone.
Ils burent du vin et glorifièrent les Dieux d’or et d’argent, d’airain, de fer, de bois et de pierre.
5 In that very hour the fingers of a man's hand were seen, writing opposite the support for the light on the white wall of the king's house, and the king saw the part of the hand which was writing.
Au même moment, des doigts d’une main d’homme apparurent et écrivirent, face au candélabre, sur la chaux de la paroi du palais royal, et le roi vit cette main détachée qui écrivait.
6 Then the colour went from the king's face, and he was troubled by his thoughts; strength went from his body, and his knees were shaking.
Alors le roi changea de couleur, son esprit fut frappé de crainte; les attaches de ses reins se détendirent et ses genoux s’entrechoquèrent.
7 The king, crying out with a loud voice, said that the users of secret arts, the Chaldaeans, and the readers of signs, were to be sent for. The king made answer and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whoever is able to make out this writing, and make clear to me the sense of it, will be clothed in purple and have a chain of gold round his neck, and will be a ruler of high authority in the kingdom.
Le roi cria avec force qu’on amenât les sorciers, les astrologues et les augures; puis il prit la parole et dit aux sages de Babylone: "Tout homme qui lira cette inscription et m’en fera connaître le sens sera vêtu de pourpre, portera un collier d’or au cou et gouvernera en tiers le royaume."
8 Then all the king's wise men came in: but they were not able to make out the writing or give the sense of it to the king.
Tous les sages du roi étaient entrés; mais ils ne purent lire l’inscription ni en faire connaître le sens au roi.
9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled and the colour went from his face, and his lords were at a loss.
Le roi Balthasar fut alors extrêmement effrayé, sa figure se décomposa, et ses grands furent bouleversés.
10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the house of the feast: the queen made answer and said, O King, have life for ever; do not be troubled by your thoughts or let the colour go from your face:
La reine, en raison des propos du roi et de ses grands, se rendit dans la salle du festin, elle prit la parole et dit: "Vive le roi à jamais! Que tes pensées cessent de t’épouvanter et que ton visage ne change pas de couleur!
11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, light and reason like the wisdom of the gods were seen in him: and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, made him master of the wonder-workers, and the users of secret arts, and the Chaldaeans, and the readers of signs;
Il est un homme dans ton royaume, qui est pénétré de l’esprit des Dieux saints, et chez qui, du temps de ton père, se sont rencontrées une perspicacité, une intelligence et une sagesse dignes des Dieux; aussi le roi Nabuchodonosor, ton père, l’a-t-il établi chef des magiciens, des devins, des astrologues et des augures, oui ton propre père, le roi!
12 Because a most special spirit, and knowledge and reason and the power of reading dreams and unfolding dark sayings and answering hard questions, were seen to be in him, even in Daniel (named Belteshazzar by the king): now let Daniel be sent for, and he will make clear the sense of the writing.
Parce qu’un esprit supérieur, la science, l’intelligence, l’art d’interpréter les songes, d’éclaircir les énigmes, de résoudre les difficultés se sont rencontrés chez ce Daniel, que le roi avait surnommé Beltchaçar. Que Daniel soit donc mandé, et il dévoilera ce que cela signifie."
13 Then they took Daniel in before the king; the king made answer and said to Daniel, So you are that Daniel, of the prisoners of Judah, whom my father took out of Judah.
Aussitôt Daniel fut introduit devant le roi; celui-ci prit la parole et lui dit: "C’Est donc toi ce Daniel, qui fait partie du groupe des exilés de Juda que le roi mon père a emmenés de Judée!
14 And I have had news of you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and reason and special wisdom have been seen in you.
J’Ai ouï dire que tu es rempli de l’esprit des Dieux, et qu’il se rencontre chez toi de la perspicacité, de l’intelligence et une sagesse supérieure.
15 And now the wise men, the users of secret arts, have been sent in before me for the purpose of reading this writing and making clear to me the sense of it: but they are not able to make clear the sense of the thing:
Or, on a amené en ma présence les sages, les devins pour lire cette inscription et m’en faire connaître le sens; mais ils sont incapables de me révéler la signification de la chose.
16 And I have had news of you, that you have the power of making things clear, and of answering hard questions: now if you are able to make out the writing and give me the sense of it, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain round your neck and be a ruler of high authority in the kingdom.
Mais de toi j’ai ouï dire que tu sais donner des interprétations et résoudre les difficultés. Donc, si tu peux lire cette inscription et m’en faire connaître le sens, tu seras revêtu de pourpre, un collier d’or ornera ton cou, et tu gouverneras en tiers le royaume."
17 Then Daniel made answer and said to the king, Keep your offerings for yourself, and give your rewards to another; but I, after reading the writing to the king, will give him the sense of it.
Alors Daniel répliqua en disant au roi: "Garde tes dons pour toi, et gratifie d’autres de tes présents; toutefois je lirai l’inscription au roi et je lui en ferai connaître le sens.
18 As for you, O King, the Most High God gave to Nebuchadnezzar, your father, the kingdom and great power and glory and honour:
O roi, le Dieu suprême avait donné à ton père Nabuchodonosor royauté, grandeur, majesté et magnificence.
19 And because of the great power he gave him, all peoples and nations and languages were shaking in fear before him: some he put to death and others he kept living, at his pleasure, lifting up some and putting others down as it pleased him.
Et à cause de la grandeur qui lui avait été octroyée, nations, peuples et langues tremblaient tous de peur devant lui: il tuait qui il voulait, laissait vivre qui il voulait, élevait ou abaissait qui il voulait.
20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became hard with pride, he was put down from his place as king, and they took his glory from him:
Mais lorsque son cœur s’enorgueillit et que son esprit s’enhardit jusqu’à l’arrogance, il fut précipité de son trône royal et se vit dépouillé de sa majesté.
21 And he was sent out from among the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts', and he was living with the asses of the fields; he had grass for his food like the oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he was certain that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and gives power over it to anyone at his pleasure.
Il fut chassé de la société des hommes, et son cœur devint semblable à celui des bêtes; sa demeure fut avec les ânes sauvages, on lui donna comme aux bœufs de l’herbe pour nourriture, et son corps fut humecté par la rosée du ciel, jusqu’à ce qu’il reconnût que le Dieu suprême est maître de la royauté des hommes et qu’il y appelle qui lui plaît.
22 And you, his son, O Belshazzar, have not kept your heart free from pride, though you had knowledge of all this;
Et toi, son fils Balthasar, tu n’as pas humilié ton cœur, bien que tu fusses instruit de tout cela.
23 But you have been lifting yourself up against the Lord of heaven, and they have put the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your women, have taken wine in them; and you have given praise to gods of silver and gold, of brass and iron and wood and stone, who are without the power of seeing or hearing, and without knowledge: and to the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, you have not given glory;
Tu t’es insurgé contre le maître du ciel, en faisant apporter devant toi les vases de son temple pour y boire du vin, toi, tes grands, tes épouses et tes concubines; tu as célébré les Dieux d’argent et d’or, d’airain, de fer, de bois et de pierre, qui ne voient, ni n’entendent, ni ne savent rien. Quant au Dieu qui tient ton âme en ses mains et qui dirige toutes tes voies, tu ne l’as pas honoré.
24 Then the part of the hand was sent out from before him, and this writing was recorded.
C’Est pourquoi une main détachée a été envoyée par lui, et cette inscription a été tracée.
25 And this is the writing which was recorded, Mene, tekel, peres.
Or, voici l’inscription qui a été tracée: MENÊ, MENÊ, TEKÊL, OUFARSIN.
26 This is the sense of the words: Mene; your kingdom has been numbered by God and ended.
Et telle est l’explication de ces mots: MENÊ Dieu a compté les jours de ta royauté et en a décidé la fin;
27 Tekel; you have been put in the scales and seen to be under weight.
TEKÊL tu as été pesé dans la balance et trouvé trop léger;
28 Peres; your kingdom has been cut up and given to the Medes and Persians.
PERES ton royaume a été divisé et donné aux Mèdes et aux Perses."
29 Then, by the order of Belshazzar, they put a purple robe on Daniel, and a gold chain round his neck, and a public statement was made that he was to be a ruler of high authority in the kingdom.
Aussitôt Balthasar donna l’ordre de revêtir Daniel de pourpre, de lui mettre un collier d’or au cou et de proclamer qu’il gouvernerait en tiers le royaume.
30 That very night Belshazzar, the king of the Chaldaeans, was put to death.
Cette même nuit Balthasar, le roi Chaldéen, fut mis à mort.
31 And Darius the Mede took the kingdom, being then about sixty-two years old.
Et Darius le Mède reçut la royauté à l’âge de soixante-deux ans.
