Daniel 5
1 Belshazzar, the king, made a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and each one of them drank according to his age.
Belshazzar the king, made a great feast, to a thousand of his nobles, —and, before the thousand, was drinking, wine.
2 And so, when they were drunk, he instructed that the vessels of gold and silver should be brought, which Nebuchadnezzar, his father, had carried away from the temple, which was in Jerusalem, so that the king, and his nobles, and his wives, and the concubines, might drink from them.
Belshazzar, gave word, at the flavour of the wine, to bring the vessels of gold and silver, which Nebuchadnezzar his father, had brought forth, out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, —that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines, might drink therein.
3 Then the gold and silver vessels were presented, which he had carried away from the temple and which had been in Jerusalem, and the king, and his nobles, wives, and concubines, drank from them.
Then brought they the vessels of gold which had been taken out of the temple of the house of God, which was in Jerusalem, —and the king and his nobles, his wives and, his concubines, drank therein:
4 They drank wine, and they praised their gods of gold, and silver, brass, iron, and wood and stone.
they drank wine, —and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.
5 In the same hour, there appeared fingers, as of the hand of a man, writing on the surface of the wall, opposite the candlestick, in the king’s palace. And the king observed the part of the hand that wrote.
Immediately, came forth the fingers of the hand of a man, and wrote, over against the chandelier, upon the plaster of the wall of the palace of the king, —and, the king, saw the part of the hand which was writing,
6 Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts disturbed him, and he lost his self-control, and his knees knocked against one other.
Then, as for the king, his bright looks, changed in him, and, his thoughts, terrified him, —and, the joints of his loins, were loosed, and, his knees, smote, one against another.
7 And the king cried out loudly for them to bring in the astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. And the king proclaimed to the wise men of Babylon, saying, “Whoever will read this writing and make known to me its interpretation will be clothed with purple, and will have a golden chain on his neck, and will be third in my kingdom.”
The king began crying out again, to bring in the magicians, the Chaldeans and the astrologers, —the king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever it is that shall read this writing, and, the interpretation thereof, shall declare unto me, with purple, shall he be clothed, and have a chain of gold upon his neck, and, as the third in the kingdom, shall he have dominion.
8 Then, in came all the wise men of the king, but they could neither read the writing, nor reveal the interpretation to the king.
Then were coming in all the wise men of the king, —but, the writing, could they not read, nor, the interpretation, make known to the king.
9 Therefore, king Belshazzar was quite confused, and his face was altered, and even his nobles were disturbed.
Then, King Belshazzar, was greatly terrified, and, his bright looks, were changed upon him, —and, his nobles, were perplexed.
10 But the queen, because of what had happened to the king and his nobles, entered the banquet house. And she spoke out, saying, “O king, live forever. Do not let your thoughts confuse you, neither should your face be altered.
The queen, by reason of the words of the king and his nobles, into the house of banqueting, entered, —the queen spake and said, O king! for ages, live! Let not thy thoughts, terrify thee, and, as for thy bright looks, let them not be changed.
11 There is a man in your kingdom, who has the spirit of the holy gods within himself, and in the days of your father, knowledge and wisdom were found in him. For king Nebuchadnezzar, your father, appointed him leader of the astrologers, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers, even your father, I say to you, O king.
There is a man in thy kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods, and, in the days of thy father, light, and intelligence, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him, —and, King Nebuchadnezzar thy father, appointed him, chief of the sacred scribes, the magicians, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers, —thy father, O king!
12 For a greater spirit, and foresight, and understanding, and interpretation of dreams, and the revealing of secrets, and the solution to difficulties were found in him, that is, in Daniel, to whom the king gave the name Belteshazzar. Now, therefore, let Daniel be summoned, and he will explain the interpretation.”
Forasmuch as, a distinguished spirit, and knowledge and intelligence, ability to interpret dreams and solve riddles and unravel knotty points, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let, Daniel, be called, and, the interpretation, will he declare.
13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. And the king spoke to him, saying, “Are you Daniel, of the sons of the captivity of Judah, whom my father the king led out of Judea?
Then, Daniel, was brought in before the king, —the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art, thou, that Daniel, that is of the sons of the exile of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah?
14 I have heard of you, that you have the spirit of the gods, and that greater knowledge, as well as understanding and wisdom, have been found in you.
Then, I have heard concerning thee, that, the spirit of the gods, is in thee, —and, light and intelligence and distinguished wisdom, are found in thee.
15 And now the wise astrologers have entered into my presence, so as to read this writing and to reveal to me its interpretation. And they were not able to tell me the meaning of this writing.
Now, therefore, have been brought in before me, the wise men, the magicians, that, this writing, they might read, and, the interpretation thereof, might make known unto me, —but they were not able, the interpretation of the thing, to declare.
16 Furthermore, I have heard about you that you can interpret obscure things and solve difficulties. So then, if you succeed in reading the writing, and in revealing its interpretation, you will be clothed with purple, and you will have a chain of gold around your neck, and you will be the third leader in my kingdom.”
I, however, have heard concerning thee, that thou art able, interpretations, to unfold, and, knotty points, to unravel, —Now, if thou be able, the writing, to read, and, the interpretation thereof, to make known unto me, with purple, shalt thou be clothed, and, a chain of gold, shalt thou have upon thy neck, and, as the third in the kingdom, shalt thou have dominion.
17 To this Daniel responded by saying directly to the king, “Your rewards should be for yourself, and the gifts of your house you may give to another, but I will read to you the writing, O king, and I will reveal to you its interpretation.
Then spake Daniel, and said before the king, As for thy gifts, thine own let them remain, and, thy presents, on another, bestow, —howbeit, the writing, will I read to the king, and, the interpretation thereof, will I make known to him.
18 O king, the Most High God gave to Nebuchadnezzar, your father, a kingdom and greatness, glory and honor.
As for thee, O king, the Most High God, gave, kingship and greatness and honour and majesty, unto Nebuchadnezzar thy father;
19 And because of the greatness that he gave to him, all peoples, tribes, and languages trembled and were afraid of him. Whomever he wished, he put to death; and whomever he wished, he destroyed; and whomever he wished, he exalted; and whomever he wished, he lowered.
and, for the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, races and tongues, used to tremble and to withdraw falteringly from before him, —Whom he would, he slew, and, whom he would, he kept alive, and, whom he would, he set up, and, whom he would, he put down.
20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened in arrogance, he was deposed from the throne of his kingdom and his glory was taken away.
But, when uplifted was his heart and, his spirit, became obstinate so as to act arrogantly, he was put down from the throne of his kingdom, and, his dignity, took they from him;
21 And he was expelled from the sons of men, and so his heart was placed with the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys, and he ate hay like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he realized that the Most High holds power over the kingdom of men, and that whoever he wishes, he will set over it.
And, from among the sons of men, was he driven, and, his heart, to a wild beast’s, became equal, and, with the wild asses, was his dwelling, and, grass—like oxen, they suffered him to eat, and, with the dew of the heavens, his body, was drenched—until that he came to know that the Most High God, hath dominion, over the kingdom of men, and, whomsoever he pleaseth, he setteth up over it.
22 Likewise, you, his son Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all these things.
And yet, thou, his son, O Belshazzar! hast not humbled thy heart, though, all this, thou knewest;
23 But you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been presented before you. And you, and your nobles, and your wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. Likewise, you have praised the gods of silver, and gold, and brass, iron, and wood and stone, who neither see, nor hear, nor feel, yet you have not glorified the God who holds your breath and all your ways in his hand.
but, against the Lord of the heavens, hast uplifted thyself, and, the vessels of his house, have they brought before thee, and, thou, and thy nobles, thy wives and thy concubines, have been drinking, wine, therein, and, gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which see not nor hear nor know, hast thou praised, —whereas, God, in whose hand thy breath is and whose are all thy ways, him, hast thou not glorified.
24 Therefore, he has sent the part of the hand which has written this, which has been inscribed.
Then was there put forth from before him the part of the hand, —and, this writing, was inscribed:
25 But this is the writing that has been decreed: MANE, THECEL, PHARES.
And this is the writing which was inscribed, M’ne, M’ne, T’kel, u-Pharsin.
26 And this is the interpretation of the words. MANE: God has numbered your kingdom and has finished it.
This, is the interpretation of the thing, —M’ne ["Reckoned-up"], God hath reckoned up thy reign, and ended it:
27 THECEL: you have been weighed on the scales and found lacking.
T’kel, —thou art weighed ["Weighed"] in the balances, and found wanting;
28 PHARES: your kingdom has been divided and has been given to the Medes and the Persians.
P’res ["Snatched-away"], —snatched away is thy kingdom, and given to the Medes and Persians.
29 Then, by the king’s command, Daniel was dressed with purple, and a chain of gold was placed around his neck, and it was proclaimed of him that he held power as the third in the kingdom.
Then Belshazzar, gave word, that they should clothe Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold upon his neck, —and should make a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler over the kingdom.
30 That same night, king Belshazzar the Chaldean was killed.
In that night, was slain—Belshazzar, the king of the Chaldeans.
31 And Darius the Mede succeeded to the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two years.
And, Darius the Mede, received the kingdom, —when about sixty-two years of age.
