Daniel 5
1 King Belshazzar held a great feast for one thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine with them.
King Belshazzar prepared a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and before these thousand did he drink wine.
2 Under the wine's influence Belshazzar ordered his servants to bring in the cups and bowls of gold and silver his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem so that he and his nobles, his wives and concubines, could drink from them.
Belshazzar ordered, through the counsel of the wine, to bring in the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken away out of the temple which was in Jerusalem: that the king, and his lords, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therefrom.
3 So they brought in the gold cups and bowls that had been taken from the Temple of God in Jerusalem. The king and his nobles, his wives and concubines, drank from them.
Then they brought in the golden vessels that were taken away out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his lords, his wives, and his concubines, drank from them.
4 As they drank wine they praised their gods—idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
They drank wine, and praised their gods of gold, and of silver, of copper, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
5 Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared, writing on the plaster wall of the king's palace, opposite the lampstand. The king watched the hand as it wrote.
At that same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote opposite to the chandelier upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
6 His face turned pale, and he became very frightened. His legs gave way and his knees knocked together.
Then was the king's color changed, and his thoughts troubled him: so that the bands of his loins were loosed, and his knees knocked one against the other.
7 The king shouted, “Bring in the enchanters and astrologers and diviners!” He told these wise men of Babylon, “Anyone who can read this writing and explain it to me will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
the king called with might to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king commenced, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whatsoever man will read this writing, and tell me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall rule as the third in the kingdom.
8 However, after all the king's wise men had come in, they could not read the writing or explain to him what it meant.
Then came in all the wise men of the king; but they were not able to read the writing, nor to make its interpretation known to the king.
9 This made King Belshazzar even more frightened and his face grew even paler. His nobles also were in panic.
Then was king Belshazzar greatly terrified, and his color was changed on him, and his lords were confounded.
10 When the queen mother heard the noise the king and the nobles were making she went to the banquet hall. She said to Belshazzar, “May Your Majesty the king live forever! Don't be frightened! Don't look so pale!
[Now] the queen in consequence of the words of the king and of his lords came into the banquet-house; the queen commenced and said, O king, live for ever; let thy thoughts not trouble thee, nor let thy color be changed:
11 There's a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In your father's time he was found to have understanding and insight, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your Majesty's father, King Nebuchadnezzar put him in charge of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. Your father did this
There is a man in thy kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father enlightenment and intelligence and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him: and king Nebuchadnezzar thy father appointed him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers: —yes, thy father, O king.—
12 because Daniel, (called Belteshazzar by the king) was found to have an excellent mind, full of understanding and insight, and also able to interpret dreams, explain mysteries, and solve difficult problems. Call Daniel in and let him explain what this means to you.”
Forasmuch as a superior spirit, and knowledge, and intelligence, interpreting of dreams, and solving of riddles, and of untying knotty [doubts], were found in him, in Daniel, to whom the king assigned the name of Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will tell the interpretation.
13 So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the prisoners my father the king brought from Judah?
Then was Daniel brought in before the king: the king commenced and said unto Daniel, Art thou Daniel, who art of the children of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah?
14 I have heard about you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you were found to have understanding, insight, and great wisdom.
And I have heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that enlightenment and intelligence and superior wisdom are found in thee.
15 Just now the wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and explain it to me, but they weren't able to do so—they couldn't tell me what it meant.
And now the wise men, the astrologers, had been brought before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me its interpretation; but they were not able to tell the interpretation of the matter.
16 However, I'm told that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and explain it to me, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
But I have truly heard concerning thee, that thou art able to give interpretations, and untie knotty [doubts]: now if thou art able to read the writing, and make known to me its interpretation, thou shalt be clothed with purple, with a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt rule as the third in the kingdom.
17 Daniel answered the king, “Keep your gifts and give your rewards to another. Even so I will read the writing to Your Majesty and explain to you what it means.
Then answered Daniel and said before the king, Let thy gifts remain in thy possession, and bestow thy bounty on another: nevertheless will I read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
18 Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar this kingdom, and power, glory, and majesty.
O thou king! the most high God gave kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and honor unto Nebuchadnezzar thy father;
19 Because of the power he gave him, people of every nation and language trembled with fear before him. Those he wished to kill were killed, and those he wished to live were allowed to live. Those he wanted to honor were honored, and those he wanted to humble were humbled.
And because of the greatness that he had given unto him, all people, nations, and languages trembled and shook before him: whom he pleased he slew; and whom he pleased he kept alive; and whom he pleased he lifted up; and whom he pleased he brought low.
20 But when he became arrogant and hard-hearted, acting proudly, he was removed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him.
But, when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit hardened to deal presumptuously, he was cast down from the throne of his kingdom, and his dignity did they take from him;
21 He was driven away from human society and his mind became like that of an animal. He lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like cattle, and he was soaked with the dew of heaven until he acknowledged that the Most High rules over human kingdoms, and that he gives them to whoever he chooses.
And from the sons of men was he driven forth, and his heart became equal with [that of] the beasts, and with the wild asses was his dwelling; they suffered him to eat herbs like oxen, and with the dew of heaven was his body made wet: till he acknowledged that the most high God ruleth over the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he pleaseth.
22 But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, even though you knew all this.
And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thy heart, though thou knewest all this;
23 You have arrogantly defied the Lord of heaven and you had the cups and bowls of his Temple brought to you. You and your nobles, your wives and concubines, drank wine from them as you praised gods made of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone that can't see or hear or know anything. But you have not honored God who holds in his hand your very breath and everything you do.
But against the Lord of heaven hast thou lifted thyself up; and the vessels of his house have they brought before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine from them; and the gods of silver, and gold, of copper, iron, wood, and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor know, hast thou praised; and the God in whose hand thy soul is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
24 That's why he sent the hand to write this message.
Thereupon was sent from before him the part of the hand, and this writing was noted down.
25 What was written on the wall was this: ‘Number, number, weigh, divide.’
And this is the writing that was noted down, M'ne, M'ne, T'kel, Upharsin.
26 Here is the meaning: Number—God has numbered your reign and brought it to an end.
This the interpretation of the matter: M'ne, God hath numbered thy kingdom, and made an end of it.
27 Weighed—you have been weighed on the balances and you were found lacking.
T'kel, Thou least been weighed in the balances, and been found wanting.
28 Divided—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.”
P'ress; Thy kingdom hath been divided, and is given to the Medes and Persians.
29 Then Belshazzar gave the order and Daniel was clothed in purple and had a gold chain placed around his neck. He was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
Then gave Belshazzar the order, and they clothed Daniel with purple, with a chain of gold about his neck, and they made a proclamation concerning him, that he should rule as the third in the kingdom.
30 On that very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was killed
In that very night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
31 and Darius the Mede was given the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.
And Darius the Median obtained the kingdom, when he was sixty and two years old.
