Daniel 5
1 King Belshazzar held a great feast for one thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine with them.
[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 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.
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 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.
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 As they drank wine they praised their gods—idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
They drank to praise/honor their idols that were made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and [even] wood and 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.
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 His face turned pale, and he became very frightened. His legs gave way and his knees knocked together.
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 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.”
[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 However, after all the king's wise men had come in, they could not read the writing or explain to him what it meant.
But when all those wise men came in, none of them could read the writing, or tell him what it meant.
9 This made King Belshazzar even more frightened and his face grew even paler. His nobles also were in panic.
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 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!
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 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 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 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.”
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 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?
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 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.
I have [also] heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you are very wise and understand many things.
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.
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 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.”
[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 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.
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 Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar this kingdom, and power, glory, and majesty.
(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 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.
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 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 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 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.
[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 But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, even though you knew all this.
Now, Belshazzar, you have become the king. You [also] knew all those things, but you have not made yourself humble.
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.
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 That's why he sent the hand to write this message.
So God sent that hand to write a message [for you].
25 What was written on the wall was this: ‘Number, number, weigh, divide.’
This is the message that it wrote: ‘Mene, mene, tekel, parsin.’
26 Here is the meaning: Number—God has numbered your reign and brought it to an end.
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 Weighed—you have been weighed on the balances and you were found lacking.
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 Divided—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.”
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 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 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 On that very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was killed
But that same night [soldiers from Media entered the city and] killed Belshazzar, the King of Babylonia.
31 and Darius the Mede was given the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.
Darius, the King of Media, became the King [of Babylonia] when he was 62 years old.
