Daniel 5
1 King Belshazzar held a great feast for one thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine with them.
Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
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, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which [was] in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink in them.
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 the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which [was] at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in 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 the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, 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.
In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick 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 the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
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 cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the sooth-sayers. [And] the king spoke and said to the wise [men] of Babylon, Whoever shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation of it, shall be clothed with scarlet, and [have] a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler 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 king's wise [men]: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation of it.
9 This made King Belshazzar even more frightened and his face grew even paler. His nobles also were in panic.
Then was the king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonished.
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 by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house: [and] the queen spoke and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance 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 light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, [I say], thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, [and] sooth-sayers;
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 an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, the interpreting of dreams, and showing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will show 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. [And] the king spoke and said to Daniel, [Art] thou that Daniel, who [art] of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judea?
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 even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods [is] in thee, and [that] light and understanding and excellent wisdom is 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, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known to me the interpretation of it, but they could not show the interpretation of the thing:
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.”
And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation of it, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and [have] a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler 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 Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing to 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 Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honor:
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 for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared 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 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 mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory 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 he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling [was] with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruleth in the kingdom of men, and [that] he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.
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 hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drank wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath [is], and whose [are] all thy ways, thou hast not glorified.
24 That's why he sent the hand to write this message.
Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
25 What was written on the wall was this: ‘Number, number, weigh, divide.’
And this [is] the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26 Here is the meaning: Number—God has numbered your reign and brought it to an end.
This [is] the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
27 Weighed—you have been weighed on the balances and you were found lacking.
TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
28 Divided—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.”
PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and 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 commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and [put] a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 On that very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was killed
In that 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 took the kingdom, [being] about sixty and two years old.
