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 hath made a great feast to a thousand of his great men, and before the thousand he is drinking 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 hath said — while tasting the wine — to bring in the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple that [is] in Jerusalem, that drink with them may the king, and his great men, his wives, and his concubines.
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 have brought in the vessels of gold that had been taken out of the temple of the house of God that [is] in Jerusalem, and drunk with them have the king and his great men, his wives and his concubines;
4 As they drank wine they praised their gods—idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
they have drunk wine, and have 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 that hour come forth have fingers of a man's hand, and they are writing over-against the candlestick, on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king is seeing the extremity of the hand that is writing;
6 His face turned pale, and he became very frightened. His legs gave way and his knees knocked together.
then the king's countenance hath changed, and his thoughts do trouble him, and the joints of his loins are loosed, and his knees are smiting 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.”
Call doth the king mightily, to bring up the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. Answered hath the king, and said to the wise men of Babylon, that, 'Any man who doth read this writing, and its interpretation doth shew me, purple he putteth on, and a bracelet of gold [is] on his neck, and third in the kingdom he doth rule.'
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 coming up are all the wise men of the king, and they are not able to read the writing, and the interpretation to make 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 the king Belshazzar is greatly troubled, and his countenance is changing in him, and his great men are perplexed.
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!
The queen, on account of the words of the king and his great men, to the banquet-house hath come up. Answered hath the queen, and said, 'O king, to the ages live; let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor 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 — as the wisdom of the gods — was found in him; and king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, chief of the scribes, enchanters, Chaldeans, soothsayers, established him — 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.”
because that an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of enigmas, and loosing of knots was found in him, in Daniel, whose name the king made Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and the interpretation he doth show.'
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 Daniel hath been caused to come up before the king; answered hath the king, and said to Daniel, 'Thou art that Daniel who [art] of the sons of the Removed of Judah, whom the king my father brought in 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 light, and understanding, and excellent wisdom have been 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, caused to come up before me have been the wise men, the enchanters, that this writing they may read, and its interpretation to cause me to know: and they are not able to shew 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 — I have heard of thee, that thou art able to give interpretations, and to loose knots: now, lo — thou art able to read the writing, and its interpretation to cause me to know — purple thou dost put on, and a bracelet of gold [is] on thy neck, and third in the kingdom thou dost rule.'
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 hath Daniel answered and said before the king, 'Thy gifts be to thyself, and thy fee to another give; nevertheless, the writing I do read to the king, and the interpretation I cause him to know;
18 Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar this kingdom, and power, glory, and majesty.
thou, O king, God Most High, a kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and honour, gave to 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 gave to him, all peoples, nations, and languages were trembling and fearing before him: whom he willed he was slaying, and whom he willed he was keeping alive, and whom he willed he was raising up, and whom he willed he was making 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.
and when his heart was high, and his spirit was strong to act proudly, he hath been caused to come down from the throne of his kingdom, and his glory they have caused to pass away 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 he is driven, and his heart with the beasts hath been like, and with the wild asses [is] his dwelling; the herb like oxen they cause him to eat, and by the dew of the heavens is his body wet, till that he hath known that God Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and whom He willeth He raiseth up over it.
22 But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, even though you knew all this.
'And thou, his son, Belshazzar, hast not humbled thy heart, though all this thou hast known;
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.
and against the Lord of the heavens thou hast lifted up thyself; and the vessels of His house they have brought in before thee, and thou, and thy great men, thy wives, and thy concubines, are drinking wine with them, and gods of silver, and of gold, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone, that are not seeing, nor hearing, nor knowing, thou hast praised: and the God in whose hand [is] thy breath, and all thy ways, Him thou hast not honoured.
24 That's why he sent the hand to write this message.
'Then from before Him sent is the extremity of the hand, and the writing is noted down;
25 What was written on the wall was this: ‘Number, number, weigh, divide.’
and this [is] the writing that is noted down: Numbered, Numbered, Weighed, and Divided.
26 Here is the meaning: Number—God has numbered your reign and brought it to an end.
This [is] the interpretation of the thing: Numbered — God hath numbered thy kingdom, and hath finished it.
27 Weighed—you have been weighed on the balances and you were found lacking.
Weighed — Thou art weighed in the balances, and hast been found lacking.
28 Divided—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.”
Divided — Divided is thy kingdom, and it hath been 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 hath Belshazzar said, and they have clothed Daniel with purple, and a bracelet of gold [is] on his neck, and they have proclaimed concerning him that he is the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 On that very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was killed
In that night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans is slain,
31 and Darius the Mede was given the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.
and Darius the Mede hath received the kingdom, when a son of sixty and two years.
