Daniel 5
1 King Belshazzar prepared a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and before these thousand did he drink wine.
Baltasar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his nobles: and every one drank according to his age.
2 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.
And being now drunk he commanded that they should bring the vessels of gold and silver which Nabuchodonosor his father had brought away out of the temple, that was in Jerusalem, that the king and his nobles, and his wives and his concubines, might drink in them.
3 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.
Then were the golden and silver vessels brought, which he had brought away out of the temple that was in Jerusalem: and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines, drank in them.
4 They drank wine, and praised their gods of gold, and of silver, of copper, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
They drank wine, and praised their gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, and of wood, and of stone.
5 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.
In the same hour there appeared fingers, as it were of the hand of a man, writing over against the candlestick upon the surface of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king beheld the joints of the hand that wrote.
6 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.
Then was the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him: and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees struck one against the other.
7 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.
And the king cried out aloud to bring in the wise men, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spoke, and said to the wise men of Babylon: Whosoever shall read this writing, and shall make known to me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and shall have a golden chain on his neck, and shall be the third man in my kingdom.
8 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.
Then came in all the king’s wise men, but they could neither read the writing, nor declare the interpretation to the king.
9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly terrified, and his color was changed on him, and his lords were confounded.
Wherewith king Baltasar was much troubled, and his countenance was changed: and his nobles also were troubled.
10 [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:
Then the queen, on occasion of what had happened to the king, and his nobles, came into the banquet house: and she spoke and said: O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, neither let thy countenance be changed.
11 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.—
There is a man in thy kingdom that hath the spirit of the holy gods in him: and in the days of thy father knowledge and wisdom were found in him: for king Nabuchodonosor thy father appointed him prince of the wise men, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers, thy father, I say, O king:
12 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.
Because a greater spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, and interpretation of dreams, and shewing of secrets, and resolving of difficult things, were found in him, that is, in Daniel: whom the king named Baltassar. Now therefore let Daniel be called for, and he will tell the interpretation.
13 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?
Then Daniel was brought in before the king. And the king spoke, and said to him: Art thou Daniel of the children of the captivity of Juda, whom my father the king brought out of Judea?
14 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.
I have heard of thee, that thou hast the spirit of the gods, and excellent knowledge, and understanding, and wisdom are found in thee.
15 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.
And now the wise men the magicians have come in before me, to read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof: and they could not declare to me the meaning of this writing.
16 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.
But I have heard of thee, that thou canst interpret obscure things, and resolve difficult things: now if thou art able to read the writing, and to shew me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and shalt have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third prince in my kingdom.
17 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.
To which Daniel made answer, and said before the king: Thy rewards be to thyself, and the gifts of thy house give to another: but the writing I will read to thee, O king, and shew thee the interpretation thereof.
18 O thou king! the most high God gave kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and honor unto Nebuchadnezzar thy father;
O king, the most high God gave to Nabuchodonosor thy father a kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and honour.
19 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.
And for the greatness that he gave to him, all people, tribes, and languages trembled, and were afraid of him: whom he would, he slew: and whom he would, he destroyed: and whom he would, he set up: and whom he would, he brought down.
20 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;
But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit hardened unto pride, he was put down from the throne of his kingdom, and his glory was taken away.
21 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.
And he was driven out from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses, and he did eat grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven: till he knew that the most High ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he will set over it whomsoever it shall please him.
22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thy heart, though thou knewest all this;
Thou also his son, O Baltasar, hast not humbled thy heart, whereas thou knewest all these things:
23 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:
But hast lifted thyself up against the Lord of heaven: and the vessels of his house have been brought before thee: and thou, and thy nobles, and thy wives, and thy concubines have drunk wine in them: and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and of gold, and of brass, of iron, and of wood, and of stone, that neither see, nor hear, nor feel: but the God who hath thy breath in his hand, and all thy ways, thou hast not glorified.
24 Thereupon was sent from before him the part of the hand, and this writing was noted down.
Wherefore he hath sent the part of the hand which hath written this that is set down.
25 And this is the writing that was noted down, M'ne, M'ne, T'kel, Upharsin.
And this is the writing that is written: MANE, THECEL, PHARES.
26 This the interpretation of the matter: M'ne, God hath numbered thy kingdom, and made an end of it.
And this is the interpretation of the word. MANE: God hath numbered thy kingdom, and hath finished it.
27 T'kel, Thou least been weighed in the balances, and been found wanting.
THECEL: thou art weighed in the balance, and art found wanting.
28 P'ress; Thy kingdom hath been divided, and is given to the Medes and Persians.
PHARES: thy kingdom is divided, and is given to the Medes and Persians.
29 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.
Then by the king’s command Daniel was clothed with purple, and a chain of gold was put about his neck: and it was proclaimed of him that he had power as the third man in the kingdom.
30 In that very night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
The same night Baltasar the Chaldean king was slain.
31 And Darius the Median obtained the kingdom, when he was sixty and two years old.
And Darius the Mede succeeded to the kingdom, being threescore and two years old.
