Daniel 5
1 Belshazzar the king has made a great feast to one thousand of his great men, and before the one thousand he is drinking wine;
Belshazzar, the king, made a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and each one of them drank according to his age.
2 Belshazzar has said—while tasting the wine—to bring in the vessels of gold and of silver that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple that [is] in Jerusalem, that the king may drink with them, and his great men, his wives, and his concubines.
And so, when they were drunk, he instructed that the vessels of gold and silver should be brought, which Nebuchadnezzar, his father, had carried away from the temple, which was in Jerusalem, so that the king, and his nobles, and his wives, and the concubines, might drink from them.
3 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 the king and his great men, his wives and his concubines, have drunk with them;
Then the gold and silver vessels were presented, which he had carried away from the temple and which had been in Jerusalem, and the king, and his nobles, wives, and concubines, drank from them.
4 they have drunk wine, and have praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of bronze, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
They drank wine, and they praised their gods of gold, and silver, brass, iron, and wood and stone.
5 In that hour fingers of a man’s hand have come forth, and they are writing in front of the lampstand, on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king is seeing the extremity of the hand that is writing;
In the same hour, there appeared fingers, as of the hand of a man, writing on the surface of the wall, opposite the candlestick, in the king’s palace. And the king observed the part of the hand that wrote.
6 then the king’s countenance has changed, and his thoughts trouble him, and the joints of his loins are loosed, and his knees are striking against one another.
Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts disturbed him, and he lost his self-control, and his knees knocked against one other.
7 The king calls mightily, to bring up the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king has answered and said to the wise men of Babylon, that, “Any man who reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, he puts on purple, and a bracelet of gold [is] on his neck, and he rules third in the kingdom.”
And the king cried out loudly for them to bring in the astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. And the king proclaimed to the wise men of Babylon, saying, “Whoever will read this writing and make known to me its interpretation will be clothed with purple, and will have a golden chain on his neck, and will be third in my kingdom.”
8 Then all the wise men of the king are coming up, and they are not able to read the writing, and to make known the interpretation to the king;
Then, in came all the wise men of the king, but they could neither read the writing, nor reveal the interpretation to the king.
9 then King Belshazzar is greatly troubled, and his countenance is changing in him, and his great men are perplexed.
Therefore, king Belshazzar was quite confused, and his face was altered, and even his nobles were disturbed.
10 The queen, on account of the words of the king and his great men, has come up to the banquet-house. The queen has answered and said, “O king, live for all ages; do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor your countenance be changed:
But the queen, because of what had happened to the king and his nobles, entered the banquet house. And she spoke out, saying, “O king, live forever. Do not let your thoughts confuse you, neither should your face be altered.
11 there is a man in your kingdom in whom [is] the spirit of the holy gods: and in the days of your father, light, and understanding, and wisdom—as the wisdom of the gods—was found in him; and your father King Nebuchadnezzar, chief of the scribes, enchanters, Chaldeans, soothsayers, established him—your father, O king—
There is a man in your kingdom, who has the spirit of the holy gods within himself, and in the days of your father, knowledge and wisdom were found in him. For king Nebuchadnezzar, your father, appointed him leader of the astrologers, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers, even your father, I say to you, O king.
12 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 shows.”
For a greater spirit, and foresight, and understanding, and interpretation of dreams, and the revealing of secrets, and the solution to difficulties were found in him, that is, in Daniel, to whom the king gave the name Belteshazzar. Now, therefore, let Daniel be summoned, and he will explain the interpretation.”
13 Then Daniel has been caused to come up before the king; the king has answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel who [is] of the sons of the expulsion of Judah, whom my father the king brought in out of Judah?
Then Daniel was brought in before the king. And the king spoke to him, saying, “Are you Daniel, of the sons of the captivity of Judah, whom my father the king led out of Judea?
14 And I have heard of you, that the spirit of the gods [is] in you, and light, and understanding, and excellent wisdom have been found in you.
I have heard of you, that you have the spirit of the gods, and that greater knowledge, as well as understanding and wisdom, have been found in you.
15 And now, caused to come up before me have been the wise men, the enchanters, that they may read this writing, and its interpretation to cause me to know: and they are not able to show the interpretation of the thing:
And now the wise astrologers have entered into my presence, so as to read this writing and to reveal to me its interpretation. And they were not able to tell me the meaning of this writing.
16 and I have heard of you, that you are able to give interpretations, and to loose knots: now, behold—you are able to read the writing, and its interpretation to cause me to know—purple you put on, and a bracelet of gold [is] on your neck, and you rule third in the kingdom.”
Furthermore, I have heard about you that you can interpret obscure things and solve difficulties. So then, if you succeed in reading the writing, and in revealing its interpretation, you will be clothed with purple, and you will have a chain of gold around your neck, and you will be the third leader in my kingdom.”
17 Then Daniel has answered and said before the king, “Your gifts be to yourself, and give your fee to another; nevertheless, the writing I read to the king, and the interpretation I cause him to know;
To this Daniel responded by saying directly to the king, “Your rewards should be for yourself, and the gifts of your house you may give to another, but I will read to you the writing, O king, and I will reveal to you its interpretation.
18 you, O king, God Most High, a kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and honor, gave to your father Nebuchadnezzar:
O king, the Most High God gave to Nebuchadnezzar, your father, a kingdom and greatness, glory and honor.
19 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;
And because of the greatness that he gave to him, all peoples, tribes, and languages trembled and were afraid of him. Whomever he wished, he put to death; and whomever he wished, he destroyed; and whomever he wished, he exalted; and whomever he wished, he lowered.
20 and when his heart was high, and his spirit was strong to act proudly, he has been caused to come down from the throne of his kingdom, and his glory they have caused to pass away from him,
But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened in arrogance, he was deposed from the throne of his kingdom and his glory was taken away.
21 and he is driven from the sons of men, and his heart has been like with the beasts, and with the wild donkeys [is] his dwelling; they cause him to eat the herb like oxen, and by the dew of the heavens is his body wet, until he has known that God Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and whom He wills He raises up over it.
And he was expelled from the sons of men, and so his heart was placed with the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys, and he ate hay like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he realized that the Most High holds power over the kingdom of men, and that whoever he wishes, he will set over it.
22 And you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though all this you have known;
Likewise, you, his son Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all these things.
23 and against the Lord of the heavens you have lifted up yourself; and the vessels of His house they have brought in before you, and you, and your great men, your wives, and your concubines, are drinking wine with them, and gods of silver, and of gold, of bronze, of iron, of wood, and of stone, that are not seeing, nor hearing, nor knowing, you have praised: and the God in whose hand [is] your breath, and all your ways, Him you have not honored.
But you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been presented before you. And you, and your nobles, and your wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. Likewise, you have praised the gods of silver, and gold, and brass, iron, and wood and stone, who neither see, nor hear, nor feel, yet you have not glorified the God who holds your breath and all your ways in his hand.
24 Then from before Him is the extremity of the hand sent, and the writing is noted down;
Therefore, he has sent the part of the hand which has written this, which has been inscribed.
25 and this [is] the writing that is noted down: Numbered, Numbered, Weighed, and Divided.
But this is the writing that has been decreed: MANE, THECEL, PHARES.
26 This [is] the interpretation of the thing: Numbered—God has numbered your kingdom, and has finished it.
And this is the interpretation of the words. MANE: God has numbered your kingdom and has finished it.
27 Weighed—You are weighed in the balances, and have been found lacking.
THECEL: you have been weighed on the scales and found lacking.
28 Divided—Your kingdom is divided, and it has been given to the Medes and Persians.”
PHARES: your kingdom has been divided and has been given to the Medes and the Persians.
29 Then Belshazzar has spoken, 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.
Then, by the king’s command, Daniel was dressed with purple, and a chain of gold was placed around his neck, and it was proclaimed of him that he held power as the third in the kingdom.
30 In that night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans is slain,
That same night, king Belshazzar the Chaldean was killed.
31 and Darius the Mede has received the kingdom when a son of sixty-two years.
And Darius the Mede succeeded to the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two years.
