< 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 noblemen, and he drank wine in front of all one thousand of them.
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.
While Belshazzar tasted the wine, he gave orders to bring the containers made of gold or silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem, from which he, his noblemen, and his wives and concubines could drink.
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;
The servants brought the gold containers that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God, in Jerusalem. The king, his noblemen, and his 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 the wine and praised their idols made of gold and silver, bronze, iron, 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;
At that moment the fingers of a human hand appeared in front of the lampstand and wrote on the plaster wall in the king's palace. The king could see part of the hand as it 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 face changed and his thoughts frightened him; his limbs could not support him, and his knees were knocking together.
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.”
The king shouted a command to bring in those who claimed to speak with the dead, wise men, and astrologers. The king said to those known for their wisdom in Babylon, “Whoever explains this writing and its meaning will be clothed with purple and will have a gold chain around his neck. He will have the authority of the third highest ruler in the 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 all the king's men who were known for their wisdom came in, but they could not read the writing or explain its meaning to the king.
9 then King Belshazzar is greatly troubled, and his countenance is changing in him, and his great men are perplexed.
Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed and the look on his face changed. His noblemen were perplexed.
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:
Now the queen came into the banquet house because of what the king and his nobles had said. The queen said, “King, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you. Do not let the look on your face change.
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. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods was found in him. King Nebuchadnezzar, your father the king, made him chief of the magicians, as well as chief of those who speak with the dead, of the wise men, and of the astrologers.
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.”
An excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting of dreams, explaining riddles and solving problems—these qualities were found in this man Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now call for Daniel and he will tell you the meaning of what has been written.”
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 before the king. The king said to him, “You are that Daniel, one of the people of the exiles of Judah, whom my father the king brought out of Judah.
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 about you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are 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:
Now the men known for wisdom and those who claim to speak with the dead have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not make known the interpretation of it.
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.”
I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and tell me its meaning, you will be clothed with purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will have the authority of the third highest ruler in the 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;
Then Daniel answered before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another person. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to you, king, and will tell you the meaning.
18 you, O king, God Most High, a kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and honor, gave to your father Nebuchadnezzar:
As for you, king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom, greatness, honor, and majesty.
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;
Because of the greatness God gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared him. He put to death those he wanted to die, and he kept alive those he wished to live. He raised up those he wanted, and he humbled those he wished.
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 arrogant and his spirit was hardened so that he acted presumptuously, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and they took away his majesty.
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.
He was driven away from humanity, he had the mind of an animal, and he lived with the wild donkeys. He ate grass like an ox. His body was wet with the dew from the heavens until he learned that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of people and that he sets over them anyone he wishes.
22 And you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though all this you have known;
You his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this.
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.
You have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. From his house they brought you the containers that you, your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from, and you praised the idols made of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—idols that do not see, hear, or know anything. You have not honored the God who holds your breath in his hand and who knows all your ways.
24 Then from before Him is the extremity of the hand sent, and the writing is noted down;
Then God sent out a hand from his presence and this writing was done.
25 and this [is] the writing that is noted down: Numbered, Numbered, Weighed, and Divided.
This is the writing that was done: 'Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Pharsin.'
26 This [is] the interpretation of the thing: Numbered—God has numbered your kingdom, and has finished it.
This is its meaning: 'Mene,' 'God has numbered your kingdom and brought it to an end.'
27 Weighed—You are weighed in the balances, and have been found lacking.
'Tekel,' 'you are weighed in the scales and are found lacking.'
28 Divided—Your kingdom is divided, and it has been given to the Medes and Persians.”
'Peres,' 'your kingdom is divided and is given to the Medes and 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 Belshazzar gave a command, and they clothed Daniel with purple. A chain of gold was put around his neck, and the king made a proclamation about him that he would have the authority of the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
30 In that night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans is slain,
That night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed,
31 and Darius the Mede has received the kingdom when a son of sixty-two years.
and Darius the Mede received the kingdom when he was about sixty-two years old.