Daniel 5
1 Belshazzar the king, made a great feast, to a thousand of his nobles, —and, before the thousand, was drinking, wine.
Later, King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he drank wine with them.
2 Belshazzar, gave word, at the flavour of the wine, to bring the vessels of gold and silver, which Nebuchadnezzar his father, had brought forth, out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, —that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines, might drink therein.
Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king could drink from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines.
3 Then brought they the vessels of gold which had been taken out of the temple of the house of God, which was in Jerusalem, —and the king and his nobles, his wives and, his concubines, drank therein:
Thus they brought in the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king drank from them, along with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines.
4 they drank wine, —and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.
As they drank the wine, they praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.
5 Immediately, came forth the fingers of the hand of a man, and wrote, over against the chandelier, upon the plaster of the wall of the palace of the king, —and, the king, saw the part of the hand which was writing,
At that moment the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. As the king watched the hand that was writing,
6 Then, as for the king, his bright looks, changed in him, and, his thoughts, terrified him, —and, the joints of his loins, were loosed, and, his knees, smote, one against another.
his face grew pale and his thoughts so alarmed him that his hips gave way and his knees knocked together.
7 The king began crying out again, to bring in the magicians, the Chaldeans and the astrologers, —the king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever it is that shall read this writing, and, the interpretation thereof, shall declare unto me, with purple, shall he be clothed, and have a chain of gold upon his neck, and, as the third in the kingdom, shall he have dominion.
The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners to be brought in, and he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and tells me its interpretation will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
8 Then were coming in all the wise men of the king, —but, the writing, could they not read, nor, the interpretation, make known to the king.
So all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or interpret it for him.
9 Then, King Belshazzar, was greatly terrified, and, his bright looks, were changed upon him, —and, his nobles, were perplexed.
Then King Belshazzar became even more terrified, his face grew even more pale, and his nobles were bewildered.
10 The queen, by reason of the words of the king and his nobles, into the house of banqueting, entered, —the queen spake and said, O king! for ages, live! Let not thy thoughts, terrify thee, and, as for thy bright looks, let them not be changed.
Hearing the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen entered the banquet hall. “O king, may you live forever!” she said. “Do not let your thoughts terrify you, or your face grow pale.
11 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 intelligence, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him, —and, King Nebuchadnezzar thy father, appointed him, chief of the sacred scribes, the magicians, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers, —thy father, O king!
There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the days of your father he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. Your own father, the king,
12 Forasmuch as, a distinguished spirit, and knowledge and intelligence, ability to interpret dreams and solve riddles and unravel knotty points, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let, Daniel, be called, and, the interpretation, will he declare.
did this because Daniel, the one he named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, as well as knowledge, understanding, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Summon Daniel, therefore, and he will give you the interpretation.”
13 Then, Daniel, was brought in before the king, —the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art, thou, that Daniel, that is of the sons of the exile of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah?
So Daniel was brought before the king, who asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah?
14 Then, I have heard concerning thee, that, the spirit of the gods, is in thee, —and, light and intelligence and distinguished wisdom, are found in thee.
I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you have insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom.
15 Now, therefore, have been brought in before me, the wise men, the magicians, that, this writing, they might read, and, the interpretation thereof, might make known unto me, —but they were not able, the interpretation of the thing, to declare.
Now the wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this inscription and interpret it for me, but they could not give its interpretation.
16 I, however, have heard concerning thee, that thou art able, interpretations, to unfold, and, knotty points, to unravel, —Now, if thou be able, the writing, to read, and, the interpretation thereof, to make known unto me, with purple, shalt thou be clothed, and, a chain of gold, shalt thou have upon thy neck, and, as the third in the kingdom, shalt thou have dominion.
But I have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
17 Then spake Daniel, and said before the king, As for thy gifts, thine own let them remain, and, thy presents, on another, bestow, —howbeit, the writing, will I read to the king, and, the interpretation thereof, will I make known to him.
In response, Daniel said to the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the inscription for the king and interpret it for him.
18 As for thee, O king, the Most High God, gave, kingship and greatness and honour and majesty, unto Nebuchadnezzar thy father;
As for you, O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness, glory and honor.
19 and, for the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, races and tongues, used to tremble and to withdraw falteringly from 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.
Because of the greatness that He bestowed on him, the people of every nation and language trembled in fear before him. He killed whom he wished and kept alive whom he wished; he exalted whom he wished and humbled whom he wished.
20 But, when uplifted was his heart and, his spirit, became obstinate so as to act arrogantly, he was put down from the throne of his kingdom, and, his dignity, took they from him;
But when his heart became arrogant and his spirit was hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken from him.
21 And, from among the sons of men, was he driven, and, his heart, to a wild beast’s, became equal, and, with the wild asses, was his dwelling, and, grass—like oxen, they suffered him to eat, and, with the dew of the heavens, his body, was drenched—until that he came to know that the Most High God, hath dominion, over the kingdom of men, and, whomsoever he pleaseth, he setteth up over it.
He was driven away from mankind, and his mind was like that of a beast. He lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he acknowledged that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of mankind, setting over it whom He wishes.
22 And yet, thou, his son, O Belshazzar! hast not humbled thy heart, though, all this, thou knewest;
But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this.
23 but, against the Lord of the heavens, hast uplifted thyself, and, the vessels of his house, have they brought before thee, and, thou, and thy nobles, thy wives and thy concubines, have been drinking, wine, therein, and, gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which see not nor hear nor know, hast thou praised, —whereas, God, in whose hand thy breath is and whose are all thy ways, him, hast thou not glorified.
Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you drank wine from them with your nobles, wives, and concubines, you praised your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you have failed to glorify the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways.
24 Then was there put forth from before him the part of the hand, —and, this writing, was inscribed:
Therefore He sent the hand that wrote the inscription.
25 And this is the writing which was inscribed, M’ne, M’ne, T’kel, u-Pharsin.
Now this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.
26 This, is the interpretation of the thing, —M’ne ["Reckoned-up"], God hath reckoned up thy reign, and ended it:
And this is the interpretation of the message: MENE means that God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.
27 T’kel, —thou art weighed ["Weighed"] in the balances, and found wanting;
TEKEL means that you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.
28 P’res ["Snatched-away"], —snatched away is thy kingdom, and given to the Medes and Persians.
PERES means that your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”
29 Then Belshazzar, gave word, that they should clothe Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold upon his neck, —and should make a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler over the kingdom.
Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a gold chain around his neck, and proclaimed him the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
30 In that night, was slain—Belshazzar, the king of the Chaldeans.
That very night Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans was slain,
31 And, Darius the Mede, received the kingdom, —when about sixty-two years of age.
and Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.
