Daniel 5
1 Balthasar, the kyng, made a greet feeste to hise beste men a thousynde, and ech man drank aftir his age.
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 Forsothe the kyng thanne drunkun comaundide, that the goldun and siluerne vessels schulden be brouyt forth, whiche Nabugodonosor, his fadir, hadde borun out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, that the kyng, and hise beste men, hise wyues, and councubyns schulden drynke in tho vessels.
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 Thanne the goldun vessels and siluerne, whiche he hadde borun out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, weren brouyt forth; and the kyng, and hise beste men, and hise wyues, and concubyns, drunken in tho vessels.
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 Thei drunken wyn, and herieden her goddis of gold, and of siluer, of bras, and of irun, and of tree, and of stoon.
They drank the wine and praised their idols made of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
5 In the same our fyngris apperiden, as of the hond of a man, writynge ayens the candilstike, in the pleyn part of the wal of the kyngis halle; and the kyng bihelde the fyngris of the hond writynge.
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 Thanne the face of the kyng was chaungid, and hise thouytis disturbliden hym; and the ioyncturis of hise reynes weren loosid, and hise knees weren hurtlid to hem silf togidere.
Then the king's face changed and his thoughts frightened him; his limbs could not support him, and his knees were knocking together.
7 Therfor the kyng criede strongli, that thei schulden brynge yn astronomyens, Caldeis, and dyuynouris bi lokyng of auteris. And the kyng spak, and seide to the wise men of Babiloyne, Who euer redith this scripture, and makith opyn the interpretyng therof to me, schal be clothid in purpur; and he schal haue a goldun bie in the necke, and he schal be the thridde in my rewme.
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 Thanne alle the wise men of the kyng entriden, and miyten not rede the scripture, nether schewe to the kyng the interpretyng therof.
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 Wherof kyng Balthasar was disturblid ynow, and his cheer was chaungid, but also hise beste men weren disturblid.
Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed and the look on his face changed. His noblemen were perplexed.
10 Forsothe the queen entride in to the hous of feeste, for the thing that hadde bifeld to the king, and beste men; and sche spak, and seide, Kyng, lyue thou withouten ende. Thi thouytis disturble not thee, and thi face be not chaungid.
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 A man is in thi rewme, that hath the spirit of hooli goddis in hym silf, and in the daies of thi fadir kunnyng and wisdom weren foundun in hym; for whi and Nabugodonosor, thi fadir, made him prince of astronomyens, of enchaunteris, of Caldeis, and of dyuynouris bi lokyng on auteris; sotheli thi fadir, thou kyng, dide this;
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 for more spirit, and more prudent, and vndurstondyng, and interpretyng of dremes, and schewyng of priuytees, and assoilyng of boundun thingis weren foundun in hym, that is, in Danyel, to whom the kyng puttide the name Balthasar. Now therfor Daniel be clepid, and he schal telle the interpretyng. Therfor Daniel was brouyt in bifor the kyng. To whom the forseid kyng seide,
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 Art thou Danyel, of the sones of caitifte of Juda, whom my fader, the kyng, brouyte fro Judee?
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 Y haue herd of thee, that thou hast in thee the spirit of goddis, and more kunnyng, and vndurstondyng, and wisdom be foundun in thee.
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 wise men, astronomyens, entriden in my siyt, to rede this scripture, and to schewe to me the interpretyng therof; and thei myyten not seie to me the vndurstondyng of this word.
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 Certis Y haue herde of thee, that thou maist interprete derk thingis, and vnbynde boundun thingis; therfor if thou maist rede the scripture, and schewe to me the interpretyng therof, thou schalt be clothid in purpur, and thou schalt haue a goldun bie aboute thi necke, and thou schalt be the thridde prince in my rewme.
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 To whiche thingis Danyel answeride, and seide bifore the kyng, Thi yiftis be to thee, and yyue thou to another man the yiftis of thin hous; forsothe, kyng, Y schal rede the scripture to thee, and Y schal schewe to thee the interpretyng therof.
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 O! thou kyng, hiyeste God yaf rewme, and greet worschipe, and glorie, and onour, to Nabugodonosor, thi fadir.
As for you, king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom, greatness, honor, and majesty.
19 And for greet worschip which he hadde youe to thilke Nabugodonosor, alle puplis, lynagis, and langagis, trembliden and dredden hym; he killide whiche he wolde, and he smoot whiche he wolde, and he enhaunside whiche he wolde, and he made low which he wolde.
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 Forsothe whanne his herte was reisid, and his spirit was maad obstynat in pride, he was put doun of the seete of his rewme;
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 his glorie was takun awei, and he was cast out fro the sones of men; but also his herte was set with beestis, and his dwellyng was with wielde assis; also he eet hei as an oxe doith, and his bodi was colourid with the deew of heuene, til he knewe, that the hiyeste hath power in the rewme of men, and he schal reise on it whom euer he wole.
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 thou, Balthasar, the sone of hym, mekidest not thin herte, whanne thou knewist alle these thingis;
You his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this.
23 but thou were reisid ayens the Lord of heuene, and the vessels of his hous weren brouyt bifore thee, and thou, and thi beste men, and thi wyues, and thi concubyns, drunken wyn in tho vessels; and thou heriedist goddis of siluer, and of gold, and of bras, and of irun, and of tree, and of stoon, that seen not, nether heren, nether feelen; certis thou glorifiedist not God, that hath thi blast, and alle thi weies in his hond.
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 Therfor the fyngur of the hond was sent of hym, which hond wroot this thing that is writun.
Then God sent out a hand from his presence and this writing was done.
25 Sotheli this is the scripture which is discryued, Mane, Techel, Phares.
This is the writing that was done: 'Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Pharsin.'
26 And this is the interpretyng of the word. Mane, God hath noumbrid thi rewme, and hath fillid it;
This is its meaning: 'Mene,' 'God has numbered your kingdom and brought it to an end.'
27 Techel, thou art weied in a balaunce, and thou art foundun hauynge lesse;
'Tekel,' 'you are weighed in the scales and are found lacking.'
28 Phares, thi rewme is departid, and is youun to Medeis and Perseis.
'Peres,' 'your kingdom is divided and is given to the Medes and Persians.'”
29 Thanne, for the kyng comaundide, Daniel was clothid in purpur, and a goldun bie was youun aboute in his necke; and it was prechid of hym, that he hadde power, and was the thridde in the rewme.
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 the same niyt Balthasar, the kyng of Caldeis, was slayn;
That night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed,
31 and Daryus of Medei was successour in to the rewme, and he was two and sixti yeer eld.
and Darius the Mede received the kingdom when he was about sixty-two years old.
