Daniel 5
1 Le roi Baltasar offrit un magnifique repas à ses grands au nombre de mille, et devant les mille convives il y avait du vin.
[Several years later, ] Belshazzar [became the] king [of Babylon. One day] he invited 1,000 of his officers to a big feast, and he drank [a lot of] wine with them.
2 Et Balthasar buvait, et dans l'ivresse du vin il dit que l'on apportât les vases d'or et d'argent enlevés par Nabuchodonosor son père au temple de Jérusalem, et que le roi et ses grands, ses concubines et ses femmes, bussent dans ces vases.
While he was drinking, he commanded [his servants] bring to him the gold and silver cups that the previous king, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. [He did that] because he wanted himself and his officials, his wives, and [even] his (concubines/slave wives) to drink from them, [making fun of the god that we Israelis worshiped].
3 Et l'on apporta les vases d'or et d'argent que l'on avait rapportés du temple de Jérusalem, et le roi et ses grands, ses concubines et ses femmes burent dans ces vases.
So his servants brought in [all] those gold cups, that had been taken [many years previously] from the temple of [the true] God in Jerusalem. Then the king and his officials and his wives and his slave wives drank [wine] from those cups.
4 Ils burent du vin, et ils louèrent leurs dieux d'or et d'argent, d'airain, de fer, de pierre et de bois.
They drank to praise/honor their idols that were made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and [even] wood and stone.
5 Au même instant apparurent des doigts d'homme, et ils écrivirent devant le luminaire sur l'enduit du mur du palais du roi, et le roi suivait du regard le mouvement des phalanges de la main qui écrivait.
Suddenly they saw a man’s hand writing on the plaster of the wall opposite the lampstand. The king also saw the hand as it was writing.
6 Alors le roi changea de visage, et ses pensées le troublèrent, et la ceinture de ses reins se dénoua, ses genoux s'entre-choquèrent.
He became very frightened, and his face became pale/white. His knees started shaking, and his legs became very weak, with the result that he could not stand up.
7 Et le roi, criant de toute sa force, ordonna d'amener les mages, les Chaldéens et les sorciers. Et il dit aux sages de Babylone: Celui qui lira ce qui est écrit, et qui m'en fera connaître l'interprétation, sera revêtu de pourpre, et il aura autour du cou un collier d'or, et dans mon royaume il commandera le troisième après moi.
[Then] he shouted to summon the men who worked magic, the men who studied the stars, and the fortune-tellers. He said, “I will [greatly honor] any one of them who can read this writing and tell me what it means. I will give him a purple [robe like I wear because I am the king], and I will put a gold chain around his neck. He will become a very important official in my kingdom; there will be only two others who will be more important than he will be.”
8 Et tous les sages du roi s'avancèrent, et ils ne purent lire ce qui était écrit ni en donner au roi l'interprétation.
But when all those wise men came in, none of them could read the writing, or tell him what it meant.
9 Et le roi Baltasar fut troublé, et il changea de visage, et ses grands furent troublés comme lui.
So King Belshazzar became more afraid. His face became [even] paler/whiter. And [all] his officials [who were there at the feast] did not know what to do.
10 Et la reine entra dans la salle du festin, et elle dit: Roi, vis à jamais, que tes pensées ne se troublent pas, et ne change pas de visage!
But when the mother of the king (OR, of the previous king) heard the king and his officials talking [loudly about what had happened], she entered the room where they were having the feast. She said [to Belshazzar], “(Your majesty/O King), I hope you will live for a long time! But do not be pale and afraid about this.
11 Il est dans ton royaume un homme en qui est l'Esprit de Dieu; et du temps de ton père la vigilance et la sagesse furent trouvées en lui, et le roi Nabuchodonosor ton père le fit chef des devins, des mages, des Chaldéens et des sorciers,
There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. When Nebuchadnezzar was ruling, they discovered that this man understood many things and was wise, just like the gods. The man who was king previously, Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him to be in charge of all the men [in Babylon] who worked magic, the men who worked sorcery, the men who studied the stars, and the fortune-tellers.
12 Parce que l'esprit était supérieur en lui, et que la prudence et la sagesse étaient en lui pour interpréter les songes, pour répondre aux questions difficiles, pour dénouer les choses inextricables; c'est Daniel, et ton père l'appelait Baltasar; maintenant donc, qu'on l'appelle, et il te fera connaître son interprétation.
That man’s name is Daniel; the king gave him a [new] name, Belteshazzar. He is very intelligent and is able to know and understand many things. He is [even] able to tell the meaning of dreams, and explain riddles, and explain things that are very difficult to understand. Summon him, and he will tell you what [this writing] means.”
13 Alors Daniel fut introduit devant le roi, et le roi dit à Daniel: Es-tu Daniel, l'un des fils des captifs de la Judée qu'a transportés mon père?
So they [went and] brought me in. The king asked me, “You [must] be Daniel [RHQ]! [They told me that you are] one of those who was brought [here] from Judah by the previous king.
14 J'ai oui dire que l'Esprit de Dieu est en toi, et que la vigilance, l'intelligence et une sagesse supérieure ont été trouvées en toi.
I have [also] heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you are very wise and understand many things.
15 Or maintenant les sages, les mages, les sorciers sont venus devant moi, pour lire cette écriture, et m'en faire connaître l'interprétation; et ils n'ont pu me rien dire.
My wise men and men who work magic have tried to read the writing on this wall and tell me what it means, but they are not able to do it.
16 Et moi, j'ai appris que tu peux interpréter les jugements; si donc tu peux lire cette écriture et me l'interpréter, tu seras revêtu de pourpre, tu auras un collier d'or autour du cou, et tu commanderas dans mon royaume, le troisième après moi.
[Someone] told me that you can tell what dreams mean and explain things that are very difficult to understand. If you can read these words and tell me what they mean, [I] give you a purple robe [like I wear because I am the king], and I will put a gold chain around your neck. You will become a very important official in my kingdom; there will be only two others who will be more important than you will be.”
17 Et Daniel dit en présence du roi: Que tes présents te restent, donne à un autre les dons de ton palais; pour moi, je te lirai ce qui est écrit, et je t'en ferai connaître l'interprétation.
I replied, “[I do not want] your gifts; keep them, or give them to someone else. But I will read for you the writing [on the wall], and I will tell you what it means.
18 Roi, le Dieu très-haut a donné à Nabuchodonosor ton père la royauté et la magnificence, les honneurs et la gloire.
(Your Majesty/O king), the Supreme God caused the man who was king before you, Nebuchadnezzar, to become a great ruler, who was greatly praised and honored.
19 Et devant la grandeur que Dieu lui avait donnée, les peuples, les tribus, les hommes de toutes langues étaient tremblants et pleins de crainte devant son visage; ceux d'entre eux qu'il voulait tuer, il les tuait; ceux qu'il voulait frapper, il les frappait; ceux qu'il voulait glorifier, il les glorifiait; et ceux qu'il voulait humilier, il les humiliait.
Because God caused him to become [very] great, people of many [HYP] people-groups and nations and who spoke many different languages were very much afraid of him. He [commanded his soldiers to] kill those whom he wanted to be killed, and he (spared/allowed to live) those whom he wanted to spare. He honored those whom he wanted to honor, and he caused to be disgraced those whom he wanted to be disgraced.
20 Et quand son cœur se fut élevé, et que son esprit se fut endurci dans son orgueil, il fut précipité du trône, et ses honneurs lui furent enlevés.
But when he became very proud and stubborn [IDM], he was removed from being king [MTY]. People did not consider him to be glorious/great any more.
21 Et il fut chassé loin des hommes, et un cœur lui fut donné comme aux bêtes, et sa demeure fut parmi les ânes sauvages; on lui donna sa part de fourrage comme à un bœuf, et son corps fut baigné par la rosée du ciel, jusqu'à ce qu'il eût reconnu que le Dieu très-haut est le maître du royaume des hommes, et qu'il le donne à qui bon lui semble.
[His officials] sent him away in order that he would not be near [other] people. [God] caused him to have a mind like animals have. He lived among the wild donkeys. He ate grass like cows do, and dew from the sky caused his body to be damp/wet [each morning]. [He was like that] until he learned that the Supreme God is [really the one who] rules the kingdoms of this world, and that he appoints whomever he chooses to rule those kingdoms.
22 Et toi donc, son fils Baltasar, tu n'as pas non plus humilié ton cœur devant Dieu: ne sais-tu point toutes ces choses?
Now, Belshazzar, you have become the king. You [also] knew all those things, but you have not made yourself humble.
23 Tu t'es enorgueilli contre le Seigneur Dieu du ciel, et l'on a apporté devant toi les vases de son temple; et toi et tes grands, tes concubines et tes femmes, vous avez bu du vin dans ces vases; et tu as loué les dieux d'or et d'argent, d'airain, de fer, de pierre et de bois, qui ne voient, n'entendent ni ne comprennent; et le Dieu qui tient en sa main ton souffle et toutes tes voies, tu ne l'as point glorifié.
You have considered yourself to be greater than [God], the Lord of heaven. [So you have commanded your servants to] bring to you these sacred cups, [which were dedicated to the Supreme God, and which were taken] from his temple [in Jerusalem]. You and your officials and your wives and your (concubines/slave wives) have been drinking wine from these cups, while you have been praising [your own] gods—gods which are made of gold and silver and bronze and iron and wood and stone. [Those are gods] that cannot see, that cannot hear, and that do not know anything! You have not honored the God who gives you breath and who controls everything that happens to you.
24 C'est pourquoi il a envoyé de devant lui les doigts de cette main, et lui a ordonné de tracer cette inscription.
So God sent that hand to write a message [for you].
25 Or, cette inscription, la voici: Mané, Thécel, Pharès.
This is the message that it wrote: ‘Mene, mene, tekel, parsin.’
26 Et voici l'interprétation de ces paroles: Mané, Dieu a mesuré ton règne, et en a marqué la fin.
This is what those words mean: Mene [means] ‘numbered/counted’. [That means that] God has been counting the days that you will rule, and he has [now] decided that you will not rule any more.
27 Thécel, ta royauté a été placée sur la balance, et elle a été trouvée trop légère.
Tekel [means ‘weighed’. It is as though God] has weighed you on a scale, and you do not weigh what you should, [which means that you have not been doing what you should; you are not fit to be a king] [MET].
28 Pharès, ton royaume a été divisé, et donné aux Mèdes et aux Perses.
Parsin [means ‘divided’. That means that God] has divided your kingdom. Some of it will be ruled by people from Media and some will be ruled by people from Persia.”
29 Et Baltasar donna ses ordres: et l'on revêtit Daniel de pourpre, et on lui mit autour du cou un collier d'or, et le roi lui-même le proclama le troisième chef du royaume.
Then Belshazzar [did what he had promised]. He put on me a purple robe [like the one he himself wore. He] put a gold chain around my neck. And he proclaimed that there would be only two others who would be more important than me in his kingdom.
30 Et cette même nuit fut tué Baltasar, le roi chaldéen.
But that same night [soldiers from Media entered the city and] killed Belshazzar, the King of Babylonia.
31 Et le Mède Darius reçut le gouvernement de son royaume, à l'âge de soixante-deux ans.
Darius, the King of Media, became the King [of Babylonia] when he was 62 years old.
