Δανιήλ 5
1 Βαλτασαρ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐποίησεν ἑστιατορίαν μεγάλην τοῖς ἑταίροις αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔπινεν οἶνον
[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 καὶ ἀνυψώθη ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν ἐνέγκαι τὰ σκεύη τὰ χρυσᾶ καὶ τὰ ἀργυρᾶ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ θεοῦ ἃ ἤνεγκε Ναβουχοδονοσορ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ Ιερουσαλημ καὶ οἰνοχοῆσαι ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἑταίροις αὐτοῦ
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 καὶ ἠνέχθη καὶ ἔπινον ἐν αὐτοῖς
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 καὶ ηὐλόγουν τὰ εἴδωλα τὰ χειροποίητα αὐτῶν καὶ τὸν θεὸν τοῦ αἰῶνος οὐκ εὐλόγησαν τὸν ἔχοντα τὴν ἐξουσίαν τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτῶν
They drank to praise/honor their idols that were made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and [even] wood and stone.
5 ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἐξῆλθον δάκτυλοι ὡσεὶ χειρὸς ἀνθρώπου καὶ ἔγραψαν ἐπὶ τοῦ τοίχου τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ κονιάματος κατέναντι τοῦ φωτὸς ἔναντι τοῦ βασιλέως Βαλτασαρ καὶ εἶδε χεῖρα γράφουσαν
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 καὶ ἡ ὅρασις αὐτοῦ ἠλλοιώθη καὶ φόβοι καὶ ὑπόνοιαι αὐτὸν κατέσπευδον ἔσπευσεν οὖν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἐξανέστη καὶ ἑώρα τὴν γραφὴν ἐκείνην καὶ οἱ συνεταῖροι κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ ἐκαυχῶντο
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 καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐφώνησε φωνῇ μεγάλῃ καλέσαι τοὺς ἐπαοιδοὺς καὶ φαρμακοὺς καὶ Χαλδαίους καὶ γαζαρηνοὺς ἀπαγγεῖλαι τὸ σύγκριμα τῆς γραφῆς καὶ εἰσεπορεύοντο ἐπὶ θεωρίαν ἰδεῖν τὴν γραφήν καὶ τὸ σύγκριμα τῆς γραφῆς οὐκ ἐδύναντο συγκρῖναι τῷ βασιλεῖ τότε ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐξέθηκε πρόσταγμα λέγων πᾶς ἀνήρ ὃς ἂν ὑποδείξῃ τὸ σύγκριμα τῆς γραφῆς στολιεῖ αὐτὸν πορφύραν καὶ μανιάκην χρυσοῦν περιθήσει αὐτῷ καὶ δοθήσεται αὐτῷ ἐξουσία τοῦ τρίτου μέρους τῆς βασιλείας
[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 καὶ εἰσεπορεύοντο οἱ ἐπαοιδοὶ καὶ φαρμακοὶ καὶ γαζαρηνοί καὶ οὐκ ἠδύνατο οὐδεὶς τὸ σύγκριμα τῆς γραφῆς ἀπαγγεῖλαι
But when all those wise men came in, none of them could read the writing, or tell him what it meant.
9 τότε ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκάλεσε τὴν βασίλισσαν περὶ τοῦ σημείου καὶ ὑπέδειξεν αὐτῇ ὡς μέγα ἐστί καὶ ὅτι πᾶς ἄνθρωπος οὐ δύναται ἀπαγγεῖλαι τῷ βασιλεῖ τὸ σύγκριμα τῆς γραφῆς
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 τότε ἡ βασίλισσα ἐμνήσθη πρὸς αὐτὸν περὶ τοῦ Δανιηλ ὃς ἦν ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τῆς Ιουδαίας
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 καὶ εἶπε τῷ βασιλεῖ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐπιστήμων ἦν καὶ σοφὸς καὶ ὑπερέχων πάντας τοὺς σοφοὺς Βαβυλῶνος
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 καὶ πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐν αὐτῷ ἐστι καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τοῦ πατρός σου τοῦ βασιλέως συγκρίματα ὑπέρογκα ὑπέδειξε Ναβουχοδονοσορ τῷ πατρί σου
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 τότε Δανιηλ εἰσήχθη πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπεν αὐτῷ
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.
I have [also] heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you are very wise and understand many things.
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 ὦ Δανιηλ δύνῃ μοι ὑποδεῖξαι τὸ σύγκριμα τῆς γραφῆς καὶ στολιῶ σε πορφύραν καὶ μανιάκην χρυσοῦν περιθήσω σοι καὶ ἕξεις ἐξουσίαν τοῦ τρίτου μέρους τῆς βασιλείας μου
[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 τότε Δανιηλ ἔστη κατέναντι τῆς γραφῆς καὶ ἀνέγνω καὶ οὕτως ἀπεκρίθη τῷ βασιλεῖ αὕτη ἡ γραφή ἠρίθμηται κατελογίσθη ἐξῆρται καὶ ἔστη ἡ γράψασα χείρ καὶ αὕτη ἡ σύγκρισις αὐτῶν
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.
(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.
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.
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.
[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.
Now, Belshazzar, you have become the king. You [also] knew all those things, but you have not made yourself humble.
23 βασιλεῦ σὺ ἐποιήσω ἑστιατορίαν τοῖς φίλοις σου καὶ ἔπινες οἶνον καὶ τὰ σκεύη τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος ἠνέχθη σοι καὶ ἐπίνετε ἐν αὐτοῖς σὺ καὶ οἱ μεγιστᾶνές σου καὶ ᾐνέσατε πάντα τὰ εἴδωλα τὰ χειροποίητα τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ τῷ θεῷ τῷ ζῶντι οὐκ εὐλογήσατε καὶ τὸ πνεῦμά σου ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ βασίλειόν σου αὐτὸς ἔδωκέ σοι καὶ οὐκ εὐλόγησας αὐτὸν οὐδὲ ᾔνεσας αὐτῷ
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.
So God sent that hand to write a message [for you].
This is the message that it wrote: ‘Mene, mene, tekel, parsin.’
26 τοῦτο τὸ σύγκριμα τῆς γραφῆς ἠρίθμηται ὁ χρόνος σου τῆς βασιλείας ἀπολήγει ἡ βασιλεία σου συντέτμηται καὶ συντετέλεσται ἡ βασιλεία σου τοῖς Μήδοις καὶ τοῖς Πέρσαις δίδοται
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.
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].
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 τότε Βαλτασαρ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐνέδυσε τὸν Δανιηλ πορφύραν καὶ μανιάκην χρυσοῦν περιέθηκεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἔδωκεν ἐξουσίαν αὐτῷ τοῦ τρίτου μέρους τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ
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 καὶ τὸ σύγκριμα ἐπῆλθε Βαλτασαρ τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ τὸ βασίλειον ἐξῆρται ἀπὸ τῶν Χαλδαίων καὶ ἐδόθη τοῖς Μήδοις καὶ τοῖς Πέρσαις
But that same night [soldiers from Media entered the city and] killed Belshazzar, the King of Babylonia.
31 καὶ Ἀρταξέρξης ὁ τῶν Μήδων παρέλαβε τὴν βασιλείαν καὶ Δαρεῖος πλήρης τῶν ἡμερῶν καὶ ἔνδοξος ἐν γήρει
Darius, the King of Media, became the King [of Babylonia] when he was 62 years old.
