Danihelis Prophetæ 5
1 Baltassar rex fecit grande convivium optimatibus suis mille et unusquisque secundum suam bibebat aetatem
Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, drinking wine before the thousand.
2 Praecepit ergo iam temulentus ut afferrentur vasa aurea et argentea quae asportaverat Nabuchodonosor pater eius de templo quod fuit in Ierusalem ut biberent in eis rex et optimates eius uxoresque eius et concubinae
Belshazzar, while he was overcome with wine, gave orders for them to put before him the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar, his father, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem; so that the king and his lords, his wives and his other women, might take their drink from them.
3 Tunc allata sunt vasa aurea et argentea quae asportaverat de templo quod fuerat in Ierusalem et biberunt in eis rex et optimates eius uxores et concubinae illius
Then they took in the gold and silver vessels which had been in the Temple of the house of God at Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives and his other women, took wine from them.
4 Bibebant vinum et laudabant deos suos aureos et argenteos aereos ferreos ligneosque et lapideos
They took their wine and gave praise to the gods of gold and silver, of brass and iron and wood and stone.
5 In eadem hora apparuerunt digiti quasi manus hominis scribentis contra candelabrum in superficie parietis aulae regiae et rex aspiciebat articulos manus scribentis
In that very hour the fingers of a man's hand were seen, writing opposite the support for the light on the white wall of the king's house, and the king saw the part of the hand which was writing.
6 Tunc facies regis commutata est et cogitationes eius conturbabant eum et compages renum eius solvebantur et genua eius ad seinvicem collidebantur
Then the colour went from the king's face, and he was troubled by his thoughts; strength went from his body, and his knees were shaking.
7 Exclamavit itaque rex fortiter ut introducerent magos Chaldaeos et aruspices Et proloquens rex ait sapientibus Babylonis Quicumque legerit scripturam hanc et interpretationem eius manifestam mihi fecerit purpura vestietur et torquem auream habebit in collo et tertius in regno meo erit
The king, crying out with a loud voice, said that the users of secret arts, the Chaldaeans, and the readers of signs, were to be sent for. The king made answer and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whoever is able to make out this writing, and make clear to me the sense of it, will be clothed in purple and have a chain of gold round his neck, and will be a ruler of high authority in the kingdom.
8 Tunc ingressi omnes sapientes regis non potuerunt nec scripturam legere nec interpretationem indicare regi
Then all the king's wise men came in: but they were not able to make out the writing or give the sense of it to the king.
9 Unde rex Baltassar satis conturbatus est et vultus illius immutatus est sed et optimates eius turbabantur
Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled and the colour went from his face, and his lords were at a loss.
10 Regina autem pro re quae acciderat regi et optimatibus eius domum convivii ingressa est et proloquens ait Rex in aeternum vive non te conturbent cogitationes tuae neque facies tua immutetur
The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the house of the feast: the queen made answer and said, O King, have life for ever; do not be troubled by your thoughts or let the colour go from your face:
11 Est vir in regno tuo qui spiritum deorum sanctorum habet in se et in diebus patris tui scientia et sapientia inventae sunt in eo nam et rex Nabuchodonosor pater tuus principem magorum incantatorum Chaldaeorum et aruspicum constituit eum pater inquam tuus o rex
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 reason like the wisdom of the gods were seen in him: and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, made him master of the wonder-workers, and the users of secret arts, and the Chaldaeans, and the readers of signs;
12 quia spiritus amplior et prudentia intelligentiaque et interpretatio somniorum et ostensio secretorum ac solutio ligatorum inventae sunt in eo hoc est in Daniele cui rex posuit nomen Baltassar nunc itaque Daniel vocetur et interpretationem narrabit
Because a most special spirit, and knowledge and reason and the power of reading dreams and unfolding dark sayings and answering hard questions, were seen to be in him, even in Daniel (named Belteshazzar by the king): now let Daniel be sent for, and he will make clear the sense of the writing.
13 Igitur introductus est Daniel coram rege Ad quem praefatus rex ait Tu es Daniel de filiis captivitatis Iudae quem adduxit pater meus rex de Iudaea
Then they took Daniel in before the king; the king made answer and said to Daniel, So you are that Daniel, of the prisoners of Judah, whom my father took out of Judah.
14 Audivi de te quoniam spiritum deorum habeas et scientia intelligentiaque ac sapientia ampliores inventae sunt in te
And I have had news of you, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and reason and special wisdom have been seen in you.
15 Et nunc introgressi sunt in conspectu meo sapientes magi ut scripturam hanc legerent et interpretationem eius indicarent mihi et nequiverunt sensum huius sermonis edicere
And now the wise men, the users of secret arts, have been sent in before me for the purpose of reading this writing and making clear to me the sense of it: but they are not able to make clear the sense of the thing:
16 Porro ego audivi de te quod possis obscura interpretari et ligata dissolvere si ergo vales scripturam legere et interpretationem eius indicare mihi purpura vestieris et torquem auream circa collum tuum habebis et tertius in regno meo princeps eris
And I have had news of you, that you have the power of making things clear, and of answering hard questions: now if you are able to make out the writing and give me the sense of it, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain round your neck and be a ruler of high authority in the kingdom.
17 Ad quae respondens Daniel ait coram rege Munera tua sint tibi et dona domus tuae alteri da scripturam autem legam tibi rex et interpretationem eius ostendam tibi
Then Daniel made answer and said to the king, Keep your offerings for yourself, and give your rewards to another; but I, after reading the writing to the king, will give him the sense of it.
18 O rex Deus altissimus regnum et magnificentiam gloriam et honorem dedit Nabuchodonosor patri tuo
As for you, O King, the Most High God gave to Nebuchadnezzar, your father, the kingdom and great power and glory and honour:
19 Et propter magnificentiam quam dederat ei universi populi tribus et linguae tremebant et metuebant eum quos volebat interficiebat et quos volebat percutiebat et quos volebat exaltabat et quos volebat humiliabat
And because of the great power he gave him, all peoples and nations and languages were shaking in fear before him: some he put to death and others he kept living, at his pleasure, lifting up some and putting others down as it pleased him.
20 Quando autem elevatum est cor eius et spiritus illius obfirmatus est ad superbiam depositus est de solio regni sui et gloria eius ablata est
But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became hard with pride, he was put down from his place as king, and they took his glory from him:
21 et a filiis hominum eiectus est sed et cor eius cum bestiis positum est et cum onagris erat habitatio eius foenum quoque ut bos comedebat et rore caeli corpus eius infectum est donec cognosceret quod potestatem haberet Altissimus in regno hominum et quemcumque voluerit suscitabit super illud
And he was sent out from among the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts', and he was living with the asses of the fields; he had grass for his food like the oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he was certain that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and gives power over it to anyone at his pleasure.
22 Tu quoque filius eius Baltassar non humiliasti cor tuum cum scires haec omnia
And you, his son, O Belshazzar, have not kept your heart free from pride, though you had knowledge of all this;
23 sed adversum Dominatorem caeli elevatus es et vasa domus eius allata sunt coram te et tu et optimates tui et uxores tuae et concubinae tuae vinum bibistis in eis deos quoque argenteos et aureos et aereos ferreos ligneosque et lapideos qui non vident neque audiunt neque sentiunt laudasti porro Deum qui habet flatum tuum in manu sua et omnes vias tuas non glorificasti
But you have been lifting yourself up against the Lord of heaven, and they have put the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your women, have taken wine in them; and you have given praise to gods of silver and gold, of brass and iron and wood and stone, who are without the power of seeing or hearing, and without knowledge: and to the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, you have not given glory;
24 Idcirco ab eo missus est articulus manus quae scripsit hoc quod exaratum est
Then the part of the hand was sent out from before him, and this writing was recorded.
25 Haec est autem scriptura quae digesta est MANE THECEL PHARES
And this is the writing which was recorded, Mene, tekel, peres.
26 Et haec est interpretatio sermonis MANE numeravit Deus regnum tuum et complevit illud
This is the sense of the words: Mene; your kingdom has been numbered by God and ended.
27 THECEL appensus es in statera et inventus es minus habens
Tekel; you have been put in the scales and seen to be under weight.
28 PHARES divisum est regnum tuum et datum est Medis et Persis
Peres; your kingdom has been cut up and given to the Medes and Persians.
29 Tunc iubente rege indutus est Daniel purpura et circumdata est torques aurea collo eius et praedicatum est de eo quod haberet potestatem tertius in regno suo
Then, by the order of Belshazzar, they put a purple robe on Daniel, and a gold chain round his neck, and a public statement was made that he was to be a ruler of high authority in the kingdom.
30 Eadem nocte interfectus est Baltassar rex Chaldaeus
That very night Belshazzar, the king of the Chaldaeans, was put to death.
31 Et Darius Medus successit in regnum annos natus sexagintaduos
And Darius the Mede took the kingdom, being then about sixty-two years old.
