Daniel 5
1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
Baltasar the king made a great supper for his thousand nobles, and [there was] wine before the thousand.
2 Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded that the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem be brought to him, that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink from them.
And Baltasar drinking gave orders as he tasted the wine that they should bring the gold and silver vessels, which Nabuchodonosor his father had brought forth from the temple in Jerusalem; that the king, and his nobles, and his mistresses, and his concubines, should drink out of them.
3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of God’s house which was at Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, drank from them.
So the gold and silver vessels were brought which [Nabuchodonosor] had taken out of the temple of God in Jerusalem; and the king, and his nobles, and his mistresses, and his concubines, drank out of them.
4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of bronze, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of iron, and of wood, and of stone.
5 In the same hour, the fingers of a man’s hand came out and wrote near the lamp stand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace. The king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote in front of the lamp on the plaster of the wall of the king’s house: and the king saw the knuckles of the hand that wrote.
6 Then the king’s face was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his thighs were loosened, and his knees struck one against another.
Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one another.
7 The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and shows me its interpretation shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
And the king cried aloud to bring in the magicians, Chaldeans, [and] soothsayers; and he said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and make known to me the interpretation, shall be clothed with scarlet, and [there shall be] a golden chain upon his neck, and he shall be the third ruler in my kingdom.
8 Then all the king’s wise men came in; but they could not read the writing, and could not make known to the king the interpretation.
Then came in all the king’s wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known the interpretation to the king.
9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, and his face was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed.
And king Baltasar was troubled, and his countenance changed upon him, and his nobles were troubled with him.
10 The queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house. The queen spoke and said, “O king, live forever; do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your face be changed.
Then the queen came into the banquet house, and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, and let not thy countenance be changed.
11 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 understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him. The king, Nebuchadnezzar, your father—yes, the king, your father—made him master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers,
There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the Spirit of God; and in the days of thy father watchfulness and understanding were found in him; and king Nabuchodonosor thy father made him chief of the enchanters, magicians, Chaldeans, [and] soothsayers.
12 because an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting of dreams, showing of dark sentences, and dissolving of doubts were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.”
For [there is] an excellent spirit in him, and sense and understanding are in him, interpreting dreams [as he does], and answering hard [questions], and solving difficulties: [it is] Daniel, and the king gave him the name of Baltasar: now then let him be called, and he shall tell thee the interpretation of the writing.
13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah?
Then Daniel was brought in before the king: and the king said to Daniel, Art thou Daniel, of the children of the captivity of Judea, which the king my father brought?
14 I have heard of you, that the spirit of the gods is in you and that light, understanding, and excellent wisdom are found in you.
I have heard concerning thee, that the Spirit of God is in thee, and [that] watchfulness and understanding and excellent wisdom have been found in thee.
15 Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known to me its interpretation; but they could not show the interpretation of the thing.
And now the wise men, magicians, [and] soothsayers have come in before me, to read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation: but they could not tell it me.
16 But I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and dissolve doubts. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold around your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
And I have heard concerning thee, that thou art able to make interpretations: now then if thou shalt be able to read the writing, and to make known to me the interpretation of it, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and there shall be a golden chain upon thy neck, and thou shalt be third ruler in my kingdom.
17 Then Daniel answered before the king, “Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
And Daniel said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give the present of thine house to another; but I will read the writing, and will make known to thee the interpretation of it.
18 “To you, king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty.
O king, the most high God gave to thy father Nabuchodonosor a kingdom, and majesty, and honour, and glory:
19 Because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. He killed whom he wanted to, and he kept alive whom he wanted to. He raised up whom he wanted to, and he put down whom he wanted to.
and by reason of the majesty which he gave to him, all nations, tribes [and] languages trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he smote; and whom he would he exalted; and whom he would he abased.
20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him.
But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was emboldened to act proudly, he was deposed from his royal throne, and [his] honour was taken from him.
21 He was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the animals’, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the sky, until he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that he sets up over it whomever he will.
And he was driven forth from men; and his heart was given him after the nature of wild beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses; and they fed him with grass as an ox, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven; until he knew that the most high God is Lord of the kingdom of men, and will give it to whomsoever he shall please.
22 “You, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this,
And thou accordingly, his son, O Baltasar, hast not humbled thine heart before God: knowest thou not all this?
23 but have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see, or hear, or know; and you have not glorified the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways.
And thou hast been exalted against the Lord God of heaven; and they have brought before thee the vessels of his house, and thou, and thy nobles, and thy mistresses, and thy concubines, have drunk wine out of them; and thou hast praised the gods of gold, and silver, and brass, and iron, and wood, and stone, which see not, and which hear not, and know not: and the God in whose hand are thy breath and all thy ways hast thou not glorified.
24 Then the part of the hand was sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed.
Therefore from his presence has been sent forth the knuckle of a hand; and he has ordered this writing.
25 “This is the writing that was inscribed: ‘MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.’
And this is the ordered writing, Mane, Thekel, Phares.
26 “This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE: God has counted your kingdom, and brought it to an end.
This is the interpretation of the sentence: Mane; God has measured thy kingdom, and finished it.
27 TEKEL: you are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting.
Thekel; it has been weighed in the balance, and found wanting.
28 PERES: your kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”
Phares; thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
29 Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Then Baltasar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put the golden chain about his neck, and proclaimed concerning him that he was the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was slain.
In the same night was Baltasar the Chaldean king slain.
31 Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
And Darius the Mede succeeded to the kingdom, being sixty-two years [old].
