Daniel 5
1 Belshazzar, the king, made a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and each one of them drank according to his age.
King Belshazzar prepared a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and before these thousand did he drink wine.
2 And so, when they were drunk, he instructed that the vessels of gold and silver should be brought, which Nebuchadnezzar, his father, had carried away from the temple, which was in Jerusalem, so that the king, and his nobles, and his wives, and the concubines, might drink from them.
Belshazzar ordered, through the counsel of the wine, to bring in the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken away out of the temple which was in Jerusalem: that the king, and his lords, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therefrom.
3 Then the gold and silver vessels were presented, which he had carried away from the temple and which had been in Jerusalem, and the king, and his nobles, wives, and concubines, drank from them.
Then they brought in the golden vessels that were taken away out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his lords, his wives, and his concubines, drank from them.
4 They drank wine, and they praised their gods of gold, and silver, brass, iron, and wood and stone.
They drank wine, and praised their gods of gold, and of silver, of copper, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
5 In the same hour, there appeared fingers, as of the hand of a man, writing on the surface of the wall, opposite the candlestick, in the king’s palace. And the king observed the part of the hand that wrote.
At that same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote opposite to the chandelier upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
6 Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts disturbed him, and he lost his self-control, and his knees knocked against one other.
Then was the king's color changed, and his thoughts troubled him: so that the bands of his loins were loosed, and his knees knocked one against the other.
7 And the king cried out loudly for them to bring in the astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. And the king proclaimed to the wise men of Babylon, saying, “Whoever will read this writing and make known to me its interpretation will be clothed with purple, and will have a golden chain on his neck, and will be third in my kingdom.”
the king called with might to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king commenced, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whatsoever man will read this writing, and tell me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall rule as the third in the kingdom.
8 Then, in came all the wise men of the king, but they could neither read the writing, nor reveal the interpretation to the king.
Then came in all the wise men of the king; but they were not able to read the writing, nor to make its interpretation known to the king.
9 Therefore, king Belshazzar was quite confused, and his face was altered, and even his nobles were disturbed.
Then was king Belshazzar greatly terrified, and his color was changed on him, and his lords were confounded.
10 But the queen, because of what had happened to the king and his nobles, entered the banquet house. And she spoke out, saying, “O king, live forever. Do not let your thoughts confuse you, neither should your face be altered.
[Now] the queen in consequence of the words of the king and of his lords came into the banquet-house; the queen commenced and said, O king, live for ever; let thy thoughts not trouble thee, nor let thy color be changed:
11 There is a man in your kingdom, who has the spirit of the holy gods within himself, and in the days of your father, knowledge and wisdom were found in him. For king Nebuchadnezzar, your father, appointed him leader of the astrologers, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers, even your father, I say to you, O king.
There is a man in thy kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father enlightenment and intelligence and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him: and king Nebuchadnezzar thy father appointed him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers: —yes, thy father, O king.—
12 For a greater spirit, and foresight, and understanding, and interpretation of dreams, and the revealing of secrets, and the solution to difficulties were found in him, that is, in Daniel, to whom the king gave the name Belteshazzar. Now, therefore, let Daniel be summoned, and he will explain the interpretation.”
Forasmuch as a superior spirit, and knowledge, and intelligence, interpreting of dreams, and solving of riddles, and of untying knotty [doubts], were found in him, in Daniel, to whom the king assigned the name of Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will tell the interpretation.
13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. And the king spoke to him, saying, “Are you Daniel, of the sons of the captivity of Judah, whom my father the king led out of Judea?
Then was Daniel brought in before the king: the king commenced and said unto Daniel, Art thou Daniel, who art of the children of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah?
14 I have heard of you, that you have the spirit of the gods, and that greater knowledge, as well as understanding and wisdom, have been found in you.
And I have heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that enlightenment and intelligence and superior wisdom are found in thee.
15 And now the wise astrologers have entered into my presence, so as to read this writing and to reveal to me its interpretation. And they were not able to tell me the meaning of this writing.
And now the wise men, the astrologers, had been brought before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me its interpretation; but they were not able to tell the interpretation of the matter.
16 Furthermore, I have heard about you that you can interpret obscure things and solve difficulties. So then, if you succeed in reading the writing, and in revealing its interpretation, you will be clothed with purple, and you will have a chain of gold around your neck, and you will be the third leader in my kingdom.”
But I have truly heard concerning thee, that thou art able to give interpretations, and untie knotty [doubts]: now if thou art able to read the writing, and make known to me its interpretation, thou shalt be clothed with purple, with a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt rule as the third in the kingdom.
17 To this Daniel responded by saying directly to the king, “Your rewards should be for yourself, and the gifts of your house you may give to another, but I will read to you the writing, O king, and I will reveal to you its interpretation.
Then answered Daniel and said before the king, Let thy gifts remain in thy possession, and bestow thy bounty on another: nevertheless will I read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
18 O king, the Most High God gave to Nebuchadnezzar, your father, a kingdom and greatness, glory and honor.
O thou king! the most high God gave kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and honor unto Nebuchadnezzar thy father;
19 And because of the greatness that he gave to him, all peoples, tribes, and languages trembled and were afraid of him. Whomever he wished, he put to death; and whomever he wished, he destroyed; and whomever he wished, he exalted; and whomever he wished, he lowered.
And because of the greatness that he had given unto him, all people, nations, and languages trembled and shook before him: whom he pleased he slew; and whom he pleased he kept alive; and whom he pleased he lifted up; and whom he pleased he brought low.
20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened in arrogance, he was deposed from the throne of his kingdom and his glory was taken away.
But, when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit hardened to deal presumptuously, he was cast down from the throne of his kingdom, and his dignity did they take from him;
21 And he was expelled from the sons of men, and so his heart was placed with the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys, and he ate hay like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he realized that the Most High holds power over the kingdom of men, and that whoever he wishes, he will set over it.
And from the sons of men was he driven forth, and his heart became equal with [that of] the beasts, and with the wild asses was his dwelling; they suffered him to eat herbs like oxen, and with the dew of heaven was his body made wet: till he acknowledged that the most high God ruleth over the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he pleaseth.
22 Likewise, you, his son Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all these things.
And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thy heart, though thou knewest all this;
23 But you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been presented before you. And you, and your nobles, and your wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. Likewise, you have praised the gods of silver, and gold, and brass, iron, and wood and stone, who neither see, nor hear, nor feel, yet you have not glorified the God who holds your breath and all your ways in his hand.
But against the Lord of heaven hast thou lifted thyself up; and the vessels of his house have they brought before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine from them; and the gods of silver, and gold, of copper, iron, wood, and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor know, hast thou praised; and the God in whose hand thy soul is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
24 Therefore, he has sent the part of the hand which has written this, which has been inscribed.
Thereupon was sent from before him the part of the hand, and this writing was noted down.
25 But this is the writing that has been decreed: MANE, THECEL, PHARES.
And this is the writing that was noted down, M'ne, M'ne, T'kel, Upharsin.
26 And this is the interpretation of the words. MANE: God has numbered your kingdom and has finished it.
This the interpretation of the matter: M'ne, God hath numbered thy kingdom, and made an end of it.
27 THECEL: you have been weighed on the scales and found lacking.
T'kel, Thou least been weighed in the balances, and been found wanting.
28 PHARES: your kingdom has been divided and has been given to the Medes and the Persians.
P'ress; Thy kingdom hath been divided, and is given to the Medes and Persians.
29 Then, by the king’s command, Daniel was dressed with purple, and a chain of gold was placed around his neck, and it was proclaimed of him that he held power as the third in the kingdom.
Then gave Belshazzar the order, and they clothed Daniel with purple, with a chain of gold about his neck, and they made a proclamation concerning him, that he should rule as the third in the kingdom.
30 That same night, king Belshazzar the Chaldean was killed.
In that very night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
31 And Darius the Mede succeeded to the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two years.
And Darius the Median obtained the kingdom, when he was sixty and two years old.
