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1 ベルシヤザル王その大臣一千人のために酒宴を設けその一千人の者の前に酒を飮たりしが
[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 酒の進むにいたりてベルシヤザルはその父ネブカデネザルがヱルサレムの宮より取きたりし金銀の器を携へいたれと命ぜり是王とその大臣および王の妻妾等みな之をもて酒を飮んとてなりき
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 是をもてそのヱルサレムなる神の宮の内院より取たりし金の器を携へいたりければ王とその大臣および王の妻妾等これをもて飮めり
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 すなはち彼らは酒をのみて金銀銅鐵木石などの神を讃たたへたりしが
They drank to praise/honor their idols that were made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and [even] wood and stone.
5 その時に人の手の指あらはれて燭臺と相對する王の宮の粉壁に物書り王その物書る手の末を見たり
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 是において王の愉快なる顔色は變りその心は思ひなやみて安からず腿の關節はゆるみ膝はあひ撃り
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 王すなはち大聲に呼はりて法術士カルデヤ人卜筮師等を召きたらしめ而して王バビロンの智者等に告て言ふこの文字を讀みその解明を我に示す者には紫の衣を衣せ頸に金の鏈をかけさせて之を國の第三の牧伯となさんと
[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 王の智者等は皆きたりしかどもその文字を讀こと能はずまたその解明を王にしめすこと能はざりければ
But when all those wise men came in, none of them could read the writing, or tell him what it meant.
9 ベルシヤザル王おほいに思ひなやみてその顔色を失へりその大臣等もまた驚き懼れたり
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 時に大后王と大臣等の言を聞てその酒宴の室にいりきたり大后すなはち陳て言ふ願くは王長壽かれ汝心に思ひなやむ勿れまた顔色を失ふにおよばず
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 汝の國に聖神の霊のやどれる一箇の人あり汝の父の代に彼聰明了知および神の智慧のごとき智慧あることを顯せり汝の父ネブカデネザル王すなはち汝の父の王彼を立てて博士法術士カルデヤ人卜筮師等の長となせり
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 彼はダニエルといへる者なるが王これにベルテシヤザルといふ名を與へたり彼は心の殊勝たる者にて了知あり知識ありて能く夢を解き隠語を解き難問を解くなり然ばダニエルを召されよ彼その解明をしめさんと
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 是においてダニエル召れて王の前に至りければ王ダニエルに語りて言ふ汝は吾父の王がユダより曳きたりしユダの俘囚人なるそのダニエルなるか
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 我聞になんぢの裏には神の霊やどりをりて汝は聰明了知および非凡の智慧ありと云ふ
I have [also] heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you are very wise and understand many things.
15 我智者法術士等を吾前に召よせてこの文字を讀しめその解明を我にしめさせんと爲たれども彼らはこの事の解明を我にしめすことを得ず
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 我聞に汝は能く物事の解明をなしかつ難問を解くと云ふ然ば汝もし能くこの文字を讀みその解明を我に示さば汝に紫の衣を衣せ金の索を汝の頸にかけさせて汝をこの國の第三の牧伯となさんと
[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 ダニエルこたへて王に言けるは汝の賜物は汝みづからこれを取り汝の饒物はこれを他の人に與へたまへ然ながら我は王のためにその文字を讀みその解明をこれに知せたてまつらん
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 王よ至高神汝の父ネブカデネザルに國と權勢と榮光と尊貴を賜へり
(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 彼に權勢を賜ひしによりて諸民諸族諸音みな彼の前に慄き畏れたり彼はその欲する者を殺しその欲する者を活しその欲する者を上げその欲する者を下ししなり
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 而して彼心に高ぶり氣を剛愎にして驕りしかばその國の位をすべりてその尊貴を失ひ
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 逐れて世の人と離れその心は獣のごとくに成りその住所は野馬の中にあり牛のごとくに草を食ひてその身は天よりの露に濡たり是のごとくにして終に彼は至高神の人間の國を治めてその意のままに人を立たまふといふことをしるにいたれり
[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 ベルシヤザルよ汝は彼の子にして此事を盡く知るといへども猶その心を卑くせず
Now, Belshazzar, you have become the king. You [also] knew all those things, but you have not made yourself humble.
23 却つて天の主にむかひて自ら高ぶりその家の器皿を汝の前に持きたらしめて汝と汝の大臣と汝の妻妾等それをもて酒を飮み而して汝は見ことも聞ことも知こともあらぬ金銀銅鐵木石の神を讃頌ふることを爲し汝の生命をその手に握り汝の一切の道を主どりたまふ神を崇むることをせず
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 是をもて彼の前よりこの手の末いできたりてこの文字を書るなり
So God sent that hand to write a message [for you].
25 その書る文字は是のごとしメネ、メネ、テケル、ウバルシン
This is the message that it wrote: ‘Mene, mene, tekel, parsin.’
26 その言の解明は是のごとしメネ(數へたり)は神汝の治世を數へてこれをその終に至らせしを謂なり
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 テケル(秤れり)は汝が權衡にて秤られて汝の重の足らざることの顯れたるを謂なり
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 ペレス(分たれたり)は汝の國の分たれてメデアとペルシヤに與へらるるを謂なり
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 是においてベルシヤザル命を降してダニエルに紫の衣を着せしめ金の鏈をこれが頸にかけさせて彼は國の第三の牧伯なりと布告せり
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 カルデヤ人の王ベルシヤザルはその夜の中に殺され
But that same night [soldiers from Media entered the city and] killed Belshazzar, the King of Babylonia.
31 メデア人ダリヨスその國を獲たり此時ダリヨスは六十二歳なりき
Darius, the King of Media, became the King [of Babylonia] when he was 62 years old.

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