Daniel 5

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for his noblemen, a thousand of them, and, in the presence ofthis thousand, he drank his wine.	1 King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his lords, with whom he drank.
2 Having tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave orders for the gold and silver vessels to be brought which hisfather Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the sanctuary in Jerusalem, so that the king, his noblemen, his wivesand the women who sang for him could drink out of them.	2 Under the influence of the wine, he ordered the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar, his father, had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, to be brought in so that the king, his lords, his wives and his entertainers might drink from them.
3 The gold and silver vessels taken from the sanctuary of the Temple of God in Jerusalem were broughtin, and the king, his noblemen, his wives and the women who sang for him drank out of them.	3 When the gold and silver vessels taken from the house of God in Jerusalem had been brought in, and while the king, his lords, his wives and his entertainers were drinking
4 They drank their wine and praised their idols of gold and silver, of bronze and iron, of wood and stone.	4 wine from them, they praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.
5 Suddenly, the fingers of a human hand appeared and began to write on the plaster of the palace wall,directly behind the lamp-stand; and the king could see the hand as it wrote.	5 Suddenly, opposite the lampstand, the fingers of a human hand appeared, writing on the plaster of the wall in the king's palace. When the king saw the wrist and hand that wrote,
6 The king turned pale with alarm: his hip-joints went slack and his knees began to knock.	6 his face blanched; his thoughts terrified him, his hip joints shook, and his knees knocked.
7 He shouted for his soothsayers, Chaldaeans, and exorcists. And the king said to the Babylonian sages,'Anyone who can read this writing and tel me what it means shal be dressed in purple, and have a chain of goldput round his neck, and be one of the three men who govern the kingdom.'	7 The king shouted for the enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers to be brought in. "Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means," he said to the wise men of Babylon, "shall be clothed in purple, wear a golden collar about his neck, and be third in the government of the kingdom."
8 The king's sages al crowded forward, but they could neither read the writing nor explain to the kingwhat it meant.	8 But though all the king's wise men came in, none of them could either read the writing or tell the king what it meant.
9 Greatly alarmed, King Belshazzar turned even paler, and his noblemen were equal y disturbed.	9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly terrified; his face went ashen, and his lords were thrown into confusion.
10 Then the queen, attracted by the noise made by the king and his noblemen, came into the banquetinghall. 'May Your Majesty live for ever!' said the queen. 'Do not be alarmed, do not look so pale.	10 When the queen heard of the discussion between the king and his lords, she entered the banquet hall and said, "O king, live forever! Be not troubled in mind, nor look so pale!
11 In your kingdom there is a man in whom lives the spirit of the holy gods. In your father's days he wasknown for a perception, intelligence and wisdom comparable to that of the gods. King Nebuchadnezzar, yourfather, made him head of the magicians, soothsayers, Chaldaeans and exorcists.	11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy God; during the lifetime of your father he was seen to have brilliant knowledge and god-like wisdom. In fact, King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers,
12 Since this man Daniel, whom the king had renamed Belteshazzar, is filled with such a marvel ousspirit and such knowledge and intel igence in interpreting dreams, solving enigmas and unravel ing difficultproblems, send for him; he wil be able to tell you what this means.'	12 because of the extraordinary mind possessed by this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. He knew and understood how to interpret dreams, explain enigmas, and solve difficulties. Now therefore, summon Daniel to tell you what this means."
13 Daniel was brought into the king's presence; the king said to Daniel, 'Are you the Daniel who was oneof the Judaean exiles brought by my father the king from Judah?	13 Then Daniel was brought into the presence of the king. The king asked him, "Are you the Daniel, the Jewish exile, whom my father, the king, brought from Judah?
14 I am told that the spirit of the gods lives in you, and that you are known for your perception,intelligence and marvel ous wisdom.	14 I have heard that the spirit of God is in you, that you possess brilliant knowledge and extraordinary wisdom.
15 The sages and soothsayers have already been brought to me to read this writing and tel me what itmeans, but they have been unable to reveal its meaning.	15 Now, the wise men and enchanters were brought in to me to read this writing and tell me its meaning, but they could not say what the words meant.
16 I am told that you are able to give interpretations and to unravel difficult problems, so if you can readthe writing and tel me what it means, you shal be dressed in purple, and have a chain of gold put round yourneck, and be one of the three men who govern the kingdom.'	16 But I have heard that you can interpret dreams and solve difficulties; if you are able to read the writing and tell me what it means, you shall be clothed in purple, wear a gold collar about your neck, and be third in the government of the kingdom."
17 Then Daniel spoke up in the presence of the king. 'Keep your gifts for yourself,' he said, 'and give yourrewards to others! I can certainly read the writing to the king and tel him what it means.	17 Daniel answered the king: "You may keep your gifts, or give your presents to someone else; but the writing I will read for you, O king, and tell you what it means.
18 Your Majesty, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father sovereignty, greatness, majestyand glory.	18 The Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar a great kingdom and glorious majesty.
19 He made him so great that al peoples, nations and languages shook with dread before him: he kil edwhom he pleased, spared whom he pleased, promoted whom he pleased, degraded whom he pleased.	19 Because he made him so great, the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Whomever he wished, he killed or let live; whomever he wished, he exalted or humbled.
20 But because his heart grew swollen with pride, and his spirit stiff with arrogance, he was deposed fromhis sovereign throne and stripped of his glory.	20 But when his heart became proud and his spirit hardened by insolence, he was put down from his royal throne and deprived of his glory;
21 He was driven from human society, his heart was more like an animal's than a man's; he lived with thewild donkeys; he fed on grass like oxen; his body was drenched by the dew of heaven, until he had learnt thatthe Most High rules over human sovereignty and appoints whom he pleases to rule it.	21 he was cast out from among men and was made insensate as a beast; he lived with wild asses, and ate grass like an ox; his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of men and appoints over it whom he will.
22 But you, Belshazzar, who are his son, you have not humbled your heart, in spite of knowing all this.	22 You, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this;
23 You have defied the Lord of heaven, you have had the vessels from his Temple brought to you, andyou, your noblemen, your wives and the women singing for you have drunk your wine out of them. You havepraised gods of gold and silver, of bronze and iron, of wood and stone, which can neither see, hear norunderstand; but you have given no glory to the God in whose hands are your breath itself and al your fortunes.	23 you have rebelled against the Lord of heaven. You had the vessels of his temple brought before you, so that you and your nobles, your wives and your entertainers, might drink wine from them; and you praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, that neither see nor hear nor have intelligence. But the God in whose hand is your life breath and the whole course of your life, you did not glorify.
24 That is why he has sent the hand which has written these words.	24 By him were the wrist and hand sent, and the writing set down.
25 The writing reads: mene, mene, teqel and parsin.	25 "This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, TEKEL, and PERES. These words mean:
26 The meaning of the words is this: mene: God has measured your sovereignty and put an end to it;	26 MENE, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it;
27 teqel: you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting;	27 TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting;
28 parsin: your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.'	28 PERES, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians."
29 At Belshazzar's order Daniel was dressed in purple, a chain of gold was put round his neck and hewas proclaimed as one of the three men who governed the kingdom.	29 Then by order of Belshazzar they clothed Daniel in purple, with a gold collar about his neck, and proclaimed him third in the government of the kingdom.
30 That same night, the Chaldaean king Belshazzar was murdered,	30 The same night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was slain: