Daniel 5

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 Belshazzar, the king, made a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and each one of them drank according to his age.
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 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.
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 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.
4 They drank their wine and praised their idols of gold and silver, of bronze and iron, of wood and stone.	4 They drank wine, and they praised their gods of gold, and silver, brass, iron, and 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 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.
6 The king turned pale with alarm: his hip-joints went slack and his knees began to knock.	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.
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 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.”
8 The king's sages al crowded forward, but they could neither read the writing nor explain to the kingwhat it meant.	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.
9 Greatly alarmed, King Belshazzar turned even paler, and his noblemen were equal y disturbed.	9 Therefore, king Belshazzar was quite confused, and his face was altered, and even his nobles were disturbed.
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 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.
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, 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.
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 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.”
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 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?
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.”
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 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.
18 Your Majesty, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father sovereignty, greatness, majestyand glory.	18 O king, the Most High God gave to Nebuchadnezzar, your father, a kingdom and greatness, glory and honor.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
22 But you, Belshazzar, who are his son, you have not humbled your heart, in spite of knowing all this.	22 Likewise, you, his son Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all these things.
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 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.
24 That is why he has sent the hand which has written these words.	24 Therefore, he has sent the part of the hand which has written this, which has been inscribed.
25 The writing reads: mene, mene, teqel and parsin.	25 But this is the writing that has been decreed: MANE, THECEL, PHARES.
26 The meaning of the words is this: mene: God has measured your sovereignty and put an end to it;	26 And this is the interpretation of the words. MANE: God has numbered your kingdom and has finished it.
27 teqel: you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting;	27 THECEL: you have been weighed on the scales and found lacking.
28 parsin: your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.'	28 PHARES: your kingdom has been divided and has been given to the Medes and the 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 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.
30 That same night, the Chaldaean king Belshazzar was murdered,	30 That same night, king Belshazzar the Chaldean was killed.
	31 And Darius the Mede succeeded to the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two years.