Daniel 5
New King James Version
Belshazzar’s Feast
5 Belshazzar the king (A)made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand. 2 While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels (B)which his [a]father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought the gold (C)vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank wine, (D)and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.
5 (E)In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on 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 changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his (F)knees knocked against each other. 7 (G)The king cried [b]aloud to bring in (H)the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and tells me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; (I)and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” 8 Now all the king’s wise men came, (J)but they could not read the writing, or make known to the king its interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly (K)troubled, his countenance was changed, and his lords were [c]astonished.
10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came to the banquet hall. The queen spoke, saying, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change. 11 (L)There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your [d]father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your [e]father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. 12 Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and [f]explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, (M)whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.”
The Writing on the Wall Explained
13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel [g]who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my [h]father the king brought from Judah? 14 I have heard of you, that (N)the [i]Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 Now (O)the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not give the interpretation of the thing. 16 And I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and [j]explain enigmas. (P)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.”
17 Then Daniel answered, and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another; yet I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation. 18 O king, (Q)the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your [k]father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor. 19 And because of the majesty that He gave him, (R)all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he (S)executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down. 20 (T)But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. 21 Then he was (U)driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, (V)till he [l]knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses.
22 “But you his son, Belshazzar, (W)have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. 23 (X)And you have [m]lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the (Y)vessels of [n]His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, (Z)which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand (AA)and owns all your ways, you have not glorified. 24 Then the [o]fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written.
25 “And this is the inscription that was written:
[p]MENE, MENE, [q]TEKEL, [r]UPHARSIN.
26 This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; 27 TEKEL: (AB)You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; 28 PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the (AC)Medes and (AD)Persians.”[s] 29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him (AE)that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Belshazzar’s Fall
30 (AF)That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. 31 (AG)And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
Footnotes
- Daniel 5:2 Or ancestor
- Daniel 5:7 Lit. with strength
- Daniel 5:9 perplexed
- Daniel 5:11 Or ancestor
- Daniel 5:11 Or ancestor
- Daniel 5:12 Lit. untying knots
- Daniel 5:13 Lit. who is of the sons of the captivity
- Daniel 5:13 Or ancestor
- Daniel 5:14 Or spirit of the gods
- Daniel 5:16 Lit. untie knots
- Daniel 5:18 Or ancestor
- Daniel 5:21 Recognized
- Daniel 5:23 Exalted
- Daniel 5:23 The temple
- Daniel 5:24 Lit. palm
- Daniel 5:25 Lit. a mina (50 shekels) from the verb “to number”
- Daniel 5:25 Lit. a shekel from the verb “to weigh”
- Daniel 5:25 Lit. and half-shekels from the verb “to divide”; pl. of Peres, v. 28
- Daniel 5:28 Aram. Paras, consonant with Peres
Daniel 5
New American Standard Bible
Belshazzar’s Feast
5 Belshazzar the king [a]held a great (A)feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand. 2 [b]While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring the gold and silver (B)vessels which his [c]father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines could drink out of them. 3 Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank out of them. 4 They (C)drank the wine and praised the gods of (D)gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
5 Suddenly the fingers of a human hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing. 6 Then the king’s [d](E)face became pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his (F)hip joints [e]loosened and his (G)knees began knocking together. 7 The king called aloud to bring in the (H)sorcerers, the [f]Chaldeans, and the diviners. The king began speaking and said to the wise men of Babylon, “Anyone who can read this inscription and explain its interpretation to me shall be (I)clothed with purple and have a (J)necklace of gold around his neck, and have authority as (K)third ruler in the kingdom.” 8 Then all the king’s wise men came in, but (L)they could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly (M)alarmed, his [g](N)face grew even more pale, and his nobles were perplexed.
10 The queen entered the banquet [h]hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen began to speak and said, “(O)O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your [i]face be pale. 11 There is a (P)man in your kingdom in whom is [j]a (Q)spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, illumination, insight, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father [k](R)the king—appointed him chief of the soothsayer priests, sorcerers, Chaldeans, and diviners. 12 This was because an (S)extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of riddles, and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named (T)Belteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned and he will declare the interpretation.”
Daniel Interprets the Handwriting on the Wall
13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king began speaking and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the [l](U)exiles from Judah, whom my father the king (V)brought from Judah? 14 Now I have heard about you that [m]a spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight, and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you. 15 Just now the (W)wise men and the sorcerers were brought in before me to read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they (X)could not declare the interpretation of the [n]message. 16 But I personally have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Now if you are able to read the inscription and make its (Y)interpretation known to me, you will be (Z)clothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will have authority as the third ruler in the kingdom.”
17 Then Daniel replied and said before the king, “[o]Keep your (AA)gifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him. 18 [p]O king, the (AB)Most High God (AC)granted [q]sovereignty, (AD)greatness, honor, and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father. 19 Now because of the greatness which He granted him, all the peoples, nations, and populations of all [r]languages trembled and feared in his presence; (AE)whomever he wished, he killed, and whomever he wished, he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated, and whomever he wished he humbled. 20 But when his heart [s]was (AF)arrogant and his spirit became so [t](AG)overbearing that he behaved presumptuously, he was (AH)deposed from his royal throne, and his dignity was taken away from him. 21 He was also (AI)driven away from [u]mankind, and his heart was made like that of animals, and his dwelling place was with the (AJ)wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he recognized that the (AK)Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind, and that He sets over it whomever He wishes. 22 Yet you, his [v]son, Belshazzar, have (AL)not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this, 23 but you have (AM)risen up against the (AN)Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives, and your concubines have been drinking wine out of them; and you have praised the (AO)gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see, nor hear, nor understand. But the God (AP)in whose hand are your life-breath and all your (AQ)ways, you have not glorified. 24 Then the [w](AR)hand was sent from Him and this inscription was written out.
25 “Now this is the inscription that was written:
26 This is the interpretation of the [ab]message: ‘Mene’—God has numbered your kingdom and (AS)put an end to it. 27 ‘Tekel’—you have been (AT)weighed on the scales and found deficient. 28 ‘[ac]Peres’—your kingdom has been divided and given to the (AU)Medes and [ad]Persians.”
29 Then Belshazzar gave orders, and they (AV)clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he now had authority as the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 That same night (AW)Belshazzar the Chaldean king was (AX)killed. 31 [ae]So (AY)Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two.
Footnotes
- Daniel 5:1 Lit made
- Daniel 5:2 Or Under the influence of the wine
- Daniel 5:2 Or forefather, and so throughout the ch
- Daniel 5:6 Lit brightness changed for him
- Daniel 5:6 Or shook
- Daniel 5:7 I.e., probably master astrologers, diviners, etc., and so throughout the ch
- Daniel 5:9 Lit brightness was changing upon him
- Daniel 5:10 Lit house
- Daniel 5:10 Lit brightness be changed
- Daniel 5:11 Or possibly the Spirit of the holy God
- Daniel 5:11 Or O king
- Daniel 5:13 Lit sons of the exile
- Daniel 5:14 Or possibly the Spirit of God
- Daniel 5:15 Lit word
- Daniel 5:17 Lit Let...be for
- Daniel 5:18 Lit You, O king
- Daniel 5:18 Or the kingdom
- Daniel 5:19 Lit tongues
- Daniel 5:20 Lit rose up
- Daniel 5:20 Lit strong
- Daniel 5:21 Lit the sons of mankind
- Daniel 5:22 Or descendant
- Daniel 5:24 Lit palm of the hand
- Daniel 5:25 Or a mina (50 shekels) from verb “to count”
- Daniel 5:25 Or a mina (50 shekels) from verb “to count”
- Daniel 5:25 Or a shekel from verb “to weigh”
- Daniel 5:25 Or and half-shekels (singular: peres) from verb “to divide”
- Daniel 5:26 Lit word
- Daniel 5:28 Or half-shekel from verb “to divide”
- Daniel 5:28 Aram: Paras
- Daniel 5:31 Ch 6:1 in Aram
Daniel 5
La Bible du Semeur
L’inscription sur le mur
Un festin sacrilège
5 Un jour, le roi Balthazar[a] organisa un banquet en l’honneur de ses mille dignitaires et se mit à boire du vin en leur présence. 2 Excité par le vin, Balthazar ordonna d’apporter les coupes d’or et d’argent que Nabuchodonosor, son père[b], avait rapportées du temple de Jérusalem[c]. Il voulait s’en servir pour boire, lui et ses hauts dignitaires, ses femmes et ses concubines[d]. 3 Aussitôt, on apporta les coupes d’or qui avaient été prises dans le temple de Dieu à Jérusalem, et le roi, ses hauts dignitaires, ses femmes et ses concubines s’en servirent pour boire. 4 Ils burent et se mirent à louer les dieux d’or, d’argent, de bronze, de fer, de bois et de pierre.
Une main mystérieuse
5 A ce moment-là apparurent soudain, devant le candélabre, les doigts d’une main humaine qui se mirent à écrire sur le plâtre du mur du palais royal. Le roi vit cette main qui écrivait. 6 Alors son visage devint blême, des pensées terrifiantes l’assaillirent, il se mit à trembler de tout son être et ses genoux s’entrechoquèrent. 7 Il ordonna à grands cris de faire venir les magiciens, les astrologues et les devins, et il dit aux sages : Celui qui déchiffrera cette inscription et m’en donnera l’interprétation sera revêtu de pourpre, on lui mettra une chaîne d’or au cou et il partagera le gouvernement du royaume avec deux autres hauts fonctionnaires[e].
8 Tous les sages du roi entrèrent dans la salle, mais aucun d’eux ne put déchiffrer l’inscription, ni en faire connaître l’interprétation au roi. 9 Alors le roi Balthazar fut encore plus effrayé, il pâlit davantage et ses hauts dignitaires se trouvèrent dans une grande confusion.
10 Quand la reine mère[f] entendit ce que disaient le roi et ses hauts dignitaires, elle pénétra dans la salle du festin. Elle prit la parole et dit : Que le roi vive éternellement ! Ne te laisse pas terrifier par tes pensées et que ton visage ne pâlisse pas ainsi ! 11 Il y a, dans ton royaume, un homme en qui réside l’esprit des dieux saints ; du temps de ton père[g], on trouva en lui une clairvoyance, une intelligence et une sagesse pareilles à la sagesse des dieux, aussi le roi Nabuchodonosor, ton père, l’a-t-il établi chef des mages, des magiciens, des astrologues et des devins. 12 Car cet homme, Daniel, que le roi a nommé Beltshatsar, possède un esprit extraordinaire, de la connaissance et de l’intelligence pour interpréter les rêves, trouver la solution des énigmes et résoudre les problèmes difficiles. Que l’on appelle donc Daniel et il donnera l’interprétation.
Daniel explique l’énigme
13 Aussitôt, Daniel fut introduit en présence du roi. Celui-ci prit la parole et lui dit : Es-tu ce Daniel qui fait partie des exilés de Juda, que le roi, mon père, a amenés de Juda ? 14 J’ai entendu dire que l’esprit des dieux réside en toi et que tu possèdes une clairvoyance, une intelligence et une sagesse extraordinaires. 15 Or, on vient de m’amener les sages et les magiciens pour lire cette inscription et m’en faire connaître l’interprétation ; mais ils n’en ont pas été capables. 16 On m’a dit que toi, tu peux donner des interprétations et résoudre les problèmes difficiles. Si donc tu es capable de lire cette inscription et de m’en faire connaître l’interprétation, tu seras revêtu de pourpre, tu porteras une chaîne d’or au cou et tu partageras le gouvernement du royaume avec deux autres hauts fonctionnaires[h].
17 Alors Daniel prit la parole et dit au roi : Garde tes présents et donne tes cadeaux à un autre ! Je vais cependant te déchiffrer l’inscription et t’en faire connaître l’interprétation. 18 O roi, le Dieu très-haut avait donné à Nabuchodonosor, ton père, la royauté et la grandeur, la gloire et la majesté. 19 Et à cause de la grandeur qu’il lui avait accordée, les gens de tous peuples, de toutes nations et de toutes langues tremblaient de peur devant lui. La vie et la mort de chacun dépendaient de son bon vouloir ; il élevait et abaissait qui il lui plaisait. 20 Mais lorsque son cœur s’enorgueillit et qu’il s’endurcit jusqu’à l’arrogance, on lui fit quitter son trône royal et il fut dépouillé de sa gloire. 21 Il fut chassé de la société des humains, sa raison devint semblable à celle des bêtes et il se mit à vivre en compagnie des ânes sauvages, on le nourrissait d’herbe comme les bœufs et son corps était trempé par la rosée du ciel. Cela dura jusqu’au jour où il reconnut que le Dieu très-haut est maître de toute royauté humaine et qu’il élève à la royauté qui il veut.
22 Et toi, son fils, Balthazar, tu savais tout cela, et cependant tu n’as pas adopté une attitude humble. 23 Tu t’es élevé contre le Seigneur du ciel et tu t’es fait apporter les coupes de son temple, puis toi et tes hauts dignitaires, tes femmes et tes concubines[i], vous y avez bu du vin et tu as loué les dieux d’argent, d’or, de bronze, de fer, de bois et de pierre, des dieux qui ne voient rien, n’entendent rien et ne savent rien. Mais le Dieu qui tient ton souffle de vie dans sa main et de qui dépend toute ta destinée, tu ne l’as pas honoré. 24 C’est pourquoi il a envoyé ce tronçon de main pour tracer cette inscription.
25 Voici l’inscription qui a été tracée là : « Il a été compté : une mine, un sicle et deux demi-sicles[j]. »
26 Et voici l’interprétation : « une mine » : Dieu a « compté » les années de ton règne et les a menées à leur terme.
27 « Un sicle » : Tu as été « pesé » dans la balance et l’on a trouvé que tu ne fais pas le poids.
28 « Deux demi-sicles » : Ton royaume a été « divisé » pour être livré aux Mèdes et aux Perses.
29 Alors Balthazar ordonna de revêtir Daniel de pourpre, de lui mettre une chaîne d’or au cou et de faire proclamer qu’il partagerait le gouvernement du royaume avec deux autres hauts fonctionnaires[k].
30 Mais, dans la même nuit, Balthazar, roi des Chaldéens, fut tué.
Footnotes
- 5.1 Les événements de ce chapitre ont lieu en 539 av. J.-C., 23 ans après la mort de Nabuchodonosor (en 562 av. J.-C.). Balthazar était le fils du dernier roi de Babylone, Nabonide. Il a exercé le pouvoir à la place de son père pendant les dix dernières années de son règne, alors que Nabonide s’était retiré à Téma, une oasis de la péninsule Arabique. Aux v. 2, 11, 18, Nabuchodonosor est appelé son père, ce qui pouvait désigner en araméen soit la succession au trône soit la descendance physique. Il semble, en fait, que Balthazar ait été le petit-fils de Nabuchodonosor par sa mère ou par sa grand-mère – la femme ou la mère de Nabonide (voir 5.10 et note ; Jr 27.7).
- 5.2 Voir v. 1 et note, 11, 18 ; Jr 27.7.
- 5.2 Voir 1.2 ; 2 R 25.14-15.
- 5.2 Le sens de ces deux mots est incertain. On a retrouvé le second dans les papyrus d’Eléphantine en Egypte, datant du ve siècle av. J.-C., avec le sens de femmes de service.
- 5.7 il partagera… fonctionnaires. Certains traduisent : il occupera le troisième rang dans le gouvernement du royaume (après Nabonide et Balthazar), mais l’araméen signifie plutôt : « il gouvernera le royaume au sein d’un triumvirat » (voir 6.3).
- 5.10 Selon certains, elle serait fille de Nabuchodonosor, mariée à Nabonide. Les reines mères avaient une grande influence dans les cours du Moyen-Orient.
- 5.11 Voir 5.1 et note.
- 5.16 Voir note v. 7.
- 5.23 Voir note v. 2.
- 5.25 Il a été compté: …sicles. En araméen : Mené, mené, téqel, et parsin. Les deux premiers termes sont des homonymes : il vaut mieux considérer le premier mené comme une forme du verbe compter ; les trois autres termes sont des noms de monnaies. A partir de ces trois noms de monnaies, Daniel délivre un triple message, en procédant par jeux de mots avec ces noms (v. 26-28) ; ainsi le nom de la mine est homonyme à la formule verbale : il a été compté. Le nom du sicle fait jeu avec le verbe peser. Le nom du demi-sicle fait jeu à la fois avec le verbe diviser et avec le nom des Perses ; autre traduction pour demi-sicles: demi-mines.
- 5.29 Voir v. 7 et note.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
La Bible Du Semeur (The Bible of the Sower) Copyright © 1992, 1999 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.