Nagkombira si Belshazar
1-3Sa dihang si Belshazar na ang hari sa Babylon, naghimo siya ug dakong kombira alang sa iyang 1,000 ka dungganon nga mga tawo ug nakig-inom siya kanila. Samtang nagainom sila, nimando si Belshazar nga kuhaon ang bulawan ug plata nga mga imnanan nga nakuha sa iyang amahan5:1-3 amahan: Tingali ang buot ipasabot, katigulangan. nga si Nebucadnezar sa templo sa Dios sa Jerusalem, aron maoy paimnan sa iyang mga dungganon nga mga bisita, sa iyang mga asawa, ug sa iyang mga asawa nga sulugoon. Busa gidala kini ngadto kaniya ug giimnan nila kini. 4Samtang nagainom sila, gidayeg nila ang mga dios nga hinimo sa bulawan, plata, bronsi, puthaw, kahoy ug bato.
5Diha-diha, may mitunga nga kamot sa tawo ug misulat sa dingding duol sa suga sa palasyo, ug nakita kini sa hari. 6Nangurog ug nangluspad ang hari sa tumang kahadlok. 7Busa misinggit siya nga tawgon ang mga maalamon nga mga tawo sa Babylon, mga astrologo, ug mga espiritista.
Pag-abot nila, miingon ang hari, “Kon kinsa ang makabasa nianang nasulat sa dingding ug makahubad sa kahulogan niini, pasul-oban ko ug harianong bisti ug pakuwintasan ug bulawan, ug himuon ko siyang ikatulong labing labaw nga opisyal sa akong gingharian.”
8Miduol ang mga maalamon aron sa pagbasa niadtong nasulat sa dingding. Apan dili sila makabasa niini o makahubad ngadto sa hari sa kahulogan niini. 9Nalisang pag-ayo si Haring Belshazar ug misamot ang iyang pagpangluspad. Naglibog usab ang iyang mga opisyal.
10Pagkadungog sa rayna5:10 rayna: o, rayna nga inahan sa hari. sa ilang gipanagsultihan, miadto siya sa dapit nga gikombirahan ug miingon, “Malungtarong kinabuhi alang sa Mahal nga Hari! Ayaw kahadlok o kabalaka, 11kay may usa ka tawo diha sa imong gingharian diin anaa kaniya ang espiritu sa balaan nga mga dios.5:11 Tan-awa usab ang 4:8. Sa panahon ni Haring Nebucadnezar nga imong amahan, nagpakita kining tawhana sa iyang kaalam nga sama sa kaalam sa mga dios. Gihimo siya sa imong amahan nga pangulo sa mga madyikero, mga espiritista, mga maalamon nga mga tawo sa Babylon, ug mga astrologo. 12Siya si Daniel nga ginganlan sa imong amahan ug Belteshazar. May pinasahi siya nga abilidad ug kaalam. Mahibalo siyang mohubad sa kahulogan sa mga damgo, mosaysay sa mga tinago, ug mosulbad sa lisod nga mga suliran. Busa ipatawag siya ug ipahubad kaniya ang kahulogan nianang nasulat sa dingding.”
13Busa gipatawag sa hari si Daniel. Ug miingon ang hari kaniya, “Ikaw diay si Daniel nga usa sa mga binihag nga Judio nga gidala dinhi sa akong amahan gikan sa Juda? 14Nakadungog ako nga ang espiritu sa mga dios anaa kanimo ug may pinasahi kang abilidad ug kaalam. 15Gipatawag ko na ang mga maalamon ug ang mga espiritista, aron ipabasa ug ipahubad kanila ang kahulogan nianang nasulat sa dingding, apan wala sila makahimo. 16Nakadungog ako nga mahibalo kang mohubad ug makahibalo ka usab mosulbad sa lisod nga mga suliran. Karon, kon imong mabasa kanang nasulat ug mahubad ang kahulogan niini, pasul-oban ko ikaw ug harianong bisti ug pakuwintasan ug bulawan. Ug himuon ko ikaw nga ikatulong labing taas nga opisyal sa akong gingharian.”
17Mitubag si Daniel, “Imo na lang kanang imong mga gasa, Mahal nga Hari, o kaha ihatag na lang kana ngadto sa uban. Apan basahon ko gihapon alang kanimo kanang nasulat sa dingding ug ipasabot kon unsa ang kahulogan niana.
18“Mahal nga Hari, gihimo sa Labing Halangdong Dios ang imong amahan nga si Nebucadnezar nga hari. Nahimo siyang gamhanan ug pinasidunggan. 19Tungod sa gahom nga gihatag sa Dios kaniya, nahadlok kaniya ang mga tawo gikan sa nagkalain-laing mga nasod, tribo, ug pinulongan. Patyon niya si bisan kinsa nga buot niyang patyon. Ug ang gusto niyang magpabilin nga buhi, mabuhi. Pasidunggan niya ang gusto niyang pasidunggan; ipaubos niya ang gusto niyang ipaubos. 20Apan sa dihang nahimo siyang garboso ug gahi ug kasingkasing gipakanaog siya sa iyang trono ug gikuha gikan kaniya ang dungog ug gahom sa pagkahari. 21Giabog siya gikan sa katilingban sa mga katawhan ug nahimong sama sa mananap ang iyang panghunahuna. Nagpuyo siya uban sa ihalas nga mga asno, nanabsab ug sagbot sama sa baka, ug nabasa ang iyang lawas sa yamog. Mao kadto ang iyang kahimtang hangtod nga giila niya nga ang Labing Halangdong Dios nagagahom sa mga gingharian sa mga tawo ug iyang padumalahon ang gusto niyang magdumala niini.
22“Ug ikaw, Haring Belshazar nga iyang anak, bisan nasayod ka na niining tanan, wala ka gihapon magpaubos sa imong kaugalingon, 23giisip mo hinuon ang imong kaugalingon nga labaw sa Ginoo sa langit. Gipakuha mo ang mga imnanan nga gikan sa templo sa Dios ug giimnan mo kini kauban ang imong mga dungganon nga mga bisita, mga asawa, ug uban pa nga mga asawa nga sulugoon. Gawas pa niana, imong gidayeg ang mga dios nga hinimo sa plata, bulawan, bronsi, puthaw, kahoy, ug bato. Mga dios-dios nga dili makakita, makadungog, o makasabot. Apan wala mo dayega ang Dios nga nagakupot sa imong kinabuhi ug nagabuot sa tanan mong himuon. 24-25Busa gipadala niya kadtong kamot aron mosulat niining mga pulonga:
“Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin. 26Mao kini ang ilang kahulogan:
Ang Mene nagakahulogan nga giihap na sa Dios ang nahibilin nga adlaw sa imong paghari, ug gitapos na niya kini.
27Ang Tekel nagakahulogan nga gitimbang-timbang ka, ug nakita nga nagkulang ka.
28Ang Parsin5:28 Parsin: sa Aramico nga teksto, Peres. Ang Peres mao ang “singular” sa Parsin. nagakahulogan nga mabahin ang imong gingharian ug ihatag sa Media ug Persia.”
29Human ug sulti niini ni Daniel, nimando dayon si Belshazar nga sul-oban si Daniel sa harianon nga bisti ug kuwintasan ug bulawan. Unya giproklamar si Daniel nga ikatulong labing taas nga opisyal sa gingharian sa Babylon.
30Niadtong gabhiona, gipatay si Belshazar nga hari sa mga taga-Babylon. 31Ang mipuli kaniya nga hari mao si Darius nga Medianhon, nga nagpanuigon ug 62 ka tuig.
A Hand Writes on the Palace Wall
1King Belshazzar gave a huge banquet. He invited a thousand of his nobles to it. He drank wine with them. 2While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to his servants. He commanded them to bring in some gold and silver cups. They were the cups his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. Belshazzar had them brought in so everyone could drink from them. That included the king himself, his nobles, his wives and his concubines. 3So the servants brought in the gold cups. The cups had been taken from God’s temple in Jerusalem. The king and his nobles drank from them. So did his wives and concubines. 4As they drank the wine, they praised their gods. The statues of those gods were made out of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood or stone.
5Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared. They wrote something on the plaster of the palace wall. It happened near the lampstand. The king watched the hand as it wrote. 6His face turned pale. He was so afraid that his legs became weak. And his knees were knocking together.
7The king sent for those who try to figure things out by using magic. He also sent for those who study the heavens. All of them were wise men in Babylon. Then the king spoke to them. He said, “I want one of you to read this writing. I want you to tell me what it means. Whoever does this will be dressed in purple clothes. A gold chain will be put around his neck. And he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
8Then all the king’s wise men came in. But they couldn’t read the writing. They couldn’t tell him what it meant. 9So King Belshazzar became even more terrified. His face grew more pale. And his nobles were bewildered.
10The queen heard the king and his nobles talking. So she came into the dining hall. “King Belshazzar, may you live forever!” she said. “Don’t be afraid! Don’t look so pale! 11I know a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. He has understanding and wisdom and good sense just like the gods. He was chief of those who tried to figure things out by using magic. And he was in charge of those who studied the heavens. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him to that position. 12King Nebuchadnezzar did this because he saw what the man could do. This man’s name is Daniel. Your father called him Belteshazzar. He has a clever mind and knowledge and understanding. He is also able to tell what dreams mean. He can explain riddles and solve hard problems. Send for him. He’ll tell you what the writing means.”
13So Daniel was brought to the king. The king said to him, “Are you Daniel? Are you one of the prisoners my father the king brought here from Judah? 14I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you. I’ve also heard that you have understanding and good sense and special wisdom. 15The wise men and those who practice magic were brought to me. They were asked to read this writing and tell me what it means. But they couldn’t. 16I have heard that you are able to explain things and solve hard problems. I hope you can read this writing and tell me what it means. If you can, you will be dressed in purple clothes. A gold chain will be put around your neck. And you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
17Then Daniel answered the king. He said, “You can keep your gifts for yourself. You can give your rewards to someone else. But I will read the writing for you. I’ll tell you what it means.
18“Your Majesty, the Most High God was good to your father Nebuchadnezzar. He gave him authority and greatness and glory and honor. 19God gave him a high position. Then people from every nation became afraid of the king. That was true no matter what language they spoke. The king put to death anyone he wanted to. He spared anyone he wanted to spare. He gave high positions to anyone he wanted to. And he brought down anyone he wanted to bring down. 20But his heart became very stubborn and proud. So he was removed from his royal throne. His glory was stripped away from him. 21He was driven away from people. He was given the mind of an animal. He lived with the wild donkeys. He ate grass just as an ox does. His body became wet with the dew of heaven. He stayed that way until he recognized that the Most High God rules over all kingdoms on earth. He puts anyone he wants to in charge of them.
22“But you knew all that, Belshazzar. After all, you are Nebuchadnezzar’s son. In spite of that, you are still proud. 23You have taken your stand against the Lord of heaven. You had your servants bring cups from his temple to you. You and your nobles drank wine from them. So did your wives and concubines. You praised your gods. The statues of those gods are made out of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood or stone. They can’t see or hear or understand anything. But you didn’t honor God. He holds in his hand your very life and everything you do. 24So he sent the hand that wrote on the wall.
25“Here is what was written.
mene, mene, tekel, parsin
26“And here is what these words mean.
“The word Mene means that God has limited the time of your rule. He has brought it to an end.
27“The word Tekel means that you have been weighed on scales. And you haven’t measured up to God’s standard.
28“The word Peres means that your authority over your kingdom will be taken away from you. It will be given to the Medes and Persians.”
29Then Belshazzar commanded his servants to dress Daniel in purple clothes. So they did. They put a gold chain around his neck. And he was made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
30That very night Belshazzar, the king of Babylon, was killed. 31His kingdom was given to Darius the Mede. Darius was 62 years old.
