Nagpapunsyon si Haring Belshazar
1-3Sang si Belshazar ang hari sang Babilonia, naghiwat siya sang dako nga punsyon para sa iya isa ka libo ka dungganon nga mga tawo. Samtang nagaininom sila sang bino, ginpakuha ni Belshazar ang bulawan kag pilak nga mga ilimnan nga nakuha sang iya amay5:1-3 amay: siguro ang buot silingon, katigulangan. nga si Nebucadnezar sa templo sang Dios sa Jerusalem. Ginpakuha niya ini agod imnan nila sang iya dungganon nga mga bisita, sang iya mga asawa, kag sang iban pa niya nga mga asawa nga suluguon. Gani sang gindala na sa iya ang mga ilimnan, gin-imnan nila ini. 4Kag samtang nagaininom sila sang bino, ginadayaw nila ang mga dios nga hinimo halin sa bulawan, pilak, saway, salsalon, kahoy, kag bato.
5Sa hinali lang, may nakita ang hari nga kamot nga nagasulat sa dingding sang palasyo nga malapit sa suga. 6Tungod sadto, nagpalangurog kag nagpalanglapsi ang hari sa kahadlok. 7Gani nagsinggit siya nga tawgon ang maalamon nga mga tawo sang Babilonia: ang mga babaylan, mga manugpakot,5:7 manugpakot: sa literal, Kaldeanhon. kag mga manughimalad.
Pag-abot nila, nagsiling siya sa ila, “Kon sin-o ang makabasa sinang nakasulat sa dingding kag makasaysay sang kahulugan sina, pabayuan ko sang harianon nga bayo kag pakulintasan sang bulawan. Kag mangin ikatatlo siya sa pinakamataas nga opisyal sang akon ginharian.”
8Nagpalapit ang mga maalamon sa pagbasa sadtong nakasulat sa dingding. Pero indi nila mabasa ukon masaysay sa hari ang kahulugan sini. 9Gani hinadlukan na gid si Haring Belshazar kag nagdugang pa gid ang iya pagpalanglapsi. Naglibog man ang ulo sang iya dungganon nga mga tawo.
10Karon, pagkabati sang rayna5:10 rayna: ukon, rayna nga iloy sang hari. sang ila pagginahod, nagpalapit siya sa ila kag nagsiling, “Kabay pa nga magkabuhi ka sing malawig, Mahal nga Hari. Indi ka magkahadlok ukon magkabalaka, 11kay may isa ka tawo sa imo ginharian nga ang espiritu sang balaan nga mga dios5:11 mga dios: Tan-awa ang footnote sa 4:8. ara sa iya. Sang panahon ni Haring Nebucadnezar nga imo amay, nagpakita ini nga tawo sang iya kaalam nga pareho sa kaalam sang mga dios. Ginhimo siya sang imo amay nga pangulo sang mga madyikero, mga babaylan, mga manugpakot, kag mga manughimalad. 12Siya si Daniel nga gin-ngalanan sang imo amay nga Belteshazar. May pinasahi siya nga abilidad kag kaalam. Makahibalo siya magsaysay sang kahulugan sang mga damgo, magpakot sang mga paktakon,5:12 paktakon: ukon, papakot. Sa English, riddle. kag magsolbar sang mabudlay nga mga problema. Gani ipatawag siya kag ipasaysay sa iya kon ano ang kahulugan sinang nasulat sa dingding.”
13Gani ginpatawag si Daniel. Kag sang nag-abot na siya, nagsiling ang hari sa iya, “Ikaw gali si Daniel nga isa sang mga bihag nga Judio nga gindala diri sang akon amay halin sa Juda? 14Nakabati ako nga ang espiritu sang mga dios ara sa imo kag may pinasahi ka nga abilidad kag kaalam. 15Ginpatawag ko na ang mga maalamon, pati ang mga babaylan agod ipabasa kag ipasaysay sa ila ang kahulugan sinang nasulat sa dingding, pero indi sila kahibalo. 16Pero nabatian ko nga kahibalo ka maghatag sang interpretasyon, kag kahibalo ka man magsolbar sang mabudlay nga mga problema. Karon, kon mabasa mo inang nasulat kag masaysay ang kahulugan sina, pabayuan ko ikaw sang harianon nga bayo kag pakulintasan sang bulawan. Kag himuon ko pa ikaw nga ikatatlo sa pinakamataas nga opisyal sang akon ginharian.”
17Nagsabat si Daniel, “Sa imo na lang ina nga mga regalo, Mahal nga Hari, ukon ihatag na lang sa iban. Pero basahon ko gihapon para sa imo inang nakasulat sa dingding kag isaysay kon ano ang kahulugan sina.
18“Mahal nga Hari, ginhimo sang Labing Mataas nga Dios ang imo amay nga si Nebucadnezar nga hari. Nangin gamhanan siya kag ginpadunggan sang mga tawo. 19Tungod sa gahom nga ginhatag sang Dios sa iya, nahadlok ang mga tawo sa iya sa nagkalain-lain nga nasyon, lahi, kag lingguahe. Mahimo niya nga patyon ang bisan sin-o nga gusto niya nga patyon. Mahimo man niya nga indi pagpatyon ang bisan sin-o nga indi niya gusto nga patyon. Mapataas niya ang posisyon sang tawo nga gusto niya pataason; mapanubo man niya ang posisyon sang tawo nga gusto niya panubuon. 20Pero tungod kay nagpabugal siya kag nagmatinaastaason, ginpahalin siya sa iya pagkahari 21kag gintabog palayo sa mga tawo. Kag nangin pareho sang sapat ang iya panghunahuna. Nagpuyo siya upod sa talunon nga mga asno kag naghalab sang hilamon pareho sang baka. Kag nabasa permi ang iya lawas sang tun-og. Amo ato ang iya situasyon hasta nga ginkilala niya nga ang Labing Mataas nga Dios may gahom sa mga ginharian sang mga tawo kag puwede niya sila ipasakop sa kay bisan sin-o nga gusto niya.
22“Kag ikaw, Haring Belshazar nga iya anak, bisan nahibaluan mo na ini tanan, wala ka gihapon nagpaubos sang imo kaugalingon, 23kundi ginkabig mo ang imo kaugalingon nga labaw sa Ginoo sang langit. Ginpakuha mo ang mga ilimnan nga halin sa templo sang Dios kag gin-imnan ninyo ini sang imo dungganon nga mga bisita, mga asawa, kag iban pa nga mga asawa nga suluguon. Luwas pa sina, ginsimba mo ang mga dios nga hinimo halin sa pilak, bulawan, saway, salsalon, kahoy, kag bato—mga dios nga indi makakita, indi makabati, kag indi makaintiendi. Pero wala mo gindayaw ang Dios nga nagakapot sang imo kabuhi kag nagabuot sang tanan mo nga ginahimo. 24-25Gani ginpadala niya ato nga kamot agod magsulat sang sini nga mga pulong:
“Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin. 26Amo ini ang ila kahulugan:
Ang Mene nagakahulugan nga naisip na sang Dios ang nabilin nga inadlaw sang imo paghari, tungod kay tapuson na niya ini.
27Ang Tekel nagakahulugan nga gintimbang-timbang ka sang Dios, kag nasapwan niya nga nagkulang ka.
28Ang Parsin5:28 Parsin: sa Aramico nga teksto, Peres. Ang Peres amo ang “singular” sang Parsin. nagakahulugan nga mabahin ang imo ginharian kag ihatag sa Media kag Persia.”
29Pagkatapos hambal sini ni Daniel, nagmando dayon si Belshazar nga pabayuan si Daniel sang harianon nga bayo kag pakulintasan sang bulawan. Ginproklamar dayon si Daniel nga ikatatlo nga pinakamataas nga opisyal sa ginharian sang Babilonia.
30Sang sadto mismo nga gab-i, ginpatay si Belshazar nga hari sang mga taga-Babilonia.5:30 taga-Babilonia: sa literal, Kaldeanhon. Amo ini kon kaisa ang tawag sa mga taga-Babilonia. 31Ang nagbulos sa iya nga hari amo si Darius nga Medianhon, nga nagaedad sadto sing 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.
